6h of Sea Feilong, year 1025 of the Imperial Calendar
Area 5's Viceroy palace antechamber was a room grand in scope and magnificent in design. Lined with marble pillars, filled with intricate carvings and designs styled from Area 5's final design movement before Britannia's capture, the room had a single entrance to most, with two openings along the rear wall to the Viceroy's private living space. The walls, similarly, were lined with paintings that appeared to primarily originate from Area 5, though some other styles could be seen, all framed in perfect lighting with the help of the room's natural skylight.
In this cultural collector's room, Jeremiah Gottwald waited anxiously.
Surely the Prince is not offended by my refusal to serve as executioner… The charges were dropped, so surely he is unlikely to punish me harshly… And surely he has not fallen prey to those absurd rumours…
As the seconds ticked by, Jeremiah's thoughts only turned more pessimistic, unsure as to why he was here, but confident that it was unlikely to be good.
Perhaps I'm to receive a commendation for my noble character… he joked to himself, trying to settle himself lest his nervous demeanour insult the Prince.
After a few minutes, a familiar figure appeared by the right entrance to the Prince's quarters.
"Lieutenant General Bartley." Jeremiah gave a slight bow of respect.
"Sir Gottwald." Bartley replied with a brief nod, "The Prince awaits your presence." He stated while stepping to the side and gesturing for Jeremiah to go on.
"Of course." Jeremiah concisely acknowledged, walking where Bartley gestured with a quick, but proper pace. Walking in silence, he decided to use the brief opportunity to better prepare himself.
"May I inquire as to the purpose of this invitation?"
"I believe it would be best if his majesty explained himself." Bartley deflected, cutting off that line of reprieve.
"Of course."
A minute later, the two reached a grand set of double doors, which Bartley made to open.
"I trust you need no briefing on formalities?" Bartley checked, to which Jeremiah gave a brief shake of his head and a simple "No."
Stepping through the door, Jeremiah was greeted by a familiar sight. A beautiful garden haven atop the urban landscape. The fresh grass was an otherwise unusual sight, with a variety of bright flowers kept around the edges and along the walkways. A white brick path flanked by ornate stone pillars and two small flowing streams led up to a white stone pavilion, within which a single man sat, seemingly painting the scenery.
Waiting a moment after stepping through the door for Bartley to accompany him, Jeremiah was surprised when the door instead shut, leaving him alone with the Prince.
But why would… Is this a good sign? Jeremiah wondered, aware that a member of royalty would normally be surrounded by security of some kind. While their personal knights were sometimes occupied, a handful of experienced bodyguards was to be expected in their absence. To meet alone implied an incredible amount of trust.
Or something which necessitates an incredible amount of secrecy…
"Ah, Sir Jeremiah?" Clovis called, not turning from his work.
"Yes, your majesty." Jeremiah quickly responded while kneeling and bowing low.
"Excellent. I'll be with you in just a moment." Clovis replied while continuing on his work. After a few minutes of careful brush strokes and light dabs, he placed his implements down.
"What do you think?" he asked, prompting Jeremiah to approach.
"Well-" his voice caught upon seeing the contents of the painting. A pair of young boys, both seemingly nobles, with one of blonde hair and the other light black, playing a simple game of chess within a garden almost identical to the one Jeremiah now found himself in. While the older blonde seemed to be deep in thought with a hint of frustration, the other seemed almost bored by the game. Almost. In the background, two young girls were having a tea party, one with sandy brown hair and the other a bright pink. Watching over the four were two women, one with fuchsia purple hair, and the other was a figure Jeremiah was confident he would remember in detail until his final days.
"It's…" Jeremiah stammered, struggling to formulate an answer.
"I know, the lighting's simply dreadful…" Clovis complained in frustration, "The original palace faced west, you see, while this replica we stand in faces south. But it is a poor painter that blames his reference…"
"No!" Jeremiah exclaimed, taking both men aback at his force, "I apologise, your majesty." he quickly corrected himself with a quick bow, "But the work is…" he struggled.
"Wonderful." he quietly stated, noticing a small tear come to his eye.
"Hm." Clovis acknowledged, "I suppose it will do…"
"Do you intend to display it in the palace? I believe the foyer would-"
"I do not." Clovis interrupted, "This is a… personal piece. Showing it to the public at this time would do more harm that good." he chuckled slightly.
How could displaying such a masterpiece possibly be harmful?
"Sir Jeremiah, I have called you here so I might ask you a few questions personally."
"I see. I will attempt to answer all questions to the best of my ability."
"Very good." Clovis replied with a smile, remaining seated but turning his head to lay eyes upon the rest of the garden while keeping Jeremiah in view.
"I suppose the obvious place to start would be to hear your answer to the question on everyone's mind."
"You speak of the rumours, yes?" Jeremiah asked, while Clovis nodded.
"I assure you, my Lord, they are naught but slander of the highest degree." he replied immediately.
After Kewell's 'betrayal', and the slow response of many of the Purebloods in responding, accusations had been thrown around wherever suspicion may reasonably lie, or unreasonably in some cases. As the to-be executioner that suddenly abandoned his post hours before the event, only for Kewell to take that position and allow his actions, Jeremiah had been the most popular candidate for finding other traitors.
"But you see the reasoning, yes?" Clovis asked.
"I will admit, the whole situation is extraordinarily unusual." Jeremiah admitted, "But then again, I find Kewell's betrayal to be incredibly odd."
"You think him too loyal?"
"Hah." Jeremiah scoffed, "Indeed I do – loyal to his public appearance. The man knows nothing of true loyalty, he only appears as such to further his own interests."
"I see…" Clovis replied enigmatically, "So you are not bothered by his guilt?"
"If Kewell is removed from our forces, you will hear no complaints from me." Jeremiah confirmed, "I merely suggest that his actions do not align with his own interests. I fail to see how this 'Orange', whatever it is, would be seen as worse than releasing then-believed traitors into the custody of terrorists who admitted to shooting a member of royalty."
"That being me?" Clovis confirmed with a chuckle, while Jeremiah nodded with a simple "Indeed, your highness."
"Thank you for your input, you have put a few of my fears at ease." Clovis replied, "Then, may I ask, why did you elect to refuse your orders?"
"In all honesty, your highness…" Jeremiah started after pausing to think for a brief moment, "I simply believed Miss Rose to be innocent. I also found it distasteful to execute Private Belladonna, seeing as he'd saved my squad and I not a day beforehand."
"Interesting." Clovis noted, "From what I have gathered, such issues would not have concerned you to such an extent in the past."
"I have made some mistakes in the past… Some grave, irreversible mistakes…" Jeremiah stated in anguish, "Miss Rose reminded me of those mistakes, however incidentally."
"I realise this is most uncouth, but I must be sure of something. Could I trouble you to share those mistakes?"
At his question, Jeremiah closed his eyes and glanced at the floor, remembering his failure from nearly a decade ago. After a few moments to collect himself, he turned back towards the Prince's painting.
"It concerns the contents of your recent work, as it so happens." he stated, to which Clovis turned to look Jeremiah in the eyes and gestured for him to go on.
"Ten years ago, when lady Marianne was taken from us." he began, gesturing towards one of the women in the painting, "I was overcome by a sense of… emptiness."
"You were her knight, yes?"
"Indeed." Jeremiah responded, a proud glint appearing in his eye before it quickly died out, "And I failed to protect her. It was my purpose in life, and yet I failed…" he said with a voice of clear regret.
"I see… And Miss Rose somehow reminded you of this?"
"In part, but that was not the deciding factor." Jeremiah stated firmly, "She reminded me of the far more unforgivable series of failures that happened thereafter. While I wallowed in my own pity having lost lady Marianne, I failed to protect that which she held dear…"
"Her children…" Clovis deduced, glancing at the painted brown-haired girl, before settling his eyes on the black-haired boy.
"Indeed. Without a more mature figure to guide them in their time of need, the boy raged against their father and was cast out. I failed to provide that figure. When they were sent to Area 11, they needed someone of strength to protect them. Someone trusted by lady Marianne. I failed to accompany them. When the Emperor callously warred a country holding his own children, they required someone to protect them…" he went on while struggling to maintain his composure.
"I failed… And because of my failures, Lady Nunnally and Lord Lelouch are…" he stopped, unable to continue through his broken sobs.
"I see." Clovis replied, a small hint of pity in his voice, "Thank you for sharing that in spite of the pain, Sir Jeremiah. I am now confident I can entrust this to you."
"My Lord?" Jeremiah asked, unsure what task could require such a display.
"You see, it is a matter most close to my heart, and there are few in this region that I trust so…" Clovis admitted, "Bartley is wonderful for military affairs, but this is a task would take him away for too long. And it requires a more…" He paused, dragging on his last word, "noble touch."
"I am honoured that you would trust me with such a task, your highness!" Jeremiah exclaimed, falling to one knee immediately.
Jeremiah's past failings, those brought upon by the failings of the Empire itself, had long since tugged at Jeremiah's fear. Prince Clovis was one of the more benevolent rulers within the Empire, if a tad lackadaisical, so he'd been all too happy to serve Area 5, steadily rising through the ranks with his superior skill and unquestionable loyalty. While the actions and fallout of Forever Rise had shocked him out of his belief when prompted by Ruby's words, Clovis' response had now cemented Jeremiah's loyalty to the great Empire of Britannia.
"Excellent." Clovis replied, before slowly going on with a sly smile, "Now, to the matter at hand. You see… there's this…" he paused while looking for the right word before a sly smile tugged at his face, "schoolgirl…"
I take it back. This Empire should rot in the lowest pits of Shade.
8th of Sea Feilong, year 1025 of the Imperial Calendar
"I can't believe my little sister and my best friend are coming to Beacon!" Yang exclaimed, pulling Ruby and Lelouch into an inescapably fierce hug.
"Yang… can't…"
"Try not to talk…" Lelouch whimpered, all to aware lack of breath would not stop the onslaught currently befalling himself and Ruby.
Eventually releasing them, the three turned towards the main campus of Beacon, the grounds filled with new and hunstman-and-huntresses-in-training slowly filtering through the main avenue into the central buildings for orientation.
"I'm really here…" Ruby whispered in awe, eyes shining with disbelief and excitement.
"You do realise you've been here before?" Lelouch pointed out, "Or were you too engrossed in the forge to notice?"
"Well duh, I'm not stupid." Ruby replied, glancing towards the rapier at Lelouch's side she'd helped create, "But I mean, that was just to visit you and build cool stuff, this is different!"
"Just? Is my company truly so meagre?" Lelouch asked in a tone of false injury.
"You know what I mean!" Ruby huffed, "We're students now, it's so…"
"Awesome?" Yang suggested.
"Awesome." Ruby affirmed, closing her eyes nodding her head in agreement.
"You're such children…" Lelouch sighed.
"Oh gee, sorry for being excited about something Mr. Cynic." Yang replied, poking Lelouch in the cheek slightly for emphasis. His frown shifting from one of exasperation to frustration was the only change.
"Yeah, I'm plenty grown up! I drink milk." Ruby declared triumphantly while folding her arms.
"Well I fail to find fault that logic." Lelouch claimed with a sigh, finally moving backwards after tiring of Yang repeatedly poking him, "Honestly, I'm more concerned than anything."
"Awww" Yang cooed while Ruby failed to suppress a gasp, "Don't worry, you're gonna be great buddy. I mean sure, your Aura's not the best, and your arms are basically noodles, and honestly your reflexes are pretty bad overall, and your semblance is-"
"I meant." Lelouch replied, cutting off what was sure to be a long list of his winning qualities, "I'm concerned about spending the next four years being forced to live and work with three insufferable individuals."
"Oh." Yang answered in slight disappointment.
"But isn't Ozpin in charge of the teams?" Ruby asked in confusion, "He's experienced, and even you say he's really smart, so don't you think he'll make teams which are compatible?"
"Ruby, I've lived here for nearly eight years. I've observed three cohorts of students join, progress, and graduate from Beacon." he gave his experience before tackling her question.
"Some teams constitute students from all over Remnant, some purely from Vale, a few exclusively from another single region. Some are all-women, some all-men, most are mixed. Some from all walks of life, some the privileged few, many from both…" he sighed, "The list goes on. I've never been able to explain more than a handful of team compositions without resorting to rolling dice. I seriously wonder if he picks teams based on whether he can make something resembling a colour from their initials…" he finished as the three began to leisurely stroll towards the main buildings.
"There's no way the headmaster of the top Hunstman academy would be so reckless!" Ruby defended, evidently sure that the headmaster must have some incredible, secret selection method that not even Lelouch could figure out.
I'll believe it when I see it… he thought, concerned but also interested to finally gain an insight as to how the Headmaster selects teams. It was a decision which no doubt has enormous ramifications on the development of the Academy's students, of future Huntsman and Huntresses. Future heroes.
… He can't be that arbitrary, right?
"Sooooo who are you guys hoping to get as team mates then?" Yang asked.
"If I can go four years without them driving me insane I'll consider that satisfactory."
"Wow, real high standards you got there buddy."
"At present, I know a scant few attending this academy." Lelouch replied, looking to the two of them, "And one is already excluded by that criteria." he stated, glancing at Yang before turning back towards the academy.
"Hey, not even you get to bully my little sis."
"I wasn't-"
"I guess…" Ruby intervened, likely not wanting to get caught up in the bickering that was sure to follow, "I'll just… team up with one of you guys."
"Yeah…" Yang paused while scratching the back of her head, "About that…"
"My sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me!?"
"No, no!" Yang waved off in slight panic, "I was just thinking it might be nice if you joined another team. Met new people, you know!"
"Wa-!" Ruby gasped, "Traitor! And what about you!?" she asked Lelouch in frustration.
"Actually, being paired with a proficient weaponsmith with whom I'm already amiable sounds useful." he answered plainly with a shrug, "I actually had a few ideas for Prydwen's Edge I wanted to run past you-"
"Really!?" Ruby yelled excitedly, "Because I've actually been thinking, right, we're currently suspending the shield's perimeter with gravity dust, but like they're metal! So if we were able to manipulate the currents properly we could probably achieve a similar effect with electricity dust suspended in a magnetic field, and if we did that then we'd cut down on the deployment and shifting lag because of how much more responsive and controllable that is compared to gravity fluctuations, and-"
"And with that" Yang interrupted while slowly making to leave, "I think I see my friends over there I'm gonna go say hi hope you both have fun bye!" she rushed out before dashing off, no doubt trying to escape the deluge of weapon technicalities Ruby was sure to spout non-stop for who-knows how long.
"Ah!" Ruby exclaimed, Yang's sudden exit spinning her in place and almost toppling her over before Lelouch caught her.
"Careful." he said, ensuring her stability as the two passed by one of several large ring-shaped ponds which ran around the entirety of the academy, "I doubt soaking yourself in pond-water is how you'd like to start the semester."
"Ugh, thanks… That'd be just how this week's going though… First Torchwick, then the Lancelot, then-"
"Lancelot?" Lelouch asked, interrupting her grumbling she'd likely assumed he wouldn't hear.
"What? Oh! It's nothing!" Ruby waved her arms frantically to the point her arms began to bleed into rose petals, apparently thinking rapid motion would erase her words from existence.
"Spoken of in the same breath as Vale's infamous crime-lord… It certainly doesn't sound like nothing."
"Really, it's nothing!" Ruby insisted.
Hesitating for a moment, Lelouch became conflicted as he weighed the benefits, risks, costs and ethics of the course of action he was considering.
No, she mentioned Torchwick yesterday as well. And Lancelot sounds of Britannian origin. I need to know for sure.
"Answer my questions." he stated, activating his geass.
"Sorry, but I can't really talk about it…" Ruby answered, looking away awkwardly.
Flinching for a moment, before making sure he asked when she was looking at him he repeated the question with more force.
"Answer my questions"
"I said I can't talk about it!" Ruby huffed, evidently angered by his insistence.
Again!? He reacted, glancing away for a moment to think. Over the past couple of days, he'd experimented briefly with his newfound power. For one, he observed a small orange symbol shaped like a V with small flicks at the end materialised in his left eye when activating his geass. With Yang's assistance, he'd determined it wasn't the reflective surface that revealed this, but instead only he who could observe it: It seemed those untouched by geass saw nothing, as did those he'd used his powers on previously.
A small handful of unfortunate support faculty had confirmed that point, used as he was unlikely to interact with them much. From them, he'd also discovered that geass was only capable of affecting a person once. Or at least, affecting them once within two days or less. While he intended to continue testing to see if he could issue new commands after a week, two, four, a shift, etc., he'd at least confirmed that people who he had never used the power on were susceptible, and there didn't seem to be a cool-down period in which he couldn't use his powers.
