A/N: Hey there True Believers, here with another update. A little quicker this time around, but at any rate, I want to throw a huge thanks to everyone who has read, followed/favorited, and especially reviewed and messaged me. Your interest in investment in this story means a lot to me and I hope you all continue to enjoy it. Lastly, I need to toss out a specific thank you to MajotBrony95 for helping with the proofreading.
I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter, and as always be sure to let me know what you think.
Ozpin wasn't concerned per se. No, concerned wouldn't be the proper word. Then again, intrigued wasn't right either. Oh, he certainly was, but that wasn't the primary thought running through his mind. Bewildered, now THAT would be the word! Clark had once again managed to outperform the maximum capacity of all the tests set before him and it left the headmaster utterly at a loss. The number of guns had been tripled for his reaction time and he still managed to pluck every single round from the air without issue. The tip of the penetrator for his toughness test had been rounded and hardened by a factor of two and it once again collapsed. His strength still seemed to only be limited by what he believed he could lift, which could be virtually ANYTHING! The only real headway that had been made was the discovery of Clark's interaction with the atmosphere when he moved.
All laws of physics seemed to indicate he should be igniting the air around him when he started to move at his higher speeds or at least breaking the sound barrier. However, the information gathered was very interesting. It all came down to his unique Aura and it's equally unique behavior. While his Aura seemed to permeate his very flesh and extend just beyond, it did seem to change almost instinctively as Clark moved.
Ozpin had invested in a camera and micro-sensor system that could- for want of a better term- "see" Aura and the data it revealed was interesting, to say the least. Clark's Aura seemed to push molecules away from his body before his body mass could collide with them while simultaneously absorbing the shock of him breaking the sound barrier. The high-speed video showed the cone of air form but when he broke through the sound barrier, his aura "muffled" the boom. On top of all of that, Clark was now topping out at 240,000,000 miles per hour- faster than ⅓ the speed of light. Which should not be possible, and yet the evidence was laid bare before his eyes!
"It looks like we'll need to do some more upgrades," Ozpin muttered drily to himself. He had vastly underestimated what Clark was capable of. His own estimations were so far off it unsettled him a bit. They were nowhere near as he had hoped in discovering the limits of Clark's abilities, and he far exceeded even the most experienced of Huntsmen with the most powerful Semblances. The numbers he was producing were truly unbelievable to comprehend and, for the first time in a long time, Ozpin was starting to think he just might have bitten off more than he could chew. "Okay, Mister Kent. You can stop now," he said, interrupting Clark's lift.
"Alright, sir. If you say so," he said and dropped the weight he'd been pressing. It had been another effortless attempt- this one at 350,000 tons- although Ozpin still hadn't made Clark fully aware of this as Clark's ignorance was required to prove his theory. He'd tell him though… eventually.
The main issue here was the lift apparatus couldn't be adapted to hold much more weight, and the amount it could be adapted wouldn't likely really be a test for Clark. In all honesty, these tests might have been all for naught and he might not actually be able to help Clark at all. However, Ozpin would cross that bridge when he came to it.
"Alright, Mister Kent. If you don't mind, I'd like to see if we can't get a better understanding of that new ability you displayed some weeks ago," he said simply.
"Oh! You mean the whole eye-laser thing?" Clark asked.
Ozpin chuckled at the description. "Indeed. I've had to give some thought. Seeing what you're capable of with this ability, the test would ordinarily be more than likely quite simple. We'd set up targets and you'd 'fire' at them. But the real issue here is trying to determine just how this manifests, as it does not seem to align strictly with your other abilities, at least not as we currently understand them. So for today, we're going to try and track the path your Aura takes and how it manifests in your body while you use this ability."
Clark looked a little concerned. "Um, about that sir, I can't really...I don't know how I did before. It just kinda… happened," he said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Ozpin however merely smiled and nodded.
