Troll in Reviews

As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware. They're also trying to fake reviews in my name, but you can ignore it. I don't review anything.


So, as a few people noted and let me know – I made a mistake on Coco last chapter where I forgot she'd been a part of the ASH Gym. I will go back and change bits (not right now, but in a day or two), but you don't need to read it. It's all the same, with Coco not knowing where Vernal is, only the conversation will alter a little. Plot remains identical.

Kinda distracted by my work event and how coronavirus is throwing spanners into everything, including my own life, which made me rush things and not double check. We're not even sure how or whether our event will go ahead with coronavirus as it is. Everything is up in the air.


Cover Art: Jack Wayne

Chapter 99


"I've secured Miss Nikos' transfer to Vale."

Ozpin's announcement at breakfast brought a weak cheer from Qrow, who had been progressively growing more and more stir crazy with the lack of action. Ozpin appeared pleased, and well he should, having managed to win over the fall maiden to their side with limited trouble. Well, relatively limited trouble, if one considered an assassination attempt to be a minor inconvenience.

"Leonardo gave her up?" Jaune asked.

"He did. My old friend was simply concerned about how this would look, but with the Nikos family pushing for it themselves, he can shift the blame. No one will fault him when it is they who are making the decision."

Leo wasn't a traitor, then? Or had he just run out of options? Jaune hummed and drank his coffee, listening with half an ear as Ozpin went over how the transfer would take place and what he needed from them. Pyrrha would be flying with him back to Beacon, but in the interests of avoiding trouble of the political sort – namely between the Nikos family and Beacon – they'd be going alone.

"You weren't mentioned by name but I've a feeling you know why they'd want you absent, Jaune."

Alexander was that on edge, huh? Jaune forced his grin back. It was enough that the man was willing to let this happen for his daughter's safety. Twisting the knife would only make him look petty and cause trouble for Pyrrha.

"I understand. I can catch another flight."

"Actually, I want you and Qrow to leave today," Ozpin said, surprising them both. They'd both been under the impression they would have another week in Mistral at the least. "I'm worried of leaving Beacon unattended for so long. I also want Qrow to start investigating this `new White Fang` that has cropped up. It's bad enough we've left it this long as it is…"

"I spoke to Adam," Jaune said. "He claims it's nothing to do with Menagerie."

"Do you believe him?"

"I do."

"He saved our bacon last time," Qrow chimed in. "I think he's in the clear."

Instead of arguing it, Ozpin nodded. "I'm relieved to hear that. It could be no more than some previous members refusing to surrender and trying to reignite the White Fang, but I'm unwilling to take that chance. We all know who was behind and sponsoring them."

"You think it's her again?" Qrow asked.

"I wouldn't put it past her. She could be trying to re-start the group, or it could just be a convenient excuse for some other action she's taking in Vale. Either way, the timing of this event is too convenient. It has drawn us out and I'm concerned at the fact we haven't been attacked…"

"A distraction." Jaune looked up. "You think this was all to distract us?"

"It could well be. That's why I want the two of you back in Vale before the end of the day."

A little fear ran through his own body as well. Emerald. No. He'd spoken with her only yesterday and she'd have let him know if something was wrong. Still, Ozpin was right. They'd left Vale unattended and despite all signs pointing to it, Salem and her ilk hadn't made a single attempt on Pyrrha.

Maybe they just wanted the power transferred from an uncertain host to a certain one. It would be easier to subvert or kill Pyrrha than it would him, and since Ozpin was a target at Beacon, why not gather all your foes in one place? Salem didn't lack in raw power, as evidenced by her ability to take out Beacon the first time around.

Or, as Ozpin said, maybe this was all one elaborate ruse she knew neither he nor Ozpin would ignore. I'll have to talk with Roman and see what's happening back home. If anyone is trying to set up a power base in the underworld, he'd know.

"I can fly back myself if things are bad," Qrow offered.

"No. I've been in contact with Glynda every day and nothing is imminent, I'm simply concerned. Let's not tempt fate having you and Jaune travel alone. You could be as much the target of this as Miss Nikos."

Qrow sent him a look. They both knew it was Jaune who was the next possible target, though Ozpin and Qrow still didn't know why that was. Leaving now might place Pyrrha in risk, but only marginally. Raven had a bond to her thanks to experiencing his memories, so if needs be, she could sense if Pyrrha was in danger.

It had never really been necessary for Qrow to guard her. There was another bird doing the same, and she could reach Pyrrha no matter where she was. If she needs to, she can take Pyrrha and transport her to Qrow and I immediately. It should be fine to leave.

"We can catch a flight together," Jaune said, earning a pleased nod from the headmaster. "Is there anything you want us to do once we get back?"

