Troll in Reviews

As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.

He's also pretending to be me by writing my name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 51

It was estimated to be two days before the Grimm's arrival and Jaune, Ironwood and Ozpin were huddled together in a dark part of the academy like dealers peddling drugs. The low light from above barely illuminated them and any outside would have been hard pressed to realise there was anyone there in the first place. Had this been Beacon, people would have accused them of hiding from paperwork – and they wouldn't have been wrong.

Sadly, it wasn't Beacon.

"Are you sure no one can find us here?" Ozpin asked in Oscar's voice.

"As sure as I can be," Ironwood replied. "Nothing is certain but I've instructed Winter to make excuses that I'm busy. Your end, Arc?"

"Glynda is keeping an eye on Team RWBY, who are busy showing Team RVNN around. There's no chance of them witnessing this."

"And her?"

Jaune looked down to Neo, currently stuck to his side like a limpet. "I can't get her off without an angle grinder or a crowbar."

"But do you trust her?"

Jaune looked down.

Neo looked up.

Jaune's eyes narrowed.

Neo looked up.

Jaune sweated.

"Yes…?" he said, asked or posed, to Ironwood.

"That doesn't sound very confident."

"I trust her not to tell anyone-"

"Because she physically can't," Ozpin pointed out.

"-but I'd not trust her to keep it a secret otherwise. Neo likes to tease…"

"And if she makes hand gestures or sign language?"

"No one will be able to figure it out," Jaune said confidently. "And there's no way she'll make it easy for them. Neo's the kind of person that even if she had to get a message across, she'd make it as obtuse as possible just to spite you."

Neo nodded, far too proud of that fact for her own good.

"Aaand even if you disagree, I don't think I can convince her to let go."

She didn't stop nodding.

"Perfect," Ironwood growled. "This is a mess enough already but I suppose it doesn't matter. In the end, we're not doing anything illegal. Let's just get this over with."

Jaune nodded and stepped back, taking out his scroll. It held the message. The important one from Qrow. It had instructed them in no uncertain terms to find a quiet spot to contact him again, and to make sure that Ozpin was there. Alongside that, they were to make sure Yang was nowhere near that same location, or Qrow would personally make their lives a living hell.

Likely by hanging around them until his Semblance messed them up.

"Do I send it?" Jaune asked, finger on the button.

Ironwood and Ozpin nodded, and Jaune clicked send, stepping back. "Let me do the talking," Ozpin said. "I know how to deal with her."

They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The first two minutes went by in nervous silence, fully expecting a portal to burst into life before them. The next three were spent a little more awkwardly, the silence becoming heavy and no one quite knowing what to say. At the sixth, Ironwood crossed his arms and the mechanical creak of one of them had Ozpin shuffling his feet and Jaune adjusting Neo on his hip like the world's biggest, evillest and most combat capable baby.

It took ten minutes for a portal to open. Ten slow minutes. And when it did, Qrow's voice came through, followed by a foot and then a leg.

"-taking you so long?"

"When nature calls, it calls. Don't be such a whiny bitch, Qrow."

"This isn't a game!"

"I know. My intestinal health is serious business." Raven followed through after Qrow, long and wild black hair alike to Yang's, eyes a dark shade of red and surrounded by shadow. Despite looking tired, they took Jaune in instantly, narrowed, scanned and then dismissed him. Even so, she didn't ever move in a way that would take him out of sight. She turned to look at Ironwood and Ozpin, keeping him in her peripheral vision. "Well," she said, grinning faintly. "Sorry I'm late. Had to take a dump."

"It's enough that you're here," Ozpin began.

"No." Raven held up a hand.

"Ra-"

"No."

"But-"

"No." Raven waited, but this time Ozpin didn't speak. "Yes," she said, pointing at him. "That's how we'll be doing things. You don't so much as speak to me and I'll refrain from granting you a new body. I said I was done with you shit, Ozpin, and I wasn't lying. We are done. Period." Instead of looking away from him, she stepped back until she could look at both Ozpin and Jaune at once, as though she expected an attack if she took her eyes off them. "Are you the new one in charge?"

So much for letting Ozpin do all the talking…

"I am. Well, I'm in charge of Beacon. General Ironwood has Atlas."

"Sure. Whatever. I-" Raven's eyes widened as she looked at him. "The fuck…?"

"Um. Yes?" Jaune stammered and went for the first thing he could think of. "She's legal, I swear."

Qrow snorted.

"Not that," Raven hissed, eyes narrowed on him. "Your hair. Even the face..." She looked back to Ozpin, but he had the feeling she was thinking back to Ozpin, not Oscar. "Are you two related or something?"

