Guardians Response

Smoke continued to rise over the horizon. Whether they be at the stadium, inside the city of Vale itself, or from Ozpin's office, everyone across Vale watched in confusion as to what occurred inside the Emerald forest. Nearly all of them knew the direction of the smoke was exactly where the Tandi had landed last night, but only a handful knew what had occurred and was able to escape before the MoJave issued out their search. One such individual was now currently waiting for two elevator doors to open, mumbling to himself all the while.

Crow exited the elevator into Ozpin's office. The Headmaster himself sitting quietly in his chair, staying fixated towards the horizon Qrow had flown away from not long ago.

"Our guys dead."

Qrow was blunt but even so, Ozpin nodded his head in understanding.

Taking a second to relax, Ozpin finally turned to face Qrow. Years of continuous work with one another flooding the Headmaster's mind. All of it telling him that this was not their worst scenario. Andrew hadn't discovered Qrow's presence aboard the Tandi. If he had Qrow would've brought it up first and foremost, along with an expression of embarrassment on the professional Huntsman's part.

"Continue working on finding any recent story's about 'Couriers' in and around Mistral. As for this, we'll wait for Andrew's response," Qrow scoffed after Ozpin finished.

"Sit and wait. Great plans as always Oz."

"And," Qrow stopped himself from leaving. Turning back to Ozpin. "Please inform Gylanda that I wish to see Pyrrha Nikos as soon as possible."

The Huntsman nodded his head, a wave of pleasure and pain washing over him before leaving to follow Ozpin's orders. A similar expression had fallen upon the Headmaster as well though with a much more stern presence. They needed their Guardian and, no matter his or Pyrrha's had to sacrifice, Remnant will be protected. That much kept Ozpin determined to follow through with this.


"You guys did amazing!" Ruby scream at the top of her lungs. Sprinting into the arms of both Yang and Weiss nearly knocking the two over.

Blake was close behind, she and Ruby having patiently waited for their two team members after their successful doubles match today. It had gotten close near the end once Weiss got knock out but Yang was able to push her way through and win with her semblance. Now all that was left for team RWBY to do today was celebrate and help Yang prepare for the singles/final matches of the tournament. The former of which, Ruby as their leader, had decided to do first.

"We didn't even do all that well. Yang only barely achieving the win for us," Weiss went on to explain acting surprisingly humble. Though, being so far the only member of team RWBY to be knocked out of the Tournament Period. This wasn't a match one would want to tell stories about.

"Na! You still kicked butt out their Weiss!" The rest soon began nodding with Ruby after she spoke.

"Yea! Couldn't have done it without yea," Yang gave a thumbs up and with that whatever issues Weiss might have been having with the match vanished. Even if she thought Yang was lying.

"Thanks, guys."

The team smiled, enjoying their little moment together before the world around them soon took their interests away from each other. Students, teachers, and spectators alike were moving towards the closest landing platform they could get to. The team hearing a few mumbling about some explosion.

Not ones to sit idly by. Team RWBY followed the crowd out onto the stadium's landing bay where everyone could see smoke rising off towards the Emerald Forest. A shiver went down Ruby's spine. No one was talking, not one of a crowd the could be numbering over a hundred people. Nothing but silence as she and most others began to remember who was currently parked out that way.

MoJave Grunts then began running past everyone. All these men in gray armor, that were once enjoying the tournament just as much as the audience, now looked as ready for battle as an Atlas Knight. Some MoJave commanders were beginning to order people to clear out well the Grunts around them positioned themselves around the crowd. Ruby quickly noticed a few Grunts setting up specifically next to Faunus's in particular. The young Huntress looking back at her team to see they were watching this as well, with Blake tightening her fist.

"You've all seen what you needed to see. Please return back to the festival, that goes double for you MoJave men," A commanding voice spoke over the crowd, one that seemed so close to yelling at them as it was grabbing their attention.

Well most caught sit of Atlas's most respected General, Ruby saw Penny first. Smiling towards her friend once the two made eye contact. Penny waved herself before both of them went to observe Ironwood. Just in time to watch said General now be confronted by what looked to be a high ranking MoJave Grunt. Who then left the crowd in silence once he saluted the Atlas General before speaking.

"A terrorist attack of some kind has more than likely occurred, Sir. For that reason it's best we treat our current position here as a likely target and begin..." Ironwood cut the Grunt off.

