The door to Ozpin's office slammed opened and the air filled the sounds of two pairs of distinct and angry footsteps which were rapidly approaching his desk, the Headmaster didn't even have to look up to know who it was, The clicking of heels and the stomping of combat boots which can only mean Ms. Goodwtich and Dr. Gris. No doubt they have some objections in regards to the mission I entrusted to PRAN and honestly I can't blame them, I just hope they'll understand my reasons. He looked up from his desk and did not even try to look surprised, "Glynda, Gris I suppose this is about the upcoming raid."
Glynda opened her mouth to speak but looked back to Gris and nodding her head as he nodded back before stepping aside and letting him take the lead, "Youse decided ta work with da cops and I ain't gotta problem wit dat, I didn't even ave an issue when youse decided to lend some of da student ta help wit raids and shits but wat da two of us do gotta problem wit da ones ya picked fer this one, dat is wat were ere ta talk ta youse about! Glynda ya wanna take it from ere?"
"Thank you, Doctor Gris," She walked up to her employer and mentor and with all the quiet solemn dignity that a woman as respected and accomplished as her could muster she slapped down with her riding crop right on Ozpin's neglected paperwork with enough force that the sound began to echo through the room, "Mr. Wukong and Mr. Vasilias I'll happily admit are excellent choices however why are you including team PRAN in something as dangerous as a SWAT raid on a building that may be possibly storing Rage? Not to mention the information we received suggests that there may be some addicts inside the building being kept as some sort of guard! So what pray tell is your logic here!?"
The old wizard had to force back a smile since doing so would most certainly make the two even angrier than they were already and rightly so even if his smile was one born from pride rather than arrogance, They care so much about those children I'm honestly lucky to have these two, "Team PRAN has a combination of skills and teamwork which make them uniquely qualified to handle a situation like this."
"I understand and I agree Sir that they are well equipped on paper however there are some upper-year teams and in fact, I can list five off the top of my head who not only are prepared to handle such a raid but would be objectively better choices based solely on their experience alone," Glynda quickly responded shooting down his excuse.
"But are they just as invested?" He asked both Goodwitch and Gris. "Jaune needs this, he needs to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the problem is being handled and he needs to play a role in it. Ever since this curse was forced onto him he has felt like a powerless victim and that directly affects his ability to control his condition, this raid won't free him but; it will put control of his own life back in his hands!" Ozpin pulled out his scroll and pressed a few buttons and turned the computer screen on his deck to face the other two professors as a video started to play.
It was a video of Jaune sleeping and having what appeared to be a nightmare, Ozpin then sped up the footage till he reached the point when the boy began to transform in his sleep, "Pause da video," Gris suddenly spoke and Oz quickly obliged.
"What's wrong Doctor?" Glynda asked.
Dr. Gris ignored her and instead pulled out his scroll while keeping his eyes on the television set. Looking over his shoulder and at his open scroll, Glynda could see that he was looking at pictures taken of Jaune in various stages of transformation and was comparing what he had to what was on screen. While she was an incredibly intelligent woman she also lacked a Doctorate in Medicine or Biology however that was something she more than made up for in attention to detail, He's changing! Jaune is slowly becoming more and more Grimm-like over time! No, that's not right, there would be behavioral changes if that was the case but the transformations are becoming more significant.
"When did dis happen? How long ave you ben holding to dis Ozpin!" Gris all but roared at the Headmaster who calmly took it. "Wat else ave you been hiding from me from us?"
"I only just discovered it myself after looking through some footage yesterday," Oz answered.
Glynda stepped forward, "But that still means you've kept it to yourself rather than immediately sharing it with Dr. Gris! Ozpin, what could possibly possess you to withhold information like this while sending Mr. Arc on a mission especially one involving a drug den that that's filled with Rag-!," she stopped herself and a look of shock and realization dawned on her face which soon warped into a snarl the like that neither of the men in the room had ever seen in the past, "You…," she hissed out with barely contained anger dripping from her voice and threatening to burst, "You're planning on making that boy and his team into guardians just like STRQ and god only know how many more there has been."
This anger was the exactly the sort of response that Ozpin fully expected and it was one he could not fault her or anyone else for having, So many brave men and women, each one a true hero and each one either retired early due to what they have experienced or died well before their time and what has any of their sacrifices actually accomplished? A stalemate that might just be crumbling before my eyes…
"Well, youse gonna answer or not?" Gris asked, snapping Ozpin out of his thoughts and back to the conversation at hand.
I've been letting these past few events get to me, I need to refocus, I need to take control of the situation. "Salem is making her move which means that something major has changed and she now sees an opportunity to sweep us all aside to get the Relics, we need more guardians," Oz firmly spoke.