"I had thought as much. Just… try and think of what you were thinking of when this ability first manifested," he suggested, trying to be tactful. He had gathered from context what had happened in Clark's mind during his time with Miss Xiao Long but decided not to bring up the specifics.
"Right…" Clark said simply, his cheeks flushing, as he followed the Headmaster.
Ozpin couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. Clark may have been a very mature boy for his age and had a good set of morals but he was still a teenage boy. He wasn't exactly surprised about what had happened with Clark and Yang either. She was, after all, an extremely attractive young woman, and Clark, despite who he was, was not immune to the effects such a girl could have on a still-growing young man. Ah, to be at that age again, Ozpin sighed mentally.
They soon arrived at the testing area. It almost looked like a shooting gallery at a fairground, but it was much larger and encompassed them all around aside from the area they'd entered from.
"Alright, we're going to be testing how accurate you are here. As you can see, there are targets of varying sizes. They will move in and out of the firing area, a versatile firing range all things considered. Hit as many as you can," Ozpin said simply before starting and the targets began moving. Ozpin had thought Clark would perform with his usual perfection and he would blast the targets with ease. However, he was surprised that Clark was actually failing this test.
Clark's new ability seemed to sputter and he seemed to be having a real problem manifesting any constant effect. There was a flash, an audible grunt of effort, another flash, then finally Clark managed to hit one target with an explosive burst of pure energy, vaporizing it and scorching the wall behind it, leaving it pitted and severely damaged. Ozpin looked over at Clark who was rubbing his eyes.
"Sorry about that. I don't quite have a handle on this yet. It always makes my eyes feel gummy, so I haven't really tried using it again before now," Clark offered as he blinked rapidly.
"That's quite alright, Mister Kent. We'll try again, shall we? Let me know when you're ready," Ozpin offered kindly and Clark nodded. He then nodded again and Ozpin began the test once more.
Although he wouldn't admit aloud, Ozpin was mildly relieved Clark did seem to not have perfect control over all his abilities. That might seem counter-intuitive to the reason he brought Clark here, but it showed Clark was not some being of absolute power with flawless ability. He was human- an exceptional one perhaps, but he still had his issues and that managed to ease Ozpin's mind slightly. Clark was kind, considerate, and an all-around pillar of morality. All in all, as stated, a prime candidate as a potentially amazing Huntsman. However, if he was as strong as Ozpin was starting to expect, he would surely become a force that could be very rarely challenged, if at all! That was a scary concept no matter who was involved. Put that force in a single individual and the world could easily become terrified! In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Clark's actions had already elicited that kind of reaction in some.
He had seen quite a few Scrolls out during the altercation. They were no doubt recording, and Ozpin wondered how long it would take before he got calls from concerned parents. In particular, the parents of CRDL. Once they saw what Clark had done to their sons, they would no doubt demand some sort of justice- most likely to have Clark expelled and maybe even try to threaten his family with paying medical bills. Never mind the fact that CRDL had been the ones to start it in the first place. OR that their Auras would heal them completely in a few weeks. Of course, he wouldn't budge on the matter if they pressed it and would ensure no harm or threats would come to Clark or his family. He had done wrong, but not as wrong as the quartet of bullies had. Oh, Ozpin knew he would obviously receive QUITE a bit of flack for allowing Clark to stay- perhaps even threats of lawsuits against himself- but he would cross that bridge later; it certainly wouldn't be the first time.
As of now, seeing this glimpse of imperfection was a good thing in Ozpin's eyes. He wasn't proud of this thought, but he recognized it as pragmatic. Perhaps with practice, Clark could prove himself as someone not to be feared, but someone to design to be like. To be a person who would be a symbol of hope and peace against this world of bloody evolution Remnant had become.
And perhaps, if things went well and as Clark grew, he could prove to be an extremely valuable ally in the fight against… other foes of Remnant. The kinds that normal Huntsman and Huntresses were unable to go against without grave consequences.
As this continued, he looked down at his Scroll and noticed something. He noticed something that made him frown slightly.
