Chapter 14
Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald had just exited out of the hall for a break before the start of the match. Initially, they were counting on finishing the tournament immediately after the fifth round had ended, but they were still not too worried about a little overtime. However, they did not realize that Vinnie, who was finishing his smoke break, was still outside but out of their sight. The homeless chess player had a gut feeling to lay low and not be seen.
"There's something odd about those three. I know game when I see, and there clearly up to no good." Vinnie thought to himself. He quietly snuck around the exterior of the amphitheater and remained hidden.
"Merc, any idea what Jaune opens with as black?" Emerald asked while still walking away from the doors.
"I know he beat moneybags with the French, and I think that's what he wanted to play against me. The only problem is that it only works if white plays e4." Said Mercury.
"I know you two are concerned about how I will fare in my upcoming game, but fear not my children, I know how to handle the boy." Cinder said, cutting into the small talk. Before anyone else could comment, a familiar presence lingered in the area that only the alpha female could detect. Cinder came to a complete halt and then her eyes flickered orange, but she had to restrain her powers to avoid suspicion from her two personal assassins.
"Mercury, Emerald, I wish to be alone at this time. If you know what's best, I suggest waiting inside for now." Mercury was about to question his boss's order, but Emerald grabbed his shoulder and signaled him to comply. As soon as the pair made it completely inside the dome, Cinder reignited her aura and looked directly at a suspicious oak tree.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to mind your own business, Arthur!?" Cinder called out, with emphasis on the name of whom she was stating. She then conjured up a fire orb about the size of a basketball and blasted it towards the tree. Before the fire could make contact, Watts came out of hiding and intercepted the attack by countering with an electric shockwave from his steampunk themed revolver. The force from each blast was perfectly even, and the attacks were both negated.
"Still fired up over the draw, apparently." Watts snickered as the smoke cleared. "And yes, the pun was purely intended."
"Hmph, I'm surprised you didn't let the tree take the hit for you." Cinder retorted to the wisecrack.
"That's because I'd rather keep things civilized and NOT blow our cover." Watts said as he retracted his gun back into the holster. "And besides, it would be a real shame to see you standing tall in front of Salem for incompetent behavior." Hearing the sharp comeback put a sting to Cinder's ego as she knew that any wrong move could jeopardize both her own faction as well as her master's plan. The hot-headed female begrudgingly reverted back to normal and fizzled out the fire in her eyes.
"What business do you have at Beacon anyway!?" Cinder snapped. "I hope it wasn't just to eavesdrop on my own associates with your outdated gadgets!"
"Ah, so you did find the device after all." Watts presumed. "The street rat must have done a poor job in keeping it well hidden." Cinder's eyes glanced up when she soon realized that Watts had an accomplice involved. "No matter, that was only to make sure that you and your posse weren't getting too distracted with the tournament. We have a mission and it must be fulfilled."
"You're one to talk a big game, Watts. I don't see any benefit in you being here." Cinder sneered.
"That is where I have to correct your accusation. I have done my work by knocking two birds with one stone." Watts defended without delay. "After making a reasonable bargain, I assigned my accomplice to upload the black queen virus in order to weaken the firewall systems within the school wifi. Coincidentally, it just so happened that I was able to access the tournament database; which to me was icing on the cake."
"You're the one who manipulated my pairings!" Cinder shouted. "I could've had that naïve boy crushed a lot sooner if it wasn't for you interfering!" Although the tournament was irrelevant in the conversation; nevertheless, she did not like the mere thought of someone else pulling the strings.
"Quite frankly, it would be far too anti-climactic to have the two of you play before round 5, and it was the least I could do to entertain my assistant's enthusiasm for chess." Watts paused to take a quick glance at his pocket watch and then tucked it under his maroon vest. "As I was saying, it was also very easy to advantage of the school's library being unattended, which gave me the opportunity to hack into archives and emails that contained crucial information." Cinder's skeptical look became more curious as to what her colleague could be referring to.
"This had better be worth our damn time if it means anything to our mistress." Cinder said impatiently.