"Do you have any evidence of that?" Ironwood questioned, towering over the other soldier with his arms crossed and eyes remaining fixated on the crowd.

"As of now, no," The Grunt answered, making no attempt to explain his thoughts beyond the direct order given.

Only now did Ironwood look down at the MoJave Grunt. The soldier's eyes sicking the General once he caught the common stare each MoJave personal around him was giving. A blank stare towards nothing that seemed all too ready to kill at any given moment. Ironwood saw these Grunts as they were, an army of emotionless men that had no place guarding the people as they were now. For that reason, the General had to disperse them from the crowd quickly. Before one of them risked the chance of accusing the wrong person out of paranoia.

"Then, under the joint agreement that the Kingdom of Vale has laid out to us, I order you and your men to return to as you were before this. Along with the rest of you," Ironwood stared back to the crowd, giving his best smile. "Please, enjoy the rest of today's festivities."

All did as they were told afterward. However, despite the kind smile Ironwood tried to give, no one's mind was at ease. Grunts, though back to how they were, had their rifles at the ready. The crowds of festivity goers had silently agreed to begin moving towards transports back to Vale. And as for team RWBY, they did little in celebrating for the rest of the day. Watching team JNPR's match before leaving the stadium and returning to their dorm room.

Each of them speculated as to what had occurred inside the Emerald Forest today. But that was all they could do, speculate. No official reports of the incident came forth to the public today by the MoJave. And everyone on the team thought they could ask about it were either as ignorant as they were or weren't responding to them. They like many others would have to wait for Andrew to explain things tomorrow on live tv.


The crew aboard the Tandi were now following nighttime protocols. Which consisted of maintaining today's lockdown after the attack. Those who were traveling the ship's halls were either on patrol or high ranking officials that had gotten clearance. Though the danger had long passed, those on patrol still checked every passer by twice over. Even those they knew to be their boss.

"You're clear to go. And again sir, my apologies," The head Grunt spoke with shame, however, Andrew showed no malice towards him nor the rest of the patrol.

"Don't be apologizing. I'd rather see you doing your job than slacking off now," Andrew explained and continued on his way.

Down another fleet of stairs, Andrew headed towards his destination. The smell of blood and ash soon hit his nose and became a better guide than the signs around were. Twice this day Andrew was walking through the ship's medical wing. This time, however, bodies of his men weren't littering the halls. Most of those injured have returned to their squad's barracks or were staying down here, either in a soft bed or in a body bag.

The walls and floor though were only now being cleaned. The smell of it all strong as ever and the feeling of agony all too familiar to the war between the Legion and NCR. Things though were quiet. A calming sit to see for the Courier. This was no botch NCR medical tent that needed less than qualified help to save their injured. The MoJave had professionals at work and those who could survive their injuries were more than likely going to do so. As for those that didn't Andrew had already placed them in the proper files. Their families were going to get their compensation, that much Andrew was happy about.

After being checked over by another patrol, Andrew finally reached his intended location. A private patient's room with the name "Boone" written on a sign next to the door.

Andrew opened the door into a similar looking room to Graham's. Everything one could ask for at the patient's disposal, though unlike Graham's room this one was receiving guests besides doctors.

"On the bright side, you'll have a good story behind it," Veronica said aloud, pointing at all the bandages wrapped around Boone's stomach.

Boone, however, made no response. Instead, he began staring down Andrew who Veronica soon noticed as well after a few seconds of prolonged silence.

"You all good?" Andrew asked, finding a chair to sit down in by the door.

"Besides letting that murderer get away, I'll be fine," Boone explained before falling deeper into his bed to look up at the ceiling. "First time I've ever seen men dressed in crimson escape my rifle. Not a record I wanted to see broken."

Andrew couldn't stop himself from laughing at that even if he wanted to. Not often did the sniper joke but when he did, it always ended up relating to killing Legionaries. The CEO couldn't say it wasn't funny, missing the chance to kill some similar to Legion bastards was always a shame. At least Boone could find something humorous in that. Sign that he was in good sprites, Andrew figured.

"Think of it like this, Boone. Since you're still alive you can now pay those bastards back for making you lose that record."

Andrew's reasoning earned him a quick, all be it small, smile out of Boone. A sight that quite frankly sent shivers down Veronica's spine.