"But why them? Why not some other team of Huntsmen, why not one of the older teams like perhaps Team GREN who are graduating by the end of the semester and have already proven that they truly want to help others?" Glynda reasoned.
"Because they haven't seen how bad things can truly become, Jaune, on the other hand, has been mentally and physically violated by her and yet he stands ready to fight with his team behind him. RWBY is already far too intertwined in all of this even if they are still ignorant and that is a blessing that already is being pulled out of their hands. CFVY has experienced first hand the horror of failing to save anyone and despite that, they are stronger than ever and it won't just be Beacon, I've already spoken to Leo and James about training a guardian team of their own and they are eager."
"Dat still don't explain why you withheld dis info from me," Gris pointed out while leering over Ozpin and staring right into his eyes unflinchingly making it very clear that this was not an issue he was willing to let go.
"You would have tried to stop Jaune from going and he deserves to be there when his attacker is brought to justice and being able to play an active role in that process will do more good for him than a hundred therapy sessions even with someone as talented as Dr. Riviera," answered Ozpin.
For a moment it looked like Gris would reach out across the desk and grab the headmaster as Goodwtich stood there wondering if she should intervene. Fortunately, it never became a necessity as Gris settled back down on his own with a reserved sigh before looking back at his boss "Look Oz, dis can't keep happening. Youse can't keep hiding dis shit from us."
"I understand your-"
"Shut up and let me finish you asshole... how long before da raid?" Gris asked.
"It's at the end of the week," Ozpin answered.
"Plenty of time fer a crash course on procedures…"
"Leave it to me," said Glynda, stepping forward to volunteer, "They'll miss some classes but a day out there is worth a week here. I'll get them ready, I just need to know all the details of the operation to prepare them."
"One more thing Oz," Gris spoke as he glared at his friend and employer. "Dis bullshit better not happen again ya hear? Cuz if it does I'm out, I won't be a part of yer school or yer inner circle no more." Right after the words left his mouth a gasp escaped the lips of Glynda. But it was Ozpin that caught Gris's attention, the man looked hurt and even a little betrayed but Gris didn't change his mind, "I refuse to ave anything to do wit a guy who'd go behind my back like dat and throw da kids in da line of fire of a war they don't understand, dis is yer first and only warning, knock dis shit off or you'll be choking on my resignation letter. Understood?"
Many people find it difficult to understand just how big the city of Vale was. It is not enough to simply recite the results of the lastest citizen's census or study a map of the city. Vale was constantly growing and changing and it wasn't just Vale, the same could be said for all the capital cities of all the kingdoms except for Atlas and even then it found other ways to grow. Expansion, was the name of the game and it was one that single person on Remmanet played a part in one way or another and like every other game there were winners like the small island community of Patch where Ruby and Yang hailed from but, there were also losers such at the ruined city turned graveyard on Mount Glenn.
However not all stories ended so horrifically, most times it was just a series of little things that happened to add up with the final result of being the residents moving on with their lives leaving nothing but empty buildings behind. When that happens the Council if possible will reacquire and then auction off the buildings and it was through such an auction that Beacon had managed to acquire several properties to aid in the education of the next generation of Huntsmen such as Team PRAN who were currently standing in front of one such building while their bodies were covered in a variety of bright paints thanks to the machinations of Sun and Neptune who were noticeably clean in comparison and were currently performing a victory dance.
Professor Goodwitch walked up to team PRAN who shuddered no doubt expecting a stern lecture but it never came, instead, she looked them over and gently asked: "What happened?"
Pyrrha as the leader of the team stepped forward to answer, "We entered the building and began searching for the hostiles but…," She looked over to Sun and Neptune before looking back at Glynda, "They were a little more prepared than we anticipated and as you can see they had some traps prepared for us."
Glynda despite what the girl feared wasn't upset by this outcome this was exactly what the professor thought and even hoped would happen by forcing this inexperienced team to face off against the still celebrating pair, "Ms. Nikos allow me to assure you that the raid you'll be participating in will be nothing like this." Pyrrha and the rest of her team did not attempt to hide their relief over the news but that feeling was soon replaced with confusion as they wondered what the point of the exercise even was. This also something that Goodwitch foresaw would happen was something that she would not permit to continue, "What this exercise was meant to accomplish was to teach two lessons with the first being rushing in with a lack of information and the second is underestimating the situation. Take for example your opponents Mr. Wukong and Mr. Vasilias are just two men who would quickly lose in a straight fight."
"That's fair," the pair admitted.
