Here we go with another chapter.
Cover Art: Exvnir
Chapter 49
"We kicked so much butt!" Ruby laughed from the head of their procession, returning to Beacon once more. "We were like `kapow-wazow`, then Ren was like `whoah` and we totally won."
"That single match," Pyrrha returned with a patient smile. "I believe we took victory on the next."
"Erk… i-it was a cheap trick."
"Perhaps you should learn to fight without Crescent Rose. Then it wouldn't happen again."
"Pah," Ruby waved one hand. "When am I ever going to be stuck in a fight without my baby?"
"Fifteen minutes ago…"
"That one doesn't count!"
Jaune shook his head as he watched the two friends bicker and tease one another. Both were covered in sweat and muck, which clung to their skin and ran in brown waves across their faces and arms. Even so, their bright white teeth shined through as they smiled, laughed and boasted about which team came out the better.
They all did… even Ren wore a small, content smile – so small one might have missed it, but it was there, even if muted. Nora compensated for him, hopping from one foot to another as though the several hours' intense exercise had affected her not a jot.
"What do you think, Jaune?" Yang asked. She sidled up beside him and smiling winningly. At any other time, he might have flushed and stepped away, but he wasn't sure Yang even realised how dirty she was, or how exhausted she smelled. "Which team did the best?"
"You both did great," he laughed and stepped away from her. "Remember, though, it's no good to come up with a plan on the spot. I want to see you all coming into tomorrow's battles with a strategy or two already made. Don't give your opponents a chance to think and remember to have a back-up strategy if something goes wrong."
"We don't know who we will be fighting," Blake said. "That makes preparing difficult."
"Not difficult," Ruby smiled, "Just different. Instead of taking advantage of their weaknesses, we need to make the most of our strengths, right, professor?"
A strange feeling of pride suffused him as he nodded back. Maybe that was why Ozpin had chosen Ruby to be the leader of the team; because he saw that spark of wisdom in her. Actually, no, now that he thought back on it, it had been because the team names didn't really make sense with anyone else. Still, it was a nice thought and it didn't change the fact Ruby had risen to the post admirably.
"Let's just hope we're not against one another," Velvet said. "It would be a shame to knock one another out of the tournament so soon."
"I wouldn't worry about that," he said. "There are still plenty of other teams, so the chances are low." Not to mention, with Cinder's device in his hands, he could see what results were about to come up and change them if necessary. He doubted she would even notice, since clearly if it were RWBY vs RVNN, she would have no stake in who won or lost. At least, he hoped so. If she caught him on it and called him out, maybe he could claim he hadn't known but had his own reasons for wanting them to win.
She probably wasn't about to kill him out of hand.
He hoped not, anyway…
"Just focus on maximising your strengths," he continued. "You can adapt to suit once you see who you're up against, and it'll obviously be a good idea to watch the other matches and see how people fight." Specifically, Team EMBR, but he couldn't say that. "Make plans for each and every team you see, then you won't be caught off-guard if you are placed against them."
"We still have all afternoon," Weiss hummed. "All the previous matches are still being shown on re-runs and forums… we could look back over them and make notes. Since it's already established we're working together, we could even do it as a group of eight."
"Maybe after some food," Yang grumbled, then took a sniff of herself and looked horrified. She stepped away from him self-consciously. "And after a shower too…"
He pretended he didn't notice, or that he hadn't noticed her scent. "It can't hurt," he said. "I won't be able to help, but I trust you can all manage it if you put your mind into it. I have faith in you guys."
Ruby looked pumped and quickly threw a fist into the air.
Pyrrha's reaction was far more measured, though no less pleased. "We shall prove ourselves worth of it," she said, "I, for one, am more than willing to assist in Weiss' plan."
"I shall as well," Ren nodded, then looked at the faces of his team. "Hm… it looks like we all will."
"Then it's a date," Yang grinned. "Our room, say, three hours from now? I really do need that shower." Her stomach growled. "And the food."
He listened with only half his attention while the two teams hashed out plans between them. His work was done, essentially, and it looked like they were ready to take the next step themselves. I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, though. It's all well and good to say I'm helping them, but manipulating them to fight my battles for me is a betrayal of trust.
Or was it? There was no denying the reason he helped was in the hopes they would be able to stop Cinder's goals, but he hadn't pushed them towards that in any way. Whatever it was she planned, there was nothing that said they had to fight her – or that fighting would be necessary at all. Their free will was still their own… the choice theirs to make.
If they were stronger come the moment, then whatever choice they made, the training would help them master it and come out in one piece.
He nodded, resolve firmed. He felt the weight fall off his shoulders just a little. Really, at the end of the day, he was just doing his job of teaching them. It was about time he did that legitimately, instead of just mooching off the hard work of the other staff. This was a situation where he could honestly say that he, Jaune Arc, had taught these two teams a valuable lesson that could save their lives in their future careers.
