April 2, 2022

In the evening time, around 7 PM, Ruby addressed the nation by herself from a press briefing room. She had just finished an Advanced Firefighter-Paramedic class earlier that day, and had decided to deliver an address in regards to the assassination attempt on her and Delwyn the day before. As she stepped up to the podium and prepared to speak to the crowd of around 100 journalists, she sighed as she thought to herself, "Focus, Ruby. The people need to hear their queen."

A guardsman next to her then signaled the beginning by saying to the crowd, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Her Majesty the Queen shall now begin her address."

"Thank you," Ruby replied. She then spoke into the microphone. "Now, my fellow Valeanians, yesterday, me and my husband, His Majesty the King, were the targets of a cowardly assassination attempt. Myself and several guards drew our service weapons in response, and the would-be assassin was shot several times. He would be pronounced dead on the scene despite the efforts of several firefighters and EMTs. Sadly, a guard was killed, as well as the then-current Baron of Hanson, Edward of Hanson. It is believed that the Baron was the secondary target of the attack, and that the assassin was not working alone. He is most likely connected to the false flag attack on the front gate of the Royal Palace Grounds that occurred in March. The reason I say false flag is because the attacker attempted to pass the attack off as that of the White Fang by falsifying his identification papers and cards to say he was a faunus, most likely to inspire further division and hate. In the wake of the August 23rd attacks, it has come to our attention that there have been an increase in threats made against my life and my husband's life due to our steadfast opposition to racism. Let me be the first to note that I was a first responder to the attacks, as many of you may know, and I lost many people I knew in the fire service, including my father, and I am appalled to see people try to harass and assault innocent people in our names, as well as call myself a traitor to humanity for not joining in on their perverted meaning of justice and vengeance."

She saw that several people in the audience were talking among themselves, and they happened to be from news outlets that leaned conservative. Ignoring the fact they probably were critical of her remarks, she continued.

"The reason I bring this up is because we have evidence both of these attacks are connected to a fire that occurred at the Schnee Estate in the Kingdom of Atlas," Ruby continued. "Through some intelligence-gathering, both of my own through SDC CEO and close personal friend Weiss Schnee and through our intelligence community, we believe that several disgruntled SDC executives that Weiss had terminated from her company as part of reforms that also saw improved working conditions had banded together to target her, myself, my sister, and our mutual friend, Blake Belladonna, the daughter of Menagerian politician Ghira Belladonna. The four of us were on a team together in Beacon Academy, and as such, all four of us often refer to each other as our other family. Unfortunately, this does put all of us at risk, though as yesterday shows, all of us are more than capable and willing to defend ourselves successfully from anyone, dare I say it, mindbogglingly stupid to try to target us. Either that or they have a death wish. Anyway, in response to these three incidents, we have contacted Atlas, and both of our nations will cooperate in bringing this conspiracy against us down and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The SDC is fully cooperating with our investigation, and Weiss intends to assist us in every way possible. Believe us when we say that we are putting our feet down. Thank you." She then ended her address and walked off the podium as the journalists in the crowd snapped photos of her.

As she walked out to a back room and met with a guard, the guard told her, "Now that that's over with, let's get to a briefing. This isn't related to what happened yesterday, but it is pressing."

Ruby, curious, asked him, "What's going on?" She then suddenly felt her cellphone vibrate and took it out of her pocket. "Huh? Yang?" She then answered it. "Hello?"

"Ruby," Yang replied in a serious tone. "I got a call from Velvet and a text from Coco. Fox is really sick, and he doesn't have much longer to go."

"Wait," Ruby replied, astonished. "What is he sick from?"

"Lung cancer," Yang replied. "Aggressive, too. They don't know how. He never smoked or anything." Ruby could tell Yang was getting ready to break down in tears. "He got the vaccines, too, just like everyone. Why is he...?"

"Yang," Ruby told her sister. "I gotta go to a meeting. I have a feeling something is up about Fox's illness."

April 4, 2022

In Ozpin's office, the headmaster was finishing signing off on a few forms when Glynda suddenly burst into the room carrying a stack of papers. Ozpin, surprised, looked up to the door and asked her, "Glynda? What's going on?"

"Ozpin," Glynda replied to him as she quickly set the stack of papers down on his desk. "We have a situation regarding the Battle of Beacon, specifically the cleanup and recovery efforts afterwards." She tried to seem calm, but Ozpin could tell she was panicking.

Immediately, he knew what she was talking about. "Shit, I knew this would happen. I told them suppressing the report would have had serious consequences, but they didn't listen." He then groaned.

Glynda, confused, asked him by is first name, "Mike, what's going on?"

Ozpin stood up and sighed. "Glynda, I would advise you get yourself checked out for respiratory illnesses. I already have. You see, there was a report done about possible exposure to toxic dust during the recovery, and nothing was done about it in the name of rebuilding Beacon as fast as possible. I advised them against burying the report, but they didn't listen." Shame filled his voice as he spoke. "I could have done more. I really could have. But... With Salem and Cinder and everything, it became an afterthought, and now, my students are paying the price."

Glynda opened up the first folder, labelled 'TEAM CVFY 2014-2018,' and pulled out a stapled stack of papers regarding the team's leader, Coco Adel. "This team has probably the worst of it. They participated in the recovery operations for the longest duration of any team in their class, and already, Miss Velvet Scarlatina has had a variety of mental health issues relating to it. But now, Miss Coco Adel is having other medical issues." As she opened up to a page and pointed at its contents, Ozpin's eyes widened with horror. "She was diagnosed last week with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It's been six and a half years since the attacks, and the doctors think it's related to what happened. Fox Alistair's also pretty sick from lung cancer, too. He only has a few months to live."

"Oh my God," Ozpin said to himself in horror. "Has anyone else on this team come down with anything?"

"That's the thing," Glynda replied as she pulled out her Scroll phone. "I recorded a phone call between me and Coco. Mike, you need to hear this." She then pressed play on the recording.

GLYNDA: Hello? This is Colonel Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon Academy.

COCO: Colonel Goodwitch, it's been a long time. This is Captain Coco Adel, leader of Team CFVY. I... I do apologize if I am interrupting anything, but this is especially important.

GLYNDA: Miss Adel, what's wrong? I can sense it in your voice.

COCO: I... I went to the VHS doctor's office near me, and I got some blood work done because I've been feeling ill recently. They come back, and they tell me I got leukemia. Fucking leukemia. You know what they said? They said my work at Beacon may have been a factor. What the hell is going on?!

GLYNDA: Miss Adel, please, calm down. I understand this is very stressful for you.

COCO: Colonel, pardon my language, but we were never fucking told this! We did shit at the attack site without any respiratory protection for hours! You saw it and did it yourself! How the fuck could you not tell us the risks?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Damn it, Velvet is going through a tough time as it is now. She doesn't need to worry that I'm gonna die.

Both Ozpin and Glynda could hear Coco crying on her end of the conversation, the normally confident and upbeat huntress reduced to tears and rage after being diagnosed, and it deeply disturbed both of them. As Glynda stopped the rather heavy recording, she told Ozpin in a drop-dead serious tone, "We're going to Hell, Mike. All of us."

"I know I'm Hellbound already," the headmaster replied. "I've done too much bad to redeem myself, in this incarnation and in others. In a way, I'm already in Hell. Hell is knowing the one you love is dead, not by deeds of others or yourself, but by their own. They are gone, but it falls to you to kill what hope remains, within yourself and them, that they can ever be redeemed."

Glynda was taken aback by his sincerity in his belief. "Ozpin... You..."

"... So yes, I am most certainly going to Hell," he continued in a chillingly somewhat upbeat tone. "I do so every morning I wake up, and I do not expect that will stop for the foreseeable future. What has befallen our students, what will befall our students yet still, will be a Hell all it's own. Every morning they will meet a new challenge, and every morning will bring Hell back to their doorstep. I did not wish it upon them, but to sit by and do nothing would have been a Hell far worse, and far more widespread. Were me and my predecessors' decisions the catalyst for a tragedy? Without a doubt. Do I regret those choices? With every breath my body takes. Was it a mistake? I do not believe that is my decision to make. Not one fucking bit."

Suddenly, they both heard the elevator door open. As they turned around, they were met with an angry female teacher with orange shoulder-length hair, holding a shotgun and carrying her hunting weapon, a sword with a built-in sniper rifle and retractable scope, on her back. As she cocked the shotgun, Glynda screamed as she pulled out a pistol of her own, "Put that gun down now, Professor!"

Then, she squeezed the trigger, and a loud bang was heard as Ozpin screamed in pain and fell over. Professor Mary Peach then yelled, "Die, you double-crossing piece of shit!"

Immediately, Glynda remembered her riding crop and grabbed it with her free left hand, quickly using her semblance to jam Peach's shotgun. "You have five seconds to explain to me why you did this before I pull this trigger."

"I have a death wish," she spat out to her. "I have 6 months to live, and it's because you two never told us about the risks after the attacks! If I'm going to die, you two are dying, too!" She then laughed as she dropped her shotgun and used her semblance to restrain Glynda, making her immobile and releasing her shotgun from her semblance-induced jam. "Now, where were we?" As she picked the shotgun up, she walked over to Ozpin, who had survived the first blast due to his aura but was still injured. "Ah, yes. Killing you."

"Do it," Ozpin commanded her. "There, I said it."

A shocked Glynda looked on, wondering why he had told her to kill her. "What?! Ozpin, you can't be serious!"

"A life well lived is owed everything by the world, and owes nothing in return," Ozpin told Peach as he wiped blood from his mouth. "My death will be my paltry attempt to right the scales, but your life will do far more to lessen the debt we owe to those under our tutelage than mine ever could, Glynda. Mary, I was against suppressing the report, but I could have done more, and for that, I deserve everything in that shotgun."

Peach, who was now crying as her semblance's hold on Glynda weakened and she dropped her aura, remained silent as she cocked the shotgun again and aimed it at his chest. Then, she pulled the trigger again as she buried the barrel into his body. This time, the blast punched a bloody hole in his body, killing him instantly and splattering his lungs and heart all over the floor below.

Glynda screamed out in horror and sadness, "NO! NO! OH MY GOD!" Peach continued to be silent as she got up, drew her pistol from her belt, and cocked it back. She then looked at Glynda as she put the barrel of the gun in her mouth and gave a smile. "Don't do it..." Peach ignored her as she pulled the trigger and ended her own life in front of Glynda, splattering blood all over the windows behind Ozpin's desk before she fell to the floor. As soon as she died, Glynda was freed from her semblance and rushed to Ozpin's body, picking it up as she knelt to the ground and smeared her clothes with his blood. As she hugged his body, she loudly wept, crying out his name as Oscar rushed into the room from the elevator, carrying with him an assault rifle he had grabbed from the armory.

"Glynda! Glynda! What the hell happened?!" Oscar then found Ozpin and Peach's bodies and froze. "Oh... Oh my God... Ozpin... OZPIN!" He then rushed to her side as a million thoughts rushed through his head about what had just happened. "I... I saw Professor Peach go up the elevator with that gun. I got scared, so I grabbed a gun from the armory room below and rushed up here. Oh my God, what happened?!"