She continued, "However they have trained for this sort of situation and were given information on the building's layout alongside some additional information on your team plus the time to prepare and the results speak for themselves." She paused to let them process what they just heard before continuing. "When you assist in that raid you will do so against people who most likely won't have their aura's unlocked and the ones who do will most certainly not have even a fraction of the training you have. You will go in with full knowledge of the building's layout and you will be receiving backup from the police but if you fail to take the situation seriously people will be hurt and you better believe that the opposition you'll encounter will not be as kind as your fellow trainees. Some will not surrender, there might be traps or even hostages and there will be people whose only crime was that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time but it won't matter. They will be used against you and we only have a few days to get you all ready." She would have to be blind to somehow miss the effects her words were having on PRAN whose faces and posture were putting doubt and nervousness on full display for all to see.
"Miss Goodwitch, may I ask a question?" Ren asked.
"You may."
"Why was this mission assigned to us?"
Glynda thought it over, on the surface, it was a simple question but it was one whose true answer was something that they were not ready to hear and if they were lucky it was something they would never be ready for, she would have to lie. "This team is uniquely equipped to deal with situations like this; the only thing you all lack is a chance to practice it. Besides, all students of Beacon are required to assist law enforcement in one capacity or another before they are allowed to graduate, you are simply getting a head start on the matter." It wasn't a complete lie but that did very little to make her feel any better.
"But surely there are other teams better prepared than us," Jaune suddenly spoke up surprising everyone, especially Glynda. "Please don't misunderstand me, I want to do this!" I need to do this, "But I don't want to put others at risk," He turned to the rest of his team, "Look guys I'm sorry but that is just how I feel."
Pyrrha walked over him and placed a soft hand on his shoulder, "Never apologize for being concerned about others, but don't underestimate yourself either Jaune. They wouldn't give us this mission if they didn't think we could complete it."
"I mean come on Jaune! You're a berserker, Ren's basically a Ninja, I can bench five of me on a bad day, Pyrrha is Pyrrha, Sun's got them abs and Neptune is cool!" Nora excitedly added.
"Thanks, Nora! You guys are pretty cool yourselves," Neptune said, "Besides you guys did just fine for your first drill when Sun and I first started training we accidentally set the building on fire!"
"Yeah it's true, they kicked us both out of the program for that one. The only reason they let us back in was that the clean up revealed so many health and safety code violations that the police declared the building a bonfire that was waiting to happen so they couldn't prove we had anything to do with it. Headmaster Lionheart had so much paperwork to do that day," Sun spoke as he fondly remembered the aftermath before leaning in close and whispering with a wink, "It really was our fault."
Standing off to the side Glynda took in the sight of these youths acknowledging their doubts and supporting each other to make up for their shortcomings. It was something that would have filled the hearts of many an educator with joy but Goodwitch, on the other hand, felt an odd feeling beginning to swell up an ugly sick feeling that was shaking her, tempting her. Despite the boy's smile, the doubt was still there, festering just below the surface and with just a few choice words she would be able to bring it back to the forefront. It would hurt him now but it would save him so much pain down the line, it would save all of them from becoming pieces in a war beyond their understanding. Sure he'd miss an opportunity to confront a personal demon but there will be the other chances…
She took a step forward which was noticed by the students who immediately reformed into a line and waited for her next set of instructions. For a moment she was taken aback by their instantaneous actions and took a moment to consider her options, Ozpin thought that Jaune would leap at this opportunity, but he was wrong. He is very much willing but there is still doubt and not without reason. "Being able to acknowledge when you are not the best choice for a mission is a mark of a good Huntsman though I fear you may be selling yourself a little short." She looked over to the rest of Jaune's teammates and observed them, on the surface they were all fine but Glynda knew what to look for and found it in each one of them, They way they hold their weapons, the glances they give each other and even the way they stand at attention… They're scared of failure and they should be. "Police Raids are usually conducted incredibly early in the morning or late at night, therefore, to prepare you all for the mission the actual training will start at exactly midnight tonight. You are not required to attend and refusal will not affect your grades or your prospects, the only consequence is that the mission will be handed to another team as your resume regular lessons… if you decide to continue then all you have to do is be here by the time drills begin but know that I won't let you change your mind afterward. You are all dismissed."
Weiss took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do, You're being ridiculous just go inside and get the information, that's it! What the worst can happen? Father will be too busy counting money to care about what you're doing and even if he does so what? He is far too busy to act like a father. With confidence, Weiss began her march up the stairs and into CCT. Once inside it was a laughably matter to gain access to the proper console and within minutes she was in contact with a representative of the company.
"Greetings, Ms. Schnee, would you like me to connect you with your father?"
