A shiver trailed up Teresa's spine as the rumble of engines roused her from her slumber. Her eyes dragged open as she became aware of a hand gently brushing against her hair. Her body trembled at the physical contact and she became aware of the fact that she was resting on someone's lap. Her vision cleared and she found herself looking up at Roland's resting face.
Carefully, she tried to turn her head to get a look at her new surroundings. She recognized the familiar interior of a bullhead transport ship. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was no longer inside that awful warehouse.
"You okay?" Roland asked, causing her to look back up to see the worried expression on his face. Teresa opened her mouth to respond, but a burning sensation in her throat prevented anything other than a low rasp from coming out. "Don't force it. Go back to sleep Teresa. We'll be back at Beacon soon."
Teresa nodded as she closed her eyes again. Sleep came quickly as she listened to Roland hum a melody to a lullaby of some kind.
She wouldn't truly find consciousness again for several hours. Alone in the blackness of her mind, Teresa was only ever partially aware of her surroundings. The dusty scent of Roland's coat as he wrapped her in it like a blanket. The soft jostling of him carrying her down the bullhead's ramp. The concerned, muffled words of her friends as they trailed alongside and behind Roland's brisk pace to the infirmary.
"Where have you been?"
"What happened?"
"Will she be okay?"
Finally Teresa felt the sharp pinch of the IV connecting to her veins as she once more descended into total unconsciousness.
Ozpin sat alone in his darkened office. The only light coming from the holographic screen hovering above his desk. Beacon's headmaster nursed a mug of coffee in his hands. His eyes glued to the preliminary reports of Teresa Belmonte's examination. Aside from some small electrical burns located all over her body, the girl was also suffering some minor damage to her vocal cords. She would recover, but wouldn't be having an extended conversation for a few days at least.
With a heavy sigh Ozpin leaned back in his seat and sipped his coffee. Savoring the strong taste of the hot brew before he placed the mug back on his desk and rubbed at his eyes. A soft chime across his office alerted him to Glynda's inevitable arrival. His Deputy Headmistress was stepping out of the elevator as soon as the doors were wide enough for her to pass without hindrance.
The woman strode up to his desk, the clacking of her heels on the floor the only sound in the office. The two stared at one another for a few moments, each waiting for the other to begin. As always, it was Glynda who seized the initiative.
"I heard Mr. Harker has returned to the academy." she stated with her hands resting on her hips.
"He's with his friends right now, Glynda." Ozpin informed his Deputy Headmistress, elbows resting on the desk with his fingers interlocked. "They are waiting for an update on the status of Miss Belmonte."
"And what exactly do you plan on doing about Mr. Harker?" Glynda asked, a firm hostile edge creeping into her voice.
Ozpin sighed. "Glynda…"
"Don't take that tone with me, Ozpin. Roland Harker attacked a student and put her in the infirmary. Then he steals an academy bullhead, and several hours later comes back with another student to put in the infirmary. How can we be sure he's not the one responsible for Miss Belmonte's condition?"
"I've seen the footage of the fight. He didn't attack her. he was pulling her off of Sky, and she attacked him. As for Miss Belmonte's condition. Do you truly believe that Roland would do that to his teammate? To his friend?" Ozpin's eyes hardened at the accusation. For her part, Glynda was unable to meet his stare and Ozpin let his voice soften. "Until Miss Belmonte recovers, we have only his word to go on."
"In that case," Glynda said as she spun on her heel, "I'll bring him here so he can explain himself."
"Glynda," Ozpin called, stopping the Deputy Headmistress halfway across his office. "Do you remember what I told you when you questioned my decision to bring Roland to Beacon?"
"The child is not his father." Glynda repeated Ozpin's words to him verbatim. "He may surprise us." She took a moment to adjust her glasses. "I hope you're right Ozpin."
Ozpin watched her step back into the elevator and sank deeper into his seat. "I hope so as well, Glynda." he whispered.