Until now… What have I missed!? What- he paused after noticing his reflection in the water. Trying to think of an excuse, he'd unconsciously activated his semblance and his eyes shone silver.
Silver which failed to bear the orange glow of his geass.
It's gone!? No… he realised, consciously deactivating his semblance for a moment for the silver in his eyes to fade away, the mark of geass revealing itself once more.
Overwritten… I had thought the colouring was a small quirk of my inheritance, but now… he thought, turning back to face Ruby's naturally silver eyes, There's more to this. I'm certain.
Deciding that he'd determined the root cause of his failure to retrieve information, he set about assuaging Ruby's anger.
"I didn't mean to appear forceful. I've been a little on edge recently…" he claimed, scratching the side of his face and looking away slightly to give the impression he felt awkward about the entire thing.
Not that the feeling was far from reality.
"Yeah, I guess we all have…" Ruby replied, a slight laugh towards the end Lelouch was quite confident she forced, performing similar actions to him in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry you were in Area 5 when… when all that happened."
"You needn't apologise, it's not like you had a say in the matter."
"Yeah… Thanks." she nodded slightly with a small smile, before quickly bursting back into happiness with intensity, "So, about Prydwen's Edge – As well as the whole gravitational to electromagnetic suspension idea, I was able to snag a new memory core while I was in Britannia! We should be able to fit like TEN TIMES as many patterns inside!"
"Now that does sound useful." Lelouch replied, the two turning to continue their journey to Beacon.
Turning right into a large trolley of luggage they'd managed to miss during their conversation. While Ruby immediately floundered, Lelouch tried to recover, only for the slight lingering pain still affecting his leg proving enough to have him join his friend, sending themselves and the cases hurtling to the ground.
"You!" A new voice called out. Glancing towards its source, the two found the owner to be a girl with pure white hair and a matching strapless dress with snowflake shapes stitched into the hem, highlighted with a red interior and small black lace.
"Us?" Ruby asked in confusion, while Lelouch simply stood up and dusted himself off, all the while remaining silent and unsuccessfully suppressing a scowl.
"What are you're doing!?"
"Uh… Falling?" Ruby asked as she too stood up, Lelouch suppressing a slight chuckle while the new girl's anger only seemed to deepen.
"Wha- Do you have any idea the damage you could've caused!?" She demanded, taking the case Ruby was holding, opening it to reveal the contents.
"Do you know what this is!?"
"Uh-" Ruby tried, incredibly familiar with the substance she'd shown but too out-of-sorts to go into one of her usual spiels.
"Dust! Mined from the homeland, and purified in Pendragon at the central Schnee refinery!"
"She knows what dust is…" Lelouch growled, too quietly for the girl to notice during her tirade.
"Uhh…" Ruby replied, too overwhelmed to form a coherent response.
"What are you, brain dead!?" she exclaimed, pulling a vial of ground fire dust, "Dust! Fire, water, lighting, energy!"
"I- I know-" Ruby tried to reply, looking as if she was about to sneeze as the dust was apparently improperly sealed.
"Are you even listening to me!? Is any of this sinking i-"
"I think we've listened to enough of your-"
"Achoo!"
Slowly strolling around the main Beacon plaza by herself, Yang had decided to take it easy while they waited for the Headmaster's speech. Did she feel a little bad about abandoning Lelouch and Ruby? Sure. But she honestly wanted to catch up with her friends from signal and thought the two could use a push to be a bit more sociable. Ruby needed friends and watching Lelouch try to interact with others like a normal person was bound to be entertaining down the road.
And it wasn't her fault that her 'friends' had promptly left after she greeted them with a plethora of puns.
They just don't understand my genius… She had decided.
They were clearly uncultured fools who couldn't appreciate her unique style of humour.
She wasn't bitter about the whole affair in the slightest.
Nope, not one bit.
Well, might as well just hang around, it's not like there's anything for me to do… she soon decided, opting to sit by the edge of Beacon's central pond, host to a grand granite statue. Depicting a Huntsman and Huntress venturing into the unknown, prepared to face a Beowolf which lurked beneath the carved cliff they stood atop, it served to remind all who passed of the academies purpose.
Yang, Huntress-in-training, slayer of monsters… she mused with a smile before considering something else.
One, masked warrior of justice, slayer of the wicked… she considered the second title she could now claim.
Why not both? She thought with a slight chuckle, the absurdity of her current situation still settling in even several days later. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice a man dressed in fine Britannian garb somehow pulling a white metal case larger than himself approach.
"Miss Xiao-Long?"
"Huh?" Yang replied, surprised and broken out of her thoughts.
"Might you be Miss Yang Xiao-Long?"
"Oh, sure, that's me, I guess…" she replied while putting a hand to the back of her head, slightly nervous about a Britannian questioning her identity after just thinking about her terrorist alter-ego, "Who's asking?"
"Sir Jeremiah Gottwald, at your service." the man replied with a formal bow for emphasis, "I've been sent by His- By a mutual acquaintance to deliver this to you personally." he gestured towards the box he'd been carrying.
"O-kay~" Yang drew out, her attention now drawn to the package which she assumed had been sent by Clovis.
Taking her surprise as a signal to continue, Jeremiah placed the large box on the ground before sliding out a small piece on the end of the case to reveal a terminal of some kind underneath. Pressing a button which flipped two neighbouring switches, a long side of the box automatically opened and the internal flooring slid out to reveal the contents, something Yang recognised with an expression of both shock and joy.
"Bumblebee!" she exclaimed, rushing to run her hands over the bike she thought would be lost forever.
"I take it you are familiar with this vehicle, then?" Jeremiah asked out of idle curiosity.
"She's not just some vehicle." Yang replied with an exasperated edge, "This is Bumblebee! My baby! Put her together piece by piece."
"I see." Jeremiah replied with a tint of surprise.
"What, you got a problem with that?" Yang asked while checking over some of the parts she was sure were damaged during the crash, only to find them replaced with all-new components.
"No, quite the contrary. I find it admirable that you possess the skills and knowledge to produce such a device. It is only right for you to take pride in such fine work."
"Oh, uh… Thanks." Yang replied, surprised by the compliment. Even in Patch's Signal combat school, there were some who looked down on her for her craft. Mainly people just looking for a reason to do so: People she'd beaten in combat drills, that she'd refused to out, or who had simply realised their inferiority when faced with her comedic genius. But even past that, there were still outdated idiots who looked down on her as a mechanic simply because she was a she.
From Lelouch's stories and general rumours, she'd expected Britannia to be a concentrated version of that hatred. And for Knights, which Jeremiah clearly was, to be a concentrated version of that concentrated version. But here he was, calling her dedication admirable.
I guess this just proves it: Those people can fuck off.
"Think nothing of it." Jeremiah brushed off her thanks, "Until now, the P- our acquittance has taken shallow fools with attractive features as his women. While I was initially perturbed by the age difference, I see now my fears were unfounded."
Yang's mind froze.
"… Excuse me-" her anger was cut off by a sudden explosion from towards the Becaon entrance.
"Stand back!" Jeremiah exclaimed immediately, placing himself between Yang and the source while readying his weapon: A simple sword-like blade which extended from a mechanism surrounding his wrist.
"Hey, I don't need your-"
"I request you remain here, Lady Yang, I will investigate!" he declared, soon charging off to locate the explosion's source once he was confident there was no imminent threat to Yang.
L- Lady!? Yang was taken aback, head spinning at the ridiculousness which was unfolding around her.
A moment after Jeremiah had taken off, however, she came back to her senses and ran after him.
"Hey, we're not finished! I'm not some noble's… Blech!"
"Why are we here, Blake?"
"Ah, the eternal question…" Blake replied in a tone equal parts esoteric and smug.
"You know what I mean!" Kallen snapped back, "We should be back in 5, or better yet, back in Menagerie. You know, fighting for our home? Why on Remnant are we in a Hunstman school, in Vale, while Ohgi gets to start setting up our new group?"
I'd hardly call admin busywork something he 'gets to do'… Blake thought, honestly quite glad that she wasn't taking care of the initial organisation a new terrorist cell's creation required. The fact she wouldn't need to interact with Adam or the others in Vale's White Fang cell for some time was an even more obvious relief.
"Because we were told to." she eventually answered with a sigh.
"But why?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"I thought you were the one with all the answers." Kallen provided, aware that Blake knew more about Zero and/or One than she was willing to admit.
"Well I don't." she replied sternly, before rolling her eyes before Kallen's unconvinced glare, "But if I had to guess, I'd say this is a convenient way to provide us a cover to come to Vale, and receive expert guidance to improve in our combat proficiency."
"But why even come to Vale?"
"Maybe we're looking for allies? Maybe we're setting up a more secure central base of operations in an ostensibly neutral Kingdom. Maybe we're going to take over Vale, I really couldn't say." Blake sighed.
"Take over -"
"I was just throwing out ideas!" Blake interrupted.
"Yeah, but, after what they said to Adam…"
"He wouldn't do that." Blake replied with force, before concern spread on her face, "He wouldn't…"
"Look." Kallen stopped walking and turned to face Blake directly, "All I'm saying is maybe we should check we're not getting into bed with another Adam before we start blindly doing everything he says."
"Getting into- No, no." Blake replied, slightly flustered by Kallen's wording, "I'll find a way to talk to them and make sure. Just… Give me a few days."
"Ok, but they're both probably back in Britannia. International scroll calls aren't secure, so I don't know how you're going to find-"
BOOM
An explosion interrupted Kallen's point. Quickly turning to face the source, Blake skilfully caught a small, empty bottle flying towards her face with incredible speed.
"The Shade was that!?" Kallen exclaimed, pulling out the small dust-based pistol she'd acquired as a weapon after the Knightmare fight meant there was a narrow chance whip-usage could be traced back to her.
How I'm going to find them… Blake thought in amusement after making out the figures in the explosion's smoke.
"cough cough" Ruby spluttered after her sneeze had triggered a chain reaction within the fire dust leaking out of the white-haired girl's bottle.
"Unbe-cough-leviable!" the girl in question exclaimed in anger, "This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about!"
"I'm really-cough-, really sorry!" Ruby tried to appease her while still coughing occasionally and wiping some of the black soot which currently covered her face.
"You complete dolt! What are you even doing here!? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon!?"
"Aren't you a little recklessly irresponsible to be attending?" Lelouch helpfully provided in an accusatory voice, having cleared his throat and quickly brushed off most of the soot.
"Excuse me!?"
"Lelouch, you're not helping!" Ruby barked as quietly as she could.
"I'm sorry, but I fail to see how this is anyone's fault but hers." he replied, gesturing to the angry girl.
"Me!?"
"No, the girl who sneezed. Yes you!" he accused in anger.
"You have your frankly excessive luggage carried directly behind two conversing students - luggage which I would wager contains enough dust to spell doom for a particularly unfortunate student, might I add." he said in a tone laced with anger and condescension, "Instead of importing your dust using Beacon's internal processing, which in itself would be grounds for suspension were you an actual student at this moment." he added when the girl seemed as if she was about to interject, silencing her for a few more moments, "You immediately act with hostility, and wave around a vial of highly flammable dust. A vial which, as it turns out, was completely unsuited for storing such a substance. Tell me, how exactly is this Ruby's fault, when you disregard school regulations to carry volatile substances into Beacon, fail to store them in appropriate containers, and proceed to wave such a volatile substance into a student's face?" he finished, crossing his arms and glaring at the girl with a snarl.
"… Yeah, what he said!" Ruby eventually replied, similarly crossing her arms and adopting the most cross face she could muster.
"… Do either of you dolts have any idea who exactly I am?" the girl eventually responded in a measured voice.
"Weiss Schnee" a new voice entered the fray before either could respond, "Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."
"Finally, someone who-"
"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces and questionable business practices."
"Wha-"
"'Controversial labour forces', what a pretty phrase for slavery."
"We do not-"
"Oh, my mistake, 'indentured servitude'." Lelouch corrected himself.
Maybe if I just… Back away veeeery slowly… Nobody will notice… Ruby thought, deciding to test her theory and gradually retreating to escape this nightmare.
"You- The nerve- UGH!" Weiss exclaimed, throwing up her arms and quickly making to leave, muttering to herself about the nerve of Vale commoners.
"Sor-"
"You'll find your lineage of little use here, 'heiress'." Lelouch loudly exclaimed to silence Ruby's attempt at an apology. After she'd stormed off and Ruby couldn't call after her, he briefly noted to his friend, "Don't apologise when you've done naught wrong. You deserve to be here more than her. Or I, for that matter. Now come on, let's-" he was cut off by a suddenly extended scythe curved around the front of his torso, blocking his path.
Sighing, he turned to face Ruby, "I trust there's a reason for this beyond a desire for my bisection?" he asked while gesturing to her now-deployed scythe.
"I just…" Ruby started, before sighing in frustration, "Thank you."
"What for?"
"That." she replied, gesturing to the spot Weiss had now stormed away from, "I'm not good with conflict that I can't solve with this." she stated, wiggling the scythe she seemed to effortlessly hold horizontally at chest-level, "Or people, really. So, thanks."
"… Is that everything?" Lelouch asked incredulously.
"Well, I also wanted you to stop and calm down for a second! I mean, that was cool and all, but like you look super annoyed." she stated, bringing Lelouch's attention to the angry scowl still present on his face. His expression shifting to one of surprise, Ruby tried to continue, "I mean, we're at Beacon! I know it's your home, and yeah you may not be as excited to become a Hunstman as I am, but didn't you say you wanted to be one when you were little? We're all going to be Hunstman! You, me, Yang, we're all gonna train together! In the same school! In the same year! How cool is that!?" she bubbled, eventually bringing a smile to Lelouch's face, his cynicism overpowered by her optimism.
"Point taken." he admitted with a chuckle, "This year certainly promises to be interesting, if nothing else."
"Yeah!" Ruby affirmed.
"… So are you going to put down Crescent Rose, or-"
"You there! Relinquish your weapon at once!" a voice interrupted Lelouch's request.
Panicked, Ruby turned to face the offender.
"Miss Rose?"
"Mr. Gottwald?"
"Sir Gottwald." he replied with some exasperation, though not lowering the blade which extended from his wrist, "But my station is not the issue here." he stated, glancing towards Crescent Rose.
"Oh, no, this is-" She fumbled to retract her weapon without cutting Lelouch in half while trying to explain the situation.
"Were you the cause of the explosion?" Jeremiah asked, noticing the soot stains throughout Ruby's clothing.
"That was, uh, I mean-"
"That was the result of a particularly bad-mannered noble." Lelouch provided, still facing Ruby and so turned away from Jeremiah, "My friend was merely demonstrating some new attachments to her weapons." he lied, aware that explaining she'd used it to stop him walking away was unlikely to go over well.
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded, finishing the movement to put her weapon away. Jeremiah soon did the same, the situation defused.
"I see. You have my apologies for misunderstanding, and I apologise twofold in that noble's stead." he decided, adopting a formal bow.
"I said wait up!" a familiar voice sounded out, its owner sliding to a stop after sprinting to the group, "Oh, hey guys."
"Yang? What happened to your friends?"
"Did they tire of your puns so soon?" Lelouch asked, turning to face the two now Ruby's scythe was safely holstered
"The comedy was too Yang-tastic for them."
"I was being facetious. Did that actually happen?"
"Look, that's not important-"
"I disagree."
"Lelouch, this guy brought Bumblebee!"
"Lelouch?" Jeremiah echoed, finally raising from his bow and seeing Lelouch turned towards him for the first time. The two stared at each other for a moment, recognition immediately dawning on Jeremiah before turning to cautious optimism.
"Master Lelouch…" he said in a hushed whisper, even Ruby able to tell that his emotions were threatening to overcome him entirely.
"Wait, you two…" Yang asked while looking between the two, before Ruby saw something akin to realisation flash across her face.
"Could it be?" he asked quietly.
Lelouch's eyes flashed silver as his semblance activated, and this proved the tipping point.
"It is!" Jeremiah yelled, falling to his knees as tears began to form in his eyes, "Master Lelouch, I offer my most sincere and utter apology! When I pledged my loyalty, it extended to you and your sister both, and yet I have failed you! Please know I consider that the greatest mistake of my entire existence, and ever since that dreadful day I have worked ceaselessly in the name of Lady M-"
"Thank you, Jeremiah." Lelouch replied, kneeling down to offer him a hand up, "I hear your plea, and your steadfast loyalty is needed once again." he stated, whereupon Jeremiah dared to raise his head slowly, fearful as if he believed the moment could shatter at a light touch.
"However… This moment is notthat of fate." he insisted, using his eyes to gesture towards the surrounding area.
Looking around, both Ruby and the rest of their group noticed the scene had started to draw a crowd.
"Of course, my most sincere apologies…" Jeremiah rushed out, taking Lelouch's hand to stand himself up.
"I-"
"I believe you changed your scroll number recently, no? Might I ask you to-"
"Of course!" Jeremiah immediately replied, quickly taking out his scroll and giving Lelouch his 'new' number, "I am sorry to have caused such a commotion, I shall now take my leave." he stated, giving the lowest bow Ruby had ever seen.
"I pray we meet again soon… Master Lelouch." he finished with a voice that seemed as if it were on the verge of once more bursting into tears before taking his leave.
Left in awkward silence with no small number of students still starting at them, Ruby wasn't sure what to say.
"Well… That was a thing." Yang tried.
"It most certainly was." Lelouch sighed.
"How do you even know him?" Ruby asked.
"I could ask you the same question." Lelouch immediately tried to deflect, giving Ruby a pointed glare.
"Oh, well, you see…" Ruby stuttered, unsure how to explain that situation.
Wait… She thought, her mind still racing to try and decide exactly what prompted the display she'd just been privy too.
But that… No way, he couldn't… But what if… her thoughts tackled as she began to reach a potential conclusion.
"Well, orientation is starting soon." Lelouch said, evidently seeing the gears in her mind turning and trying to move the group along.
"Yeah, we should probably-"
"Wait." Ruby stated, becoming more convinced she'd discovered something, "Lelouch, are you…"
"Regarding what you just witnes-"
"… Part of an acting troupe?" she asked in honest curiosity.
"… Pardon?"
"What?"
How could I not see it sooner! Ruby thought, realising Lelouch was clearly shocked at her ability to discern the full truth from the small breadcrumbs he'd left.
"It all makes sense!" she whispered excitedly, holding her head up to look Lelouch in the eye as she laid her deductions bare, "Your secret trips to Britannia, your enigmatic brooding, the way you can lie so easily, the way you speak so pretentiously sometimes, and then this!" she gestured towards the place Jeremiah had just left, "You're part of an acting troupe, or a drama group, or something like that, and Sir Jeremiah must be an honorary member or alumni or something!" she declared, supremely confident in her flawless logic.
"I- I don't brood."
"Yeah, and I don't make Yang-tastic puns, drama Queen."
"Exactly!"
Lelouch seemed unable to speak for almost a solid minute, clearly amazed that his deceptions had been revealed by Ruby's incredible powers of observation and logical reasoning.
"… Right." he eventually answered through clenched teeth, "What can I say? You figured me out, Ruby. I like to practice drama apparently"
I did it!
"I used to frequent a place in Vale, but they disbanded a couple of years ago so I practice by myself, and was accepted into a small, select group lead by Sir Gottwald. It meets infrequently in Area 5." he filled in the details, evidently aware holding back was futile now that Ruby had unearthed the main point.
"That's- Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, seeing her sister struggling to hold back an inordinate amount of laughter, "Don't be mean! You shouldn't laugh at someone's passion!"
Apparently that comment proved the final straw, and Yang was soon crouched on the floor, pounding the concrete with her fist while laughing hysterically.
"Sorry, sorry… It's just…" she struggled to hold back laughter.
"Just what?" Lelouch asked in exasperation.
"Nothing, nothing…" she tried to wave off while still chuckling.
"Don't listen to Yang." Ruby suggested, "I think it's neat. Oh, hey! If it's all super-select, do you guys get to wear cool costumes or-"
"BWAHAHAHA!" Yang roared as a new wave of laughter escaped her.
"Yeah, I bet you'd look great! You should wear purple, it's really your colour!" she wheezed, unable to stop herself.
Huh, now that you mention it… Ruby considered, picturing Lelouch in a purple-coloured suit worn by a certain saviour not a few days prior.
Nah, he couldn't pull it off.
"Why, how kind of you, Yang." Lelouch replied, his embarrassed grimace now forming an almost sadistic smile, "I must say, you wore your outfit quite splendidly as well."
His statement immediately stopped Yang's laughter, her head snapping up to face him in a look of betrayal.
And fear.
"What's he talking about?" Ruby asked.
"Well you see…" Lelouch started, pointedly ignoring the soft "Don't…" that Yang whispered in protest, "Yang actually discovered this through other means."
"What!? I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"I asked her to keep it a secret."
"Yeah, but I can't believe she kept it a secret."
"Hey."
"True, she does appear physiologically incapable."
"Hey."
"It was recently that I told her." Lelouch clarified, both of them now ignoring Yang's complaints, "And when she saw what it entailed, she grew interested. There was a position available, and she believed herself the One."
"Really!?" Ruby gasped, completely blind-sighted by this side of Yang she'd never seen.
Her sister looked to Lelouch, practically begging for help, but it seemed his mercy had ended with Yang's laughter.
"… What can I say, it's like this One was made for me." She eventually answered, earning a small snicker from Lelouch, "And Lelouch had Zero complaints." she continued, whereupon he let of a slightly worried laugh.
Awww, I wish I had inside jokes…
"I think that's enough for now." Lelouch decided, "We really should head towards orientation."
"Yeah… Oh! What about-" Ruby suddenly turned, realising she hadn't thanked the girl from before who'd stepped in.
"Hm? What's up Rubes?"
"There was a girl, but she's gone…" She muttered in disbelief.
"You only just noticed?"
"Wha- You did!? Why didn't you say anything!?"
"I thought that when someone helps you the idea is you thank them, not drag them into a stage play."
"… Good point." Ruby agreed, aware that no small number of people were still giving them odd looks.
Ok, so that could've gone better… But we're in Beacon now! I made it! And I found out something new about my friend and my sister! It's been a rocky start, sure, but this year's gonna be incredible!
"This year's gonna suck…" A silver-haired teen with grey eyes grumbled in annoyance.
"Are you seriously still complaining?" his green-haired and red eyed companion replied in exasperation.
"Hey, I can't speak for you, but some of us have better things to do with our time than screw around with a bunch of kids."
"Like read comics?" his partner asked incredulously, to which his response was a wordless wink, double tongue click and finger guns aimed vaguely at her person.
"You're insufferable…"
"I think you'll find-"
"Children, please." the lead member of their group interrupted the two's bickering.
"Sorry, Cinder. It won't happen again." the girl immediately apologised, bowing her head slightly in deference.
"Whatever." the boy replied with a sigh, bored but not willing to push after Cinder's warning.
"No, no. Your bickering will help propagate the illusion we are simply a part of this… 'Bunch of kids'. I merely tire of its ceaseless presence."
"So messing with Em will help our cover?"
"In front of others and within reason, perhaps."
Maybe the year won't be so bad after all…
"But restrain yourselves. Idle banter and prodding will prove inconspicuous. Anything more…"
"Would draw suspicion. We understand."
"Come on, we're not amateurs."
"I am well aware of that fact, Mercury Black." Cinder replied. While a small thing, her use of his full name sent a small jolt of fear down Mercury's spine, and he found himself unconsciously standing to attention.
A reaction she seemed contented with.
"Now mov-" Cinder paused, her gaze catching on something in the crowd of students. Following her line of sight, Mercury found a man uncommon within the confines of a Vale Huntsman academy.
The fuck is a Britannian Knight doing in Beacon?
Cinder chose to phrase a similar question to the two with a touch more eloquence.
"Maybe he was escorting a noble student?"
"Most likely. But just in case… Emerald."
"I'll keep an eye out." the girl confirmed.
"And your ears open." Cinder ordered, "I doubt we're the only ones to have noticed such an oddity."
"That's a given." Mercury added, noting the numerous students who were also curious at the strange man's presence.
"But before that, we have more important matters."
"Right. I've memorised the details you gave me." Mercury replied, "Our scaredy cat given us any details on the initiation?"
"Apparently Beacon's wizard prefers to keep information to himself. But I have confidence in your skill to locate and isolate a target."
"And me?" Emerald asked, an almost pleading tone in her voice.
"That goes without question." Cinder replied, pausing to stroke Emerald's cheek softly, "Whatever challenge we are given, I'm sure your skill and semblance will guarantee our partnership."
Blech. Mercury thought, rolling his eyes slightly and glancing to the side, Would you just bang or something? This is painful to watch… he considered as Cinder pulled her hand back from Emerald and continued forward, the girl following her with a slight blush and stupid grin like a lost puppy.
At least I won't be the only guy on the team… he thought while recalling the details of his target, having made sure to do so repeatedly every hour or so to make sure his memories information stuck.
Father from Mistral, mother from Area 11 back when it was Menagerie. Both human, both trained Huntsman. Father's side has a history of renowned warriors, made famous by his great-great-grandfather's victories in the Great war almost a hundred years ago, but dating back centuries further. Raised in a small village, probably to try and avoid fame and glory messing up their kids upbringing. Not that this guy had much of a chance there – 7 siblings and all sisters? Yikes. I'll take my dirtbag dad any day. Mercury chuckled, wondering how it was even possible to survive such a situation with your sanity intact, Probably had his transcripts forged because of familial pressure, or some dumbass sense of 'honour'. He sneered, finding the concept painfully idiotic.
Just hope you're not too hopeless. After all, I'll be stuck with you for almost a year, 'Jaune'...
"Arc!?"
Staring up at the tall would-be-student's indigo eyes tinted with frustration to match the arrogant scowl that spat out his name, Jaune couldn't help but sigh at how disappointing his Beacon debut had become.
As if throwing up from travel sickness on the bullhead ride over wasn't bad enough, he'd somehow managed to get lost in the Beacon grounds alone, while everyone else had somehow made their way to the headmaster's introductory speech. Perhaps the sickness had ruined his sense of direction, perhaps groups were less hesitant to ask for directions, perhaps he'd simply been too in awe of the grounds on which he stood to realise how late it had gotten.
Whatever the case, he'd only been able to catch the ending of the speech: Some encouraging words, common platitudes of the virtues of huntsman, and a brief focus on reminding the students that everyone here was a potential huntsman, everyone was deserving of respect. Jaune had thought the whole thing odd; everyone had similar combat training and/or experience, or a transcript claiming they did, in his case. There simply was nothing that could make someone undeserving of respect this early into school, save him. Surely that was obvious?
"See, this is what a backwater kingdom like Vale does! Even fellow nobles can start having delusions of this treacherous deviant deserving 'respect'"
Apparently not.
Oh! This must be that 'culture shock' thing!
Jaune had heard the term before. Apparently when living in, or sometimes even visiting, a place with a culture different to their own, people had trouble adjusting. He vaguely remembered hearing a bit on a documentary when he was younger: Vacuo had a strong bargaining culture, so tourists often ended up overpaying for goods even more than usual, while much of Mistral had a strong sense of honour and trust and so were averse to such practices, with bartering usually reserved for black markets and other shady businesses. Meanwhile, many believed those living in the frosty continent of Mantle seemed colder, more unfriendly and often far more nationalistic, than elsewhere and blamed the unforgivably cold weather. In reality, it was the incessant Grimm attacks and oppressive Britannian class system.
I better remind him. I know I'd hate to be embarrassed on the first day, after all!
"Actually, here in Vale we call them 'faunus'." he replied with a friendly smile and supportive tone that he was confident seemed in no way condescending to the man towering over him.
"Oh, right, how foolish of me." the teenager chuckled along with a small party behind him.
"Don't worry, we all make mistakes!" Jaune assured him understandingly, "I guess you must have missed the headmaster's speech – Beacon's layout is pretty confusing."
For a moment, it sounded as if a few people were snickering at his comment, but he must have been mistaken.
I bet people were agreeing. It's kind of a relief I wasn't the only one…
"What was that?"
"Oh, sorry, do you need me to speak up?" Jaune asked innocently, concerned that his advice wasn't getting across, "I guess you are pretty tall." he put a hand to the top of his head and tried to measure the difference "You must have at least 15 centimetres on me… And I'm 183!"
"… Are you serious?" the teenager asked incredulously.
"Oh, right, that's… 7 feet?"
"Six foot and six-foot-six." the prospective faunus student who's presence had started this whole mess answered.
No, that's not fair… Jaune reprimanded himself. He didn't start this. It's not his fault the tall man here is unfamiliar with Vale.
"Oh, thank you." he responded politely, "Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself properly, I-"
"You're dead is what you are!" the tall teenager yelled, suddenly grabbing Jaune by the collar and pulling.
What, why- Jaune panicked, trying to work out what he'd done wrong
Oh!
"Oh, sorry – I get it!" he exclaimed, mimicking the gesture and grabbing the tall boy's collar. For a moment he looked shocked, so Jaune thought to explain.
"I return your greeting. You should careful though – in Vale, we usually just shake hands, and some people might take this the wrong way."
It seems weird but hey, who am I to judge other countries' traditions?
"You…"
"But I think we should let go. People are starting to stare…" Jaune whispered anxiously, noticing the attention turning in their direction and not too keen on being the centre of it.
The boy's face turned to one almost mistakable for shock, frustration, and anger, but Jaune was sufficiently open-minded to realise Britannians must simply display emotion differently.
I always thought documentaries were just boring stories with no climax… Who knew they could be so useful for meeting new people?
His greeting-partner's face turned from his muddle of emotions to one Jaune was confident translated universally as pure rage when some girl called for the boy to book a hotel room.
How rude can you be? We're all supposed to sleep here tonight… he noted, glancing around the large room filled with makeshift beds Jaune currently found himself in.
"Who-"
"Ok, I think the two of you have 'greeted' enough, don't you?" a new voice entered the conversation. Turning his head, Jaune found a silver-haired boy chuckling slightly with a sly grin that looked to be around his age.
"Argh!" the tall boy yelled for the new arrival, throwing Jaune to the side. He was thrown to the ground, but the faunus boy helped catch him. The newcomer didn't alter his smile a single degree, dropping into a relaxed stance and placing his hands in his pockets. As the other made to grab him, he jumped away with a backflip, his foot catching the other's jaw from below with such force that he was sent flying forwards and upwards, crashing into a group of beds whose occupants immediately made to clear the impact zone.
Ok, there's no way that's a greeting… Or is it? Maybe that's why Britannian nobles have such infamous jaws!
Groggily pulling himself off the ground, the tall boy made to continue the fight before a more mature figure cut in.
"That's quite enough." a blonde-haired woman wearing what seemed to a professor's uniform interceded, holding a riding crop towards the tall boy that almost seemed to hold him in place.
"Mr. Winchester, while I am aware there is a necessary acclimatisation period for many students, if you find yourself unable to keep discord civil you will be sleeping outside." The boy was released and she turned to face the newer arrival, "Which goes for yourself as well, Mr-"
"Black." The boy helpfully provided, "Mercury Black."
"Yes, well-"
"Sir Mercury was only assisting me." the faunus boy who had remained otherwise quiet interceded, "If he's to be punished, then-"
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Belladonna." Jaune heard a cacophony of 'hushed' whispers at the name, "But I trust the matter is resolved?" she looked to the two combatants.
"Whatever." the tall boy huffed, "But I'm not through with you, Arc!"
Why is he using my- Right, Britannian. All about families.
"Any time, Winchester." he returned with a smile.
The intense greeting apparently concluded, Winchester stormed off to what Jaune could only assume was the sleeping area he'd prepared.
"Sir Mercury… No, Sir Black- no, Sir Mercury Black. Has a nice ring…" Mercury was mumbling to himself after 'Mr. Belladonna''s intervention.
"I'm sorry about that…" The boy in question apologised.
"Huh? Don't be – it's not your fault he doesn't know how to behave in Vale."
"Hah! Good one." Mercury barked, slapping Jaune on the shoulder for emphasis.
"Thanks, I guess? I just felt bad – if I was in a foreign culture I'd hate to think I was insulting anyone unintentionally like that…" he clarified, earning another bout of laughter from Mercury for some reason.
Levelling himself, Mercury soon noticed Jaune's stupefied expression.
"Wait, you're serious?" he asked, breaking down into even more laughter when Jaune confirmed that fact.
"I… Don't think that was unintentional…" Belladonna suggested in a cautious tone.
Really?
"No, I'm sure he was." Jaune quickly concluded, "There's no way someone acts that bad intentionally."
Mercury's state edged towards that of a cackling hyena.
"Anyway, now that's been dealt with, it's nice to meet you!" he extended a hang to the boy who's first name he still didn't know, "The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue – lady's love it."
The boy took his hand, "Suzaku Belladonna. Though you probably know that…"
"Well, the professor only gave your last name. Good to meet you, Suzaku."
"… Likewise." Suzaku soon smiled in turn after a moment's surprise.
"Oh, right – Mercury Black." Mercury added, not offering his hand but still straightening and nodding in greeting to each in turn.
After the initial greeting the three properly introduced themselves – Apparently Mercury was a skilled hunstman-in-training from Mistral, moved to Beacon due to the high number of applicants to Haven academy this year, while Suzaku was a Britannian soldier on special appointment to become a Huntsman.
"Wait, a Britannian soldier?" Mercury asked incredulously, "Shouldn't you be up in Atlas?"
"My superior though Britannia's main academy would be problematic for someone of my…" he swished a cat-like tail around his back for emphasis, "biological inclination."
"Couldn't you just hide your tail?" Jaune suggested, realising the issue. True, he'd heard Britannia could be especially hard on faunus, but beyond the tail it would be impossible to tell he wasn't just a normal human.
"I think hiding my identity would be a little more difficult…"
"Oh, right." Jaune replied, realising that even without the tail Suzaku still bore a face quite clearly Menagerian. He imagined the so-called 'Numbers discrimination' wasn't as bad as he'd heard, but as Menagerie was almost completely faunus it might be difficult.
"Sorry." he stated simply while looking down and rubbing the back of his neck, reprimanding himself for thinking he, a 17-year old boy from a small village, could come up with a solution within moments that a soldier and his superior officers couldn't.
"Don't be. It's fine, really." Suzaku assured him, before his attention seemed drawn momentarily to something outside Jaune's vision. Suzaku seemed to nod as if in affirmation, before returning his attention to the two before him.
"Sorry, it's been really nice meeting you but I've got to-"
"No worries." Mercury waved off, "I should get back to my allies anyway."
"You mean friends?" Jaune suggested.
"Sure." Mercury answered non-committally, "Em gets so jealous when I'm away for too long..."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to keep you away from your girlfriend!" Jaune replied hastily, suddenly anxious that he'd taken up too much of his new friend's attention, "See you tomorrow, Mercury! Suzaku!" he gave a quick nod of his head to both and quickly made his exit.
"Girl- Hey, wait-"
Honestly, if he had a girlfriend he should've said something… One more friend! But if she likes to stay with him and wasn't there, maybe she's shy? Oh well, I'll have to apologise for keeping him when I meet her…
Jaune paused.
If I meet her. Have to get through initiation first…
Stepping out onto the building's flat rooftop, Lelouch took a deep breath of the fresh night air. A fair distance from the city of Vale to the west with the east surrounded by trees of the Emerald forest, Beacon was a pleasant mixture of the artificial and natural – fountains complemented by greenery, the dull background noise of new students talking interlaced with the wind rustling through leaves, peaceful was the first word that came to mind.
Now that I've escaped that den of hormones and hooliganism…
"If I smell one more fool incapable of appropriately applying healthcare products…" he muttered under his breath while placing a hand to his forehead to soothe the building headache.
"It was rather unpleasant." a familiar voice spoke from above and behind him.
Sighing, Lelouch's scowl soon turned into a smile as he glanced back at his apparent company, "I see you haven't changed."
Sitting there atop the small hut enclosing the stairs leading back to the dormitory, hidden from sight with sight over most of the campus, sat the faunus he'd hoped to convene with.
"Look who's talking." Blake replied with a small laugh, holding her collar and flicking it upwards slightly, "'Meet on the roof'? I can't believe you still remember that."
"How can I not? You made sure we all remembered them."
"Yeah, nearly a decade ago." she pointed out.
"You remember them."
"Because it was a matter of life and death for me."
"'We have to avoid the grown-ups'? You're being dramatic…"
"My 10th Birthday?" Blake retorted, whereupon Lelouch immediately froze.
"You mean the day that nothing ever happened?"
"Exactly."
"Sorry, you're gonna have to narrow that down a bit." a third voice spoke up from just through the door, soon followed by its owner.
"I lost count of how many things 'never happened' when you two are involved." Suzaku tried to recall.
"Excuse me, Blake and I may be occasional reactants but we are by no means the catalyst."
"Mum?" Suzaku asked.
"Mom." Blake confirmed.
"Kali…" Lelouch slipped into memory.
She'd always been a lovely woman, treating Lelouch and Nunnally as members of the family the moment they stepped through her doors. Unfortunately, that entailed a few things a fallen Britannian Prince and Princess were unused to: Physical affection was the obvious – Lelouch soon found that 'not being a hugger' served no purpose from her onslaught, but there was also her reprimanding him whenever he tried to stay on his own and practice chess instead of 'playing with his new family'. He'd soon found himself dragged into all number of that which he didn't care for: Mandated exercise, nature walks, 'fun' family games. Monopoly did not involve strategy, thank you. It consisted of random chance and shattered dreams.
And the teasing… Lelouch shivered, gods, the teasing…
He could be on his deathbed and it would still be too soon to hear about how cute he and Blake's, Suzaku and Nunnally's, his and Suzaku's or Blake and Nunnally's children would be.
How could you ever even try and predict adoptive appearances?
"Do either of you know what happened to her?" Lelouch asked, equal parts curious and concerned. She would drive him insane, but there was no doubting the fact she'd brought everyone in her family unit closer than would otherwise be possible.
She could be a nightmare, but she was responsible for a lot of good times during that year…
"I was hoping you'd know." Blake replied, slipping off the roof's roof and stepping further from the door.
"Same here." Suzaku added, following suit so the group moved a bit further from any potential eavesdroppers.
Sadly, the full family-ish reunion had yet to be.
"Anyway, what happened to you two?" Suzaku asked, the first to break the sullen silence that had followed, "And how'd you end up in that truck three days ago?"
While Blake tensed up slightly, Lelouch answered easily "Well, I was in the Area. Can't let you have all the fun."
"I guess we have different definitions of the word."
"Perhaps so." Lelouch replied, before noticing Blake's eyes roll as the two danced around the subject.
"I was visiting the region with a friend. We noticed the commotion and decided to investigate-"
"Reckless."
"- And through our reckless actions we happened upon the truck you found us in. One that we discovered a faunus was being held hostage by the White Fang." he nodded to the girl in question.
"Yeah. They attacked a train I was on and captured me. I'm not entirely sure of the details – it happened so fast."
"So…" Suzaku considered what they'd said, "You just happened to find the truck Blake was captured on."
"Yes."
"The one I just happened to discover in the tunnels?"
"Yes." Lelouch replied, completely honest on both accounts.
The irony that the least believable part of his story was, in fact, the only real truth was not lost on him.
"Well that's…"
"Impossible odds?" Blake suggested.
"Practically destiny." Lelouch posited.
Ozpin always has seemed to put more stock in fate than many.
Perhaps the idea wasn't quite as foolish as Lelouch first assumed.
"Ok." Suzaku paused for a moment, "I believe you."
"How generous." Blake replied.
Suzaku ignored her, "So, what happened to you guys after Menagerie?"
Recounting their stories, it seemed that when Qrow had split them up for safety on Ozpin's orders, they'd been sent to different continents. While Nunnally and Lelouch were hidden in Sanus' Beacon academy under Ozpin's protection, Blake and Suzaku had been sent to Anima's Haven academy under the protection of its own headmaster, Leonardo Lionheart. The two were soon sent to Sanctum despite a relatively young age to be able to defend themselves, but during a school expedition to a nearby village – 'Kuroyuri' – the settlement was beset by an unusually large Grimm attack. While they initially tried to flee as a group, the staff, students and local residents were slowly but surely whittled away, and their evacuation bullheads had been destroyed moments into the initial assault.
Unusual… Lelouch noted in surprise, Vehicles are usually damaged as a by-product of the Grimm's thirst for humans. What they're saying sounds like it was targeted to cut off routes of escape. Grimm aren't capable of such organisation…
Regardless, Blake and Suzaku were two of a scant few survivors.
"I thought you were dead…" Suzaku choked out, soon stepping forward and pulling Blake into a hug. Despite usually not being keen on them, Blake soon returned it.
"So did I…"
"I tried to find you…"
"So did I."
Lelouch soon found himself pulled in to the hug, with neither Blake nor Suzaku having had any knowledge whether Lelouch and Nunnally had befallen the same fate. Lelouch was quick to emphasise that Nunnally hadn't – that she was perfectly healthy and they should be able to meet after the initiation was resolved tomorrow.
Continuing, it seemed their relative retreats were responsible for their diverging paths. Blake flew west, where she soon chartered passage to Sanus, while Suzaku fled north and soon similarly applied for residency in Britannia. It sounded as if Blake's trek had taken substantially longer, not wanting to venture anywhere near Britannian territory despite the relative safety. As such, she hadn't reached the western coastal city of Dàitì for around a shift and a half – almost a hundred days – while Suzaku had reached the northern coastal city of Argus within a couple of weeks.
"Why didn't you go to Argus?"
"Why didn't I go to the country that took my home from me?"
"That's- They didn't-"
"I believe what Suzaku means to say is that a lone child trekking across half of Anima would've been in excessive danger, a few years hunstman training or no." Lelouch interrupted, not wanting to get dragged into a political debate.
I need to make sure she can keep silent about any illicit activity under pressure.
While they were both his friends, Suzaku was still- Probably still a member of the Britannian army. Their relationship with activists willing to resort to violence and intimidation started and ended at the barrel of a gun.
"There were a couple of kids from the village who got out with me."
"Three children? The Grimm must've been terrified."
"Hey, we looked out for each other!" Blake snapped.
"I see…" Lelouch trailed off, plunging the three into an awkward silence.
"Did they…" Suzaku broke it.
"They're fine. Or at least they were." Blake provided, evidently more irritated with Lelouch's teasing over likely close companions than any grim fate that had befallen them, "We stuck together through to Dàitì. The boy's dad was a huntsman, and he had a semblance that made it easier to avoid Grimm. I think he felt responsible for our safety somehow."
"Sounds like a good kid." Suzaku commented sincerely, a sentiment Lelouch echoed with a nod.
"He was- is, I hope. They both were." Blake glanced to the side, staring out over the campus, "They wanted to stay in Anima and train to be huntsman. I considered joining them, but at that point…" she sighed, "Honestly, I just wanted to leave everything. Try and start again."
Suzaku nodded, seemingly less in understanding and more in agreement.
I suppose I'd do well to avoid Anima if travelling abroad crops up with these two…
"Maybe you'll meet them again." Suzaku suggested, "If they were our age they'd probably sign up to Haven this year or next. Maybe you'll see them in the Vytal festival."
If they're still alive… Lelouch thought.
"If we all pass initiation." he said.
"That shouldn't be a problem here." Suzaku replied, confident but in no way cocky or arrogant, "Military training."
"I'm self-taught, but I'm confident in my skills." Blake replied, hand slipping over Gambol Shroud.
"I'm…" Lelouch paused.
"I have to say, I'm surprised." Suzaku admitted, "Back when we were young you hated anything physical, what changed?"
"… Very little."
"What?"
"I'm here because I know Ozpin, and he seemed to want me to join." Lelouch confessed.
"But you've had preparatory huntsman training, right?" Suzaku asked.
Lelouch stared off into the distance.
"But… You've trained, right?"
Lelouch blinked.
"But… then you must excerci-"
"Do you even have your Aura unlocked?" Blake asked, slightly exasperated.
"Yes, Blake, I have my Aura unlocked." Lelouch drawled as if telling his mother he'd brushed his teeth.
I'm not that arrogant. I doubt anyone could even survive initiation without aura…
Of course Blake already knew that – he'd explained how his semblance slowly drained his Aura while active when they were young.
"Regardless, my becoming a huntsman isn't a necessity. I'll remain here either way, so all that matters is you two pass."
"That's a bit cynical…" Suzaku sighed.
"It's Lelouch."
"Good point. That's pretty optimistic of you."
"Hey."
"Anyway, we should probably get back soon." Suzaku suggested.
"You're that eager to plunge back into Shade?"
"It's not that ba-"
"It's full of stereotypically idiotic teenagers, it's noisy, it smells, a bunch of guys were staring at me, a bunch of girls were staring at Lelouch, and you got harassed by a racist ass."
"People weren't staring at me."
"That was hardly harassment."
"Uh-huh. And I'm the Empress of Britannia."
"Our friendship is over. We are now mortal enemies." Lelouch replied to her new position.
"Hey, that reminds me." Suzaku realised, "Does anyone here know you're…"
"Most of the faculty." Lelouch replied, "Ozpin, Glynda, Oobleck, Peter, and Sayoko-"
"Sayoko's here?" Blake asked. Lelouch's nod was clearly well-received by the two.
"She looks after Nunnally, and helps make sure we don't make our presence known. Though, officially, she's the school nurse. Oh, and Yang knows, as does Qrow obviously. He visits on occasion. Other than that it's just you two."
"We won't tell anyone." Blake assured him, a secret Suzaku quickly agreed to, "But while we're discussing secrets – I'd appreciate it if you could keep mine."
"Which is?" Lelouch checked.
"I don't want anyone to know I'm a faunus. Meet Blake Kururugi, normal human."
"… Kururugi." Suzaku repeated in a monotone voice while levelling his gaze at her face.
"… Human." Lelouch followed up, staring at the bow she was currently using to try and hide her ears.
"What!?" Blake exclaimed.
"That's got to be the most Menagerian name I've ever heard." Suzaku pointed out.
"I'm not trying to hide that!" Blake pouted, "People might notice if I try and pretend to have a different heritage. I'm from a human family that moved out of Menagerie before it became Area 11 and settled in a small village in Vale."
"And you're going to pretend to be a human by using a bow." Lelouch emphasised. A few moments of staring at it, and he soon found a slight movement as her ears seemed to slump slightly, "Which moves without any bodily motion or wind. Very fashionable."
"What was I supposed to use!?"
"Literally anything else?" Suzaku suggested.
"If you're banned from every hat store in Vale or some such you could have asked for help – I could've had Coco lend you a beret. She's got dozens."
"Hmmm…" Blake groaned, pouting but also considering the offer. While she could be stubborn, she'd take advice if it was clearly helpful.
"Hm, I guess maybe a black beret with a white trim-"
"You can't have white." Lelouch interrupted.
"What?"
"Coco's beret is black with a brown trim."
"But you said she had dozens."
"They're all black with a brown trim."
""… Seriously?"" Blake and Suzaku asked in unison.
"Technically they're different shades, varying from onyx to jet black to Cairn green. Though the trim stays cocoa brown."
"… Why?" Suzaku muttered.
"Ask Coco." Lelouch paused for a moment, "But only if you want to lose a day to a lecture on colour theory applied to fashion."
"I think I'll pass." he replied, "Anyway, we should probably-" he froze, an action Lelouch noticed Blake undertake as well, both staring at the door leading down to the dormitory as if it were an enemy combatant. Signalling for silence, he and Blake nodded towards one another and soon began silently stalking towards the door. With their assistance Lelouch followed to round to the side, outside the immediate vision of anyone that would come through. Soon at either side, Suzaku silently counted down, mouthing the words while using his fingers as a visual display.
At zero, he and Blake opened each door, stepping to the side with weapons out, ready to fight. A person fell forward, landing on the floor with a thud, blonde hair spilling everywhere.
For gods' sake…
"Hey." Yang greeted them with complete confidence, shifting slightly to appear simply laying comfortably on the roof floor rather than having fallen on it, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face, "I'm Yang." she gave Suzaku a slight wink.
"Yang…" Lelouch sighed.
"Yeah?"
"I hate you…"
"Oh yeah."
A/N:
Yang Xiao-Long: Ace Detective.
Apologies this took 4 weeks to come out - life got busy for a while - but originally this was actually going to be split into two parts (and because it's not, we've got our first move contained within a single chapter :O), so in terms of raw content we're actually on schedule! Technically.
Sort of.
Other than that not much to say - looking forward to writing initiation - fun changes to team makeups and whatnot.
A few questions that got asked I'll go through quickly:
- anyarepreh29 (AO3) asked about Suzaku's faunus characteristics in this; I tried to make it clear but sound natural in the chapter but basically he's just got a tail, no faunus ears. I don't think Ghira does either in canon, with his faunus characteristics constrained to having claws and being an absolute unit, but I could be wrong there. Maybe he just hides them under his hair, who knows.
- 'Covid69' (Interesting name) asked who the two demons referred to in chapter 2's title. Thinking about it, there are an absolute minimum of 5 people who could theoretically qualify, so I'll leave it up to the reader.
- Ewerton Da Silva Rodrigues asked 'Velvet and who did Lelouch save earlier in the story?' which, like... I'm not quite sure what you're asking. Velvet hasn't really been present beyond that scene, unless you're asking if she's who was helped in the brief Lelouch-Yang backstory. If that's the case I'm going to tentatively say no, as that is more just to show that they care about any discrimination and want to help regardless of other characteristics like being a defenceless young girl. Also that would imply some Britannian noble bullying an eleven year old girl which...
No, scratch that - it was Velvet now. Britannia's even more comically discrimatory this way.
So yeah I think that's basically everything - thank you for reading, if you have any feedback feel free to leave a comment, and otherwise have a good day and hope to see you next time!