Fireworks
Chapter 1
"How do you guys not know what today is?" Feuer asked staring at Ruby and Yang. The two teams were outside of Beacon enjoying the ample daylight and loving warmth of the summer air. Noir and Weiss looked up from the bench they were sitting at and Noir set her violin back in the case at her feet. Adler even tipped his hat back and sat up from the tree he had been dozing under while Blake tucked a bookmark to save her page.
"What's the big deal?" Yang asked confused by Feuer's exaggerated movements.
"Today's the anniversary of the forming of the Atlesian Army." Gil answered dropping down from the tree he had been tucked into, a couple squirrels chasing down the tree trunk after him.
"Ok and?" Blake asked, mildly irritated by all the noise everyone was making.
"It's the biggest celebration of the summer." Feuer answered speaking excitedly. "There's parties, food, drinks . . ."
"And Explosions and fireworks!" Adler interrupted causing Blake to jump slightly.
"That sounds awesome!" Ruby shouted jumping around Feuer, "Yang can we go can we go?"
"Um . . . why don't you ask them Rubes?"
"Yeah, in fact you all can come, it'll be a great time." Feuer said smiling, Adler pulled back his sleeve and looked at his watch. He nodded to Feuer and tapped his wrist, "Oh seems we'll need to leave soon. Can you meet us back here in like ten minutes?"
Team RWBY rose and hurried back to their room to get ready for the event, returning to the front lawn they met up with tam FANG and boarded an airship for Atlas. Once they arrived the group headed straight for the academy, it was an impressive structure. The buildings where white and shone brilliantly in the afternoon light, everything had a very state of the art feel and all the people dressed in monochrome outfits that matched their light skin. Inside the school everything was quiet and a serious air hung over the campus like a fog.
"Hey Weiss, why didn't you tell us about this?" Yang asked as they followed the other team through the myriad of hallways.
"Honestly I had never heard of it, I doubt Father would have approved of such frivolous distractions." Weiss answered looking around at the numerous empty corridors.
"Alright here we are." Feuer said rounding a corner and coming to a door. The light on the panel next to the door flicked green and Adler yanked on the handle and bolted through the doorway. Stopping on the other side of the room he looked back at the rest of the group who was still staring at him from the doorway.
"Sorry, old habits." He replied sheepishly before removing his hat and jamming it down into his pants pocket. The rest of the people filed in and team RWBY took a look around the room, there was a coat rack mounted into the wall next to the door, a door that lead to the shared bedroom and large windows across the back wall. In the corner sat a table with a pair of sewing machines and bolts of fabric, Adler was now sitting in the chair next to the table. Next to him was an upright piano pushed against the wall with numerous locks lying across the top, sitting on the window sill next to the piano was a box filled with small plants, a strawberry bush was covered in fruit and a small withered tree was shrouded in flowers.
Feuer stepped to the right into the small kitchen in the room, rooting through the various cabinets he found a basket that he sat on the counter and began loading it with food. Meanwhile, Noir walked over to the piano and began picking up several things from the top and tucking them into a case that she handed to Adler. Once this had been done she lifted the cover to the keys and in a moment had a light happy tune in the air. Gil stepped over to the window and opened it outward, making sure the plants were as direct into the sunlight as he could get them, and in mere moments several birds were fluttering between the plants and throughout the room. Blake eyed the little darts of color as they whizzed around and settled on the coat rack and the tops of the cabinets. Gil motioned for her to come over and she sat at the stool looking out the window and over much of Atlas.
The sun was beginning to nestle between the mountains in the distance and the clouds were being transformed into vibrant hues of orange and pink. Blake took a deep breath and relaxed for a moment before Gil handed her a small box that he began filling with the strawberries he was picking. Weiss was swatting at the birds as they darted away from her and back to the edge of the window and on top of Gil's shoulders and head.
"Ugh where did those disgusting creatures even come from?"
"There the only birds in Atlas, they came to me and they wait every day for me to get home."
"And you allow those disease ridden vermin inside your room?" Weiss said with a slight shudder.
"Yes, all creatures are welcome here, despite how they may treat each other on the outside I have found that peace can be maintained if there is good spirit. Even Blake here has resisted the urge to catch my little finches and sparrows." Hearing this Blake dropped her head and forced herself to look away from the pair of cardinals dancing along the edge of the window. Gil stood and caused the birds resting on his head to flutter off briefly before perching again on his shoulder, he took the box from Blake's hands thanking her for the help and tucking it away inside the basket.
Weiss walked over to Noir and sat next to her at the bench, her melody stopped for a moment and then resumed with her and Weiss playing a harmony together. A large male sparrow landed on the arm of Adler's chair and he stared down at the little bearded bird, shifting his chair around Adler looked through a box filled with spools of thread and pulled a piece of scrap thread out. The bird hopped over onto the table and took the gift in his beak before flying off out the window. Gil returned from the bedrooms with a back pack and stood against the wall.
