Chapter Two
Beacon Academy Airfield
If Neo had been nervous before landing, she was utterly terrified now. She clutched at the pink parasol she loved so much (currently black due to her illusion), shaking like a leaf as the VTOL docked at Beacon's airfield. She just witnessed an alien crash landing. There was a survivor. That survivor was either hiding in the woods or- She nearly jumped out of her skin as the smaller VTOL from earlier roared overhead, landing closer to the school. A group of four students jumped off, followed by a team of paramedics who lowered a stretcher onto its wheels and headed for the academy doors. From this far, Neo couldn't really say who was on the stretcher, but she could easily guess who the only severely injured person was within a ten kilometre radius.
"Miss Politan?"
Neo spun around, her eyes wide as a blond woman wearing a tattered purple cloak walked up to her. She pointed to herself and then to her mouth, shaking her head frantically.
The woman just nodded, "That's enough, Miss Politan. Your file already mentions your mutism. You may use your scroll to communicate, or a pen and pad will be provided for you if needed. I am Glynda Goodwitch, combat instructor and Deputy Headmistress here at Beacon Academy. Would you come with me, please?" Without waiting for an answer, Glynda placed a hand on Neo's shoulder and steered her towards the nearest building. It took all of Neo's willpower not to flinch, as some of Cinder's "reminders" were still fresh.
After directing Neo through a series of long corridors, Glynda stopped in front of an empty classroom and gestures for her to sit down. The Deputy Headmistress closed the door and turned to Neo, sighing when she beheld the shaken girl, "Please, Miss Politan, try to relax. Nothing bad is going to happen." She pinched the bridge of her nose as Neo flinched at her words, and continued with a much gentler tone. "I take it you saw the crash?"
Slowly, Neo withdrew her personal scroll, confused by the question. Opening the text function, she quietly typed out her response. I think everyone on the VTOL saw it, Miss Goodwitch.
Glynda nodded, "Of course, I should have thought about that myself..." She pursed her lips, trying to a more delicate way of approaching her actual topic. Finding none, she shook her head and forged on. "Hmm... I'm not really one for sugarcoating things, so I'll get straight to the point. Did you notice anything unusual about the crash?"
Neo's eyes widened, and she bit her lip. Should she tell her the truth, or lie? Part of her wanted to just hide and pray that Cinder never found out about this encounter, but another part of her wanted answers... After a few moments of internal debate, she finally typed a response.
The craft, it wasn't from Remnant. Was it? I didn't see any evidence of an air intake system for high velocity movement, and it looked like the craft used to have a double layered hull system for pressurization. Not to mention the little detail of a missing dust resivour... Also, there was a survivor. I saw them from the VTOL, and one of your VTOLs were going to investigate the crash. They came back with an injured person on board. Is the alien here in Beacon?
When she finally looked up to show her response, she nearly dropped the scroll. A second person had joined them in the classroom, someone she instantly recognized. Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, and Cinder's number one threat. He was sitting there as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with the situation. After reading her response, he leaned back and nodded appreciatively, "Very astute observation, Miss Politan. I suspect someone knows their aircraft. You are correct on all accounts,I think. I will have to ask about the more technical details from our guest later on. Actually, it was the alien who somehow managed to spot you from such a large distance." He laughed softly at Neo's stunned reaction and shook his head. "I'm not sure how she spotted you myself, but please be assured that she means no harm to you. Thank you for telling us the truth, but now I must ask that you keep this a secret. It just wouldn't do to have Atlasian forces pounding on Beacon's door to try and take her away for scientific purposes. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Neo nodded quickly, eager to put some distance between her and Ozpin. I understand, Professor Ozpin. I swear I won't tell anyone!
Ozpin smiled gently, "That's all I wanted, Miss Politan. Now, would you like to meet our guest?"
Glynda gasped, clearly disturbed by Ozpin's seemingly careless attitude, "Oscar! Why on Remnant would you tell anyone about something like this? Especially a student from another country! That's just irresponsible and a blatant disregard of national security! We should be saying that all she saw was the crash landing of a prototype VTOL from our militia! How can you possibly believe that a teenager in this day and age would keep this a secret? With all of the social media and gossip, I wouldn't be surprised if-"
"Are you saying that you don't trust the students?" Ozpin gazed at Glynda over his spectacles, amusement clear in his eyes.
"Yes! That is exactly what I'm saying! A child is to young to comprehend the enormity of a momentous event such as first contact with another form of sentient life! I let the incident with Miss Rose slide due to her skill, but this is utter nonsense!"
Ozpin tilted his head to the side, a small smile on his face, "Your objections have been duly noted, Glynda. Now, I believe I asked you a question, Neo. Do you want to see our guest? She might not be awake yet, seeing as she just survived a very rough landing, but her Ghost assures me that she should wake up any moment now."
Neo bit her lip. A chance to meet an actual alien? Not a chance someone would pass up lightly. She weighed her options. She could refuse, and return to Cinder on time and with a little bit of intel, using the excuse of eavesdropping as a cover story to avoid any risky questions. That might keep things normal between them, but she would still be risking her wrath for nearly being late. On the other hand, she could actually see the alien, gather a much larger load of information, and return to Cinder later. That way she could keep her at bay for at least a few days...
Slowly, the tiny teen nodded, and typed out a response, I would love to see the alien! Where are you keeping her? Can we go now? Is she going to be okay? How did she see me from so far away?
Ozpin smiled at her and stood up, "Hmm... In order then. We have our own medical facilities here are Beacon, and she's been placed in a private ward. I was heading there myself to ask a few questions, so yes we can. And according to her Ghost, you might meet him if he wants to be seen, she should be fine by tomorrow. As for how she saw you, her technology is far beyond anything we have." As he headed towards the door, he called out to his colleague. "I don't suppose you could give the welcome speech to the new arrivals, Glynda? Thank you. Come along, Neo."
The duo vanished through the door, leaving an utterly baffled Glynda Goodwitch standing in the middle of an empty classroom. Speaking to no one in particular, she stated, "Okay... So to recap the past hour, an alien crash landed in our school, a foreign student saw the survivor, Ozpin decided not just to provide medical assistance to said alien, but to also spill the beans to the foreign student and allow her to meet the alien..." She sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Oh, Oum... Please don't be going senile on me, Oscar. At the rate you're going, I'm going to have the alien in my combat class..." Glynda groaned at the thought and left the room. That was enough worrying about her boss's antics, she had a large group of overexcited teenagers to welcome.
"Stella, please stop poking at the bandages. Your wound can easily become infected now that we don't have enough light to heal you. All remaining Light is concentrated upon healing your ribs now that the vertebral column is repaired."
Stella glanced up at her Ghost, fingering the swath of bandages around her leg, "You heard that nurse. With the amount of that white sand stuff she put on the cut, I should be fixed up by tomorrow. Speaking of which, have you figured out what that stuff was? Despite the fact that it looked like pure salt being poured into the wound, it didn't really hurt... It felt kind of nice actually. Not at all like the med'muerten used by the Fallen. That stuff burns like a muct'cucquta."
The stranded Guardian was stuck in a hospital room that wouldn't have looked out of place in a 23rd century Earth hospital. She still felt a bit lightheaded from the blood loss, but at least her leg didn't hurt. Her chest still hurt quite a bit though.
The Ghost bobbed quickly, "Yes and no. The people of Remnant call it Dust, and it comes in many forms. It's hard to separate the local lore with actual facts, but by using this academy's wireless archives I was able to find an electronic textbook. The form used upon you is a basic White Dust. It is widely used in medical practices for its natural healing and antiseptic properties."
He floated closer to the leg and began scanning it, "However, I am having difficulty identifying its chemical composition. As far as I can tell, it's a crystalline glimmer structure containing small amounts of Light Energy."
Stella frowned, attempting to process the information, but failing. "Frozen Light? Weird..."
Light bobbed and turned towards the door, "Agreed... Guardian, we have visitors..."
She glanced down at the simple jumpsuit she currently wore and frowned. How she despised not having a set of armor on. Hell, she practically lived in hers most of the time.
As if on cue, a white haired man wearing green stepped inside, carrying a cane and green square of glass in one hand, and a mug of tea in the other. Close behind him was the girl Stella spotted on the large 'VTOL'. The man nodded towards Stella and sat down, "So... It is a pleasure to see you alive and well, Miss Black.
Stella instantly recognized the voice from her crash, "Headmaster Ozpin... I was wondering when I would be seeing you." She glanced at the girl now seated next to Ozpin, curious as to why he would bring a civilian. Not that it mattered at the moment, what did was ensuring her survival. She knew how humanity treated sentient life that wasn't well... Human. "It's nice to finally put a face to the voice. I have heard a little bit about you."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow and spared a look at the 'Ghost' reported by Team CFVY, "Oh? I hope it was all good."
Light cleared his nonexistent throat and spoke up, "Oscar Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy and High Commander of Vale's Militia Force. Close contacts include Deputy Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch, General James Ironwood, Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Brawnwen, Raven Brawnwen, and Summer Rose. Of the last three, Qrow is on assignment in Atlas, though his current whereabouts are unknown. Raven is currently MIA, although there have been a few recent sightings. Summer Rose has been declared dead due to an unfortunate Grimm attack." Light's tone was that of mild disbelief as he made the last statement.
Ozpin grew slightly paler and took a slow sip of his tea, "Ahem... That is... very accurate... Miss Politan, I would like to remind you that nothing said in here is to leave to leave this room..."
Stella allowed a small, triumphant smirk to flit across her face, "My apologies for crash landing at your err... School. That is what this place is, correct? Little Light, my Ghost keeps referring to it as an academy, but I don't really recall many schools from my area of space that allow students to carry weapons like the tall boy with the massive sword. Then again, there are only three schools left on Earth, and the Reef doesn't exactly follow the public school system... There aren't too many educational opportunities out there when the entire population numbers somewhere in the hundred millions..."
She watched the headmaster carefully, waiting for his response. The young Warlock had always been relatively well spoken, something that had endeared her to the Awoken Queen. Because of that, the Queen had decided to give Stella a few lessons in politics and negotiations. To the untrained eye, she had simply asked about the academy, but really it was far more than that. By using her Ghost to access files on Ozpin, she showed that there was little he could hide from her. Ozpin was obviously shaken by Light's statements, but did a fair job at hiding it if Miss Politan's reaction, or lack thereof, was any indication. Stella spared a second glance at the unknown girl. She was slowly becoming uneasy in her presence, not that the green eyed girl's scrutinizing stare was helping.
The second half of her little foray was twofold. It was an inquiry into the purpose of the academy, as well as a brief statement concerning her own origins. In short, she was saying: Tell me a little bit about this world and I will tell you about mine. However, don't you dare lie to me, because I will find out eventually...
Just a little Quid Pro Quo with a pinch of Habeas Corpus.
Ozpin seemed to understand immediately took another sip of his tea, considering the matter. After a few moments, he smiled gently, "Please, Miss Black, there's no need for such tactics. I will gladly tell you whatever you want, within reason of course." He set the cup of tea to the side and tilted his head. To answer your question, this is indeed a school, mine in fact. Beacon Academy is the most prestigious combat academies within the kingdom of Vale, and one of the top schools on Remnant. It is here that we train the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses to defend us all against the dark Creatures of Grimm." He gestured out the window, towards the first. "You may study the Grimm we keep in the Emerald Forest during your stay here."
Ozpin cleared his throat and glanced at Neo, nodding, "I think Miss Polita has a few questions to ask, so I'll allow her to er... Speak. She will probably ask some of the questions I want answered."
Stella had to restrain herself from frowning. Now it was clear why the girl was here. As a simple civilian, she wouldn't be able to get much of anything from her, and Ozpin knew it. Managing to keep her composure, she nodded at the girl, "Okay, here's how this is going to work. You can ask me whatever you want. I will answer it, and if I can't, then my Ghost here will. After your question is answered, we will ask our own, and you will answer it to the best of your ability. Do you understand me?"
The girl nodded quickly and whipped out a small, rectangular. She tapped on it a few times, before typing something out and showing it to the alien, First, I want to know your name, but that isn't what I want to ask. How did you power your ship? I didn't see any sign of a Dust resivour in the debris field, or the main structure.
Stella, blinked owlishly, her ethereal green eyes flickering in confusion as she read the message, "Main structure... Well, the name's Black, Stella Black. As for the ship... How can I put this into terms you might understand... The energy source used in my ship comes from something called Nuclear Fission. In other words, we split the atom to create energy. It um... The fuel is... It..."
Stella, while I absolutely hate interrupting your feeble attempts at explaining nuclear physics, I think we have a problem.
Stella frowned openly now, and turned to look at her Ghost, What's wrong?
Well, this girl is not who she says she is. You both see a girl with green eyes, black hair, and a black dress, but that isn't what I'm seeing...
Ozpin and Neo watched the silent interaction between the duo, confused by the abrupt silence. Without warning, Stella shot off the bed and slid to a stop in front of the door, slamming it shut. A flash of light engulfed her hand, solidifying into a rather large handgun that looked as if it had been carved from stone. She pointed it at Neo and practically hissed a question at her, "Reveal your true face, Human!"
Ozpin stood abruptly, pointing the end of his cane at Stella. "What is the meaning of this, Guardian!?" He thundered. A strange green energy began pouring off of him, and the air seemed to grow heavy with latent power.
Stella tightened her grip on the gun, her eyes daring between the humans, "This girl isn't who she says she is! The duc'cunta's disguise may be able to fool your cameras and the naked eye, but my Ghost was able to penetrate it. Tell him, Light!" A savage grin marred her face as a glimmer of fear appeared in Neo's eyes. The girl began looking around nervously for an exit.
"She is telling the truth. My optical sensors are not seeing what you see. The best way I can describe her appearance is err... Ice cream. Pink and brown hair, a neapolitan themed suit and parasol, pink and brown eyes... It looks fairly unusual for a human, even by the standards of Earth's outlandish fashions."
Ozpin eyed Stella carefully before turning to Neo, "Miss Politan? Is this true? Are you- Your eyes... They're pink now."
Neo swallowed nervously, before smirking and bowing sarcastically. The illusion shattered immediately, revealing her true identity. Ozpin raised an eyebrow curiously, instantly recognizing the girl described by Yang Xiao Long at the Paladin attack.
He cleared his throat and sat back down, "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise. Miss Black, please put your gun away. This is a hospital, not a gun range. Neopolitan, stay put. We can all discuss this like civilized people, correct?" Ozpin's voice was soft and calm, but carried an authority with it that barred no arguments.
Stella glanced at her Ghost, Check her identity, if you can.
Already running facial recognition software and her alias through wirelessly available databases. You can go ahead and put the gun away.
Reluctantly, she dispelled her weapon and began inspecting the girl's new appearance. Despite Neo's smirk and nonchalant posture, the Guardian could tell she was preparing to fight in order to escape. Stella sighed, and gestured to her now vacant bed, "Sit down. I believe it is my turn to ask a question, is that okay, Ozpin?
The headmaster node, and the strange green energy around him vanished instantly, "Of course, Miss Black. Please, sit down Neo. You aren't in any trouble right now, but I think you own us an explanation. Or rather you still need to answer Miss Black's question."
Stella remained silent for a moment as Neo sat down in her seat stiffly, ignoring her request to suit down on the bed. The Guardian decided to allow her Ghost to process Neo first, and choose something else that shouldn't be too intrusive for the girl, she hoped... "So... The energy your body produces, what is it? I saw it pouring off of Ozpin just now, and my helmet managed to detect a cloud of pinkish interference when you were on that VTOL craft."
Neo blinked in confusion, thrown for a loop by the off topic question. She glanced at Ozpin, as if asking for permission, not that she really needed it. She just wanted to appear submissive... Ozpin merely smiled and nodded at her. Neo noticed however, that his hand still rested upon the trigger of his cane gun, which was pointed towards the ground, but still elevated slightly in her direction. Eventually, she pulled her scroll back out and began typing,It's my Aura. I use it to fuel my Semblance, Shattered Mind. Is there any, Aura where you come from? And why don't you get back on the bed? You just survived a very violent crash, and I'm surprised that you didn't break anything.
Stella grimaced as a painful throb reminded her of her still damaged ribs. Light was able to concentrate the remaining Light Energy they had left, but it was still going to be a few hours before she could do any heavy lifting, "Actually, I broke my ribs and nearly punctured a lung." She grunted painfully as she limped back over to the bed and collapsed in it. "And no, we don't have aura on Earth or the Reef. There are stories from our Golden Age and earlier of Aura and magic, but we never really used it or the semblance stuff. How does it work?
The ice cream themed girl frowned for a moment, trying to think of an answer. Unfortunately, she had never really been to a school that she could remember, and Torchwick never actually used either of aura or Semblance. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she really did look to Ozpin for assistance this time.
An understanding smile appeared on his face and he cleared his throat, "I think might be a question best left for another time, such as a library. Suffice to say, Aura is the the physical manifestation of your soul. It shields and protects you from harm, and it fuels your semblance. Semblance is an ability that is unique to every soul."
Aura? Semblance? Souls? Just where the hell had she crashed? She shook her head, deciding to look into it later, "Right. Aura equals soul..."
Stella, I have the information you requested. I must warn you though, there isn't very much at all... May I speak to her?
Stella nodded, and gestured to her companion, "This is Little Light, my Ghost. He assists me with tactical infiltration and reconnaissance. Do you mind if he asks a few questions?"
Ozpin nodded hesitantly, concerned by Stella's description, but unable to understand what she was doing, "Of course he may. What is it that he-"
"This is a question for Neopolitan," the small device drifted closer to the girl in question, a curious tone in his voice. "I have been running your face and name through various databases accessable wirelessly, but there is almost nothing on your appearance, and your surname doesn't exist at all, barring a few faked school transcripts. Do you think you could tell us your real name?"
Neo hesitantly shook her head, I can't remember it. Mr. Torch just called me Neopolitan the first time he met, and the name sort of stuck.
Light bobbed up and down, as if nodding, "Ah, yes... You must be referring to Roman Torchwick. According to numerous public records, Roman Torchwick is a criminal who started with pretty larceny and trespassing, and has recently progressed to large Dust heists and terrorism. Not exactly the best company for a young girl such as yourself."
Neo glared at the floating device and rapidly typed out her response, Roman Torchwick is not a bad man! He took me in ten years ago when I tried to steal food from his apartment! Torchwick raised me and passed on all of his tricks. He isn't just some crook, and he certainly isn't a terrorist! Assuming something like that is like accusing you and and your friend of being scouts for an invasion force!
Stella laughed, amused by Neo's angry response, "She has a point, Light. Maybe we shouldn't accuse the master thief who steals large quantities of magic crystals of being a terrorist."
Ozpin frowned at Stella's 'magic crystal' quip, but found himself wanting to hear Neo's side of the story, "Well, Miss Politan, if you and your surrogate guardian aren't terrorists, them maybe you can explain why he stole an Atlasian Paladin and went on a rampage through downtown Vale to try and kill my students."
Neo paled and swallowed hard, We were just following orders! Our employer needed the local White Fang packs on her side, so she had Roman and a few thugs raid a train shipment carrying the robot and deliver it to the White Fang meeting. He was supposed to be a representative. Then he said he saw Blake Belladonna and he wanted to impress our employer and get Adam Taurus to side with her faster. She was extremely displeased by the mess he caused, and decided to 'remind' him why he should just follow orders. He's still stuck in bed recovering from it...
Stella furrowed her brow and looked towards Ghost, "Light, is there anything referencing an unknown employer for Torchwick?"
If possible, Neo became even paler, realizing that she may have given away too much.
Light hummed as he accessed some of Roman's public files, "Hmm... No, not really. According to the data I am analysing, he usually works for himself, barring one botched job some years ago. However, an employer would explain a behavioral change. Miss Neo, do you think you could provide a name?
Neo shook her head rapidly, trembling with actual fear as she thought of what Cinder was going to do to her because of this. Both Stella and Ozpin picked up on this, and the latter reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Neo instantly recoiled from his touch, pain flickering in her eyes.
A thought entered Stella's mind as she thought of Neo's previous response concerning Torchwick. Speaking softly, she asked, "Neo... the reminders you spoke of... Did your employer use the same thing on you? Did she threaten to kill you and Torchwick if you left? Please, names are something that can be found through other means, but if you're hurt... We need to know that."
Neo blinked in confusion. Were these two actually concerned for her well-being? Why? The alien only knew that she had lied about her identity and was a criminal, and Ozpin probably knew more about her than she knew herself. Was this a trick? Roman always told her that she could never trust anybody but herself and her surrogate uncle. But Roman wasn't here now, he was recovering from a heavy punishment, and Neo was completely trapped now. Realizing that it mattered little either way, she gave a small nod and stood up. The girl turned her back towards them, gesturing towards it.
Ozpin stood as well, "I will go get the nurse and then Glynda. Before I go, is there anything else you can tell us Neopolitan? Any names, addresses, or plans?"
Neo bit her lip, should she say anything else? A spark of hope flared in her as two people crossed her mind. She used one hand to type out one final response to the headmaster, Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. They're here at the academy posing as Minstral students too. We've been stationed here by our employer to act as spies. I don't know much about them, but they are in a similar position, I think.
Ozpin nodded, "They will have been issued a guest scroll from Beacon, so we can contact them with instructions to report here for a physical. It shouldn't raise too many questions..."
Light cleared his 'throat,' "I can take care of that, Mr. Ozpin. You retrieve the nurse and this Glynda."
The headmaster frowned uncomfortably, "You may do that, Ghost. However, in the future I must ask that you refrain from accessing information without prior authorization. There are laws here against that sort of thing, and a lot of that data is private."
"Of course, Mr. Ozpin." Light paused for a moment. "The message has been sent. Please find your nurse quickly now."
Ozpin hurried through the door, leaving Neo and Stella alone in the same room.