"Rendezvous with Beacon first. Even if Glynda says all is well, I'd appreciate a check. After that, look into this new White Fang as best you can. Whether it's the birth of a new group or some anarchists is immaterial. They must be stopped." He focused on Jaune. "You may also want to investigate Miss Belladonna."

Jaune's eyes closed reluctantly. His continuous mistake. "I know. And I will…"

/-/

"Why are you a target anyway?"

Jaune wasn't surprised by the sudden question. Qrow had waited until they were away from Ozpin and en route to the commercial airport to ask it, but the curiosity must have been bubbling for weeks now, maybe even months. He was surprised no one had asked him sooner.

He trusted Qrow, but the man's loyalty was too unflinching. Or it was for now, before Jinn could sink her claws into that and twist. He could have done the same but without the guarantee of truth. Qrow would never believe him, or if he did, he'd have to confirm it with Ozpin first.

"I don't know," he lied. "It might be because of my Semblance."

"Healing?"

"It's not just healing. I can enhance the affects of people's Semblances, effectively boosting them to higher levels. Sometimes that just means more power, but it can also mean a wider effect, or even working differently. The healing is just a side-effect of pumping my aura into a person."

"Tch. Talk about overpowered. You're a support type, then?"

"Do I fight like a support type?"

"You fight like a bitch," Qrow said, though his grin implied that wasn't a bad thing. "A vicious little bitch. I guess there's no room for sitting back when you've been on your own, huh?"

"I wasn't always on my own. I had a team. Friends."

It was rare for him to talk about the past and Qrow knew that. He wasn't an idiot, though. Whether it be by reading his face or just piecing together the fact he'd never seen those apparent friends with Jaune, he put the pieces together. "Sorry. Was it Salem?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"A manner?"

"They died facing her," he explained, "But they were only facing her because of the actions of someone else. If a child dies to a wild bear, do you blame the bear or the parent who let them wander out alone?"

"The parent, obviously, but I'd say Salem counts as more than an animal."

Jaune smiled. "True. So…?"

"I'd blame both. Both parties."

That was what he'd done, and it meant more than he'd thought it would for his old mentor to say that. It surprised him how much that meant. "Thanks, Qrow."

"Tell me about them on the flight," he requested. "But don't change the subject, is it your Semblance that Salem is after?"

"I don't know. Your sister-" He saw Qrow scowl. "Raven," he amended, "Thinks that Salem might want to win my service. That'd imply she wants something from me." His magic for now, but he let Qrow connect the dots and end up with his Semblance instead. "There's no way for me to prove that other than letting her capture me though, and I'm not willing to take that risk."

"Fair point."

"In the end, who can say what she wants? Ozpin is the only one who really knows her."

"Hmm." Qrow looked ahead. "And the old man is as tight lipped about that as ever. Partly what Raven hated, the secrets. There's not much I agree with her on, but I did there. Keeping secrets from us when we're the ones in danger just leaves us unaware of what we're up against. Taiyang hated that too."

"Is that why Taiyang retired?"

"Nah." Qrow laughed. "Yang is why he retired, and then Ruby when she was born. Someone had to stay home to look after the kids and Summer, well, she's mature now, but she wasn't always. Let's just say Ruby didn't fall far from the tree on that one."

Jaune laughed. "A late bloomer?"

"Emotionally, yeah. She started getting more mature after Ruby was born, but the Summer you know now is as much a result of her nearly dying as it is growing up. I guess something like that causes you to grow up fast."

It certainly did you, Qrow. Summer's death changed you. And not for the best…

"I'm glad I was there to help her."

"Yeah." Qrow thumped his arm and grinned. "Me too. So, when were you going to start exploring with boosting our Semblances? Can't believe you've waited this long and not had a go with it. I'd be playing with that all the time."

To be fair, he hadn't because he'd already done it before. The effects differed from person to person, and while they were useful in some cases – letting Ren's hide a whole group of people for instance – in other cases, the effects were… less useful. Making Ruby even faster sounded like a great idea until you realised he couldn't keep up, so all she did was pull out of his grip, lose his Semblance and then decelerate to normal speeds.

"I don't think I'll be boosting yours anytime soon."

"Yeah. Ha. Maybe not a great idea there."

No one wanted to see Mistral sink under the ground as a giant hole opened up, or a freak computer crash wipe out the entire city's medical records, killing hundreds of people. If Ruby's Semblance was useless to enhance, Qrow's was downright dangerous. It was meant to be bad luck for both allies and foes, but it was always a coin toss. The old Qrow never let him try it, and Jaune was of the opinion the dusty old man had been onto a good idea with that.

"Honestly, Qrow, the healing is more useful seven times out of ten. The other part relies on the person having a viable Semblance, me touching them and then that Semblance making up for the loss of me as an active combatant."

"And you're not someone to easily send back to healer duty. I get it. Still, I bet there are some Semblances out there that would make it worth the risk."