Though the Legion, Adam, and their saboteur this day had all earned themselves a bullet, preferably to the skull, in the woman's mind. The sight of Boone enjoying the idea killing never sat right with her, no matter how much she understood why that was. It reminded her of her follow Paladin's speaking about the NCR after Helios. Her family all enjoying the idea of killing made them become derange. One should never enjoy killing, a stance she and Graham had unknowingly agreed on. To watch Andrew encourage Boone only made her stomach turn more.

Veronica, however, smiled along. Not wanting to dampen the mood with her stance against the two. After all, this was still the first she saw Boone of all people laugh. So even still, there was something for her to find funny. Especially when it looked as if Boone was about to hurt himself if he kept that smile going for more than a second.

"Which reminds me. When will you be cleared for active duty again?" Andrew asked and Veronica became notable stiff.

"Two days from now. The blade went in clean and only cut opened a few minor organs. It was easy enough for the docs here to fix up," Boone explained, facing Andrew again.

"Good. At the very least I don't have to worry about you. I'll be in need of you soon after all."

"Why?" Veronica was quick to ask which made Andrew do a double take.

"Well, I found out we lost twenty-one, MoJave soldiers, today. Because of that, someones, give or take any and all White Fang we find in Vale, are going to die," Andrew answered to the point his tone of self-insurance was annoying Veronica as much as her question annoyed him. "Does that answer your question?"

The joyous mood that once captured the room died once Andrew finished speaking then. Replaced now with a sense of disappointment Veronica and Andrew currently had towards the other.

"You plan on escalating this don't you?" Veronica questioned, staring eye to eye with the type of man that beginning to feel familiar to her.

"That's what one does, Veronica. After they watched their soldiers get killed in such a meaningless manner."

Andrew, though far from yelling, raised his voice. The cold tone of it only something Veronica felt when the Courier spoke about men like Ceaser, Lanius, Moterrunner, and Marko. Never once with her, though. It was a new experience for her to say the least.

Still, Veronica did not whether in front of him. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. Getting up from her chair, Veronica walked over and handed it to Andrew.

"Read this."

He took it, noticing the Brotherhood's emblem not long after printed on the letter. Opening it up to see that the letter specifically addressed for Veronica's eyes only. A few lines in made Andrew happy again to know that Veronica still had a hard time following her Elder's orders. The letter was short so it didn't take long for Andrew to finish. Once he did, he handed it back to Veronica, got up and began to take his leave.

"Have a good night you two. That goes double for you Boone!" Andrew yelled over towards the sniper who reminded quietly through this. All well Veronica took one step forwards.

"Don't make me chose here, Andrew."

The man in question stop. Turning to face Veronica as any friend would, with a bright smile.

"Once we're done with the troubles here at Vale, Veronica. I'll finally have the time to return home and speak with Mcnamara and Catherine. There we'll settle these issues and you won't have to worry about their temporarily lost faith in us. Until then, make sure to write back and remind them that they risk losing the GECK if they try anything."

With that Andrew left. Leaving Veronica with orders to write a letter back and Boone with questions needing answering. The latter of which was easily complied with creating a shared split in loyalties between the two. One they hope Andrew would be able to fix for them like all those ago. However, blind hope was something both knew they couldn't rely on now. No matter how much they wish they could. That latter was just too damaging.

'Dear Veronica,

We're at a crossroad here. The NCR plans on annexing New Vegas soon and has power here that's far passing what the Courier may think he has. I can not risk another Helios, especially with what the NCR has promised us. Therefore, I plan on having the Brotherhood assist them once the GECK is in our hands. I'm sorry you have to do this to your friend. I wish there was some way to save what some here consider a fellow member but we have little options. If I must ruin the life of one Brother to save the rest then I know that sacrifice is worth it. When the time comes, I know you'll stay true to your family.

From Mcnamara.'

If there was once thing sweet about the letter that Veronica found. It would be the fact that Mcnamara wrote it like an old friend. Instead of what one would expect from a Brotherhood Elder.


Before night came to finish this tragic day for the MoJave off. During the time when the skies of Vale were stained with autumn colors. A tried looking Qrow and displeased Ozpin had gathered a young red hair woman inside the Headmaster's office. There, and only there, did Ozpin ask his question for her.

"What is your favorite fairy tale, Miss Nikos?"


Izzycity12: So, I took a break between this and the last chapter. I pretty much needed it so I could find out how my new schedule for this year was going to be. But now I'll be back on track, focusing on producing more chapters for you all to enjoy. Until then though, have a nice day.

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