Vale Outskirts – Mountain Glenn
"Merlot, progress report."
The image of Cinder Fall stared back at the doctor, as beautiful as she was intimidating. Well, at least that's what he supposed she was going for. The truth of the matter was Dr. Merlot found Cinder to be neither beautiful nor intimidating. Most of that had little to do with his sexuality. To be frank, he found love and attraction among his own species to be rather pointless and unproductive. What was love if nothing more than a chemical reaction in one's brain that had been tested and tweaked over millennia of evolution meant to ensure the survival of their species through a selection process that encouraged them to find compatible partners who's genetics contained advantageous genomes that would ensure their offspring were born with a greater chance of surviving to adulthood before finding partners of their own and repeating the cycle over and over and over again. Human or Faunus, man or woman, it made little difference to him. None of them were attractive in his eyes. What was the point of sifting through countless individuals in the attempt to find someone who had some sort of genetic advantage that he didn't and then procreate with them in the hopes of bearing children who would live long enough to pass those same advantages off to others? What was the point of such a boresome escapade when science and medicine had advanced to such a stage that one could reprogram their own bodies to contain those same advantages if they only knew how? No, Merlot cared little for love amongst his people. His heart belonged to only one species in particular.
He absentmindedly stroked the fur of the creature that lounged attentively at his side. Black fur encased in bone white armor and thick, green crystal-like protrusions jutting from its back gave the Beowulf an unsettling appearance, one that truly set itself apart from the rest of its brethren. Add to the fact that the bright crimson outlines which usually accompanied its nightmarish façade was instead a sickly green only gave people more reason to maintain a healthy distance from it as their instincts told them it was no ordinary Grimm but something far, far worse. In truth they'd be right. Cerberus, the name Merlot had given it after making some "improvements" the creature, was the first successful attempt made by the Doctor to give the creature an added advantage over its kin and ensure its survival against the ever spreading and encroaching virus that was humanity. Since this first success many more had fallowed, making Cerberus the posterchild to the viability of Merlot's lifelong research.
"The tunnels connecting Mountain Glenn to Vale have been successfully cleared of all debris. My pets were quite valuable in this endeavor thanks to the natural lack of food, water, or rest to keep them going. I have even found success with the volunteers Mr. Torus sent me in my efforts to establish a bond between man and Grimm. Should these continue to prove successful we may see the emergence of more people creating bonds with Grimm, ensuring that both species are able to coexist, providing their bodies are able to withstand the demands laid upon them by my serum."
"I care little for your ungodly experiments, Merlot. I care only for the fact that we remain on schedule for the little surprise we have planned for Vale. Speaking of which, are Torchwick and the White Fang finished with their own preparations?"
"They don't report to me so I wouldn't know what stage they're at in their preparations. I can assure you, however, that my Grimm are ready for transport. I've already dispatched drones with crates loaded full of my little babies to be sent to Vale. I'm eager to see how they fair against Vale's finest and to make my grand entrance back into the hearts and minds of their society."
"Very well. Continue with your experiments Doctor. I'll be sure to provide you with funds and Dust as needed so long as your hobbies don't interfere with our main goal."
Finished, Cinder's image cut out, leaving a black screen in her wake and ensuring the only illumination that remained came from Merlot's other nearby consoles. He sank back into his chair, letting out an unimpressed huff as he replayed the conversation he'd just had with young Cinder Fall in his head. Arrogant, prideful, too self-assured of her own abilities. As much as she liked to think she was unique amongst her peers, especially those of Salem's lieutenants, she was in fact quite common in terms of her personality. He supposed it came with a territory. She'd been a Huntress hopeful at one point. Many young men and women who spent years of their lives training to become Huntsmen and Huntresses had a tendency to develop a superiority complex along the way. They thought themselves a cut above the rest simply because they could fight Grimm where others would flee in terror before them. She'd soon met someone far greater and more powerful than her, someone who didn't hesitate to remind Cinder of just how little her skills and experience mattered when faced with the unquestionable might of a supreme being.
Salem was, without a doubt, perfection. A perfect amalgamation of human and Grimm with none of their weaknesses. Her apparent immortality saw to plugging up any holes her form might have come with and whether that was due to her being half-Grimm or something else entirely he wasn't quite sure. What he had been sure of was how enamored he'd been upon first seeing her in all her glory. To know that such a thing was possible had made all of his past achievements, all of the suffering and ridicule he'd endured from his so-called colleges worth all the more if only to gain a glimpse at what he'd known all along was possible. The fire that had once burned bright and hot within his soul was reignited that day and he'd redoubled his efforts, knowing that his dream could become a reality. He only needed to push further, harder than ever before and he'd have a break through.
As he reminisced, he turned his chair around to view the progress he'd already begun to make. Several tanks, backlight to better illuminate their occupants, lined the laboratory. All of them were Faunus which made sense given that they were volunteers sent to him by Adam Taurus. He'd have preferred an even split of Humans and Faunus as well as male and female subjects. Of course such was a tall order, especially given the White Fang's propensity for killing or brutally beating any humans that came into their possession. Merlot preferred his subjects be physically and mentally healthy to better give him a control group from which to base his findings on. While he didn't assume a subject's heritage would cause any deviation in the results, he wasn't a man to leave anything to chance. As such he'd like to find a means of broadening his subject pool and perhaps even incorporate children once he'd gained a greater grasp on the nature of the Grimm as well as how to better establish a symbiotic bond between them and their Human and Faunus hosts.
