RWBY: Return of Knightmares Past
Chapter 5
Food Fight
XXXX
Naruto and Ruby entered the lunchroom with huge smirks on their faces as they rushed over to a table that their teams shared and Team JNPR was right across from them. In fact, Nora was having her own fun by flicking grapes over to Yang, so she could catch them with her mouth. Although, knowing Nora, she wouldn't just stop with grapes when she ran out.
That was when Naruto dropped a rather large binder filled to the brim with paper, Ruby vibrating in place next to him, barely able to contain her excitement. Both Sid and Weiss's eyes widen upon seeing their smirks and said in unison, "Oh no, what have you planned?"
"Something fun for the whole school." Naruto chortled.
"Yup, but mostly for us." Ruby comment before clearing her throat for her big 'speech.' "Sisters, Friends…Weiss."
"HEY!"
"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream…then I recruited Naruto for my dream!"
"This ought to be good." Yang commented to the group but blushed when she made eye contact with Naruto, who just smiled at her, not even picking up why she was blushing. He was too excited, so she took a breath and calmed down.
"Should I call the local therapist now or later? Any other pranks you two have cooked up can only wreck havoc on the student body's minds." Sid snarked with a slight smirk as he casually ate his lunch, watching in amusement.
"No…" Naruto drawled out innocently, making Weiss narrow her eyes at him. "Come on, our dream is harmless, we just want to have as much fun as we can before the semester starts up again."
"Wait, did you steal my binder for this?" Weiss asked.
"I am not a crook!" Ruby replied cheekily with peace signs, imitating a certain former president.
"Alright, I'll bite, what are you talking about?" Blake asked.
"I am talking about kicking off this semester with a bang!" Ruby declared.
Deciding to be a bit risqué again, Yang smirked at Naruto and said, "Always kick my semesters off with a…Yang!" The group groaned at her horrible pun while Nora booed. Naruto, however, just chuckled at the pun, even though he wasn't picking up on the double meaning there.
"Oh there will be time for that." Naruto replied in a somewhat husky voice, making the others think that he did pick up on it. Well, before he dropped a rather large Dust rocket on the table, making them all blink and wonder where he hid that. "I bet this bad boy will let off plenty of Yangs!"
Yang actually fell out of her seat laughing at that, even missing the apple Nora sent her way for the horrible pun, she didn't even care that he didn't pick up on her other joke. This was too great! Weiss on the other hand had a thoughtful look.
"Do any of those pranks target the incoming contestants for the Vytal Festival?" Weiss asked with a devious look on her face, making her teammates gawk at her. This was a side they didn't really see that often. Yang got back in her chair, smirking at the eventual carnage.
"My dear sister, it is like you don't know me at all." Naruto replied in mock shame before his smirk returned in full force, scaring and exciting everyone at the same time. "If I can get our big sister, Winter. Then I can certainly get all the newbies if I wanted. And yes, with some help from you, Ruby, and Nora, they will fear our names."
"What? Leading your older sister on a merry chase all throughout Remnant wasn't enough?" Ebony asked with mirth.
"So let me get this straight." Weiss said, catching their attentions. "You and Ruby have set up a fun day, all before the second semester starts up again?"
"Yes! It will be the best day ever!" Ruby cheered.
"I don't know whether to be proud or scared for what the two of you have in store, but I am in!" Weiss replied while leaning on her cheek, a goofy smile adorning her face.
"I dunno, given what happened the other day." Blake started, sounding a bit depressed, while Yang picked up the apple meant for her face and chucked it back at Nora. "I might sit this one out."
That was something Sid picked up on, Blake's depression at her old…for a lack of a better word…family, and sighed. He wanted to cheer up his friend and the only way to currently do that…was to go along with Naruto and Ruby's insane day of fun and pranks.
"I think however we spend this last day, we all do it as one big team." Weiss stated, hoping Blake would actually join in. However, she never noticed that Nora had comeback with a desert to throw at Yang and completely missed her and hit Weiss in the face with a cream pie. Once the pan slid off her face in the silence of her friends' shock and team JNPR's shame, she wiped out the desert around her eyes and glared at the orangette. "Nora, I hope you know…THIS MEANS WAR!"
Naruto and Ruby eyed each other then smirked, they could certainly check one thing off.