"Certainly." He grinned. "Just not yours."

"Cruel."

"Accurate."

Qrow laughed. "Admittedly…" He shot Jaune a sideways look. "Good job on totally dodging my first question, though."

"If you noticed that, you know what it means."

"Yeah. Yeah." Qrow sighed and hooked both hands behind his head. "Keep your secrets."

Mistral's airport was a bustling one, with numerous neon signs for advertisements and people coming and going in their hundreds. Booking a flight was a simple affair, there not being many destinations or flight paths and plenty of traffic both ways. Mistral to Vale was the most common and it was only a matter of talking to someone at the desk and picking their preferred flight time from the ones that had seats available.

In the future, or what might have been the future, that would have become a lot more complicated as Beacon fell and the cities upped security in response, but for now, and without the White Fang to complicate things, Remnant was in an era of peace. Or so they thought. Ozpin and Salem's silence on the matter kept people ignorant – and ignorance was bliss.

This reminds me of Emerald when she was younger, he thought with a nostalgic smile. It was incredible to think he'd been here longer now than he'd known his own team in the last timeline. Long enough to watch Emerald grow from the nervous child who followed him because she was afraid, to his stubborn, sometimes defiant but still cute little girl.

He couldn't wait to see her again.

And my younger self, he thought, smile fading. Time to see if this tattoo thing really worked.

"Boarding flight V151 to Vale. Gate 4."

"That's us." Qrow stood, stuffed the rest of the sugary bagel into his mouth and forced it down before picking up Harbinger, sealed in a huntsman-flight-bag at his side. He swallowed loudly. "Looking forward to getting home?"

"I am, actually. It'll be good to get back to things."

/-/

"And that's the final form."

Ozpin gave his signature a little flick and handed it back to Leonardo. It joined numerous others, detailing both the temporary nature of the transfer, an agreement to access Miss Nikos' medical and academic records without infringing on the privacy of other students, a form to denote the transferral of responsibility of insurance from Haven to Beacon and numerous other little things that neither of them could escape from.

"As ever, paperwork is a bane."

"I agree with you there, old friend." Leonardo looked over the final document, nodded and added his own signature at the bottom. "Still, it's done for now. You will look after the girl, of course? Beyond being a maiden, she is important to Mistral."

"I shall protect her as I do all my students."

"Hmm. I'm sure if I were to ask for more, you would give some response on how every life is equal in value?"

Ozpin chuckled. "I would."

"That's so like you." Leonardo laughed as well, pouring them each some coffee from the kettle on his desk. They clinked mugs and drank together. "Ah. Nothing like a drink after some hard work, no? Tell me, what will happen once you return?"

"What do you mean? I shall continue as always."

"And ignore everything that's happened? Salem's moves, the attack on the Nikos family home – surely you don't think it will all end there? Ignoring Salem will not make her go away. Not everyone can fight her as you do, old friend. Some of us stay dead when we are killed."

"With Miss Nikos gone, there should be no need for her to focus her attention here."

"We are still huntsmen," Leonardo argued. "And we are all the more vulnerable for you not being here. Her first move would be to strike at your allies and weaken you. You're not the one in danger, Ozpin. It's those you do business with."

Ozpin frowned. "What would you have me do?"

"Take some responsibility for your actions." Leonardo stood, slamming his hands down on the desk. "You built the academies. You orchestrated them and you maintain control through relations to all of the headmaster. They are your weapons against the Grimm."

All of that was true, but also no surprise. Ozpin leaned back, waiting for more.

"Much like the four Relics, the four Academies grant you power – but did you think Salem wouldn't see that? Did you think she'd ignore it?" He swept his arm to the side, turning to face his bookshelf. "Of course not! She and hers may not be able to take you on directly, but we don't all have your strength. Nor do some of us have the military might of Atlas to keep us safe. We are vulnerable, Ozpin. We are weak – and you have made us targets!"

"Have you become a target?" Ozpin asked. "I hadn't heard of any action against Mistral."

"You wouldn't have. I've kept that from happening!" He slapped a hand against his chest. "I sacrificed so it wouldn't happen. I've kept Salem and her people at bay. Not you!" he snapped, spinning to point at Ozpin. "While you sat nice and pretty in Beacon, I've been forced to face off against a monster. I'm not the man I once was. As a huntsman, my skills have dulled. I can't fight off such power with skill and strength alone."

"Then how?"

Leonardo laughed bitterly. "The only way I could, old friend. For what it's worth, I'm sorry…"

Ozpin scraped his chair back and stood. The moment he did, his left leg gave way, the muscles in it turned to jelly. The sudden shift in altitude had his mind spinning. Nauseously, he dropped to one knee, a hand planted flat on the ground for support.