His thoughts on this were all too soon interrupted by yet another incoming call. With a tired sigh and irritated grumble he swiveled around to see who was calling and found his mood worsen as he saw it was Adam himself. While he appreciated the man for providing him with the subjects he needed, talking to him was a taxing affair. The man's bias against humanity seeped into every portion of his character making it very tiresome to talk with him given how low he viewed anyone who wasn't a Faunus or sympathetic to the White Fang's cause for that matter. Knowing he couldn't put off the conversation without angering him further (something he wouldn't have thought possible until he'd witnessed it) he accepted the call and waited for his image to appear on his screen.
"Ah, Mr. Taurus, rather fortuitus that you would call. Cinder was just asking about you."
"Does that woman think you are my handler?" the bull faunus asked, the growl in his voice warning him that this was a loaded question.
"While I cannot confirm nor deny this, I can assure you that I do not see myself as such and made sure to remind her as well. We are merely allied in the service to a greater power, each working towards the achievement of a greater purpose. Your affairs are your own as are mine. I would not be so foolish as to think myself greater than you simply because I was born different. The Grimm are born different from use, both stronger, faster, and capable of feats that few of our people can ever hope to poses. Yet, we still consider them beneath us despite their numerous advantages."
"So you say," Adam replied in a neutral tone, whatever anger he had before abated for now. "I'm calling in regards to my men who you enhanced so that they could better control your Grimm."
"Ah, I had been wondering about that. Tell me, are they still experiencing headaches?"
"Yes and some have even told me they're having migraines as well. A few have reported nightmares, some saying they find themselves surrounded by Grimm and being mauled to death while others were the Grimm themselves. The worst one was unable to fight it any longer and… took matters into his own hands."
"I see," Merlot said, rubbing his chin as he took careful mental notes for later review. "How are the Grimm?"
"Your Grimm are fine, doctor, it's my men I'm worried about. Whatever your experiments did it's starting to take a heavy toll on my soldiers and moral overall. You need to do something to fix it, now."
"Don't tell me how to do my job, boy. I have been studying and experimenting with the Grimm long before your mother even conceived the idea of you," Merlot snapped, earning a snarl from Adam which he ignored. "What happened to your subordinate is a tragedy, I'll admit, but not beyond the realms of possibility. This is unexplored territory and as such there are no guarantees that my experiments won't come without some unforeseen side effects as part of the process. Now, if you would allow me to come to your camp and exam the subjects personally- "
"Out of the question!" Adam snapped. "It' bad enough that Cinder requires us to take orders from that damn Huntsman traitor Torchwick. I'll not have them suffering your presence as well, especially if its to watch you dissect their compatriots like some Atlas lab rat."
"To clarify, I wouldn't dissect anyone at your camp. It's far to unsanitary and it would no doubt contaminate the biopsy. My presence would merely be to perform a simple medical examination to better understand your subordinate's current symptoms and administer whatever alleviation I can. Secondly, I won't be ordering anyone around. You'll still be in charge. I'd merely be a guest, a physician making a house call if you will, and once I have what I need I'll leave immediately and be out of your horns in no time. While we're on the subject, what did you do with your companion's remains, the one who took his own life?"
"We cremated his remains. We didn't want to bury him only to have the wildlife dig him up again. Not only that but your improvements also caused certain changes to his physical appearance. It was rather unsettling to behold."
"A pity then. I would have liked his remains so I could better understand what had occurred. Regardless, the current roster of volunteers are nearly finished with their enhancements. Please be sure to send me more detailed reports regarding their progress. The reports you have sent so far have been rather lackluster which has made it difficult to determine where I could improve or need to make changes."
"They are to be the last of the volunteers I send your way. My people's faith in my abilities is diminishing and our alliance was tedious at best. The loss of one of our own has caused it to drop even further."
"Then I'd suggest you send me some Human subjects to use, preferably before your men have the chance to mutilate them. Live, healthy, and above all unharmed are much preferred otherwise you'll have to make due by sending me more of your men."
"Out of the question," Adam replied.
"Then get me some human volunteers or we can take the matter up with Cinder, your choice."
Adam growled, obviously displeased with Merlot's ultimatum but unable to come up with a useful counterargument.
"I'll see what I can do," he said before the screen went black.
/-/
Jaune starred at the screen, sifting through the available options as he considered the mission that was right for his team. With the dance over and the Vytal festival just around the corner, the facility had introduced one last surprise for them to keep the students on their toes. Missions. It was something they would have to tackle eventually and would become a frequent part of their growth in the later years of school. For now, though, they would be allowed to choose one mission to help get their feet wet and would be chaperoned by a trained Huntsman or Huntress. It was exciting and a little nerve racking, not simply because it would be their first mission as a team but it would also act as an introduction into the life of an actual Huntsman. Taking into consideration the vast assortment of missions one could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. He knew he couldn't choose something too easy but he also knew he couldn't choose something too difficult either. While certain missions were off limits to the younger years, the ones they had available were still fairly challenging in their own right.