Roland paced across the infirmary waiting room. His right hand twitched as he fought against the impulse to reach for Lighting to spin around his finger. Which he had to remind himself was in bits and pieces on the floor of that godforsaken warehouse. Across the room sat Yuri, his elbows resting on his knees, his amber eyes never leaving the door. Coco sat next to him, her hand calmly pressing down on his shoulder. Yatsuhashi, Velvet, and Fox were in the center of the room occasionally stealing concerned glances at Roland. Only Vincent was absent, having left the room to call his brother and explain what happened.
The six of them waited in silence until a nurse walked through the double doors that led to the infirmary proper. The nurse held up a hand, halting the onslaught of questions from the group before it could even begin.
"Miss Belmonte will be alright." her words released a collected sigh of relief from the six of them. "Normally we would only allow her teammates in to see her at this moment but Professor Ozpin has informed me that your team can be let in as well Miss Adel." The nurse beckoned the six of them to follow her to Teresa's room.
"Aren't you coming Roland?" Velvet asked, pausing at the double doors. Roland glanced over to the young woman, coughing into his fist before speaking.
"You go on ahead, I'll wait for Vincent."
Velvet nodded once before she turned and ran to catch up with the others. Roland waited until the double doors were completely shut before he spun around on his heels and left the Infirmary. Vincent was waiting on the other side of the door. His leader leaned against the wall opposite the door. His arms crossed, and his emerald eyes burning into his own steel. Roland couldn't meet Vincent's gaze for long. Despair he could ignore. Wrath he could withstand. But disappointment? Disappointment was an emotion he had never learned to overcome. Those emerald eyes bore it in spades.
"So you're leaving. Again?"
"I was only sticking around to make sure that Teresa was going to be ok." Roland turned to head down the hallway, away from his friend, unable to bear the weight those eyes bore on him. "The Nurse just said she'd be fine, so yeah, I'm leaving. I never belonged here, anyway." Roland started down the hall, only to stop once he felt Vincent's hand grip him by the shoulder.
"I don't believe that. The others don't believe that, and I don't think you believe that, either."
"What do you know? What makes you think you know anything about me?" Roland shrugged Vincent's hand off his shoulder but refused to turn around.
"I know I'm your friend," Vincent replied, "I know you could've left Vale at anytime while we were looking for you. I know you think what happened to Terri is your…"
"It is my fault, damn it!" Roland shouted, turning back to face Vincent, his voice echoing down the hall. The Helsing didn't even flinch from the sudden shouting. "I told her to go find a teacher while I tried to stop Noire and Sky from fighting. If I told her to help me instead, we could've been able to separate them fast enough for no one to get hurt. Or at least, she could've stopped me from putting Noire in here. Then I wouldn't have had to leave in the first place, you guys wouldn't have had to come looking for me. Teresa would never have been kidnapped and fucking tortured! None of this would've happened!"
"And that psychopath would still be out there," Vincent stated. "He would've found someone else to torture. To murder, and would have gotten away with it because you wouldn't have been around to track him down and end him."
"So you're saying it's a good thing that I put Teresa's life in jeopardy?" Roland stomped forward and grabbed Vincent by his shirt, shoving him against the wall. "That it's a good thing that Teresa was the one who caught that son of a bitch's eye?"
"Of course not."
"Then what the hell are you saying, Helsing?!"
"If you hadn't been out there, then there's a very good chance that sick bastard could've gotten Terri some time later and you wouldn't be around to save her." Vincent tore Roland's hands off him and shoved him away. "That's what happened out there Roland. You didn't put Terri's life in danger, you saved her life, when none of us could. I can react to trouble as it happens, and Yuri can predict it, but today showed that both of us are useless after the fact. Only you could've tracked that guy down."
"It's still my fault. She wouldn't have been out there if it wasn't for me." Roland repeated, unable to let that fact go.
Vincent stepped forward and placed his hands on Roland's shoulders, "Roland at least come inside and see her. She'll want you to be there when she wakes up, and you can ask her yourself if she blames you for what happened."
"We'll have to see if I'm even allowed to stick around long enough to for her to wake up." Roland said as the clacking of heels on hardwood reached his ears.