Food fight
XXX
"Man, this is harsh." A Blue Haired teen said to Sun as they walked over to the lunchroom, not knowing of the impending doom. This young man was Sun's teammate, Neptune. He wore a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket adorned with a wide, upturned, black collar and a silver reticle across the back. He also sported a pair of gray jeans with black padding strapped to the sides as well as black shoes fastened with straps instead of laces.
"Yeah, she was super-fast and I threw a banana at a guy which sounds gross but it was awesome." Sun raved about his time helping his Faunas friends against a super thief with the White Fang. "Then I got surrounded, which is usually not an issue for me, but we were backed up by a Sniper and a shield guy!"
"Nice."
"You bet, it was nice seeing an old friend again in that sniper." Sun replied with a nostalgic smile, something his friend picked up on. "And the best part, we were all Faunas…OH, but don't tell anyone. That's a secret, ok?"
"Got it."
"And not an 'I'm gonna go tell Scarlet being Sun's back' secret," Sun replied seriously. "I am talking about SECRET secret!"
"Whoa, chill out man, I got it. I got it." Neptune replied in a low placating voice, letting his teammate know it was between them.
"You better, I just don't want to screw up this all up, the people here, including my old friend, are the coolest!" Sun cheered. "Oh, no offense to you guys."
"None taken." Neptune said. He felt that this was different for his teammate. The way to talked about his old friend, made him think something was there. He was fine being the wingman here. But he did have to wonder why a few people ran past them in a panic.
"Ok, they're just in here. I am really excited for you to meet them so be cool ok. You're going to be cool, right?"
"Dude." Neptune retort, gesturing to all of him that he was cool, to begin with. The shine on his smile told everyone that.
"Good point." Sun replied, kind of embarrassed that he was nervous about that. His whole team was cool!
Upon opening the double doors to the lunchroom. The duo was met with sheer panic as the rest of the student body ran out of the room, some even screaming in panic. Neptune actually looked shocked at the scene before him. And Sun? Well, he was just excited to see how all this would go down.
"FOOD FIGHT!"
"Ah ha ha ha!" Nora laughed from atop a mountain of lunch tables, chairs, and some vending machines. "~I'm Queen of the Castle, I'm Queen of the Castle!~"
"DOWN WITH THE MONARCHY!" Ebony roared out jubilantly as she noticed that Sid and Gwyn had joined Nora's tyranny. Sid, ever being the straight man, played as an advisor. Of course, Nora barely listened to Ren, why would she listen to him? Still, they cut imposing figures upon the perceived underdogs.
"You will try, but we have the high ground." Sid replied with a slight smirk and some fire in his eyes. He usually didn't go against his team leader, but in this instance, it was just good fun.
"Et tu, Sid?" Naruto asked dramatically, playing really good at looking betrayed.
"Not to worry my friend," Ruby replied just as dramatically. "Justice will be swift, Justice will painful! it will be…delicious!"
"YEAH!" The group roared with even Weiss getting into the spirit with a goofy smile adorning her face.
"Off with their heads!" Nora demand they all jumped down and started launching the whole-sized watermelons at the enemy team.
Looking around quickly, Ruby shouted, "Yang, Turkey! Naruto, Bass!"
As soon as Yang and Naruto picked up their impromptu weapons, the two shared a look. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Yang asked.
"I believe I am." Naruto laughed as he use his large fish to bat his watermelons back at the enemy group. "It's time for a little Surf."
"And Turf!" Yang cheered as they either smashed or repelled the melon rain.
"Predictable," Sid called off as he picked up a couple of lunch trays and used them as shields to block the melons. Smirking when he saw one coming in at the right angle, he also used his trays like swords and sliced and diced them before chucking them up into the air. "Gwyn!"
"Roger!" Gwyn shouted as she used her wings to blow all the pieces around the battlefield, pelting them all and making everything slippery and sticky.
"Well, other than Ebony's," Said Naruto sharing a sideways glance with Yang, before blatantly looking that made her briefly blush, "there goes your Twins' competition in the juicy department."
Ignoring the melon rain, followed by grapes, apples, and pees, Ebony and Blake took long weapons-grade loaves of bread, the took care of the rain from above before rushing Pyrrha and Jaune with their own sword breads.
Ebony got in close to Jaune's personal space, smirking when he blushed a bit before she smacked him into Pyrrha with her bread sword to the face. Ever the expert fighter, Pyrrha recovered quickly. Picking up Jaune's discarded bread sword, she began to duel wield against Ebony and Blake while dodging whatever food Ruby sent her way.
While they were duking it out, Jaune was slowly getting back up and saw Naruto with his fish slowly coming his way with a giant scary smile. Naruto was going to slap him silly! Thinking quickly, he grabbed the nearest thing around him and chucked them at the male Schnee. That ended up being hundreds of sauce packets that exploded on impact, making the Schnee the new condiment king.
"Oh Jaune." Naruto recovered quickly with a menacing smile, "If you are going to come at me with weak sauce," The white-haired boy then turned around to the table that Yang was on with both nodding to each other before he smashed his fist down on it as she jumped. The contents of said table were many gourds of squash, that were flung at the poor blond boy. "Prepare to get squashed!"
For a moment as the vegetables exploded on Jaune's chest, he wondered who bought squash of all things. But that was the only moment of thought he was allowed to have as then both Naruto and Yang flung their weapons into two different directions. A turkey knocked the air out of Jaune before a fish slapped him in the face, sending him tumbling back.
As for the other target, a turkey veered off course and hit Gwyn in the head, dazing her a bit, and then a fish hit her wing, causing her to spiral out of control. "Air support down, I repeat, air support down!" Gwyn cried out with swirls in her eyes as she went careening to the front door. Right were Sun and Neptune were, the latter of which jumped up to catch her with ease.
"Wait…GWYN?" Neptune shouted with eyes the size of dinner plates.
"You know her?!" Sun asked in a worried tone.
While Gwyn was getting to know two old friends, Pyrrha had been knocked on her back when Ruby joined Ebony and Blake in a three-on-one. However, she was able to take out Ebony and Blake before she went down. When she went down, so did Ren as he slipped on the ketchup trap that Weiss set up, sending him crashing into more tables.
That was when Nora came crashing down on them with a watermelon she had stabbed with a small flagpole in it in a makeshift Gallagher Hammer. One she quickly used to punt Ruby away before she could do any more damage. Well, Weiss had other plans! Picking up a literal swordfish while wondering who order that, she rushed Nora into a duel of sword versus hammer.
Sadly, Nora won that duel by slamming her across the room and through a pillar, knocking her 'out.' Thankfully, Ruby caught her, but by then it was too late.
"Had enough?" Asked Sid as he and Naruto circled one other as Yang and Ren fought with turkeys and leeks.
"You wish." Naruto replied while twirling around some fish he picked up before the two charged at one another. Sid came in with a jab to the face with his lunch trays, only for the Schnee to duck under it and then smack his friend across the face multiple times and then dodge again, much to his own amusement.
That was when Yang's turkey punched Ren just as Naruto was ducking under another swipe to his face and the two boys tumbled end over end, which then caused Ren to lay flat on his face and Sid somehow draped over a downed vending machine.
In another portion of the battle of the foods, Pyrrha noticed that Nora was keeping Blake at bay with exploding frizzy drinks and that gave her an idea. Pulsing her aura into the ground around her, she found she was able to control all the soda cans in the general vicinity. The side effect of this what that she also took hold of the vending machines as well. The perks of her control training with Jaune and Naruto.
Seeing what Pyrrha was doing made Ebony smirk. I'm about to ruin this woman's whole career! She thought giddily as she pulsed her electricity through her hands before pulsing that outward toward the oncoming rain of soda cans. The two-oncoming forces met with all the pop in the middle. With the two opposing forces of artificial magnetism at work, it wasn't long before the cans were crushed, forcing all the fizzy liquid to rain down on all of them.
As for the vending machines, Naruto picked up Weiss' discarded swordfish. Waiting until the last second, Naruto smirked as he sliced them down the middle and Yang punched the pieces to the side or in the direction of Pyrrha and Jaune, who had to quickly get out of the way.
Unfortunately for them, they took their eyes away from Nora and her Melon Smasher. With two quick swings, she launched both Naruto and Yang through the roof!
"Huh…I was not expecting that." Naruto replied casually as they continued to soar high until their apex. "Do we have a landing strategy?"
"I was just going to let my Aura take the blow." Yang replied with a shrug.
"I have a better idea and I think you will like it Yang." Naruto told her as he brought the rocket out from earlier, making her start cracking up again.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you planned this whole thing." Yang commented. Naruto just smiled at her, "You didn't actually plan this did you?" The white-haired Schnee's continued smirk was telling and she love it!
Naruto just continued to smile at her as he lit the fuse, neither admitting or denying it. "Hold on tight!" Naruto declared as he stretched out a hand for her to take. Yang just smirked at him before taking said hand and letting her then jump on his back as they began to ride the rocket like a surfboard.
They entered back into the building just in time to see Ruby using her speed semblance to plow the opposite team into their destroyed castle and into the wall behind them…along with every piece of food and other debris thanks to the backdraft. Naruto's smile grew wide and he hopped off the rocket with Yang still on his back and watched as the rocket stopped just before the impacted teen and then explode in a wave of pie cream, feathers, and glitter!
Gwyn, who was taken out early, stared in disbelief as her losing team. She had been the only one on her team that was spared the Naruto Surprise. She couldn't believe her luck!
"Man…I love these guys!" Sun roared out in joy, not even noticing that Neptune did get hit with some of the splashback.
Before the blue haired teen could dish out a retort, Professor Goodwitch came barreling in with a massively pissed-off look on her face. Using her telekinesis and with a wave of her riding crop, she managed to fix everything from the broken vending machines to the holes in the ceiling. It was a sight to see. "Children please, do not play with your food!" She growled out through gritted teeth. Her response was Nora burping out loud and then all the whipped cream that found its way to the ceiling fell on the already dirty teens.
"Let it go." Professor Ozpin stated once he made his way into the lunchroom with an amused smile to try and calm down his friend and subordinate. He had seen the whole thing from outside and had to admit that it was fun to watch, especially Naruto and Ruby's finishers.
"Ugh…they're supposed to be the defenders of the world." Glynda replied somberly.
"And they will be, but right now they're still children." Ozpin stated with a small but melancholy smile that Glynda took note of. "So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."
XXX
"So, how do you know Neptune?" Sun asked his avian companion nervously.
"I told you I was from Mistral originally, Sun." Gwyn replied as the three of them walked the courtyard, with the blue-haired warrior eyeing Gwyn nervously and then smiling sheepishly to Sun. "He was my friend there and just like you, he tried to flirt with me."
"She…shut that down pretty quick." Neptune admitted. Both boys shuddered.
"But when I moved, I made sure to let him know." Gwyn replied evenly, making Sun shiver in fear. "Unlike you."
"Then how about we just hang out, like old times!" Sun suggested. If their teammates saw them now, both Sun and Neptune would be made fun of for a long time. Their whole group were lady charmers, and to be seen as whipped by one small girl, was funny. But they went way back, so there was a familiarity there.
And an attraction.
XXX
The next day after their fun was over, Naruto found himself on one of the balconies of Beacon, watching the parade of war machines make their way onto the school ground and surrounding city of vale with an exhausted look. It would seem that old Ironwood had to make a show of power just to enter the Vytal Festival.
Sid walked up to his friend with an unsure look; and yet knew what this sight was doing to the Schnee, especially after what Naruto experienced the night before in his sleep, but still asked anyways, "How are you holding up?"
Naruto sighed. "A bit taxed, but otherwise fine. And that is disregarding Ironwood's currently shortsighted, peacock act; which is adding to the powder keg that's being crafted behind the scenes."
"In peace time, prepare for war." Sid quoted. "You said that to us often, but you also know where war, poverty, and sickness lead to. Death. You prepared us, let us show you how we do."
Naruto gave his best friend a wry smile. "Thanks."
XXX
Naruto leaned against the front door, waiting to talk to the man responsible for the war machines on Beacon's front door. He knew it was a long time coming, including talking to Winter. But Ironwood would have to do for now.
Soon, the man came into a view with his brisk walk and stiff nature that he remembered of the man. James eyed the young man in front of him, blocking the doors with some annoyance before his eyes widened in familiarity. How could he forget this kid? "Ares! I haven't seen you in a long time!"
Naruto rolled his eyes with a smile. "That's true and you already forgot that I liked to be called Naruto."
James hid a snicker. "I still don't understand why you wanted to be named after a fishcake that goes on ramen."
That seemed to tick Naruto off and with a childish put, he said, "It is Maelstrom!"
"Whatever you say Ares." James chuckled. He always enjoyed chatting with this Schnee, especially when Winter brought him along. "I am still sad you didn't join the Atlas Military like your older sister. I could have used another Specialist."
Naruto scratched his nose at that. "Well, Weiss shot off over here and I felt it better if I went along."
James smiled warmly; he could accept that. "Whatever the case, I am glad you're not dead like your Father proclaimed."
"Yeah well, that man claims a lot of things. Thankfully this one didn't stick." Naruto replied before he looked at a passing bullhead and decided to fish for information. "So, who are we fighting?"
"Ugh, no one, I just decided to bring some of my work with me." James replied with a bit of tightness in his voice. That was something he wasn't sure Naruto was ready for, but, honestly, if Naruto was his soldier, he felt like he could trust the boy more.
Naruto shrugged. "Wars come in many ways, so I guess being prepared never hurt. Whether you are fighting a normal war or," He decided to test the General a bit with flashing his eyes red a split second, "Or a Shadow War. So I guess I should say, good luck with the Vytal Festival."
"I sure hope you are up for it." James replied after a moment as Naruto passed him. He did see the flash and it worried him. Unlike the boy's father, he did care for his wellbeing. What did he encounter to change him? He never talked about war like that before…and did he know something about Salem somehow? Shaking his head, he left with a parting shot and smirk. "And prepare for your sister. She is really not happy."
"Oh…don't remind me." Naruto winced, making Ironwood roar with laughter as he went inside Beacon.
XXX
"Ironwood certainly likes bringing his work where ever he travels." Glynda stated tersely as she and Ozpin observed the incoming Atlas war machines. It did not sit well with her.
"Well, running an academy and military makes him a busy man." Ozpin stated, trying to speak for his friend. But even he had his limits. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." There was a beep from his terminal and he let the person at his door come in, and speak of the devil, it was Ironwood, come to greet them.
"Ozpin!" James replied jubilantly, he hadn't seen the man in a while after all.
"Hello, General." Ozpin replied politely.
"Please, drop the formalities. One of your students that you unknowing took from me already did." Ironwood replied with a big smile as he shook his friend's hand. "It's been too long. And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met."
"Oh James." Glynda with a fake smile and sarcasm in her voice before she turned to her boss. "I'll be outside."
"Well, she hasn't changed a bit." James replied with some mirth.
Ozpin gave him a smirk before walking back to his desk to pour a cup of coffee for his friend. "So, what in the world has brought you down from Atlas? Head Masters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival."
James took the offered cup and poured in a little something…extra for kick from his flask. 'Well, you know I how much I love Vale this time of year." Ironwood chatted amicably. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought this an opportunity to catch up. I had the pleasure of reuniting with Ares Schnee. You are lucky to have him. Like Pietro, I consider him my nephew."
"I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends, and don't think I will just have him transfer to Atlas. He is a good student and I doubt you'd get him to leave his team or sister." Ozpin replied with a bit of mirth as he put went to go sit in his desk chair. That is when he grew serious. "However, the small fleet outside still has me somewhat concerned."
"Well, concern is what brought them here." James replied, finally getting to the real point of why he was here.
"I understand travel between Kingdoms has become increasingly difficult." Ozpin reasoned.
"Oz," Ironwood pressed, "You and I both know why I brought those men."
Ozpin couldn't help but sigh, he was hoping to avoid this conversation. "We are at a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."
"But if what Qrow said is true then-"
"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it…tactfully," Ozpin interjected, trying to get to common ground again. He didn't want to rush into things. "It is the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."
"I am just being cautious." James stated, knowing that Ozpin shut him down and he was unhappy at that turnaround. They were friends, but they had opposing views on how certain matters needed to be handled.
"As am I," Ozpin replied. "Which is why we continue to train the best huntsmen and huntresses we can."
"Believe me. I am." Ironwood said as he turned to leave. He was going to ask about Naruto, but he chose not to. If anything happened to Beacon like he feared, he would take care of the boy…and his sisters if he had to. He once again had to leave a parting shot as he thought about the war-conscious boy. "But ask yourself this. Do you honestly believe your children, can win a war?"
"I hope they never have to." Ozpin said quietly in a now empty room.
XXX
"Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby yelled in the school's library. At this point, no one tried telling her group to stay quiet. They were too into playing Remnant's version of Risk. This was the scene Naruto walked in on. Team RWBY playing their game, Team JNPR studying and goofing off. And as for his team, Ebony was actually studying, Gwyn was Chatting with Sun and Neptune, and Sid was talking to Blake in her game. Even Naruto could see that Blake was still depressed about the White Fang incident at the docks.
"Bring it on!" Walking past Yang, he saw her hand was full of trap cards and he smirked. So that was her play? Pranks and trickery? They were closer than he thought and he liked that.
"I deploy…the Legionnaire Fleet!" Ruby declared with gusto, causing Yang to gasp in horror while Weiss sat there confused and the Cat Faunus barely paid attention. So, Naruto circled to Weiss, intending to help her because she needed it the most. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Urasi and attack your walls directly."
"You fiend!"
"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts, one turn."
"Pretty sneaky sis." Yang chuckled confidently, catching Ruby off guard and making Naruto nearly laugh out loud at her deviousness. Yang flipped over a card with a flourish, "But you just activated my trap card!"
"WHAT?!"
"GIANT NEVERMORE!" Yang exclaimed, "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"
"BUT!" Ruby countered, "If you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"
"That's just a chance I am willing to take." Yang replied with a determined grin and then a wink to Naruto went she saw him, making her smirk, especially when she rolled and got what she wanted, causing Ruby to scream out in horror as Yang claimed her rewards.
"Well Weiss, it is your turn." Yang said, catching her attention.
"I have no idea what is going on," Weiss admitted, not even realizing she attacked her own fleet a couple of turns. "Strategy stuff has always been Naruto's thing."
"Then do you mind if I offer some help?" Naruto suddenly said, making Weiss nearly jump out of her seat and Naruto to snicker.
"Yes." Weiss replied after recovering, she hated the fact that he was so good at sneaking up like that, "I would love that."
"Right, you're the Kingdom of Vacuo. Gwyn would get a kick out of this." Naruto muttered as he observed her cards, making both Ruby and Yang a bit nervous at the intense calculating look. "Interesting, I had no idea they had that legend included in these cards. OK! I have something for you." Sliding up one card so that it was higher than the others. "Use Resourceful Raider to take the remains of all discarded fleets like Ruby's recent loss to take for yourself," He then slid up three more cards for her. "People from Vacuo have acquired an endurance boost against natural hazards, so these next three will be clutch. Use the cover of Sandstorm to disable Yang's ground forces and infiltrate her kingdom. All the while, these big nasties, Devourer's Nightmare and Summoner's Annihilation, will set off all around, taking out food rations, supply chains, and all around be a big hazard that will destroy any chance of your enemies recovering any time soon."
At that last part, Ebony was suddenly at their table in an instant with a look of interest on her face while Gwyn smirked from her spot next to Sun and Neptune.
"So…is that good?" Weiss asked because to her, she just brought chaos unto the world and technically, she did think it was overboard.
"You're just two moves from concurring Remnant!" Ruby sobbed.
"AH HAHAHA!" Weiss jolt up with maniacal joy. "YES! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Nothing can beat me!"
"Trap card," Yang replied with a cheeky smirk, but that was wiped away when Naruto spoke up again.
"Actually, these nightmares have a secondary effect of bringing in Grimm to destroy what's left, making trap cards useless."
"Oh my Oum, Wiess is actually going to win," Yang replied, shellshocked. Naruto had some pretty good strategy…she needed that on her side! "Blake, you're up! Make it count or hell will freeze over on us!"
Breaking from her conversation with Sid, she looked at her cards and said, "I haven't been paying attention. What am I doing?"
"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant." Yang explained.
But to be honest, Blake's heart and mind weren't in it. She was too busy being worried about what would happen to the White Fang and Beacon. There was one thing that this game made her see and that would be the possibility that the White Fang really do want to go to war. That thought terrified her.
Sid, seeing her get mopey in her own head again, sighed. "Maybe this strategy game is what you need."
"How do you figure?" Blake asked while the others took interest.
"Blake, I know you are used to handling what is going with the White Fang on your own and I can see how this is worrying you." Sid explained before gesturing to the entire group in the library. He wasn't worried about being overheard because Ruby's loud game had driven away most of the people who wanted to study. The only one really studying was Ren and he was used to the loud distractions thanks to Nora. "But you have an entire support system here for you."
Weiss sighed and put down her cards. "He's right and you have been more quiet, anti-social, and moody as of late and even I am worried for you. So please, let us help in any way we can."
Blake looked at the concerned faces of her friends and looked to be on the verge of tears. She had grown to like them and didn't want to lose them. They all knew who and what she was and accepted her, no questions asked. "I just…am just worried what the White Fang is planning and I am not sure we are ready. The Police and Huntsman have no idea and we are all still in school learning to be better huntsmen and huntresses!"
Naruto grunted. "She is right on that." Naruto said, catching their attention.
"But we are students, we aren't really ready to handle this." Weiss interjected as the voice of reason.
"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail." Naruto sounded and it made some of their blood to run cold. "Blake, do you feel up to poking our noses where they shouldn't be?"
"I would like to find out what their next move is." Blake admitted.
"Then let's do it." Ebony stated from her spot. "We have the will and many options to do this, including stealth."
"I would like to know more and be prepared in case the worst should happen." Gwyn started from her seat. "Plus, we have a small collection of intellectuals to set up a strategy to put your mind at ease."
"And if we have to fight; we have your back." Pyrrha declared as she walked over to the group with Nora vibrating in place next to her.
Blake smiled gently at her friends and nodded. "All the best stories have a small group poking their noses where they shouldn't be, only to come out on top. Let's do it!"
"Yes! I love it when you're feisty!" Yang cheered.
XXX
While the group of friends was planning on disturbing the peace by ousting a terrorist group, a certain group of villains in Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were roaming the halls of the school. They had already scouted out some of the competition in the Library playing a strategy game rather enthusiastically and then some in the dorms. They came to the conclusion that their mission was going to be way too easy.
However, Cinder's curiosity wasn't sated, so that was why they were roaming the halls of the school. She had seen various teachers, like the coffee addict Oobleck and the endless supply of hot air in Port. But there was more that had her curiosity. The rumor of a new teacher this year that was quiet and kept to himself outside of class, but was actually a good teacher.
Walking by said classroom, her lone visible eye widened to epic proportions and she felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. There, in the classroom, was the only man she would ever call father. Rhodes was a professor now and he looked so old!
Actual warmth crept into her eye as she gazed at the decidedly older man now. Sadly, the last time she had seen him was when she killed her abusive foster family in Atlas and used her words to convince him to let her go instead of arresting her.
Coming to a realization that she wanted to connect with the man again and to save him from a fate that this school would fall to, she walked into the classroom to try and recruit him in a subtle way. This was one person, she wanted to survive.
After all, he taught her how to live and freed her. Now it was time to do the same for him.
"Long time no see old man." She called out, much to Emerald and Mercury's confusion.
Looking up from his paper world with a slightly annoyed expression thinking it to be one of his rowdier students, he turned to see a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. And it wrecked him with guilt as the memories came crashing down on him. How could he forget the one little girl he trained to defend herself and grew so close to that he saw her as his own daughter. Then she killed the family that tormented and tortured her day in and day out. And he let her go. After a while, he accepted it because those people really were scum after some other secrets became known about them. They were going to face the death penalty if they got caught anyway.
Still, he felt a lot of guilt, guilt for giving her the tools to dirty to her soul, not capturing her at the time, and finally not being there for her after the fact. He hadn't seen her in years and she was nearly a grown woman now.
Making a decision as he got up out of his chair and walk towards her, he decided he was going to make up for lost time. Standing in front of the girl now woman, he smiled gently at her and said, "How have you been?" He replied gently before leaning in and hugging her, something that she allowed and hugged back and those feelings all returned in an instant.
Mercury and Emerald just looked flabbergasted at seeing a side of their boss they never ever thought to see.
And Emerald felt really jealous of some random old man.
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