"I'm sorry sir, it's just not working," Clark spoke up as he rubbed his eyes vigorously, breaking Ozpin's train of thought. He then turned off the testing mechanism with a press on his Scroll.
"Not an issue. Things will come in time. Practice when you get a chance and I'll continue to adapt our tests. Now I'm sure you can see yourself out. If you don't mind, I need to study some of this data," Ozpin said, a little cooler than he had intended. Clark seemed to pick up on this.
"Sir, have I… Did I do something wrong?"
"No, not at all. I just need to concentrate on some things," Ozpin said, his eyes focused on the screen of his Scroll.
"Sir, if this about what I did before…"
"Nothing for you to be concerned about, Mister Kent. You may go," Ozpin finished and his voice had a finality that told Clark this session was; without question, over. It wasn't unkind or dismissive, but the meaning was clear.
"Alright. Have a good day sir," Clark said in an unsure tone that Ozpin didn't even seem to notice.
"You as well, Mister Kent. I'll be in contact," he said, not looking up from his Scroll as Clark left. Once the doors closed, Ozpin's frown deepened. "This doesn't make any sense," he mumbled to himself as he examined the footage from Clark's "eye test."
Ozpin had studied countless Semblances in his time. He'd had the privilege to see a fair few energy projection Semblances, and Clark's newest ability seemed to function exactly like those, and that didn't make any sense at all. Clark's Semblance was clearly one of physical augmentation. The headmaster supposed his toughness could be explained by an exceptional ability to control Aura for protection, which could theoretically be used to project energy, but that couldn't explain his speed, reaction time, or strength. Let alone his ability to absorb and retain data and information at a rate he had never observed before. And he had a feeling that this new ability was just the tip of the iceberg.
"Just who or what are you, Mister Kent?" he mumbled to himself as he delved deeper into his data.
As Clark walked back through the dorms- his mind focused on making it to his room- he couldn't keep his mind off of how his session with Ozpin had ended. It didn't bother him that he could manifest his "laser vision" or "heat vision" or whatever it was. No. That did bother him a little, but what bothered him was how Ozpin had acted at the very end. He had sent him on his way as he had before, but something appeared to be bothering him as he examined the information gathered, and that worried Clark.
Clark knew Ozpin was, without a doubt, one of the most observant and intelligent men on Remnant. The fact was able to track Clark down in the first place was a testament to that. As such, Clark was starting to wonder if perhaps he was starting to suspect the truth. That he wasn't actually human, but something else, something alien. However, Clark had to remind himself that was impossible. The only two pieces of evidence of his true lineage were the spaceship that carried him to Remnant (which was currently locked away in parent's barn cellar) and the crystal he now wore around his neck, a habit he had started in his second week when he had started to feel homesick. He found himself gripping the crystal now as he tried to assure himself Ozpin couldn't know. Still, he wasn't able to entirely convince himself. Admittedly Clark didn't know Ozpin exceptionally well, but he didn't seem the kind to dismiss the fantastic or strange out of hand. He might just look to the stars for answers.
Suddenly he heard someone shriek his name.
"CLARK!"
In a flurry of petals, Ruby Rose tackled him, clinging to his arm and holding tight as she nuzzled into his shoulder.
"R-Ruby?! W-what's the matter?" Clark stuttered in shock, worried something had happened.
"We should be asking you that," Yang said as she walked up, grabbing her sister by the scruff and pulling her off Clark, although not without a little difficulty. Ruby crossed her arms and pouted as Weiss and Blake soon came up behind them
"What do you mean?" Clark asked though he had a slight feeling he knew what she was talking about.
"Seriously? Where have you been? The whole campus is abuzz. Everyone's saying you got kicked out for killing Cardin," Yang said matter of factly.
At that statement, Clark was rather taken aback. He knew the injuries had been pretty bad and that was bound to start some rumors, but that he'd killed Cardin?
