This Will Be the Day 3.2

Bronze

Lisa tugged on Petain's leash. "C'mon, boy, we're running late. There'll be a bunch of interesting things to smell at Beacon, probably stuff you've never smelled before. Plus, you can run around all you want!"

Rachel glared at her. "The dog wants to sniff, let him."

"I'm just saying, the dogs will love those big grassy lawns at Beacon. Besides, it's best if we get there quickly. We don't want to start out on the wrong foot with these people."

"I'm sure they'll understand," Taylor said. The dog she was walking started barking. "Hush, Boris. Leave those joggers alone."

Lisa shook her head. "Don't you remember what Goodwitch said? We're already on thin ice. Possibly with her, definitely with the Powers That Be of Vale. We need to do our best, all the time."

"Why did we even have to come today?" Alec said. "School starts in, like, two days."

"Don't complain," Lily mumbled. "You're not dragging a mutt around."

"Did you see the scythe Red was twirling?" Lisa chuckled darkly. "If we're given weapons like that, I for one want as much time as possible to practice with them. Or at least figure out what all the buttons do. Best-case scenario, we look like morons, but at worst...things could get messy."

"Great, just great," Aisha said. "So, why did we bring the dogs to this again?"

"They need to be walked," Rachel said.

"We won't be back for most of the day," Brian added. "We shouldn't leave them alone."

"Besides," Lisa finished, "what's the big deal? It's not like bringing the dogs along could hurt."

"You brought dogs," Goodwitch said, glaring at the Undersiders.

Rachel crossed her arms. "So?"

"Here at Beacon, we try to be flexible. We allow some pets, with proper permission. But one student bringing several dogs to Beacon is unacceptable."

"Where did you get these creatures?" Goodwitch continued.

"Found them," Rachel grunted.

"Then find somewhere else for them. You need to leave the dogs with friends or find another home for them before—"

"Look," Lisa said. "I'm sorry we brought the dogs here. We didn't realize they would be a problem. But I'm not sure we'll be able to find anything on such short notice. We only just got to town."

"Then you should be able to return the dogs to wherever you found them easily enough."

The Undersiders winced. Rachel opened her mouth to reply.

"Now, now." Headmaster Ozpin strolled up beside Goodwitch, his cane tapping against the cobblestone.

Goodwitch turned, surprised. "Headmaster. I hadn't expected you to—"

"It's alright. Rachel, I'm sure we can make arrangements for your pets. Glynda, most students have the option of leaving their pets at home with their parents and siblings, but these do not." Rachel folded her arms and glared at the teachers.

Lisa saw right through what Ozpin was doing. He had put himself in the position of the "cool teacher," a reasonable authority figure who would bend the rules when needed, someone on the students' side. He was probably trying to But why do it this way? Something about this felt off…

"We do need to keep the school's needs in mind, of course, but also those of the students and the dogs. I assure you, we will find a solution that works for everyone."

It was interesting that he kept Goodwitch, probably his right-hand woman, in the dark. She had demonstrated that she was willing to play the "bad cop" role when needed.

"But onto the business of the day. You're here for your weapons. I do hope you intend to practice using them before initiation."

No, that's not it. There's something else going on...The Headmaster clearly acted without consulting his faculty—he showed as much when he invited the Undersiders to Beacon, despite Goodwitch's obvious reservations and apparently without consulting anyone else.

...But he still needs to know when to act.

"You will need it. If you wish to make use of Beacon's training facilities for the day, I'm sure arrangements can be made."

It seemed too great of a coincidence for Ozpin to have wandered by while Goodwitch and Rachel were arguing. Beacon is enormous, Lisa thought, glancing around the enormous lawns surrounding a cluster of tall, slender buildings in the middle. Even if the Headmaster was just out for a walk at the right time, the chance of being in the right place is miniscule.

"We are busy preparing for the upcoming school year, but I should be able to find someone willing to supervise you. I'm sure Dr. Oobleck would be willing to watch your dogs if needed."

And that's still assuming the Headmaster could somehow figure out what they—wait, what was he just talking about?

"Thank you, Headmaster," Taylor said. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to take you up on your offer, but we appreciate it anyway." The rest of the Undersiders nodded and mumbled in agreement.

"I see. Well, regardless of whether you train here or at home, you should train. You'll need to know how to use your weapons when you come to Beacon."

Which is something that the other students here will have been practicing for years. We have a lot of catching up to do...unless we can try to figure out something we have that they don't? Food for thought.

"Thank you," Lisa said, projecting a little boredom and arrogance. "We'll do that. We need to get weapons first, though."

Ozpin smiled. "Very well. Let's go, then. The weapons are in my office."

"I hope we won't have to go there again," Lily said, cracking a smile.

The Headmaster nodded, but didn't smile. "So do I. But possibly not for the same reasons."

…What? Lisa had no idea if she needed to worry about that or not. She quietly stored it alongside her list of other reasons to keep an eye on the Headmaster.

"Here we go," Headmaster Ozpin said with a smile as the elevator doors opened. The Undersiders gawked at the room, which was nothing like they had expected.

The Headmaster's office was atop Beacon's tallest building, with a ten-foot-wide half-circle of a window directly behind the wide, narrow, curved desk. Through it, you could see the Beacon campus on its cliff, the sprawling city of Vale, and the sea behind it. The office itself was a massive circle, at least thirty feet across, yet almost completely empty except for Ozpin's desk, a spindly metal chair which looked like a cross between a clockwork robot and someone's spine, and a bulky case next to them. The desk was nearly empty, with just a few papers and a coffee mug. Above was almost open-air, with pillars holding a steeple high above the office and clockwork slowly turning between the pillars. The office was oversized and barren, inspiring and intimidating, alien.

Alec glanced around. "How do you keep birds out?"

Goodwitch's head snapped to glare at him. "What do you mean, Mr. Blanche?"

"Well…there's a big open space that birds could fly through, and most buildings I've seen with spaces like that have bird's nests in them if no one cleans them out. And it seems like it would be tough to clean out birds' nests way up there."

"And what about the killer birds?" Lily asked. "I mean, bird Grimm. I've seen some. Wouldn't they be a problem?"

Goodwitch shook her head. "Beacon is still just within the walls of Vale. The police have heavy turret weapons on the walls, to deal with any Grimm which make it past the Huntsmen patrolling the Vale Civilized Zone and beyond. Rest assured, you are safe in Beacon and in Vale—probably safer than anywhere else you've ever been."

Lisa couldn't help but agree. Compared to any big city with supervillains, Vale seemed almost like a paradise. There were some organized criminals, but Huntsmen swooped in quickly for at least the major crimes, and the Grimm were practically a non-issue. Which makes sense. If the Valers couldn't defend themselves from Grimm without fortifications, how could they build them in the first place? And once they were built, Vale would be even easier to defend.

The Headmaster glanced at what passed for the office's ceiling. "I don't recall ever having problems with birds' nests. It's more of an issue in rural areas, I'd imagine."

Alec watched the gears turn. "I dunno, maybe. What about rain?"

Goodwitch sighed. "The weapons, Ozpin?"

"Right." The Headmaster strode over to his desk, picked up the coffee mug, and opened the dark case resting beside it. "Here we go. First, we have a scouting sniper staff-sword." He pulled out a navy blue rifle roughly six feet long, folded in half along a hinge in the barrel. It had an oversized scope, at least twenty inches long and four across, as well as a long bayonet over the barrel and a thick bipod. "As the name indicates, it has a sniper rifle mode…" With a single fluid motion, Ozpin unfolded it and snapped the bipod so the legs pointed to the sides. "…as well as a polearm form." Ozpin quickly refolded the rifle. "The polearm form is intended for use in melee combat, while still allowing some use of the Dustarm. However, given the student I intend to use it, I suspect that its utility form will be of more use." Ozpin pulled the bayonet back along the barrel, causing the front half of the barrel to split in half; Ozpin set it down, resting on three legs formed by the halves of the barrel and by the rest of the gun. "It can also be used as a tactical telescope." Ozpin picked up the weapon, letting it fall back into the folded form. "It requires a bit more maintenance than most weapons, and suffers some for lack of design focus, but I have no doubt that Lisa will be able to handle it." The Headmaster handed it to Glynda, who brought it to Lisa.

"Thanks." Lisa stared at her new weapon. It was a lot to take in. I can't imagine the compromises it must have taken to make this work. The barrel's too long so it can be a spear shaft, and it has to be able to split in so many places… "Will I be sniping Grimm much?"

"The ideal use of that weapon does depend on proper planning," Ozpin admitted. "But then again, it seemed to me that planning was something you would be capable of."

Lisa smirked. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Headmaster."

"I assure you, my goals are more noble than that. In any case, you must remember to practice using your weapon in melee—I suspect you'll pick up sniping easily enough, but you must be master all aspects of your weapon to succeed as a Huntress. On that note, be sure you can scope out a situation with the telescope form."

"I got it, I got it. Thank you, Headmaster." Lisa curtsied slightly.

"They can't all be this confusing," Aisha said under her breath. She was probably hoping no one heard her, but no such luck.

Ozpin smiled. "Don't worry, Aisha. You will all learn to use your weapons in time. But let us move on. Next, we have a few weapons which I believe were developed by the Atlesian military as part of a program to develop a grappling sword."

"We're getting military weapons?" Alec blurted.

Ozpin chuckled. "In a technical sense, I suppose. But you are Huntsmen. I imagine you'll treat your weapons with more respect than mere infantry would."

"Where did you get them?" Brian asked.

"I have a running bet with an Atlesian general," Ozpin said. "Each year, if the school he runs does better than Beacon at the Vytal Tournament, I have to give him a weapon the like of which he's never seen before…but when Beacon bests his academy, he gives me such a weapon." Ozpin pulled out a saber, a cruciform sword, and a rapier, each with mechanical bits and bobs along their lengths. "These came from three of five consecutive victories by Beacon."

"And you're just giving them to us," Lisa said.

Ozpin shrugged. "In my life, I've found that memorials pale to memories. Memorials will crumble and rust and be lost to time, but memories will last a lifetime. These swords were lying in a spare room in my house in town; I doubt I'd seen them in months or thought about them in years before collecting weapons for you. But I will always remember Beacon's victories, great and small; they bring me more joy than any number of swords could."

"What happens when you forget?" Aisha asked.

Goodwitch glared at Aisha, but the Headmaster didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the saber, pointing it at a wall. "We'll start simple. James called this a motorized extendible cable saber." With the press of a button, its orange blade flew off, breaking into pieces which shot forward in a straight line. They stopped with a jolt, held by a thin cable connecting the pieces, and flew back into place. "One button fires the blade; another retracts it. I admit it isn't very impressive on its own, but combined with the unique ability possessed by Sabah, I suspect it could be of use." Ozpin flipped it over in his hand and handed it to Goodwitch hilt-first; she took it and handed it to Sabah, who stared at it with a look suitable for a venomous snake. Ozpin continued, unperturbed. "Once you have mastered the use of this blade, you may wish to use a secondary weapon as well. However, I wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed as you're coming to Beacon."

Sabah's going to cut herself with that thing more than her enemies if she ever tries to use that, Lisa thought. Unless her power—

Sabah shot the sword point into the floor of the office, causing everyone to flinch. Sabah jumped backwards and shrieked. "I—Thank you, Headmaster, but I don't think I can use this."

"Everyone makes mistakes when they're learning," Ozpin said with a chuckle. "Don't be discouraged."

"I—it's not that. I...I've never used a sword, and this exploding thing...I'm not sure how I can use it. I mean, how can I even aim it?"

"James thought the same. But with your talents, you will be able to use it better than anyone else. You will bring out its full potential, and it will bring out yours."

"I...I can't control metal, just cloth."

"Sabah—and the rest of you, too—listen carefully. If you put your heart to it, you can do anything. Don't let what you think you can or can't do hold you back." Ozpin sipped his coffee. "Many Huntsmen have thought their Semblance could only to do so much, that there was something they couldn't do however hard they tried—some impossible foe, some eternal flaw, some limitation with a Semblance—but in a time of need, they discovered how."

"I don't think I can do that. Control the cable thing in this sword, I mean."

"Nonsense. And even if you never can control it directly…" The Headmaster stared out his window, at Vale. "...mankind has prospered in this dangerous land because of their resourcefulness. We came from terrified tribes, hiding in caves and Dust mines, and from there built up mighty kingdoms that have stood the test of centuries of Grimm and strife." Ozpin looked back at Sabah. "If those cave-dwellers could manage that, I have no doubt that you will be able to find a way to use this sword."

Sabah had no answer to that—or if she did, she wasn't willing to say it to Ozpin after that. She picked up her sword and pressed a button, causing the sword to jump out of her hands as it reassembled.

"I never said it would be easy." Ozpin picked up the cruciform sword, with a blade nearly two feet long. Its crossguard was lopsided; one side was several inches long, a couple thick, and had a few prongs along it, while the other was simple and about the size of a thumb. The blade was a flat blue-gray, while the hilt was a deep indigo; both were straight, solid, and plain. "This weapon is based on similar principles, but while the saber's use as a weapon was intended as secondary to its use as a grappling line, this blade-line pistol-sword was designed as a weapon first. This is obvious by both the sturdier blade construction and by the more…" Ozpin let go of the hilt, grabbed the guard, and looked down along the blade. "…ergonomic manner in which one can aim it." He pointed the blade up and pulled on one of the prongs, causing the tip of the sword to fly up, narrowly avoiding a few gears. After a fraction of a second, he pushed another, and it snapped back into position. "It can also carry a small Dust charge in the point—either a charge of earth or ice Dust to help it stick in a cliff, or some other type to damage whatever the point strikes." Ozpin laid the sword flat and held the hilt out. "Taylor showed some skill with shorter blades, and hence will be using this weapon. I do hope you won't try to fight Grimm with moths and flies."

Taylor silently took the weapon and looked at it, toying with the mechanism a bit, trying to see how it worked. That's probably the most practical weapon so far, Lisa thought. That's a low bar, though. Why not just have a normal rifle and a grappling hook?

Ozpin picked up the rapier. The blade immediately fell apart into four segments, connected by some kind of elastic cord. Ozpin sighed and tried to reassemble it.

…Do Grimm have some ability which renders ranged attacks ineffective or less effective? It would explain why Red's rifle had a scythe blade. And if there was something that made it common for combatants to need to switch from ranged to melee combat it would—no, with most of these things it would be about as fast to sheathe one weapon and draw another. And these are so much more complicated! There's no way it's more efficient this way! Yet apparently everyone important uses overcomplicated weapons like these instead of simple, practical ones. Why would they do that?

"I apologize for the state of these weapons," Ozpin said. "I expected—and continue to expect—that most of them will just lie in the spare room for decades on end, never being used again. And I've been so busy at Beacon."

"His dedication is why he is the greatest Headmaster Beacon has ever seen," Glynda stated.

"I appreciate the praise, Glynda, but there have been greater Headmasters; Dorothy the Mighty, for instance, or Eiz Bliain if you count him." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and set the mug aside. "But I digress. This grappling Dust cross-rapier obviously has a different design than either of the other swords. I suspect it was the product of some noble's great-grandchild, trying to make a more 'elegant' weapon."

"Great-grandchild"? Not just "child"? I don't think I've heard of any barons or counts while I've been here... Lisa made a mental note to look up Remnan nobility and see what was going on there.

Ozpin pointed the rapier away, gestured violently with it, then smiled. "Good. Obviously, at close range one would use conventional fencing techniques. The grip contains an integral Dust clip, to be channeled through the blade—the only practical reason one might choose a slender thrusting weapon over a wider blade for cutting, particularly if one intends to fight Grimm." Ozpin twisted the blade, causing it to separate into the four segments again. This time, he grabbed the point with his other hand and pulled it backwards along the blade. The middle two segments splayed sideways, the point slid back in line with the fourth, and the blade as a whole locked into a new position relative to the hilt. The assembly loosely resembled a crossbow, with the point sitting on top as the bolt. "The blade's point can be fired at walls or enemies, as with the previous blade. However, due to the design of the weapon, the Dust cannot be channeled at range. One of the sacrifices made for elegance, I fear."

Along with making it one weapon instead of two?

With a flick of his wrist, Ozpin returned the weapon to its rapier form. "This weapon is for perhaps the best-trained in your group, Lily, who shows some fencing skill." He tossed the rapier into the air at Lily, and she caught it. "But you still have much to learn if you wish to be a Huntress."

"Of course," Lily said. "Um...I don't suppose there's anything that would go wrong if I fired something other than the sword?"

"I don't think so."

"Great. Um, thank you." Lily stepped away from the others and swung the weapon a few times, testing the balance. Lisa could tell it wasn't anything like what she was used to.

Ozpin plucked two black pistols from the case, handed one to Glynda, and pointed the other at the ceiling. "These steel-knuckled Dust pistols are primarily designed as Dustarms. There is little remarkable about their ranged function, aside from an auxiliary Dust chamber, which allows you to channel elemental Dust into your shots even without specialty rounds. However, that is not the primary intent of said chambers." Ozpin swung the gun down, pointing it at a wall. The entire upper part of the weapon kept moving, sliding forward, flipping down, and folding outward to cover the sides and front of his hand. "Brian showed much more proficiency with unarmed combat than any weapon. Hence, we gave him a weapon which would protect his hand as he punched, allowing him to strike with more force without depleting his Aura. He will also be able to channel Dust through his punches." Ozpin jerked his hand backwards, causing the weapon to fold back into its original shape. Lisa noticed that Ozpin's finger had been on the trigger. "The Dustarm component is still functional in this form, allowing you to augment the force of your strike." Ozpin handed the weapon to Brian.

"I...appreciate it." Brian held the weapon at arm's length, not sure what to do with it. Was it that he didn't have much experience with guns, and didn't want to do something wrong? That didn't feel right to Lisa. Was he trying not to break the gift, after seeing how Lily's sword fell apart? That didn't quite feel right, either. Or was he not comfortable with the idea of punching someone with lethal force?

Or is it just that he knows how unsafe that design is? Lisa wondered. It looks like you can't fit your hands in the punching mode without your finger on the trigger. Lisa tended to flout gun safety whenever she knew she could get away with it, much to the chagrin of pretty much every mercenary Coil hired, but even she tried to avoid having her finger on a gun's trigger when she didn't think she'd be shooting it. There was too much that could go wrong. Punching someone seemed a sure way to make something go wrong. If Huntsmen didn't have easy access to magic that made them basically invulnerable, I'd call them all lunatics. And I'd still call any of them who shot weapons like that near civilians nuts.

Ozpin picked up a long, white, slightly curved knife, narrow from edge to spine but thick from side to side. "This long-bladed dagger pistol is relatively simple. It is a blade…" The blade pivoted backwards, edge down, before sliding forward slightly so that it resembled a pistol. "…which transforms into a pistol. It has an internal reservoir of Dust which can be channelled through either form, though sadly with little precision. This weapon may seem weak, but true power comes from how the weapon is used, not the weapon itself. And I suspect that Aisha will be capable of using this weapon quite effectively."

"I've already got a knife," Aisha said.

"You may find a use for both," Ozpin replied.

"I'm pretty sure a gun would be useful," Alec added. "Your other knife doesn't do that."

"Indeed. And one should never underestimate the power of Dust." Out of the nearly-empty case, Ozpin grabbed a pale blue weapon which looked like a cross between a mace and a scepter, with some bits and seams near the narrow end which Lisa guessed would let it fold in half so a sword blade could come out or something equally inane. Ozpin pushed one bit of machinery into place, then turned towards the Undersiders. "This Dust-pulse pistol-mace is an old weapon, but a little care will make it a weapon any Huntsman would be proud to use. In melee, it can of course be swung at an opponent, but its true potential comes when you strike a foe with the end," Ozpin said while demonstrating the techniques he described. "There is a Dust reservoir in the head, which allows a burst of energy to damage whatever your target may be. It can also adapt for ranged combats." With a twist of his wrist, Ozpin caused the handle of the weapon to fold over at a right angle, with a plate sliding away and revealing a handle. The head of the weapon slid down on the shaft, making the weapon more closely resemble a pistol. "In this form, it projects bursts of energy at its targets." He flicked his wrist at the floor, causing the weapon to return to its original shape. "The weapon seemed suited to Alec's fighting style."

Alec accepted the weapon, barely glancing at it. "Is there an interesting history behind this one? Or some weakness or strength or hidden curse?"

"This weapon has no secrets I have not told you. But let me think..." Ozpin leaned on his cane. "Ah, yes. I believe a Huntsman gave that weapon to me when he retired."

"Why did he do that?"

"He had a close call and didn't want to—"

"No, why did he give it to you?"

"Ah…" Ozpin frowned. "I suppose he must have seen promise in me. It doesn't matter much now, I suppose, as it is time for the weapon to be passed to a new owner. As it is time for Rachel to receive the final weapon." The final weapon looked like a gray-and-brown, double-barreled shotgun with a groove on the stock in line with the gap between the barrels. "This dual-action shot-baton uses powerful but short-ranged Dust rounds, which can easily destroy many smaller Grimm in a few shots. But when ammunition runs low or the Grimm get too close…" Ozpin opened the breach, leaving the stock only partly-connected to the barrels, before pushing them up against the stock. The shotgun split into two parts; once the stocks clicked into place and slid down slightly, the halves were shaped a bit like police batons. Ozpin grabbed them by the stocks and laid the barrels against his forearms. "…their reinforced barrels make them effective melee weapons." Ozpin clapped the halves together again and let the stock click back in place. "Use it well, Rachel."

Rachel took the weapon with a grunt. She split the weapon again, grabbed the halves by the barrels, and swung them experimentally. She seems happy with her weapon, at least.

Ozpin tipped the lid of the empty case shut with his foot. "You have your weapons, children, and I have showed you what they can do. I hope you take the time to learn how to use them. School starts in two days—you will need to know by then."

Lisa nodded. She thought the others did, too.

"Good," Goodwitch said. "Do any of you have questions, or something else you need to take care of today?"

"I've got one," Alec said. "Why does the Headmaster's chair look like a di—"

"Thank you," Taylor interrupted, "but I don't think we do."

"...I see. In that case, I'll take you to the dock—I believe we can have one of our small airships ferry you down to somewhere close to your current place of residence."

Beacon shouldn't be too hard, Lisa thought as the Undersiders rode the air-ferry. It's not like they'll have us fight Grimm on our first day in school, right? That would be absurd. I mean, even the normal students wouldn't be ready. If what I've heard is accurate, Remnant needs every warrior it can get to fight the Grimm. If they had students ready to fight, they wouldn't be training them in schools—they'd be training them on the battlefield. It wouldn't make sense. And it definitely wouldn't make sense to send us to this school if everyone was supposed to be able to fight Grimm. Right?

Lisa looked at the strange, splitting rifle in her hands. Maybe not. They don't do sense here. Not the kind I'm used to. I hope I'm right…but I might be wrong.

Lisa wondered if this safe haven was safe after all.