Chapter 10
Night before the banquet...
Desmond was sitting on the rooftops of Beacon with his hood pulled over his face. The only thing that served as illumination was the light of the shattered moon as the night wore on. He just recently had a dream, a very vivid dream, about him and a certain huntress. There was clearly a blush on his face with embarrassment and felt dirty even dreaming about this.
Back on Earth, he would always complaining about girlfriends and switching between them after a breakup. It was like that when he was in the Animus Black Room, a safe mode in Rebecca's Animus which sustained his memories and his sanity.
"Fuck, what's wrong with me? First I start thinking about her, I start helping her with her work and now this shit? Damn it, I don't know. And now I don't even have the guts to even confess to her... Fuck," he quietly said to himself as the soft whistle of the wind accompanied his burdens. A sigh passed through his nose and he brought his legs together into a crossed legged position. He took of his sling bag and unzipped it. He took out his Scroll and opened it. "This is pathetic, even for me. I don't even know what's holding me back. I guess this is better than not doing it at all." He went on the recording app of the Scroll and slowly brought his finger to the recording button.
A few hours before the banquet...
Desmond was actually glad that Ozpin had a spare tuxedo on him and let him borrow it for tonight. Why show up at this sort of occasion if you don't even have the proper clothing? "Wow, this actually fits me perfectly," Desmond said in amazement at the clothing as he fixed up his tie around his neck. He continued to put on the rest of his outfit until a knock was heard from his door. "Coming." He walked over to the door as he tried to smoothen out the sleeves of the tux. He opened the door to see Ogata, Ren and Logan standing there. "Hey, guys, what's up?" he asked them.
"Nothing much, just wanted to wish you luck at the banquet," Ogata replied.
"Yeah, hope you have a good time," Logan said added.
"What, you actually wanted to do something similar with Thalia?" Ren said stoically. The Ranger just blushed and looked the other way while rubbing the back of his head.
Desmond clapped his hands together with a chuckle present. "Thanks for the words, you guys. Oh, and for now, I'll leave Ogata in charge of the Brotherhood while I'm away, or, barring something bad happens. Is that understood?" he told them. Ogata's eyes widened in shock at the responsibility, but Ren gave him a pat on the back and a thumbs up.
The three straightened up and nodded at their Mentor with their right fist over their heart. "Yes, Mentor," Ogata returned with a curt nod. So far there hadn't been anything to implicate Cardin being a Templar, and, as a guy, he wasn't going to snoop through another guy's things, so for the time being, the younger Winchester was in the clear.
"Alright. Now, you guys still have some homework to finish off from my class and it's due in a couple days," Desmond reminded them.
"Ah shit, we forgot about that assignment you gave us. And that was when you took me and Thalia into the Assassin's," Logan muttered out.
"Hey, if we get to work on it we can finish it," Ogata told the worried Ranger.
Desmond shook his head at them. Still, it was his idea of creating a Brotherhood here in the first place. His Scroll started ringing and he took it out and answered it. "Yes?"
"Desmond, it's Jack. Me and Oz are waitin' for you in front of the academy. We're gonna be late if you don't move your ass to the docks!" Jack shouted from the other line.
"Ah shit. On my way." He cut the connection and stowed his Scroll away. "Gotta go now, guys. See you later!" He then made a mad run to the front of the academy without second thoughts.
White Castle...
Desmond whistled in amazement as he stepped out of the Dust Plane. "I take it you're impressed?" Ozpin asked the Assassin. Said Assassin just nodded his head at the structure in front of him. "That's what first timers say all the time when they see White Castle for the first time."
Jack just nudged the entranced Desmond on the arm and pointed forward. "C'mon, can't keep the others waiting," he said to him.
Desmond shook himself out of the trance and nodded at Jack. "Alright. Let's go then."
"I take that you're not used to this occasion?" Ozpin asked him.
Desmond nodded again with a tinge of red on his cheeks. "Yeah, I never even attended a high school prom before. Yep, I'm that pathetic."
"Doesn't' matter, Des, you're here now and you can be able to experience it without worrying about anything horrible happening," Jack said with confidence to him.
"I just wish you didn't say that, Jack," Ozpin told the orange haired professor.
"Why?" said professor questioned.
"It's because something horrible happens when you say 'nothing horrible will happen'," Ozpin explained.
"Guys, guys, lets quit this argument and get inside," Desmond offered. The two just mumbled in agreement and they walked towards the entrance of White Castle.
Unknown to them, someone was watching them from a distance. He lowered his sniper scope with a grim smile on his face. "Target spotted." He placed the scope on his rifle and pulled the bolt on it. "All I gotta do now is wait for the golden opportunity," the man said to himself.
The three instructors of Beacon were standing with the other male professors of Beacon, talking about their students and their teaching and what not that a school usually has to offer. "Hey, I'm gonna go get myself some wine, guys, I'll be back," Desmond told Jack as he stepped out of the group towards one of the long tables with various drinks and foods for the guests. Desmond got to a table and grabbed himself a glass and a bottle of red wine. "Huh, imported from Vauco. I guess they have great wine then," Desmond said with a grin on his face.
He started to pour some wine into his glass as he looked around the other patrons of the banquet. "Huh, I guess the Schnee's really love their guests if there's that many of us."
"Desmond?" said a voice belonging to a certain huntress. Desmond turned his around to see Glynda and his brain went into a meltdown. His nose would've been bleeding if this was an anime. She was wearing a purple dress that was most appropriate for a woman her age. It covered her cleavage and was most modest. Her skirt portion had a bit of her legs showing but not too much, not wanting to much attention to her legs and such.
Desmond was a loss for words. In front of him was the huntress that he had fallen for. He didn't realize that he started spilling the wine. "Oh, Desmond? The wine," Glynda told him. Desmond turned his head around and exclaimed in shock. He placed the bottle down to see the red wine spilt on the white cloth and tiled floor.
"Damn, didn't realize that," Desmond said meekly as he turned around to face Glynda again. He looked at her dress for a moment before looking at her in the face. That's when he was really surprised. Instead of her hair being tied in a bun with a twirl, it was cascading down her shoulders half way down her back. "You... um... how do I say this? You look... amazing, Glynda. Beautiful," Desmond said with a blush on his face.
A blush crept it's way on to Glynda's face as well. "Oh, thank you. You look great, Desmond," Glynda replied.
Desmond entirely forgot about the spilt wine and smiled a little at her. "Thanks."
That is when slow music started to play from the band. Slow dance music. Desmond forgot about that sort of stuff that happens at banquets. Glynda noticed his distress when she saw him arch himself forward with a long sigh accompanying it. "What's wrong, Desmond?"
"Nothing's wrong, Glynda, nothing at all," Desmond quickly replied. He looked away at her for a moment but her gaze didn't leave him. With a defeated sigh he faced her with a dark red blush on his face. "I... I can't slow dance," he confessed.
Glynda actually covered her mouth to stop her giggling. She collected herself and removed her hand and smiled at him. "It's easy. Here, let me show you how," she said as she grabbed one of his hands and pulled him to the dance floor.
"Whoa, Glynda, wait a minute!" Desmond protested as she dragged him to said location.
She stopped and turned around to face him. "Alright, just relax, Desmond, and grab my left with your left," she instructed him. Desmond did so and grasped her left hand with his. "Now raise it to the height of your chin and extend it a bit." She continued to instruct him until his hands were in the right positions. It was clear that there were blushes on both their faces but they didn't care. "Now follow my footsteps. When I go right, you go right. And when I go left, you go left and so on and so on," Glynda told him.
Desmond smiled and slowly, but surely, started moving his footsteps in attune with Glynda's. The music from the band started to get blocked out of his head as an entire different song started playing in his head.
Now I'm speechless.
Over the edge, and just breathless
I never thought that I'd catch this lovebug again
Hopeless, head over heels in the moment
I never thought that I'd get hit by this lovebug again
I can't get your smile out of my mind
(I can't get you outta my mind)
I think about your eyes all the time
You're beautiful but you don't even try
(You don't even, don't even try)
Modesty is just so hard to find
Now I'm speechless.
Over the edge, and just breathless
I never thought that I'd catch this lovebug again
Hopeless, head over heels in the moment
I never thought that I'd get hit by this lovebug again
He couldn't help but smile a little wider than before as he stared into Glynda's eyes, getting lost in them. "Thank you," he whispered to her.
"You're welcome," Glynda whispered back. "And thank you."
"For what?"
"For taking it."
Desmond's knees just weakened at her words. He wanted to tell her so badly, he just feared that she didn't feel the same way. I have to tell her or it'll haunt me forever if I don't tell her. I'll do it.
While Desmond summoned the courage to tell her, the sniper from afar attached a silencer to his rifle and put down the tripod of the rifle. He placed it on the ground and placed his eye on the scope. He zoomed in more to see Desmond and Glynda dancing. "Looks like he's having a good time. Sadly I have to end that." He didn't want to kill Glynda not wanting to have collateral damage on his contract. "C'mon, turn around," he said as he placed his finger on the trigger.
Desmond swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a sigh through his mouth. "Glynda?"
"Hm?"
"I have something to tell you," Desmond said with his cheeks reddening.
Glynda tilted her head in confusion and nodded. "Well what is it?"
Just before Desmond could have the words leave his mouth, the glass of a window broke. Glynda and many guests looked to see what happened. "What was that?" she said. She heard Desmond groan softly and bend slightly forward. "Desmond?" She turned to face Desmond to see it. Blood. "Desmond!" she shouted with her voice echoing through out the room.
Desmond let go off her and fell on his knees with quickly placed his right hand on the wound which was his upper left portion of his chest. "Glynda... my... Scroll..." he gasped out as the blood seeped through his fingers and out of his mouth. He collapsed to his left side still clutching to the wound.
Glynda knelt down and and turned Desmond on to his back. She then placed her hands on his wound trying to stop the bleeding. "Help! We have a wounded man here!" she shouted. She looked at Desmond who was breathing sporadicly now, his breath's more shallow. "Hang in there, Desmond, you're going to be fine." Desmond then closed his eye's as his breathing became slower, slower than most. "Please, not now, Desmond, not now," she pleaded him. She placed her ear on his chest and tears started flowing out went she didn't hear a heartbeat. "Please don't leave me," she said quietly.
The sniper stood up from his perch with his rifle slung over his shoulder. He raised his right hand and pressed on a button. "Job's done, sir, I'm leaving the area," he said into the mic.
"Good, that is very good, Mr. Alacran. Your payment will be in a dead drop near Signal Academy," Edward's voice replied.
The sniper just cut the connection and felt a small pang of guilt enter his heart. "It's probably nothing," he said as he shook it off.
Yep, I had to end it there or it would've got bad (in writing, not story. It would've gotten more simple).
Used Jonas Brothers for that song. Lovebug. Actually fits them quite well, no?