Summer listened to the gears ticking above her head as she sat in the Headmaster's office. She frowned.
Gods, I hate that sound.
She glanced around the sparse clocktower as the cold metal of the chair dug into her spine. Her...compact stature limited her feet from the reaching the floor- not that it bothered her, she merely comforted herself knowing that if she needed to duck a sudden incoming explosive from one of the idiotic teenagers below, well, the man before her had to duck much faster.
The tower contained only three things- her chair, the Headmaster's desk and the man himself. The last one she refused to acknowledge, even as he sat there, staring at the paperwork littered around his full desk. The man- the one that refused to let her leave this death trap he called a school-ignored her to instill some level of uncertainty into her heart like she was one of the idiotic teenagers that got caught doing something stupid- not that she cared. The man was merely letting her come up with some more excuses, so she didn't get into trouble.
Not that it mattered. This whole thing was a farce- the school, the idiotic teenagers that were meant to protect the world, the man's care for her. Fake. All of it. The school merely allowed the man to hold his little secret meetings when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Stupid, especially when it was easy to spot when several high-level figures met at odd times of the night several times a month. The fact that no one else noticed when a 'little girl' like her could- well, there was a reason she called them 'idiotic teenagers.'
Speaking of, those idiots masquerading as 'heroes' were all going to die if they went out to the actual Wilds- their insistence on 'honor' and 'righteousness' made them weak. Honorable men allowed their opponents to strike them straight through their so-called 'honor,' and righteous men were blinded by their insistence that their path was the correct one- that their path would save lives.
She snorted.
Idiots.
And last but not least, the man's… 'care' for her. It was obvious he needed her for something- otherwise, why would he save her? But, that something was the issue. She had no idea what he wanted- maybe he saw some combat potential in her, so wished to raise her into one of the idiots below? It was possible, but considering the fact he just let her roam around the school and only taught her fundamental things occasionally- that probably wasn't it.
The subject of her previous thoughts suddenly set down the papers he had been holding and looked up at her with that infuriatingly smug smile of his- the one that made it seem like he knew everything and had the world in the palm of his hands.
She hummed.
Considering his position, he actually might.
"Well, Mrs. Rose, I'm rather disappointed in you. This is the third 'incident' this week and the sudden increase since last month is rather alarming- and while it is amusing to picture the students' new...decorium, it is still concerning. Are you doing alright?"
Summer raised an eyebrow at one of the stupidest things she had ever heard come from the man's mouth. Considering most of the words he used she barely understood, that was quite an achievement.
"Am I doing alright? No, I hate this place, I hate all of the idiots that I'm forced to spend time with, and I hate you for making me stay here." She said.
Ozpin blinked.
"Well, this is an improvement over last week, considering the last time I asked you a question you gave me 'the finger' and then proceeded to lambast my mother's faithfulness. With quite the impressive vocabulary I might add."
Summer felt her cheeks burn and she looked away when he mentioned her little...tantrum.
Alright, I went a bit too far there. But, to be fair, I was trapped in a conversation with that Port guy right before. The man couldn't take a hint I didn't want to talk even if I had used a sledgehammer. Actually, a sledgehammer would have been better at getting through his thick skull.
"But, even so, you cannot continue with these 'incidents.' I need to know what I can do to help, and before you even ask- no, you're not allowed to leave the school." He said.
Summer lowered the hand she had raised and scowled. Or at least she thought she did. Based on the man's lightly twitching lips, it probably looked cute rather than menacing. Her 'scowl' deepened.
"Nothing." Summer said.
Summer averted her eyes from the Headmaster. She looked out at the window to watch the sun touch the edge of the horizon.
The man sighed.
"Mrs. Rose. I'm going to ask you a question, and you cannot avoid it- otherwise, I'll force you to attend Port's lectures."
Summer paled.
I couldn't stand a five-minute conversation with that monster- if I have to spend an hour listening to him drone on and on…
Summer shuddered and nodded her head.
The man's smug smile grew slightly as he continued his interrogation.
"Alright then. Mrs. Rose, why do you think I saved you from that village?"
"Because you need me to do something for you." She said without hesitation.
"Oh, really? You believe the only reason I saved you from that village is that I need you- a prepubescent girl with absolutely no combat training or experience- to do something for me, the Headmaster of Beacon and someone with an endless sea of contacts and resources?" Ozpin asked.
Summer felt her cheeks flushed and she looked away.
"Hmm, that's what I thought. So, guess again. Why did I save you?"
"Because you're a creepy old man who likes 'prepubescent girls' such as myself." Summer said.
The man promptly spat his drink back into his cup and looked at Summer with wide, horror-filled eyes.
She smirked. It felt good to get one-up on the man who seemed to hold all the cards.
Not that it means anything. I'm still stuck here.
The man wiped his mouth with a cloth handkerchief and looked at her with a disapproving frown.
"Mrs. Rose, that was completely unnecessary. In the entire duration of your stay, have I ever forced you to do something to make you uncomfortable in any way- other than preventing you from leaving?" He asked.
Summer's smile faltered as she looked away. "No, you haven't."
"That's what I thought. Now, I understand that was a 'joke' on your end, but an accusation like that can have severe consequences for the other side- even if you defend them afterward." He said.
Summer fidgeted with her black dress as she stared at the gears above her head.
The man looked at her expectantly for a moment before giving up.
He sighed. "Mrs. Rose, the reason I saved you from that village is the same reason I am the Headmaster of this school- because I have a desire, a desire to protect the innocent from this cruel world."
Summer's eyes snapped back to the man in front of her.
What?
"But, on that front, I have failed. When I went to your village to answer their distress call, I saw a little girl standing alone in front of a flaming village, surrounded by Grimm. But she wasn't afraid of the beasts around her. No, that little girl had her eyes glued to the flames- she was covered in soot and ash, but she did something that shook me to the core."
He looked straight into her eyes.
"She smiled. Not in glee or satisfaction- but relief. That smile was the reason I brought you back with me- you are broken, Mrs. Rose. Whatever those people did to you, it changed who you are as a person- and not for the better. When I saw your smile, I resolved myself to fix that smile and make it a true one- not one that was a mask for the pain and suffering you no doubt are feeling now. I owe it to you since I couldn't keep my promise."
Summer felt herself start shaking, but she didn't care.
He saved me because...he just wanted to? But, that doesn't make sense. No one ever acts unless it's for themselves. That's what they all said. That's what they all believed. That's what they taught me. That's how I survived. He must have some ulterior motive; it's impossible for him to...
A pair of wide, silver eyes looked into her own- filled with endless love.
...actually, care.
Summer felt her heartbeat quicken.
No, that's impossible.
Remember the village, remember what they taught you.
Summer looked at the Headmaster, his deep brown eyes only showing kindness and compassion.
Remember the beatings, the anger, the shouting.
Summer looked at his face, a face that had a brilliant and genuine smile- one she had mistaken previously as smug.
Remember their hatred and fear.
She looked at his straight and rigid posture- not one filled with fear, but one of confidence.
Remember...Remember…
Those loving silver eyes appeared in her mind once more.
'Remember, my little rose- if one day you find someone that accepts you for who you are, hold onto them as tight as you can and never let them go. They will be the key to your happiness. Now go, be free and don't look back.'
'We love you, Summer.'
It was like a dam finally broke within her- tears began falling like a waterfall.
Mom…Dad...
She ignored the warm hands that scooped her into a tight embrace as she let out all of her pent up emotions. She tried to ignore the fact that she felt at ease in his embrace. She tried to ignore the fact he smelled like pine cones and fresh coffee. It was useless.
A weak smile bloomed like the last wilting rose of summer suddenly gaining new life.
Hey guys, I'm still here! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in... well forever basically. After the last chapter, I was basically stuck in limbo on how I wanted to continue from here; eventually, I decided on what you just read. This chapter is really short, and for that, I apologize. But, I needed to get something out since it's been so long since I've last updated. I promise I'll get part two out a lot sooner than that though.
Moving on, I'm sure everyone has noticed that this is in the past and are going WTF- yeah, I know it's not the talk that I've been hinting at, but it's something that I felt needed to be shared about Summer- she's a broken girl, and she's been one long before the events in the story. I've hinted at this- with the subtlety of a sledgehammer as most of you are aware- but I haven't explored this before. Well, in order for everyone to understand the context of the talk next chapter and the full implications of what Summer's going through- this chapter had to happen.
Now, some people might disagree with me here- that not every character needs their backstory explained/flushed out for the reader to understand what's happening. I agree, somewhat, but in case you haven't noticed- I really like Summer and potential she has a character (She plays an important role in three of my fics after all) and this is one of the facets of her character that I want to touch on- the revelation that she's not this perfect mother/Huntress/whatever the show itself seems to promote. No one talks about her, but what little we've heard makes her seem perfect- and that's not very realistic.
I wanted to explore her character as a human- not this goddess that seems to do no wrong. She's human- she makes mistakes, gets emotional and, most importantly, has a past that shapes her current actions. That's why she's been the focus the last few chapters (admittedly too much focus for a story that has Arc in the title), but it's necessary for Jaune's future development.
Anyways, I've been ranting for way too long- expect the next chapter within the next few weeks.
Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!
See ya next time!