"I didn't KILL him!" Clark exclaimed. "I just sort of... beat him up… really, really badly...," Clark finished lamely and trailed off as he slumped his shoulders a little. "Okay, I can kind of see how people would think that now." Yang just snorted with laughter.
"Well, while I can't say it was appropriate, I can't say I disapprove either," Weiss offered, her voice stern, but Clark could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Honestly? That boor and his group of thugs have been nothing but trouble since the first day. Perhaps a small taste of their own medicine was just what the doctor ordered."
"Still, you're not exactly the aggressive type, Clark. What caused this?" Blake asked, cutting right to the matter of things.
"Oh. Well... They were picking on this Fanus girl. Pulling on her ears and stuff. So I went over and I told them to stop and things kind of escalated quickly," Clark answered lamely.
"That was it? That was enough to set them off?" Blake asked, mildly confused.
"Um, I think it was more because I did it in front of half the school, and I sort of, well, called them out," he said with a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of his head.
"Of course. You wounded his pride and he tried to save face. Seems like something stupidly macho that he'd do," Weiss concluded evenly as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"So what now, Smallville? I mean, I can't imagine you'll still be with CRDL after this if, as I assume, you haven't been kicked out," Yang asked curiously.
"No Yang, I haven't been kicked out," Clark said with an eye roll of his own. "I spoke with Ozpin and I'm cycling back to Team RWBY starting Monday."
"REALLY!?" Ruby cried out in excitement, speaking for the first time since tackling Clark.
"Yep. Looks like I'm coming back a bit sooner than you thought," Clark said with a small smirk despite himself.
"Ugh! And I thought we'd be rid of you for a bit longer," Weiss said with a teasing tone.
"Haha, thanks," Clark deadpanned back but smirked all the same.
"By the way, what's the damage? I mean, there's no way you got off scot-free, even if they did start it," Yang asked, giving Clark an appraising look.
"I can't leave the grounds for two weeks and I have to fix everything I broke," Clark said simply.
"Aww, so we can't take ya clubin'?" Yang said in mock disappointment.
"Nope. I'm afraid not," Clark answered with a chuckle.
"Ah, that's okay," Yang said, waving a hand before flashing Clark a saucy grin. "Private games can be a LOT more fun anyway. Can't imagine you ever played strip poker before. What do ya say,? Could be a fun time~! Even give the other gals here a little show," she said softly, all while giving Clark an appraising look, looking him up and down and grinning at him.
Clark gulped and felt his face immediately turn bright red. He wouldn't have been surprised if his energy blasts came bursting out from his eyes again.
"I'm, uh, m-more of a Parcheesi man, actually," Clark stammered in a vain attempt to play it cool and make a comment to diffuse her comment. Unfortunately, it didn't do anything and she adapted immediately.
"Alright. Whatever floats your boat," Yang said casually with a shrug. "I'm sure we can homebrew something. Maybe an article of clothing for each piece home? Ah, we'll work it out," Yang said dismissively before giving him a wink.
Hearing this caused Clark to cough indignantly. He had to admit, Yang seemed to be in top form today. The others also had reactions to Yang's statements and actions. Ruby's face was so red you'd think she'd fallen face-first into a vat of tomato paste. She also seemed to be standing stalk still with a slightly glazed look in her eye and Clark was a bit surprised to see steam coming from her nostrils. Blake merely sighed and facepalmed, shaking her head at her partner. Weiss was the most vocal.
"Honestly, Xiao Long! Could you BE any lewder!?"
"Oh, that a challenge, Weiss Cream? Well, I graciously accept," Yang stated to the heiress with a smirk and a tiny wink, causing Weiss to throw her hands up and groan in exasperation at her friend's actions before turning to Clark as she tried to ignore a sniggering Yang.
"Getting back to the topic at hand. What about Team CRDL? Surely they're not getting away unpunished. Especially after what they tried to do to you." Clark noticed Weiss didn't mention the bullying of the Faunus girl which had started the whole thing but decided not to think of it or bring it up right now.
"Believe me, they aren't. Professor Ozpin said once they're out of the infirmary, he and Miss Goodwitch are going to make sure they're punished. They did start the dang thing after all," Clark stated, only to turn upon hearing a snort from Yang.
"Seriously? 'Dang'? You couldn't use the other term, Smallville?" she asked almost incredulously for some reason. She then tapped her chin pensively with her index finger. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've heard you swear since I've known you."
"I just don't like doing it much," Clark said with a shrug before Yang brightened up with a smile that actually made Clark nervous.
"Okay, new plan! I'm gonna teach you swearing! By the time I'm done, in two weeks, you'll be able to make a sailor cry!"
"Yang, do you really think that's the best use-"
"Non-negotiable! Cursing is a must for all Huntsmen and Huntresses!" she proclaimed proudly, placing her hands on her hips in a faux heroic stance.
"Ruby doesn't!" Clark said, pointing to the still catatonic reaper who only now began to stir.
"Huh? What? What happened?" Ruby muttered, seeming a little dumbstruck.
"Ruby is a pure and innocent flower and my baby sister. She's too young to be swearing," Yang cooed, pulling her sister close and stroking her hair gently in an overdramatic motherly manner, smirking all the while as she teased her little sister.
"Wait, why were you guys talking about me? What's going on?" Ruby asked, seemingly very confused as she pushed Yang off her, her cheeks flushing brighter as Yang snickered.
"I meant anyone OUR age should know how to swear," Yang stated with a triumphant look on her face.
"No, they don-"
"AGAIN! Getting back on topic!" Weiss interrupted loudly before taking a deep breath and turning to Clark once again. "So you essentially are not getting any type of true major punishment while CRDL will be getting the boot dropped on them. Is that correct?"
"Well, I can't say for sure what will happen. It's not proper for a headmaster to discuss disciplinary actions with other students. But I THINK I heard him say something to Miss Goodwitch about mandatory anger management counseling and suspension of team privileges." This, of course, was not, strictly speaking, true. Ozpin HAD mentioned this to HIM directly, but it might not be the best to let the campus at large know that Headmaster Ozpin was so comfortable sharing disciplinary actions with another student, even if the said student was involved in the incident.
Yang smirked at that statement. "Boy, now wouldn't THAT be a slight to see. Cardin Winchester in a group to talk about feelings and stuff. I bet he's super emotionally constipated."
"So wait. No detention, no calling of your family?" Ruby said, finally seeming to have caught up on what the conversation was about.
"No, and thank goodness for that. Especially the latter one," Clark said with a frown. "I mean, if Ozpin had called my parents and told them…" Clark felt his stomach clench at the thought. "I'd just hate to disappoint them," he finished evenly.
Yang and Ruby looked confused.
"How could disappointing your parents be worse than making them mad?" Yang asked. "Trust me, I got in trouble at Signal quite a bit and when Dad got a call from the headmaster, he was always PISSED!" She again smiled triumphantly at Clark as if to say, 'Ha! See there? Swearing!' Clark just ignored her.
"Trust me. If you saw my mom disappointed, you'd understand," Clark said in a tone that spoke volumes. As such from the looks they gave each other, the others obviously decided to leave the topic.
"Well, in any case, I have to say, Clark, you seem to have gotten off rather lightly all things considered," Weiss said, casting a glance Clark's way.
"I'm not too sure about that," Blake said, finally speaking up after having been quiet for a bit. The others turned around to see her pulling out her Scroll. "Take a look at this." She then pressed it a few times and one of the videos one of the other students had taken popped up. "There are others, but this one's the most popular. It's just started making the rounds and already has over a hundred-thousand views and counting."
She then started playing the video. Sure enough, it showed Clark and Team CRDL's fight… well, more so CRDL. Clark wasn't really doing much other than what he had done before; standing still, letting them hit him striking back at times. When they got to the part with Cardin punching Clark, he heard Yang snicker.
"Oh, Man! That's HILARIOUS!" she guffawed. "It's like watching a mouse try to beat up on a Goliath Grimm!"
At that, Blake frowned at her as she paused the video "You might think it's amusing, Yang, but many others' reactions are rather... mixed."
That seemed to confuse Clark and the others.
"What do you mean?" Clark asked.
"Well, the video clearly shows you're not initiating the conflict, and it's pretty clear you're not really trying. So it's not surprising discipline was minimal."
"So what's the problem if it shows Cardin and his friends were the ones acting mean?" Ruby asked rather innocently.
"Nothing. It's just that the comments are, well… just look for yourself." She then passed Clark the Scroll and allowed him to view the comments. As Clark's eyes quickly zipped over the words, his chest started feeling more hollow the longer he read.
There were quite a few that supported him, essentially voicing what Weiss had said about CRDL needing a taste of their own medicine, albeit far more… colorfully. It seemed Ozpin was also right when he'd said those who had his kind of power would probably use it for revenge purposes.
Meanwhile, others expressed disgust at the violence shown. They in turn criticized Beacon and Ozpin for allowing something like this to occur on school grounds. In a way, Clark was a bit disappointed this happened too. He'd come to Beacon to learn how to be a Huntsman. Not pick fights and send fellow students to the infirmary. He wished Cardin had just accepted his chances of getting out unscathed, but unfortunately, it had simply escalated.
However, worst of all was that others actually seemed to SUPPORT Cardin and what he said. There were a lot more than Clark would have thought and a great deal more than he would have hoped. He'd hoped the other students here felt the same way he did about protecting and saving those who couldn't protect themselves. He'd also hoped that his fellow students would treat each other with respect since they all supposedly had the same goal. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. From what he could tell, many thought Cardin was right to "put the furry freak in her place," which was one of the lesser offensive writings. Some hoped Cardin and the others got better soon and trounced Clark for his actions. As well as many, many more
What made his heart sink most of all though were the comments that seemed to express fear of him. That questioned how he had dismantled an elite team from Beacon without issue or effort and how they'd seemed unable to move him, let alone harm him.
Words like "freak" or "monster" kept cropping up and Clark felt his face fall. This seemed to confirm a fear he had always held deep in his heart: If this how they reacted to this display, how would the world react if he showed what he was truly capable of? Or if they discovered the truth.
"What's up Smallville?" Yang asked, a tone of concern in her voice that wasn't usually there as she plucked the scroll away. She seemed to take a moment to read the comments. Clark thought he was a small flicker of red in her eyes before she simply scoffed and tossed the scroll back to Blake, who scrambled to catch it before giving her a glower in mild irritation.
"Pfft! Just a bunch of pea-brained ass-hats. Don't listen to any of these clowns," she said waving a hand flippantly.
"Easier said than done," Clark mumbled.
"Clark, people fear what they don't understand. You're exceptional in many different ways, and that creates envy and malice. That's part of the reason some people are sometimes like that. They're jealous of you because you're better than them," Weiss offered coolly.
"But I'm NOT better than anyone!" Clark said almost desperately.
"Not like that, farmboy," she said with a small but kind smile.
Clark of course knew what she meant. He was not "better" than anyone in terms of who he was, his abilities didn't make him any better than anyone else. But it would be downright false to say he didn't excel far beyond everyone else here in most, if not all, practical school applications. His abilities were superior, but that did not make his "better."
"But, some people seem really scared…" Clark said dejectedly.
"Okay. Rule One: Don't read the comments. Some people can just be dicks for stupid reasons like Weiss said. Try not to let it bother you," Yang offered.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Yang," Clark said before giving a grin. "Not so much the language, though," he added a little slyly and Yang simply gave another "Pfft".
"Oh for Pete's sake! Get over it, Mister Golden Boy!" she said with a smirk, causing Clark to chuckle at the jab she'd made toward his anti-swearing statement.
"At any rate, we're glad to have you back," Ruby chirped up. She had been unusually quiet up until that point, and Clark couldn't help but notice the change in her heart-rate.