"No," Jaune said with a laugh.

"Maybe," Ozpin said with a shrug.

"WHAT!?"

"Well, I'm several thousand years old," Ozpin said. "You can't expect me to keep track of my entire genealogy, can you? You might be related to me, but so might James, Glynda or a random person you walk by on the street."

"But not us," Raven said firmly, pointing at herself and Qrow.

"I'd certainly hope not," Ozpin snarked.

"I-If I could be related and Glynda might be-"

"Oh, don't go there, Jaune. Once the line goes back far enough it ceases to have any meaning, and I only said you might be. It's not like Salem and I repopulated the entire planet or anything. We had four children. And I had… well, a few more after." He noticed the stern glares. "Oh, come on. Thousands of years. Not to mention that the whole `killing me` thing may as well have counted as a request for divorce. You can't expect me to have stayed loyal to her after that."

"Til death do we part," Qrow said.

Ozpin sighed. "I only wish it was that simple…"

"Moving on from a fourteen-year-old talking about how many women he's slept with," Ironwood said firmly.

"Right. Yeah." Raven cracked her neck. "My dipshit brother says you want me to open portals to get the chaff out. I can do that, but I have conditions. And demands."

"I'll want to know the full scale of your semblance before I agree to anything…"

Raven raised an eyebrow toward Ironwood and then smirked. "Fair enough. Ask away."

"How does it work?"

"I open a portal to someone bonded to me. Don't ask how that works – you don't have the time to convince me to bind with anyone else and I've tried faking it before. Doesn't work. It needs to be a naturally formed emotional attachment."

Damn. There went Ironwood's hopes of using it in an aggressive manner. He didn't think she was lying either. Semblances were misunderstood things but what they did, they did well. If Raven's required a genuine bond between her and another person then it was gated by how personable she was, how easily she could trust and open up to someone.

From what Qrow had told them, she was about the worst candidate possible, meaning that even though she had a Semblance that could easily be called overpowered, her personality and mannerisms all but left it useless. If it were Yang, they could probably have had her befriend fifty people by the time the Grimm arrived. With Raven, it'd be none. Even if they paid her and she genuinely tried her best, it was likely the knowledge deep inside that this was a paid relationship and not a real one, would prevent her Semblance from considering the person a real bond.

Yang is her daughter, Qrow her brother and Taiyang her ex-husband. She has someone in her tribe according to Qrow, but that makes sense. She spends every day there. The outlier is Ozpin. The portal here had been opened to Ozpin, which meant she still had an emotional bond with him. Does that mean she still has a soft spot for him?

Unlikely. It was closer to say the bonds, once made, were permanent.

"How big can you make these portals?" Ironwood asked.

"They're limited to what you've seen – maybe a little wider at a push, but if you want me keeping them open for hours on end, I wouldn't push it."

"Single file evacuation." Ironwood grimaced. "That will take well over a day."

"But it will be doable," Qrow pointed out. "As opposed to keeping everyone here."

"Yes. Despite the difficulty, this is still the better option. Do you have a bonded in Vale?"

Raven froze.

Jaune swore. They'd brought everyone here.

"I can fly back," Qrow offered.

"That would take time. Time we don't have." Ironwood crossed his arms. "You said there was another-"

"No. Not him. I refuse."

Taiyang…? Does she look… afraid?

"It's our only option," Ironwood said. "We open a portal to him and begin filtering civilians through. Once they're out, we start bringing huntsmen in. He's on Patch, no? That might make logistics difficult but I'm sure they can ferry the people to Vale."

"I haven't agreed to this!" Raven spat. "I refuse-"

"Twenty-five million lien."

Raven's complaints turned into empty babble. It streamed out for a moment before she mumbled, "Whut…?"

"Twenty-five million," he repeated. "I'll even throw in an agreement that only I will deal with you, so you needn't worry about Ozpin sinking his hooks in. You can have it as a bank transfer, bills or assets if you so wish, though you may have to wait on dust, ammunition or weaponry. We have a need for them right now."

There was no response from Raven, whose mouth continued to open and close in abject confusion. Swallowing, she tried to regain her composure, failing twice but gathering herself on the third attempt. She coughed into her fist, giggled under her breath and then coughed again, forcing a stern expression.

"Thirty-five."

"Ray!" Qrow yelled.

"Done." Ironwood waved a hand easily. "If you can start immediately."

"I'm all yours, General."

Thirty-five million lien? That was a ridiculous amount, not to mention it was being given to a bandit chief. That was going to backfire somewhere, wasn't it? People were going to suffer. Less people than if Grimm got into the city and started killing people.

"I'll take care of preparations," Qrow told the rest of them. "Ozpin, Arc, you should take Qrow and see to your affairs. I think this will go quicker if you leave Miss Branwen to me." He nodded to her and gestured to the door. "Will you follow me? I'll have to start arranging for people to be gathered. Would you like me to enter the portal first and speak to Mr Xiao-Long?"

"Yes." Raven followed with her eyes closed. "Keep him on that side…"

"I'll do so. You needn't worry."

The two of them left out the supply room door, it closing behind them with a hiss. Jaune sighed, mostly relieved it was done and out his hands. The sentiment wasn't shared and Qrow kicked at the floor angrily. "Bitch."

"You did well, Qrow," Ozpin said. "You've saved lives in bringing her here."

"Yeah, I know. Happy about that, it's just – argh. Pisses me off, you know? Everything she is, everything she's done, and now she's being rewarded for it because of her Semblance. Not even something she earned."

"Believe me. I know and am not pleased either. If I had the power, I'd gladly swap her and your Semblances around."

"Heh." Qrow grinned. "I'd love to see that."

He felt the same way. Yang was his student, one of his most precious ones, and that woman abandoned her as a child. The worst part was that he couldn't even fault her for it – if Yang might have ended up like that, he was glad she'd been left to Taiyang and Summer.

"Is it really okay for Ironwood to offer her all that?"

"It's economics," Ozpin explained. "Thirty-five million seems like a lot to us but James speaks from the position of the wealthiest Kingdom on Remnant. The figure is a minor one easily made up in their next budget, and if it means the survival of the people here then it is a small price to pay. It doesn't help that Raven's Semblance is one of a kind."

"It's a seller's market and Raven could have demanded whatever she wanted." He added, chuckling. "In truth, James blindsided her. He offered her a large but not ridiculous sum, then agreed to her negotiation before she could realise just how high she could have taken it. I'm sure he would have paid two hundred million if she thought to demand it."

Two hundred? The figure was so vast he couldn't comprehend it. Beacon's annual budget was about forty, and that had sounded crazy until he saw the budgets and realised they only ever see eight, because the rest was sucked up by costs, replacements, maintenance and wages. Running a school was expensive. Running a bandit tribe was presumably less so.

"Crime pays, huh?"

"Jaune would know about that," Ozpin remarked, making Jaune squawk. "But I wouldn't worry. We have greater evils to deal with. Let Raven have her moment. It's enough that she's assisting, whatever that costs."

"At least we don't have to deal with her," Qrow decided. "Though I'm pissed Ironwood offered to keep Tai away. I know. I know." He waved his hand. "He was only doing it to keep Raven from welching out. Just saying I'm pissed, not that I don't agree with the idea."

Jaune patted the man's arm. "If it helps, Yang and Tai are probably better off without her."

"Yeah." Qrow grinned. "You're right. Sod it. I've done my job – I'm gonna get blitzed, embarrass my nieces and call it a day. Catch me tomorrow if you need anything."

"Thank you for your hard work, Qrow." Ozpin waited for the huntsman to wander off before turning to Jaune and saying, "That went better than I thought it would."

"That was the good outcome!?"

"Yes. I fully expected Raven to demand something ridiculous like my death or removal from Atlas. James did well to take control. He doesn't care for her despite her Semblance – someone so undisciplined is worthless in his mind – and Raven will, oddly enough, appreciate that. What she fears is being used. They can work together without issue." Ozpin frowned. "Speaking of, you said Glynda was looking after Team RWBY and RVNN. Where does that leave Cinder?"

"Roman is watching her. I know he worked with her once, but given how much he hates her, I expect he'll keep an eye on her."

"Ah. I see." Ozpin nodded. "I can see the logic there. Should we go relieve him?"

Jaune's heart leapt into his throat. "No, no, no. He's good. I was actually – I wanted to talk to you about how to apply the students in the event of a siege. You know more about this than I do but I'm the one they'll be expecting to make the decisions."

They'd probably make a scene of it too, asking him to present on television to heighten morale, then pick his plan apart. Either way, he wouldn't have the benefit of asking Ozpin for help in the heat of the moment. Thankfully, Ozpin appeared to recognise than and smiled benignly.

"That is a fair point and a valid concern. I'll help as best I can. Why don't we retreat to the cafeteria and see if we can't find a map? I'll show you where I'd assign them and we can work out a plan from there."

"Thanks. I appreciate that. Leave Roman to look after Cinder. He knows what he's doing."

/-/

"I have no idea what I'm doing…"

"Come now, Roman, you're a professional thief. Don't tell me a little electronic lock is beyond your ability?"

He flinched against the lock, glaring back with hunched shoulders. He didn't like Cinder being near him, let alone behind and out of sight. Bloody Jaune. There were times he wished he'd been eaten by a Gryphon instead of forced to work with him. Those sentiments came ever faster since Jaune captured Cinder.

"Not the lock I was referring to so much as the company."

"Me?" She made a show of her shock. "Why Roman, I'm hurt. And we've worked together so many times as well. I thought we had trust."

"Tch. As if."

"Lucky, then, that Jaune and I have trust between us." And there it was, the smugness and the victory. Cinder radiated it. "You'll just have to get used to me being a repeating figure in your life, dear Roman. Once Jaune takes me as his, you won't be rid of me."

"Jaune belongs to one woman."

"Hm? Somehow I doubt you mean Glynda~"

He didn't. Of course he didn't. Call him biased – he'd be the first to admit it – but Neo was his girl. His assistant, his accomplice, his adopted not-quite-but-in-every-way-that-mattered-daughter. He'd picked her up and moulded her, watched her grow, and even if she'd overtaken him in many ways, he couldn't help but feel proud about it, like a parent watching their child ride a bicycle into the sunset.

Was it messed up? Probably. To be fair, that basically described him and Neo so he didn't take it too harshly. Neo had never quite been all there or normal, but he liked to think he'd made her happy, and Jaune certainly did.

Tch. I'm not going to tear up at this.

But Cinder? Fuck. That. He couldn't walk Neo down the aisle if Cinder stuck her greedy mitts into things. Luckily, he was willing to bet both kidneys, lungs and his heart that Jaune's feelings for her ranged more in the `oh god, no, kill it with fire` region than what Cinder anticipated.

That didn't do much for his current situation.

Because even if Jaune didn't feel that way, he still knew Cinder was useful, hence him being stuck working with the snarky, smug-ass, bitch.

The lock beeped and the door swished open. "Got it."

"Impressive." Cinder walked on by, voice making it very clear she was anything but impressed.

The room they stepped into was empty. For now. The records room wasn't exactly what most people would have thought to allocate men to when the Grimm were barrelling down on you. Taxes could wait until after the attack, assuming there was anyone left to pay them. Cinder strolled on over to one of the terminals and sat down, drawing out a key card Roman had lifted off some junior clerk a few hours earlier. She slid it into the machine and it powered up.

Roman closed the door behind them and wandered over, a little more confidant now that he could stand behind her. It was annoying how she didn't flinch as he had, especially when he leaned down over her shoulder to watch her open folders and skim through the databases. General census data went ignored, as did budgets and military records. Instead, Cinder homed in on the medical databases and began skimming through.

I still can't believe Jaune okayed this. I feel like I should be proud but I'm not…

To be fair, the only reason he wasn't was because `she` was involved.

"Found anything?"

"It takes time," she hissed.

"Like picking a lock? Funny how I didn't get that time without bitchy commentary."

"Oh, woe betide unto you. Don't be such a baby." A few more spreadsheets went by. "Anyone with a battering ram or some explosives could have achieved what you did. This takes a delicate touch. A woman's touch."

"Yeah, because your attack on Beacon was so delicate…"

"I don't expect you to understand its magnificence."

"Yeah. Sorry. I was too busy watching you get your ass handed to you."

Cinder growled and Roman grinned. A point to him. He couldn't hold his own against her and she could kill him if she wanted to, but he knew she wouldn't. Not when she was reliant on Jaune. That granted him power over her, even if he could only use it to needle her. Eh, I'll take that.

"Jaune bested me. Of that I have no argument. As enemies, we were formidable foes, but as allies we shall be insurmountable." Laughing darkly, she flicked through several more documents before she found what she was looking for. "And this will be the start of that."

Roman peered at the page. "It looks like a receipt."

"It is. A receipt for medical equipment delivered to Atlas Academy – and not the kind you'd expect of a school, hm?"

It wasn't. That hardware was pretty heavy and all of it looked designed to keep someone on the edge of death alive. If a student got hurt that bad, they should be sent down to a proper hospital. The military presumably had its own facilities on ground level for the same, so why bother having equipment for the same up here?

And why one? If you wanted to be safe, you'd fill a whole ward.

Enough equipment for a single person, badly hurt or dying, that Ironwood wanted to keep alive but couldn't afford to take down to the surface for one reason or another. Someone he wanted kept very close to him.

"Is that her?" Roman asked.

"I believe so." Cinder used her scroll to photograph the screen. "I'll try and find where it was delivered to. How much time do we have?"

Roman checked his scroll. "Jaune said he could get us two hours. We've… ten minutes. Is it enough?"

"I'll make it enough."