"Alright that should be everything, Adler do you have your stuff?" Feuer asked closing the basket, Adler nodded and tapped his foot against a bag next to his chair. "Good, then I believe we're ready to go." Everyone stood and Gil whistled the birds out of the window telling them to be safe before latching the window shut, Adler slung the bag over his shoulder and pulled on his cap before stepping back into the hallway. The two teams walked out of the building and across a paved courtyard to a five story tall classroom building.
"What is this place?" Blake asked as they came up to the door.
"Weapons systems studies building." Noir replied pulling on the latch to find the door locked.
"Are we supposed to be here?" Ruby asked looking around.
"Not even remotely." Noir answered smiling, she nodded to Adler who pulled the black case out of his pocket and handed it to her. Pulling out a metal card she slid between the door and frame, with a couple motions and a click the door opened and the group stepped inside. It was deathly silent in the building and every footstep on the tile echoed through the long corridors of the first floor. They took an elevator up to the fifth floor and walked across the hallway to the stairwell where there was a ladder leading into the ceiling. Noir climbed up and pulled a piece of wire from the kit, carefully threading it behind the locking bar she popped the hatch and pushed it open. Adler went up next and dropped a rope down to Feuer who tied off the handle of the basket that was quickly pulled up into the opening above. Yang and Blake went up next, followed by Feuer and then Ruby and Weiss and finally Gil who secured the latch before closing the door to the roof.
"Hmmm I remembered that being a lot more difficult." Noir remarked to Adler once everyone was gathered on the roof.
"Well you know Atlas thinking, 'If we have enough guns nobody would ever try to attack'." Adler said in an impression of General Ironwood that had all of team FANG laughing.
"Hey remember when you did that impression of the Headmaster and you convinced the Captain to dig a position into the water main of the school?" Feuer asked chuckling.
"Do I? He was so mad that his clothes started steaming!"
"Especially when he found out the Headmaster was taking the day off and was in Patch!" Feuer choked out trying to catch his breath, Adler took a second and got into character.
"Ah now Sergeant, you take care of the men here and I'll go get . . . help." Adler said in the voice of their old Captain before strutting off and pretending to trip over nothing. This had the whole group laughing, all except Weiss who was about to chastise them but was stopped by Noir's hand on her shoulder.
"Boys will be boys, just let them enjoy it." Noir said before looking over at Feuer, "Hey what's a girl gotta do for a steak around here?"
"Give the guy cooking it a kiss." Feuer snickered in return.
"In that case I'd rather starve."
"Ouch, baby don't hurt me." Feuer said with a smile before picking up two X shaped frames and positioned them off to the side supporting the pieces with his sword that he laid across and covered with a grate. He twisted the pommel of the claymore and pressed the button underneath the hilt, there was a click and then the length of the blade became engulfed in flame. Gil reached into the basket and began handing food over to Feuer for him to place on the improvised grill. As Feuer worked on the food Gil opened the pack he was carrying and pulled drinks out for everyone. Once a meal was finished cooking Adler prepared dishes and handed them out; a Caesar salad with grilled chicken for Weiss, a pair of kabobs for Yang, a big hamburger for Ruby. To Blake's delight she was handed a plate with a large steak of tuna seasoned and seared to perfection.
"Where did you get this?" She stammered, drool forming at the corner of her mouth.
"Oh Gil found it, we didn't even know you liked fish."
"Enjoy Blake." Gil said taking his plate from Feuer. Noir walked up and shoved Adler away from the grill and took her dinner, it was an impressively large steak still red and juicy. The girl's chosen dinner brought looks from Weiss and Yang, though with vastly different expressions of disgust and amazement.
Once the two teams had finished eating the sun had set and the show was about to begin, Adler opened his bag and produced several hand held rockets that he gave to everyone. He used his lighter to start the fuses and within moments the roof was illuminated with brilliant streaks of color as flaming balls flashed and crackled overhead. Whistles, snaps and bangs reverberated off the nearby buildings and made the whole campus sound like it was in the midst of an ambush. The cheers coming from team RWBY were quickly silenced by a fantastic flash and a tremendous boom indicating the real show had started.
The two teams crowded onto the padded blanket to watch the show, Gil handed Ruby the box of strawberries that had been encrusted in sugar. Her eyes shimmered in delight as she began popping the fruit into her mouth. For a moment that was all there was. No monsters, no assignments, no responsibilities. There was just eight kids sitting together watching the vibrant flashes as mortars erupted and showers cascaded out of the sky, rockets whizzed up in crisscrossing patterns and spinners made drunken curlicues across the dark evening canvas. Each shot would flash and about a second later the concussion would rock the building, rattling the windows and echoing throughout the valley. After the show ended team FANG packed up and the group worked their way down and out of the building, team RWBY said their goodbyes at the dorm and boarded an airship back to Beacon.
Please let me know what you think of the piece and anything you would like to see. Next is a bit of code for anyone who wants to play.
Reflector: Thin B Wheel Numbers: B, I, II, III Key is RWBY no plug board pairs
Tell me the code phrase: XCCGX CPMRO MORSQ CBTXP MIPXR VMQDO JYEMW YUQF