"Roland Harker." the two turned to see Professor Goodwitch standing at the end of the hall. "Professor Ozpin would like a word with you in his office."
An uncomfortable silence permeated the office as Ozpin sat on one side of his desk. Goodwitch on his right, and Roland sat by himself on the opposite side. Both professors never took their eyes off of the young student. Conversely, Roland was stiff on the edge of his seat, seemed incapable of keeping his eyes on any one thing for longer than a few seconds. But that didn't mean Roland wasn't aware of the looks the two professors were giving him.
Professor Goodwitch was glaring at him with he guarded hostility he expected given his actions earlier. Ozpin's stare was different. There was no hostility in his eyes, hell there wasn't even anger. Just that same curious look Roland saw him with in Vacuo.
"Roland I've seen the recording of your fight in the library. Sky and Noire have told me their sides of the story. Now I want yours."
Roland looked down at the floor as he thought back to the events of earlier that day. "I was with Teresa in the library. We were discussing ways to upgrade the gun inside her whip when we heard a loud crash. We found Noire and Sky fighting each other, and I told Teresa to go find a teacher while I tried to pull Noire off of Sky. When I finally managed to get her off him she turned and took a swing at me."
Roland swallowed hard as flashes of the fight wormed their way into his head.
"What happened after that?" Goodwitch asked, her voice was as guarded as her stare.
"My body just reacted, I didn't mean for it to… How is she?" Roland looked up, his steel grey eyes fully meeting Ozpin's for the first time. "Noire, I mean, how is she?"
The headmaster shared a glance with his deputy before he returned his full attention to the student before them.
"She's fine, Roland," Ozpin assured him. "She woke up a little sore and bruised, but was let out of the infirmary about an hour afterwards."
Roland exhaled a deep sigh as his body slumped back onto the chair.
"What happened afterwards?" Ozpin continued, "What did you do while you were in the city? How did Teresa end up in the state she was in when you brought her back?"
You could find one in just about any city. Small, hole in the wall establishments that catered to all sorts of scum and villainy. To the lowest forms of life imaginable. Places that officially didn't exist and so couldn't be found, unless you knew how and where to look. At age thirteen Roland had learned both the how and the where. In Vacuo, the place had been called The Trench, in Vale it was known as The Pit.
Roland said nothing as he stepped up to the man in ragged clothes leaning against an unassuming brick wall.
"Any lien you can spare kid?" the poorly dressed man held out a grime coated hand and flashed a smile, showing off yellow, bent teeth. In a flash Roland pulled the man's wrist to the side with his left hand. His right hand pulled Lightning from its holster and pressed the barrel under the man's chin.
"Just shut up and open the damn door," Roland growled, his thumb drawing the revolver's hammer back.
"Okay, okay. Just calm down kid." the man held his free arm out to the side to show his lack of ill intent. "There's no need for things to get messy." Slowly, Roland removed Lightning from the man's throat before he stepped away. Rubbing at his throat with his left hand, the doorman pounded on the wall with his right.
There was a brief pause before the wall slid to the side and Roland pushed his way past the doorman into The Pit. The place was much the same as The Trench back in Vacuo. Plenty of tables and seats for the scum of Remnant looking to drown themselves in booze on one side of the dive. More than a few card tables and a lone pool table on the other. A bar with an assortment of liquors sat at the back. Every seat had an ass occupying it, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke, alcohol and other substances. The clamour of the occupants inside silenced as all eyes fell onto the newcomer. Few found themselves meeting the gunslinger's steel coloured glare. Most focused on the revolver still held in his right hand. Roland ignored all of them as he strut towards the bar, his hand sliding Lightning home in its holster.
"You look a little young for this place, kid." the bartender placed a glass down in front of his newest customer. "What'll you be having?"
"I'm not here to drink," Roland said while resting his hands palms down on the counter. "I'm here to see Ephemera."
The bartender narrowed his eyes as he took the glass away and leaned forward on his elbow.
"Do you have an appointment with Miss Smoake?"
"She'll see me," Roland assured him, "Just tell her that Harker wants to speak with her."
The bartender blinked in surprise before he called a short middle aged man over. After a few words were exchanged the newcomer moved behind the bar while the bartender made his way to a back room. The new bartender served the other patrons at the bar diligently. Opting to completely ignore Roland. Within a matter of moments the first bartender returned and gestured for Roland to follow him.
The bartender lead Roland to a door at the back of The Pit but placed a threatening hand on his shoulder before he could go through.
"You'd best be serious about this kid. Smoake's not a woman to be taken lightly, and Harker's not a name to be used casually."
"How about you remove your hand from my shoulder before I show you who shouldn't be taken lightly?" Roland growled as he shrugged the man's hand from his shoulder and stepped past the threshold.
The atmosphere of the back room couldn't have differed more from the main room if it had tried. The back room was clean and clear. Almost empty save for the lone table with two plush, leather, seats at either head. The light notes of some classical music filled the air instead of drunken, arguments. Roland processed the differences quickly. Storing them away as his steel coloured eyes found the room's sole occupant. Sitting comfortably in the far chair.
Ephemera Smoake was a handsome woman. Her features were smooth as marble, with silvery grey hair that framed her chiseled face. Her smokey black eyes were unflinching as she looked Roland up and down. A quick glance at his escort was all that was needed to send him from the room. When the door shut, Ephemera spoke, her strong voice filling the room.
"Roland Harker," she said, a smirk forming on her sculpted lips, "the last time I saw you, you were about three feet tall and missing your front teeth."
Roland couldn't help but smile at the memory. He'd lost those teeth in a sparring match with his older half-sister. Ephemera had suggested that before his new ones grew in, he could fire peas at her through the gap.
"It has been awhile, Ephemera." Roland agreed as he moved to the available seat. "Unfortunately, I don't have the time to catch up with you, Auntie."
"Straight to business then. Very well, how quickly do you need to disappear?"
"As quickly as you can arrange. I'd prefer to be as far away from Beacon as humanly possible this time tomorrow."
"Did something to piss off Ozpin, then? Yeah, I'd want to get as far away from that too. Did you have any place in mind? I hear Mistral is lovely this time of year."
"I was thinking Atlas, actually. There's someone over there I need to find."
"Very well, I will see to the arrangements, in the meantime enjoy yourself. Drinks are on the house." With that, Ephemera pulled out her scroll and gestured for Roland to leave the room. Roland dipped his head in thanks and made his way back to the bar.
"You get what you need?" the bartender asked as Roland stood across from him once again.
Roland nodded his answer before pointing at a bottle of expensive whisky. The bartender raised an eyebrow.
"She said drinks were on the house."
"If you say so." The bartender shrugged before he turned around and grabbed the bottle. Roland watched the whisky pour into a shot glass before he snatched it off the counter.
"You guys should've seen the girl Robert managed to snag this time." the voice reached Roland's ear just as the rim of the glass touched his lips. "A real pretty one this time, nice long legs and black, silky smooth, hair. Probably into some kinky shit if the whip..."
The voice continued to describe the girl this Robert had apparently snagged but Roland didn't hear another word after 'whip'. Slowly he turned to find the source of the voice. He found it in a balding mountain of scar tissue and muscle talking to his friend.
"You think Robert will let us have a crack at her once he's finished?" the friend asked, an ugly smile stretching across his pallid face.
"I doubt it." The first man grumbled "You know how selfish that bastard..." The rest of his sentence was cut off as Roland grabbed the man and slammed him face first into the table he was sitting at.
"Where are they?" Roland snarled as he pulled the man up before slamming him back down on the table. This time the table shattered and the larger man fell to the ground, dazed. Before he could pull the man to his feet, an arm snaked across his throat, and Roland found himself in a chokehold.
On instinct, Roland shifted his body and rammed his elbow into his attacker's stomach. He felt the rush of air on his neck as the man's grip slackened. In a heartbeat he was free from the chokehold and punching the second man across his face.
