RWBY: MRRN
Volume 2, Chapter 9: Punishment
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.
"Hello, Professor," Kijivu greeted Ozpin as he entered his office.
"Hello, Captain," Ozpin replied. "Thank you for being willing to see me. I guess you know why I'm here."
"If you want me to release those students, you're going to need to do some serious convincing," the VSU Captain informed as he sat down at his desk across from the Beacon Headmaster.
"What are all the charges?" Ozpin questioned.
"For all, interfering with a VSU investigation and reckless endangerment of civilian lives," Kijivu answered. "Additional charges for Mr. Wukong are petty theft, stowing away on a ship, and resisting arrest."
"Do you have surveillance of what happened tonight?" the Headmaster asked. The VSU Captain handed over the same scroll that Gormen had used, allowing Ozpin to watch the video. Needless to say, Team RWBY and Sun and Neptune seemed to handle the situation poorly, which resulted in dozens of casualties and the near destruction of a highway.
"With all due respect, Captain, Roman Torchwick is also responsible for this," Ozpin informed as he handed back the scroll.
"I understand that, but those students are just as responsible because of how reckless and careless they acted," the Captain replied. "It seemed to never cross their minds to consider civilian lives. This is something I cannot simply turn a blind eye to."
"They're only students," Ozpin reminded.
"That doesn't matter," Kijivu responded. "The law says that if any Huntsman, professional or in-training, is arrested, then they can be charged as adults, depending on the crime. Tonight is more than enough to charge them as such."
"I understand and I agree," Ozpin claimed. "They acted very irresponsibly tonight and I will make sure they are disciplined."
"What makes you think YOU will discipline them?" Kijivu asked bluntly. "They are still in VSU custody."
"Then must I do to secure their release?" the Headmaster asked. The VSU Captain raised an eyebrow at the Professor.
"Why would you want me to release them after what happened?" he questioned. "If you ask me, they don't fully understand what they've done. People are dead and all those who were involved need to be held responsible."
"I couldn't agree more," Ozpin replied. "While I admit they are not the most likely to follow rules, I believe they have the potential to be great Huntresses and Huntsmen. This will teach them that they cannot simply do whatever they want; they must use their powers responsibly."
"Teach them?" Kijivu asked, seeming offended by the Headmaster. "This isn't a lesson in humility for them, Oz. This was a tragedy that could've been prevented if they hadn't interfered. Not only that, we've now lost Roman's trail; there's no telling where he could be now."
"Captain, they're good students and, while they did handle it poorly, I must insist that they be released," Ozpin insisted. "I assure you, I will make sure they do not interfere any further."
Kijivu was not convinced. He believed that if Team RWBY and their two companions were released, they would try to interfere again and he feared it would cause another tragedy. His job was to uphold the law, especially when it came to Huntsmen; he felt that if he simply released them, he would be failing to complete his responsibilities as Captain of the VSU.
"Why are you so insistent on releasing them?" the Captain questioned, wondering why Ozpin was so determined to see Team RWBY freed.
"I believe people deserve a second chance," the Headmaster responded. "Let them learn from this. Let this be a lesson in what happens when power is used irresponsibly."
Kijivu sighed in response and was quiet for a full minute, contemplating this decision. If he freed them, he'd need to be sure they truly could not interfere any further. Then, an idea came to mind.
"If you want those students free, then you must follow two conditions," the Captain answered.
"What would they be?" Ozpin asked.
"First, until this investigation is over, they may not leave school grounds unless escorted by a legal guardian or professional Huntsman," Kijivu stated. "If we catch them off school grounds unescorted, then we will arrest them and hold them on the same charges."
"The second?" the Headmaster questioned.
"You are to report every day to confirm they're still on school grounds," he continued. "As for missions and the Vytal Tournament…as long as a Huntsman is accompanying them, I do not have any problem. Other than that, they are to stay on school grounds. Are we agreed?"
Ozpin had hoped he could simply convince Kijivu to release them, but seeing the video made him realize how much trouble they were truly in. He disliked doing this to Team RWBY, but they had to pay the price for breaking the law. The days of Huntsmen being above the law were over and Team RWBY needed to learn that.
"Agreed," Ozpin replied. Kijivu nodded his head and stood up, prompting the Headmaster to follow him. The Captain opened the door, allowing Ozpin to leave first before closing it and looking at one of the VSU Officers.
"Unlock the students' cells," he ordered. The officer replied "Yes, Captain," before walking into the cell aisle and using his badge to unlock the magnetically sealed doors, allowing Team RWBY, Sun and Neptune to walk out to see Professor Ozpin.
"Thanks for getting us out," Yang replied.
"We will speak further at Beacon about tonight," Ozpin sternly informed. "You are not off the hook just yet."
"What about our weapons?" Ruby asked, wanting Crescent Rose back.
"Our officers will escort you back to Beacon," Kijivu informed. "Once you're back, we will return your weapons, but no before."
"What?" Yang asked in defiance. "Why can't we have them back now?"
"Because I said so!" the Captain spoke in a very strict tone. "Unless you'd like us to keep them. We can claim them as VSU property." Yang was about to speak out, but Neptune stopped her.
"No, no, that won't be necessary," he replied. "We'll get our weapons back at Beacon."
"Good," Kijivu responded. "If you'll follow Lieutenant Gormen, he will drive you back to Beacon." While the students followed Gormen to a VSU vehicle, the Captain spoke to Ozpin one last time.
"The next time I put them behind bars, they stay behind bars," he warned.
"I understand," Ozpin responded.
-0-
"Do you have any idea the damage you caused tonight?" Goodwitch scolded at the students in Ozpin's office with the two Headmasters and Alan Kura. "People are dead because of your irresponsibility!"
"But it was that Roman guy who did the actual killing," Sun brought up.
"If you think Torchwick alone is responsible for this, then you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Wukong," Ironwood spoke with controlled anger. "We saw the footage. You did nothing to contain the damage and you didn't consider civilian casualties, otherwise you wouldn't have led him onto that highway."
"General, we thought we'd lost him," Blake responded. "We didn't mean to put their lives in danger."
"Well, sometimes, it doesn't matter if you meant to or not," Goodwitch scolded yet again. "Sometimes, the only thing that matters is that you did it."
"We were just trying to find out more about the White Fang," Ruby informed. "We were trying to find out why they were working with Roman."
"Do you honestly think that the VSU and police are just sitting down, twiddling their thumbs?" Ironwood questioned. "They are more than capable of handling this."
"Then why haven't they already caught him?" Sun asked with defiance in his tone. Both teachers glared at the monkey Faunus, who easily felt the immense pressure of their stares.
"Watch your tone, Mr. Wukong," Goodwitch warned calmly yet sternly. "Need I remind you that the first thing you did when you arrived in Vale was run away from the police and constantly steal wherever you went?" The monkey Faunus chuckled nervously as he tried to think of something to say, but had nothing.
"This is not Vacuo," Goodwitch continued. "This is Vale and it's not a playground where you can do whatever you want. There are rules and laws to follow, so if you won't follow them-"
"Glynda," Ozpin interrupted, indirectly asking her to stop. Goodwitch exhaled as she quieted herself and allowed the Headmaster to speak.
"Unfortunately, they're right," Ozpin agreed. "What you did tonight was not the acts of Huntresses and Huntsmen. They were the acts of irresponsible and reckless people."
"Come on," Yang groaned. "Why are we taking all the blame?"
"People are dead, Ms. Xiao Long," Ironwood barked. "Don't you care at all?"
"Of course I do," Yang defended. "I'm saying that we're not the only ones who did this, yet everyone is acting like we are."
"We understand the situation perfectly, Ms. Xiao Long," Goodwitch replied. "We know that you did not directly kill those people; that falls on Torchwick. What does fall on you is how you handled the situation."
"We had to do this," Blake insisted. "The White Fang is too much of a threat for us to stand and do nothing."
"That's why the VSU is investigating this," Goodwitch reminded the black-themed member of Team RWBY. "We understand how much of a threat the White Fang is to Vale, which is why we are doing everything we can to stop them."
"But the Huntsmen were reassigned to go after those Iron Knights," Blake informed. "The VSU alone may not be enough to handle the White Fang."
"That's not for you to decide, Ms. Belladonna," Goodwitch stated. "The VSU may not be Huntsmen, but they are indeed capable of handling the White Fang."
"They don't know the White Fang!" the Cat Faunus nearly shouted, feeling like she was being ignored.
"That's enough!" Ironwood barked, silencing the Cat Faunus. "Who do you think you are, talking to your professor like that?!"
"General!" Ozpin called out. Ironwood sighed; he knew that Ozpin had to be the one to discipline them, not him. They were his students. He backed off and moved a little to the side, then Ozpin rose from his seat.
"Whether you like it or not, you had no business interfering with this investigation," the Headmaster sternly informed them. "Do you truly not understand the severity of the situation?"
"We do, Professor," Weiss replied, shame in her tone. "We thought we were ready, but we weren't."
"We will be next time," Blake replied, earning her the attention of the four teachers.
"There will not be a 'next time'," Kura informed.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, feeling nervous at the answer she would receive.
"I had to negotiate for your release," the Headmaster informed the six students. "If you're to stay out of those cells, then the deal we made must be honored."
"What deal?" Yang asked.
"The six of you are forbidden from leaving school grounds," Ozpin bluntly replied.
The reactions from the students varied. Ruby's was one of fright and shame, thinking back to how badly they handled the situation. Weiss's and Yang's were disbelief, trying to process the fact that their Headmaster would keep them locked up at Beacon. Blake's was first one of shock, but quickly turned into anger.
"What do you mean 'forbidden from leaving school grounds'?" Yang questioned, rising from her seat.
"Exactly what it means," the Beacon Headmaster responded. "You may not leave Beacon unless you are accompanied by a legal guardian or professional Huntsman. As for missions and the Vytal Festival, you may still do so; other than that, you are to remain on school grounds until this investigation into the White Fang is over."
Blake tried to control the anger boiling inside her. She wanted to track down the White Fang. She wanted to discover why they would work with Roman Torchwick. She wanted to stop them before they made their big move.
No. She didn't want to, she NEEDED to. She had to convince Ozpin to let them continue their investigation.
"You can't just keep us locked up here!" she claimed, rising from her seat.
"This is not a request," Ozpin sternly replied. "If you wish to remain at Beacon, you will comply with this and leave the investigation to the VSU."
"We made terrible mistakes tonight, I know," Blake admitted. "But I promise; we will be more careful next time."
"There is no 'next time'," Kura repeated. "This is a VSU matter now. You already interfered once and you saw what happened. Do you really want to risk it again?"
"You don't understand!" Blake nearly shouted, desperation and frustration in her tone. "We're the only ones who can do this!"
"No, you THINK you're the only ones who can do this," Goodwitch corrected. "Do you honestly think you're ready to handle this after what happened tonight?! Have you learned nothing?!"
"We cannot just sit aside and-"
"If there's a very important reason why you should be the one handling this and not the VSU, then tell us!" Ironwood demanded, growing tired of Blake's attempts to convince them.
Blake froze. She didn't speak. She looked as if she was going to have a panic attack. She knew that if she was going to convince them why she should be allowed to seek out the White Fang, she would have to tell them her darkest secret: she was once a member of the White Fang, even after it turned to terrorism.
She couldn't. She knew Ozpin knew about her Faunus heritage, but she was unsure if he knew of her past in the White Fang. She examined the glances of all four teachers in front of her, especially Ozpin. All of them were focused on her, waiting for her answer, but she couldn't give it. Unable to give an acceptable answer, she sat down.
"Then do not speak out of line again, Ms. Belladonna," Goodwitch warned. She was a little surprised by how Blake was acting. She was usually the quiet, introverted member of Team RWBY; tonight, she was the one being the most defiant, though the hearing of the punishment made her defiance reach its peak.
"We're doing this for your own safety," Ozpin assured. "Kijivu warned you that if he arrests you again, I will not be able to get you out. This deal is the only reason the six of you were able to leave tonight."
There was silence for a few moments. All the students were processing everything, from being scolded by Goodwitch to Blake's defiant outburst. None of them wanted to be stuck at Beacon, but at this point, they didn't have a choice; it was either they comply or they go back to jail.
"We understand, Professor Ozpin," Weiss replied.
"Good," Goodwitch responded. "We didn't want this. The six of you all have potential to be great warriors, but the days of us being above the law have to end. We must use our power responsibly and with caution. Remember that."
"Thank you, Glynda," Ozpin spoke. "You may return to your dorms now." The six students got up, mixed feelings of regret, anger and sadness present in their scowls and strolled towards the elevators. They felt exactly as they looked: defeated.
"I wish it hadn't come to this," Ozpin sighed as the elevator door closed. "They're good-hearted children; I didn't want to do this to them."
"They knew what they were doing," Goodwitch reminded. "They used their abilities irresponsibly, so the consequences had to follow."
"Still," Ozpin replied. "I wish I didn't have to do this to them."
-0-
Morning rolled around. All the members of Team MRRN were grateful they didn't have classes until the afternoon since they had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. Even after Team RWBY had come back, sleep still seemed beyond their grasp. Just when they had it, they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Math yawned heavily as he dragged himself out of his bed and strolled over to the door. He opened it to see none other than his beautiful girlfriend, Pyrrha, wearing her usual bright smile.
"Hello~" she greeted in a sing song tone. Her smile drooped after examining the state her boyfriend was in and gently reached out to caress his cheek.
"Darling, you look so tired," she pointed out. "What's wrong?"
"Had trouble sleeping last night," Math answered.
"Why?" Pyrrha asked with concern in her tone.
"Team RWBY was arrested last night," the swordsman answered. Pyrrha's eyes widened and covered her mouth to prevent any gasps from leaving her lips. She knew Team RWBY wasn't known for obeying rules, but she never suspected they'd get arrested.
"What for?" she asked after recovering from the shock.
"You'll have to ask them," the swordsman answered. "We heard them coming back last night and they were not happy at all. They may need space for a little while."
"Alright," the redhead replied. "Well, I came by to see if you'd like to join us for breakfast."
"We're really tired, Pyrrha," Math responded. "Maybe another day?"
Pyrrha didn't want to hear that. She wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend now since she had a full schedule of classes today, meaning there would be no time for them to hang out later.
But obviously, the news of Team RWBY's arrest had kept them up all night and they needed their sleep.
"Oh…of course," she replied, some disappointment in her tone as she looked down. "Maybe another day." Math could hear the disappointment in Pyrrha's tone and sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry, Pyrrha," he apologized. "We just had a hard time getting to sleep last night."
"No, no, I understand," the redhead assured. "Everyone needs their sleep."
"We'll see about joining up tomorrow, okay?" Math offered.
"Okay," Pyrrha replied. The swordsman smiled, leaned forward and pecked his girlfriend's lips, making her blush.
"Are you going to blush every time I kiss you?" Math teased.
"You blush every time I snuggle up to you," Pyrrha shot back playfully.
"Fair point," the swordsman conceded. Just then, the door to RWBY's dorm opened loudly and out came Blake, a look of absolute anger and frustration in her scowl.
"Are you okay, Blake?" Pyrrha asked.
"Not in the mood," she bluntly replied, walking past them. The other members of Team RWBY came out as well, all with a mix of regret, sadness and anger present on their faces.
"What happened?" the redhead asked. "It isn't like you to wake up looking so…angry."
"We screwed up big time last night," Yang admitted. "We got arrested by the VSU."
"Math told me that," the Amazon informed. "What now?"
"Now we're not allowed to leave school grounds until the investigation into the White Fang is over," Weiss answered. "But it's what we deserve."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Pyrrha apologized warmly.
"Don't be," the Schnee heiress responded. "We knew what we were doing."
"What about Blake?" Math asked, mostly awake now.
"She's not liking it…at all," Ruby answered. "She tried to convince Ozpin not to do this, but he said he had to agree to this in order to release us from jail."
"Well, we're going to the cafeteria to get breakfast," Yang informed before she and her teammates walked away.
"Okay," Ruby replied. The three present members of Team RWBY walked down the hallway in the direction that would lead them to the cafeteria.
"Are you sure about breakfast, Math?" Pyrrha offered one last time. The swordsman pulled out his scroll and checked the time, reading 9:34. He hated sleeping throughout the morning…plus, he was pretty much awake now.
What wasn't helping was that Pyrrha was using his weakness on him: Puppy Eyes. Who taught her to do it so well, he had no idea.
"Pyrrha, no…no," Math told her, but she continued to do her Puppy Eyes. He kept on replying negatively until he started chuckling. This reminded him of one of the reasons why he fell in love with Pyrrha: the playful and somewhat mischievous side she showed around him.
"Give me a few minutes and I'll meet up with you," he finally gave in. Pyrrha smiled brightly in response to Math's answer.
"Thank you," she thanked as Math reciprocated the smile.
"You go on ahead," he insisted. "I'll meet up with you." The redhead pecked his lips and walked down the hallway to the lounging area where Ren was probably preparing breakfast as he often does for his team.
"Yang and Ruby were right," Pyrrha admitted to herself. "Puppy Eyes is very effective."
-0-
Blake hated this. She knew she made terrible mistakes last night, but she believed she was the only one who could discover the connection between Roman and the White Fang. She needed to find out what the White Fang was planning. She couldn't just sit around and do nothing except just sit at the library table she was at, reading her notes on the White Fang.
Unfortunately, she didn't have a choice. Ozpin forbade them from leaving school grounds except if accompanied by a legal guardian or professional Huntsman, most likely to ensure they did not try to interfere in the investigation. They would still be able to go on missions, but they wouldn't happen until after the dance, which was still two weeks away. She didn't have time to wait around and do nothing while the White Fang carried out their plan.
"Hey, Blake," Yang warmly greeted as she sat across from her, though she didn't bother to respond.
"Come on, Blake," the blonde brawler said as she reached to touch Blake's shoulder, but she coldly turned away from her.
"I know you're mad about this and so am I, but you heard what Ozpin said."
"How are you okay with this?" Blake asked in disbelief. "The White Fang is out there, planning to attack and we're just stuck here."
"I hate this too," Yang admitted. "I hate that we're being kept here, but we don't have a choice. If we try to leave Beacon and we're caught, we'll either get expelled or go to jail."
"I don't care," Blake responded. "We cannot just sit around and wait for their plan to happen. Something has to be done."
"I want to see Torchwick behind bars too, Blake, but I don't want to get expelled for it," Yang shot back, her voice starting to rise. "Like it or not, we have to drop this for now." Blake's angry scowl twisted to one of apathy.
"So you care more about being a student than you care about stopping Roman?" she coldly asked. Yang's irises turned red as she rose from her seat and leaned on the table.
"Don't you dare do that to me," she snarled. "I spent years training to become a Huntress. It means everything to me. You're going to get mad at me for not being willing to throw away what matters to me?"
"The only thing that matters is stopping Torchwick," Blake shot back.
"Going after him at the cost of getting expelled or arrested is a huge mistake," Yang told her teammate.
"No," Blake replied. "My only mistake was asking for your help."
"Hey!" Yang barked, nearly scaring the Faunus. "None of this would've happened if you had just listened to us, but you chose not to! We thought we were ready, but we weren't! People are dead and it's partially because of us!"
"If you want to sit back and do nothing, then fine!" the Cat Faunus growled. "But I won't stand by and let them have their way just because I'm scared of being expelled!"
Yang's eyes returned to their natural lilac color. She was shocked by how Blake was acting. She was so obsessed with finding the White Fang that it was turning her into someone she wasn't. She had never been one to raise her voice in anger except on few occasions, such as her fight with Weiss before she ran off. She had never been one to judge others for not being willing to help her.
Now, all of a sudden, Blake was almost an entirely different person. Ever since Ozpin got them out, she had been the most defiant, the most willing to argue with the professors and the one who wouldn't accept things as they were.
"Do you have any idea what you sound like?" Yang asked her teammate.
"I told you, I don't care," Blake replied harshly. "If you're not going to help me, then you're just in my way." Blake walked off, angered at her teammate for not being willing to help continue their search.
Yang shook her head as she sat down and buried her face in her hands. She knew Blake had to stop this. If she went down this path, then she would throw away everything she worked for because she was letting her obsession control her. She needed to stop her teammate before it was too late.
She knew too well what happens when obsession takes over. She knew it too well and she knew Blake was doing the same thing.
"I have to stop her," she said to herself.