"Thank you but that won't be necessary, all I need for today are copies of the following documents," Weiss sent the requests over and made a silent wish as she did so. If one were to skim the list they would most likely find nothing wrong as most of the information she was asking for was rather mundane and even the more sensitive documents could be easily explained away, however, hidden amongst the unremarkable were several documents of a highly sensitive nature that while she still had access to, it would raise a few eyebrows to include those of her father.
"Uh, Miss Schnee? Some of these documents are a little…"
Shit, Putting on a fake smile Weiss looked at the concerned employee and put into practice the only useful lesson she ever learned from her father, how to lie, "I appreciate your concern and I can assure that I am very well aware of the sensitive nature of certain... sections of those documents and I can guarantee you that they will be well kept out of the public's eyes." she watched as the representative mulled it over wondering what to do and for a second Weiss felt a pang of guilt over the distress she was causing this loyal employee who just wanted to avoid losing their job, Am I going to get this man fired? But we need the information on those documents to find out everything that the White Fang has stolen which might also have a clue on where it's all being kept!
Suddenly the man placed a finger on his earpiece and looked at her apologetically for a moment before pressing a button which caused the image on the screen to change to that of her father, Jacques Schnee. "Well, young lady are you going to explain your actions?"
There was a sick feeling in her stomach as she fought back an urge to look away from this man who would not hesitate to use any weakness to get what he wanted, Calm down Weiss he only has power over you if you let him. Forcing herself to smile she asked, "I suppose you mean the incident at the Docks?"
"Is there any other incident I should be aware of Weiss?" He sternly spoke while giving her a look that would have withered an employee but that was not Weiss, she was not someone who could be cowed into submission which frustrated him. Why aren't you more like your mother? At least she knows her place!
"Is there something wrong father?"
"The fact that you could ask such a ridiculous question while there is a drug that apparently turns people into rabid beasts is spreading uncontrollably through that sorry excuse for a kingdom is what's wrong! On top of that video from those damned Faunus has been causing all sorts of trouble for me as more and more of them are getting the idea that somehow the government owes them anything at all!" he ranted as his daughter nodded along wondering when he would get to the point. "But do not think for a second that I've forgotten about you!"
"Me, father?" She asked while bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
"Did you honestly think that your vigilante activity or your choice of companions wouldn't come to my attention, did you even bother running background checks on them? Were you even aware that the Faunus," maybe it was due to Blake's influence but Weiss could swear she heard nothing but contempt in his voice as he spoke that word, "On your team seems to have no records beyond a birth certificate from Mistral?"
Weiss wasn't at all surprised to hear that after all Blake was from Menagerie which meant the records did exist but they were not being acknowledged by the other kingdoms which were a rather depressing state of affairs. Did her parents have to go to Mistral just so that their daughter's existence could be acknowledged?! What would have happened if they weren't able to do it, would she even be able to come to Beacon or even travel? It was a hard thing to wrap her head around, Just how many people are stuck in Menagerie?
"Weiss! Are you listening?" he asked, forcing her attention back onto his stern grimace.
She ignored the look he was giving her and with a plastic smile told him what he wanted to hear, "Of course father and I can assure you that Blake despite her mysterious origins is most certainly one of the good ones," The words left a foul bitter taste on her lips as she said them, intellectually she knew it was necessary by still saying that made her feel sick and no amount of justification would ever change that, I claimed I was nothing like my father and yet I… there is no point in focusing on who I was back in Atlas. It's far more important I concentrate on who I'll become here in Beacon.
Her answer seemed to please Jacques who decided to drop the subject for now, "Alright then, let's talk about those documents you requested," Weiss reshifted all her attention on the ahead conversation with renewed vigor, soon she and her father would begin negotiations and she was going to take everything she learned from him and come out on top.
Glynda Goodwitch loved her job, this was a fact beyond debate. Sure it wasn't easy raising a new generation of Huntsmen and it wasn't always rewarding, the harsh truth was that not every student of her's would live to see graduation and even the ones that did may not have long careers. She was well acquainted with tragedy and trauma having both experienced it herself and having seen many others go through it. Being able to help those children work through the pain and come to a decision that they can live with was something she took great pride and pleasure in but she's just a person and people make mistakes. Sitting by herself in a teacher's lounge she looked back to the training session she had with team PRAN and wondered to herself if she made a mistake.
A cup of tea was set before Glynda who looked up and saw Professor Peach sitting down next to her with a cup of her own, "Having a rough day?" Peach asked while sipping her own tea.
"It's just one of those days when I ask myself if I'm being too harsh on the students," she confessed to her colleague before trying some of the tea she had been given, it was creamy, sweet and just a little spicy and more importantly was hitting all the right spots, "Oh! I needed this, thank you."