"What do you think we should choose Pyr?" Jaune asked, looking towards his redheaded partner.
"I'm not sure though I'm sure whatever you choose will be perfect for us," she replied.
Jaune glanced sideways at her, a little perturbed by her answer. The champion noticed immediately, her painted on smile quickly wilting under his gaze. "What?"
"Pyrrha, when I asked for your opinion I actually wanted your opinion," he clarified. "I appreciate the support but this is going to be our first team mission and I think we should choose one as a team, one that we can all agree on."
"R-right, sorry. I'm just used to having people tell me what to do, what to expect, how to act, that sort of thing."
"Well, you left that all behind when you joined Beacon. Here, you get to make your own choices. So, what mission speaks most to you?"
"Hmm," she hummed, putting some serious thought into her decision as she looked at the board with a scrutinizing gaze. "I'd like something that takes us away from the city. Anywhere where my name and face won't immediately be recognized."
"How about a mission shadowing a local sheriff?" Ren suggested. "Nora and I came from a village outside of Mistral so knowing how to work with the local populace would be helpful later on."
"Good point," Jaune said, tapping on the screen and using the options menu to eliminate several options from the board. While not too many were left over, it was enough to give them a fair assortment of options.
"How about this one? They're not too far from Vale and they're just on the outskirts," Pyrrha said, pointing to one.
Jaune's eyes roved over the town name and the name of the sheriff, recognizing both almost instantly before dismissing it. "No, not there."
"Why not?" Pyrrha asked, giving her partner a confused look.
"Jade and I passed through there on our way to Vale," he said, glancing over at her. "We tend to avoid it on return trips to Ansel"
"Oh," she said softly, understanding immediately what he was getting at. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he said quickly. "You didn't know. Had you known you would've suggested somewhere else," he replied, giving her a reassuring smile.
"How about here?" Nora interjected quickly. "Renny and I passed through it on our way to Vale. The people are nice and the Sheriff was really helpful."
"She's right. The people treat outsiders rather well which is a rarity for some villages. It's a good place for us to go on our first mission," Ren agreed.
"I have no objections. Pyrrha?"
"Since Nora and Ren gave it a good review I've little to argue with," she said cheerily.
"Alright then, that's our first ever mission," Jaune said, hitting the green accept button.
After punching in their team name they received a confirmation that the mission had been registered to them and that their designated chaperon would be waiting for them at the bullheads. Almost immediately Jaune felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He was taking his first real step towards becoming a professional Huntsman, his first real step towards providing himself and Jade a stable life after Beacon. It was weird, he wanted to laugh and puke all at the same time. Nerves, he supposed.
"Hey guys, you pick out your mission already?" Ruby asked, walking over after having chosen her teams first mission as well.
"Yep, we're going to be shadowing a local sheriff," Nora replied happily.
"He's someone we know so seeing a familiar face will make things a little easier."
"That's cool. My team is doing a survey mission out in Mountain Glenn," Ruby replied.
"Mountain Glenn? That name sounds familiar," Ren said.
"It was a failed attempt made by the Vale council to expand the cities borders into Grimm territory. It didn't end very well," Jaune replied, recalling the lesson they'd had in Dr. Oobleck's class.
"You girl's be careful. That place is crawling with Grimm. Even with a professional Huntsman around, it can still be rather dangerous," Pyrrha said.
"We'll be fine. You guys have to worry about Jade after all."
"Actually, Jade isn't coming with us," Jaune replied.
"She's not," Ruby asked, a little disappointed.
"Yea, she'll be staying here. Team CFVY were kind enough to let her bunk with them while we're gone. Their team leader is something of a friend of mine so it was hardly a question of whether or not they'd agree to it. Besides, Jade will have to get used to not having me around in the future. Can't take her on every mission I go on, even if she is trained."
"Yea, I suppose that's true," Ruby replied. "Well, you guys have fun and watch out for one another."
"You as well."
Jaune watched her go, catching up to her teammates who were waiting to get going on their first mission. As they left, he caught sight of Weiss looking in his direction. Smiling, he waved goodbye to her, expecting the same in return. Instead, Weiss' eyes grew wide before her face seemed to heat up. She quickly turned away, jogging to catch up with the rest of her team and leaving Jaune feeling rather confused by what had just happened.
"Is it me or has Weiss been acting strange ever since the dance?" he asked.
"I suppose she has been a little off lately," Pyrrha replied, shooting a suspicious look in the girl's direction, "but her partner did have an encounter with a would-be saboteur at the CCT so you can't blame her for being a bit jumpy."
"Yea, I guess you're right. Come on, let's go meet our chaperon. Don't want to keep them waiting."
"No need to worry about that Mr. Arc," a familiar voice spoke up. "I thought it might be more prudent if I came to you."
Jaune turned around, surprised to see Dr. Oobleck standing behind him and wearing an explorer's outfit the likes of which he'd only seen in old movies his parents used to watch.
"Professor Oobleck?" Pyrrha said, surprised.
"Doctor," he stressed.
"You're our chaperon?" Jaune confirmed.
"Indeed I am. I volunteered to go with your team as it were."
"O-oh, I see. How nice of you," he said, somewhat regretting having taken the mission at all.