"You'd be very foolish to think that I came here just to lollygag. What I have found is something that only Ozpin and his inner-circle know about, and I can't begin to stress how confidential this information is." Before he could carry on with his soliloquy, Watts sensed an unwanted guest in the area, which just so happened to be Vinnie spying on the private conversation. The malignant aristocrat slyly grinned and perked his mustache, knowing that the one listening in was the hustler that he personally hired. "Check your scroll as soon as possible. If you can't do it tonight, that's fine, but I know this is something you will not want to forgo." Cinder could not resist knowing what her colleague had in store for her. She quickly pulled out her scroll, and right when it booted on, she saw a cursive W in the upper-left corner of the screen and tapped it. As Cinder browsed through, she froze in amazement when she saw a picture of a large empty chamber with checkered tile floor and gigantic marble pillars. The next picture was a real gem for the femme fatale, which had Amber; the fall maiden that she and her cronies had ambushed originally, half-naked and incapacitated in a life support machine.
"This is incredible! Arthur, I must know where she-." Before Cinder could ask anything else, Watts gave the signal to stay quiet and not blurt anything out.
"I still do not know where the girl is being kept." Watts answered truthfully. "I have already searched throughout Mistral and she was nowhere to be found. I have very little doubt that she is under close supervision by the great professor himself. You'll need to search every inch of this school to know where she's being held."
"For once, I have to thank you for such a dubious pleasure." Cinder said with light sarcasm. "I can see why Salem puts a lot of faith in you when it comes to analytical work."
"The pleasure is all mine. Although my job here is done, there is still one thing left to do." Judging by the hinting tone coming from Watts, Cinder was now expecting the mustached gentleman to stick around for her final game."
"So be it. After I beat the kid, I might actually invite you and Hazel out for a drink." Said Cinder.
"Splendid. I know of a good tavern the three of us can go to. I'll even bring our informant from Mistral to help him get acquainted with the rest of us." Watts stated. "Give Mr. Arc a game he'll never forget. I do look forward to an entertaining match." With nothing else to say, Cinder bid farewell and headed for the dome.
"That man is a real piece of work. As arrogant as Watts is, he's still very sharp and reliable." Cinder thought in the back of her mind. With less time to spare, she made it back inside the amphitheater. Vinnie did not feel safe coming out of hiding yet, but regardless, it did him no good.
"You can come out now, Vincent. I promise not to bite." Watts taunted. Vinnie hesitantly came out from the corner he was behind, and saw the shady man waiting patiently. "Much better. I know you still have the scroll in your possession. If you would kindly give it back…" he said with his fingerless glove open.
"I don't see what good it will do me now. It's just a silly gadget anyway." Vinnie deprecated, handing the scroll to the devious doctor.
"You've done a kind favor for me, but the time has come for us to go our separate ways." Watts said while pocketing the device away.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Doc. I was just now getting ready to put in my two-week notice." Vinnie joked back.
"At least our thoughts are mutual for once." Watts responded. "Now heed my words when I say this, Mr. Trailburn." Vinnie braced himself and was ready for whatever it is that had to be said. "If you even dare to speak out to anyone about me, Cinder, or anything you overheard, you will answer deeply for it and face the most undesirable consequences." While making the clear statement, Watts held a red string with a kunai tied to one end and then tightened the loose area in a threatening demeanor. At first, the hustler thought the object was simply a rope with an attached blade, but after taking an even closer look, the string seemed unnatural. Vinnie realized that the material was from a living organism, and still had some life left in it. It was also the final straw that made Vincent Trailburn understand the full danger of Dr. Arthur Watts. He felt as though he had unintentionally done a deal with the devil, and there was no way out of it.
"What kind of a sick man are you!?" Vinnie demanded.
"A man who keeps his word and respects professional manners." Watts retaliated. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Vincent. Those nice clothes should act as a fabulous momentum of our relationship. I bid you farewell." Watts took a few steps back and quickly pitched a metal ball at the ground, which exploded on contact. A flash of sparking light forced Vinnie to cover his eyes with his arm to avoid being blinded. As soon as it was safe to look around, Dr. Watts was nowhere to be seen.
"He's gone." Vinnie muttered. "I don't know what those two are scheming, but I've got a bad feeling about all this…"
Meanwhile, in Beacon Tower.
"Alright, smiles everybody. We're about to see the boss man." Nora prepped. Team JNPR had just gotten off the elevator on the top floor, and now they were getting ready to walk into the office of their well-respected headmaster. Ren closed the door once all four of them made it inside, and they were surprised to see General Ironwood and Penny finishing a conversation.
"Time is of the essence Oz, and I'm afraid we cannot stay any longer." Ironwood stated regretfully. "I'm just as much as a chess enthusiast as you are, but my duties have to come first."
"I understand, James. We do appreciate you letting Ms. Polendina participate in our school event." Ozpin acknowledged. "I wish safe travels for you on your way back to Atlas."
"We can only hope for the best. Penny, we must go now." After turning around to face the door, the commanding officer felt the need to complement the hopeful champ.
"I'm very impressed with your skill, Mr. Arc. You'd make a fine master with your abilities." Ironwood said with praise. He then gave Jaune a salute and passed by. Penny was still following behind, but also wanted to praise the hero for his great effort.
"It's been a real pleasure watching your games, Jaune Arc. I wish the beck of luck to you in the final endeavor." Penny bowed politely and followed her boss out of the office. After the door closed, it was time to get down to business.
"You might find it hard to believe, but General Ironwood is a real fan of the game. He even has a small rivalry with the CEO of Schnee Dust Company." Ozpin said casually. "If I were to guess, I'd say that they are evenly matched." This made Jaune think about Weiss and the pressure that she must have been under, back when she was a more active tournament player.
"Sir… after playing against Cinder in our previous round, I know she's far more experienced than me. I can't win at this rate..." Jaune said nervously.
"Are you nuts!? You're the best freakin' player at this school! I know you can kick her butt!" Nora shouted. Ren facepalmed and shook his head, feeling extremely embarrassed in front of Oz.
"Nora has a very good point. You're thinking way too hard about this and it's only going to hurt your confidence even more!" Pyrrha assertively stated.
"Children, settle down please! I didn't call the four of you to have a debate." Ren, who was the only one that had not said a word, sighed in relief. "Three of you know what I'm about to do, so I only ask for a little bit of cooperation."
"Yes, sir." Team JNPR apologized at the same time.
"To some extent, I can relate to what you're saying, Mr. Arc." Ozpin resumed. "You might actually be right. I'm not supposed to say that, but you would know I was lying if I said anything else." A moment of silence passed with the enormous cogs and gears acting as the only background noise. "I have something for you. Ozpin then opened a briefcase containing a frame with only the back showing. He diligently picked up the frame without revealing the frontside, giving Jaune a bit of suspense. Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha looked at each other and smiled because they knew exactly what was about to be presented to their team leader. "It says, this is to certify, that Jaune Arc, on this day, has in the eyes of his both his teacher and his closest friends, attained the rank of Grandmaster." Ozpin flipped the frame over to reveal a prestigious certificate with the exact words that were read out loud. A beautiful image of Beacon Tower was displayed on the right side, and a depiction of a noble knight on a white horse was shown on the left. Ozpin's signature was inserted near the bottom to validate the certificate. He then gently handed it to Jaune so that his pupil could take the time to admire and appreciate such a genuine reward. The strong vibe that made Jaune tear up was the fact that he knew it was made specifically for him and it was meant to reflect his character. "I have never been so proud of anyone in a very long time. I am honored to call myself your teacher." Not able to control it any longer, Jaune leaped from his neutral standing position and hugged Ozpin tightly. Tears were running from down from the boy's eyes, while the stoic mentor smiled and returned the hug back with a single arm on Jaune's shoulder, proving that he really does have a soft side. Pyrrha covered both of her hands over her chest and was smitten by the fact that she had never seen her leader so elated.