It felt… it felt good, honestly. Wonderful.
It felt like a burst of pride that rushed through him, except that it was aimed at them instead of himself, which somehow made it feel all the better. I wish I could keep teaching forever. I never realised how fulfilling it feels…
Beacon revealed itself in full as they pushed through the final set of trees separating the Emerald Forest from the school. The students let out long sighs of relief, but Jaune's attention was caught by the woman who awaited them nearby. She walked towards them with a pleasant nod, stern eyes firm behind her glasses.
"Gl- Miss Goodwitch," he greeted, switching his address at the end due to the others nearby. "Is something wrong?"
"Not at all," she said. "I simply wished to greet you all upon your return. The headmaster made me aware of the training you would be putting the students through." She turned to them all. "I hope you have learned something today."
"We totally did," Yang grinned, far too tired to be polite. "We're going to smash the competition."
"Is that so? Well, I hope you will prove that to me in the coming days, Miss Xiao-Long."
"We will," Ruby nodded. "Professor Arc was amazing! He taught us so much and now we're way better than we were before."
Glynda looked his way, and he caught the amused glimmer in her eyes.
"Okay, you guys," he laughed. "You all go get some food and rest. Good luck tomorrow if I don't see you sooner. I'm rooting for you all."
"You're rooting for me most, though, right?" Yang teased and blew a kiss his way before they all dispersed, chatting and laughing all the way back to Beacon's main building. Glynda's stern mask fell away once they were alone, though she did raise one eyebrow at him.
"Miss Xiao-Long ought to learn not to encroach upon dangerous territory."
"She doesn't know. It's not her fault."
"I wouldn't do anything to her," Glynda said. "It was just a jest. They seem thrilled with the training you gave, however. Perhaps we should look to make it a class once the festival is over."
His own class? Once upon a time, that would have been enough to horrify him, but now he felt excited at the prospect. "I'd be willing to give it a go," he said. "Maybe we should talk with Ozpin about it when things have settled down. I doubt that's why you came here to meet me, though. I know you said everything was fine earlier, but now that the students are gone… is everything alright?"
"Nothing untoward has happened. I actually came to meet you just because it feels like it's been a while since we had any free time. I found myself in the curious phenomenon of having nothing to do."
"Ozpin actually doing his work for once?"
"No, the day is not quite that miraculous. It's simply that all my time has been taken up with the tournament lately and with today being a rest day for the competitors, I'm ahead on work." She glanced towards him and leaned to the side, resting one hand on her hip. "I haven't had a chance to ask, but how are you doing with the commentating? You seem fine with it, but I know this was thrust on you."
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," he admitted. "I mean, I did expect Peter to do a little more of the work and for me to be his sidekick but well… looking back, I'm not sure why I expected him to do things properly."
"A moment of insanity, I'm sure," Glynda teased. "You should know by now, Jaune, you and I are the only sane ones in this academy. What can go wrong, shall."
He laughed at her joke and shook his head. "I know, I know… I guess I just forgot about that for a moment. Would it surprise you if I said we didn't actually do the rehearsing Peter said we did?"
"Did you honestly think I believed it when he said you had?"
"Beacon," Jaune chuckles, as though that explained everything – and really, it did.
"It has its charm," she agreed. "I didn't quite see it as such when I first started working here… in fact, if you can believe it, I was even more high-strung than I am now. After a while, however, you learn to live with the madness. I think if I were to work elsewhere without such craziness, I'd become paranoid."
"I can't imagine working anywhere else, either," he said, and to his frustration, it was true. What job could possibly compare with this? The day in, day out, silliness… the camaraderie between the staff, the joy of seeing the students and watching them grow into responsible and skilled adults. It was magical.
He didn't want it to end.
"I know we haven't had much time together recently," Glynda said. "My tasks with the tournament have kept me busy, mostly because Ozpin has been forced to liaise and grandstand with the council and other diplomats. That's left me to handle the organisation for just about everything else, not to mention dealing with any problems that come up. It's no lie to say I've been buried in work from six in the morning until eight at night."
"It's fine," he said. "I know you're busy, Glynda." She probably did more work than anyone else in Beacon, and as hard as the tournament was on him, it would be three times as tough on her. Ozpin might act lazy, but he did do some work… now, with him distracted, that all fell on her. "I'm not upset if that's what you're worried about. Honestly, I've been busy too."
"Thank you for understanding," she smiled. "Perhaps we could do something together between the doubles and singles stage but… well, we'll talk about that at the time. Since I had some time off today, I actually decided to investigate a little into your… recent visitor."
