Here we go
Cover Art: Mystery White Flame
Chapter 7
Beacon was practically deserted.
Not literally, because the halls were filled with repair crews toiling away, but it lacked the hustle and bustle of the students, the noise and the crowds. There was a part of Jaune which missed that, which felt the silence was oppressive and overwhelming.
It was a very small part.
An easily ignored part.
A bottle of beer clinked against Port and Qrow's, the three men laughing as they tipped back their drinks and washed away the troubles of the day – which were remarkably few. The sun was shining, the homework was non-existent, and Neo had been in a fantastic mood that morning thanks to finding a hidden freezer in the Atlas battleship with a tub of chocolate ice-cream. She was sat in his lap spooning it into her mouth with a huge smile on her face. It was probably strange that none of the other teachers seemed to care about that.
He wasn't about to complain. Neo's pants were tight, and he could feel every curve of her small body against his. Not that she was ever shy on taking advantage of that – mostly to watch him squirm and go red – but he was a hormonal eighteen-playing-as-twenty-one-year-old. He'd take what he could get.
Right now, if that was a happy Neo and a good drink with some friends? Well, bring it on.
"Ahhh." Qrow leaned back and let out a happy gasp, followed by a burp. "This is the life. Fine drink, fine company and no little brats to keep an eye on."
"Those little brats are your nieces," Jaune pointed out.
"And I love 'em. I really do. But I can love 'em while they're out there not cockblocking me at every opportunity."
"You are sat here drinking with us, lad," Peter laughed. "You cockblock yourself!"
"Meh. This is the only lady I need." Qrow raised his bottle and then began to fervently make out with it. He drew it back with a happy sound. "And I can make her wetter than an Atlas housewife on military parade."
Jaune grimaced. "I did not need the mental image." He sipped at his own drink, then paused. "Wait a minute, you don't even work here! Shouldn't you be at Signal?"
"Retired," Qrow said with a little shrug.
"Retired?"
"On Ozpin's orders. Or suggestion." Qrow pondered. "Nah, they were definitely orders. Anyway, it's not like I could have kept the job while dicking around in Mistral. And now that I'm not doing that and we're going to kidnap Oz, I don't have a job."
"You want one?"
"Hell no!" Qrow glared at him. "I've seen how crazy working for you is."
Eh. There wasn't much arguing with that. Jaune shrugged and let Neo pull his bottle down and take a drink from it, then tried hard not to think of the words `indirect kiss` when he sipped some more. Naturally, she didn't offer him a bite of her ice-cream.
And he knew better than to ask.
"In my defence, I don't think I'm responsible for all the insanity…"
"That's what an insane person would say."
"But I'm not." Jaune looked to his friend and colleague. "Right Peter?"
"Ahem. Well…" Peter looked away.
"What!? Seriously? B-But I'm the only sane one here!"
"Sane. Right. Ha." Qrow laughed. "So says the eighteen-year-old headmaster sat with a psychopath in his lap drinking beer while being hated by Atlas, planning to meet with the White Fang and who hired Roman Torchwick as Finance Director for the school. Real sane there, Jaune. Real sane."
"Bah. What do you know?" Jaune raised his bottle again but blinked when he found it empty. On his lap, Neo burped demurely into one hand. Sighing, he put it down, not quite wanting to get up for another and dislodge her. "I wonder how the teams are doing on their missions."
/-/
"Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored."
"Are you bored, Nora?"
"Gasp! How did you know?"
Pyrrha sighed, both at the question and the fact Nora articulated the word `gasp`. "A lucky guess."
It wasn't all that much better for her, what with the familiar surroundings of the Emerald Forest and the predictably weak Grimm that lived within it. Say what you would about Beacon's lack of health and safety standards – and there was a lot to say when you could start a food fight that put people through stone pillars – but not even Beacon could allow a forest literally neighbouring their school and the capital city of Vale, to host dangerous Grimm.
Initiation had been an exception to that rule, but even that made sense. Initiation started after the previous year ended, which meant there was a month of school holidays where no one challenged the Grimm, thus they grew in number and size. This was not initiation. This was after a battle that had involved plenty of Grimm, which meant the numbers and size of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest was smaller than it had ever been before.
This was cruel and unusual, Pyrrha decided, as she looked down at the knee-high Beowolf trying – and failing – to claw through her bronze greaves. A weary sigh overcame her.
"Oh my Gosh, can we keep it? Can we? Can we? Can we?"
"No, Nora."
"But Team RWBY has a pet!"
"Yes. And that pet is a dog. Not a Beowolf."
"Aww." Nora leaned down and picked the thing up. It scratched at her face but couldn't break through her aura any more than it could Pyrrha's armour. "Can we at least not kill it? Look at its little face."
Pyrrha tried not to, but there wasn't much hope when Nora shoved the thing into her face.
"To be honest, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable stepping on it." Velvet's voice came off from the side, the faunus sounding just as bored – if not more – than them. While she had come to accept her place on Team RVNN, Velvet was still someone who had the experience of a second year. Being granted a mission so uninspiring was obviously getting on her nerves as much as it was Pyrrha's.
"Yay. Be free, little boy. Be free!" Nora pushed the Beowolf away.
It staggered three feet, turned and attacked her again, trying to rip her ankles to shreds.
Nora ignored it.
As did the rest of the team.
"I'll admit that the Grimm population is not as large as I expected," Ren said, looking over a map on his scroll. His left pant leg was scuffed with dirt; literally the only casualty of their mission so far. "I'd thought that with all the negativity from the attack, the Grimm would be crawling all over the forest. They should have been drawn to Beacon."
"I think they were." Pyrrha sat down and placed her weapon on the floor. She worked off one boot and wiggled her toes to ease some life back into them, watching as the others did the same, Nora playing with the little Beowolf by dangling her fingers above its snout and pulling them away when it tried to bite them off. "But I think they were drawn to Beacon and then killed in Beacon. Either by us, the robots or maybe they were caught when the battleship crashed."
"Wiping out much of the Grimm population in one fell swoop," Ren finished. "It must have been Cinder's plan; let the Grimm overwhelm Beacon and then inhabit the ruins. Except that when we fought them off, there was no contingency."
"If she wanted Beacon at all," Velvet added. "And not just Pyrrha's power."
"Amber's power. I don't feel like this is mine."
"You learned how to make use of it yet?" Velvet asked.
"No. Miss Goodwitch is trying to help me, but it's not working so well. To be fair, I don't think she knows either. I'm just getting unhelpful advice about reaching deep inside myself and taking hold of the power within."
Nora looked up. "What?"
"I know. Unhelpful. How do you reach inside yourself? I tried imagining invisible arms rummaging around in my stomach-"
Velvet laughed.
"- but that didn't work very well."
"I can imagine. Nothing, then? Nothing at all?"
"One or two cases of glowing eyes. Other than that? Nothing." A rueful smile appeared on her face. "On the bright side, all the memories and personality being overwritten things that Ozpin were worried about don't seem to be happening." Her smile faltered. "Or I don't think they are. Would I even notice if they were?"
"I think we would," Ren said. "And believe me, you haven't changed."
A relieved sigh escaped her. "Thank you. That's comforting."
"You considered going to the prof for advice?" Nora asked. "You said his therapy helped you before."
"He's too busy for that now. I hear he's looking for a new therapist."
"He'd probably make an exception for you," Nora said. "You're the Fall Maiden."
Pyrrha looked away. "That's exactly why I don't want to go to him. He's going to say things that I need to hear because of what I am. He'll tell me not to worry and not to try and do anything dangerous."
"You think he'll be biased?" Ren asked.
"I think he'd have to be. Cinder wants me dead and Beacon destroyed, and he's the headmaster of the school. Even if he doesn't mean to be, he'll treat me as… more than just a student with a problem."
No one denied that. It was obvious.
"What about if we get a new one?"
"Then I'll consider going." Pyrrha smiled at Velvet. "I'm not saying I don't trust him anymore, just that it wouldn't be fair on either of us. And how can I complain about how I feel like Beacon is holding me back out of fear to the person who made that decision? It would be too awkward."
"Ha. I can see how that would work. And you're not the only one to be thinking it." Velvet kicked a stone. "We're definitely being coddled."
"I am," Pyrrha said. "It's not you guys."
"We're a team. Someone insults you, they insult me."
"Indeed." Ren smiled. "And while I wouldn't normally be the one to say it…" He sighed. "Even I find this a dreary task. I'd pay good money to fight a King Taijitu right now."
"We could go out a little further," Nora suggested. "Like Forever Fall."
"No. That would only give the school reason to hold us back in future, saying we can't be trusted. And no matter how bored we are, there's still a chance this was just an unfortunate coincidence." Ren didn't sound like he believed his own words. "I don't think we should invite trouble by acting out over something like this."
"I agree." As much as she hated to say it. "Let's just get today's work done with and head into Vale. Maybe a decent meal and a movie will help take our minds off things."
"Kay." Nora stood and pet the Beowolf, which had collapsed in a huff over the lack of damage it was doing to any of the huntsmen. The little thing growled angrily as they left, then paused. Slowly, its skin gave way, body shaping into a floating orb with numerous tendrils dangling from the bottom.
It slowly floated in the opposite direction.
/-/
"Why didn't you tell me the Council wanted to speak with me!? I wouldn't have drunk anything!"
"I chose not to inform you for that very reason." Glynda pushed him down into a seat and tapped a few buttons on a terminal set into the desk, bringing up a screen. "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but you have a very obvious `deer in the headlights look` whenever you're nervous."
"I do?"
"Yes. Before, I just assumed it was your newness over teaching and fear of it. Now, I know better. You lose than when you've had something to drink." She paused. "Probably because you are tipsy. Either way, both Torchwick and I decided this would be for the best."
"You're talking again?"
"Not anymore we're not."
Torchwick chuckled from the back wall, where he looked just a little ruffled. Presumably from another fight with Glynda. Jaune wondered what he'd said to drive her over the edge this time, but Glynda's glower told him ignorance was bliss.
"Well what does the Council want? At least give me an idea what to say."
"I don't know."
"Y-You what!?"
"I have no idea what they want," Glynda said. "Or rather, they refuse to say. My personal suspicion is that they do not so much have a plan as they do a desire to get a read for you. To understand how you think."
"And you think tipsy me is the best face to present for this?"
"Yes." Glynda and Roman said in perfect unison.
"W-Wow. I actually feel pretty insulted right now…"
"Don't worry. Ozpin could speak with these people, and he's Ozpin. I'm sure you'll do fine."
Jaune wanted to point out that Ozpin was also hundreds or thousands of years old and, at the very least, qualified for the job. He wanted to say a lot of things really, but those were all cut off because the screen lit up and five small boxes opened, revealing four male faces and one female.
Contrary to expectation, they weren't all old, but they did all look it. Not in the way of wrinkles and white hair, but rather their expressions, which ran the gamut between `never smiled a day in my life` to `trying to smile but nailing a grimace instead`. The youngest had to be forty if anything. Names flashed under their images, but they didn't really mean anything to Jaune.
"Ah. Headmaster Jaune Arc. A pleasure to meet you at last."
"The pleasure is all mine?" He made it a question but retracted it as Glynda coughed. "That's to say I'm glad I could finally speak to the Council of Vale. It has been a busy few weeks for us."
"I'm sure we can all imagine." The woman laughed. It was a… manufactured sound. "Few people become headmaster in conditions quite so turbulent. And then there has been the issues with Atlas, your charity meeting with the Schnee family and, if our sources are correct, your decision to rent out the students as mercenaries."
"It's a teaching initiative," he said automatically, as they had to any and every parent who asked.
"A teaching initiative. Yes."
"Experience in the field is useful and we want to show the people of Vale that the next generation can be trusted to protect them. Better they learn out there in the field than be trapped in a classroom all day."
"Work experience is important," an older councillor agreed. "It is good to see that the youngsters recognise that."
"Yes, but that is not why we called this impromptu meeting."
"Of course. My apologies."
"Understood." Jaune masked a sigh as a nod. "What does the Council wish to discuss with me?"
"As you may know, Ozpin held a position on the Council as mandated by his role in Beacon; a position you now hold. It is not an official one with voting power, more an advisory role. It does, however, entitle you to attend monthly sessions to discuss events in Vale. We though this meeting would be a good chance to do that, and to fill you in on some of your other… duties."
Work. More work. Those were the only words he recognised, and they brought a tear to his eye. The woman on the screen appeared to be waiting for a response of some kind. Jaune offered a choked one. "T-That is too kind of you."
What followed was a deluge of information that at times seemed pointless and at other times obviously was pointless. At least for him to be present for. Tax figures in Vale, news of new products that the police force were petitioning for funds for, people using beds for too long in the hospitals and a tentative trade deal with Menagerie that was being considered, but slowly, with a focus on not insulting Atlas due to the issue with the White Fang being based out of Menagerie.
"The situation with Atlas is difficult enough as it is. While Atlas and Vale remain allies, Atlas' focus on Beacon is… unhelpful. Even beyond those who rebel against the idea of Atlas having so much sway in our internal affairs, there are those who lost loved ones to Atlas' rogue contraptions."
"We are aware, good sir. As, I'm sure, is Atlas."
"Aware, but not dealing with it. They are swinging their weight around as if they are untouchable."
"They are."
"Militaristically, yes, but not politically. Public opinion shifts against them. If this continues, we may find it hard to keep an alliance at all. The people are already furious that Atlas continues to have so much control here, even after their battleships have departed."
"And many simply despise them for their claims on the good headmaster."
The longer they went on, the more Jaune thought about sinking down into his chair and hiding away. The words `your fault` never crossed their lips, but it felt like it was. Especially given his… less than diplomatic actions at the Schnee manor. With Glynda's eyes on him and Ozpin's crappy advice floating around his head, he was doomed from the start.
"I am hoping to smooth relations with Atlas," he said.
The Council of Vale froze.
"You… You are…?" one asked, utterly shocked.
"I am."
"You are going to try and make peace with the man calling for your immediate arrest and extradition? A man who has, and I quote, promised to bring you kicking and screaming to justice? And who will then nail you to a post and leave you outside for all the world to see as the fraudulent monster you are?"
"I-"
Wait. Had Ironwood said that? That… Maybe he should reconsider.
"I suppose we should not be surprised. The good headmaster was always exceptional, even as a professor. To rise beyond such threats is admirable indeed. You are a strong-willed individual, Headmaster Arc."
Actually, he was just a guilty one. "Well, I-"
"And I believe it would suit Vale well for you to make peace with General Ironwood."
"Yes. We shall leave the particulars to you."
"W-Wait a minute."
"I suppose we can go ahead and tentatively approve the trade deal with Menagerie, then. If the issue with Atlas is soon to be resolved, I don't foresee any problems."
"S-Soon to be resolved!?" Jaune stammered.
"I agree. While a matter such as this might be difficult for anyone else, we are in the presence of the man who single-handedly outsmarted the international criminal, Cinder Fall, and also Adam Taurus and the entire White Fang."
"I… well…" Sweat ran down his forehead. "I-I'm not sure Ironwood will be as easy-"
"Easy, he says! Hah! Your confidence speaks volumes of your ability, young man. We shall leave all matters of Atlas in your care."
"We shall be looking forward to hearing of your success."
The screens blinked out a few minutes later, after a brief period of farewells and the promise of an email detailing the next meeting and making further arrangements. Jaune remained silent through it all, wide eyed and choking.
"Well," Glynda said. "That could have gone worse."
Desperately, he looked to her. "R-Really?"
"Oh yes. A meteorite could have struck and killed us all. Or the Sun could have burned out in a supernova, destroying the planet and casting those that survive into an eternal winter from which there is no awakening."
Jaune stared at her.
"Are you-?"
"Yes, Jaune." Glynda sighed. "I am being sarcastic."
"Oh…" He winced. "So… making peace with Ironwood."
"Is certainly a matter for a tactical genius such as yourself. I have the utmost confidence in your ability to overcome the hurdles you have created before yourself."
This time, he didn't need to ask if she was being sarcastic or not.
/-/
In Atlas, a phone rang.
Curious, Winter Schnee looked at the dial and saw it was an international call patched through a CCT. It didn't say which, but it was unusual enough that she felt compelled to answer. As the assistant to General Ironwood, she did not often receive calls intentionally. Many times, they would reach her in pursuit of Ironwood and then treat her like a glorified secretary. To a fault, they would be turned away.
Her position was one of great trust and great responsibility. While the tasks might be those a secretary could perform, their importance required someone who could be a) trusted to never betray their superior and b) capable of defending themselves and their secrets from any attack or attempt at interrogation. As such, she took umbrage to those who snubbed her.
Picking up the phone – not a scroll, but a desk mounted telecoms device – Winter spoke. "Good afternoon. Atlas Academy. Winter Schnee speaking."
"Hey Winter…"
The voice was soft and familiar, but not immediately recognisable. The speaker sounded nervous, instantly telling her that this was not someone with rank over her, or likely anyone in the military at all. Also, he'd called her Winter and not Miss Schnee, or Specialist. Still, it was better to be polite for now.
"Who is speaking and how may I help you?"
"It's… well, it's Jaune. Jaune Arc."
Winter considered slamming the phone down. She collected herself at the last second but did little to hide how her brows drew down and her eyes narrowed. This was not who she had expected to have to deal with today, or any day. After the absolute debacle of the family ball, she wanted nothing to do with him. International decorum dictated she put professionalism above her feelings.
"Mr Arc. A pleasure." Her clipped tone made it clear it wasn't. "How may I help you? Have you called to turn yourself in, or perhaps to return our Battleship?"
"What battle-?" He cut off suddenly. "I-I mean, no. That's not why I called. I was actually hoping I could ask for your help."
"My help? My help!?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes closed. It was difficult, so very difficult, to avoid an explosion that would show just how much she was related to her sister. A Schnee's temper was a dangerous thing indeed, and while Winter had a strong grasp of her own, it was not perfect.
"I find myself wondering why I would feel the desire to aid an international criminal, Jaune. And why you think I would do so against the wishes of my superior. And also, perhaps, why you think I would do so after you humiliated me at my father's ball."
Silence. At least for a moment.
"To be fair, you implied that I was hiding a battleship because I have a crush on you."
"I believe the words were obsession."
"You… You're not even denying it…"
"Unlike you, I do not find it necessary to deceive people all the time."
"Only your father? Or your sister?"
Winter's breath came out in a hiss. "And to think you are asking me for aid and saying things like that…"
He panicked. "W-Wait, that came out wrong. I didn't mean-"
Winter ended the call. "Idiot," she huffed, leaning back and reaching for some fresh work. Her paperwork had increased thanks to her wonderful father sending her yet more responsibilities within the SDC, all because some arrogant, idiotic bastard had convinced him that her distance from the Schnee family was because she was shy.
The phone rang again.
Winter glared at it.
International caller.
It was almost certainly Jaune, but it might not be. It might be the Council of Vale, or one of the representatives from Mistral. It might be an ambassador in danger, or one with important news. It might be anything.
Growling, Winter answered. "Good afternoon. Atlas Academy. Winter Schnee speaking."
"Winter, I-"
The phone slammed down.
The phone rang.
It was him. It was definitely him. Winter hissed through her teeth.
But it might not be him…
"Good afternoon. Atlas Academy. Winter Schnee speaking."
"I want to make up with Ironwood!"
The phone went down.
Winter glared at it as it rang again, but this time took the risk in refusing to answer it. If something went wrong as a result, she would be in trouble, but that was a risk she would take. After a minute of angry sound, the call died. Still, she waited, letting five minutes pass in silence before she let out a breath and accepted that the idiot had learned his lesson.
And then the phone rang.
Winter almost tossed it out the window before she realised it was an Atlas number.
"Good afternoon. Atlas Academy. Winter Schnee speaking."
"Daughter." The cold tones could only belong to one man.
Honestly, she was just glad it wasn't Jaune.
"Father. How may I help you? I apologise if I sound brusque, but I am working right now."
"I understand. This is a matter related to both the SDC and your work for General Ironwood."
Well, that was something at least. "I'm listening."
"I have an associate who needs your assistance in a matter related to the Atlas military. They've come to me for aid and I find myself with a strong desire to see it rendered, and them in the family's debt. You're uniquely positioned to assist in this matter."
"Father, you are asking me to put my name before my work."
"Not at all. I'm sure you'll see that this is a matter that will benefit Atlas as well." Jacques sounded amused. "Not to mention it is a good friend of yours, or perhaps more."
"Excuse me…?"
"Let us just say that I would not be opposed to this union."
Winter's stomach dropped. "What?"
"I shall patch him through. Remember, aid him as best you can. I will be upset if you do not."
The call ended. Or rather, the call with her father ended. Someone else had been on hold and was now transferred through to her. Winter didn't have to hear the bastard speak. The second the dial on her phone switched from Atlas to International Caller, she knew who it was.
"You went to my father!?"
"I need your help," Jaune Arc said.
"YOU. WENT. TO. MY. FATHER." Her knuckles cracked on the edge of the desk. "Why would you do that!? H-He thinks we're… that we are… that we're canoodling!"
"Canoo-what?"
"I despise you, Jaune Arc. I despise you."
"Yeah, I think I', figuring that out." He sighed. "I really do need your help, though. And for you not to instantly hang up on me."
He had that now, the bastard. If she hung up on him and her father found out, he would cause such a stink that her workload would treble. It simply wasn't worth the satisfaction of hanging up on Jaune one last time. "Speak," she said instead, voice clipped. "Say your piece."
"The diplomatic situation between Atlas and Vale isn't helping either of our Kingdoms. I'd like to try and sort it out between Ironwood and I and bring it to a close."
"You can do that at any moment. Simply confess to your crimes and surrender."
"We both know that isn't happening, Winter."
"Then I am unsure what I can do. Thank you for calling-"
"I can help you with your sister."
Winter bit her lip. "I know not what you speak of."
"Weiss is angry. Raging. She blames you for what is happening."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I know her. At least a bit. I know she'd be pissed about what happened."
"Because you tricked her. Tricked her and all the other students."
"I didn't fake trying to kill Cinder. Or risking my life to protect Beacon."
That, Winter could not deny, as much as she wished to. Their evidence was still complete; Jaune Arc was a fraud, a fake and someone who had enabled Cinder Fall's attack on both Beacon and Atlas. But he was not allied with her. That much was certain.
"It does not exonerate you of your crimes."
"Maybe not. But it helps a little. Right? I really do care for Weiss."
"Then you will see the logic of leaving her in our care. I… I love my sister. I will now allow her to come to harm." She cursed her moment of weakness in front of him.
"I'm not debating that. And I'm not Atlas' enemy. Cinder is. She and the people who worked with her. I'm not asking for complete faith, trust or the keys to Atlas. I just want a little help."
"Help in convincing General Ironwood to cease his pursuit of you."
"In making peace between us, yes."
"That is not a simple task…"
"I have it on your father's authority that you'll try your best."
This time, Winter didn't hesitate to slam the phone down.
She answered it when it rang ten seconds later.
"Okay. I shouldn't have said that."
"No. You should not have. Your mouth is one aspect you will need to curb."
"You're agreeing to help me, then?" He sounded excited.
"Within reason. And never to the detriment of Ironwood or Atlas." Winter pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to ten. She could already feel a migraine coming on. "And you will help me with my sister, or I shall tell my father I am in love and wish for your hand in marriage."
"Is… Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"Our first night together will see you lose an important appendage. You will never have children."
"Erk. Noted. S-So, what's the first step?"
"The return of our battleship would be a promising start."
The phone was silent.
"Jaune…?"
"There… There might be a small problem with that…"
"Where you're concerned, there always is. Fine. How about the return of Torchwick? He was our prisoner, escaped and loaded a virus onto our mainframe."
"Ah. Well… He's kind of an employee…"
"Mr – Jaune." Winter sighed. "There has to be some degree of compromise here. General Ironwood is not going to consider a poor deal, let alone accept it. Instead of me coming up with ideas and you shooting them down, how about you tell me what you are willing to offer?"
"My friendship?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of something Ironwood would want."
"Ouch. Couldn't you have sugar-coated that just a little?"
Winter leaned back and inspected her nails. "I'm not sure what you mean. After all, I'm just some woman desperate to put you in handcuffs. Wasn't that what you said in front of my father?"
"Ahah… yeah. Is it too late to say sorry?"
"The local newspapers have already run an article suggesting I had an affair with you."
"Is that a yes…?"
"I will speak to Ironwood on your behalf, but do not expect any miracles. In fact, expected a strongly worded letter or demands for your surrender. Do not contact my father again." She was going to regret this, but she had no choice. "I will… provide you my scroll number. Misuse it and I will come and drag you back to Atlas myself."
"Understood. And thanks."
"Do not thank me. I am doing this for Atlas, not you. And don't tell Goodwitch!" Winter growled.
"Bit late for that," a feminine voice mumbled in the background of the call.
Winter froze.
"Oh, sorry," Jaune said. "It was on speaker-"
Winter slammed the phone down and tore the socket out the wall. The phone, wire and all, sailed out the window and down into the abyss. A soldier, who had just come in at that moment, took one look at her red face and slowly backed away.
The door closed behind him.
/-/
"So, this is Patch."
Blake waited for Yang or Ruby to respond. All of Team CRDL did as well, Russel having been the one to ask the question. When no answer proved forthcoming, Blake looked back to her teammates and sighed. They were staring glumly at the ground again.
"What's up with them?" Dove asked her quietly. "You'd have thought they were being sent to their deaths or something."
"I don't claim to understand my teammates," Blake replied. "I simply endure them."
"Well, this has to be Patch." Cardin checked his scroll. "Unless we've found a new island off the coast of Vale, in which case I name it `New Cardin`."
"You sure you don't want to name it `New Velvet`?"
"I will punch you so hard, Russ."
Blake ignored the banter. She also ignored the wiggling tube that was in Sky's hand, even if the boy himself couldn't do the same. He'd tried to open it once or twice en route, only to earn a threatening glare from herself and decide better of it. The mutt had aura, or some weird Semblance. It would be fine.
Unfortunately…
"We need to find somewhere to stay," she said. "I'd suggest the local inn, but Yang and Ruby live here. We should be able to stay at theirs."
Yang and Ruby remained silent.
"If they'll tell us where they live," Cardin prompted.
Ruby and Yang clammed up even further. Ruby clenched her hands, linked them behind her back and stared ahead like a soldier about to be tortured, and who was determined to only give their name, rank and serial number.
"Ugh." Blake slapped her forehead. "I can't believe this…"
"Yang? Ruby?" A masculine voice came from behind them and Ruby squeaked in panic. "It is you! Ha ha!" A tall man with bronze skin and bright yellow hair fair too close to Yang's to be a coincidence rushed forward. He was muscular and quick, closing in with a huntsman's speed with his arms spread wide and a huge smile on his face.
Yang and Ruby looked at him as one might an oncoming Goliath, that defeated, accepting expression of one who knew their life was over and whom knew that there was no hope of fighting it off.
"My girls!" Taiyang Xiao-Long cried, dragging both of them in against his chest. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"
"H-Hey Dad," Yang said half-heartedly.
Ruby simply whined into his arm.
"And who are these young gentlemen?" the large man asked, voice wavering between friendly, polite and threatening. "Another team from Beacon? I hope you've been looking after my little girls. And not trying anything with either of them…"
"Uh." Russel rubbed his head. "I think they can look after themselves. Yang especially…"
Taiyang smiled proudly. "They sure can. And Yang takes after her old man, don't you?" He rubbed Yang's head.
"Dad. Stop. Please…"
"So, are any of you dating my lovely daughter?" Though the question was asked innocently enough, all the members of Team CRDL stepped back.
Taiyang turned to look at her, surprised.
Confused, Blake looked back, realising that all four members of Team CRDL were pointing at her.
"N-No, I-"
"Really?" Taiyang Xiao-Long looked her up and down. "I would never have realised. Not that I have an issue with it. Black hair, though." His eyes became distant. "Maybe she takes after me more than I'd have ever liked…"
Yang, red faced, began to struggle. "Dad. Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong."
Holding onto Yang and Ruby with one arm, the man extended a hand to her. "Taiyang Xiao-Long," he said simply.
Blake shook the hand, her own lost in his. She put her aura up just in case, but his grip was firm and friendly. And she probably looked paranoid for thinking otherwise. "Blake. Blake Belladonna. I'm a member of Team RWBY and Yang's partner." It took her a second to realise her mistake. "Platonic partner."
"I see." He looked her in the eye. "I love my daughters more than I do my own life, so forgive me if this seems rude, but I want to ask you a question. And I'd appreciate it if you answered honestly."
"Dad, nooo…"
"Um. Of course."
"In the event that you get my daughter pregnant, how likely are you to leave her and her child?"
Blake's mind fizzled to a halt. "What?"
"It's a simple question."
"It… Really isn't…" On seeing his serious look, Blake swallowed. "I… well, I think it's a very unlikely situation? Mostly on the first part."
"So, if she were to have a child with you, you'd stay?"
Not seeing a way out of the situation, Blake shrugged. "Yeah. Sure."
Yang looked horrified.
"Then I welcome you to the family!" the man said, smiling suddenly and wrapping his spare arm around her, dragging her in before she could even think to make a clone and escape. Her face was smooshed between his pec and Yang's hair. Blake kicked her legs desperately, trying to escape. "You should all come and stay at our place," he said to the boys, liking them now that they weren't a problem. "We have room, though some of you may need to sleep on the couches."
"That would be fine, sir," Cardin replied.
"It'll be good to meet some of Yang and Ruby's friends. Ruby especially. She was always so shy and awkward before. Why, I should show you some pictures of the two of them."
Ruby began to kick and thrash wildly.
"Or better yet, I still have the video from Yang's tenth birthday party. She was such an adorable little princess."
Yang mumbled angrily into the man's chest.
Well, Jaune has to try and make peace with Ironwood. Should be interesting.
Also, Winter trying to make amends with Weiss and being forced to work with Jaune.
Omake:
Salem considered herself a patient overlord. It came with the territory, really. When you lived forever, time didn't quite cease to have meaning, but the meaning it had became flexible. Waiting months for the perfect opportunity was not an issue. Waiting years was a minor annoyance, decades an irritant. An entire generation was frustrating, but acceptable so long as it benefited her.
This generation was supposed to be just that, yet it was shaping up to be just as unfulfilling as the last. She'd invested so much effort into this, into finding the perfect agents – giving up on that and accepting that four `acceptable` agents would do – and then moulding them into the perfect servants.
She'd ended up with Tyrian.
What could you do? Not even she was perfect.
Either way, her four lieutenants, while quirky, were powerful and loyal. They had been in the perfect position to succeed before they had been bested by a child. A child that Ozpin had no apparent hand in raising.
Salem just knew that wouldn't stop him gloating about it. The bastard. Even if she captured and tortured him, had him on the verge of death, she just knew he would look her in the eye, his body broken, and say "Hey, do you remember that one time a random kid thwarted all your plans?"
She hissed at the thought of it.
Salem was a patient woman, but that patience had limits.
"Cinder!" she roared, banging on the door to the woman's room. "Cinder, I am sick and tired of you sulking about what that boy did to you. We have a world to conquer." No answer. No answer but some angry music from within. "Young girl, if you do not answer this door then I will come in there!"
Slowly, reluctantly, the door crept open. Cinder was there – thankfully not dressed in full black and with eyeliner running down her face. Not that Cinder needed as much, considering that one of her eyes was now missing.
"Cinder. How has your plan come for dealing with the boy?"
"I'm still planning, my queen."
"Still? It's been three weeks!"
"Every plan I come up with, I'm sure he will counter. He always does. He's a tactical genius and I just don't know how to best him. I considered poisoning Vale's water supply, but he'll smell it the second it's before his face. I bribed some of the repairmen to weaken a support structure so it fell on him, but he swayed out the way – almost as if he was drunk – and dodged it! He then lectured them on being careful like it didn't even matter. I even tried paying a dog to assassinate him!"
The last one caught Salem's attention. "Excuse me?"
"He came highly recommended. Plenty of confirmed kills."
"Cinder. Are you sure you are not… overthinking this a little? The best approach is often the direct one."
"No." She shook her head. "He'll expect it. He always expects it!"
"I understand you are afraid-"
"I'm not afraid!" Cinder hissed. "I fear nothing!"
Salem raised an eyebrow and looked behind Cinder. "Oh my, an Atlas battleship!"
Cinder screamed and lunged forward, clutching onto Salem's robes.
It took her a second to remember they were in an enclosed room in the middle of the Grimmlands in an area that was rather obviously a no-fly zone. Coughing, Cinder let go and stepped back, heat creeping up her neck. "Ahem. I tripped…"
Salem sighed again.
She was patient, but patient enough to just roll on this lifetime and try on the next?
Not that patient. Curses. She'd have to actually try and deal with this problem herself, which meant – sigh – actually helping her subordinate get over this little hurdle in her life. "Very well. I think what you need, Cinder, is a little assistance. A little help. Have you considered therapy?"
"I don't need therapy…"
"Yes, yes. Of course you don't. Watts is a Doctor. Hm…"
"M-Ma'am, I don't need help!"
"No, he wouldn't do. And Tyrian? Goodness no. Hazel is always out. Maybe I could abduct one, but ah, so complicated. They always wiggle free from the Nevermore and fall to their deaths. Well, I suppose there is only one way to handle this."
/-/
"I don't feel very comfortable about this," Cinder admitted, laid back on a couch as another woman sat on the chair next to her. Said woman wore a black skirt, white blouse and a pair of rimmed frames over bright red eyes.
"Nonsense," Salem said. "Miss Branwen came highly recommended as a villainous psychiatrist."
"I know what I'm doing," the woman said gruffly. "I'll need privacy. Privacy and alcohol. And money. Lots of money." Watching Salem nod and leave, Raven turned back to her patient. "Now Binder."
"Cinder."
"Linder," Raven acknowledged. "Tell me what your problem is."
"Well, it all started-"
"Boring. Get to the good bits."
Cinder glared at the woman. "Fine. My eye was torn out by an apparent weakling I thought I had under my thumb, who then turned on and defeated me. Ever since, I've been plagued with nightmares and anxiety."
"Hm." Raven noted something down on a pad of paper. "Have you tried running away?"
"Running? Well, I did. I suppose. The first time. It hasn't helped."
"Yes, yes, but have you considered continuing to run?"
"Isn't that just avoiding my problems?"
"Yes." Raven tilted her head to the side. "How is that a bad thing?"
"Shouldn't I… face my fears?"
"Why? If you burn your hand in a fire, do you go and try again?"
"No…"
"There you have it. Try running away from him."
"I can't." Cinder let out an explosive sigh. "My boss, Salem, is the Queen of the Grimm. If I run away from my responsibilities, she'll decide I'm unnecessary and kill me."
"Hm." Raven noted something else down. "Got a suggestion, and hear me out on this, but have you considered running away from her, as well?"
"Does all your advice involve running away?"
"Yes."
"I think I need a new psychiatrist…"
Considering Jaune is looking for a new student counsellor, I thought it might make sense to see some of the `rejected applications` in omakes. Above is why Raven probably wouldn't make the best counsellor for Beacon.
Next Chapter: 25th April
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur