V2E13: The Morning After
Ironwood stood over Opzin's desk, his head hung low. Ozpin sat at his desk, non-plussed that his fellow headmaster was still having his meltdown. Glynda busied herself by brewing coffee. Penny stood in the corner, nervously eyeing the irate general.
"They were here..." His voice shot up in volume as he slammed his fist on the table. "THEY WERE RIGHT BLOODY HERE!"
Penny winced at the older man's rage. She never did like seeing people upset, much less angry. Ozpin blinked impassively.
"I am aware of that, James. Thank you for the reminder."
"Fantastic! You're aware!" Ironwood yelled sarcastically before slamming his hands down on the desk, glaring at the old wizard. "Now, are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!"
The characteristic jingle of the arriving elevator interrupted the furious general's tirade. The doors parted, revealing Ruby and Anon. Ruby looked to her companion with concern and seeing as he looked like a damned zombie, I'm pretty sure it's warranted. Ruby looked to the assembled adult with an awkward smile.
"G-good morning..."
Anon made a guttural noise that resembled a greeting but sounded more like an ancient swear in practice. Ruby scratched the back of her scalp.
"Friend Ruby!" Penny exclaimed, happy that someone less tense had arrived.
Ruby waved cheerily before looking back at the adults.
"Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." She paused, avoiding eye contact with the trio of teachers. "It wasn't me."
Ozpin and Glynda looked at Hope as he blinked one eye at a time. Penny approached and pocked his face, expecting a reaction that he wasn't currently able to act on. Glynda sighed before pouring her fellow sufferer a cup o' joe. Anon eyed the cup for a moment before weakly grabbing it and downing it. He was too slow in swallowing the content and the burning liquid overflowed unto his face. He reflexively threw the cup to the floor, screaming in pain.
"AH FUCK, IT BURNS!"
He fanned his burning face rapidly with the artificial girl's help as Ozpin proceeded to chuckle at his expense.
"Hard night, mister Hope?"
Anon swished some water that Glynda gracefully brought him. He mentally thanked the kind goddess for her ice-cold gift. He swallowed his mouthful with a groan.
"Fuck off, old man." He held his temple. "Just because I have a hangover doesn't mean I'll take your shit lying down."
"Do you ever take what I say without complaining?"
"I know better." Hope scoffed.
Ozpin shook his head.
"Anyhow," He turned to Ruby. "Thank you for coming, miss Rose. How are you feeling?"
She shrugged dejectedly.
"Okay, I guess." She said non-committaly. "I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't zero-for-three."
The adults blinked, she sucked on her teeth in response.
"Ok, this is the mood we're going for."
A still very hungover Anon rested his head on top of his diminutive friend's own. He cradled her head like a comforter. He groaned painfully as his head ached and his stomach churned. He whined pitifully as he cuddled Ruby.
"O-o-oh god, I remember why I hate getting drunk now!"
Ruby shifted so that he was holding her from the front, she then patted the top of his head in a motherly fashion.
"It's ok, Anon," she reassured. "It's all gonna go away soon."
Anon sniffled pathetically as he snuggled closer. Glynda rolled her eyes.
"Oh, chin up you."
Anon gave her a hungover glare.
"We drunk each other under the table!" He declared, pointing at her angrily. "Why are you fine?!"
"Because I know how to handle my drink."
He snickered painfully.
"Oh please, you were babbling like a Jewish housewife! You even told me about how you were still a v-"
His mouth slammed shut with a clack of teeth hitting teeth. He let out a muffled scream as he held his purple energy-covered mouth. Glynda's cheeks burned redder than Ruby's cloak.
"OKAY NOW!" She yelled with a high pitch. "No need to divulge this kind of information in polite company, young man!"
"Mm ony a fu yeas yongr!" He muffledly yelled out the side of his face.
Ironwood's eyes glazed over, his rage evaporated at the sight of this impromptu bout of improv comedy. He just sighed.
"Godsdamnit..." He eyed Ruby as Hope cradled her upper half like a teddy bear. "This is why I stick with military types."
The iron-handed general cleared his throat.
"In any case, I feel it appropriate to endorse miss Rose's actions during the infiltration."
The sudden praise made Ruby smile dorkily, although she tried her best to hide it.
"You recognized a threat, you took action and you did the very best you could." Ironwood continued. "This is exactly what I expect for one of our professions, even if you are technically still learning."
Ruby grinned happily, elated at the praise.
"Thank you, general!"
Ozpin had gotten up to get his daily caffeine. He stood at the coffee machine, sipping his beverage.
"As inspiring as this all is, this is not why we called you here."
Ironwood nodded seriously.
"Yes. If it's not too much to ask, I wish to know more of what happened before we arrived."
Ruby rocked on her heels awkwardly, not only because of the resurgent embarrassment of having failed to catch the intruder but also because Anon was still clinging to her.
"I don't know if I'll be of much help but I guess I can try."
Ozpin crossed his hands.
"Do you recall any identifying marks or traits?"
"None that I could tell," Ruby admitted sadly. "She wore dark camo clothes, she used what looked like a disposable blade punch daggers and a big common handgun. Her voice was really warbly and weird. The only thing I can tell you is that she was really good at fighting up close."
"Anything else?"
"If she had a semblance, she didn't use it."
Ruby heard Anon snort above her head.
"Her eyes?" He questioned.
Ruby didn't catch what he meant but then remembered something striking about the infiltrator.
"She had, like, orange-ish eyes that glowed like embers!"
Penny tilted her head curiously before stiffening like a statue, her eyes dulling as lines of code scrolled in her inner ocular lens. She returned to normal with a hum.
"I checked my memory bank and I can confirm that other than her sex, she had ember-like eyes. I also noticed that she had a rogue lock of black hair peeking from her balaclava."
Glynda crossed her arms.
"So we are looking for a black-haired woman with glowing orange eyes?"
Anon snorted again.
"Try amber."
Glynda's face lit up with recognition.
"Are you insinuating that Cinder Fall is the infiltrator?"
Anon let go of Ruby as he slowly sobered up.
"I never insinuate, Glyn. I affirm."
Ruby cocked her head.
"Who?"
Penny's eyes dulled for a moment as she checked her database.
"Cinder Fall, age 20, second-year transfer student from Haven academy. female, black hair colour, amber eye colour."
Her eyes returned to normal.
"She does match the description to a T," Penny confirms. "Even her height matches."
Ruby made a noise, shocked that it was this simple.
"So that's it?" she questioned. "We found the culprit?"
Ozpin's face hardened, the sight of which made Anon growl in frustration, knowing what he'll say next.
"I'm afraid not, miss Rose," Ozpin explained. "If we wish to arrest her, we'll need the requisite evidence to inculcate her. Otherwise, it'll just look like we arrested an innocent transfer student."
He adjusted his glasses on his nose, the lens flare hiding his eyes.
"Not only would that cause an awful controversy, but it would also kick start an inter-academy incident. One that I would have to deal with personally, due to my relationship with Headmaster Lionheart."
Ruby deflated, having hoped that it would have been that cut and dry.
"Oh."
Anon massaged his temple, still feeling the lingering effect of his diminishing hangover mixed with the usual migraine Ozpin gave him. He let out a growl of pure frustration. Penny rubbed his arm timidly, wanting him to calm down and be the nice, friendly Hope she knows. Glynda frowned sadly at Anon's state.
"We did as you asked and monitored every coming and going. Heck, we even checked the security footage after the fact just to be safe and we came up empty-handed." She looked down in frustration. "I remember checking Team CMEN and I saw them just hanging out on one of the balconies. Their fourth member has been confirmed MIA but she doesn't match the infiltrator's description at all. And when she actually came, we confirmed that she had been in their dorm, sleeping in her bed."
Ozpin shook his head.
"Unless proper evidence is presented, I will not risk such a quagmire to occur. The risks are simply too great, especially at this time of year, in these extraordinary circumstances."
Anon threw his arms in the air in exasperation.
"You blithering FUCKING CODGER!" Anon shouted at the top of his lungs before immediately regretting it, as his migraine jabbed at his brain with intensity. "You're just digging yourself further into your own grave!"
Ozpin glared, more annoyed at the foul language than the epithet. Ruby and Penny on the other hand were quite shocked. They had never seen Anon this angry at someone who wasn't an enemy or was threatening him. Anon groaned.
"Anything else before I get an aneurism?"
"Do you have something to add that might actually be helpful?"
Anon wanted to slap the wizard across the face for that line.
"Fuck yourself with a weed wacker, you ancient sack of fossilized manure."
Oz smacked his lips.
"Thank you, mister Hope. Your output was very helpful."
"More than yours, wiz."
Ruby stood behind her best friend awkwardly as the two men stood off. Anon was interrupted by a sad Penny who grabbed his sleeve.
"Friend Anon, please stop." She tried to reason. "We're all allies here, we all want the same thing."
Anon wanted to spit.
No, we don't.
He shrugged her off forcefully before storming toward the windows. Right now, he wanted to cool off on his own. His solitude was short-lived as Penny persisted.
Ruby glanced worriedly at Hope before the tired sigh of the headmaster snatched her attention.
"I think we are done here." The old man gave a thin smile. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Rose. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."
She nodded slowly.
"Y-yes, I should."
She looked one last time at her simmering friend. He gave a dismissive wave.
"I'll be with you in a moment. I have some business to finish."
Ruby nodded dejectedly, really not liking this angrier side of Hope.
"Ok..." Ruby said.
Once Ruby was gone, the atmosphere remained cold. Ironwood looked at the young seer, unsure.
"Are you sure that it's a good idea to send her and her team to fight the enemy?"
Hope nodded.
"They may not look like it, but they are this world's best hope of kicking Salem's teeth in." He looked distant. "They'll fumble and fuck up, but that's why I'll be there to pick them up and set them on the right path."
"They are children."
"And they're the best shot we have to save this fucking world." He glared towards the wizard. "Despite factors beyond our controls."
The old man matched the seer's glare with an unimpressed lidded stare. The general shook his head.
"With all due respect, I still think that we should send troops to remove the threat."
Glynda, who had remained silent for most of the time, groaned as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!?" She admonished. "You treat every situation like it's a dick measuring contest!"
"Glynda!" Ozpin shouted, appalled that now she was using foul language.
"He does! His answer to everything is 'send troops to deal with it', every time!"
"And I agree with you!" Ozpin admitted. "As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."
Anon rolled his eyes.
"But you do know!" He denounced. "Unless you're blind, deaf and/or retarded, her intentions are crystal fucking clear."
"And those are?"
"I ALREADY FUCKING TOLD YOU!" He screamed. "ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?! OR DO YOU NEED YOUR HAND HELD?!"
Ozpin winced at the upped volume.
"No, I just want what's best for everyone. I always have."
"No." Anon retorted. "You sit on your literally godsdamned ass and do nothing. You wait for trouble to come and only do something once it's on your fucking doorstep."
He threw his hands to the sides.
"Well guess what? They are here! They infiltrated your fucking network to kill two birds with one stone!"
He looked at Penny, who gulped audibly despite her lack of saliva.
"Penny, could you please show them our visitor's little bug in action?"
She nodded gravely before taking her scroll and streaming something to the large display of Ozpin's computer. The screen showed a ravaged Vale, as corrupted machines took to the streets to commit acts of slaughter upon the city's people. The Altan crest was defaced, spattered with gore. The simulation stopped as a woman protecting her child was stamped on by a rogue paladin, her scream of horror and fear cut short.
Penny trembled as she held herself, still disturbed at the sickening level of potential violence. She felt Anon's warm embrace and immediately buried her face in his chest, trying her best to drown out the cries of pain and terror. Glynda held her mouth in horror while Ironwood looked furious at the atrocities that his war host could have committed. Silence glided over the office. Anon blinked emptily, letting go of Penny once she stopped shaking.
"This," Anon stated emotionlessly. "Is only a third of what would have happened. Were it not for me doing what I could to prevent the infiltration, the... atrocities that may yet be would have been worse than they now can be."
Ozpin's eyes were hidden behind his glasses, his emotions undecipherable. Anon walked over to his desk and set his hands on it, looking directly into the old wizard's eyes.
"Your method of doing nothing and acting like everything is under control is not working." He said, his voice low. "This isn't linear warfare like in medieval times where you can send your knights in shining armour to do everything with only your champion's input. These are modern times, with modern warfare."
He step away from the desk and walked towards the elevator.
"Wars in the modern times are no longer fought with pikemen and archers, hell, not even with soldiers and artillery," He continued. "They are fought from home using spies and saboteurs. They are fought with missiles with enough explosive yields to level a fucking city, with foreign mercenaries and paid off rebel militias."
He turned to face the groups as he entered the way down the tower.
"They are fought with subterfuge and dirty tactics, by taking your people and pitting them against one another. Against you."
The doors slowly came to a close.
"And when they find your weaknesses, they'll capitalize on them. Then... Your walls fall, riots erupt and the long knives come out."
The door to Anon's room opened with a frustrated, lazy slap. Anon entered his abode with a tired sneer. the first thing he did once he was in was to jump into his bed and bury his head in his pillow. He was about to scream into it but his pillow felt really odd.
It felt like soft flesh.
He rolled his head up, meeting amused, flirty lilac eyes. He cocked a brow.
"Why are you in my bed?" He asked, either not being bothered or caring about his current position.
Yang rolled her eyes.
"A girl's in your bed and you're asking her why she's there?" She asked. "I didn't think you'd be this dense."
Not at all in the mood for an overlong gag with his fellow pervert, Anon rolled to one side of the bed and kicked her off his mattress. She landed with a thud and a complaint.
"Ow!" She rubbed the back of her head with one eye closed. "Geez, someone's cranky."
He laid on his bed with his hands behind his head on his pillow, his face contorted with anger.
"I had to endure that cock-for brains old man while hungover. Of course, I'm cranky." He vented.
Yang pushed herself back to her feet, dusting herself as she went.
"That bad, huh?" She sat back on the bed but thought better than to try and lie down with him again. "Ruby already told us what happened but you really don't like Ozpin, do you?"
"He's a moron who's gonna end up with a city full of dead people if I don't come in to clean up his mess." He ground his teeth. "And Messiah knows I'm fucking sick of dealing with other people's incompetence."
He turned in his bed with a sigh but before he could ask Yang to kindly fuck off, he saw that she wasn't alone. He blinked as Blake stared at him while leaning on his bedside nightstand, eating from a bag of chips.
"Yo." She greeted.
He cocked a brow as he noticed Weiss and Ruby sitting on his couch, the latter looking at him with apprehension and worry.
"Were you assholes just hanging out in my room?" He questioned, mildly annoyed.
Blake shrugged as she bit into a potato chip and ate it.
"I mean, you did give us your room key."
"My place's not a lounge!"
It was Blake's turn to look at him with a cocked brow. His room had become far homier since last they came. With nice looking furniture and a mini living room in the corner with a nice couch, a large T.V with the latest console and games, a small table and even a really nice carpet. he even converted one of the opposite corners into a half-kitchen with a few appliances like a food processor, a coffee machine, a fridge and a portable stove.
Blake blinked at him.
"More like an apartment."
"I have to fill the space somehow."
Yang threw herself into the therapy sofa with a satisfied sigh.
"Well, we're helping you fill the space. 'sides, you'd get lonely without us."
He didn't answer back and just exhaled loudly. Ruby left the couch and squatted next to his bed, looking like a beaten dog. He glanced at her, looking at the sad rose.
"What?" He asked.
"Are you still angry?"
"...I'm still frustrated. But no, I'm not angry anymore."
She eyed him with uncertainty but chose to believe in her friend's words. Noticing her sister's mood, Yang grabbed a cylindrical package the size of her arm.
"Hey Rubes," She lazily tossed the package from her laying position. "Think fast!"
Ruby, caught with her pants down, caught the package with her forehead. It twirled in the air for a moment before landing in Ruby's lap. She rubbed the spot where the package hit while lifting it in front of her with the other hand. She looked at the package from every angle with curiosity. It felt oddly warm.
"Wha's at?" The leader questioned.
"Check the address." Yang simply responded.
Ruby checked and her glum was replaced with a brilliant smile.
"It's from home!" She exclaimed happily. "OH! Did dad send us a present?"
Anon closed one eye, the other tracking the package. It was really still, worryingly so. He Called Hope hummed to himself.
"Come out, boy!" He encouraged.
The cylinder began shaking intensely before the top bust opened. Out came another, smaller fuzzy cylinder. The girls, cautiously intrigued, gathered around the mass of black and white hair. The fuzz log began shaking and one by one, four little paws and a head popped out. The fuzzy mass looked up with its beady eyes at the sisters and barked twice. Blake recoiled back in horror while Weiss looked utterly confused. The sisters gasped before beaming with joy.
"ZWEI!" They exclaimed gleefully.
Blake backed away swiftly before mounting Anon's desk to be as physically far away as she could be from the small dog.
"Your dad sent a dog?!"
"In the mail?" Weiss followed, getting more confused the more she thought about the logistics of sending an animal by mail.
Yang petted the dog's head.
"Oh yeah, he does that all the time." She explained.
"What, your dad or the mutt?" Blake questioned as she knocked over one of a few empty cans off of the desk.
The dog cocked his head, his tongue lolling out of its mouth lazily, as Weiss loomed over him.
"So you're telling me... that this..." Her voice trembled with an unknowable emotion. "This, mangy, drooling mutt..."
She dropped to the floor, nuzzling her face into Zwei's soft fur giddily.
"Is gowing to wiv with us FOWEVA?!" she babbled like an excited child.
Blake cringed at the implication that she might have to live with the sister's dog. This contrasted to the three other girls, who now shamelessly dotted on the small dog. She backed herself against the wall, sneering with disdain.
"Keep that mutt away from me!" The feline demanded.
Anon gave her an amused side-eyed glance before hopping off his bed. He and Zwei made eye contact. Zwei freed himself from Weiss's embrace and stood before Hope, The dog's tongue dangling out seemingly permanently. Anon knelt to his level and presented his hand, refusing to break eye contact.
"Greet." The seer ordered.
Zwei barked jovially before putting his stubby paw into Hope's hand.
"Sit."
The dog obeyed with no complaint. The girls looked on, captivated by the display before them. Whether it was by Anon's commanding presence or Zwei's obedience, no one in the room could tell. Anon patted the dog's head softly.
"Good boy." Hope praised.
Zwei panted happily at the wondrous pleasure of being praised and petted.
Anon pointed down at the ground.
"Lay down, boy."
Zwei followed the command immediately. Anon moved his finger in a tumbling motion.
"Roll over."
Zwei pushed himself against the ground, turning himself belly up. His tongue flopped down against his face. The dog froze before immediately relaxing as he felt the pure bliss that came with belly rubbing.
"Good boy." Anon praised as the dog melted at his feet.
Yang giggled dorkily to herself.
"And here I thought you were a cat person."
An empty can bounced off her head, not that she noticed. Anon shrugged at her question.
"Nah, I'm just used to helping out strays."
Yang chortled, earning herself another can to the head. Ruby held a finger to her cheek.
"You thought stray animals to do tricks?"
"Yeah, I did it all the time as a kid." He smiled nostalgically as he brought the dog onto his lap. "My mom taught it was really adorable, so I kept doing it out of habit."
He scratched under Zwei's jaw, eliciting a sigh of contentment.
"I haven't had the time nor occasion to do that recently. It's..." He paused thoughtfully. "Soothing, to me."
Blake felt betrayed as Anon kept petting the dog. She could FEEL Zwei's smug glance as Anon's hand rubbed his head. She tossed the last can at Hope but he caught it, throwing it in the recycling bin without looking. It didn't matter to her as she made him stop petting the dog, earning an annoyed look from the dog. She smirked, smug from the momentary victory.
Weiss stole the dog from Hope, as she wasn't done snuggling with the soft furry critter. Hope snorted as the usually prim and proper Weiss lost all semblance of restraint. Yang did the same as she reached from behind her back, pulling out a large rectangular package from nowhere.
"Before I forget, I took the liberty of getting your mail."
The seer gave a lidded stare.
"You took the liberty?"
"What? You always get weird stuff in the mail, so excuse me for being curious!"
"Name one thing," Anon challenged.
"That couch for one!" She said, pointing at the therapist chair. "You also got that weird table lamp!"
The lamp in question stood on Hope's left-side nightstand. It looked like a miniature sun trapped in a globe, going from its life stages on the whims of a dial. From its dimmest dyings to its brightest super-novas to a regular healthy shine. Anon shrugged.
"It's just a lamp."
Yang didn't buy it.
"It's got a fucking sun it!"
"Your hair turns to fire when you get angry enough and your sister can turn into a cloud of rose petals." He deadpanned. "Why is a sun in a globe the thing you're questioning?"
"Those things aren't alike at all!" She protested.
Anon rolled his eyes and swiped his package from Yang's grasp. The package was a rectangular prism roughly the length of a man's arm.
The weight immediately clued him in as to the content. His expression turned dour as he laid the box on his bed. he produced a large and ornate wooden case from its cardboard holding. The girls learned over his shoulder, curious as to what weird shit Anon got this time. Blake immediately recognized the ornate design finely inlaid unto the box. An Oni's skull flanked by a pair of katanas superimposed over a pair of tanegashimas. Suddenly, a familiar ringtone began to ring. Hope reached for his scroll, but it was dead silent. After a moment of confusion, He realized that the song actually came from his phone. He took it, its heavier weight once so familiar now felt almost alien. The caller ID displayed three familiar words: Masa Master Workshop. He pressed the accept call option on the tactile screen and gave the only greeting that he felt could fit.
"Moshi Moshi, Hope desu." He greeted in a high-pitched, cutesy manner.
He heard a disgusted groan from the other end of the line.
"Masamune!" The voice yelled away from the receiver. "Remind me to punk Hope next time he comes to the shop!"
"What?" Anon smirked behind his phone. "I greeted you in your native tongue. It's nothing to be angry over."
"Would it have killed you to have answered like a normal human being instead of whatever the fuck kind of schoolgirl voice you were trying to pull?" Muramasa questioned, miffed.
"No, but it wouldn't have been as funny."
"Fuck you."
Anon's snicker made Muramasa sigh.
"I take it my package arrived safe and sound?" The Deamonsmith queried.
"Yeah, I was about to open it, actually."
"Well? What are you waiting for!?" The smith encouraged enthusiastically. "Open it, and witness my work!"
Hope put his phone on the speaker before laying it next to the box. He lifted the lid, the hinges making nary a sound. Resting on a satin-lined cushion rested the biggest dagger Hope had ever seen. Calling it a dagger was underselling it by a fucking long shot. Its width and blade thickness were similar to a large butcher's cleaver but it was as long as a short sword or machete. The ergonomic grip had been expertly sculpted, out of what looked to be a strange richly coloured wood, to fit Anon's hand perfectly. He lifted the weapon off its bed, its weight was strangely light and shockingly balanced for what felt like a chopping blade. He pulled on the handle, releasing it from its simple but fittingly large scabbard. The blade was single edged but said edge was unnaturally sharp as his knife once was. The metal of the blade had strange patterns running through it, as its spider crack-like lines ebbed and flowed throughout the metal. Hope looked into his reflection, the pattern solidifying around it. It formed into a cracked halo around his reflection's head while the eyes were covered by the lines, making them look as if they were made of shattered glass.
The girls exclaimed their admiration and interest in their own usual says, but Hope only felt a strange sense of fitting ominousness. Zwei just sat by, not really understanding what was going on. The voice from the phone chuckled jovially at the reactions he heard.
"A beaut, if I do say so myself. "
Anon laughed softly, the feeling never quitting him.
"I expected no less, Muramasa-san. What's the story on the pattern?"
"I had a bunch of old broken weapons lying around. A lot of them were still thirstin' for more, so I took a bunch of the more agreeable ones and forge welded them into a solid billet. Then I forged it, heat treated it and etched it in an acid bath, followed by an ash bath. The pattern came out pretty good, better than even I had expected."
The seer hesitated to ask the question that burned his lips.
"Does it have a name?"
He could hear the Deamonsmith's smile even if the phone was turned off.
"She'll reveal her name to you in due time, my boy."
Hope stayed silent, lost in his blade's vision of him. The Deamonsmith's throat clearing snapped him out of it.
"On that note, I have some work to get back to. But before I go I want you to tell you something."
"Shoot."
"Make sure that this time, she'll be baptized in the wicked blood of your enemies, and not yours."
A click followed by a tonal drone signified that the old soul hung up. Hope put his phone in his pocket, still staring at his new weapon. It felt strangely alive, similar to his pistol but in a more disjointed way. His pistol, he could see what it wanted clear as day. All he had to do was look into its reflection and the reflection would greet him. The blade, however, was like the visualization being in an echoey room with a dozen people talking all at the same time. It was incredibly disjointed and schizophrenic. However, it felt as if its "self", for the lack of a better term, calcified around him. But one thing was for sure, like his gun, the blade wanted to serve him to its fullest capacity.
Ruby had been hanging over his shoulder the moment he unsheathed his new weapon, stars lighting in her eyes. Ruby turned into a chibi gremlin the longer she stared at the blade. Unable to keep it in her pants any longer, Ruby zoomed off his shoulder and in between him and his dagger. She snatched it from his hands, sheath included, and began gushing over it.
"OHMYGOSHWHATISTHISPATTERNITSSOCOOLLOOIKING!" She squeaked speedily. "ANDTHESHARPNESSMYGOSHITSUNREAL!"
Anon blinked, one second he had a blade in his hands and the next Ruby is on the other side of the room with his big fucking knife. He looked nervously at the jewel-coloured girl as she enthusiastically inspected it.
"Ruby?" He called worriedly. "Please be careful, It's real sharp."
Ruby turned her head to glare at him, blowing raspberries once she was done stink eyeing him.
"What do you take me for?! An amateur?!"
She began doing test swings, amazed at how balanced it was. Hope noticed a strange detail as she began swinging, it looked as though she swung it like it had more weight than it should have. As she made an overheard swing, Ruby lurched forward and towards the investigation board. His heart stopped and his pupils shrunk. Thankfully, Ruby stopped on a dime, a hair's breadth away from the board. She smiled knowingly at her (other) best friend.
"See? What'd I tell you?" She boasted cockily.
Ruby did an off-hand flourish before sheeting the oversized dagger. A sudden crash made the young huntswoman yelp and jump back. The board was on the floor in pieces, literal hours of Hope's life now laid on the floor in a pile of shredded cork, wood and paper. The three other girls made various expressions in response. Blake held the sides of her face while looking at the board, utterly beside herself that her and Anon's project was in ruin. Yang covered her eyes, cringing at what her sister had just done. Weiss looked at Hope with her fist in front of her mouth, knowing that he spent so much time on it just to help them in the investigation. Zwei rolled around on the floor, his tongue flopping around.
Ruby lifted the weapon at eye's height, now looking at it in pure shock.
"...I didn't even feel the board..." She muttered somewhat fearfully. "It was like cutting through air."
Anon blinked lifelessly at the scrap heap on his floor before sharply inhaling through his nose. He walked up to Ruby and gingerly took the weapon out of her hands.
"I think that was enough." He said neutrally. "In fact, I think you've had enough for a lifetime."
Ruby blinked before catching on that she completely lost her noife privileges. She pouted to herself in the corner.
"M' sorry..." She apologized anyway.
He shook his head at one of his two diminutive friends before glaring at the pile of firewood on his floor. He sighed before grabbing as much as he could and tossing the whole lot in the garbage. Blake saw what he was doing and immediately went to stop him.
"What are you doing?! You don't need to throw it all out, we can just make a new one!"
Anon put his foot down.
"NO!" He yelled. "I am fucking tired of your goddamned games, Blake!"
Blake flinched backward. Anon glared furiously with mad, bloodshot eyes.
"I am not wasting any more of my goddamned time again just so that we can play pretend detective!" He held a finger to her face. "From now on, we'll do it digitally and that's final!"
Blake puffed her cheeks before joining Ruby in the timeout corner to pout.
A small jingle echoed throughout the dorm building, reaching into Hope's room. Glynda's synthesized voice made the awaited announcement.
"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheatre? I repeat, All first-years to the amphitheatre. Please and thank you."
Hope couldn't help but feel a weight settle in his gut.
"Now's the time." He said, hiding his nervousness behind a stoic mask.
He waved the girls towards the door.
"Not that I don't like you being here, but kindly fuck off."
"Wait, what about the dog?" Weiss asked.
Yang snatched the package that Zwei came from and inspected it further, producing a letter. She tore the top open and read it out loud.
"To my dear daughters, blah blah blah, gone for a week..." Yang skimmed over the letter. "Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Your sweet papa."
The package burst opens further, vomiting a small mound of canned dog food and a can opener.
Yang shrugged.
"Well, guess that does it."
"We can't just leave him here for a week without supervision." Weiss insisted.
Yang shrugged again.
"Ok." She turned to Hope. "Hope, look after Zwei, please."
His eyes narrowed.
"So you're just gonna dump your dog on me last minute like an asshole?"
"Yes." Yang didn't even hesitate. "C'mon, you're the only one we know that won't be going on a field trip."
Hope thought back to Mount Glenn and Zwei's pivotal role in finding the enemy's base. He felt the weight grow heavier but remained stoic.
"I... I guess I could do that."
Yang pepped up.
"Well, that settles it!"She waved towards the door. "Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!"
Weiss cuddled with Zwei one last time before Yang pried her off, carrying her underarm like luggage.
"Oh! I'll miss you so much!" She declared sadly. "We're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you again!"
Blake looked at her pale friend with disgust before bolting to get as far away from the dog as possible. Ruby patted her dog one last time before giving her guy friend a thankful smile.
"Thanks for looking after him."
"No problem." he sighed out.
"Oh, don't worry. Zwei's a pretty well-trained dog if I do say so myself," she assured pridefully. "Just make sure that you take him on a walk once every day and that you feed him at the same time as you do. He gets confused otherwise."
"And his business?"
"He's really smart, he'll let you know."
He nodded in understanding.
"Gotcha."
Ruby waved him goodbye but before she left the room, he grabbed her arm.
"Before you go, I have to warn you of something." He said seriously.
"What is it?"
"Look for subterranean entrances, like metro access gates. otherwise, look for damaged hollowed roads or big sinkholes."
She nodded slowly.
"Right. Underground crime network." She smiled cheesily. "Eh? Eh?"
Anon stared judgementally.
"Yeah, leave the puns to me."
Ruby pouted.
"Yang would have laughed."
"Yang has a horrendous sense of humour. She is literally the worst person to bring up."
Ruby sulked, much to his amusement. He rubbed her head softly. She kept sulking, although with a light blush.
"Hey." Anon smiled. "Good luck, boss."
Her sulk turned into a smile, giggling and dancing in place giddily at her new title.
"Thanks, Anon!"
"Yeah... Go ahead, I'll catch up at the landing pad."
"See you there!" She yelled as she bolted out of the room excitedly.
He waved at the empty spot where Ruby was.
"Yeah... Will do..."
He felt the weight in his stomach get heavier. He winced as he clutched his stomach.
"Fucking hell... Why am I so nervous? I made sure that at least they'll be on their tail..."
He sighed.
"I need to take a walk." He smiled at the idea. "But first, I'll go see how CVFY's doing."
With Zwei in toe, Anon walked down the many halls and corridors of Beacon academy. The small dog skipped and hopped on his tinny legs to keep up with the tall human, whose long strides made it difficult to stay close. Passing students gushed at the adorable pile of fuzz who tried his best to remain at his caretaker's side.
It was, admittedly, very cute.
As he emerged from one of the doors to the landing pads, Hope noticed RWBY talking to JNPR With SSSN chatting amongst themselves close by. It seems like Sage and Scarlet finally decided to stick to their friends for once. Oobleck doesn't seem to have made his appearance yet.
Good, I get to see their reactions live!
Hope's heart skipped when he saw someone running by, yelling about the second year's ships arriving. He saw the bullheads descend, unloading teams after teams of sophomores disembarked, some looking worse for wear while others looked like they had just gone on a relaxing walk in the park. He heard a familiar caw. He looked up and saw a raven perched on one of the buildings. The two stared at each other. Hope only broke eye contact to give a greeting nod. The raven nodded back before taking flight to be closer to Team RWBY.
He resumed his search until finally, he saw them. CVFY looked dishevelled but in one piece. The worse that he could see was Yatsuhachi's massive bruise on his temple, he also had many cuts on his arms but they looked superficial at best. He ran to them, glad that they were still breathing. The team looked towards him, smiling weakly. The closer he got, the worse off they looked. Coco looked like she hadn't slept in days, Velvet had bandages under her clothes, Fox had new scars and Yats' wounds looked worse off than they already did. The girls went to meet him halfway but were so exhausted that they collapsed on top of him. Hope immediately caught them, supporting them as best as he could.
"Shit!" He cursed before holding them closely. "Don't scare me like that."
Coco coughed up a laugh.
"Sorry." She apologized, nuzzling closer. "It's so good to see you again."
Velvet nodded in agreement into Hope's neck. The guys limped over, joining their feminine companions and their seer friend. Hope winced when he saw how bad Yatsuachi's bruise really was. It covered half his forehead and covered two-thirds of his eye. It was yellowed at the edge but the centre was so purple it looked black, the eye looked slightly swollen but it had clearly been worse previously.
They smiled reassuringly but he knew they had just gone through a nightmare. Fox looked confused as hell for a moment before hearing a small cute bark. He smiled brightly and looked at his friend expectantly. Anon looked at Zwei, who looked back dimwittedly. He motioned with his head to the dog to go see the blind warrior. Zwei barked in confirmation before strutting to Fox. The blind man sat on the floor with a groan before petting and playing with the dog, a peaceful smile on his face. Yats sat down on his knees and joined Fox in playing with the dog, his usual stoic mask faltering at Zwei's cuteness. Coco snorted.
"They always did like dogs."
Hope moved Coco's head so that he could look her in the eyes. Her fatigue looked even worse up close. Coco winced out a small laugh.
"I must look fucking horrible..."
"You'll look better once you're in bed."
She wooed.
"Oh~ Does that mean that I can finally have my free night with you?"
Hope's worry persevered. Coco chuckled to herself weakly.
"Sorry. Just trying to keep things light..."
"How bad?" Anon asked.
Any semblance of levity just jumped off a cliff, even for the dog-loving duo. Coco's smile turned sour.
"It was like a fucking tsunami of evil tar..." Her voice cracked. "There were so, fucking, many of them..."
Velvet buried herself further in Hope's neck, he could feel her gripping his clothes with the grip of a vice. A sombre silence hovered over the group. Anon feared the answer to his next question.
"How many innocents?"
Velvet's grip loosened, he heard her breathe out softly. The mood picked up, As Coco grinned ear to ear.
"Zero~"
A wave of relief hit him all at once and with a sigh of gladness, he smiled.
"You guys did a good job." he praised. "A damn good job."
"You too." Velvet finally said. "Your tip of focusing on the evacuation paid off. We got hurt bad but at least they were safe."
"They lost everything, but they kept their lives and those of their loved ones," Fox added as Zwei licked his fingers. "They'll rebuild. They always do."
Hope nodded gravely.
"You guys need rest. You've earned it."
Just saying the word rest made CVFY look ready to collapse.
"Yeah..." Fox fell unto his back. "Yeah... I think we do."
Zwei sniffed the collapsed man before Yatsuachi picked his friend up in a princess carry and looked at Hope.
"I'll take care of them."
Hope nodded as he handed the girls over, the both of them using their walking tank as support.
"You too Yats," Hope said. "Your bruise looks like shit."
"I'll take us to the infirmary. We'll rest up there."
"Alright... And welcome back home."
CVFY smiled warmly despite their tiredness. They were home at last.
Anon watched as CVFY disappeared from view, the crowd parting to give the wounded huntsmen the space they needed. The pit in his stomach settled. CVFY was far worse for wear than they were in the show, but something tells him that if he hadn't warned them, things might have been far, far worse. Zwei buggered off to do gods knows what. Probably mark his new territory. The sound of incoming footsteps didn't register immediately but he came to recognize the quick patter of Ruby's boots and Weiss's heels.
"Something came up?" He heard Weiss ask asked.
Hope's eyes stayed on where CVFY was.
"No, just the usual feeling of having dodged a bullet." He retorted. "Except this time I have the feeling I just dodged an RPG."
He shook his head. Turning around, Hope was met with a determined and ready Team RWBY. He bit on his thumb's nail, thinking of what could be.
"And now, a bomb is aimed straight at the city. And if you don't stop it in time..."
"I know." Weiss rubbed her arm anxiously. "We have a lot riding on our shoulders."
He smiled bitterly.
"Yours are a lot broader than mine, ironically enough."
She cupped one of his cheeks, frowning in annoyance.
"Quit it, you're doing your own fair share of lifting. So stop putting yourself down."
He let out a snort, leaning into her hand coyly. Her cheeks reddened but she kept her serious expression.
"Yeah, yeah. We're doing this as a 'team' and all that shit."
Weiss removed her hand, returning to her earlier determined look.
"We're going to do everything we can to stop whatever they have planned." She declared
Hope felt the weight on his stomach lighten a little.
"I'm counting on you."
Yang shot a grin and a thumbs up.
"Leave it to us!"
Ruby nodded quickly, totally agreeing with her sister with Blake doing the same, if much more restrained and calm. Hope smiled.
At least try to give me reasons to doubt you...
He whistled and Zwei rocketed towards him at the speed of a stumpy dog going as fast as its tiny leg could go. Hope pointed behind himself with his thumb.
"I'll go fix this fucker some grub then go on a walk."
He looked over their shoulders, smirking.
"Welp, see ya when see ya." He said as he turned around.
The girls looked confused at his smirk but shrugged it off as him being weird as usual. As soon as they turned around, they understood why he did so.
"Why, hello girls!"
Oobleck stood in their way, his thick spectacles shining in the sun's light. He was wearing a stereotypical jungle adventurer getup, stupid hat included. They immediately understood why he was here and despaired.
"Who's ready to fight for their lives?" He said, swinging one of his arms across his chest.
RWBY stood there in shock, various expressions animating their face. None of them were flattering or positive for that matter.
In the distance, Hope's mocking laugh echoed.
The sound of sloppy chewing had grown to annoy Hope. Despite being an obedient and well-behaved dog, Zwei was an annoyingly loud and sloppy eater. Following Ruby's instruction, Anon noshed on a dispenser sandwich and canned soup while Zwei ate. He still didn't understand why he even got confused if someone didn't eat with him. Once the dog was done scarfing down his second can of food and rolled over in contentment, Hope laid down on his therapy sofa with a deep sigh. Zwei's ears flipped up in attention. He walked over to his caretaker and whimpered, wondering why he seemed so anxious. Hope scratched the crown of the dog's skull.
"I'm fine, Zwei." He assured the dog. "I'm just hoping that we'll avoid a big incoming clusterfuck."
The stumpy canine licked the seer's fingers, softly bumping his head against the hand. Hope chuckled before picking up the dog and setting him on his chest.
"I trust in your master. But there have been so many changes... I'm afraid." He admitted. "I'm afraid that I'll mess up."
He looked out his window, blanking out as the bullheads flew out in the distance. His eyes glazed over until a loud noise snapped him out of it. His eyes focused at the sudden movement. Dangling over his windowsill inside his room was a familiar leg wearing brown trousers and a white high-heeled boot. A trembling gloved hand gripped the window and hoisted itself inside. Neo stumbled inside the room, hyperventilating from almost falling to her death. Anon blinked, shocked that she was here. Neo let out a long breath after finally calming down. She rolled her head, looking around. She stopped once she saw that Hope was not only here, but staring at her in shock. The two locked eyes awkwardly. The cute dog on his chest did the same, though more in confusion as to who this weird girl was.
Hope gently removed Zwei off his chest before bolting off the sofa. His gun was on his desk, if he can get it, he'll at least be able to keep her at bay. Neo, noticing where he was going, grabbed a nearby lamp and threw it at his head. The lamp shattered against his skull, unleashing a sudden fireball that torched his hair. Anon crumpled as his brain was knocked around inside his skull. To add insult to injury, his head bounced off the edge of his desk, furthering his head trauma. He layed on the floor, motionless as a small wound on the back of his head began weeping blood. A large linear bruise began appearing on his forehead. Neo panicked grabbed a handful of tissues from his desk to staunch the bleeding, the smell of singed hair stinking up the immediate area.
Once the bleeding subsided, Neo let out a sigh. That didn't go as planned. Like... at all. She sighed, annoyed at how sloppy her mission ended up being. She could only hope that he won't suffer brain damage. Sudden whimpering alarmed her to Zwei's presence. She saw as the small dog fruitlessly tried to wake Hope up. Zwei's agitation furthered as he began barking loudly and crying, seemingly begging for him to either wake up or for someone to help him. Neo immediately went to lock the door, at least it would buy her some time while she thinks of a way to get out of this mess.
She looked at the panicking dog, momentarily wondering what to do with it. She felt a cold breeze hit her neck. Maybe killing the dog would make things easier...
V2E13: END!
NEXT ON PLAYLIST: V2E14 - PLAY?