"The person who attacked my office? You didn't have to. It's your first day off in-"
Glynda smiled and pressed a finger against his lips. "I wanted to," she said. "Believe me, Jaune, I am as keen as you to find the one responsible. I would feel furious were it any member of staff, or any student, but for it to happen to you?" She removed her finger and shrugged one shoulder. "It becomes a little more personal."
Jaune opened his mouth to protest, only to close it a second later. If someone attacked her, he'd have felt furious too, and he doubted anyone could have stopped him from trying to find them. "Okay," he said instead. "I appreciate it… did you manage to find anything out?"
"Nothing concrete," she sighed. "I checked through the camera footage for the day, but as expected, I was unable to find any evidence. Doctor Oobleck mentioned you'd sent him a piece of your desk to study, however. Though he hasn't had too much time to look into it, he was able to identify some simple properties."
"Really? That was quick."
"You presented him with a mystery," Glynda smiled. "If there is one thing that man both loves and hates, it is something he doesn't know the answer to. I imagine it ate at him for so long that he simply had to look deeper."
That sounded like Oobleck, alright. "And?" he asked. "Did he find anything?"
"The wood was burned by what seems to be a chemical compound," Glynda explained. "The wood has been eaten away rather than burned, and the manner in which the damage occurred suggests it was highly concentrated and – unlike fire – could not evenly spread across the wood. Obviously, he was unable to identify it… whatever caused it is gone now, but it certainly was some kind of acidic substance. I took the wood to Tsune as well, just to see if she could find anything. Unfortunately, all she was able to identify was that it was organic in nature and not man-made."
Wow… that was still more than he'd been able to find out. He wouldn't have thought to take it to the doctor, either, though he supposed it made sense.
"What does it mean?" he asked. "I don't understand why someone would trash my room and then use some kind of acid on my desk."
"I had thought of that… before I give my opinion, however, I just wanted to check… you don't use any kind of defences in your room, do you? This couldn't be anything that you left behind?"
"Defences?"
"Traps," Glynda sighed. "Something that could have caused this on your end."
"Why would I use traps in my own room?" Jaune asked, honestly confused. "I mean, it's a counsellor's office. I have students in there all the time. Who even would use traps in a school for children?"
Glynda sighed and looked him straight in the eye. "Ozpin, Peter and Tsune…"
Funnily enough, he didn't feel nearly as surprised as he felt he ought to. Yep, on second thought, he could totally imagine those three doing that. Why do I have the feeling Tsune's is less to keep people out, and more to keep them from escaping?
"Right, well… no, I don't have any traps."
"I didn't imagine you would," she chuckled, "but I thought it wise to ask. In that case, we know the substance came from the intruder."
"But why use it at all? It doesn't make sense."
"It does not," she agreed. "If he were locked in combat, then yes, the use of such a weapon might give him the edge, and that is something we might consider… the damage in your room is extensive. Have you considered the possibility that there might have been two combatants?"
He hadn't, and the idea caught him unprepared. There was damage everywhere, and it did look more than a little over the top. What reason would a single person have to do all of that, even if they were looking for someone?
Could it really have been two people fighting in his office?
In that case, might one of them be friendly – or had there been two people after him, who had clashed in the attempt?
He didn't know which idea worried him more.
"If that's not the case, then it would seem like the use of such acid might have been accidental," Glynda went on. "That's the only conclusion I was able to come to."
"Accidental?"
"Perhaps a Semblance, or some involuntary property of a person's fighting style or weapon. Since the same wasn't used all over your office, it seems obvious the perpetrator didn't intend to use it, but that it occurred regardless. It might have been beyond their control."
"Right…" Jaune rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Thanks for finding all this out, Glynda. I had no idea what to do about it… I'm still not sure. We have no idea where the person who did this might be."
"Close by, I would imagine," she said. "I realise it's no real comfort, but unless they achieved their objective, I don't see them stopping." Glynda paused to look him up and down, as though checking him for injuries. "Be careful, Jaune. If you smell even a hint of danger, please come to one of us for help. I know you're strong, but-"
"I'll come for help," he promised. Hell, if this was someone as strong as a huntsman, he'd need it. "I'm not so arrogant as to get myself killed fighting an unknown opponent."
"I know," she laughed. "You're smarter than that, after all. I just worry."
He understood, and he reached out to take her hand in his. She allowed him, and smiled back as he considered drawing her in for a quick kiss. At the last second, however, he noticed the various students milling around outside of Beacon. More than a few looked their way, perhaps surprised to see Miss Goodwitch in such good cheer, or maybe just intrigued at what two teachers might be doing on the edge of the academy.
She noticed them too, and quickly drew back with an awkward smile.
"Perhaps later," she whispered. "There's a… well, it's kind of a dinner for the organisers of the festival, with various people who feel more important and pompous than they really are. It's expected that Ozpin attend, and as his assistant I am to go as well. I realise it's a lot to ask, but perhaps you would be willing to attend… as my date?"
She looked embarrassed to ask him, though not nearly as much as he felt when he realised how cute she was with red cheeks. "I'd be happy to," he said, "but didn't you want to keep us secret?"
"Only from the children and some members of staff," she said quickly. "I never intended to suggest I found something wrong with us. I'll have to attend this anyway, and in all honesty the people there are difficult to get along with. James offered to let me go with him but that might be… well, it would be unfair to him for one." Glynda looked like she might explain that one, but thought better of it. "You don't have to and I understand if you don't wish to."
"No, it's fine. I want to go with you. I can wear the suit I wore at the dance." Roman had tossed his rental suit away, but the one he'd provided was far better anyway.
"That would work well," Glynda said. "The event is between the double and single rounds. I'll forward details to your scroll. Thank you for this, Jaune. It might make an otherwise intolerable night fun." She looked so pleased that he couldn't help but smile as well. It would be fun, for him too. Maybe a night without drama or conspiracy was what he needed to calm down. "I have to go," Glynda said with a quick glance at her scroll. "I have a meeting with Ozpin and James in thirty minutes and need to prepare. I'm sorry I couldn't find out more about our intruder, but thank you for accepting my request."
"You did more than enough and it's my pleasure," he said in turn. "I guess I'll see you around."
Glynda smiled and brushed her fingers against his. It was only the lightest of touches, and one that any student would have overlooked, but to him it meant more. "See you," she whispered and turned away.
He watched her go, content to sigh and look up towards the blue sky. What was he supposed to do, now? He'd trained the two teams, Neo had gone off to meet with hers, and there didn't seem any discernible way in which he could find out more about Cinder's plans. The fairy tale angle had been a complete bust, too.
A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind.
"Hello brother," Coral Arc whispered into his ear, voice devoid of emotion. "I've been looking for you all morning."
"Why does that not sound like a good thing?"
"Because, dear brother, you are paranoid."
"What do you want, Coral?"
"The others are out in town," she said. "I want you and I to have a little talk. How hard could that be?"
Knowing her, more than his life was worth…
/-/
In the end, Jaune decided to follow Coral to the room his sisters shared. It had less chance of them being interrupted, and since he figured they'd be talking about things he really didn't need anyone from Beacon to hear, it felt safer too. Coral walked in and let the door close on his face. He caught it before it did, and watched as she sat down on one bed. She didn't gesture for him to sit, but he did so opposite her.
"So," he began, "you wanted to talk to me?"
"Obviously," Coral blinked. "I wouldn't have sought you out otherwise." The blonde girl flicked some of her shoulder-length blonde hair behind her. Green eyes watched him from behind her spectacles, and in a way, she looked like a younger, shorter-haired Glynda. The hair was a little more golden, however, and the expression she wore far more a façade.
"It was an invitation for you to start talking, sister."
"Oh? Was it?" Coral sighed and shook her head. "A waste of effort in my opinion. I brought you here to talk, yet you've already distracted me. Is this how you get away with the lies you tell?"
He winced and hissed at her to be quiet.
"There's no one here," she pointed out. "Even were there, I never once said what those lies were. You could simply claim it was your promise to remember my birthday, or perhaps a promise to give me your virginity."
"Coral!" he gasped.
"It was a joke."
"Not a very good one."
"That's subjective, I hear," Coral tilted her head to the side. "I'm sure some would laugh at it."
Jaune groaned and rubbed his forehead. "You're as difficult to understand as ever."
"You say that as though it's a new experience. Few understand me; I suppose I should be upset." She didn't look it, and to be fair, he didn't think he'd ever seen her truly upset in his life. Coral was… not quite as normal as most other people, even by the standards of his family. She deserved a certain degree of care, of understanding and perhaps even sympathy.
It was best to be blunt with her. She wouldn't – or perhaps couldn't – pick up on subtle things.
"What did you want to talk about, Coral?" he asked.
"You," she said simply.
"What about me?"
"The current situation."
"Are you going to expand on any of that?"
"I would," she said, "if someone would stop interrupting me."
He clenched his teeth together but forced out a silent sigh and nodded to her. It wasn't worth arguing, not with her.
"I wished to ask what it is you plan, given the unlikely nature of your continued… employment at Beacon. I wanted to ask if you had a plan to escape when the time comes, or what it is you will do to ensure it doesn't."
"I… don't know?"
"Did you think it would last forever?" she asked. "That seems unusually foolish, even for you. Or is it arrogance at that point?"