/-/
"So, you want to tell us what that was all about?" Yang asked, looking over at Weiss as the bullhead flew through the air.
"I've no idea what you're talking about," the heiress said, folding her arms in a firm stance that said she wasn't talking.
"Oh, so the fact that you panicked simply from Jaune waving at you doesn't strike any bells?"
"You must have been seeing things. I didn't see Jaune at all."
"Really?" Yang replied, unimpressed. "Ruby, you see Jaune wave at us?"
"Yep," their team leader said cheerfully.
"Blake?"
"Mm hm," the girl replied.
"Alright, raise of hands, who all saw Weiss get completely flustered from seeing him wave at her and bolt?"
Three hands flew up, one of which, Ruby's, was done hesitantly. Weiss scowled, making a mental note to find personal and unique ways to seek vengeance against her teammates for their betrayal. Already she had targets lined up in the form of Yang's shampoo, Blake's favorite books, and Ruby's comic book collection. She would be avenged, this she vowed.
"So, I'll ask again, what happened?"
"Nothing happened," she protested and, after getting a raised eyebrow from Yang that promised more prodding from her, she continued, "I panicked, okay? I saw Jaune, I didn't know how to react, and I panicked. Honestly its embarrassing. I was raised to be better, to act under pressure, and in one small moment I cracked."
"Damn girl, you've got it bad," Yang mussed.
"It's just a crush," she argued.
"I don't believe you and the reason I say that is because I know you don't believe the words that just came out of your mouth either. Seriously Weiss, what is your problem with just admitting to yourself that you like Jaune? What's your problem with liking him at all?"
"It has nothing to do with him," she hissed, looking warily over at Professor Port before returning to her teammate, "it has everything to do with me."
"What's wrong with you then?" Ruby asked, obvious concern in her voice.
"It's complicated," Weiss said, hoping that would be the end of it.
"Then simplify it," Blake said, continuing when Weiss gave her a questioning look. "Start by explaining one issue you have, give us a moment to digest it and come up with an appropriate argument, then move onto the next issue."
Blake's got a point. More often than not we make things more complicated in our heads than they actually are," Yang pointed out. "Maybe after you explain it to us you'll come to see that it's not all that complex?"
"Easier said than done," Weiss grumbled.
"Just humor us," yang said.
"Fine," she huffed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Obviously you all know that I'm the heiress to the SDC."
"It's a given, yes," Blake said, her past with the White Fang ensuring she knew more about the Schnee's, her family, and their company's dealings than Weiss would have been comfortable with.
"Well, as the heiress there are certain responsibilities and standards I'm expected to achieve and maintain. Among them is eventually marrying someone with the right family background."
"Huh?' Ruby asked, a little confused by the explanation.
"She means she's expected to marry someone of the same social statues as herself," Blake explained.
"Someone who's as rich and influential as her family, basically," Yang further clarified.
"Oh," Ruby said. "So why is that a problem with Jaune?"
"Well," Yang said, glancing away both to avoid the awkwardness of the question and to buy time to think it over.
"He's not from Atlas for one thing," Blake said, saving both Weiss and Yang the hassle of explaining. "He's an orphan with very little money to his name, virtually no influence to speak of, and his younger sister is a Faunus."
"What? How is Jade a problem?"
"The Faunus in Atlas and Mantle are treated as second class citizens," Weiss explained. "It's an unfortunate bias that stems from our defeat during the Faunus Rights Revolution. For anyone to be associated with, related to, or marry someone who's Faunus would ultimately lead to their family being ostracized."
"But Jaune is a great guy and really nice," she argued.
"None of which matters to the Atlas upper crust," Blake pointed out. "All that matters are three things; money, power, and influence. Any one of those would make him a prospect worth pursuing. All three makes him a do or die achievement that could put any family on top for decades or even centuries to come."
"Bottom line, our backgrounds are just too different for me to seriously consider dating Jaune. It would be one thing if it was a relationship that started and ended with Beacon. My father would consider it a little tryst, a form of rebellion on my part, but expect me to fall back in line the moment I graduated. In the end I'd be forced to choose between either Jaune or my family."
They were silent after that. No one knew what to say, especially with everything Weiss had laid out for them. The unfortunate thing was that Weiss had a very unique background and with that came some very unique problems. One could argue that Blake was the same she wasn't the one who was currently crushing on a blond knight who'd taken a young Faunus under his wing and was dealing with some emotional issues related to his family's passing. The more they thought about it, the more complex it seemed to become.
"Screw them," Yang finally blurted out.
"What?"
"Your family. Those upper crust, snort nosed bigots in Atlas. Basically everyone who says or thinks you shouldn't have a choice in who you marry or associate with. Forget them. You're Weiss Schnee. It should be up to you to decide who you get to fall in love with, not them."
"Yang, you don't understand, I can't just turn my back on my family, on everything I've worked so hard to achieve."
"But you can turn your back on Jaune, on possibly having a future with him, because it's what's expected of you?" she argued back.
"It's more complicated than that," she said.
"Then why do I get the feeling that your saying that more for your benefit than ours?" she challenged.
Weiss didn't have an answer for her. They remained silent for the remainder of their trip with nothing but the dull roar of the engines and her guilty thoughts to keep her company.
/-/
"Our POC will be a sheriff Black in the village of New Haven. Good man, former Huntsman, very practical, doesn't tolerate hate crimes made against Humans or Faunus so he's not going to favor anyone due to their species. He'll be the one in charge of showing you how things are done in a frontier town so I suggest you pay attention. Even though you may not think anything he has to offer will be of use to you, the experience and insight he has on offer should not be taken for granted."
"Understood Doctor," Jaune replied, "How soon will we be leaving?"
"Early tomorrow morning. I've already taken the liberty of contacting him and he's assured me he'll have rooms and meals set up for us upon arrival. It'll also give him time to write up a plan for how he'll handle patrols and dictate your responsibilities while there. I'd expect you'll have early mornings and late nights so I suggest you all turn in early to prepare for the mission ahead."
"Agreed," he said before turning to his teammates. "Take another moment to check your packs and make sure you haven't forgotten anything. While I won't say we shouldn't expect the village to not have the necessities, it's still better to go out prepared."
"Agreed," Ren replied.
"Understood," Pyrrha chimed in.
"Okey dokey," Nora chirped.
"Jaune, a moment of your time," Doctor Oobleck said as team JNPR got up to return to their dorm.
He nodded, returning in his seat and waving his team off. Pyrrha gave him a quizzical look, her eyes flicking between the two men, before Jaune waved her off again, insisting he'd be alright. Once she had left he returned his attention to the Doctor.
"No doubt you have questions for me, Jaune."
"As perceptive as ever," he drawled, wanting to say something snarky but holding himself back. Instead he replied, "Why don't you go ahead and explain your reasoning to me so I don't make any assumptions or jump to conclusions."
"A very mature way to go about it," Oobleck replied, obviously pleased with his answer. "To be frank, I did volunteer to accompany your team because I was worried for you," he admitted, receiving a raised eyebrow from Jaune in return. "While I do my best to keep my personal feelings out of my professional life, there are times when that can difficult especially when I'm the acting therapist for some of my students. As such, I always feel a certain responsibility to ensure that those under my care are given every opportunity to succeed. It also means I had a tendency to worry about students such as yourself and Miss Adel and, when the opportunity arises, I find ways to be more personable if I can."
"So basically you're coming along not because you're worried I'll snap and have another episode but more so to provide me with emotional support should I need it?'
"Not quite how I would have put it but you have the general idea, yes."
Jaune hummed in understanding. He'd be the first to admit that, upon seeing Dr. Oobleck standing behind them, his mind had instantly jumped to the conclusion that he'd been assigned to them as less than a chaperon and more so an observer to ensure he didn't compromise his team due to his mental instability. It didn't help matters that he'd confessed to having volunteered to accompany them, further adding to Jaune's overall anxiety. It had taken him a few moments to calm his emotions and collect his thoughts, preparing himself in advance to hear the man out before making any concrete assumptions.
"As I stated before, I won't try to take charge of the mission or undermine your authority, Mr. Arc. I'm merely here to observe your team, to aid you all in whatever ways you may need, offer insight and experience, and offer any medical attention you may require," he said, the last part containing the subtext that his medical expertise extended beyond the basic first aid.
"I understand sir, though to be frank I can't help it if I feel a little nervous about the whole thing," he admitted.
"Worry not, Mr. Arc. It's only natural that you should feel nervous about your first mission. This isn't the first time I've accompanied a team on one and it shall not be the last. Rest assured, I know how to differentiate between nerves brought about by mission anxiety and other more concerning tells. Should anything stand out to me I'll be sure to discuss it with you in private. I know how important it is to present a stoic front to your teammates and I won't do anything to undermine it."
Jaune nodded, reassured by the man's words but still a little nervous. It would be his team's first mission and the first time he and Jade had been separated for an extended period of time. It was something they would have to get used as this would quickly become the norm for them as they entered their later years and his career beyond. He honestly wished team RWBY were still here. He'd at least feel comfortable leaving Jade with them. Sadly, they were already moving into the night of their first mission and wouldn't be back for another day or two. For now he'd trust team CFVY to keep an eye on her. He just hoped everything went smoothly for them tomorrow unlike it had in the past.
/-/
Mountain Glenn – The Breach
Roman Torchwick puffed thoughtfully on his cigar as he watched the White Fang grunts loading crates of dust and explosive charges onto the train. They had spent the better part of a month moving and clearing rubble from the underground tunnel that had once connected Mountain Glenn to greater Vale, a process that was made significantly easier once Dr. Merlot had sent his Grimm to help with them. He glanced over at the creatures, taking note of their glowing green eyes and the large green crystals that jutted out from the backs. He shuttered, finding it a true achievement that the man had found a way to make the creatures of darkness somehow even more unsettling.
To say that he'd been reluctant to work with them in the beginning would have been an understatement. He'd been reluctant to work with the White Fang, not only because of their reputation but also because he was a human and he'd seen the grisly videos they'd sent to the families of the hostages they'd captured and executed. As such, being a human and having to work with an organization that would just as easily put a bullet in his skull as they'd spit on him was not something he'd been very enthusiastic about. Cinder, however, had been very insistent on them working together and Roman knew better than to argue with the woman who could charbroil him on a whim. Thankfully having Adam Taurus to back him up and put his people in line had been helpful and wasn't that the biggest irony so far. Adam Taurus, one of the biggest anti-human White Fang members alive, was his main ally in preventing the White Fang from turning on him and killing him.
Add to the fact that he now had Grimm, actual Grimm, tamed and calmly following orders with Merlot's assurances that they wouldn't turn on them without provocation. With all of this happening Roman couldn't be blamed for having assumed Neo had started to lace his cigars with LSD at some point. When he'd confirmed she hadn't he started seriously considering doing it himself, if only to help his nerves every time one of the Grimm and their handlers drew near.
He shuttered as he reflected on the first time they'd appeared. While they were still dressed in the usual White Fang uniform, he never saw them without their masks. It didn't do much to hide the strange green glow that emanated from their eyes nor the fact that none of them were ever seen without their partner Grimm. He'd wondered if they even slept together or at all but had quickly shoved that thought out of his head. The less details he knew the better. For now he would focus on getting the train prepped and ready for their preemptive strike on Vale. As it was they were nearly complete with their preparations. By dawn tomorrow they'd be on their way and Vale would be none the wiser.
"Preparations are almost complete," Neo, his partner typed out on her scroll for him to read.
"I've noticed. Who knew the White Fang made for such useful pack animals," he joked, earning a silent laugh from the sociopath. "And how our preparations for our little vacation?" he asked.
"Been ready for months. I even prepped the alternatives routes with new passports and lien should we need to take a detour," she typed.
"Well done Neo, I can always count on you," he said, earning a pleased smile from the girl.
"ARRGGHH!"
The outcry of pain quickly drew the pair's attention along with a gaggle of onlookers. The source came from one of the Grimm handlers. He was down on his knees, clutching his head as he groaned in pain. Next to him the Beowulf he was tied to began snarling and snapping, becoming progressively more aggressive and erratic in its mannerisms as the man's headache began to intensify. Roman gripped his cane tightly and Neo started to extract the sword hidden within her parasol as they watched the man with baited breath. Before long, however, the headache seemed to subside as both handler and Grimm calmed and returned to their duties. It was a good five minutes before everyone else began to do the same though they all kept a watchful eye on the man in question.
"Fuck me, that was close," Roman said, relighting his cigar and taking a long drag to help calm his nerves. "Screw Merlot and his assurances, whatever he did to those poor bastards is beginning to show cracks in its armor. At this rate they're going to lose control and set his Grimm on us before they even make it to the city."
"We should just kill them now. Better safe than sorry," Neo typed with a worried look on her face.
"Can't, Cinder was insistent on them being part of the operation. If we kill even one it could mean dire consequences," he pointed out. When she gave him a worried look he quickly reassured her, "for now, let's keep our presence out here to a minimum. The animals are almost done with loading up the train so they don't really need us around to supervise. Not only that but the less time we spend out here the more likely we'll have some warning when the Grimm go berserk and start killing the Fang."
She nodded, pleased with his suggestion and quickly skipped on her way back to her tent. Roman sparred one last glance for the Handler before making his way back as well. The more time he spent on this operation, the more years of his life he felt being shaved off. At least by the end of it he'd be safe and secure aboard an Atlas battlecruiser and well beyond the jaws of any hostile Grimm.
/-/
Weiss lay awake, starring through the caved in roof of the building they had set up camp in both for it being one of the few that still retained its structural integrity and for the advantage it provided in having a second floor, allowing them to see any encroaching threats during the night. Their day had been spent mostly hunting down and slaughtering Grimm with Professor Port doing surprisingly little in the way of combat, instead opting to allow the Huntresses to take charge and show off their own skills. He further surprised by them by occasionally asking questions, mostly to do with their reasons for having chosen the Huntsman career. It was a stark contrast from the usually overly boisterous man who spent most of their classes espousing on his exaggerated encounters with the Grimm, all the while putting most of the class to sleep in the process.
The whole thing had Weiss rethinking the events of her life which was a massive surprise to the heiress. In the beginning she'd known why she'd come to Beacon and what her overall goals had been. She'd wanted to put as much distance between herself and her father's influence, give herself some sense of individuality and even gain some independence. She'd also made a deal with him to be made the company's successor so long as she successfully graduated Beacon. It had been so simple, so clear, but then again that's always how things start out. Vaguely, she had recalled a moment in her childhood, just prior to her grandfather's passing. He'd been old, frail, weak but no less full of love. She could remember his crinkled smile as he regaled her with the tales of his first expedition, before saying something that would stick with her for a long time.
"Remember, my little snowflake, that when men make plans, the Gods laugh."
She hadn't known what he meant by that at the time. To be honest, it was something that had puzzled her for many years. She'd once asked her father about its meaning but he'd brushed it off, making a comment about her grandfather's deteriorating mental state, and told her not to give much thought to the ramblings of a dying old man. He'd passed away not long after but his words had stayed with her, perplexing her throughout her youth until an explosive meeting at Beacon began to bring them into context. From that point on she'd been met with one upset after another, finding her carefully laid plans crumbling before her eyes as she was denied being made the leader of her team, paired with a girl who was two years her junior, and butted heads with the blonde-haired leader of their sister team.
"Man makes plans and the Gods laugh," she mumbled softly to herself, letting out an unladylike snort as the meaning behind them became oh so clear to her. Deteriorating mental state her caboose. Her grandfather's mind had been as sharp as ever, even when at the cusp of death.
"What's so funny," Yang asked, apparently awake as well.
"Just something my grandfather told me once," she said, rolling over onto her stomach to talk more comfortably. "He said once that man makes plans and the Gods laugh. It only started to make sense once I entered Beacon."
"Yea, I know what you mean. I've had my fair share of plans blow up in my face. Some with little consequence and others…" she trailed off, a guilty grimace crossing her face as she called memory of time when things didn't go as planned.
"It always seems so clear in your head," Blake added, confirming that none of them had felt like sleeping. "I had such a clear picture of how things would go when I went to the docks but it blew up in my face and nearly cost me my life. It's frustrating to admit but, in hindsight, I should have known better than to think things would go my way and that I could do everything on my own."
"Such is a lesson that few Huntsmen ever truly come to appreciate though all are in dire need of learning," Professor Port said, surprising them all. "We teach out students that they need to be adaptive, to be prepared for events that they didn't plan for but there are some lessons in life that cannot be taught, only experienced."
"Professor, how long have you been listening in?" Yang asked, feeling a little weary.
"Why lass, I've always been listening. I have a keen sense of hearing, one that has paramount to my surviving more than a few surprising ambushes from Grimm seeking to end my life only to meet the business end of my axe."
"So the conversation we had on our way here?" Weiss probed.
"Yes, it seems you've found yourself in quite the predicament Miss Schnee," he said with a chuckle.
"Wonderful," she groaned, rolling onto her back and hiding her face in her hands. "Now even the teachers are aware of it."
"Just this teacher, lass, and allow me to assure you that, despite what others may say or think, I'm quite capable of keeping secrets, especially if you'd rather I forget everything I heard?"
Weiss barely heard him, too engrossed in her own mortification and embarrassment to register what her teacher had just said.
"You wouldn't happen to have any experience in an area like this, would ya teach?" Yang asked jokingly.
"As a matter of fact I do," he said proudly, causing Yang's smile to droop. "Now, while I may not look it, when I was a young Huntsman I was quite the ladies man."
Yang groaned internally, glancing to the side only to be met by her partner's glare, boring holes into her skull. She laughed nervously, shrugging in a way as if to say she was sorry she hadn't thought things through completely.
"Professor," Blake interrupted.
"Wha- er, um, yes Miss Belladonna?" he said, quickly regaining his composure.
"We were wondering if you could skip story time and leapfrog into the advice for Weiss' current situation?" Preferably while we're all still awake she added mentally.
"Ah, yes, of course. The main thing Miss Schnee needs to take into consideration is what is more important to her."
"Well that's taking over my family's company and restoring our reputation back to the way it was when my Grandfather was in charge."
"But is that truly what's important to you?" Port asked.
"What do you mean? Of course that's what's most important to me."
"I'd argue differently, Weiss. From what I've both heard and seen your priorities have shifted greatly since coming to Beacon."
"How do you mean?"
"Do you recall the chat we had after attending my first class of the semester?" he asked.
"Vaguely," she replied, in truth being able to recall everything that had happened with exactness.
"You were quite insistent that you should be your team's leader and sought to gain my support in having it changed. I, however, understood Professor Ozpin had made Miss Rose your team leader for a reason and once you had accepted this fact you quickly adapted and you have even flourished.
Not long after you and Miss Belladonna had a fight when you discovered her past as being part of the White Fang, leading your team to split and to the incident at the Vale docks before you two later decided to bury the hatchet."
"Wait, you knew I was a Faunus?" Blake asked surprised.
"Of course, lass. You didn't really think that bow on your head could fool my keen eyesight, did you, let alone the entire Huntsmen trained staff of Beacon?" he asked, watching as she self-consciously reached up to touch her bow before adding, "though Ozpin did inform us all beforehand so it came as no surprise when it was revealed."
"What!?"
"My point is while you may believe you will have to sacrifice a chance at love to achieve your ultimate goal, there's no guarantee that it'll come into fruition or that your father will ultimately keep his word."
"That's absurd! My father is many things but he's not someone who would break his word on a whim," Weiss argued.
"Perhaps not but let me ask you this; did you get his promise in writing?"
"What?"
"Did you get it in writing, lass? A lawyer I dated once told me to never taken a business man at his word. Unless it's in writing, signed, dated and notarized then it never happened."
Weiss gawked at him, not simply for what he'd said but for how right he was. It had been one of the first lessons she'd been taught when the title of Heiress had been abdicated by her sister and thrust upon her shoulders. The fact that she hadn't thought to get her father's word in writing was galling to say the least. It gave him room to change the conditions of their deal, making them increasingly more constrictive as time went on.
"There's also no guarantee that, should you achieve your goal and restore the reputation of the SDC, that it'll remain that way. Should you pour your focus into running the company and never give any thought into who will take over after you're gone, you leave it open to the possibility of returning to the state it had been revived from."
"So what should I do?" she asked quietly, uncertain.
"Take life one step at a time lass. Keep your goal in mind but don't let yourself feel like you have to sacrifice everything just to achieve it. As you draw closer to it you may come to find it holds less prevalence in your life than it did before. Open yourself up to change and allow yourself to experience new things, especially love. Who knows, perhaps one day you may find you're able to have your cake and eat it too. Remember, nothing in life is guaranteed so make of it what you will and learn to adapt to even the most abrupt and surprising of changes."
/-/
"Zwei, come on, you can literally pee anywhere. Just choose something," Ruby franticly but quietly complained.
Zwei, her family's dog and currently the fifth wheel on their team's first mission, ignored her pleas and proceeded to sniff every rock, wall, and piece of rubble he came across in his journey to find the perfect spot to mark his territory. The idea to bring him along secretly had been, at first, a no brainer. Ruby wasn't sure how the teachers of Beacon would have taken to knowing that their father had sent their dog in the mail to stay with them while he was on a mission and she wasn't too keen to reveal this fact just before their first mission. Her plan had been to hide him in her back pack, find a secluded spot to let him out, and keep his presence secret while they were here before sneaking him back. In hindsight her plan had a few holes. The conversation she'd listened in on had only solidified that fact.
To her surprise Professor Port hadn't been at all upset by Zwei's presence. On the contrary, he was ecstatic and very welcoming, much to Ruby's surprise. That was until he'd woken her up, whining in a way that made it obvious he needed to use the restroom. This wouldn't have been a problem were it not for the fact that they were in an abandoned city with no walls, fences, or obstacles of any kind to prevent him doing his business on his own. Despite all of this, he insisted on her accompanying him. She'd spent the better part of the last ten minutes following him all around the city, doing her best to stay awake and keep track of their campsite as they walked.
"Zwei, hurry up, I want to go back to sleep," she groaned.
Finally finding a satisfactory spot, he relieved himself, kicking up some dirt for good measure before trotting back over to Ruby with a satisfied smile.
"Honestly, you could have done that anywhere," she complained but quickly forgot this as she began heading back to camp.
She jumped when she heard a large piece of rubble collapse nearby, accompanied by a loud growl. Weaponless and caught out in the open, Ruby sped into a nearby alcove with Zwei hot on her heels. The two hunkered down, peering out from their hiding spot as they listened to the sound of heavy footsteps drawing closer. Before long a large Beowulf came into view, sniffing the ground as it looked around the ruined city. This wouldn't have surprised her most of the time but the Grimm's overall appearance was enough to have her staring at it in disbelief.
The Grimm was sporting large glowing green spikes on its back with a similar green glow coming from the veins in its body and its eyes as well. What's more, it was accompanied by a person, White Fang from the looks of his uniform, and it never once tried to attack him. While she couldn't see his face she could make out a strange green glow coming from the man's eyes beneath his mask. The two of them stopped, taking a moment to go over their surroundings with the Beowulf leaning down to sniff the ground. Before long the two began to move on, the Grimm's heavy footsteps dissipating into the distance.
They waited a few minutes longer, making sure that they really had moved on and weren't preparing an ambush, before coming out from their hiding spot. Ruby wasn't afraid of Grimm and even less so of the White Fang. She'd killed her fair share of Beowulves in the past given how common they were and the White Fang sect of Vale had proven to be vastly undertrained and underprepared when set against herself and her team. Yet, Ruby couldn't help feeling a little panicked at the sight she'd just witnessed. A person and a Grimm working together. That wasn't something that just happened. Ever. She took a moment to consider her next move, glancing back towards her camp and then in the direction the pair had disappeared down. She didn't need to think long before she was off and running after them with Zwei hot on her heels.
Common sense would have told her that it was better for her to go back and wake her team up before pursuing the Grimm and White Fang. However, Ruby also knew that such a thing would take precious time, time enough for the trail to grow cold. It would be easier and more beneficial for her to follow them, then call her team for back up. Then they could tackle the situation together and nip it in the bud before something worse happened. She was about to mentally pat herself on the back when the road abruptly ended and she nearly fell into a twenty-foot-deep hole.
"WHAAH!"
Her voice echoed down into the hole, bouncing off the walls as she flapped her arms madly in an attempt to regain her balance. She stepped away from the edge, letting out a sigh of relief, before the floor dropped out from under her. She quickly snatched the edge, holding on for dear life as Zwei barked madly.
"Zwei, get Yang," she said, already feeling her grip slipping.
It didn't hold as the concrete gave way under her weight and the last thing she saw was Zwei's panicked expression as she plummeted to the ground below.
The "Man makes plans and the Gods laugh" is a play on something my Dad used to say to me when things would go wrong or he'd get very frustrated about something. Given the context of the show I figured it would be appropriate for Weiss to have heard a similar saying as means to joke about why none of her plans have ever worked out.
Not much to say this update. Honestly this arc of the story has gone on longer than I expected but I rather like that. One more chapter before we move into the Vytal festival and then we'll have some interesting developments. I won't spoil anything but it'll be a rollercoaster of emotions, that's for sure.
Need to focus on writing my update for Archangel after that so don't expect any more updates for this story after the next chapter or two. I also have a special announcement planned for Archangel so, if you're a fan and read that story as well stay tuned.