Chapter one: The Decision
The grounds of Beacon were quiet, soft white fog drifted across the ground. The sun was on the rise, thin rays of light stabbed deep into the shadows of what was a chilly night. Somewhere, a nevermore crowed; Ozpin sat at his desk looking through reports.
Let's see here…He thought, sleep mildly pulling at his attention.
Combat reports, Finances, Personal E-mail, Glynda…Glynda? His thoughts drew together as he looked up to the ding of the elevator. On que Ms. Goodwitch stepped out, her stoic face lending no evidence of having to force herself awake…well, no evidence of any emotion really.
"Good morning sir," she said, two cups of steaming coffee in either hand. "Have you read the weekly combat reports I've sent you and my personal report?"
Ozpin looked at her attentively, "Sadly, no I was just looking through the general agenda for today."
Grabbing one of the cups he quickly took a sip, the dark roast touching his very soul. Ozpin sat and closed his eyes in satisfaction. If it was possible, his very aura would have begun to glow, in fact it might have done just that. Glynda however, brought him back to the present.
"The pupils who have the lowest rankings are in for the month reports." As she was speaking, her face shifting to one of frustration. "Once again, Jaune Arc has ranked at the bottom, he's certain made a name for himself…as the weakest student at beacon." Frustration was evident in her voice as she placed her fingers to her head and scrunched her brow in annoyance.
"Glynda…" Ozpin said knowingly looking at her most recent reports, "we've been through this."
Glynda strode and stood in the middle of the room to face Ozpin, the sun now bathing the room and tower in a rich golden hue. "I know how he got in, his reports looked suspicious the moment I found them. I have colleagues in the combat school he 'claims' he attended, I can have them look into his case and…"
Ozpin threw up his hand.
"He made his choice to come here, he is a leader of his team and has made many friends and colleagues of his own." Ozpin said, a faint smile crossing his lips, that faded into a more serious expression. "What would you tell him, his team? That he is no longer welcomed despite his success as a team leader?"
"Yes, if I find anything to confirm my findings, and I mean anything…" She stated, glaring at him "Then I will personally see to it, that such an example is made of him that this kind of problem won't happen again."
"At the expense of the school's reputation and principals?" Ozpin said in a serious tone.
"What?" Glynda said in confusion, as Ozpin stood up and stood at the edge of the room looking out at the rising sun, the light finally falling upon the grounds.
"Say we kick him out, then what? Where will he go and what will he do? Maybe home? Maybe join criminals? What will it say about us that we took what seemed like a functional team and literal ripped out one of its corner stones?" Ozpin said, not even glancing in Glynda's direction. "Honestly Glynda, I thought that you would have come to me about team CRDL by this point. However, since you feel so strongly about the matter I must ask, 'what would you have me do?'"
Glynda was taken aback, "Don't try to guilt me! His team may seem normal and fine, but that attitude will surely crumple when they are gathered around the boys' coffin." Glynda said, setting her mug down and walking over to Ozpin. He glanced at her as she waited for a response and let out a sigh, "So…as it stands… you want me to make a decision? Well, indeed, I have."
Glynda looked at him with mild surprise "…and?"
Ozpin walked over to his desk and tap at the screen, he pulled forth a file and then swiped it, Glyndas' tablet vibrated softly. She pulled it out and looked over the report. It was a mission request, a solo mission request. Not many of them were given to the academy, this was because solo missions were normally given to combat students as a rite of passage into Beacon. However, when they did come up it was usually due to it being difficult enough to give some of the less skilled teams a chance to work on their teamwork; Glynda looked at Ozpin quizzically, she then looked at the details of the mission.
"Summon Jaune and give him a choice: Either quit and walk away from all he has built here, or take this mission and prove himself as a hunter…alone."
Glynda looked up at him with a shocked expression, and began to look over the details again.
Ozpin examined his mug and coffee, or lack thereof, with sadness. "Either way, I'm leaving this to you."
"What!?" Glynda said in alarm, her voice giving away more shock than she liked as she looked up. The details of this mission were troubling
"He's the lowest ranking student at beacon, and this is a job I would be giving to Miss Nikos! There is no way the boy can handle this!"
Ozpin turned and faced her, "That is what you think." He said with a coy smile. "I sense something more, something great…I have waited for you and the other professors to bring it out of him. Now however, my patience has worn thin and time grows short." He looked out over the grounds, some of the students had begun to do there usually morning activities to get a jumpstart on the day.
"Our enemies are on the move. The Vytal Tournament is when they will strike, that much is clear to us. In two weeks' time the most powerful students in the world will converge and the plans of the dark queen and her pawns will be revealed…and I'm not sure we will withstand it." Ozpin looked up at Glynda with concern in his eyes and saw a new emotion in hers, fear.
"The world will need all the heroes' it can take, and we must form and shape them with whatever amount of time we have left. That which is in front and behind us is small compared to what lies within, the trick is bringing it out for all to see. Now go do what you must, Jaunes' day to rise or fall has come."
Glynda picked up her mug, now cold, and walked back to the elevator. As she waited, she turned and faced Ozpin. "And if he fails? What kind of message will that send?" She then stepped inside, and pressed for the first floor.
"That the combat class will need some reevaluation and perhaps a new teacher." Ozpin said jokingly, Glyndas' glare though, indicated an inability to see the humor in it. The elevator closed with a silent thud.
