Judges and Huntsmen
Chap 5
Stepping into the med bay, we had the med-judges take us into our own rooms before examining us. After about twenty minutes of examining us, the med-judges let us out without any problem. Though they did say for me to take it easy and no heavy lifting. And just take some rest for Crystal. They also, after a bit of arguing, gave us the pain killers for the headache that was about to come our way. Speaking of which, they are almost here.
"Come on Crystal. Let's get some coffee before the students get here." I told her. She nodded and walked past me a bit to be in the front. Though, I did not miss the fact that she had a light blush on her face.
'Probably a joke the med-judge told her.' I thought as I sped up my walk to catch her.
We walked back to our office and took off our normal armor and changed if for off-duty light armor. Something that the Hall of Justice demands that every off-duty Judge wear when going out. Some might consider us paranoid for doing this, but when you remember that you have many sectors full of criminals who want you dead, it makes perfect sense to wear it. Once we had it on, I went over to the table to start making some coffee. After a few minutes, the coffee was done making. I poured some in a cup and handed it to Crystal before pouring my own.
"Thanks. She said grabbing her coffee.
"No problem." I replied before getting my own and taking a sip from it.
"Hey Jaune." Crystal asked getting my attention.
"Yes Crystal?" I asked turning to her.
"Do you ever wonder what it's like to settle down with a person?" She asked. This caught me by surprise.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, do you ever wonder what it's like to be in a relationship? You know, with some you love and care for?" She clarified.
"Not really Crystal. Mainly because I was always focused on my duty as a Judge that I haven't given it much thought. But I guess it would be nice to enter a relationship with someone you love." I answered. "Why do you ask?"
"It was because I-" She began only to be cut off when the comms went live.
'Judge Jaune.' The voice said.
"Copy." I answered.
'The Chief Justice wants you and Judge Crystal to report to the front as our guests have arrived.' The voice said.
"Copy. We are on our way." I said before the comms went off. Looking back to Crystal, I saw that she had a sad look on her face for some reason. "Come on Crystal. We can finish this later. Let's go give the students a proper welcome."
"Right. Lead the way." She said with a smile that I could easily tell that was forced. She then put on her helmet and holstered her Lawgiver while I did the same. Opening the door, we made our way to the front of the Hall of Justice where we saw the Chief Justice was waiting for us. Getting there, we also saw that Dredd and Anderson were there as well.
"Ah, good. You're both here. Judge Angelica is parking their transport and will be coming in with our guests any moment now. Let us quickly go over their punishment." Rebecca said bringing up her tablet and pulling up the plans.
"Good idea." Crystal agreed. "Best if we are all on the same page."
"Okay. Their punishment shall last both today and tomorrow. Today they will run a simulation course of the entire Peach Trees incident. Then tomorrow they will go through the senior judge training regimen the whole day with minimal rest. Any questions?" Rebecca asked after going through the student's punishment.
"Yes. Since their punishment will last today and tomorrow, where will they stay for the night?" Anderson asked.
"I have arranged for them to stay here. It would be inefficient if we were to fly them back to Vale and then back here the next day. Not to mention, we do not have the resources to do so as we are still spread thin. Which is another reason as to why I arranged for them to stay here. While they could check into a hotel, it is too dangerous for them to do so since the crime rate went up. Making here the only logical choice." Rebecca answered.
"How about food? Will we be providing that as well will they go out to one of the restaurants or malls?" Crystal asked.
"Yes. We will be providing that as well. Like I said before, it is too risky for them to go out and eat. Normally we would have a judge or two escort them but we need every judge on the streets." Rebecca answered. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. Why did we need to know that you captured a criminal?" Dredd asked.
"Thought you might want to know that it was Kay. The same Kay that was part of the Peach Trees incident and captured Anderson. He somehow survived losing his arm and led the attack on Vale yesterday." I answered. "Figured you two might want to "talk to him" now that he is captured and in the Iso-Cube." This caused both Dredd and Anderson to tense up. Presumably in anger.
"We'll be back later." Dredd said as he and Anderson left us. Presumably to go and visit Kay. Once they were out of ear shot Crystal spoke up.
"They are going to visit Kay. Aren't they?" She asked.
"Pretty much." I answered. She then smiled before continuing.
"Twenty-five bucks says Kay doesn't live to see tomorrow." She said with a smirk.
