A/N: Aaaaaaah sorry about that. I was kind of in over my head with the whole Sunday/Wednesday upload schedule in the first place, but I'm as stubborn as a mule and so stuck with it. As a result, I still feel guilty about messing up the Wednesday upload last week. As a show of my sincerity, please accept this extra-long chapter.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, I'd just like to say thank you for the more than 100 followers! You guys are great. I'm honestly surprised at the overwhelmingly positive reception this fic has thus far received.
Chapter 7
The ballroom was awash with students. A number of makeshift beds lay scattered across the floor haphazardly, in which the new entrants sat fooling around, sleeping, fiddling idly with their scrolls, chatting and occasionally reading. The air was thick with sweat, the lights were dim, and the boys mostly topless. All in all, it was pretty uncomfortable for Ruby Rose.
Well, at least her sister didn't seem to hate the topless boys, from those predatory glances she shot the exposed males. Ruby would ask her to stop, but she was hardly in the mood.
After all, she'd just made it to Beacon, and had thus far made absolutely no friends. She'd met that white-haired girl, but…
Well, it was difficult trying to make friends with someone after you'd literally blown up in their face and then suddenly had to attack them. The look in her sky-blue eyes as she walked away in the hall still shook Ruby to the core. Ruby had to put all her might into restraining Yang when she explained she'd gotten into a fight with the ice queen - she only stopped trying to attack her when Ruby explained that it was all her own fault in the first place.
Of course, she'd also told Yang about the evil dude with the hat. It was a relief to see that she totally believed her - after all, the circumstances were… Weird, to say the least: she'd beaten a bad guy only for them to appear unrestrained in Beacon's courtyard. And, worse yet, she hadn't been able to convince anyone other than her sister that she wasn't lying!
Well, she hadn't tried with anyone other than Weiss, but that was beside the point.
She wanted to do something about it, but she had no idea where to start. She didn't even know the man's name! Not to mention intel gathering wasn't exactly her strong suit - she wanted to fight enemies out in the open, not dig through ditches looking for them!
She looked down at the notebook she'd been writing on. It seemed it was now covered in the shambling wreckage of an off-the-rails train of thought. She ripped the page apart, and ruffled her hair in frustration.
Oh, gosh, now Yang was going to start wondering what was wrong. Ruby jerked when she felt an elbow jab into her side.
"Hey, Ruby," she whispered, voice low, "Are you seeing these boys?"
She then let out a suggestive purr. Or, at least, that's what it sounded like to Ruby.
"I see 'em, Yang," Ruby stated matter-of-factly, "But I'm trying to be a huntress, not a creep."
She yelped as Yang hit her playfully (well, painfully) with a pillow.
"What's gotten you so on edge, Rubes?" she asked.
"... Nothing."
Yang's lilac eyes narrowed and bored straight into her soul. Ruby crumpled.
"Okay, okay, not nothing," she corrected hastily, "It's that thief guy from before."
Yang let out a large and very audible sigh.
"Rubes," she began, "I know it sucks that he got away, but now's not the time to worry about it. I'm sure the staff at Beacon have got this!"
"If they really had, maybe he wouldn't have gotten in here in the first place."
Yang rolled her eyes in a long, slow arc.
"Listen." she grabbed Ruby and then proceeded to follow up with a very affectionate headlock, "All I'm hearing is 'Yang, help me find something to do to take my mind off of a creepy guy that hangs out behind trees!'"
"Yeah… Like, maybe go back to writing my letter to my friends back at Signal…?" Ruby suggested, nerves slowly beginning to twitch. She knew this look in Yang's eye. It was still the same old lilac, but it burned as brightly as her hair when her semblance activated. It meant she was getting another one of her ideas, which would always end up with Ruby embarrassed in front of everyone else.
The blonde's arm shot out, and before Ruby could try to roll out of the way, had already grabbed her shoulder.
