Ruby and Yang stared at their scroll, the video ending with the Cizinec symbol slowly rotating on the screen. Just like everyone else who knew team ANJN, they were speechless. They couldn't believe what they just watched. After a minute of staring, Ruby's gaze darted to Yang's eyes. "Weiss and Blake!"
Ruby and Yang left the bewildered JNPR team and barged into their own tent. The heiress and the former White Fang member sat across from each other, scroll in hand. They weren't restless or distressed, they were mortified. Both of them were used to death because of their backgrounds and pasts, yet the video terrorized their minds.
The other two members of team RWBY needed more than just a hug or a batch of cookies. Weiss was now in an even worse emotional state along with Blake. If Mistral has fallen, then that meant Haven Academy was lost as well. If Sun and Neptune ran away, they wouldn't know. If they died brutal, horrible deaths, Weiss and Blake would never know. All they could do is hope, and they hated it. Weiss was at least relieved that Atlas wasn't shown in the video. If the strongest military power had fallen in one day, it would destroy what little morale Vale had left.
Blake didn't know what to feel, her emotions darting from anger to worry and back to anger. Her ears twitched under her black bow, hearing a loud commotion in the distance. "Guys, something is happening."
She walked out of the tent, being met by people running towards the direction of the disturbance. Her team followed her out, team JNPR already outside watching the people rush past. Jaune had an arm around his distraught girlfriend and Nora clung to a half-naked Ren.
"Are we being attacked?" Jaune asked, civilians, Hunters, and soldiers dashing past the two teams.
Ruby went back inside her team's tent and grabbed Crescent Rose. The Huntresses blood was boiling, the naïve and innocent mind being filled with thoughts of revenge. If the Cizinec did find the base they ran away to, then Ruby was sure to go down swinging. She walked back out, her lovely weapon sheathed behind her.
"Whatever it is, we need to stop it. All this negative emotion will attract numerous Grimm." Weiss added, pushing away the thoughts of Neptune from her mind. Ren grabbed his black, long sleeve shirt that he wore under his dark green tailcoat and the two teams grabbed their weapons. They followed the crowd, ready to fight whatever came at them.
They soon ran into a crowd that surrounded a rather large, beige tent. They could barely hear themselves think at how loud the mob was screaming and cursing. Yang and Nora pushed through the crowd, making a path for their teammates. After managing to get through the group of people, they saw why there was such a large crowd.
A group of soldiers had their guns pointed at Jibril and Noir, labeled the Perfect Soldier and Reaper by the Cizinec Sovereignty. Hunters and Huntresses also had their weapons drawn at them, including a foolish Cardin Winchester. The angry mob behind them was yelling all sorts of curses, along with racial slurs meant for the winged Faunus.
Yang ran in between their line of sight and intervened. "What in the hell is going on here!?"
Cardin twirled his mace and pointed it at Noir. "Didn't you watch the video? They are my ticket to safety. Obviously, some of the hunters and soldiers got the same idea."
Jibril and Noir weren't worried at all. In fact, they were surprisingly calm as they stood in front of the tent. The wind blew through Jibril's hair, not a care in the world, ignoring all of the racism they threw at her. She knew how powerful her team was, and a few soldiers and Hunters weren't going to make a dent.
Ruby followed her sister, standing in between the soldiers and the tent. "Listen to me, we can't hand them over! Jibril, Noir, Nova, and Archer helped us escape from the attack, so they can help us if they attack again. If we handed them over, who knows what would happen to them or the rest of us!"
Cardin, however, couldn't be reasoned with. "You don't get it, do you Rose? I overheard the conversation between Ozpin and that officer before the ambush. It took the enemy five minutes to kill every last soldier and Atlesian Knight that rescued us at the Amphitheater. We don't stand a chance against them. Besides, Archer isn't even his real name, its Gilgamesh the False King. For all we know, this could be a ruse and they could be telling them where our location is right now!"
Yang scowled at Cardin, ready to smash his face in with her bare hands. "Weren't you listening!? They said dead or alive. No matter how strong the four are, they can't take on the entire Vale army and live! He would never risk his life for just our location."
"That's what we thought when the White Fang tried to attack Beacon!" A Hunter yelled at them. "They almost killed Pyrrha, remember!"
The comment silenced Ruby and Yang. Both teams and all of Vale remember the White Fang incident all too well. To attack the Vytal Festival was a difficult plan to pull off, especially with amazing Hunters and Huntresses like Pyrrha and Yang around. It also didn't help that a part of Ironwood's army guarded the festival.
It was the reason why Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald were in Beacon in the first place, to learn the weaknesses of the prominent fighters. Cinder was the only one who could fight Pyrrha since her weapons weren't metal, they were glass. A part of their plan was ruined when Roman was captured and the train collided with the city earlier than expected, but Cinder was clever enough to work around that.
The first match in the tournament was between Cinder and Pyrrha when the White Fang's attack began. Cinder used the confusion to surprise her opponent, hoping to take her out quickly. Pyrrha tried to use her semblance, but it failed against Cinder's glass arrows. The arrow pierced right above her chest, in between her bronze gorget and top armor. If it wasn't for her teammates distracting Cinder and the quick response of the tournament doctors, she wouldn't have lived.
Pyrrha took a deep breath and walked over to her two friends. "They are different. If we wish to get past this onslaught, we need to work together. They are here to help us." She pleaded to the furious mob.
To her misfortune, none of them were listening. They were scared, too scared to listen to reason. Many of them have seen the enemy first hand with their own eyes. They all believe that Vale will lose, the four kingdoms will fall, and if the Cizinec don't kill them, the Grimm that roamed this world will. All they could do is grasp on something certain, which is handing the four members over to the Cizinec for safety.
Before the chaos continued, they were interrupted by a loud, booming yell. "Attention!"
The soldiers immediately faced towards the direction of the voice and saluted. Colonel Mustang walked past the soldiers with Ozpin and Goodwitch following behind him.
"Put down your weapons, if you saw what we saw on the battlefield when they fought, your efforts would be wasted along with your lives." Ozpin advised his students and other Hunters. They lowered their weapons, Cardin growling as he sheathed his large mace. When the four intervened during the invasion of Beacon, he quickly jumped into a transport and flew away, so he reluctantly took the headmaster's word.
The Colonel saluted Ozpin one last time before marching his soldiers away from the tent of team ANJN. The headmaster took this opportunity to sigh and scratch the back of his head. Ruby couldn't help but stare at what Ozpin was wearing.
Ozpin took his cane and held it from the center. "It's glad to see you three are alright. I'm truly sorry about your teammates, Blake and Ren. They were truly amazing students and would have been a better Hunter and Huntress."
"Oh, we didn't tell you! Blake and Ren are okay, look!" Ruby pointed to the rest of her friends. Blake and Ren were standing in the front of the crowd of Hunters, Huntresses, and civilians that wanted to hand team ANJN over. The two waved awkwardly at the headmaster and their professor.
"H-How is that possible?" Goodwitch asked, the rest of the two teams approaching them.
"Ask him." Yang pointed at Noir, who had his arms behind his back. As usual, his eyes and expression were devoid of emotion, the sunlight reflecting of his mobile suit.
Nora, however, didn't let Ozpin get a chance to ask as he dragged Ren next to him. She still refused to let go of Ren, though he didn't mind it. "I didn't know you were a general!" Nora exclaimed, admiring the five stars on his sleeve.
"You could say I was forced into it. They insisted that I be the Commander and they gave me this military jacket." Ozpin explained, slightly frustrated at the series of events.
"You gave us quite a scare, you two. Please try to be more careful from now on." Ozpin addressed Ren and Blake, who had holes in their clothing from their injuries.
"Don't worry, headmaster. I won't let him leave my sight ever again!" Nora beamed with a big smile, squeezing Ren's arm. She then took an arm and saluted the new appointed general. "You can count on me!"
Goodwitch stifled her small chuckle before leaving them to scold the students who were cursing in the crowd. The rest had the urge to salute Ozpin as well out of respect or to avoid an awkward silence, but the headmaster waved it off.
"Please don't, I wish to be general for as little time as possible. I may be young, but I don't want to be a general of an army and a headmaster of a school." Ozpin joked playfully, mocking his age for a brighter atmosphere.
"If Beacon Academy is still standing…" Jaune mumbled, bringing the atmosphere back down. Pyrrha elbowed him in the side, but quickly apologized to her boyfriend.
"Don't fret. Even if Beacon falls, we will still teach up and coming Hunters and Huntresses. We don't need a classroom to pass our knowledge to the people who are willing to learn." Ozpin stated, walking past the two teams. "Now, let's talk with your friends from team ANJN, shall we?"
Team RWBY and JNPR grinned at Ozpin, taking his little inspirational quote to heart. Jibril put a smile and waved at them as they walked through the entrance. Blake wanted to thank Noir for reviving her, for going through all the pain she did and more, but now wasn't the time. She peeked over her shoulder at him while they entered the tent.
The large tent was definitely not from the Vale military, the space inside being much larger that it appeared on the outside. The tent was a large open space that was divided into a kitchen, a living room space, a dining room, and a bedroom space. The living room had multiple comfortable couch chairs, a small table with a flower vase, and a fireplace with a chimney. The kitchen had a stove, dishwasher, sink, cabinets, and anything else found in an average kitchen. The tent was illuminated by a golden chandelier that hung from the ceiling of the tent.
Everyone was in awe at what their eyes were seeing, though they shouldn't be surprised at this point. From the existence of winged Faunus to reviving people from the grave, nothing should shock them anymore. It would be almost disappointing if they didn't have something like this.
Ruby had to walk out of the tent and walk back in just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She just couldn't believe it. There was a chimney for the fireplace but there wasn't a smoke stack for the smoke to leave the tent. It just didn't make sense.
Gilgamesh sat on what appeared to be a golden throne in the dining room space. The King wore his armor and was drinking wine from a golden goblet. His gaze, uninterested, fell upon the nine people that walked into his temporary residence.
Nova was found sitting across from the King. Although, it seemed that he couldn't keep his drinks down as well as Gilgamesh. They didn't know how much either of them had, but Nova looked like Ruby when Yang had forced her to have a glass of Verite La Joie during Weiss' birthday party last year. True, none of them were legal, but having as much influence as a Schnee did have its perks.
"Heya, guysssssz. How about a -hiccup- drink?" Nova slurred under the influence.
Yang almost walked forward, ready to have whatever drinks that were offered, before Blake grabbed the collar of her jacket from behind. She pulled her back in to stop her. The blonde turned to glare, but was met by Blake's own glare. It wasn't smart to break the law in front of the new general of the Vale army and the headmaster of their school. It also wasn't a good time to drink when they were about to have a serious conversation about their affairs.
"Clean yourself up, Demon. I won't have you embarrassing me in front of our guests." Gilgamesh waved off his drunk teammate.
Nova got up and bowed to Gilgamesh before walking to the bedroom section of the tent. It contained a large king-sized bed and two queen-sized beds. He stumbled into one of the queen-sized beds, his combat armor still on, and quickly passed out.
Ozpin walked up two steps which led to the dining room section. "May I?" Gilgamesh nodded and the headmaster sat where Nova was sitting. He set his cane aside and rested his chin on his hands.
"You have quite a past, your highness. Assuming you did watch the video sent by the Cizinec Sovereignty, do you mind explaining what your intentions are and why you are here?" Ozpin's tone was polite, yet stern.
Gilgamesh set down his goblet and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "The Cizinec Sovereignty is a realm built on technological advancement. We are people who strive to improve ourselves and humanity as a whole." The King began to explain.
Yang walked up the two steps, her aura flaring from her anger. "Improve humanity!?" She interjected, her blood boiling at what he just stated. "We just watched our friends die along with the executions of innocent people. You call that 'improving humanity'!?"
Ozpin raised an arm, stopping Yang's urge to plant her fist into the King's face. He was just as angry as Yang, but he had a better control of his emotions and didn't show it. Blake placed a hand on her partner's shoulder, hoping she would calm down and let him explain.
"What purpose does it have to declare war on all four kingdoms now? If technological advancement is indeed their goal, we could have offered our support and funding." Ozpin argued to the king.
The King smirked and stifled a laugh. "Support and funding, don't be naïve. The Cizinec Sovereignty doesn't need something as useless as your money. I am unaware on why my realm has declared war, but it doesn't concern me. I have plans to retake my rightful place on the throne and I will use your kingdom's strength to help me execute it."
Yang was really close to shrugging of Blake when Ozpin stood up from his chair, knocking it down, and startling his students. His usual, calm demeanor was replaced by outrage and fury that even Goodwitch hasn't seen before.
"You're realm have invaded my kingdom, my school, and killed the people I swore to protect, and you say it doesn't concern you? You are currently under the protection of Vale and you will not be using us! I have a duty as a Hunter and as the General of the Vale Army to do what is best for the people. If that means handing you over to them in exchange for the safety of the people, then so be it. I suggest you stop being arrogant and answer my questions." Ozpin snapped, his voice thundering around the tent.
The crimson eyes of the King stared into his brown ones. Gilgamesh finished his drink and threw the golden goblet in the air. Before it hit the ground, the goblet disappeared in a cloud of gold dust particles. He stood up, making Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha motion their hands towards their weapons. Ozpin, though, didn't flinch. Gilgamesh was only 5'11" and was much shorter compared to the headmaster, who was 6'6". He walked in front of Ozpin, his arms crossed as he looked up at the man. A couple seconds of silence passed before Gilgamesh smirked.
"Very well, general, you have earned my respect. Not many try to confront me in such a way and live. Be warned, we are not under your protection, but you are under ours." Gilgamesh uncrossed his arms and extended a hand towards Ozpin. "Do you have any more questions, Ozpin?"
The headmaster shook his hand, letting the students behind him relax a bit. "I will not ask why you are not leading your people or what happened in the Cizinec Sovereignty. I will, however, ask if you are willing to help us. The Vale Army may not be strong, but for their army to take the city of Vale in a matter of hours is unthinkable." Ozpin requested, keeping his emotions under wraps.
"I will not settle for anything less than perfection. The Vale Army will need help from the Hunters and Huntresses-in-training of Beacon Academy to have a chance against their technological and number advantage. My team and I shall take control of their training." Gilgamesh replied, turning his attention to Ruby and her friends.
Ozpin tensed up at the mention of his students. Like what he told himself three years ago, he wished that his students would never have to fight in a war. He didn't want to lose any more of his students, friends, or anyone. He looked over to team RWBY and JNPR behind him. They were so young and yet they were about to face humanity's worst nightmare, war. The Great War eighty years ago almost destroyed the four kingdoms. It was part of the Hunter's duty to fight if they are called upon, but they were only in training. They weren't ready, but in hindsight, no one is ready for war.
"I understand. I shall speak with the council and make it official." Ozpin stated.
Jaune clutched Pyrrha's hands, Nora leaned in closer into Ren, and Yang kept her eyes on Ruby, their future set to be filled with war, death, and despair. Each of them needed to protect the ones they love at all cost. They were ready to fight Grimm, but not other humans, humans that will be relentless, humans that are trained to kill, humans that could be as strong as Noir, Nova, Jibril, and Gilgamesh.
A/N: I apologize if it isn't up to my usual standards because of the same reasons and this was sort of difficult to write since I slightly strayed from my outline on this one. It'll still make sense in the end though. Questions, comments, concerns, etc. are welcome~ If you find any inconsistencies, PM me so I can clarify it or fix it!
Also, HOLY SHIT OZPIN WHAT DID YOU EAT!? WHY ARE YOU 6'6"!? I looked it up on the RWBY wiki and I was like 'No way this can't be true' but the official height chart showed it. Man I wish I was 6'6" XD