"Twenty-five? Fifty says he won't see the end of the day." I told her. Only for us to both freeze when Rebecca stared us down.
"I am disappointed in both of you. You both know that gambling and betting is not allowed in the Hall of Justice." She said with an ice-cold tone. "And besides, I would have gone at lot bigger. One hundred says he will lose control of himself the moment he sees them." She continued with a smirk. We all laughed at this. It was honestly refreshing to have joke like this in stressful times. However, before we could continue to lighten the tension, the cause for it walked through the doors.
"Here they are." I said once I saw the students come through the doors led by Judge Angelica.
"Chief Justice mam. I brought the guests as you requested." She said once she reached us and saluted Rebecca.
"Thank you, Judge Angelica." Rebecca said with a nod.
"You're welcome Chief Justice." She said before turning to face me. "I'm free later cutie if you want some fun time." She said with a purr before leaving. I groaned at this but was unable to say anything as I felt the tension grew to unbearable levels. Looking back up, I saw that it was coming from the students and Crystal.
"Now." Rebecca said facing the students and getting their attention. "Welcome to the Hall of Justice everyone."
"Thank you for inviting us." Glynda replied.
"This place is MASSIVE!" Ruby said astonished looking around and seeing all the judges going to and coming from their patrols.
"Thats cause this Hall of Justice of sector thirteen houses roughly eight thousand Judges." Rebecca explained with a light chuckle at seeing Ruby's astonished look.
"Thats essentially enough to invade any kingdom, isn't it?" Weiss accused.
"Take it as you may, but unlike your father and General Ironwoods, we are not here for the money or power. Not to mention, this will be your last reminder that you all are still under special attention of the Hall of Justice and we can execute you at any moment." Rebecca warned with a glare. Weiss seemed like she was about to do something but a glare from nearly every nearby Judge made her quiet down and shrink away.
"I apologize for her behavior. She shall continue to be punished when we return. Now, will you please remind me what is their punishment again?" Glynda asked.
"They will be going through a simulation of the Peach Trees incident today. And tomorrow they will go through the training regimen of the Senior Judges." Rebecca answered.
"Chief Justice?" Crystal asked getting her attention.
"Yes. What is it Judge Crystal?" She asked.
"I know why Team Rwby and Team Npr are here since they are getting punished. But what about the third team? And how about the second professor? Is she here for supervision of the students or something else?" Crystal asked.
"Yes, I forgot to inform both of you. After looking at the reports of the classes we taught, I found out that Team Cfvy has proved themselves to be ahead of the others and are not blind like some of the other students. They are also aware of the dangers that come with their profession and actually train to be able to face the dangers. I offered them a few classes to further their knowledge in field medicine but also in tactical awareness. As for the professor, she actually surprised us on how quickly and effortlessly she took to our medical gear. When we asked how she was so familiar with it, she explained that she used to be a medical researcher and field operator before becoming a teacher at Beacon. Once we learned that, we offered her to come here and learn more of our medical gear and practices so she could use them when a student gets hurt at Beacon." Rebecca explained.
"Makes sense. They did prove themselves more than the other teams, so it wouldn't hurt if they furthered their knowledge with some of our classes. And it would be wise to have at least one of the professors be proficient in our gear in case something happens." Crystal agreed.
"Now, if you will all follow me. We can get their punishment underway." Rebecca said before motioning them to follow her.
Nodding, we all began to follow her. As we made our way to the simulation room, we could not help but smirk a bit as the students had awe struck expression as they saw more of the Hall of Justice. And honestly, it was better than them staring at me wondering if I was their Jaune. About another ten minutes passed by and we finally made it to the simulation room. We motioned for Team Rwby and Team Npr to go through the door into the simulation room while we took the other door that will take us up one floor to the observation room. Getting there, I began to input the commands to bring up the proper event while Rebecca took the mic and began to explain how it will work to the two teams.
"Okay. You will all go through this simulation which is a recreation of the event known as the Peach Trees incident. Your goal is to get to the top of the place as that is where the leader is. Take her out and you will complete the simulation." Rebecca explained to them.
'Three...Two...One.' I thought waiting for their response.
"Thats it? This will be easy." Yang said with a cocky smile as she readied her gauntlets. Her voice coming from the speakers in the observation room allowing us to hear everything they say.
