A/N: this was supposed to go out oct 8 but no! I had to rewrite it completely! And even now I still want to rewrite it A THIRD TIME, I probably will at some point, I'll probably even edit most chapters after a while, but it's not gonna be today, nor this month, and probably not even next year, so yeah, enjoy! Also, Lefty (previously referred as B) was bugging me about using the english format of quotes instead of my beloved spanish format of dashes, what do you guys think is better? I personally believe that it's better to use dashes because it's easily recognizable and it lets you use the quotation marks for other purposes while it's easy to miss a quotation mark and thus read something as a description/thought instead of as a dialogue, but it's up to you guys
Ozpin felt intrigued by the developments of his investigation on the individual Glynda had mentioned before, he knew that it was going to be something else after the report that a known criminal was put against the strings by them, and being a child, not yet even close to their full potential, and on top of that with an apparently hybrid semblance prototype if his eyes didn't lie to him, and they didn't. His research had been a complete success, unraveling enough information of this person to make him excited for the first time in so long, he was going to meet them personally, not only for his own amusement and curiosity, but also to make sure that his plans unfolded properly, he had to keep close watch over them to make sure everything went the way he wanted it to, after all this kind of people weren't found every other day.
They had to be recruited after all, he had to make sure of that, they had to be on his side of the board no matter the cost, so he had to be prepared to face every single possible outcome, every possible thing that could go wrong, right or even things that he knew had an infinitesimal of a chance to happen, because they weren't impossible after all, he had to plan every possible move, every possible reaction and every single step to take towards his ultimate victory.
So once again, painting a grin over his tired expression and steadying his grip on his cane, he took a step towards the plain apartment door in front of him, glancing briefly to the person behind him, Glynda, who he had asked to come along with him for this, and knocked.
The footsteps that followed were light, almost barely audible, but clearly heading towards the door, he prepared himself to react at the faintest sign of a threat, to destroy everything in front of him, it would be a shame to lose that potentially vital pawn, but he could always search for something else, someone else, but nothing came, they were probably looking through the bullseye then.
A muffled thud, a small ruffle, someone apparently fell to the ground, the other person as silently as possible hurried to help them, not a threat yet, he knocked again, his patience falling apart
" open the door, we know you're here " he said, it was a subtle warning that his patience had a limit, a silent threat that he was he one in power here, some amusement slip in his tone between layers of coldness " i believe there are some things that we have to talk about " and the steps were back, this time perfectly audible, steadily heading towards the door, then it opened, Ruby Rose in full display with a pajama and a strong facade covering her features, making her look older than she was, it was almost nostalgic seeing this if it wasn't for the facade not quite hiding the sparks of panic that made her shoulders tense, her hands twitch and her eyes fixate at any small movement with her pupils dilated like a cornered animal.
He took a step forward, she got out of the way, the small flinch didn't go unnoticed by him, his grip on his cane didn't relax for a single moment, he didn't miss the way the girl slowly approached her sister, apparently sick or incapacitated, how cute it was, seeing such a bond had formed between them, another tool at his disposition, his heart almost warmed at the thought that this could go way smoother than expected.
_(the line breaks disappeared for some reason)" Ruby Rose, I'm excited to finally meet you " the man started, all of her muscles tensed even when she felt lightheaded.
She stayed silent, even though she felt like she wanted to scream, to cry.
She stayed put, even thought she wanted to run away, to hide in a corner and shrink in herself, to roll herself into the blankets like she was a child and the scary man in her house was no more than another story her sister had told to scare her, but no, the man was real, and he wouldn't go away, so she sucked her fear up and faced him with as much of a fierce front she could reunite.
" My name is Ozpin " the man presented himself, ignoring her panic if the knowing look and amused smile said anything " I am the headmaster of the beacon security academy " he started walking around the room, taking notice of the gnawed couch, the faded walls with a yellowish tone to them, the rack that had been recklessly nailed to the wall and had only an old too long winter coat and two jackets, everything black and cheap, then he slowly approached the balcony door, the frame old and rusty to the point it didn't open more than halfway the distance it should.
His eyes scanned them both, his own body blocking the only other way out, his gaze wary, amused, mocking, aware of every single movement they made, his eyes intelligent, movements deliberate, he had already analyzed every escape route, every possible scenario was contained behind those emerald eyes
The woman just stood below the old and deteriorated door frame, looking back and forth between her and her sister and Ozpin himself, she looked slightly annoyed, like this was something she reluctantly had grown used to, despite this she dutifully blocked the door with her body, her stance solid and ready.
" for both our sakes i'll keep this short " the amused grin never left his lips as he talked, shifting and morphing with every word, but never disappearing, and just then she realized how much did he not belong there, with his fancy suit, expensive scarf and shiny cane, in a low life apartment with decayed yellowish walls, doors with broken hinges and couches with springs popping up through the fake leather.
Smells of alcohol and smoke from the factory near the place, such a familiar scent was almost alien when in front of her there was a being that could end everything in her life in mere seconds without even batting an eye.
Because there was a wolf in the town, a wolf with sharp enough fangs to tear apart her body and soul, a wolf in a human disguise that only betrayed his true nature because of the viciousness that slipped through the lips of that smile, those green eyes, too cold and animalistic behind the facade of a gentleman.
" i want to extend an invitation to you, to attend the beacon security academy, i am sure i could set apart a place for you " it wasn't a request and she knew it, the mischievous sparkle in his grin was enough to confirm that, he probably thought it was amusing, because how would she react to that situation? Those specific words? What kind of expression would she make? It was almost like she wasn't even human, but an interesting animal he had put into an unusual situation so he could observe its reaction. It felt degrading to the very core of her soul, but right there, right that moment, it didn't matter, she might as well be a caged animal with how powerless she was.
" why? " Yang asked by her side " why are you here? Why do you want my sister to go to the academy? She's not even sixteen yet! " She said, Yang knew they knew, they must have looked at her registry to find the exact apartment, they surely knew her age, and a lot more than that, and they didn't care.
Ozpin sure looked like he didn't care as he towered over both of them, his glance only hovering over Yang for a second as she glared at him with as much anger and indignation as she could muster in her hangover, at this he smirked, a mocking, vicious smirk as he leaned towards her " we saw the recordings, of your sister's participation on roman Torchwick's capture last night, i must say i'm impressed that someone her age would show that kind of talent, that's why me and my team are interested in offering her thad kind of deal " he spelled it out to Yang, whose expression soured at every word, surprise, horror and even fear traveled her features one by one until landing in quiet acceptance " so, do you accept? " asked, turning towards herself.
She hesitated for a moment, despite how scared she was of the man right in front of her, despite how genuinely tempting the deal sounded, despite the clear, shiny exit from the mess of thoughts and emotions that a simple nod was right that moment, she still hesitated despite everything, because something was off,
Roman wasn't a criminal big enough to deserve that kind of attention, despite his efforts and the rise he had been having he wasn't enough of a threat yet, with a still small popularity and an average bounty he wasn't even worth a dedicated operation by the huntsmen forces.
Her family was full of huntsmen, but none of them quite important as far as she knew, but as harsh as it sounded they were all expendables, mid ranked at best.
Did they find the extra security she had put into the closed system? She might be proud of it, but it was barely worth a penny out there.
Then why? Why would they go to such an extent? Why? Why? Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why?
She looked up to those emerald eyes in front of her, the obscure, morbid amusement and the sheer power of that gaze were enough to ground her in the moment, why wasn't important, not right now, so she just gave in with a nod, not trusting her voice not to break at the moment she talked, this seemed to please Ozpin, the amusement never leaving his gaze yet his stance almost visibly relaxed.
" Wonderful! I may hand you this then " he said while loosening up his green scarf, handing her a handful of papers he had been keeping in an interior pocket of his suit " I will see you in Beacon this coming semester then! " his voice now lacked the same edge as before, sounding almost relieved that things had gone that way, for a moment he almost seemed like a normal person almost " i expect grand things from you, do not disappoint me " and everything came back crashing over both of them " in return for your success i will abstain from putting up charges for illegal semblance experimentation, possession over an illegal semblance prototype, vigilantism and obstruction of the huntsmen forces on top of property damage " the threat was as clear as glass, she couldn't back off now, she even doubted that she could have backed off at any point.
She collapsed on the ground beside the couch right after both huntsmen left and closed the door, releasing a shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding until now, she heard Yang right by her side, back at puking, she was honestly surprised her sister managed to hold it down for so long under so much pressure.
" what the hell just happened? " Yang finally asked, after a full minute of letting her intestines in the bin
" i think i just made a deal with the devil, that's what happened " she honestly answered, because the mention of the charges, despite sounding as an afterthought, was just another part of his web of intricate patterns and sadistic plays, it was him making sure she knew them, and that he could rise them at any given time, she was effectively under his thumb now, her place on the floor suddenly feeling comfortable enough to stay for another couple minutes.
_Author's notes
Hey guys, gals and nonbinary pals, here are some messages for you from our plotter
two people crash through a wall
"Wait this isn't narnia" one said
"No its the authors notes" the other said
"Anyway the let us introduce ourselves then" the second person said
"Heyo, im השמאלני or lefty in english, i co write this stuff and do a lot of behind the scenes, oh and next to me is ruby, who has somehow used a metal arm to break the fourth wall" lefty said
"Yeah, wait are we at the start of this horribly amazing adventure" ruby spoke
"I believe so" lefty responded
"Soooo to be clear, i won't explain the arm yet but you'll get there and its one ride for yall, oh by the way lefty, i shot yang" ruby said
"YOU WHAT, YOU DUMB BITCH" lefty yelled
two erupt into cartoon fight
"Ooooookay i guess that's happening, well hope you enjoyed" Wild said, wondering how is lefty supposed to be older than himself "lefty really wanted to break the fourth wall, he mumbled something about a snake and convoluted plots and then proceeded to do this"