"It's no problem, later I'm supposed to meet someone here so I made extra. But enough about me, what's gotten, you so upset Glynda?"
"It's nothing major but… I was preparing team PRAN for a special mission and… Oh, I don't know," she answered, never noticing how Peach tensed up for just one moment.
When she had asked Glynda what was wrong she had done so with the intent of venting a little with a colleague and nothing more, but PRAN changed everything. That's the team with the Grimm! Dammit! I'll have to drug her drink next time but for now let's see what I can learn, "Did that mission have anything to do with what's been happening lately?"
"Yes, I was supposed to prepare them for a mission and I had the idea of running a simulation with the help of two of the visiting students since they trained for police work and… I'm just worried, that's all." For one second it looked like she was going to say something extra but she caught herself before she could add to it, "I better be going now, thank you for the tea," Glynda got up and tried to leave.
I have to stop her! Peach thought to herself, "Glynda surely you can at the very least stay long enough to finish your cup, besides a little venting will be good for you!" to her pleaser, she saw Glynda mull it over for a bit.
"I'm sorry Peach but I have so much work to do, it really can't wait any longer," Glynda apologized and then left the room before Thumbelina to say or do anything in response.
Picking up the left behind cup she Peach walked over to the sink and began washing it, "Lazy bitch, you could at least clean up after yourself you pig", Next time I'll be ready. After putting the cup away in its proper place and seeing nothing left to do but wait she walked back to the table and continued to drink her tea while checking the news with her scroll, eventually she overheard the door open and saw Professor Oobleck enter the room and make his way over her.
"Hello Professor Peach, Watts sends his regards," Oobleck spoke before sitting down across from her.
Peach nearly choked on her drink, "Bart!? You're involved in this too? And what are you doing talking about Arthur here where someone could overhear you?" She nearly shouted.
"Relax, we are the only ones here, the security camera has been taken care of, somebody is monitoring the hallway and redirecting anyone who might pass by. Oh, and I'm not Oobleck, we have access to a semblance that can alter appearances," the stranger corrected her.
Peach composed herself, "Then I apologize for my earlier outburst, would you like some tea while we talk?" So is it their semblance or does it belong to someone else? Either way, this person is probably someone hiding in plain sight here at the school, that's worrisome but it's not that it matters as my semblance makes assassination impossible.
The stranger thought about it over for a second, "Thank you, I'd appreciate it," within a minute a cup was set and the stranger was carefully and slowly sipping the warm liquid and enjoying every drop, "This might just be my new favorite drink!"
"You talk as though you've never gotten the chance to enjoy such a thing," Peach observed as the stranger flinched for just a moment, "Sorry about that but when you've worked in this field for as long as I have you tend to notice these things," Peach apologized with a smile. New favorite drink? But you can buy this in just about any coffee shop and they aren't opposed to trying new things… is it a lack of time or money?
The stranger regained their bearings and turned to the Professor, "There reason I'm here in person is as a show of goodwill and it would be wise of you not to take that for granted!"
"Sorry about that, I truly do appreciate you taking time off of your schedule to see me," Peach spoke, trying her best to sound sincere. Such an emotional response! There can be no doubt about it, this person is actually a kid and most likely someone from one of the other academies. Dammit, Ozpin! Not only did you let a Grimm into the school and hid something like Salem but you are completely incompetent! Removing you would be doing Vale a favor! And with that thought, any hesitation was dismissed from the mind of the Professor as she mentally dedicated herself to the cause no matter the price.
"I'll get to the point, what do I need to know about the files?" Asked the stranger.
"Looking through Dr. Gris' computer is a waste of time, he keeps his most sensitive files in physical form locked inside of a cabinet, I assume that you already have my contact info so send me a message I'll send you all the necessary information. Furthermore, a student from Atlas named Penny Polidena is a robot."
The stranger nearly choked on their tea, "I'm sorry but, what?"
"I only wish I'm lying but it gets better, the girl did a full body examination of that Grimm and is now carrying the data inside of her so now that gives you two places you can go to get the files."
The stranger considered their options for a moment, Cinder wanted me to handle this on my own but the existence of this Penny is something she'd find interesting, "Thank you, just leave it to us and I guarantee that we will take care of both Jaune and Ozpin." The stranger finished their drink and got up to leave but Peach called out to them.
"I won't tell you how to do your job but if it helps, Jaune and his team have signed on for a special mission, I don't know the details but I'm sure you can find out easily. Also, I'll send you the contact info of a person named Iris Marilla, she's a would-be-huntress turned courier and more importantly, she's hopelessly addicted to Rage." Peach gave a small chuckle almost as though she had remembered something funny. "Her brain is so rotten that if you give her a good enough offer and she'll agree to just about anything."
That last part caught the stranger's attention, Someone is willingly taking that stuff!? If that's true then I want nothing to do with her but, It would be useful to have someone to risk their neck for us and take the fall… Cinder will know how to handle her, she always knows what best. "The information is appreciated, we'll see what we can do."
"That's all I ask," Peach said as she watched the stranger walk out through the door leaving her alone to continue enjoying her tea without a care in the world or a shred of guilt.
It was late into the evening when Sun and Neptune made their way through the Beacon's Dormitories until they were right in front of the door of Team PRAN's room and knocked and waited, however, nobody answered. "Dude, you did call ahead of time to ask if they would be here right?" Sun nervously looked over and asked his partner.
"Of course I did!" Neptune pulled out his scroll and checked the time, "Yeah, Pyrrha told me that she and the others would be expecting us right around this time, I'll give her a call just to see if everything's alright and next time I'll double-check before heading out."
"I'm not blaming you for anything man, if they're not here then we'll catch up with them tomorrow that's all! Besides, it is not like we have anything better to do for the rest of the day," said Sun as he wondered what to do next.
"Well Sage did ask us to find some Vinyl for him and Scarlet asked to try and track down a copy of Captain Blood."
"We can do that after this whole mess with Rage is over and done but I guess you're right. We can hang with these guys-!"
The door to the room suddenly and slowly opened up revealing a rather sleepy-looking Nora dressed in a loose black shirt with word Boop printed on it and bright pink boxers, "Oh hey guys! Come on in!"
"Are you sure it's okay? We can come back later." She looks like she just crawled out of bed.
She yawned stepping aside and letting them in, "Nah, we were supposed to wake up about," she quickly checked her scroll, "30 minutes ago so it's fine! Now if you'll excuse me I have to step out" She waited until the pair was inside before she walked out into the hallway, "Ren's in the communal kitchens making some food so I'll be back before you know it!" She closed the door and walked away.
The inside of the dorm room was a bit of a mess with some clothes, pillows, books and some school supplies strewn about on the floor which made it look like the team was having a study session of some sort but what stood out was a blanket and a large pile of fabric on the floor next to one of the beds. Out of curiosity Sun and Neptune came closer to the pile and upon examination, they found that it was Jaune who, as far as they could tell, rolled out of his bed and onto the floor taking his blanket and pillow with him.
A door opened and out of the bathroom emerged Pyrrha show was dressed in surprisingly simple bronze-colored pajamas "Oh! Hello again! Don't worry about the mess we were doing a little studying earlier, please make yourselves comfortable and I hope you're hungry because Ren is making enough pancakes for everyone!" She then walked over to Jaune who was still on the floor and poked him, "It's your turn."
Jaune pulled himself off of the ground and made his way over to the bathroom while giving the two visitors the warmest, "Oh hey guys! Wassup?" his groggy mind could muster. Never once did he register the fact that his sky blue onesie with a cute bunny logo in the center was now on full display or maybe he just didn't care.
Before Jaune could enter the bathroom, Sun took a quick picture of the sleepy knight, I'll tease him later about this then ask him where he got it, that thing looks comfy as hell. He then turned to his fellow captain Pyrrha and asked the question that was weighing on his and Neptune's mind, "So what exactly is going on here?"
"Well after what happened with Glynda earlier we had a team meeting and decided to rest up now so we wouldn't be tired training later," Pyrrha answered.
"Wait so does that mean you guys are in?" Neptune asked.
"Of course we're in!" she answered while walking inside the dorm's closet and closing the door much to the confusion of her guests, "Don't mind me, I'm just changing out of my pajamas and into some real clothes, by all means, please continue, I can hear you just fine," she assured them.
Neptune glanced over to Sun and gave a quick shrug before turning to the closed closet door, "That's great! It's better than great, it's perfect because Sun and I have a copy of the blueprints for the building that we'll be raiding and a map of the surrounding area. We were planning on studying this after visiting you guys but why not check it out now?"
"Oh, that is a grand idea!" She emerged from the closet dressed in plain baggy and rather unflattering clothes which drew some surprised looks from the pair, "Yeah, I know this isn't what you'd expect the Invincible Girl to wear, but it is so comfortable!" For a moment there was a sad look on her face but it was soon replaced with a genuine smile as though she had recalled something painful and then remembered that was now firmly in the past. "People back home meant well but they would sometimes forget that I'm nothing special, clothes like this would go a long way to reminding them that I'm just a girl."
"Actually we were surprised because Sun and I have similar outfits that we use when we want to scout out a location," Neptune replied with a laugh.
The door opened up and Nora walked in carrying plastic plates and utensils and then held the door open for her partner Ren who walked in while carrying a large plate filled with pancakes in one hand and a jar of syrup in the other "Food's done," he announced while Sun and Neptune took notice of the man's choice of sleepwear which was a green yukata that looked rather out of place compared to the clothing of his rest of the team but who were they to judge?
But soon any thoughts about Ren's choice of sleepwear were chased out of their mind by the rich smell of the pancakes filling the air and awakening the appetites of the still sleepy Jaune was lured out of the bathroom by the demands of his stomach. "Well seen everyone is here, let's clear some space to eat!" Pyrrha suggested which all of her team agreed.
"We'll help too and don't even try and talk us out of it!" Sun smiled while pointing at Pyrrha who had opened her mouth to object. "We want to help and on top of that I'm going to make all of you a nice cup of proper Vacuo style coffee!"
"Oh! I never had that before, how's it different from Valen style?" Jaune asked as he and Neptune started moving a desk so Ren could reach under it and clean.
"Vacuo style refers mostly to the cream which isn't as sweet as what guys have here in Vale but is instead a little spicy, the milk is also different!" Sun explained.
"Spicy coffee? I've never tried anything like before, alright then it's a deal!" agreed Pyrrha!
Within minutes they are all sitting together in the middle of the room eating the pancakes and enjoying small talk as a pot of coffee was brewing. In between the bites, Neptune finally asked the question that had been weighing on his and Sun's mind ever since they first arrived "So, if you guys don't mind me asking. What happened? Back at the training grounds, you guys were close to just calling it quits and now you're all fine."
"Oh, we just talked it over and came to the realization not taking the mission was a decision we'd all end up regretting for a long time and beside w got you two supercops to help us train so what's the big deal?" Nora answered.
Jaune then spoke up, "The Docks was a real eye-opener for all of us especially and I'll admit that there have been a lot of things I've had to come to terms with. Honestly, I'm so blessed to have this team, to be studying in Beacon where people like Dr. Gris and Riviera work and the friends I've made here… just thank you. Honestly, if it wasn't for all the support I've received from you guys I don't think I would have ever made it this far!" And yet despite your words, you continue to lie to all of them. He winced at the invasive thought but acknowledged that it had a point. They are going to find out sooner or later and with Rage does have anything to do with what happened to me then it's going to be sooner, much sooner. I'd honestly be surprised if they haven't at least started to suspect something.
"Jaune? Are you alright?" Ren asked.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You spaced out for a second there, Jaune," Pyrrha answered.
"Yeah, I'm just still a little sleepy," He lied.
Sun then got up and walked over to the coffee pot, "Well then you're getting the first cup and once you're fully awake we'll talk about the raid, does that sound good to you?"
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Jaune replied, Maybe after all this calms down a bit I can tell my team. Or you'll just come up with another reason to delay it and why? They already have seen your broken twisted body pulling itself back together, they already saw your "Berserker," state and they even accepted you after you learned you could kill without blinking. You're just being a coward.
Ruby was sitting on her bed enjoying a comic book while Yang was teaching Blake the intrinsic ins and outs of her favorite video games when the door to their room opened up causing everyone to stop what they were doing to watch as Weiss walked in. They greeted her and she naturally answered back but before going to her bed and letting herself fall on it face first.
"So I take it you had a rough time?" Yang asked.
"I ended up having to deal with my father," Weiss answered.
"That couldn't have been fun," Blake said while frowning at the prospect of having to deal with Jacques Schnee for any amount of time. "But were you able to get the documents?"
"At least let her catch her breath first," Ruby said in response.
"It's alright Ruby, the documents are after all the very reason why I even went in the first place. As for the documents, it took a lot of negotiating." Weiss answered.
"Negotiating?" asked Yang.
"Yeah, I had to agree to do some things like befriending Coco and Pyrrha which I'm already on great terms with both of them and spending less time with the rest of Pyrrha's team which I'm not going to do." He also wants me to confront Blake about her lack of documentation but I'm just going to tell him it's because she is from Menagerie.
"Wait, so he wants you to spend time with Pyrrha which even I get, but expects you to do it without involving her team? How does he think that's going to work?" Ruby asked.
"He expects me to figure it out but, I'm not going to do it. One main reason I defied my father to get to Beacon was to find real friends that want to be with me because who I am as a person, instead of a potential business opportunity for their parent's benefits," Weiss answered bitterly.