'There it is.' I thought with a sigh as I knew she was going to say that. 'Their cockiness and naivety will get either themselves or others killed.'
Soom the room got dark and a moment later the lights came back on. However, the room changed. The simulation started and now it showed them in Peach Trees right after that poor man got killed by the blast shield. Right after that, the PA system came went live. And Ma-Ma's voice came through. Giving the same chilling message to all the people of Peach Trees. Telling every member of every clan of every floor to hunt them down. I could still hear the footsteps to this day as if I was there again. From time to time, I still had nightmares of this place. It is not a pleasant memory. Feeling a squeeze on my hand, I turned to look to see that Crystal gave my hand a small squeeze to let me know that I was here and that she was with me. Anchoring me from going back into those memories. Smiling, I squeezed her hand back. Though as I did, I heard some small growling come from nearby. But before I could look, Rebecca went to the mic to begin the simulation.
"Begin." She said starting the simulation.
Each of us then walked up to the glass to better see how both teams do. At first, they were confused as they had no idea what is going on. Which is understandable as they had no idea about anything going on. So, we gave them a little push in the right direction. After that, they then began to converse on what they should do and how to do it. Which only led them to getting hurt. As they took too long to plan and were ambushed by some of the clan members and did not pay attention to their surroundings which caused them to be unable to react in time.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" They shouted in pain as the gang shot at them. They all fell down after a moment with the holograms going away.
"Wait. THOSE WERE REAL?!" Glynda exclaimed panicked at what just happened.
"No. They were not." Crystal replied casually.
"Then why did they feel pain and scream like that?" Peach asked.
"Thats a feature of the simulation room. Where you will feel the pain of the shot and explosives that hit you. It was added a while ago to make reminded Judges of the pain and consequences that would follow if they are not careful." Rebecca explained.
"That is certainly an interesting and useful feature. Though we would prefer to have a warning the next time this happens." Peach said with a glare.
"Your right. I do apologize for that." Rebecca said apologizing.
"Are you sure they aren't hurt?" Coco asked suddenly getting our attention. We looked back down and saw they were still on the ground holding the parts of their bodies that hurt the most.
"They are fine. It is most likely the shock of not seeing it coming. They will be up in a minute." Crystal answered. And true to her word, both teams were up after a few minutes. More shocked than angry. At the surprise pain at least.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Weiss screamed.
"A reminder of what can happen if you are not careful and the consequences that can follow. Be glad it was just a simulation and not a real fight." Rebecca answered. "Now you will start again. And you will keep doing this simulation over and over again until you complete it or until we deem enough." The students groaned before the simulation started up again and repeated itself.
"Begin." Rebecca said starting the simulation again.
The students this time quickly looked around for cover before heading to the med center like they were supposed to. It was going fine for the first few minutes and soon were on floor fifteen and would soon reach the med center on level twenty-five. So far there was no fighting. But that changed when the sounds of steps and shouting came from above and below them. Knowing that they were going to be surrounded soon, they quickly went back-to-back to be able to fight the gangs on both sides. And it worked for the most part. They did get hurt by a few bullets from the gangs. Nothing too much aside from the excruciating pain they felt. Shaking it off and allowing their aura to lessen the pain, the continued on their way. Though, we did shake our head at them not making sure the gang members were actually incapacitated. For they could as easily fake it and once they pass, get their gun and fire at them. Soon they reached level twenty-five where the med center was located. Only to stop short of it as they saw twelve gang members there all armed and waiting for them.
"Chief Justice." Someone said behind us. Turning around, we saw that it was a Med-Judge.
"Med-Judge Michael. What beings you here?" Rebecca asked.
"Here for the guests and the professor we are supposed to teach. The room and equipment are all set up." Michael answered.
"Yes. Thank you." Rebecca said before turning to Team Cfvy and Peach. "Please follow him. He will take you to the correct room where we can further your knowledge." They nodded and left following Med-Judge Michael. Though, irritatingly at how repetitive it's getting, not before casting a look at me. Specifically, my badge and wondering if it was actually me. Watching them close the door, I had to resist the urge to sigh in irritation. However, before I could do so, pained screaming drew our attention and we quickly moved back to the glass to see what happened. Team Rwby and Team Npr were again on the floor defeated. At least they managed to take out most of the gang members as only one was left standing and looked like he was struggling not to fall down.
"What happened?" Crystal asked.
"They begin to quickly converse on how to deal with them but then got to arguing. Loudly at that. Drawing the attention of the enemy who then began to fire at them. I know they are still young, immature and inexperienced in many fields, but I had sincerely hoped they would have at least enough common sense to know not to argue when enemies are nearby and to act and think quickly." Glynda answered disappointed at the two team's performance.
"If they cannot agree to work together and put aside any differences, then it would best if they were not allowed to continue as huntsmen in training. As if they do continue, they will simply endanger themselves and are more likely to lose their lives." Rebecca said shaking her head before inputting some command to restart the simulation.
"I feel the same. As much as I don't want to deny them the ability to follow their dreams, I do not want any more lives to be needlessly lost. And if it means to deny them what they want to do with their lives then so be it." Glynda agreed. The simulation was ready to start again and the students found themselves back at the beginning.
"Hey. What gives? We already completed this part. Why make us do it again?" Yang asked angry while wincing in pain. Before Rebecca could answer however, Crystal took the mic.
"Did you expect a checkpoint? A spot where you can resupply ammo for your weapons and dust? THIS IS NOT A GAME! YOU GET ONLY ONE CHANCE IN LIFE! NOW STOP COMPLAINING AND DO THE SIMULATION!" Crystal answered pissed. This caused both teams to quiet down at this. Though they did look like they were about to try and argue but the harsh glare Glynda sent their way stopped them.
"Aside from that outburst from Judge Crystal, she is right. You only have one chance in life. And if you are not careful, you will lose it. Now, again." Rebecca said confirming what Crystal just said. And before any could protest, or even think about protesting, the simulation began again. Both teams sighed and began to go through it again.
"Judge Crystal." Rebecca said getting her attention.
"Yes Mam." Crystal responded.
"I understand why you did that. And where you are coming from. But please, in the future, exercise more control." Rebecca told her.
"Understood mam." Crystal replied albeit nervously. Noticing this, I stepped up and placed my hand on her shoulder. She turned to me and smiled before placing her hand on mine.
"Good. Now let's continue to watch the students' performance." Rebecca said before turning to watch the students again.
I was honestly torn as I watched them go through the simulation again and again. On one hand I wanted it to stop as they were constantly getting shot and hurt and having to restart as a result of them being careless. But on the other hand, I knew they had to go through with this. Not just because it is their punishment but to show them how it will be once they actually get into a fight in the streets and what we have to face on a daily basis. Sighing, I looked back down and winced when they failed again and got shot up again. This went on for the next couple of hours. Where the furthest they got was the level were me, Anderson and Dredd learned about the elevator from the wife of the dead gang member that tried to kill us in front of the med center. Only to fail as when the exited the room, they failed to check to see if it was clear and bumped into the gang members patrolling the hallway. Shaking our heads, we were about to restart the simulation when we noticed the time. They started the simulation at about eleven a.m. Now it was three p.m. Meaning it was lunch time. Turning to face each other, we nodded in agreement and Rebecca took the mic while I turned off the simulation.
"Alright. That is enough for now. Get up and head to the door. It is time for a small lunch break before you go again." Rebecca told them. To which we heard them collectively sigh before getting up and heading to the door. We made sure everything was secure before we headed down to meet the two teams. Opening the door, both teams stumbled out still a bit sore and in pain.
"How was it?" Crystal asked with a smirk.
"OH, I'LL SHOW YOU HOW IT WAS!" Yang screamed pissed with her eyes now red. She raised her arm and was about to punch Crystal but stopped when she noticed I had my Lawgiver already pointed at her. Ready to pull the trigger and drop her dead. She sighed and lowered her arm yet her eyes stayed red.
"It was terrible and painful." Blake said after a moment while adjusting the bow on her head.
"Let that be a motivation to do better once you start the simulation again in a little bit. Now, follow us to the cafeteria to get some lunch. Afterwards you will come back here to continue." Rebecca told them before turning around leading us to the cafeteria.
They at first seemed hesitant but quickly made up their minds and followed us. As we made our way to the cafeteria, I could not help but notice the heated glares the students sent our way. But it was severely undermined as they could not help but also be in awe at what they saw as we walked through the Halls of Justice. Eventually we made it to the cafeteria but not before picking up Team Cfvy and Peach from the Med-Judges that were teaching them. Once we picked them up and were in the cafeteria, we were met up with Dredd and Anderson who were looking pretty pissed. Well Anderson was looking pissed and Dredd always looked like that. Grabbing our food, we went to an empty table and sat down and began to eat our food.