"You better," he grumbled. "If we're caught red-handed here, there'll be no explaining it away."

"Then we simply won't be." Cinder chuckled. "Who better to infiltrate Atlas than you and I, Roman? You're used to stealing trinkets and this is just the same."

"A person isn't a trinket, Cinder."

"It's not the person we're interested in." Her smile grew. "Only what she has inside her."

"We'll need to be quick."

"I know. Don't rush." Cinder took a few more photos. "I have an appointment this afternoon anyway, so we won't be here long."

"An appointment? Don't tell me it's another of Jaune's crazy ideas."

"Okay." Cinder smirked. "I won't tell you."

"Damn it…"

/-/

"It sounds like you've been having a lot of fun."

Pyrrha giggled at the response her words earned, four flat and hard glares from the members of Team RWBY. Nora burst out laughing at it, making several students from Atlas look over before going back to their own food. They may have been the only ones laughing at a time like this but that was for the best. Laughter helped combat negativity, and where that was involved, Nora may as well have been an inter-continental missile.

"If by fun you mean being hounded by the media, then yes," Yang groused. "You don't know-"

Pyrrha raised both eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe you know what it's like, but come on, P-money. Don't rub it in."

"If it helps any, it gets easier with practice." As the resident expert on being in the spotlight, her words carried weight there and the four nodded. Weiss, of course, no doubt knew it all already. "Other than that, at least you've had a chance to fight."

"You knocked the White Fang down too," Velvet said. "That must have been fun."

Blake flinched and Yang placed a hand on her leg below the table, something Pyrrha noted but didn't comment on. She gave a light kick to Velvet in warning, but she trusted her partner had seen and noticed something wrong.

"I wouldn't call it fun," Yang said. "People died."

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"We've been active," Weiss said diplomatically, "And I suppose that has made out trip interesting if nothing else. How are things back in Beacon?"

It was as obvious an attempt to change the mood as any she'd heard, but Ren complied and began telling stories, at least until Nora took over in her usual way and started blowing those tales into the realm of abstract fantasy. Team RWBY didn't seem to mind. Blake looked much happier once the conversation was away from the White Fang.

Most of Beacon was quiet, and while there were always the usual shenanigans that went on, they'd all died down once news of the imminent attack reached them. Then, everyone had been too focused on finding out more to care.

"Except for your mom," Nora said to Blake. "I don't want to worry you but…"

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Define wrong," Ren chuckled. "I think you should be more worried for yourself than her."

Blake deciphered that in her head before groaning, head falling onto her hands. "She believes what I said on TV, doesn't she?" she moaned into the table. "Please tell me I'm wrong. Please tell me she hasn't."

"There may or may not be a cot set up in Team RWBY's dorm."

Blake screamed into the wood.

"There, there." Yang rubbed her back. "It's not so bad."

"Guess I shouldn't tell her about the baby shower?"

"Nora!" Velvet hissed.

"We'll sell them online," Ruby said, joining in on comforting Blake. Or rather in trying to stop Blake banging her head down on the table. "Think of it as free money. We can spend that all on cookies and dust and comics."

"Or trashy porn novels," Weiss chimed in.

"Sister, please keep your hobbies to yourself," Winter remarked, walking by at that exact moment with a tray of food. "While I do not judge you for it, others shall."

"W-What? I didn't mean for me, I meant for Blake-" Winter walked on and Weiss gripped her face with one hand. "Me and my big mouth. Honestly, Ruby has a point. It's free gifts and it's not like you're actually pregnant."

Weiss hesitated.

"Are-?"

"NO!"

"Okay. Good. I knew this. I never doubted."

"It was just to distract Adam…"

"And it worked," Ren said. "It worked rather well from what I saw."

"Too well," Blake complained. "It distracted him, mom, probably dad and half of Remnant."

"To be fair, it's distracting them from an imminent Grimm attack. I imagine the main reason they're focusing so much attention on it is to distract people from that. You're quite possibly saving lives by being embarrassed, Blake."

"Ren's right, partner. Your sacrifice is keeping morale up."

Blake sighed but couldn't argue it. "People are stupid."

"They are," Pyrrha confirmed. "You wouldn't believe how many times people thought I was pregnant, dating, a grown woman pretending to be a teenage competitor, a lizard in human skin, dead, or a combination of all the above."

"A lizard…?" Ruby asked. "Like a faunus?"

"No. An alien from space, apparently." Pyrrha's smile didn't dim. "Conspiracy theories don't have to make sense. It was annoying for a while, but after a few months it became quite amusing. Better than the more intrusive media attention."

In the end, it was all about having a thick skin and being able to ignore it. Blake would figure it out, or this would all blow over and they'd laugh about it later.

"You needn't worry. Assuming we all survive the oncoming attack, every newspaper in Remnant will be too busy singing humanity's praises for besting the Grimm to even remember who you are. And if we don't, well…" A shrug.

"True." It may have been morbid but they were all of them huntsmen. Death was a part of that life and they'd accepted that long ago. If anything, Blake looked relieved. "Do you think I should call mom and explain?"

"Your call," Yang said. "Literally. I mean, is it hurting anyone?"

"Me."

"Is it, though?"

Blake sighed. "It's embarrassing…"

"But if it keeps your mom occupied and happy?"

"Then I guess it's fine." Though she rolled her eyes, she looked at least happy with the thought. "But I swear that if any of you start making baby sounds or suggesting I take maternity courses, I'm stringing you up by your underwear from the highest spire in Atlas."

"That's the spirit."

A speaker blared to life in the corner of the cafeteria.

"Evacuation of non-military personnel will begin at 1400 hours. Academy teams will be deployed to assist in orderly evacuation of civilians. Please refer to your scrolls for further information and assignments. That is all. Thank you."

The two teams waited to see if it would repeat before turning back to one another. Despite what should have been a worrying message highlighting the threat, they – and almost all the other teams in the cafeteria – reacted positively to the news.

"They're getting people out. That's good."

"Yeah. If they clear the city, doesn't that mean we can all sit up here and bombard the Grimm?"

"Have to deal with the Nevermore and Gryphons, but that shouldn't be too hard."

Their chatter was interrupted by Miss Goodwitch, who came over to their table. Yang was quick to jump on the opportunity. "Hey, Miss G. Are we going to be helping evac as well?"

"I'm afraid not. Leave that to Atlas students for now. It's easier for them to arrange it without having to account for foreign teams. That does not mean you should be slacking, however. Train hard and prepare yourselves. Conserve dust."

"What are our changes?" Weiss asked seriously.

If anyone else their age had asked that, Pyrrha was sure the answer would have been stock – telling them they'd come out alive and fine, that the huntsmen would save the day and how powerful Atlas was. They weren't normal teenagers, though. They were huntsmen. They needed to know the odds and what was going on, along with accurate detail. If they didn't, they'd only get themselves killed.

"Current forecasts are for the battle to be protracted and bloody," Miss Goodwitch replied. "However, we ultimately believe we'll come out in one piece. The question is going to be how bloodied we are at the end of it."

"It's a sure win, then?"

"Nothing is ever sure, Miss Rose. So far, we're confident. We have a position of strength, a vast number of soldiers and equipment, and enough dust and food to last us. We may even have a way of procuring more food indefinitely, even while under siege."

She didn't elaborate on that, which meant it wasn't anything they ought to worry about.

"In terms of risk to yourself, students will naturally be some of the last to see combat. You shall be utilised, fear not, but your roles will be hit and run, thinning numbers and harrying flanks, not frontline combat. You will also be called on to deal with the airborne threat since our frontline will be otherwise distracted."

They all nodded, knowing the huntsmen fighting the bulk of the Grimm wouldn't have time to deal with Nevermore, Gryphons and other flying threats going over the top. Clearing the air would mean the military could operate freely, which would in turn help thin the ranks on the ground.

It was all connected and Nevermore combat tended to be small skirmishes, which suited them better than holding the line.

"Miss Nikos," she said, surprising Pyrrha. "I wanted to have a quick word with you in private."

"Oh. Of course, Miss Goodwitch." She stood. "Is something wrong? Has something happened?"

"No. Not at all, and you're free to tell your teammates and friends what this is about after, I just need to speak with you."

Seemingly content with that, the other members of Team RVNN nodded. They'd all be expecting her to tell the full story when she got back. Given her previous meetings with Glynda, she had a feeling she knew what it was about. The power of the fall maiden. Pyrrha nodded and gestured for Miss Goodwitch to lead on. There was a reason it had to be kept secret, even if Team RWBY and RVNN knew the full story.

Once they were alone, Pyrrha asked, "Is this about using the maiden's power?"

"It is."

"I'll do it. If I can make a difference, I will."

Miss Goodwitch smiled back at her. "I'm glad to hear that said, but you misunderstand. Your agreement was never in doubt. I'm here to offer my assistance in training it. We shall be moving to live testing of wide area attacks."

Pyrrha nodded, pleased that her agreement had been assumed from the start. It would have offended her had they thought there even a small chance she'd say no. "I'm ready, but… how? How will we know how to do this?"

"The headmaster has found you a tutor…"

"A tutor who knows how to use maiden powers?"