Panic gripped him. "No. You, Leo?"

"What else could I do? You left us, Ozpin. Left me!" The faunus stared down on him with a mixture of anger and guilt. "You made me headmaster and then abandoned me. What was I supposed to do? She came for me, Ozpin. She and her people – and what was I supposed to say to them? No? I'd have been killed and replaced."

"I-I would have protected you." His words came out choked, breathing difficult. His throat was constricting as the poison wracked his body.

"You would have protected Mistral! You would have protected Haven! I'd have been dead the second I refused, but that doesn't matter to you, does it?" Leonardo paced the room, sweat dripping down his face. "You're immortal. What's one more death against thousands that have come before? So long as the academies stand, you'll find your replacements soon enough. We're pawns to you, Ozpin. Pieces on a board!"

"Only because you have to be!" he gasped. "I didn't choose this, Leo. I don't want this."

"And I don't want to die! Call me a coward, I no longer care. I've kept Mistral safe, Ozpin, not by following your plan, but hers. It's through my sacrifice that the people here sleep without fear. If it wasn't for me, thousands would be dead!"

"How many? How many have you sent to their deaths for your so-called sacrifice?"

"Not as many as might have died fighting the Grimm if I refused. Thirty-six so far. Their names haunt me, I'll admit, but it would have been ten times that number if I spat in her face, and I'd have been the first." He shook his head, laughing hysterically. "I won't ask you to understand. I won't even ask you to forgive me. I've done what I had to."

"This won't be the end, you realise. Kill me now and I'll come back again." Ozpin forced himself up, pushing his cane down for more support than it had ever been before. His arms wavered, his vision darkening at the edges. Fighting was beyond him, but death was no stranger and he'd at least face it on his feet. "I won't leave Haven in your grasp."

"No. You won't. Like I said, you only care about the academy, not the people in it. If you truly cared, you'd have put some other protections in place other than dumping it all on me!"

"I left it to you because I trusted you."

"You shouldn't have!"

"I can see that now," Ozpin spat. "I'll return for you, `old friend`. You can be sure of that."

"Depending how much of a world there is for you to come back to."

"Enough of one," he said, laughing hoarsely. "Do you think I'm bad news for you and yours, Leo? Do you think I'm the most dangerous thing to be unleashed on you? Hah. You're not wrong, but I think you'll find that Vale – no, that Remnant itself – is not nearly as defenceless as it may seem. Beacon is strong. It won't fall just because I do, and you should dread what removing me will unleash."

Leonardo drew a handgun from his drawer. With Ozpin's aura rapidly draining, it would be enough.

"No one will connect this to me."

"He will." Ozpin barked a laugh. "He already suspects, and my death will confirm it. Ha ha-argh." He pushed himself up further, stumbling slightly but catching himself on a wall. A bitter smile blossomed. "My only regret is that he'll come for you before I get the chance. It won't take long. A few days at most. I don't even give you a week. I suppose it was premature to claim I'd be the instrument of your demise."

"Premature to claim anything, old friend." Leonardo pointed the gun at him. "I'm not afraid of you, Ozpin."

"It's not me you should be looking out for. Say `hi` to Ashari for me, when he comes to end your life."

"Brave words." Leonardo drew the trigger back. "With this, the world changes."

"My death will change nothing." Ozpin laughed. "It never does…"

The trigger was pulled. Dust exploded. Ozpin closed his eyes, with the last of his strength withdrawing his aura. To survive would only increase the chance of being captured alive, while death would speed up his return. He whispered a silent apology both for the man who his body had once belonged to, and the poor soul who would play host to him next.

His head snapped back, the pain blissfully short as the dark swam in, along with a light – a blasted light that he'd seen countless times, denying him rest and forcing him back unto the world once more.

Look after Vale for me, Ashari. I'll be back soon.


Just to head such thoughts off, Jaune isn't going to become headmaster.

This chapter is short – I know. I don't want to cause panic because panic is the one thing I'm trying to avoid myself, but I am ill. Quite badly ill. It could just as easily be a flu as anything more serious, but it remains that I'm short of breath and have a fever and that's making doing any writing hard. Yes, I've called the relevant authorities. Been told to self-isolate and monitor at the moment, and that even if it is coronavirus, there's a good chance I'll recover naturally.

This is pretty much the most I was able to write with how tired I am. Sorry. It's just massive fatigue, fever and coughs – bad, but not yet dangerous. I'm not having trouble breathing so there's no need for anyone to worry. I'll still be writing even if my chapters get short, and I'm doing this to distract and keep myself busy and mentally occupied, so don't worry about me "working myself to death" or anything.

If I genuinely feel I need to rest and can't write, I'll do so. Don't worry about me damaging my health by feeling I "have to write" or such. I won't be reckless.


Next Chapter: 21st March

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