"How was the class Peach and Team Cfvy?" Glynda asked them after we started eating our food. Which mainly consisted of a small salad and some chicken. Or in the case of Ren and Blakes tray, some fish.
"Informative. Their advancements in the medical field are none like I have seen before. They can single handily care for a massive amount of people easily and heal some of the most gruesome and near lethal wounds I have seen very quickly." Peach exclaimed amazed at we have which caused us to chuckle a bit.
"Which begs the questions, what caused them to have all this and do we actually want to know what they face and do we want to be a part of it?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"It was to help our injured Judges get back into the field quicker and heal them better." Rebecca answered.
"And no. No, you don't want to know nor be a part of what we face." Anderson added. The students and two professors looked at each other for a moment before agreeing with that,
"Speaking of which." Crystal said getting our attention. "How did your meeting with Kay go?" At this, both Anderson and Dredd tensed up.
"Well, before Dredd here caused Kay to pass out from fear, I did manage to find out what the clan was doing there and what was the dust they had for." Anderson answered.
"What did they plan to use it for?" Rebecca asked.
"Mainly for more narcotics. They have been experimenting with the small amount of dust supplies that normally goes through the sector and tried to make some form of narcotics from them. But that is mainly for the fire and ice dust. The combustion dust is another story. They are using that to try and make crude explosives in the forms of mines and breaching explosives." Anderson answered.
"Did you managed to get a location?" Crystal asked.
"Yes. The current temporary base of the Ma-Ma clan is located near the edge of sector thirteen. Bordering on the edge of the city and SternHammer territory. Their base is disguised as a laundromat/carwash place. But where they are located is underneath. Fortunately, from what I could gather, they are still a mess and are still recovering. Dredd and I are planning on raiding the place after this." Anderson answered.
"Good. Will you require extra support?" Rebecca asked.
"No." Dredd answered quickly and sternly.
"Very well." Rebecca said as we went back to our meal. It was mostly silent with the occasional sound of chewing some crunchy food or Judges coming to get their food or putting their trays away. Soon we were finished with our meals and placed our trays away.
"Alright, back to your punishment." Rebecca said and lead us back to the simulation room.
The students like they were about to groan but a glare from Dredd and Glynda caused them to freeze and hurry up. Along the way, we dropped off Team Cfvy and Peach back to the Med-Judge to continue teaching them. A few minutes after that we were back at the simulation room. They students walked in and prepared themselves. We went up to observation room and began the simulation again. Inputting the commands, the simulation started up and the students were once again doing it. They did slightly improve in the beginning and actually managed to get through the first few groups of without too much issue. A few hits though, but still, better than before. But that changed when they reached the same floor they reached before the lunch break. They patiently waited until the members left. Afterwards, we told them to go to the "elevator" and press the button seventy-six. They nodded and did just that. Stepping out of the "elevator," they were soon met by the same trap they sprung on us when we were there. They immediately began to look for a way out of the trap yet the whole time there they did not panic. Which did impress us a bit. Soon we had one side of the trap open up allowing them to escape. They looked at each other before moving forward yet kept their weapons lowered.
"That is another mistake that can prove fatal." Crystal said suddenly.
"What is?" Glynda asked.
"They are not keeping their guard up. Which can allow any hostile to sneak up on the and easily kill them." Rebecca answered.
"That is true. It looks like we still have a lot to teach them." Glynda agreed with an irritated sigh.
Looking back down at them, we saw that they were nearing the railing. They still had their weapons lowered and were not fully aware of their surroundings. They soon reached the railing and received the shock of their lives. Across from them on the other side, they saw three chain guns all set up and aiming at them. They froze in fear which was not a good thing. Luckily, Weiss managed to snap herself out of it and put up a glyph in time to block the bullets. Unfortunately, it did not last more than a few moments and soon gave way allowing the bullets to hit them which caused another round of immeasurable pain and screaming. Quickly shutting down the simulation, we waited until the screaming did down before speaking.
"Team Rwby. Team Npr. Are you all okay?" Glynda asked worried.
"NO!" They all shouted at once.
"I think they are done for their punishment today." Glynda said sternly. Trying to control her anger.
"Yes. They are finished for today." Rebecca agreed unfazed by Glynda. "It is already late and the rest of their punishment begins early tomorrow."
She then turned off the simulation and made sure everything was secured before leading us down to the simulation room. Once there, we opened the door and went over to the students who still seemed scared and hurt. Turning to Crystal, I motioned for her to get the first aid kit on the wall. She nodded and went to grab it. Opening it up, I took out some pain medication and began giving it to each of the students so it would lessen the pain and they can stop screaming in pain. Once I gave it to them, they all calmed down and were soon on their feet. Though they still looked scared at seeing those chain guns pointed at them.
"How do you all feel now?" Rebecca asked.
"Better. Still hurting. But also, scared." Pyrrha answered still shaking a bit at seeing those chain guns pointed at her.
"Well then. I do hope you learn your lesson and take this into consideration the next time you think about doing something you are not supposed to do. But this does not mean you are no longer under special attention of the Hall of Justice. You all still are. And we will execute you all if you cross the line again or disclose any of this information with anyone else. Now, getup and follow me. I will lead you to your sleeping quarters for the day. As tomorrow is the other half of your punishment and it will start early." Rebecca told them.
"What time does it start exactly?" Ren asked.
"Seven a.m. sharp it will start. I will have one of the Judges wake you all up when its time." Rebecca answered.
The students groaned at this, not happy with having to wake up so early. Turning around, they followed us as we led them to the room, we prepared them. Along the way, we picked up Team Cfvy and Peach. Though, Coco and Fox did have a few new cuts on them. Most likely from trying to figure out some of our medical gear that when not used properly can cut you easily. Once we picked them up, we led them through the Hall of Justice and we eventually made it to their room. Bidding them a goodnight and a warning to not try anything, we closed their door and left.
"They did worse than expected. However, they did learn a bit." Crystal said once we were far away from their door.
"A little isn't enough Crystal. If only a little was enough than the Hall of Justice would have already won the war against the gangs. They still have a lot to learn if they even want to survive the first hour should they continue wanting to be a Huntsmen/Huntress." I told her. While being a Judge and a Huntsmen are two completely different occupations, many of the same dangers and principles apply to both. One such principle being that death is at every step and if you are not prepared for it, then you will die. Whether it be from grimm, gangs or anything in between, you will die if you are not careful.
"Judge Jaune is correct Crystal. Learning a little is the equivalent of learning nothing. While it may be beneficial in other fields, in our profession it is not. Best remember that." Rebecca said agreeing with me.
"Your right. If learning only a little was enough, we would not be as swamped with cases as we are." She said agreeing with us.
"Now. Onto the next part to their punishment. It will start tomorrow at seven. I will have a Judge stand guard outside tonight to make sure none of them try and sneak out." Rebecca said after a moment.
"Thats good. Knowing them, they would probably try and sneak out. So, having a Judge stand guard would be wise." I said agreeing before asking. "Who will you be assigning to train them tomorrow?"
"I have assigned Judge Mikaela and Judge Alexander to lead the punishment tomorrow." She answered.
"Good. They will certainly give the students a hell of a time in training." I said liking the choice of Judges for this.
"Who exactly are those two Judges?" Crystal asked curious.
"They are harshest and strictest cadet training Judges the Hall of Justice of sector thirteen has to offer. Many Cadets actually dropped out when trained by them. But you cannot argue the results that came out from the cadets that endured their training with them. Those trained by them usually make some damn fine Judges." I answered.
"They will have a tough time tomorrow then." Crystal said summing up what will happen. Me and Rebecca simply nodded.
"Now. Best you both head to bed as despite both of you not being on duty tomorrow, you both are still on call and could be needed at any moment." Rebecca told us. We nodded and saluted her before turning around and heading to our office.
The trip back to our office was uneventful. Aside from a few jokes passed between us, it was also mostly quiet. Getting to our office, we entered and began to change into our sleep wear. Once finished, I turned to get into my bed only to notice Crystal already there and not in hers. Sighing, I lifted the blanket and slid in and tried to fall asleep. After about five minutes, I started to feel my eyelids get heavy and sleep come to me. But before I fully fell asleep, I felt Crystal snuggle up to me and rest her head on my chest where she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Not knowing where this came from, I decided to simply let it be and go to sleep as we have a full day tomorrow as well with the students.
'I'll ask her about this another time.' I thought before sleep fully took me.
8:00 A.M.
"MOVE IT!" Judge Alexander yelled out above the pouring rain.
"WE'VE SEEN REVOLUTIONS MOVE FASTER THAN ALL OF YOU! FASTER!" Judge Mikaela yelled out as well.
The students wanted to protest but the constant glares and threats of even more punishing work caused them to remain silent. They picked up their pace as they continued to run all the while ignoring the rain and cold that chilled them to the bone. They were already panting and tired from the exercise. The constant yelling from the two Judges as well did not help at all. You could easily tell that they just wanted to quit or just drop dead from exhaustion. And it has only been an hour since the training/punishment for today began.
"How are they looking Jaune?" Crystal asked as she came up next to me and sat down in the chair next to me.
"About to pass out or give up." I answered. We were seated in a small observation room in the Hall of Justice right next to the actual training area. It is rarely used as its mostly to supervise certain Judges or cadets to see how they are doing.
"Well, this is the Senior Judge regimen. And it is brutal. I barely managed to avoid passing out the first time I did it." Crystal said with a laugh at the memory. Even though it was only two weeks since she got promoted and began this regimen.
"Thats because this regimen is meant for Senior Judges and to make sure they stay fit and ready for any fight." I told her. She merely shrugged at this and tuned to continue to watch the student's train. We stayed like that for about an hour. Just watching the students struggle to keep standing up. Even Nora and Ruby who normally have a ton of energy were having trouble keeping up.
"Where are the others?" She asked.
"Team Cfvy and Peach are back with the Med-Judges. This time learning about some of our more advanced medical equipment. And Glynda is with the Chief Justice discussing a few things. Not sure what though." I answered.
"And what time does their punishment end?" She asked. I raised my arm and activated my pda to see the time.
"It's ten twenty-five. Their punishment ends at two today." I answered.
"I thought it was supposed to last until late in the afternoon?" She asked.
"It was supposed to. But the weather report states that a storm is coming our way later today. And you know what that means." I answered. She groaned once I told her about the storm.
"Great. And here I was planning on having a semi-relaxing evening." Crystal said knowing what a storm meant. Chuckling, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"I know Crystal. But after the storm, we can do something together if you want." I told her. She seemed to cheer up at this. Figuring since we were alone for the moment, I was about to ask her on what happened last night. But before I could, our attention was drawn away when a loud boom was heard. Looking back outside, we saw that Judge Mikaela and Judge Alexander had stopped yelling at the students and looked up. The sky was only cloudy with "light rain" only a little bit ago. Now, it was pretty dark and seemed full of rain. And violent at that. The wind also picked up and was now blowing fiercely.
"Shit." I said as I realized the storm was here and much stronger than predicted. The comms soon went live just as I said that.
'Judge Jaune.' The voice of Rebecca said through the comms.
"Copy." I answered bringing up the mic to my face.
'The incoming storm has already arrived and is three times worse than predicted. We are cutting the students punishment short. Get them to the front of the Hall of Justice. I have Judge Angelica waiting there to pick them up. I have already sent Team Cfvy, Glynda and peach to the front as well.' Rebecca ordered.
"Copy. Anything else?" I asked as another crackle of thunder boomed above us.
'Yes. Crime reports have already gone up and the storm has only started. I need you and Crystal to escort them to the airfield. I am sending Dredd and Anderson as well for backup. Good luck.' Rebecca answered before cutting off comms. Looking back up, I saw that Crystal already had her Lawgiver powered up and ready.
"You heard her Crystal. We have work to do." I said as I powered up my Lawgiver.
"Good thing we chose to wear our regular armor today." Crystal said holstering her Lawgiver. Nodding my head, we exited the room and stepped outside to get the students. Immediately, we were blasted by the cold winds that felt like razorblades against our exposed skin and despite wearing our armor, we still felt the cold penetrate us to the bone. Steeling ourselves, we ran to meet up with the students who were starting to get nervous. Especially now that an alarm is blaring throughout the Hall of justice signifying that a storm is coming.
"What's happening?" Ruby asked scared.
"A storm is coming, a bad one. We are cutting your punishment short and taking you back to the airfield so you can head back to Beacon. Follow us and stay close." Crystal explained. She then turned to the other two Judges only to see them both running back inside. Presumably already receiving a call to go on patrol or respond to a crime in progress. "Damn it."
"What?" Weiss asked. Though it was getting a bit hard to hear as the wind picked up even more.
"Nothing. Just follow us and stay close." Crystal ordered. They seemed hesitant but after another thunderous boom, they quickly nodded and began to follow.
"Shouldn't we just seek shelter?" Pyrrha asked as we entered the Hall of Justice and quickly guided them to the front.
"Normally yes. But remember, you are not Vale. In Vale, you would just seek shelter from the storm and be alright, but here is different. When a storm hits, the citizens get restless and scared while criminals and gangs use this commit even more crimes. Basically, it's a whole lot more unsafe out there now. That is why we are cutting your punishment short and taking you back to the airfield to take you back home." Crystal answered before explaining the reason why we are sending them home.
"Can't we help?" Ruby asked. Only to jump when a particularly loud thunderous boom happened.
"No. Too dangerous out there." Crystal quickly answered. We then quickly picked up the pace once another crackle of lightning struck the sky. Luckily, the students did the same as well. A few minutes later we reached the front where the other team and two professors were waiting. We also spotted Dredd, Anderson and Angelica there as well. Each of them preparing for the worst this storm will bring.
"There you guys are. The storm is already getting worse. Follow me." Judge Angelica said trying not to fall down from all the Judges that are rushing into the streets to respond to the multitude of crimes already being reported. We all nodded and immediately followed her outside to the parking area. Instead of the same vehicle that was used yesterday to bring the students and professors, we opted to use a much heavier and durable armored vehicle.
"Crystal. Anderson. Inside the vehicle. Jaune, Dredd. Get on your Lawmasters and escort us." Angelica ordered.
We nodded and did as she said. Getting on my Lawmaster, we turned it on and while the armored vehicle roared to life. And soon enough, we were headed towards the airfield. It was rough and dangerous the trip. The roads were extremely wet and slippery. And the low visibility caused by the rain made it even worse. From the reports that were coming from the comms, I learned that already about a dozen Judges Lawmasters had hydroplaned. I could already tell that the next few days were going to be especially bad.
'Judge Jaune.' Crystal voice came through the comms.
"What is it, Crystal?" I asked.
'How's it looking out there?' She asked.
"Pretty bad Crystal. Looks like we may be working for the next few days straight with only stim shots and the sleep machines to keep us going." I answered. Judging from the cursing that came through the comms from my answer, she did not like it. Nor did Anderson as well. Turning off the comms, I focused on escorting the students and civilians to the airfield and not hydroplaning myself. After about eight minutes, which felt like half an hour due to the rain, we made it to the airfield.
"Alright! We are here!" Judge Angelica shouted banging on the vehicle to get their attention. The back doors opened up with the students getting out, all the while bracing themselves against the wind and heavy rain. The bullhead opened up and the students and professors quickly boarded.
"HOLD UP!" Crystal shouted getting their attention.
"What is it?" Glynda asked.
"Just a reminder. Tell the students that while their punishment is now over, they are still under the careful eye of the Hall of Justice and will be executed should they release any information." Crystal said reminding them.
"I shall remind them. Anything-" Glynda started to reply only to stop when a few bullets hit the side of the door of the bullhead. Missing her by inches.
"CONTACT REAR!" Anderson yelled out. We all immediately turned around and saw about twenty gang members converging on us.
"GO! GO! GO!" Crystal ordered to Glynda who nodded and entered the bullhead with its doors closing right after. Fortunately, it seemed the gang members were more focused on us than the students or bullhead. Even better was that it seemed that the gang members only had Ak-47's and shotguns. Nothing to take out the bullhead which was a relief. Providing enough cover fire, the bullhead was able to lift off the ground and take off in the direction of Beacon.
'Thank Oum they are gone.' I though as I saw the bullhead finally disappear from view. Only to be brought out from my thoughts by more gunfire. Quickly turning around, I fired some shots and managed to take down three gang members. 'The last thing we need is for them to get even more affiliated with the Hall of Justice and what we do.'
Little did I know, that is exactly what was going to happen in the coming months.
*Note: Roman and Neo will eventually appear. Should they be executed or not?