"Well I'm glad to be back, Ruby," he told her with a smile. He then heard her heart skip again. Was she ill? Her cheeks had certainly been flush for quite some time, and she did seem to be sweating a bit.
"At any rate, you chose a good time to come back," Weiss started.
"I didn't choose to-" he started but she cut him off with a held-up hand.
"Whatever. Anyway, my father just sent me something quite interesting: A new type of Dust. One the market hasn't seen before," she said almost cockily.
"Well, that was nice of him," Ruby said kindly. However, Weiss merely scoffed.
"Hardly. He wants me to test this for him but refuses to say as much."
"Isn't that rather unethical?" Blake asked. Again, Weiss seemed flippant.
"Of course it is! My father may be many things, but stupid isn't one of them. He knows this is a safe product." She then paused for a second before reiterating her statement. "Well, safe enough, but he wants practical information before marketing. Unfortunately for him, the amount of red tape before he can officially enter that phase is 'troublesome,'" She emphasized the word with air quotes with her fingers.
"So why help him?" Ruby asked and Weiss actually laughed at this.
"HELP him? Please! That man is a...well, he's a..." she paused for a moment and seemed to recompose herself and cleared her throat with a small cough before continuing. While she did that, Clark looked to Yang with a triumphant grin of his own that seemed to say, 'Ha! See there? NOT swearing!' Yang just stuck her tongue out childishly, Clark just rolled his eyes, grinning all the same.
"Ahem. Well, at any rate, this is something I can use to my and our benefit. Also, to put it frankly, I don't really care what his intentions are," Weiss finished confidently. This seemed to pique a few interests.
"Well? What is it, Weiss?" Ruby almost squealed in excitement.
"Yes, do tell," Blake added, her intrigue now apparent. At this, Weiss looked almost smug.
"Well, I suppose I COULD tell you. Given you ARE my teammates and all," she said a little coyly as she pulled a vial from a side pouch on her combat skirt and produced a small vial filled with a bright green powder that almost seemed to have a luminescent glow. "It's called Entropy Dust," she offered a little cockily.
"Well, what's it do?! Come on Tellustellustellustellustelluuuuuuussss!" Ruby asked as she bounced up and down like a jackhammer, her curiosity and excitement barely concealed or contained. Weiss however seemed to enjoy the aura of curiosity she'd generated and she seemed to consider telling them or not.
"For cryin' out loud! Quit playin' coy and just tell us it does already, Schnee!" Yang said in a stern, but playful, tone. Weiss let out a sigh.
"Can't let me have a little fun," she said with mock disappointment before holding the small vial up for all of them to see. It was just under four inches long and no larger in diameter than Clark's thumb.
"Not a whole lot there," Blake said matter of factly as she leaned in to look at it, her face slightly bathed in a green glow from the mineral. "How can you possibly do any damage with only THAT much. Any amount of Dust THAT size could cause a small jolt or a first-degree burn perhaps, but not enough to cause any real damage to Grimm or Aura."
"THAT'S the amazing thing about this; you don't NEED a lot," Weiss said before her smug face faded as she seemed to become far more serious. " It doesn't appear to do much of anything on its own, but this Dust when combined with other types will exponentially increase the speed of the chemical reaction of other Dust as well as the potency of said reaction. A single grain of this could essentially turn one of Yang's explosive rounds into an artillery strike that could level a five-story building," she said coolly.
At that, everyone else was silent. They all seemed to be struggling with trying to come to grips with the fact that there was something out there that could cause that much damage. Clark in particular started feeling queasy for some reason. He'd honestly never felt like it before. To know there was something as potentially destructive as him in the form of this Dust, which anyone could use if they got their hands on it, was a horrifying thought.
"Holy shit," Yang murmured, not even bothering to tease Clark about it as she moved closer to examine it.
"What's more, the increase in effect is directly proportional to the amount of Entropy used," Weiss continued seriously.
