Disclaimer: the following is fan-based fiction. RWBY belongs to the late Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth. Please support the official release.
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Chapter one: hiring
Ozpin pov
It was nearing dusk as Ozpin sat at the desk in his office, repeating the same conversation he'd been having with his right hand all day. Thirty times they'd discussed this and thirty times his answer had been the same followed by thirty insistences from Glynda that Ozpins standards were too high. By this point he'd run out of coffee and was instead drinking water from his cup, a dire sign of his untiring commitment to the task at hand.
"Sir, I simply fail to see how this previous candidate, or any of our previous candidates, were not adequate for the position."
"That's just it," he sighed, his tone somehow more even as he went on "they were only adequate. I will settle for nothing less than a genius, Glynda. WE owe our students that much when selecting new staff members."
Glynda rolled her eyes at his reply, but Ozpin could tell she knew he was right. He'd never get upset with her over her outward skepticism. He knew he was lucky to have her help running Beacon. The most skilled of his former students, Glynda had proven to also be a great ally, a great professor here at Beacon and the only person at Beacon who not only criticized him (only person who questioned his every decision was more like it) but whose critiques he took seriously. Her questioning of him had always been what kept him more grounded in his actions than in the past.
Now, however, nothing would make him settle for less than the best person in all of Remnant to become Beacons new instructor for the tactics class. If the person teaching the team leaders was less than the best then his students would only be able to get second rate instructions in one of the most crucial of leader only courses. At a school such as Beacon, where students were literally training for life or death, that was an unacceptable boost to future mortality rates. He knew Glynda understood this, just as she knew he understood how impossible this task could turn out to be. Knowing the odds had never stopped him in his arrogant youth, though, nor would it stop him today, but for entirely different reasons.
After a minute of silence Glynda finally spoke up again and Ozpin could hear the worry in her voice, telling him how exhausted she was pretending not to be.
"Professor Ozpin, the sun has set and tomorrow is the beginning of the week. If we don't do something there will be no one to teach the tactics class. Even If it's just a temporary stand in we need someone assigned to that class tonight so they may prepare for tomorrows class TONIGHT."
Before Ozpin could reply a loud beep from his desktop computer alerted him to a priority message. Holo computers, he thought as he accessed his terminal, wish we had these as kids.
He read the message on the screen:
Dear Ozpin,
I have heard about your recent opening and wish to send a promising candidate your way. I know it's not within my power to formally aide you, but I feel as you do that Beacons students deserve the best of the best in the way of instructors. I should warn you, though, this guy's past is a little strange. Never the less he comes highly recommend as a tactician by myself, the queen, my generals and the Dragon Knight. Test him yourself and see.
Signed, King Roderique III
p.s. this message may come after he gets there, sorry.
Ozpin finished the message just as there was a knock at his office door.
"Very punctual," he chuckled, amused. He began spinning his chair around as he said "Come in!"
He heard the door open as the new candidate entered the room. He then heard the door close followed by the newcomer's footsteps. Just by listening to them Ozpin was able to tell that they belonged to someone who was six foot eight walking in a relaxed yet guarded posture. An imposing figure, to be sure. With that Ozpin decided to turn around and greet this newcomer.
"Greetings," he said mid turn "and welcome to Beacon."
The man standing before him was as tall as Ozpin predicted, six nine, with broad shoulders standing with attentiveness yet confident and relaxed all the same. He wore a long white coat that accentuated his slightly muscular figure with a black collar embroidered with gold designs and similar cuffs at the end of each sleeve. His pants were black and comfortable looking and he had black boots that went up to just under mid shin. The man's hair was a bright yellow blonde that had been combed back under the straps to his mask. That was the odd thing about this stranger, his mask. Gold with a mouth that was half smiling half frowning and two eye holes that revealed eyes of the most familiar shade of blue. Ozpin began to seriously wonder where he'd seen those eyes before when their owner responded to his greeting.
"Thank you, Headmaster." His voice was deep and masculine while soft and slightly smooth. There was enough confidence and charisma in those three words to make Ozpin feel completely reassured in his presence. "I hope this day has found you well, sir."
Ozpin glanced at Glynda to see her reaction to the man before them to see her blushing. Wait. Backup. Glynda? Serious and judgmental (it's how she shows she cares) Glynda was blushing. Glynda, who never blushes and always maintains a serious expression was blushing.
...
First time for anything... Ozpin kept up his poker face as he threw off the shock. Back to business, he decided.
"Quite well, thank you. So you're applying for the open position of tactical instruction, yes?"
"Yes"
"Do you have any letters of recommendation or a resume?"
`"Letters, yes. Unfortunately I lack a proper resume." he replied as he handed six letters to Ozpin, who placed them in a desk drawer.
"No matter, I hate looking at resumes. So then mister- uh?"
"Where are my manners? My name is Gilded Arcadia." as he said it, Gilded bowed slightly to Ozpin.
"A pleasure Mr. Arcadia. Now please, before we continue with the interview I would like you to play a game of chess with me." Ozpin proceeded to pull the chess board on the left hand corner to the center. Them he gestured to the seat across from him and said "Please, have a seat Mr. Arcadia."
"Thank you."
"Might I ask where you're from? You seem strangely familiar."
"I'm from a Valean border town, just a few miles southwest of the walls in one of the gaps I'm the mountain range. As for the familiarity, we've met before, but one could argue that this is our first meeting."
"Truly? Well at any rate, let the game begin."
Four moves later, Gilded had Ozpin in checkmate.
"... let's play another round."
Four games later, four more losses for Ozpin. Even with his first move advantage from playing as the white side- wait a second.
"You're using my first move advantage against me aren't you?"
"Heh, guilty."
"..."
Ozpin looked at Glynda and saw the shock in her face. He really didn't get that, after all, this is what they'd been looking for. However, if the interview was going to continue Ozpin needed to know more about their applicant. Only two ways to get that.
"If you wish to continue testing me please continue. Five games of chess are a difficult indicator of competence."
"In due time, I think I'll read those letters know."
"Of course, surprises can be a nasty things after all."
"Too true." That's when Ozpin decided screw the letters, this guy was hired. Mindreading? A no brainer quality.
"I don't read minds."
"That remains to be seen." As he said that Ozpin was pulling the first letter, King Roderiques, out of its envelope, best be safe and read these before any more surprises… too late.
"Is this letter a joke?
"Deathly serious I'm afraid. Even deadlier true."
"I'm afraid I have a hard time believing that you're…" Ozpin just stopped and looked at Glynda, who looked confused at the recent exchange, and back to the letters.
"Glynda, I believe I can handle this from here, you may leave. You've been working since before dawn anyways." Ozpin got up and started guiding Glynda to the door.
"But Professor Ozpin-" Glynda started to protest.
"No buts. You've already missed lunch on my account I won't have you miss dinner too. Go eat, drink and sleep. No use ruining your health when we're almost done here." Ozpin finally managed to get Glynda out the door, despite her attempts to protest, and shut it. Then he turned and walked back to his desk and saw that it was already dark out. How the time flies when you're being thrashed in chess and continually surprised. He sat back at his desk and addressed Gilded.
"It's just you and me now, Mr. Arcadia. No Glynda and no lies. Is what the king stated in his letter true?"
"Yes."
"Prove it."
Gilded hesitated, but then removed his mask. Ozpin was taken aback by what he saw. After a few minutes of silence, trying to come up with a different solution for what he had seen Ozpin finally said:
"Well, that certainly does prove something. Now doesn't it?"