Glynda frowned. "Yes…"

She wondered for a moment at the teacher's reaction, before Glynda opened a door and motioned for her to step inside. It was an Atlas classroom with a small ring in the centre and the chairs and tables pushed back to the walls. A large black board at the back stood out, white chalk having written a message across it.

`So, you want to be a maiden`.

Before the blackboard stood a figure that had Pyrrha's hair standing on end.

"Welcome to class," Cinder Fall said, slapping a ruler into one hand. "I'll be your substitute teacher for the day. Please treat me well."

Pyrrha rounded on Miss Goodwitch. "You have to be joking!"

"While I agree wholeheartedly with you, Miss Nikos, I am afraid that I am not, in fact, joking. This is the headmaster's decision based on the only person before you that has had any experience actively wielding the power in combat." Under her breath, she muttered, "Believe me, I am no more thrilled at this than you."

"And if she tries to kill me and take it again!?"

"I shall be watching over these sessions."

"Me?" Cinder asked, hand to her heart. "Kill you? Oh no, that would be terribly rude. I'm a brave and loyal huntress looking to do no more than help save the world against the evil Grimm. Go team. Love, honour, friendship and all that good stuff. And unless you want to go full cyclone and kill allies as well as Grimm, you'll listen to me."

Pyrrha looked desperately to Miss Goodwitch for help. Salvation. Anything.

"Headmaster's orders," the teacher said, almost apologetically. "There's nothing I can do. If it helps, you have the maiden power and she does not."

"How is that meant to help?" she mumbled.

"Well, you'll be asked to demonstrate mastery over offensive attacks and I'm not volunteering to be target practice for you. Who do you imagine you'll get to aim those at?"

Pyrrha's head swivelled.

Cinder looked displeased.

"What if I accidentally hurt her?" Pyrrha asked, trying her hardest – she really was – to sound upset at the thought.

"It will be tragic, but understandable given the unstable nature of your powers. Accidents happen and I'm sure the headmaster and I will find it in our hearts to rewar- I mean, forgive, you. Do be sure to let that happen."

"You mean `avoid letting that happen`," Cinder said.

Glynda stared her down. "I know what I said."

Pyrrha, meanwhile, cracked her knuckles and allowed the familiar power to swell up inside her, making her eyes flicker at the edges. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. She'd get to have her own back on the woman who tried to kill her.

All in the name of education, of course. Nothing more.

Herp derp. Just letting people know that there will be no updates from the week of 23rd – 29th March due to my event, which hasn't yet been cancelled due to coronavirus. I personally think it should be, but the event is co-sponsored by a load of other companies, and they've all decided it worth the risk. Wonderful.

No updates that week as I'll be busy with that.

Omake:

Cinder and Roman strolled into the medical room, scanning left and right. The cameras had been taken over and programmed to replay the same feed, making sure anyone inside would see nothing but the sole occupant sleeping peacefully in her bed, surrounded by medical equipment. The sterile smell of the room made Cinder's nose twitch.

The woman in the bed, elderly but still aware and strong in her own right, looked at them, eyes narrowing.

A kinder person might have felt sympathetic to her plight. Cinder was not that woman.

"We've come for your power."

"Oh, for-" Roman sighed. "Ignore her," he said to the old lady. "She didn't get enough of the naughty cupboard as a child. We've come to politely ask if you would consider granting your power for use in the upcoming siege."

"We could just kill her," Cinder pointed out.

Roman swatted her head with his cane.

"Ambitious little thing, isn't she?" the old lady croaked. Her laughter was hoarse. "I may not be long for this world but I'm not infirm or lacking in my mind. Harm me and I'll ensure the power I hold goes far away from here."

Cinder was prepared to test that. A swift murder and the woman would be hard pressed to think of anything but her killer. Roman stopped her, however, holding his cane across her chest and strolling up to the bed, drawing out a chair.

"May I sit? Thanks." He put his cane down, disarming himself. "Sorry for my bitch of an associate here. She's a bitch, as the name implies. Not much I can do about that. The name's Roman. Roman Torchwick." He tipped his hat. "Pleasure to meet you."

The woman looked him up and down. "I've heard of you."

"Oh? Nothing bad, I hope."

"Only that you're a thief and a character." She grinned tiredly. "I've heard Ironwood complaining about you, about you being free. You can tell a lot about a man from the enemies he makes. I've made a few myself."

"You'll make one now if you don't give us the power," Cinder grumbled.

They both ignored her.

"We're not here to take but to talk," Roman said. "You've heard about the attack, I assume. You're not going to be much use in it for reasons not your fault, but that power could be. I don't really mind who it goes to, but it'd be convenient if it went to someone active."

"The General wants it to Winter Schnee," the Winter maiden said.

"Sounds like a fine choice."

"I disagree."

"Oh?" he asked, curious.

"Too stuck-up. Too controlled. This power is anything but. Winter is cold and uncompromising, but it's also wild and reckless. You can't stop a storm through discipline alone and though she may share its name, her personality fails to represent the savagery of winter."

"Is that important in any way?" he had to ask.

"More than you realise, brat." It was a new experience to be the young one. "She would try and control her power and that's not how it works. It can't be squashed down. It has to be allowed to flow freely. I'm sure she'd try and risk her life for Atlas, but she lacks certain qualities."

"I'm assuming you had someone else in mind, then?"

The woman smirked. "Maybe."

"Roman…" Cinder growled.

"Care to share?"

"I might."

"Roman! Let's just kill her."

He waved for Cinder to be quiet. "I'm curious. Come on, what can it hurt? We're not here to harm that person and if it's someone capable of fighting, then I'm all for it. That Harriet girl? Super speed and maiden power might be handy."

"Her? Bah. No, it has to be someone with more spunk. I'm thinking Penny."

"The… robot…? The maiden power can go to a robot…?"

"Sure."

Both Roman and Cinder cocked their heads. "How?" Cinder asked, anger lost thanks to sheer confusion.

"The girl still has a soul and that's all the power cares about."

"And that soul can identify as a gender…?"

"You saying souls have genders?" she asked.

"Well they have to, don't they?" Roman said. "If the maiden's power can only work on women, then there has to be something it decides on as qualifying for that. I assumed it was the soul. I mean, it must be. Her body is a machine."

"True…"

"So, it's her soul, but her soul qualifies because it is convinced its female?"

The old lady thought about that. "I guess…?"

"Didn't her soul come from a man's soul, though?" Cinder asked.

"W-Well, yes, but it must be like birth. She is his daughter in a way."

"I get that," Roman said, "I'm more amazed by the idea a soul can both identify with a gender and an age. I mean, the guy who made her and donated part of his soul is presumably over thirty, which means she is technically over thirty… and male… and not even human…"

"It doesn't matter what she technically is," the maiden argued, "Only what they feel inside. It's in the soul, kiddo. Not the body."

"Yes, but animals also have souls and they're about as similar to humans as a robot is. Does that mean Zwei could become the winter maiden? It's a dog," he explained when the old woman didn't recognise the name.

"Huh. I dunno. Maybe? It depends on whether the animal is smart enough – and maybe whether it classifies itself as human? And female? Or maybe no gender at all, since I'm not sure animals would even care for human definitions." The woman smiled suddenly. "Is he cute? I've not had a chance to see many animals in here."

"I have a picture." Roman showed it. The reason he had it was because it showed Zwei trying to hump Blake's leg while she ran away in complete panic. He'd paid Yang good money for that blackmail. "That's him there."

"Aww, he's adorabl – adora – erk!" The maiden spasmed and the machines around her went haywire. Roman looked to Cinder accusingly, but she spread her arms, making it clear she hadn't done a thing. The machines began to sound the alarm and Roman was forced to flee, snatching his cane and running with Cinder before Atlas could figure out they'd been there.

"I guess this means it goes to Penny," Roman hissed to Cinder.

She nodded. "We'll have to tell Jaune."

/-/

"Um. Ruby…?"

"Busy," Ruby said, laid face down on her bed playing a game on her scroll.

A pillow struck her head and Blake's voice came again, high-pitched and alarmed. "Ruby!" she yelped. "This is serious! Help! Please!"

Annoyed, she paused her game and rolled over, trying to see what was wrong.

Zwei was levitating in the centre of the room, eyes burning yellow and with lightning crackling all around him. He lazily pulled a backflip, floated over to her backpack and incinerated it with laser eye beams, then used a harsh and wintry wind to make the dog treats inside fly up into the air, where he zoomed around like a fighter jet, catching them one by one.

"Well…" Ruby felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her head. "That's new…"

The joke here isn't about Penny getting the maiden and more the idea that if a robot can, then what else could theoretically qualify? Could an animal also receive it? Assuming said animal was either smart or strange enough to consider itself as being like a human. In a way, that's no different to Penny believing herself human enough to count as human, female and below the age of thirty.

Also, since Penny's body is obviously mechanical, I guess this means the maiden power fully does focus only on the soul, which implies that souls have genders, which could be troubling if one looked into it more, but I guess we can just say magic and that a person is what they want or believe themselves to be?

Either way, maiden Zwei to the rescue!

Next Chapter: 19th March

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur