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"What am I going to do with you four?" I asked team RYPP collectively. I sat behind my desk in my office and stared over it at where they stood in a line. They said nothing. "Seriously. I am open to suggestions."
"Uh you could give us a high-five parade and a medal. We did beat up on criminals," Peach suggested.
"Bar security. And you all instigated it," I went on. "Was it worth it?"
"There were illegal substances being used. I couldn't just do nothing," Yuma protested.
"Why not?"
"Why not?" She repeated. "Because it's illegal. That's why."
"But why does Yuma Kisaragi of Beacon Academy have to be the one to do something about it? When you fought this evening you called not just your own mentalities into question but also the standing of this institution."
Silence met me. I stared out at the girls.
"Why were you at Junior's this evening?" I pressed further.
"We went out to have a good time is all. It didn't go as planned," Peach sighed.
"You know about Junior?" Rosé asked.
"I've met with him."
"You did? Why didn't you do something about him?"
"If I wanted Junior off the streets or dead he would be," I intoned firmly.
"What?" Yuma demanded.
"Consider that just maybe I know something you don't. Consider that he's more useful to people like me where he is right now. Maybe we don't like the raggedy cat but it keeps the rats off the street. If Junior didn't have power somebody else would. This is the reality of our world. And you know what? It's not your job to take down every criminal in Vale. Especially on Beacon's authority."
"You just told me that you're not willing to do anything. I am," Yuma countered. "I'm the only one willing to take action."
"Don't be so arrogant. All you've done is take reckless, pointless action. Should I kill Junior or take him off the streets? Who would take his place? Would they work with law enforcement or resist? It's an unknown factor. Junior has proven that he's susceptible to a certain kind of pressure. He works with the law sometimes. Yes, he also deals drugs and in return we look the other way because the alternative could be worse."
"You just let him commit crimes, then."
"You're not getting it. Someone will always deal drugs. It's better that they be willing to work with us. Drug trafficking is a problem that won't be solved by taking down Junior and his club. It's not a matter of power or I could end it. People have the freedom to choose and some of them choose drugs and breaking the law. And it is absolutely impossible to round them up and take them in."
"So we should just give up?" Yuma demanded.
"We do what we can. When we can. We try to give people alternatives to hardcore drugs. We set up clinics but that's a job for medical teams. Not you. You protect humanity and the faunus from monsters. Grimm and men qualify at times both."
"Like you killed Raven Branwen," Rosé pointed out. She nodded her head a display case with a revolver handle and series of dust blades inside.
"Exactly like that. People like Raven Branwen and other mass murderers are our enemies. Junior is not in that category. We need people like him to find such murderers and stop them. That's our business. That's what we do. We sometimes have to work with petty thugs to make that shit happen. Am I being clear with you?"
"Not really. How do you make the distinction?" Yuma wondered.
"We pick our battles. And we don't start fights with civilians in crowded bars. We pick when and where we confront the monsters that plague civilization. We have to be careful when we do it. When I fought Raven Branwen I had to fight her in the middle of a town and the buildings suffered for it. But I had to take my shot at her and give her a shot at me. I would rather have fought her in the wilderness but I didn't get to choose the battlefield. I had to play into her hands. That's a problem. There are other killers I'm using criminal contacts to keep an eye out for who are more dangerous than Junior and the Malachites. I would like to find them and confront them on my terms before they kill more. I can't do that without eyes to see. My semblance doesn't let me track my enemies down easily. It helps me kill things when I confront them. I know my limits. You need to realize yours."
"So I just do nothing? That's what you want?" Yuma still seemed furious.
"You can't take down all the druggies in Vale. You just can't. And you can't start fights against civilians. That's a problem. We have a great deal of power and we have to be regulated. Let the normal cops and hospitals tackle minor thugs and drug addicts. That's their job. They don't need little huntresses getting involved. When hunters do get involved things escalate. Like bringing in nuclear weapons to fight a small battle. It's too much and your pay grade is above those things now. It's not Beacon's jurisdiction. It's not yours either. Am I finally understood, Miss Kisaragi?"
She was glaring at me but she gave a little nod.