Ruby sat down right next to Wiess and placed a warm hand on her shoulder that was soon joined by the others, "I'm proud to be your friend Weiss, we all are."
"Even though you were kind of a shitty person at first," Yang gently poked fun at Weiss.
"Well then being the shitty person I am I suppose I'll just keep these highly sensitive documents to myself," Weiss replied with a laugh as she held her scroll up basking in the sweet afterglow of victory!"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" Ruby declared.
"Ruby I appreciate your enthusiasm but these documents are very technical so may you should allow me the resident dust expert to do this!" Weiss suggested.
"Ha, but you forget my dear Weiss! That I," Ruby leaped off of the bed and placed a hand on her chest, "I'm the resident weapons expert so leave to me and my sister to find all the dust that could be used for weapons!"
Yang joined her little sister, 'I'll search for explosives while you find ammunition!"
"In that case, I'll focus on the general-purpose Dust since we had to use that a lot back when the White Fang was still just camping out in the Forever Fall Forest," Blake added.
"Then I'll focus on vehicles and specialized dust," stated Wiess just before sending a copy of the files to each member of her team who got to work upon receiving them and then any enthusiasm that they had at the beginning began to wither and die in the face of the files.
They all knew that analyzing the documents was going to be a long process that would very likely be stretched out over the remaining week. The sheer tediousness of line after line each one just listing out names and cold hard numbers all written down without an ounce of passion or care just as you would expect documents that existed only to be used to double-check data and then be stored away somewhere out of sight until the next time someone might have a use for it, necessitated occasional breaks just to maintain their sanity. However, despite the monotonous nature of the task, they were able to power through the sheer boredom of it all and take notes whenever something stood out even in the smallest way and then cross-referencing all their findings with each other.
Adam wanted an army, this was something they already knew thanks to Blake and because of her they also knew that the Fang had been stealing dust and equipment well before their sudden and inexplicable alliance with Torchwick. They knew and even witnessed with their own eyes the results of that team up at the Docks where the robberies took place on a level that Adam had previously only ever dreamed of. However, none of those supplies meant anything without the personnel to use it.
Then that Rage drug began circulating the streets leading to Adam releasing that video whose natural result was explosive support for the White Fang which translated into a rapidly growing membership. However, despite Adam now having the supplies and personnel, RWBY wasn't immediately concerned, after all, most of the recruits were just innocents wanting to help make a better world, they could be hardly called terrorists even in the broadest definition of the term. They were just civilians, not soldiers and that was something that Adam wanted to change, he wanted an army and what he had now would most certainly abandon the Fang should it go too far.
To make the supplies count and to create a true army, Adam would have to engineer a situation where those civilian volunteers would have no choice but to stand and fight or somehow convince them that his way is the correct path. But how? How would he do that? What did Torchwick have to do with that? Did Rage play a role? Where did it even come from? Something happened to the White Fang after Blake left but what?
"Progress report."
"Sir! We are nearly done clearing the tracks and we have finished the repairs on the train. The passenger cars should be prepared on schedule, however, without the supplies, they're nothing but empty cars. Also, there have been some reports of Grimm coming dangerously close to some of the entrances with the subway station being of particular note. Also..." the recruit went suddenly silent.
"Well?" The White Fang Lieutenant known as Banesaw asked, taking a step forward, his already large and intimidating frame highlighted by the dim light of the tunnels and frightening the recruit. "Go on, it's alright. Ask your question and I'll answer to the best of my ability," he replied with a gentleness that almost seemed impossible thanks to his imposing figure.
With renewed confidence, the recruit continued, "Some people have been wondering about our new allies and on top that Major Taurus' absence is causing some to wonder if something happened to him and if those humans are involved with it."
Internally the Lieutenant groaned before reciting the lines that Adam had given to say whenever someone finally grew the courage to ask where he was, "Earlier you mentioned that we lacked the supplies to fill the passenger carts, well that's an issue the Major is correcting. As for our human allies, don't worry about them. Adam has a plan and everything is helping to bring it closer to fruition."
"Understood, Sir!" the recruit said, easily accepting the answer.
"Excellent, you are dismissed." he watched for a bit as the underling ran off to rejoin his companions, It will all be worth it when the time comes to make them pay.
Author's Notes: I know that I said the last chapter that we'd have some fun with Sun and Neptune beginning their Junior Detectives but, ultimately I couldn't find the space to fit it in. Either way, the next chapter should be a fun one for everything who enjoys a bit of gore.
Also, I'm going to start the rewrite right now but I won't start replacing chapters until the next one is done. Just a reminder that the Rewrite is mostly to improve the early chapters, you will NOT be required to read the new chapters to understand what is going on.