At that, Blake looked up at Weiss, her golden eyes narrowing and her bow seeming to once again flatten slightly. "Do you realize the implications of this?" Blake said, her voice icy. "You are potentially holding enough Dust in the palm of your hand to destroy a city," her voice was steady and cold.
"Of course I know that!" Weiss snapped. "That's why I'm going to be feeding my father bad data on this. If this stuff went to market, the Schnee Dust Company would become a world power unto itself, and that's an amount of power I CANNOT trust my father with," she said seriously. She then looked down at the Dust vial. "He's already caused enough damage for so many. I'm not about to let him cause anymore."
Hearing that, Blake's bow sprung up again and she looked almost dumbstruck.
"Weiss, are… Are you serious about that?" she asked in an almost soft voice.
"Dead serious," Weiss confirmed.
Blake stared at her for a little while longer before she smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "In that case, that's something to be proud of. You'd go against your family, to do what's right, I'm impressed," she said kindly.
"Well, I've changed, I'm not who I used to be when I first came here. Before, I came off as a rather uncaring and seemed to be a spoiled brat."
"Because you were," Yang piped up, causing Weiss to glare at her.
"Yes, yes. So I want to do as much as I can now to prove I'm different now, and that includes keeping dangerous and volatile things like THIS out of the hands of someone like my father." She then smirked. "Besides, any opportunity I have to piss him off, the better."
"Ha HA! So the Ice Princess CAN swear!" Yang cheered in triumph, causing Weiss to roll her eyes and Blake to take her hand off her shoulder and cover her mouth to keep her small chuckle suppressed.
"So do we get to test it out?!" Ruby asked eagerly, practically hopping in excitement.
"Well, of course, why else would I show it to you?" Weiss deadpanned. "We'll do a test run this weekend, but you'll only get one shot at first. This stuff is valuable you know."
Blake then held out her hand as if to say 'May I?' and Weiss gently laid the vial in the opened palm. Blake then lifted the Entropy Dust vial to gaze at it again. "Speaking of, where exactly DID your father find something like this? I seriously doubt that it could simply be found in one of the SDC's Dust mines."
In answer, Weiss simply shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not too sure. I tried gleaning some information from him when he called but he clammed up fast. Barely said anything of importance. All I could gather was that one of the expedition teams he'd sent found it somewhere in the wildlands of Solitas and sent as much as they could to him. There was apparently a lot. Too much to be sent at once. Perhaps in some area that had specific conditions for it to form."
"I don't care if it was found in an old lady's shoe!" Yang said with a feral grin, slamming her fists together as her eyes turned red. "If this stuff is as mad strong as you say, Weiss, then I'm DEFINITELY gonna enjoy this! This is an opportunity others would KILL for and WE'RE gonna be the ones to do it!"
"Team RWBY Entropy Dust Testers! YAY!" Ruby cheered enthusiastically causing the other three to laugh.
As the girls talked about this exciting new development and possibilities it provided, one person however was not joining in. Clark found himself backing up slightly until he was away from the Dust's almost sickly green glow. While the others had been talking, Clark had begun to feel the feelings of nervousness and the sickness in him increased. He'd thought nothing of it at first but the moment he had moved closer to examine this new Dust, he had felt his heart rate rise, his skin starting to become clammy and his head seemed to start to spin. It was then Clark knew that this wasn't just nerves or simple fear and he'd quickly and silently backed away while the others were distracted. He'd NEVER felt anything like that before in his life! It almost felt as though he were… sick. Something he'd never been in all his years. Even more, he almost felt… weak just by looking at it. As if this Dust was sapping his energy just by being in its proximity. The crystal around his neck even seemed to thrum against his chest. He gently placed a hand on it and then pulled away upon realizing it was warm to the touch. He then chanced a look at the Dust vial in Blake's hand and he shuddered. He had a bad feeling about this discovery. This "Entropy Dust" was dangerous no doubt, but he had a feeling it was to an extent nobody had any idea of.