"All of you have detention with me. Every Friday for the next two months. Separately."
"Aw come on," Peach protested.
"I don't want to hear it. You dragged Beacon into local police affairs. Something has to be done. You attacked people who were just doing their jobs with hunter levels of force. You escalated things beyond even regular lethal levels. You have power. You need to recognize that and be regulated. You have to know when it's appropriate to use your abilities and weapons. I'm no different. Think of how much chaos there would be if every hunter had your willingness to use their power. A lot of people would get hurt and in the past a lot of people have gotten hurt by rogue hunters. The more power you have the more temperance you need. I brought out my full power against Raven Branwen and other similar threats and I haven't at any other time. And that's for good reason. I don't need to and I shouldn't do it. I could kill Junior and all the Malachites but I shouldn't. That would be letting things get out of hand. And now, because of you four, things have gotten out of hand."
"I think we understand. It won't happen again. Right guys?" Rosé tagged.
"No sir," Pine muttered.
"No," Peach said.
"I get it," Yuma looked down at the floor.
"Good. The three of you backed up your teammates which was admirable but you should have considered surrendering. Sometimes the best way to win is to not fight. That's a hard lesson as well. Now why don't you all get to your dorm. It's getting pretty late. I'll see you all again come Monday. You're dismissed."
They shuffled out of my office and I watched them go out the door. I sighed. I hadn't wanted to do that. There were unwritten rules to the world though that needed to be comprehended by future huntresses. Ruby had involved herself in local criminals like Roman Torchwick during her time at Beacon. That was a little different because Roman Torchwick had a hunter background. That put him within Beacon's jurisdiction as well as any other group of hunters. She still shouldn't have gotten involved and I didn't want that for team RYPP. They needed to stay out of it and now I needed to run damage control. It was a problem back then and it was a problem now.
I had to intervene somehow. They just weren't ready. No matter how much they thought they were. And I didn't want them to be like me when I had brought my power to bear against anyone and everyone in my way. I had been speaking from experience when I talked about rogue hunters. I had been one. I still was in a lot of ways. I never wanted them to be in that situation even though they probably would have to kill before they retired. I could shield them a little. So I should. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
They hadn't set out for trouble but they had found it. That was a problem. Besides, I was such a drug addict. Imagine them really discovering that. I didn't need them crusading against every single addict in Vale. And even though three of them had only been supporting Yuma the way that they did it was all wrong.
I reached down beside me and scratched my dog's head. I got up from behind my desk and made my way to my own dorm. It was later than it usually was when I went to bed and I was tired. I didn't look forward to my dreams but I had to sleep. In a lot of ways sleep was a trap. Nobody knows what it really is but you die without it. Sounds like a trap to me. Whoever was running this shitshow for real wanted people and animals to sleep for some reason. That reason scared me. That was a good and a bad thing. The more afraid I was the better my resistance to Mother was. But on the other hand it also just left me scared and so unbelievably tired. It was a real problem for me and tonight I had a host of other worries regarding some of my favorite students. They got in over their heads tonight and I hoped that with detention they would learn their lesson but there was always the chance I would impart the wrong thing.
Teaching was so much more and so much harder than just lessons. I was unprepared for what it really meant and nothing else could ever get me ready for it. I was shepherding these kids' future without knowing what it really looked like. I had no idea what wisdom I was supposed to share and what to hold back. But every mistake I made could cost a student their life. I was blind, or may as well have been. If only I had some sort of thinker power I could see the right way to do things. But I didn't. I had no way of knowing if I was making the right choices.
I could only do my best and hope it was more than good enough.
I took issue with that.
I walked into my dorm, unlocking it with a key. There was a leather sofa and loveseat in a small den around a glass screen. There was a small kitchenette with a counter, fridge, stove, oven, and table with four seats. I wasn't sure why I needed more than two seats or so much space. The only other person I had shared meals with in here was Neo when she would stop by for sparring sessions and chats. One way chats, that was. There was a large window behind the table that looked out over the emerald forest. It was scenic but I paid such things little attention. By the table there were two dog bowls, one for water and one for food, and a small doggy bed.
Red walked over and took a drink before laying down in his bed. I supposed that I should follow his example.
There was a full bathroom near the bedroom with a shower bath combination and I made use of it to clean myself off before bed. The bed was queen sized and comfortable. It was the largest bed I had ever owned in my life. That didn't say much. I hadn't been alive long or had very large beds.
I crawled into it and fell dizzyingly to sleep.
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Sunday I had little to do. I took my run through the emerald forest with my dog. I lifted weights. I refused to let any existential dread sink in. I composed and received a letter to Ruby and Weiss.
Dear Ruby and Weiss,
A have some problem students. They actually remind me so much of your team. It's startling sometimes, even. They got into trouble attacking local criminals and going above and beyond the call of duty. Sound familiar? Maybe I'm just reading into things.
I miss you both. I struggle with myself. I lecture my students about overcoming themselves but I haven't either. It's an uphill conquest to beat me and I'm going down fighting. I keep to a rigid routine here at Beacon. It helps in my war against my mother.
I train my dog and any student that comes to me. I always make the time. Someday the lessons I teach them will be put to the test in the field and I have to hope for their sake that I did enough. Can I ever do enough. Doing good enough isn't sufficient. There are lives on the line and they depend on me. You both know how fallible I am and what the cost of my failures are. I would pray for something, anything, but the gods don't listen.
The good I try and do is threatened with erasure. Are sins ever truly forgiven? I can only hope to do as well as I am able. I wish for the strength to stand.
Yours with love,
Cloud Strife
Then I read their letter to me.
Dear Cloud,
Weiss wrote the last one. So this time it's my turn. I love you, Cloud. Don't ever forget that. Weiss does too. In her own way. You know how she is. She just has to be all cool but she's mushy inside. Trust me. She's mushy for you. It's a thing.
I worry about you a lot and miss you with each passing day. You know I only want the best for you. I'm pretty sure that Weiss and I are it. But you still left. I know why you felt like you had to leave but you took a piece of me with you as you went. It hurts and I want you back. Promise me that you'll return to me soon and that we will see each other again, won't you?
Weiss reminds me to be patient but it's so hard. I hate waiting. Especially if you're really dying. And then there's nothing I can do about it and it hurts so bad I feel like I'm the one dying. Come back to me, Cloud. Let me hold you again.
I had an interesting conversation with Penny. You two remind me of one another sometimes. I was her first friend too. Not just yours. Isn't that strange for you both to have that in common as well as your artificial origins? I thought so.
She often talks about Salem hacking your mind. Her perspective is very helpful to me. You know that you're not alone.
Now you and Weiss both work for academies. I wonder if I'll be next. Anything is possible and Weiss says that I would be an energetic instructor if nothing else. She always likes to tease me. Now without you here she bullies me relentlessly. It's so unfair. What if I wanted to tease one of you? When will it be my turn? Maybe I'm a touch selfish because I want it all. You know that, don't you? I have big dreams and bigger expectations and I know you can provide. That's a selfish dream but it's mine. Don't you know that you're allowed to be a little selfish regarding me as well. But just a little.
Sometimes I think you really want to see us laughing at your body floating down the river but I'm not laughing.
Selfishly yours,
Ruby and Weiss.
I put their letter with my other on a bookshelf in my room by my bed. I didn't have many possessions. I wasn't materialistic. But I treasured those small letters.
Then Neo stopped by and we trained for a bit in one of the rings in the gym. We were both sweaty from the work of it by the time we finished so we hit up the showers. Not together of course.
I wasn't sure how Neo felt about being pardoned. She liked crime. When we met up again outside the locker rooms we had a brief chat about it.
"Just don't get caught from here on and you should be good," I told her. "I'm not asking you to stop. Just don't let them catch you. I'm in the same boat. And I suppose I had better find out who took over Roman's old place in the hierarchy. Someone new must have moved in. We'll swing by Junior's and figure out what's what. Unless you want to do something else."
She pantomimed drinking.
"Yeah we can party a little too. No real reason not to. I mean I have work tomorrow but I should be fine."
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-WG