I'm very thankful for having you all as my friends. I wouldn't be here without any of you." Jaune said while wiping away his happy tears. "We should head back down now."
It was now ten minutes before the start of the tiebreaker round. Team RWBY was casually waiting around in the lobby, unaware of what was going on with Team JNPR.
"Barf boy had better be quick if he wants to throw down." Said Yang. The Prima Donna is already at the table."
"He'll make in time." Ruby answered back. "I hope…"
"It's obvious that Cinder wants to settle this once and for all. Even she would be disappointed to not be able to avenge the draw." Vinnie spoke from behind the girls and briefly startled them.
"Vinnie! You're back!" Ruby said cheerfully.
"We haven't seen you a whole lot today. Is everything okay?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, I just had to go out for a smoke break not too long ago. I was also enjoying the scenery of the campus." The cat faunus narrowed her eyes and sensed that Vinnie was not telling the full story. Either way, she did not feel the need to pry into his business. Eventually, Jaune entered through the doors and had the determined look on his face that made him look like a whole different person. Weiss was the first one to get up from her seat and say something beforehand.
"Jaune, I know you're very preoccupied right now, but I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I've treated you." Jaune's eyebrow perked because he was not entirely sure what the heiress was talking about.
"It's all good, Weiss." Jaune responded. "Not that you did anything wrong, but I'm glad to see you in a better mood."
"Well, it's just that I've never lost to anyone lower rated than me, let alone unrated." Weiss took a deep breath as she was preparing to admit something that would shock the other girls. "I finally realize that you are a much stronger player than I am, and I think Ozpin did a great job coaching you." Ruby, Blake, and Yang were absolutely stunned as it was extremely rare to listen to Weiss put herself below someone else, let alone the weakest and least experienced student at Beacon.
"That's… definitely not the snow queen we all know." Yang said while still in a state of shock.
"Thanks, Weiss. It was very- hold on a minute, how did you-!"
"Let's just say I had a little hunch about it. Anyway, I don't want to keep you from your game. Best of luck." Yang gave a thumbs-up while Ruby and Blake both politely smiled to wish the white knight good luck. As Jaune started to head for the arena, he was stopped once again.
"Jaune!" Weiss called out instantly to say one last thing. "Win this." Jaune nodded politely and proceeded to the fight pit. Cinder was already seated at the board, with the pieces already in place. Taking a deep breath, Jaune bravely walked up to the empty chair and got himself comfortable. They did not say anything to each other, but there plenty of thoughts racing through their heads. Team JNPR had just made it inside about five minutes before the match was about to begin. They saw where Team RWBY was seated in the dead center of the spectator section, and figured it would be okay to mingle with them. After getting comfortable, Mercury approached the redheaded gladiator from behind.
"It's unsettling, isn't it? When you realize there are only so many things you can do to help a friend in need." Pyrrha did not bother to turn back and acknowledge Mercury's snide remark. "Then again, they are who they are... good luck." The steel-toed flunkie walked away and sat next to Emerald near the front.
"Good luck." Pyrrha muttered to herself. All of the sudden, Ren did not feel at ease and had the natural inclination to scan the surroundings.
"Someone's a bit antsy in the pantsy. What's up?" Nora teased.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I can't help but feel like we're being watched." Ren answered candidly. Vinnie remained quiet and pretended like everything was just fine. On the other hand, the girls looked around to see if there was anything suspicious, but the only things apparent to them were the small black bulbs which concealed the security cameras. "I apologize; it's probably my imagination." Just in time, Ozpin and Goodwitch made their appearance to finally start and judge the last game.
"Thank you all for being here tonight." Ozpin said to the crowd. "We are glad to see the majority of everyone here to watch the last match of the tournament be settled here once and for all. In this game, Ms. Fall will have the honor of playing the white pieces, and Mr. Arc will respectively play black. Should the game end in draw, then we will have to proceed to sudden death." Ozpin gave Goodwitch the signal to proceed with the next course of action. She clicked on her scroll and suddenly, a faint blue barrier surrounded the arena. "Luckily for our contestants, this soundproof barrier will prevent them from hearing any distraction from outside the perimeter. On the other hand, you as spectators can hear them from the inside. With that in mind, you are free to talk amongst each other, but you may not pass through the barrier. Professor Goodwitch will be the referee, and I'll let her take it from here."
"Ms. Fall and Mr. Arc, we've already gone over the rules several times throughout the tournament. You are both champions and I expect this to be a clean and fair match. Obey my commands at all times, and do not speak unless it is absolutely necessary. The clock is already configured to start immediately at 7:00 sharp, so if there aren't any questions, please shake hands and wait for the countdown to finish." Cinder and Jaune shook hands reluctantly while Goodwitch stepped over to the side to carefully observe. Meanwhile, Ozpin walked out of the ring, and sat next to his two favorite first year teams.
"I hope you all don't mind letting an old man like me sit with you." He joked.
"You're the coolest professor at Beacon! You know we're not gonna turn you down!" Nora answered back energetically.
With only ten seconds left, Jaune and Cinder were both in a silent stare down, as their way of proving that neither one was afraid of the other. As soon as the countdown ended, it was white to play.
1. d4, Nf6
2. c4, g6
3. Nc3, d5
4. e3, Bg7
5. Nf3, 0-0
6. Bd3, c6
"An even start. I like where this is going." Blake commented.
7. Bd2, Bg4
8. h3, Bxf3t
9. Qxf3, e6
10. 0-0, Nbd7
11. e4, dxe4
12. Nxe4, Nxe4
13. Qxe4
"Don't do it, Jaune. Don't even think about it." Ozpin said sternly.
"Bring her out, Jaune." Vinnie said, trying to contradict the headmaster.
"Keep her back." Ozpin muttered.
"Bring her out..." Vinnie said impatiently. Ozpin's eyes looked over to the side and casted a distraught look at the hustler.
13. …Qb6
"Oh Jesus…" Ozpin muttered and shook his head in disbelief. Ruby was too afraid to ask, so she felt it was better to not say anything.
14. Bc3, Nf6
15. Qh5, Rad8
16. Be2, Rd7
17. Rfd1, Rfd8
18. c5, Qc7
19. Bf3, Nd5
20. Bxd5, Rxd5
21. Qg4, Qd7
22. h4, Bxd4
"There it is!" Vinnie exclaimed. "I taught him that."
"Minor setback. There's still plenty of action left on the board to win." Cinder thought to herself.
23. Bxd4, Rxd4
24. Rxd4, Qxd4
25. Qxd4, Rxd4
26. g3, h5
"He missed a strong move. Rc4 would've won another pawn." Said Weiss.
"Jauney's still up a pawn, so at least we know he's not losing." Yang said with assurance.
27. b3, Kf8
28. Kf1, Rd2
29. b4, Rb2
30. a3, Ke7
31. Kg2, Rb3
32. Ra2, e5
33. Re2, f6
34. f4, Ke6
"Phew, close call. I'd hate to have to give a pawn back so soon." Jaune thought with relief.
35. Rd2, exf4
36. gxf4, Rxa3
37. Rd6+, Ke7
38. Rd4, Ra4
39. Re4+, Kd7
40. Rd4+, Ke6
41. Kf3, a5
42. Rd6+, Ke7
43. b5
"That was a mistake." Ozpin said in shock."
"What does Oz mean? Who made the mistake?" Ruby asked the group.
"It's there, Jaune. The rest is all elementary." Pyrrha said, indirectly supporting Ozpin's claim.
Jaune studied the position some more and calculated at least three of the best variations that could happen. Once he saw what was in his best interest, it was time to get his game on.
"Alright, Cinder. Time to throw down." Jaune knew at this point he had full control of the situation.
43. …cxb5
44. Rb6, Rc4
45. Rxb5, a4
46. Rxb7+, Ke6
47. Rb6+, Kf5
48. c6, Rxf4+
49. Kg3, Rc4
50. Rb5+, Ke6
"Am I actually going to lose!?" Cinder did the best she could not to drop the poker face.
51. Rb6, a3
52. Ra6, a2
53. c7+, Kd7
54. Rxa2, Rxc7
55. Rd2+, Ke6
56. Re2+, Kf7
57. Re3, Re7
58. Rd3, g5
59. hxg5, fxg5
60. Rf3+, Kg6
"I won't accept this! I refuse to go down!" Feeling too frustrated, there was no way the diva could hide the look of fear. Her emotions also had a domino effect on her cohorts, who were both too afraid to even look straight up at the action. Emerald and Mercury had their eyes glued to the floor, and could not bear to watch their mistress be defeated by somebody they loathed.
61. Rb3, Rf7
62. Rb8, h4+
63. Kg2, g4
64. Rh8, Rh7
65. Rg8+, Rg7
66. Rh8, Kg5
67. Rb8, Rf7
68. Rg8+, Kf4
69. Rh8, h3+
70. Kh2, Kf3
71. Rg8
"My rook is still behind the base of his pawn chain. This should keep me alive and hopefully force a draw." Cinder was mentally more relaxed at this point, because now she thought it would be easier not to lose.
"Shoot, this might not be a win after all." A slip of doubt lingered in Jaune's mind, but that didn't mean he was ready to offer a draw. "Her rook is still very active, and my time's almost up. Come on, think Jaune! What would Ozpin say if he were to look at this position."
"This is bad. If Jaune doesn't do something fast, he'll run out of time." Pyrrha said with worry.
"He could always force a draw and go into sudden death." Yang suggested.
"I dunno. Knowing Jaune, he's not the kind of the guy to take the easy way out." Ren added.
"Exactly! No risk, no reward!" Vinnie said, agreeing with Ren observation.
"The only way I can win if to force Cinder to sac her rook for at least one of my pawns. If I don't do that, then I'll have to force a draw just to play another round." Jaune looked over the position even deeper. Once he found the perfect solution, a tiny grin appeared on his face. "I'll just beat her now." He thought.
"Did Jaune… smile just now?" said Weiss.
"He sure did, Ms. Schee." Ozpin answered with a smile of his own. "He's got it."
"What do mean he's got it? How do you know this, professor?" Yang questioned.
"Believe me Ms. Xiao Long, he's got it." Ozpin repeated, even happier that time.
71. …Rf4
72. Rg7, Kf2
73. Rg6, Kf1
74. Kg3, Rf2
75. Rxg4, h2,
76. Rh4, Rg2+
Cinder's hand trembled in fear as she now realized there was no way to save herself from losing. For the sake of her pride, she chose to play it out and not surrender just yet.
77. Kf3, Kg1
78. Ra4, h1=Q
79. Ra1+, Kh2
80. Rxh1, Kxh1
It was Cinder's lone king against Jaune's king and rook, which she knew was sufficient material to deliver an inevitable checkmate. Humiliated and defeated, the lady in red tipped her king and resigned.
"Good game." Jaune said. Cinder took a deep breath and looked back at the boy who defeated her. She nodded and then made her exit out of the arena and then through the exit doors. The barrier came down, and everybody minus Mercury and Emerald rushed over to congratulate the new champion.
"My man, Jaune! You did it! You're the champ!" Vinnie cheered. He gave Jaune a high-five and then stepped away to let others interact. Pyrrha instantly hugged and embraced the winner tightly.
"I'm so proud of you!" Pyrrha said with tears of joy in her eyes.
"I'm just glad you're always here for me, Pyrrha. Win or lose." Jaune said sincerely.
"I know, Jaune. That's why you're the winner no matter what." The couple hugged each other again and the cheers and applause continued.
"You're alright, Jaune! You're alright. Good game!" Yang gave Jaune a friendly punch to the shoulder. In the midst of all the excitement and happiness, Ozpin and Goodwitch watched the students from a distance.
"Tell me Oz, if you could write a book about Mr. Arc's chess journey, what would you call it? Glynda asked rhetorically.
"I think you already know that answer, Glynda." Ozpin said with a proud smile. "The only true title would have to be Searching for Bobby Fischer.