Happy 1 Year Anniversary, everyone!
Today is the day that I started this story, one year prior, and so, I have pumped out another chapter for your reading pleasure. Thanks to everyone who has joined me on my first expedition into writing fanfiction. The support means a lot to me.
Now, as usual, I would like to notify/remind everyone of the poll I have running on my profile, so after you're done here, hop over there and vote! I will be closing it soon, so hurry!
Just a quick note, I am rather sick, again, so it might be slightly wonky. I hope my mind has at least a little bit of a grasp on reality. I don't know; we'll see.
Without further stalling, here is Chapter 21 of Remnants of the Sea, and the One Year Anniversary!
"Percy" means speech
'Jackson' means thought
*RWBY* means telepathy/illusions
Ozpin was pleased. His students were doing rather well in the Tournament this year, with teams RWBY and JNPR being some of the crowd's favourites to win. Clapping lightly, he smiled at the sight of Ruby and Blake running out to their victorious teammates, with the other three members comforting the scorched Weiss. Ozpin's attention was drawn away from his students by the buzzing of his scroll in his pocket. Taking the device out, he opened it to see that James was calling him. Sighing lightly, he answered the call. "Yes, James?".
Ironwood began speaking immediately after Ozpin had finished. "Ozpin, gather everyone in your office. Now." Ironwood said, with no room for debate in his voice. "There is something we must discuss.". Before Ozpin could say anything in response, the call ended, leaving him to ponder on James' request. Sending a message to Qrow and Glynda for them to go to his office, Ozpin left the Stadium.
-Line Break-
Stepping out of the elevator, and into his office, Ozpin watched as Ironwood paced back and forth, with Qrow sending repeated sarcastic comments at him, and Glynda scolding the drunken man for. Taking notice of his arrival, Ironwood finally stopped. "Ah, good. You're finally here.".
Walking over to his chair, Ozpin sat down, and stared straight at Ironwood. "Now, tell me, James, what was so urgent that you needed all of us on such short notice?". Ozpin asked, his voice steady and measured.
"Well, it involves your little gamble: Percy Jackson." Ironwood stated, ignoring Qrow's eye roll. "I just received a rather interesting report from a trusted source. Now, this source was able to analyze Percy's DNA, and concluded that is not all human.".
At Ironwood's statement, everyone in the room stilled. "That's not possible." Glynda claimed, fighting to regain her composure. "During his multiple times in the infirmary, we have been able to take blood samples whilst he was unconscious. We tested his blood, and nothing ever stood out from the ordinary.".
Ironwood didn't falter for a moment. "It is very possible, Glynda. Our tests showed that he was only fifty percent human. And he is no faunus, either. We cross checked the other fifty percent with every type of faunus. He didn't match any of them." James reported.
Despite his colleague's claims, Qrow was not easily convinced. "So what are you saying? That he's half Grimm, or something?".
"Do you think that Salem wouldn't try something like that? While I don't believe that Percy is part Grimm, he must be dealt with! We have to act now!" Ironwood shouted, his eyes holding a hardened glint in them.
The three of them began to argue amongst themselves, progressively getting louder and louder. Ozpin was still sitting quietly at his desk, not having said a word. As the dispute began to reach its peak, Ozpin had finally had enough. Snatching his cane, Ozpin swiftly stood up, and slammed his cane on the ground, sending a loud crack to permeate the room, silencing everyone. "This arguing will get us nowhere. James, I know you hold our best interests at heart, but we mustn't react too rashly." Ozpin said, and raised his hand to silence Ironwood when the man went to speak again. "Now, that being said, we still must respond.".
"Well, whatever we do, we can't just do it all guns blazing. You know how tough the kid is, Oz." Qrow said, wary of what was to come, and concerned for his assigned protégé. "And despite how he may act at times, the kid's not stupid. We have to play this smart, or this could all blow up in our faces.".
Everyone just shuffled awkwardly in place. "Perhaps we should… reevaluate our decision to bring him into our inner circle?" Glynda suggested, hoping to find a peaceful solution to the issue. Despite her cold exterior to the student body, she cared deeply for their safety, and the sarcastic Percy was no exception .
Ozpin nodded his head slowly, running the idea through his mind. "I believe that that just might be our best option." Ozpin said, sitting back down.
Ironwood nodded along, seemingly understanding. "If we were to tell him, and he becomes violent or aggressive, it is best that all four of us are together to deal with him, away from any collateral damage." Ironwood said, crossing his arms as he did so.
"Is that all you think about, James? Fighting, and possibly attacking, a child?" Glynda asked, a slight amount of venom in her voice.
"James is right, Glynda." Ozpin stated before Glynda decided to smack Ironwood. Glynda continued to glare at James, but eventually stopped when Ozpin began talking again. "If we explain everything to Percy, and something goes awry, then is best that it happens when we are together and away from others. We must do this while we are together if we are to restrain Percy if the situation calls for it." Ozpin said. At Glynda's glare, he continued. "It's the safest way, for everyone.".
Sighing, Glynda relented. "Fine. How are we going to do this, then?".
-Line Break-
Percy was not the most happy of individuals at the moment. He had been forced to rest in the medical wing for most of the day, and had been kept there by the rather persistent nurse. Although he was grateful that Weiss and the rest of his friends cared about him enough to do something like this, it didn't mean he was particularly pleased by it. His ADHD had been driving him insane, and the little amount of sleep he did get was fitful and filled with cloudy visions.
He had managed to convince the nurse to let him watch the Tournament, and smiled at the sight on-screen of Yang punching someone out of the air. "Heh, she had it coming." Percy said to himself, smirking at the names the cat girl had called Yang.
Percy's attention was drawn away from the television by the main door opening. In walked Professor Goodwitch, who talked with the nurse briefly before making her way over to his bed. "You know, Mr. Jackson, for being one of the best fighters in the academy, you sure seem to end up in the hospital quite frequently." Goodwitch said, the slightest of smiles on her face.
Percy simply shrugged. "Eh, I like the food better.". Taking a moment to sit up with his back against the wall, Percy threw his arms over his face in a dramatic fashion. "Ms. Goodwitch! I am in the hospital again, and you come to visit me without flowers? The travesty!" Percy exclaimed, earning him a flat stare from his professor.
"If you are quite done, Percy, I have come to escort you to Professor Ozpin's office. There is something he wishes to discuss with you." Goodwitch said, note fazed by Percy theatrics in the slightest.
After several seconds, Percy finally rolled out of his bed, and stood up. Gesturing for Ms. Goodwitch to lead, he followed behind her obediently, cherishing the chance to stretch his legs, and to not be forced to stay in bed, in a boring room, with nothing to do. As they made their way through the school, they passed several groups of students who were taking a break from the bustle of the Festival. A few students took notice of him being led to Ozpin's office again, and were snickering. Percy just rolled his eyes and kept walking.
Standing in the small elevator, Percy looked around the tiny metal box for anything to distract himself. "So, why does Ozpin have his office at the top of a tower? Seems rather impractical if you ask me." Percy asked, smiling at the annoyed look of the deputy headmistress.
"While I also do not understand it, Percy, I did ask once or twice when I began working here. He mentioned something along the lines of it being the beacon of the school, or something as equally silly, or unhelpful." Goodwitch said, smiling slightly at the memories from her early years as a Huntress.
As the silence dragged on, with the only noise being the elevator rising, Percy spoke up once again. "So, any idea on what Ozpin wants to talk about? Is it about Weiss' sister?" Percy said, hoping that it was just about their fight; he could handle that.
Checking the floor level, Goodwitch hummed slightly. "Why don't you ask him that?" Goodwitch said just as the elevator door opened, revealing the Headmaster sitting at his desk in his office.
"Well, that wasn't ominous at all." Percy mumbled to himself, walking into the office. Following him into the office, Ms. Goodwitch stood off to the side, with Ozpin giving her a slight nod of his head in acknowledgment. Pulling up a chair, Percy sat down in front of Ozpin, leaning forward in faux anticipation. "So, Ozpin. What did you want to discuss? Did I finally go too far, and you're deciding to get rid of me?" Percy asked, smiling.
Ozpin only smiled slightly at his words. "Truly, Percy, you rarely lose your sense of humour.". Taking a moment to let Percy settle, Ozpin smiled. "Percy, I was wondering, what is your favourite fairytale?".
Percy's face scrunched up in confusion. 'What is he going on about?' Percy thought to himself. "I'm sorry, Ozpin. I must have misheard you. Did you ask me about fairytales?" Percy asked, hoping that he really did just hear wrong. If he hadn't… well, he didn't know what he would do.
"You heard me correctly, Percy. Fairytales. Stories from your childhood." Ozpin stated, as if it was the most casual thing in the world.
Percy was gobsmacked. Here he was, thinking he was about to be punished yet again for fighting with someone, and Ozpin wanted to talk about was childhood fables. Well, no reason he couldn't have fun with this. "Well, I used to really like this old legend about a guy named Hercules." Percy began, enjoying the flash of confusion across Ozpin's face. "Then I met the guy. Total jerk. So I threw a wave at him and left. He did some pretty cruel things to an old friend of mine." Percy said. "Why?".
Ozpin sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly. "That is not quite what I was referring to, Percy. I meant myths, not local heroes.".
Percy smirked at his own little joke. Technically, he was fully telling the truth. When he was a kid, his favourite legend was of Hercules, but after learning that he was a demigod, and his brief friendship with Zoe, his opinion of the son of Zeus had changed drastically. "I am being completely serious, my dear Ozpin. Sometimes, myths aren't as… mystical as everyone believes they are." Percy said, leaning back in his seat, and missed the flash of worry that went through Ozpin and Glynda's eyes.
"Quite." Ozpin responded. As he stared at Percy, the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the gears in the clock above them. Standing from his seat, Ozpin grabbed his cane and walked around his desk, facing his student. "Please. Come with me, Percy." Ozpin said, walking back over to the elevator.
Sensing the sudden tension in the room, Percy stood slowly. "Where are we going?" Percy asked, creeping his hand towards his pocket.
"I wish to show you something.", was his only response as he stood, waiting for Percy to join him in the elevator. Slowly doing so, and eyeing Ozpin warily, Percy entered the small box as Ms. Goodwitch joined them in the elevator. With the three of them safely inside, the doors shut, and the elevator began to descend with a soft hum.
The time it took to reach their destination seemed to take longer than when Goodwitch and him had taken the same elevator up. Finally stopping, the doors to the elevator opened, to reveal a large hallway, ornately designed, and dimly lit. Following his two professors out of the elevator, Percy looked around the hall. Every dozen feet or so there was an indent in the wall; their purpose not really clear. On the portions of the wall the juts out, several feet overhead, were small trays holding tiny flames. What little light they gave off was a muddied green.
As the three walked down the hallway, nobody said anything. The only sounds were the shuffling of their feet, and the clank of Ozpin's cane on the polished stone floor. Coming to what seemed to be an intersection, Ozpin continued forwards, ignoring the other two hallways branching off to either side as if they weren't even there. As they continued to walk, Percy noticed the hallway ending up ahead.
At the end of the wall, there was a large machine. It resembled some sort of a stasis chamber that Percy had seen in sci-fi movies. Beside it were two people: Qrow and Ironwood. As they finally stopped at the machine, Ironwood scrutinized Percy, looking him up and down. "Great. Ozpin being cryptic as ever, leading me into some kind of dungeon, and now four of the strongest people in the Kingdom are all here, staring me down." Percy said, his stance relaxed and his hands in his pockets.
"Percy Jackson. I believe we met before?" Ironwood said, reaching out his hand.
Shaking the outstretched hand, Percy replied. "Yeah, we did. You're the General, right?".
"That is correct. James and I have known each other for quite some time." Ozpin said. Percy nodded, not really caring. "I'm sure you have questions of some kind?" Ozpin asked.
Percy shrugged, looking around the dark hallway. "Well, I'm wondering why you have a superhero cave underneath your school, but to be honest, I've seen stranger." Percy said. Taking another look at the machine, Percy stilled. Laying inside the machine was the woman that he had seen get attacked in his dream. Walking towards the woman's chamber, he studied the scaring over her face. "Who's she?" Percy asked, not taking his eye off the woman.
"She is known as the Fall Maiden. Her name is Amber." Goodwitch said, stepping forwards. "She-"
"Was attacked by several people while traveling between towns." Percy interrupted.
Everyone stilled, with Qrow choking on the sip of his flask he was taking. Ironwood slowly moved his hand down towards his side, where his pistol was holstered. "H-how…?" Glynda stammered out, shocked by Percy's knowledge.
When he didn't say anything, Ozpin stepped forwards. "Perseus, how did you know what happened to this young woman?" Ozpin asked, a hard glint in his eyes.
Taking another moment to look around, Percy met Ozpin's stare with his own. "Well, Ozpin, its clear you've also been keeping secrets. So, I propose a deal: you tell me everything I want to know, when I want to know it, and ill tell you what you want to know." Percy said, extending his hand out to the Headmaster of Beacon. "So what do you say? Do we have an agreement?".
Well, that's all for this time.
Yes, I know its rather short, but I didn't really intend for this to be a full chapter, mainly only something to set up next chapter. The next one will be longer than this; I promise.
Well, how did you like it? I would really like some feedback on this chapter, so I know what to do for the coming chapters. Please leave a review if you have anything to say.
I'm just putting one last reminder: the poll on future stories will be closing soon-ish, so please go and vote. I will pick the top two winners, and write each one accordingly. It doesn't take long to do so, so you have no excuse (unless you are on mobile)!
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With that done, this is Canadian Admiral signing off once again.