"Coral…"
"Did I hurt your feelings?" Coral asked. "I didn't mean to."
"I know you didn't," he sighed. She didn't mean to, but she wouldn't care either way if she did. "Coral, look, I don't have some grand plan. I'm in a bit of a weird situation at the moment. I'm trying to sort things out as they come."
"You didn't train at Vacuo."
"I know."
"That dark-haired woman claims to have trained beside you at Vacuo."
His shoulders tensed. Damn it, had Cinder approached his family? "Ignore her," he said. "She's not someone you should spend your time around."
"She's lying."
"It's complicated." A flash of panic shot through him. "You didn't tell her she was lying, did you? You didn't challenge her in any way?"
"She didn't speak to me, and I wouldn't have cared enough to respond if she did." Coral managed to look disinterested, even in the face of someone like Cinder. "Mother and father made us promise not to reveal your secret, anyway. I couldn't have said anything to her."
Good… that was good. Still, if Coral had noticed what Cinder said, then there was no way his parents hadn't as well. That was the last thing he wanted; for this mistakes to come back and cost his family.
"I'll work something out," he said. "Don't approach Cinder, Coral. I know telling you to ignore her would be stupid. You've clearly already figured something out."
"Is she blackmailing you?"
"She thinks she is. She believes I'm from Vacuo."
"Would she hurt you if she knew otherwise?"
"She wouldn't be able to do anything. Even if she found out I was lying, she's already claimed she knew me from there. She couldn't argue otherwise now." There were other things she would no doubt do, including further blackmail and having him under her thumb, but hopefully she would know better than to try and kill him. "It's still not worth thinking about," he added. "Don't bother with her, just… just enjoy the festival."
"I've found an interesting bookstore," Coral said. "The material is to my liking." She meant the porn store, no doubt. Coral's reading preference was well known. She even wrote some of her own. "Still, ignoring the problem seems stupid."
"I'm not ignoring it. I have things I'm doing," he said. "I just… the less people who know, the better. It's not that I don't trust you. It's jus-"
"I don't care," Coral shrugged. She kept her eyes locked onto his, but true to her words, there was no anger in her gaze. "It doesn't bother me whether you trust me or not, dear brother. It only concerns me that you're not ignoring the issue in the foolish hope it will resolve itself."
"Yeah, well… I'm not." He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Where does this sudden concern come from, anyway? It's not like you ever really cared about me. What changed?"
"Nothing." Coral smiled at him. "I still don't really care about you. Everyone else does, however. Sable would cry if anything happened to you." And, of course, the only thing she ever really seemed to care about was her twin sister. "I don't want to see Sable upset. Don't make her, or any of our family, cry, Jaune."
"I'll try my best."
"No." Coral shook her head. "Do not make them cry. It is as simple as that."
"You're usually a lot more normal than this, Coral."
"We're in private. I can pretend easily enough, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to do so here."
"Not even to not hurt my feelings?"
She looked confused. "It's not like I could tell if I did," she said. "Why would I bother trying?"
Heh… typical Coral. He nodded and rose from the bed. A part of him felt he should be upset or angry with her, but that would have been pointless and she wasn't wrong per se. The delivery could have used work, but the warning that his family knew about Cinder was appreciated nonetheless.
"Don't tell anyone about this conversation," he urged.
"Give me a good reason not to."
"They would get protective and decide to approach Cinder," he said. "That would end badly for them."
"Okay. I won't tell them."
"That easy?"
"You gave me a good reason," she said, with a hint of confusion in her voice. "I asked you to, and you did… why would I ignore it?"
"Most people would have."
"That doesn't seem pragmatic."
"And you know full well what mom says about your pragmatism."
"Cold and brutal," she nodded. "I don't see the connection, but I suppose you are all in a better position to do so. I won't tell anyone but I will steer Sable away from her. Make sure you do not die and make her upset, Jaune. I would be angry with you."
"Would you be sad, though?" he asked.
Coral looked down at her hands. "I might be," she said. "I don't know for sure. I don't particularly care for you, but perhaps if you died, I would miss you. I'd rather not find out the hard way, however. Not with what that would do to our family."
"Yeah, I get it. Well, thanks for the conversation, sis. I'll see you around, I guess." He made for the door, only to pause when she called out.
"You could stand to spend more time with the others. Questionable as it may be, they miss you and feel hurt by your constant distance."
His eyes closed as he bit down on his lip. An ugly, guilty, feeling settled in his stomach. "I'm not avoiding them," he promised. "I'm just really busy and trying not to cause any trouble."
"Do the reasons influence the results?" Coral asked. "Father would not say so. They feel you are avoiding them and it hurts them. The students here do not like them, either. They are isolated and alone. They don't like it."
"Well isn't that because they insulted me in front of the students?"
"They acted how they have always acted towards you… based on how they knew you. If you have changed, that's fine, but you cannot expect them to know that without you spending any time with them. You were a pathetic coward back home. They are used to standing up for and protecting you from bullies. It will take more than a single meeting for them to change how they act."
He knew, and he knew they didn't hate him, either. As insulting as their introduction might have been, he had been like that back home. He'd been weak-willed, nervous and indecisive. They'd been his protectors, his friends and in some cases the only people he could really talk to. They had only treated him like they always did, except that he'd changed without them ever knowing it.
"I'll try and spend some more time with them," he said. "I will spend some more time with them," he amended when she made to open her mouth. "Not everything is so literal, Coral. I'll do what I can. Thanks for letting me know."
"Their whining became tiresome," Coral shrugged. "I tried to tell Sable not to worry but she wouldn't stop. The others… they're as loud as ever."
"I get it," he laughed. "Thanks for letting me know, sister. I love you."
Coral smiled brightly. "I love you too, dear brother. Take care of yourself."
Gods, it was creepy when she did that.
/-/
"Oxford," Cinder greeted the young man in her office. "What a pleasant surprise. How are you settling into Beacon?"
"Cut the games," he growled and tore the beanie from his head, revealing his roughed-up crimson hair and distinctive horns. The milk-bottle glasses came off too. His face was still something she found herself surprised at seeing each time. For one who wore a mask, it was a deceptively ordinary visage. "You called me here, human. What do you want? Is it not enough I suffer this indignity already?"
"What I want," she soothed, "is for our plan to go as it ought to. I am not your enemy, Adam. You know that. We are allies."
He growled something under his breath and his hand fell to his waist. There was no sword there, however, and the one he used in the tournament was different to the one he had stored back with the White Fang. It would not do for a distinctive weapon to give him away, after all.
"I spoke with Emerald and Mercury earlier," Cinder said. "They told me you had quite the adverse reaction when the professor was mentioned."
"What of it?"
Her eyes narrowed. What a stubborn little animal. "They also told me how it was when a certain black-haired girl spoke favourably of him. I hope you recall, Adam, that I wish to draw the good professor to my side. I would not have your… emotions get the better of us."
"They won't. People dislike teachers all the time. There's nothing unusual there."
"True," she accepted, "but the Belladonna girl is the one most likely to recognise you and insulting the person she admires so, is sure to earn her ire… and her attention." She didn't miss how Adam's face scrunched up in fury at hearing how his beloved felt for another.
She did not miss it… but nor was it an accident. You're so much easier to control when you're emotional, Adam. Just like any cute, little animal, I suppose.
"What do I care for the opinions of a traitor?" Adam scoffed.
"What indeed…" She smiled, and from the way he bristled, it was clear he caught her sarcasm. "Tell me, then, Adam… if you are able to control your emotions so, you would not be the one responsible for a recent incident involving the good professor?"
"You mean his office? I had nothing to do with that."
Cinder's smile fell. "The damage suggested a bladed instrument…"
"And I was with your team the entire time. If I wished to harm the human, I would not have struck when I knew full well he was elsewhere. I would have laid an ambush and killed him the moment he opened the door."
"So, you know nothing of this?" she asked. "It could not have been one of your people?"
"If any of mine had the ability to infiltrate Beacon, they would be here instead of me." he grunted.
"I suppose so," Cinder mused. He spoke the truth… or the truth as he knew it. His face said as such, and she doubted his ability to lie to her. One who wore a mask for so long often forgot the need for hiding one's thoughts. Adam's disdain, his hatred and his racism, were as clear as day.
She felt his deceit would be the same.
"Forgive me, then, for suggesting otherwise, dear Adam." She smiled and leaned back on her sofa. He didn't try to sit down and she didn't offer him a space to do so. "I'm sure you understand I'm simply being cautious."
"Hm." Adam shifted onto his other foot but offered no real response. Ah, the strong and silent type… how they amused her so.
"You can rest easy for the remainder of the tournament, Adam. Mercury and Emerald shall handle the next stage and will be more than enough to pass through. I still require your presence, however. It would not do for people to become suspicious."
"What of the mute?" Adam asked.
"What of Neo?"
"I don't trust her."
"Your trust isn't necessary… only your continued co-operation. She will be controlled, worry not."
He didn't seem convinced. With a snort and a snarl, he pulled back on his disguise and strode to the door. She watched him leave with a pleasant expression. It slipped away the moment he left.
"Emerald…"
"Yes, ma'am?" Emerald asked from behind. She had been silent the entire time, though Adam had doubtless not seen her at all. The girl's Semblance had its uses, after all.
"Adam claimed to be with you all when my colleague's office was attacked. Can you confirm this?"
"I can. We did not let him leave our sight, nor the other."
Hmm… the truth, then. How interesting.
"Ma'am," Emerald sounded nervous, "There is one thing…"
"Go on."
"I'm not sure of Neo, either. There's something about her that makes me nervous. I'm also not sure how dedicated she is to our cause."
Cinder chuckled in amusement. "I would expect that she is not at all, Emerald. She is necessary, however, and so for now, we must all get along nicely."
"She doesn't stay in the same room as us overnight."
"Likely, she does not feel it would be safe to do so." Cinder pointed out. "She is not wrong on that front. Do you know where she goes?"
"No… but if I had to make a guess; I'd say she returns to him."
"Curious," Cinder muttered. Curious, indeed, though perhaps troubling too. With Roman incarcerated, she'd expected Neo to fall in line, if only to ensure they did not turn on the foppish thief. Now, however, it seemed the girl had found another to latch onto.
That might prove troubling.
"What should we do?" Emerald asked.
"Nothing is to change, for now. I will see to the professor and our… errant little ally. Focus yourself on the task ahead. You have a difficult fight tomorrow."
Emerald nodded, but her eyes were intrigued. "Would it be safe for you to let us know who, ma'am?"
"Coco Adel and Yatsuhasi Daichi. I will forward their details to your scroll tonight."
"Are they not higher years? Wouldn't it be easier to go against one of the younger teams?"
"Ozpin and Ironwood watch the matches," Cinder explained. "Though they might have already chosen the next victim for their little sacrifice, I wouldn't put it past them to change their mind if another proved able. Miss Adel might be one such threat. I would rather have her removed for now, particularly when we do not know her Semblance or weaknesses."
"Understood. May I… use my Semblance?"
"So long as you are not discovered, you may use whatever you desire. Remember, though, that Mercury is to appear the stronger combatant. We would not want to draw suspicion when you elect to let him move onto the next stages."
"He'll be pleased, I'm sure," Emerald snorted. "Ma'am, about the professor and Neo… do you wish Mercury and I to try and approach him?"
"No. He knows your faces now. Keep your distance, and if approached maintain your disguise. I do not wish you to give him reason to become hostile." Cinder made sure to look the younger girl in the eyes as she spoke. "Mercury and you might not survive such an encounter."
"He's that strong?"
In truth, she wasn't sure. She had yet to see him properly fight, and those simple spars hardly counted. It was not a fight until your life was on the line, and that was an event he'd avoided, despite her little attempts to manufacture it.
The Nikos girl had given her secrets up oh so easily when faced with Mercury. Jaune, however, kept his secrets close to his chest. He would not be fooled like that, and she had not gotten as far as she had in life by taking foolish risks.
"Leave the professor to me," she said. "I believe I would be the only one capable of dealing with him should he betray us. If you find yourself in danger, use your Semblance and flee immediately. Do not attempt to fight him."
Emerald swallowed. "I understand, ma'am… Adam, though, he seemed to think he is to face off against him."
"Oh, he is," Cinder smiled.
"But you said-" Emerald's eyes widened for a moment, but her expression was soon replaced with one filled with amusement. "Ah, I see," she said. "That's one way to deal with him."
"I'm glad you understand, my dear… run along, now. You have a match to prepare for."
"Yes, ma'am. We shall not let you down."
/-/
"Are you still considering the Nikos girl to be the guardian?" Ironwood asked.
"She would be the best for the position in my mind," Ozpin replied. "Unless, of course, you believe there is another who would suffice?"
"It's hard to think of any. Her Semblance is powerful and we know her skills are top-notch. On the other hand, I'm concerned with how interested your professor is in her team."
"Hers and another," Ozpin pointed out. "I believe it's a little much to accuse Mr Arc of foul play when she is but one of eight that he's chosen to train. That seems paranoid, James, even for you."
"It's only paranoia if it's untrue."
Ozpin fixed the man with a raised eyebrow, and after a good minute or so, the older man caved.
"Okay," Ironwood sighed, "perhaps I am a little flustered. The attack on the CCT hasn't done much to calm my nerves, and the White Fang have been silent of late. That's hardly a good sign, and especially not with the festival here. It's too tempting a target and my men can't be everywhere."
"I understand, James," Ozpin smiled and gestured for the man to take a seat. He didn't, of course, that was James through and through. "You shouldn't worry quite so hard, however. I've had Glynda and Bart doing some investigation on the White Fang in the background. I'm well aware how good a target the festival would make for their agenda, but I trust between yourself and them, it shall be difficult for them to sneak in."
"Hm, that does ease my mind a little. In all honesty, I'll feel more at ease once we complete the transfer process."
"Hence your concern for Miss Nikos," Ozpin nodded. "For what it's worth, you saw with your own eyes the training Mr Arc imparted on them all. There was nothing there which might seem untoward."
"I know. Nothing he said was unusual, but the fact he approached both of them." Ironwood sighed and shook his head. "As coincidental as it might seem, it still makes me nervous. I don't expect the girl to be beholden to us, but her loyalty to Vale must be secure."
"It shall be… we can view her progress in the next round. A little extra tactical knowledge from one of Mr Arc's calibre cannot hurt."
Ironwood hummed but didn't add anything. Each had spectated the training, of course, visible through the same cameras the headmaster had used to remotely view the initiation. Was that a sign of complacency on the professor's part? Probably not… he had been involved in the initiation too, and so must have known about them.
Was it his way of saying he had nothing to hide, that he trained them in plain sight?
Or was it nothing at all, and the young professor simply didn't care or didn't even know about their anxiety at all. Ironwood sighed and rubbed his forehead. Perhaps they were overthinking everything entirely. That was the true nightmare of such campaigns, after all. Was it better to underestimate or overestimate a threat? One ensured you were not caught by surprise, but the other might lead to overcompensation and sleepless nights.
"I'll take your word on that, Ozpin, but be careful. Greater men than you have fallen because you placed trust in the wrong people. Don't make that mistake."
"By the same vein, James, one can fail because they refuse to place trust in the right people. Do not forget that."
Ironwood sighed. "Sometimes I feel you're being contrary for the sake of it, old friend."
"Contrary, I?" Ozpin smiled. "I'm sure you're just being paranoid again, old friend."
Things and things, they are so very thingish. Honestly, sometimes I have topics I want to talk about in these notes, and then sometimes I have nothing.
Let's move on…
Omake: by Coeur al'Aran
Jaune settled down into his seat and grinned towards Sapphire, his eldest sister and the girl who'd most help raise him when their mother was busy with the others. Coral had been right, and talking to them all had not only helped bridge the gap between them, but also remind him why they were a close-knit family.
"Another advertisement break?" Amber, the youngest groaned. "Jaune… how strapped for cash is your school!?"
"Well, considering the coffee budget accounts for more than half of what we have, I'd say we're pretty strapped."
"You're a professor, though," Sapphire pointed out. "Couldn't you vote to lower the amount of budget assigned to coffee."
"Why would I want to do that?" Jaune asked, giving them a strange look and stroking his mug with one hand. "Worry not, precious… no one shall harm you."
"Jaune?"
"Nothing!" he yelled. "Hey look, it's starting."
The screen turned black, before showing a beautiful river on the shores of what looked to be Forever Fall. The water flowed rapidly, rushing between rapids, as several Ursa congregated on the water's edge.
"At the river's mouth, the Ursa catch only the tastiest, most tender salmon." the narrator whispered as one of the Ursa pawed at the water and brought up a large, silver fish.
"Arghhhhh!" Blake Belladonna screamed as she sprinted out from behind a nearby tree and threw herself at the creature.
"Which is exactly what we at Beacon want."
Blake leapt onto the Ursa's back, screaming like a banshee and wailing at it with her fists. Jaune watched wide eyes as she was thrown off, only to dodge when the Ursa charged in with both paws raised. She ducked aside, leapt back onto her feet and delivered a round house kick into its face.
She continued to scream like a mad woman the entire time.
The scene only got more surreal when the Ursa adopted a fighting pose and feinted towards Blake head. She ducked it, but reeled back as it delivered a kick to her stomach. It roared angrily.
Blake roared back.
She then paused, "Oh look – a naked Ursa."
The bear-like Grimm grunted and turned to look, which was when the faunus delivered a quick kick to its groin. It fell onto both knees, clutching itself as Blake rushed past.
Blake rushed away on all fours, salmon clutched in her teeth.
"Beacon endures the worst," the narrator went on, "to bring you the best."
The screen flashed black a moment later, with much of the crowd clapping tentatively, like they weren't sure if they were supposed to or not.
"Hang on a minute," Hazel called. "If Beacon has the finest salmon, how come it was just store-bought stuff in the cafeteria?"
"There was a miscalculation," Jaune sighed. "We sent Blake to get the salmon but didn't ask who would go to get the salmon off of her."
"Couldn't you just send an older student?"
"We sent a trained huntsman," Jaune sighed.
"And?"
"And he'll recover… probably." The girls looked at him like he was insane. Jaune sighed. "Okay, he won't ever hunt Grimm or try and break into Blake's room again, but he'll live, okay?"
And there we go. John West, Man vs Bear, for anyone who hasn't seen the advert.
It's on the youtubes.
Next Chapter: 19th March
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