"Nope!" Yang then went and shifted her grip to around her arms, preventing all hope of escape. "We need to make you some Beacon friends!" Yang exclaimed.
Ruby was powerless to resist - as much as she kicked and struggled to try and break free of her sister's grasp - while Yang slowly surveyed the room around them, looking for any vulnerable folk to force her sister on.
Ruby tried to follow whoever her sister was looking at. First, her gaze settled on some random girl in black, then some boy in a onesie, then it settled on…
Wait, was that Pyrrha Nikos?
Her sister yanked her around to gaze at a boy sitting alone in a corner. He was reading a book in peace, while sipping what looked to be a cup of tea. The loose-fitting, green silk pajamas he wore completed the effect - he looked completely and totally serene.
"Just look at him, Ruby!" she whispered, "He looks almost as antisocial as you! This is perfect!"
Antisocial, maybe, but discontented? Nope. Ruby pitied the guy. No one deserved to put up with Yang when she was like this; and, even worse, Yang was going to force Ruby's social awkwardness on him.
Ruby, try as she might, could not change her sister's course as she pulled her through the occasionally staring crowd toward her unfortunate victim. Before long, a pair of magenta eyes were staring calmly up at the approaching pair.
"Can I help you?" he asked. His voice was incredibly level - it was almost like he didn't even realise they were there. He sounded just as peaceful as he looked, which only made the guilt truck Ruby was being hit by hit all the harder.
"Yeah! We just thought you looked a little lonely and came over to talk to you!" Yang announced.
He hadn't looked lonely at all. Well, not that it mattered now. If Yang said he was lonely, then he was lonely and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I see."
He then went back to reading his book calmly. Yang's grin grew sharper, and that glint in her eyes only grew more dangerous. He didn't so much as flinch. There wasn't even a hint of intimidation or interest in his eyes.
Yang seemed to deflate at the sight. She sighed, and patted her hand on Ruby's shoulder in resignation.
"Ah, well, Ruby. Looks like this one's a lost cause -"
"My gosh, Renny! You horndog!" a voice blasted from nearby - almost knocking Ruby off of her feet. The boy then sighed, which was probably the biggest show of emotion Ruby had thus far seen out of him.
Ruby turned to the voice's source, a redhead dressed in pink.
"I can't leave you for a second or you start working away on nearby maidens with your wicked wiles!" the girl then began to shake the poor boy, who had only just been in a totally zen state.
Okay, Ruby had thought that Yang was gonna be bad for this boy? This… This was way worse. Oddly enough, however, even while being shaken as if in a brutal blender, the boy remained smiling.
Ruby knew, even in the face of this overwhelming foe, that she had to help the poor boy. And, from the slightly dumbstruck look on Yang's face and her slowly backing away, it looked like she would have to do it alone.
"Uh… We j-just thought he looked sorta lonely-ish and decided to - uh - go talk to him - it's okay!" Ruby suddenly blurted out.
The girl suddenly jolted round to them, and the boy's eyes shot over to them. The girl had a gaze like lightning - that is, overly energetic and crazily unpredictable.
"We, uh, just wanted to be… Friends…?" Ruby continued.
The girl's eyes widened, and her smile began to show seemingly too many teeth - it looked like her face was about to split open like an exotic fruit. Although it really should've looked friendly, it instead looked dangerous and terrifying. Ruby could feel herself shrinking beneath it.
"Renny…" she turned to him, and the static in the air built up even further, "You made… A friend!?"
"Yes, Nora." 'Renny' replied. Ruby wasn't sure that he meant what he was saying, but if she were in his shoes - or, well, being crushed by the girl now squeezing him like a bear, she'd probably have gone with the flow too.
The girl, Nora, squeaked, dropped the boy on the floor, and then gave the same hug she'd just given her former victim to Yang and Ruby. All of the air was knocked out of Ruby immediately, as the girl's arms completely trapped her. All attempts to breathe were met with crushing defeat.
"Ohmigosh Renny! I'm so proud of you!" she squealed, "You made friends already? Wow, this is going to be the best!" the girl leaned in closer to the two of them, and her voice dropped to a hushed whisper, "I'd be careful, though. Renny's a real ladies' man - I have to keep him on a leash sometimes!"
Well, it wasn't much of a whisper from the way 'Renny' rolled his eyes, and some of the nearby girls backed away.
"Nora, I think you're going to suffocate them." he observed.
The girl soon dropped Ruby, before darting back guiltily upon seeing the two girls' blue faces.
"Oh wow, I'm so sorry I was just proud that Renny had finally made a friend, I didn't mean to strangle you! I swear!" she protested.
"It's… Fine…" Ruby gasped in response. Her lungs should've been filling with air properly by now. They weren't.
The black-haired boy let out a small chuckle.
"My apologies. Nora here is a little…" he turned over to the girl, who looked like she was vibrating on the spot, "Excitable. My name is Lie Ren, and this is Nora Valkyrie."
"Yang… Xiao-Long," her sister panted.
"Ruby Rose." Ruby choked, before finally the air began to flow throughout her body. She swore then and there that she was never going to take that sweet air for granted, ever again.
On the bright side, she'd finally made a friend!
Darn it. Now she needed to think of a conversation topic. She looked to Yang, eyes pleading. This was always her older sister's territory - they were friends now, so it shouldn't have been too difficult for her to take charge again, right?
Yang, however, was refusing to say a word. Was it that she wasn't used to having her confidence and extrovertedness not only matched, but outclassed by this Nora girl? The thought was strange, and made Ruby feel uncomfortable - she promptly tossed it aside.
"So!" the redhead began, "Isn't being at Beacon just the best!?"
Luckily for Ruby, Nora seemed to have no end of things to talk about. She found this out quickly, and then kept finding it out, long into the night. Long past the time she would normally have been sound asleep.
The only one of them who got any real rest was Ren.
*X*
"First impressions, anyone?"
Ozpin sat at the head of the table, staring out at the Beacon staff.
Glynda was sat at the chair directly beside him, as always, and glaring daggers at anyone who seemed to be slacking or not paying attention, also as always. Given that Torchwick was sat with his feet crossed on the table, the majority of these glares were directed at him. From the vacant expression on the thief's face, getting stabbed by Glynda's sharp eyes didn't affect him whatsoever.
As much as he wouldn't admit it to her face, Ozpin enjoyed seeing Glynda's authority challenged for once. Peter and Bartholomew were more or less completely at her mercy - a single glare would usually completely stop them in their tracks. While she was usually understandably gentle with Peaches, when the poor girl made serious mistakes she would grill her non-stop for them. In fact, Ozpin was pretty certain Glynda had only stopped shooting Peaches the occasional death-glare when Torchwick had arrived.
Without fear of Glynda, each of the teachers were a lot more relaxed. They wouldn't check behind their shoulders for the emerging purple-clad disciplinarian at every corner when Ozpin tried to talk to them anymore - because she was too busy trying to find Torchwick. They wouldn't end up collapsed on their desks when Glynda asked them to complete a little too much paperwork - instead, she was checking if Torchwick was up to something. Even better still, she wouldn't harass him when he was trying to drink his coffee and gaze out of his office window in peace - she was lecturing Torchwick on the other side of the building.
Whether the crime lord knew it or not, since he had arrived he had only done exactly what Ozpin had intended. He was stirring the pot, shaking things up - it had already had a profound influence on the faculty, most noticeable in Oobleck, who now regularly followed him around and tried to give him any kind of help or advice he could; much to the thief's chagrin.
Ozpin was on an incredibly satisfying winning streak and he already felt like pushing his luck. He had gotten a new teacher and an incredibly talented batch of new students - if their performances at initiation this year were anything to go by.
Each of these promising students now lay before him on his scroll, organised neatly by which relic they had managed to pick up in initiation. Of these new students, it was time to pick which students of them showed enough promise to be leaders.
"I believe Pyrrha Nikos should be the leader of the white rook pieces." Glynda stated bluntly, "She showed admirable cooperation skills, and coupled with her blatantly incredible combat capabilities she could prove an excellent candidate for the leader of her team."
Murmurs of agreement resounded across the table. Torchwick seemed determined on paying as little attention as humanly possible to the meeting - remaining silent as the grave.
Ozpin looked at his scroll, and on the glowing blue square the names and faces of the four youths who had claimed the rooks at initiation appeared.
Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren.
Ozpin smiled. Yes, Pyrrha Nikos would certainly be a good candidate for leader. She fit the position like a glove - responsible, kind, skilled, and intelligent. She'd passed the entrance exam with record-breaking ease, and upon hearing the glowing reports of her character from chat shows, he'd decided it would be worth interviewing her himself.
He could still remember her words at the interview, down to the letter, even weeks after. It had made for an interesting interview, for certain. Unfortunately, as much as he would've liked to make the girl a team leader, he couldn't go back on the promise he'd made her during it.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Glynda."
The table fell silent, and all eyes were on Ozpin. Even, quite surprisingly, Torchwick's.
"I-if I may ask, professor…" began Peaches, who was sat in a one-person huddle at the end of the table, shoulders hunched forward and eyes firmly to the floor, "Why wouldn't we choose P-Pyrrha for the leader of her team…?"
Peaches was questioning him?
"Why, that's simple, Professor Peaches." the girl winced as he turned his gaze to her. It seemed no matter how softly he tried to act, it would still make the girl's breath catch as if struck by a pin. "If you look at the footage in initiation, the girl only ever follows the orders given to her. While on her own she can very easily achieve great things, a life spent in the coliseum makes it difficult for one to lead a group - she doesn't know what to do when in command of other people."
It was sound logic. It wasn't even the first time he had made a decision like this - most teachers would agree with him.
"Yep. I'm with Greenie on this one." Torchwick stated.
Everyone on the table turned to him. Ozpin suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow, drowning it in a calm sip of coffee. He'd not shown much enthusiasm thus far in any of their meetings - except for the time he spirited Oobleck's hideous old tie away. It felt odd to see him suddenly start not only proactively contributing, but agreeing with Ozpin.
A seed of suspicion took root within him.
"I wager the Invincible Girl will make the brats feel more than a little worse about themselves - if you suddenly place her in charge then that's the kind of standard they'll start holding themselves to. Standards that they definitely won't be hitting before the end of their four year stay at Beacon." Torchwick said it so casually and calmly - as if this kind of logic came naturally to him. Given his background, Ozpin wasn't surprised - selecting leaders must have been a common process back when he was the kingpin of the criminal underground.
"Indeed! Making the Pyrrha girl too prominent among the student body would intimidate other students trying to follow her example! I wholeheartedly agree with Torchwick here!" Oobleck exclaimed, pointing his finger to the air.
"O-okay…." Peaches stuttered out, shifting her gaze from the table to the floor, "I-I suppose I'll side with you, th-then…"
"Hmph! And who do you suppose would make a good candidate for her replacement?" Port questioned, "After all, a huntress of her caliber is one in a million! I dare say a suitable replacement would be hard to find!" His chest puffed out, inflated by his preemptive sense of triumph.
"I actually already had someone in mind, Peter." Ozpin replied.
Port's chest returned to its normal size.
"And who would you say that is?"
The image of four students, mere first years, courageously staring down a Deathstalker, was still clear in his mind. Of the four, one person had maintained discipline and directed the students to their eventual victory against their foe.
He could still see the girl standing over the disappearing Deathstalker with her rapier planted in its eye and her snow white hair fluttering in the wind.
"Weiss Schnee. I'm certain she has the drive to become a leader and as we saw in the initiation had managed to keep a clear head and think under pressure. She was more than able to earn the respect of her teammates and I'm certain she will become an excellent leader with time." Ozpin said.
"Good point, I suppose." hummed Port, his fingers stroking his flamboyant moustache.
"The Schnees are famous for their responsibility and leadership skills." Glynda noted.
"The Schnees aren't famous for treating their employees nicely." Torchwick quipped.
Glynda's glare turned from a hail of daggers to a blizzard and it was aimed much more pointedly at the thief leaning his feet on the table.
"Are you trying to say something, Roman?" Oobleck faced Torchwick, his curiosity transparent even through his completely opaque spectacles.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not entirely sure Snow White will actually become a good leader. Last I remember, the Schnees had a reputation for being stuck up and cold. Who knows how she'll treat her classmates? The last thing you want is disgruntled kids to suddenly start acting out because of how poorly their leader treats them."
"If so, Torchwick, who would you suggest?" Ozpin asked.
"How about the Lie Ren kid? He seems calm and collected enough - he fought that one deathstalker without a single gripe. I'd say he has the mettle to be the leader and you won't be taking risks with his attitude."
The way Oobleck nodded and Port scratched his chin didn't bode well for Weiss Schnee's chance at becoming leader. Ozpin wasn't sure why Torchwick was being so active at the meeting, but it was more than enough to put him ever so slightly on edge. Thousands of possibilities as to why danced throughout his imagination, but none of them seemed very appealing.
One thing was certain, however: Ozpin was not going to let this Lie Ren boy become the leader of that team. Not with Torchwick's reasons being so unclear.
"And who, Torchwick, was the one strategizing? Who was the one who actually ended up making the plan that defeated the Deathstalker? Not Lie Ren, I can assure you. He may be able to keep a clear head when the situation demands, but that says nothing of his actual leadership skills. He could put his entire team in danger as the result of a poor decision. Your belief that Miss Schnee will be difficult for her teammates is just that - a belief. On the off chance that she really is unkind to her teammates, being in the position of a leader is the best for her - that way she can learn to open up to them in ways that she wouldn't have been able to otherwise."
That was an effective blow in Ozpin's favour. Port, ever the lover of romantic changes of nature, was now nodding along in agreement. He adored the prospect of Beacon changing lives for the better and the thought of a Schnee learning to open up to people would sate this hunger. Knowing Oobleck, the potential lives at stake from making the Lie boy the leader of the team would surely sway the professor to his side. He was always one for making the logical choice when the situation demanded.
If all went well, Miss Schnee would become a leader, and grow into a fine one.
"Without further ado…" Glynda readjusted her spectacles, "All those in favour of Pyrrha Nikos becoming the leader of the white rook pieces, please raise your hand."
Not a single hand went up.
''All in favour of Lie Ren?"
Ozpin prepared himself for his oncoming victory. Peaches would no doubt follow the crowd and vote for Weiss when the situation demanded. He wagered Torchwick would be bitter about it, but it wouldn't be anything too difficult to solve.
His happy thoughts were stopped dead when two hands went up in the air, followed nervously by a third.
… What?
Torchwick, of course, had his hand in the air, but more surprisingly so did Oobleck and Peaches. Ozpin repressed the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief.
"... So," Glynda began, frowning and pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, "Since that brings those in favour of Weiss Schnee and those in favour of Lie Ren to equal numbers, we have to settle this in other ways."
"Alright… We'll flip a coin." Ozpin murmured. "If it lands on heads, we pick Weiss Schnee. If it lands on tails, we pick Lie Ren."
He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a single coin. He discreetly shot Glynda a meaningful look, and she nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement. He flicked the coin into the air, and almost smirked as the rest of the teachers watched with baited breaths.
The coin, of course, landed on heads.
"Weiss Schnee it is. So," Ozpin announced, watching as all the teachers' (except for Torchwick's) expressions turned into a grimace, "What shall we name the team?"
Every single person in the room looked away and seemed to try and shrink to become as inconspicuous as possible. Everyone, that was, other than Torchwick.
Which, simply put, placed a giant target on him.
"Do you have any suggestions, Professor Torchwick?" Ozpin asked. Peaches audibly sighed in relief, glad to know someone else was in the line of fire. He could sympathise - nobody enjoyed creating team names.
Honestly, it would've made it much easier if they'd just selected leaders based on what made the team names most convenient. But, that would've been too unprofessional even for the Beacon staff.
"Well, it's Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren, right? In which case…" Torchwick sat for a moment and hummed in thought, "Team WNNR. Codenamed 'Winter'."
"I think that's taking more than a few liberties, Torchwick." scoffed Glynda, "Are you sure you can't think of anything better?"
"I'd have named them team Winner, but that would give them too many wrong ideas. I was thinking team WRNN, or Warren, for a moment - but it didn't feel in keeping with the theme. And then I just decided to roll with this. It's a shame, really - if it had been the Nikos girl I could have named them team PSVR, or Perseverance. It's one of those buzzwords huntsmen like, right? And if it was the Lie kid I could've perhaps named it RSNN - Team Reason."
In the silence that followed, a pin dropping would've been as loud as an explosion.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Glynda looked like she'd just seen a Beowolf sprout wings and fly off into the sunset. Usually it would take hours for someone to think of even a single team name, but Torchwick had just made them a team name in a matter of seconds, and a thematic one at that. Even worse still, he'd been able to think of multiple ones that he wouldn't even have needed!
At that moment, Ozpin decided to have Torchwick think of all current and future team names.
The rest of the teams passed uneventfully, with each team name being quickly decided by Torchwick. Glynda had to shut down a few of his suggestions, however, such as when he suggested what was now Team CRDL could be named Team CRBS, or Crabs.
Ozpin had been very tempted to humour the man with that one.
And then that brought them to the very last team on the list.
Jaune Arc, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long.
It was safe to say this was one of the teams that interested Ozpin the most. Taiyang's boisterous child showed great promise as a young huntress, and Blake Belladonna had more than demonstrated her capabilities in combat during initiation.
Jaune Arc hadn't shown the combat capabilities of a scion of the Arc family yet, but he had demonstrated a clear tactical prowess when doing battle against a Nevermore. He still remembered the look on Glynda's face as Miss Rose was catapulted through the air and took the Nevermore's head with her. One simply didn't forget the rare occasions Glynda smiled.
Ozpin, however, already knew exactly who he wanted to become the leader of this particular team. She may have been young, but her potential was incredible - she was more than good enough to enter Beacon even at that age. Not to mention her… other gift. Making that girl the leader of her team would undoubtedly help the budding Miss Rose bloom.
"I believe Miss Rose should become the leader of this team." began Ozpin.
"Miss Rose?" asked Port, his bushy eyebrow rising enough to almost give the headmaster a glimpse of his eye, "Why, isn't the girl only 15?"
"She is young, yes, but she shows great promise." Well, that was the main reason he wanted her to lead a team - but everyone at Beacon showed great promise. He couldn't simply say that and expect them to adhere to his wishes - not everyone could be Glynda, after all. "Although she has some issues interacting with others, they are largely due to her inability to approach them. Once she's in a conversation, she rarely struggles to make friends. This kind of quality is greatly appreciated in a team leader, as she'll very easily be able to break any ice the team may initially have."
"And why did this same line of reasoning not ever-so-conveniently apply to the Schnee?"
Ozpin turned to Torchwick. There was an unusual flame burning in his eyes - one that Ozpin had thus far not seen in the man. He'd seen a wide variety of expressions cross the man's face since he had been brought to Beacon, but this was certainly new.
He looked determined.
"Because Miss Schnee has undoubtedly led before. Every single person who claimed the white knight pieces is a novice. As a result, simple, minor things like how amiable you are become much, much more important."
"If that was the case, why not go for the blonde girl? She seems more than sociable enough."
"Miss Xiao-Long didn't show a hint of her ability to think and plan during their brief battle with the Nevermore, merely following the orders given to her. While they are important in a novice leader, how sociable you are isn't the only quality you need to meet the position's demands."
Torchwick's eyes narrowed.
"Neither did Little Red. As a matter of fact, both of them and the Belladonna girl were following the orders of Jaune Arc. Of the four, I'd say he's the one who's shown that they actually have the skills to lead."
"How much Miss Rose thinks and plans is evident in the way she fights, Professor."
"The way you fight is less compelling evidence than the strategies you make up in the thick of the moment, Greenie. You of all people should know this - it's almost like you've chosen to forget it."
The atmosphere in the room took a turn for the tense.
"Just what, may I ask, are you suggesting here?" asked Ozpin.
"So, you let this Rose girl in all of a sudden, without any kind of application process, and now you're pushing for her to become a leader when there's clearly better candidates.'' he paused, and as a look slowly began to take over Oobleck and Port's faces (Peaches was simply looking more and more terrified), smirked, "I don't know, Greenie, but it seems to me like Little Red is receiving undue favouritism."
A counter-argument quickly sprung into Ozpin's mind, before it dawned on him. Yes, he could very easily say that the girl had proven herself upon beating a number of criminals trying to rob a dust store late at night. But, if that was brought up…
Well, just where, how and why would be brought up too. And with research, they would find out that the apprehending of criminals he accredited to Miss Rose had never happened. Ozpin himself had made sure of it. Something like that would undoubtedly look suspicious on his part, and would only further Torchwick's line of argument.
If they looked very far into it, they might discover how Torchwick had been the one orchestrating the robbery to begin with. And, if all of the faculty knew that Torchwick was a former wanted criminal (despite the records now saying that he was once a banker and nothing more) that would no doubt cause no end of problems for Ozpin.
Torchwick had actually trounced him. All of the years of experience and wisdom Ozpin had accumulated had just been bypassed by a twenty-eight year old criminal. He'd been too comfortable in his position and had rested on his laurels and now this was the price he had to pay.
"Professor Torchwick, I would recommend you refrain from making such baseless accusations in the future." snapped Glynda. Ozpin supposed she deserved points for trying, but her harshness was lost on Torchwick.
"Well," coughed Port awkwardly, "Oz did have a close relationship with Taiyang…"
Glynda looked aghast.
"Port!" the accusatory tone in her voice was painful, almost making Ozpin wince. The effect it had on Port was seemingly much worse.
"You can't deny it, Miss Goodwitch - Roman does have a point. It is strange that Professor Ozpin is so determined to make Miss Rose succeed against all odds." stated Oobleck, his normally lively voice laced with unusual seriousness.
Oobleck's face fell at Glynda's horrified expression.
The room was quickly filled with the sound of bickering between Glynda and her two unfortunate targets, while Torchwick simply sat at the end of the table smirking triumphantly. In his eyes was a gleam of pure, unabated glee.
"Who would you suggest as an alternative to Miss Rose, then, Professor Torchwick?" asked Ozpin, finally silencing the squabbling.
"I'm glad you asked, Greenie. I'd like to suggest Jaune Arc. He's demonstrated clear strategic talent when figuring out a way to down that Nevermore, and as for his ability to forge friendships… Well, I think we can all say we saw how he met his partner." Torchwick stated, savouring each point he brought up like he was hammering nails into Ozpin's coffin, "By all accounts, they didn't have any idea who the other was until yesterday. Despite this, he made enough of an impression for her to go out of her way to make him her partner. I think that speaks a lot for his ability to make friends."
Before long, Oobleck and Port were nodding along. Peaches was fidgeting as nervously as ever. Glynda was glaring at him with such power that Ozpin wondered if she was trying to burn a hole in the man's chest.
"All right," Glynda began, once Torchwick had concluded his line of reasoning, "I suppose we should conclude this. All those in favour of Jaune Arc becoming the leader of the White Knight team, please raise your hands."
Three hands - Torchwick's, Port's and Oobleck's - were soon in the air.
Ozpin turned to Peaches, a glimmer of hope slowly reemerging. If she voted for Miss Rose, then he could simply rig another coin flip and make her the leader!
Ozpin's smile returned. It wasn't over yet.
"All those in favour of Miss Rose," Glynda said, her voice having gained a hint of optimism, "Please raise your hands."
Two hands went up in the air. Everyone in the room, excluding Torchwick, turned to Peaches.
"I-I'm sorry… I d-don't know who to choose - I mean, I d-don't actually think Ozpin would d-d-do something like that normally." she stuttered, quivering like a leaf with everyone staring at her, "B-But I still think Professor T-Torchwick has a point… Jaune d-does seem like the better choice… But Ozpin is usually so perceptive with this kind of thing - I d-don't think he'd choose Miss Rose for no reason..."
There was still hope. Ozpin had to stop himself from instinctively crying out with joy.
Come on, Peaches, he thought, who was it that didn't fire you when you messed up with those transcripts?
"Professor Peaches."
She shifted her shaking gaze to the red tie wearing man opposite her.
"Y-yes, D-Doctor Oobleck?"
"Jaune Arc is, I can absolutely assure you, the best candidate for the leader of the White Knights." Oobleck assured, "While, yes, Ozpin normally does have excellent judgement, he's not always correct. He might just be wrong here. I don't honestly believe Ozpin is giving Miss Rose an unfair advantage as Roman claims; nor do you have to."
Oobleck leaned forward and looked her straight in the eyes.
At which point she started hesitantly trying, and repeatedly failing, to make eye contact as a blush bloomed across her face from ear to ear. From the movement of her upper body, it was clear that her legs were shifting slightly underneath the table.
"So, who will you pick?" Oobleck finished.
"I-I'll vote for Jaune Arc." she said, a small smile forming on her face as she began to twiddle her fingers.
Glynda's face was buried in her palm.
"That makes it four to two." she sighed, "Jaune Arc is now the leader of the White Knight team."
"I think this meeting will be adjourned here. The team name can wait." Ozpin announced. Glynda looked at him curiously, mostly because his signature smile had suddenly returned.
The teachers got up from their seats, and each left the room. Oobleck vanished in an instant, and Port leapt out of the room with great strides. Peaches shuffled nervously out of the door, the red in her cheeks and slight smile on her face refusing to move away. Glynda left the room, and closed the door behind her in Torchwick's face, which earned a slight growl from the thief.
The thief was stopped from finally leaving, however, when Ozpin called him back.
"What do you want, Greenie?" he asked.
"I don't want anything. As a matter of fact, I was about to say that I've decided to take the matter of dealing with you and Miss Rose's patchy relationship into my own hands."
Torchwick frowned.
"Why, may I ask?"
"Because, Torchwick, you have not only met, but exceeded all of my expectations." Ozpin's smile widened to a grin, "It takes a lot to get the better of me. You're merely receiving recognition for it."
Torchwick's grin faded very slightly. Perhaps he was upset that Ozpin had, instead of getting irritated or angry, become happier over his attempts to humiliate him.
"By the way," Ozpin continued, "You can name Mr. Arc's team in your own time. Just send me the name you've decided on in time for the ceremony tomorrow."
Ozpin then turned, and left down the corridor to his office. He still had yet to regret hiring Torchwick, and with every passing day it seemed like a better choice. He'd impressed Ozpin in a number of ways, ones that he tried to hide that Ozpin was perceptive enough to see anyway; now, with a display of talents like the one in that meeting, Ozpin was determined.
He was going to get Torchwick on his side. It would take time, certainly, but it would be worth every modicum of effort he put in.
Now, he thought, what shall I do about Miss Rose…?