He fell to the ground after the third punch and Roland was about to turn back to his original target, when he was lifted off the ground by the larger man's tackle. A spike of pain shot up Roland's spine as his back crashed against the bar's counter. The larger man reared back before surging forward again. His shoulder ramming into Roland's gut.
Struggling for breath, Roland felt the man's hand wrapped around his throat before his opposite fist clocked him in the jaw. Recognizing the position he was in, Roland lashed out with his foot, aiming for the tender spot between his attacker's legs. It had always worked for his sister whenever he had her in a similar position, and it worked here.
As the larger man released Roland to cradle his groin, Roland grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and introduced his face to the bar top. The man's head bounced off the counter. Roland drew Thunder from its holster and pressed the barrel to the man's forehead.
"Now tell me where they are."
"I left after he told me where Teresa was most likely taken." Roland continued, "As soon as I reached the warehouse district it was pretty easy to find them. I just had to…" Roland took a deep breath, his fists clenching on his knees, as he forced the words out of his mouth. "I just had to follow Teresa's screams. I got her out of there as soon as I could, and brought her back here."
"And what of the man who kidnapped her?" Goodwitch asked, "This Robert?"
"You don't have to worry about that son of a bitch. I put three bullets through his heart." Roland's stared at the two professors across from him. "Look, Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, I know I screwed up. I deserve whatever punishment your about to throw at me. Before you do, I need to see Teresa. I have to… I have to know that she's ok."
"I understand Roland," Ozpin nodded, "but, we still have to discuss your punishment." Roland deflated as he waited for the Headmaster's sentencing. "Under normal circumstances, fighting another student outside of a sparring match is grounds for a weeks detention with Professor Port. Hijacking an academy bullhead adds a month on top of that." Roland flinched at the thought of being stuck in detention with Port for over a month. The gunslinger swore he saw a twinkle of bemusement glint in the man's eyes as he continued. "However, given that your fight with Noire was not only self defense, but also in defense of another student, I'm going to let you off with a warning instead."
Professor Goodwitch cleared her throat before adding. "As for the stolen bullhead…"
"I brought it back." Roland pointed out in his defense, "So really it's more like the 'borrowed' bullhead."
Goodwitch was unmoved by Roland's argument.
Ephemera watched as two of her disposal crew wrapped Robert's corpse up in a tarp. The rest were hard at work erasing any trace of the man's operation within the warehouse.
"Finally bit off more than you could chew, you goddamn moron." she watched as the body was dragged out and her scroll started ringing. "This is Smoake."
"Been a long time Ephemera. How are things in Vale treating you?"
"William Harker, you're right it has been awhile. To what do I owe the pleasure? Last I heard you some kind of job in Mistral."
"Turned out to be a bust, not worth my time." William's voice responded, "Though I noticed you didn't answer my question."
"Oh things in Vale are peachy. I've had to spend the last four hours arranging to have your son's mess cleaned up."
"Yeah, you're gonna have to narrow that down a bit."
"Roland came by my bar earlier tonight." Ephemera explained, "Wanted my help leaving Vale. I told him wait for a bit and the kid winds up getting into a fight with two of my customers. After that he runs out and four hours later I'm cleaning up the boy's first murder."
"So the kid finally popped his cherry. Who was it? Anyone I know?"
Ephemera sighed as she moved her scroll to her other ear. "It was Robert, William."
"Oh. Is that so…"
Ephemera closed her eyes. She could already feel the headache coming as William finished his sentence.
"Guess I'll have to get over there and congratulate the boy."
Authors Note: So first things first, my thanks to my beta reader MashiMoshi for her help in editing this chapter. As always I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Now to the nitty gritty. I was going through my earlier chapters and noticed something rather irritating... nothing bloody happens. Chapters 1-8 are basically nothing but filler and buildup that amounts to nothing. To say that I am displeased with what I've produced back then would be an understatement. So I've decided to do some rewriting after the next chapter. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I should just replace chapters 1-8, or if I should republish the whole thing.
In any event, feel free to leave any reviews or to ask any questions. Until next time.