Hi there, howzit. I'm late, much later than usual, I know, but hey, lack of motivation is a bitch, yet here we are regardless, thank the gods for the random bouts of 2 am inspiration! Well, that, and also the fact that I now have a job and I'm also writing a book at the same time! Crazy, amirite?
But anyways, do enjoy the chapter.
Hunger, thirst and tiredness were all Tranquility seemed to have ever since she woke up to see her burns. Her face and arm stung all the time and even the most gentle of touches was enough to cause pain, not as raw as when she'd first woke up but painful nonetheless. Every time the old merchant, her target, her savior, walked into the room, she was reminded of her failure.
She tried to kill him again some time ago, but wounded as she was, Tranquility had been too weak to get up, let alone wield a weapon, and so the old merchant had managed to easily disarm her of the knife she'd hidden; now she was stuck like this, eating and drinking the same food and water as her enemy. Her trainers would've called her pathetic, her sisters in training would have silently judged her, and deep down, some part of her wanted to be judged, to be mocked and beaten for lowering her guard so stupidly when her target had been so close.
Yet despite her failure, despite the pain, she'd begun to get accustomed to being cared for. She no longer resisted the food and water he gave her, no longer reached for a weapon that wasn't there whenever he applied the salve on her burns, she could even speak now, though chose to remain silent while in his presence, whether it was out of spite or something else, even she didn't know entirely.
One thing she did know was that they were probably in Valkenheim, or at least near the border to it. Outside of that, she knew nothing, not the time, not the day, and at this point, she wondered just how long it had been since she first woke up. Weeks, months, years? She couldn't tell, as every day went by in a blur. Did time even matter anymore? She didn't think it did, pathetic and feeble as she was right now.
"Hey, kid," said the voice of the man as the door creaked open once again, a bit of the snow outside making its way in as the freezing wind outside howled. He stepped inside and quickly shut the door, putting down the burlap sack on his back. "How do you feel?"
She stared at him for a moment before turning her head away. He sighed at her lack of response. "I'll interpret that as 'I'm fine', then." He approached her and knelt down next to her with a groan, then carefully reached out with one hand, rough and calloused fingers gently turning her head towards him. Their eyes met, his expression one of worry, while Tranquility kept hers completely blank, betraying no thought or emotion.
"We're heading south." He broke the silence suddenly. "I've gotten my hands on a horse and a small carriage, so hopefully you won't have to exert yourself too much on the way." He scratched his cheek and stepped back. "We leave at dawn, keep resting in the meanwhile, kid."
She turned her head away once more and closed her eyes, letting the sound of the crackling fireplace lull her to sleep.
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Tranquility awoke with a small gasp, finding herself surrounded by a blue curtain. She tried to get up only to find that she had something going into her arm which was connected to a bag dripping fluid. She looked down only to find that her armor was gone, replaced with a simple gown. Tranquility lightly groaned, feeling like her entire body was as stiff as a board, like she hadn't moved for days, her lips and throat felt dry, and she could feel a headache starting to form.
There was some shuffling, then the sound of approaching footsteps and quiet muttering. She tensed, holding her breath until the curtain slid open, revealing an old man with a pair of fluffy wolf ears on his head. "About time you woke up," he said as he approached and took out a small flashlight from his white coat.
"What-" before she could finish, he reached with one hand to hold her right iliac eye open, shining the light into it. He grunted and proceeded to do the same with her light green left eye.
"How do you feel? And if you even think of saying 'fine', I WILL smack you." He said as he turned off the flashlight and stepped back, holding up a hand threateningly. Despite the plain tone in which he said it, the narrowed eyes said that he wasn't joking.
She stared with confusion for a second, then lightly shook her head. "I feel stiff, my throat is dry and I have a headache."
"Good. At least you're not like some of the kids I have to deal with." He lowered his hand with a nod, then reached out to the bed and adjusted it so that she was no longer laying down, but more in a sitting position. "I'll go get you some water." He walked away, leaving her alone for the moment.
With the curtain open, she could see the pristine white walls around her and the beds next and opposite to hers – ten in total – arranged one next to the other in two separate rows of five, some occupied, but most of them empty. There was a window right next to her, and she could see the midday sun shining down on the recognizable architecture of Beacon academy. She sighed and turned her attention back to the room which she now knew to be Beacon's infirmary and saw that the wolf faunus in the white coat was kneeling next to what she assumed to be his desk, and next to that she saw… a staff?
A hand suddenly appeared in her vision, she followed it to see a smiling shaolin. He was wearing the same type of coat as the faunus, and beneath it she could see he was wearing a long sleeved white shirt as well as loose fitting pants. Tranquility couldn't help but stare, head tilted. "Bai?" He nodded and stepped back, allowing her to see that the tiandi, Xye Ling, was also there, also with a coat. "Ling? Why are you here?"
"They've been helping me out. They asked Oz for something to do; he sent them to me." He grunted. "Bastard didn't even ask me first," the faunus man said as came back, holding a bottle of water, which she immediately took, drinking slowly.
"Because you would have said no, Steve," Ling said with a skeptical look, which quickly morphed into a smirk. "But admit it, you like having us around."
"I like the fact I don't have to do everything in this place anymore, but you as people?" He shrugged. "Give me another week, then ask me again. And stop calling me Steve, damnit."
Ling chuckled. "As you say, old man."
Tranquility finished drinking with a sigh and handed the empty bottle back to the grumbling faunus. He looked at it and gave a small nod. "I'll let Ozpin know you're awake." as he walked away to dispose of the plastic bottle, he tapped Bai's shoulder, earning an inquisitive look from the shaolin. "Said she feels stiff, help her with that."
Bai nodded and walked up to the left side of the bed and extended a hand, palm facing up. Tranquility tilted her head in confusion, he, in response, pointed at her arm, her ugly, burnt arm. Even though she was keenly aware of how the thin gown she was wearing left her burnt skin exposed, it didn't make it any less comfortable to have it called out. It was like she was suddenly much smaller than everyone else, like a cornered rat wanting to do nothing but hide. Bai pulled her out of her thoughts with a gentle smile. Tranquility sighed and slowly placed her own hand atop his.
He gripped her hand and pulled, extending her arm, then, with his other hand, began to apply light pressure to her muscles. His hands were calloused, rough, like a warrior's hands should be, and yet his touch was the most gentle one she had ever felt, even though she couldn't exactly feel everything on the charred skin. He gently twisted her arm, bent it, slowly going through all the natural motions. The shaolin hummed after a bit, then extended her arm again and suddenly, he pulled. She gasped as her shoulder, elbow and wrist all cracked loudly, so loudly that she might've worried about it if not for the immense wave of relief she felt when he let go of her arm. She went through all the motions and found that she was feeling much better than before, it was like the stiffness in the joints of her arm had suddenly just vanished.
Before she could even ask what he'd done, Bai got to work on her right arm to a similar result. She wanted to ask what he'd done, and he looked like he was about to do more, and then Ozpin walked into the infirmary. Bai stopped to look at the professor, who nodded a greeting. "May I speak with her?"
Bai nodded and stepped back. Ozpin sat at the foot of the bed, a look she couldn't decipher on his eyes as he studied her features. "Do you know how long you've been out for?" Tranquility shook her head no. "A week," he answered simply.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; It was no wonder the memory came back to haunt her sleep, the situations were all too similar. Tranquility pushed aside those thoughts for the moment and opened her eyes again. "You have questions."
"Straight to the point, I see, then I shan't waste your time anymore." He leaned towards her ever so slightly. "Tell me what happened."
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Ruby Rose poked her lunch glumly. It'd been a week since the Forever Fall trip and they still hadn't heard anything from Tranquility, they hadn't even been allowed to visit!
"Hey, Ruby?" Said Yang from her spot in front of her.
She grumbled as she repeatedly stabbed the small pile of mashed potatoes. It wasn't fair! One moment Jaune beat this giant ursa like a total badass and then the next they see Torbjorn carrying an unconscious Tranquility to the bullhead, and then when they get to Beacon she's taken to the infirmary and then nothing, not a peep. Sure, the masked huntress might not have been the most talkative with them but she ate breakfast with them every morning alongside Torbjorn and Frea, and that meant she was a friend, and friends were supposed to look for each other, but Dr. Stevenson wouldn't let them in! She couldn't deal with the worry of not even being allowed to see her, her mind just going to all of the worst possible outcomes.
"Rubes?"
Did she just not want to see them? What if she'd got into a coma, or what If she died?! That last one was especially alarming, she couldn't die before they even got to share cookies or played games together, she just couldn't!
"Here, let me try something." Suddenly, a peanut bounced off Ruby's forehead. She yelped and brought a hand up to her forehead. Looking for the culprit, she immediately found it to be Jaune, who was holding his plastic spoon back like a catapult with another peanut loaded into it.
"He- ow!" Her protest was interrupted as the second peanut hit her nose.
"And she's back, thanks vomit boy," Yang said as she flashed a smile to her fellow blonde. "Now you-" She poked Ruby in the cheek. "Are you going to tell us what's got you so upset? You've been stabbing those potatoes for a while."
Ruby grumbled. "You know what it is, I'm worried sick!"
"Ah, yeah…" Yang scratched the back of her neck, a light grimace on her face. "I'm worried too, but you heard what the doc said. If he says we can't see her, it means we can't see her."
"She'll be fine, Ruby. Dr. Stevenson is more than capable of providing treatment, I'm sure. Just trust in the professional to do his job," Weiss said with a hum and a nod before getting back to eating.
"I don't know, it's been a week and we haven't heard anything despite asking numerous times," Blake said, looking up from her book. "I think the concern is more than warranted."
"Again, it's not like we can do much about it. So unless we're planning to break into the infirmary, we're out of luck." Ren said, calm as always, which drew a stare from everyone on the table. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?"
"That's…" It was insane, mad, straight up loco! And yet… "It might actually work! How did I not think of that before?!" Ruby said excitedly. Ren's usually passive eyes widened as he stared emptily into space.
"What have I done?" He asked himself, voice full of dread.
Yang smirked as she glanced at everyone else on the table. "We are gonna do it, right?"
Nora suddenly stood up. "Oh, hell yes! What are we waiting for?! Rush the infirmary!" She shouted before running off, yelling a warcry. She was quickly followed by everyone else, with Yang and Ruby fully in on the plan, Ren trying to catch up to Nora to talk her out of it before it was too late, Jaune going with Ruby out of support for his fellow leader, Pyrrha going with Jaune for the same reason and Weiss and Blake, besides their own concerns, out of a desire to reduce collateral damage and hopefully minimize the number of detentions Goodwitch was going to give them.
"CHAAAAARGE!"
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Throughout her retelling of the events, Ozpin remained completely silent, his gaze never once straying away from hers, and in return neither did Tranquility's. In truth, it was a bit odd, not unlike reporting to her masters after completing a mission but somehow more intimate, personal.
"-I do not know what 'mech' means, but I believe it may be related to the 'Paladin' they mentioned. That's all I remember of importance."
Ozpin slowly nodded, brows furrowed in thought. "Yes, thank you for the information, troubling as it is. The White Fang aren't usually so overt in their operations against the SDC, but if this was one of James'..." He tapped his chin rhythmically and hummed, then once again, his eyes settled on her. Tranquility tilted her head curiously, an unspoken question in her gesture.
"As I understand," He began to say, "the other warriors call you peacekeeper, an agent of sorts, no?"
She nodded her answer. "Ours is to kill, to burn and maim the enemies of Ashfeld in the name of peace, by the order of whoever wields us at the time."
"And what are your skills?" He asked as he linked his hands below his chin.
"I can infiltrate, assassinate, steal and fight. I also received basic seductress training, but my… appearance kept me from fully completing it." After returning from her initiation mission, the trainers considered her as too ugly due to the scars, they said that the time and effort to complete that aspect of her training would be wasted on her, but she still had potential. Her skills in stealth, subterfuge, and guerrilla tactics were refined to a fine point by her trainers, which in turn, made her more valuable to them than the average peacekeeper. So while the rest of her sisters were sent away to serve under legions and warlords or to hide in brothels as spies, she was kept close to the trainers, sold for steel as a personal agent to whoever could pay.
"Excellent." Ozpin smiled at her answer. He leaned forward and his expression suddenly turned serious. No smiles, no brows raised or furrowed in thought, just a deadly serious look. "What you saw in that forest deeply concerns me. If the White Fang stole what I believe they stole, then this could pose a threat to the Kingdom of Vale, so I now have a proposition: work for me."
She once again tilted her head. "What would my task be?"
"Find the stolen Paladin and deal with it. The specifics of it are up to you."
"Meaning?" She asked.
He leaned back and stood up, grabbing his cane. "Destroy it, steal it, sabotage it. As long as the Paladin is rendered unusable to the White Fang, It matters not how you accomplish your goal, only that you do." He took a step to stand right next to her and extended a hand. "My best agent is already too busy with other tasks, and while huntsmen are exceptional fighters, they often lack the needed subtlety for a task such as this; I need your skills."
She stared at the hand he offered. Ever since arriving at Beacon, she had a feeling that she'd never be of use again, that her skills would just stop being needed, however, it seemed that under the guise of a peaceful land, Remnant was no different than Heathmoor. There would always be conflict, there would always be warmongers amidst the crowds, hidden in the seas of faces. When the Truce Of Wyverndale happened, Tranquility thought her duty over, swiftly proven wrong by the amount of assassinations she had to do against dissenters. Once again, the old saying proved true.
Tranquility reached out a hand to grasp his and shook it. A Peacekeeper's work was never done, not even in another world.
"Good, now before anything, I know you are acquainted with teams RWBY and JNPR; keep this a secret from them. I have a feeling they'd try to get involved if they knew." He turned around to leave before suddenly stopping. "I almost forgot: while I'm certain that your skill with your sword and dagger is on par with any huntsman's, you will need a gun. Make a list of what you'd like in a rifle or handgun and send it to me by the end of the week; I shall have it made for you." He nodded. "Keep resting in the meantime, you'll need it."
Before he could turn to leave, he seemed to have picked up on a sound. Tranquility focused for a few seconds and soon enough, she could faintly hear it as well. It was not too different to the sound of trampling horse hooves, and like a cavalry charge, the sound only increased in volume as it got closer.
Ozpin smiled. "Ah, their patience has finally run out, it seems. Good luck." Was the last she heard of him as he closed the curtain around her bed and left the infirmary.
Not a minute later, she heard a mighty war cry of what could only be a sugar fueled Nora. "MOVE OR GET MOVED, FOUR EYES!"
She heard the deep sigh of annoyance coming from the faunus man and the scraping of his chair against the tiled floor as he stood up. "Same shit, different day…"
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Even though Nora was being the loudest of the group, it was Ruby who found herself at the front of their mad charge, leading them towards the infirmary with focus, commitment and will, even though they were very probably definitely going to get a lifetime's worth of detention for it and oh brothers, this was a very bad idea but they were doing it anyways! "I see the doors!" She said as she increased her speed.
Nora laughed like a madwoman. "BREAK DOWN THE GATE, BURN EVERYTHING, NO KNEES SHALL BE SPARED!"
"Nora, no!" Came the very panicked voice of Ren.
"Nora YES!" Was the last thing she said before colliding against the door, smashing it open. "Here's NORA!"
"Brothers be damned!" Doctor Stevenson was immediately on them, as well as the two people who helped him out. "I told you once, I told you twice, hell, I even told you thrice! Now I'm going to say it again: No news is good news, and even if she is awake, you'll see her when she wants to be seen. Now get out of my infirmary!"
"She's awake?!" Ruby immediately perked up at his choice of words, the faunus doctor simply sighed, which meant that she was actually awake which was actually great news! It meant she was okay-ish. "Can we see her, please?" She asked, doing the puppy eyes that she did to Yang whenever she wanted something.
"No," was his dry answer, immune to the look. "She will see you when she wants to, now leave, you're disturbing my patients, and my work."
"But-"
"No buts! just leave," he said in a firm voice, waving them towards the doors.
"Wait." It was Tranquility, voice a little rough, but she sounded okay. "I'll see them."
The doctor stopped, looked back at the bed at the back of the room and raised an eyebrow. "Kid, you just woke up, you sure you want to?"
There was a moment of silence, and then: "Yes, I'm sure."
Doctor Stevenson grunted and stepped aside, looking at the combined forces of RWBY and JNPR, who in return, stared questioningly. "You heard the lady: go on in, just try to keep your voices down. Left row, next to the window."
They gave him a quick nod, then hurried off to the bed he'd pointed them to. Ruby drew the curtain open and there she was, staring at them with her head tilted. "Hello."
For them, it was the first time seeing Tranquility without her mask and it was just, unexpected. The only thing they'd ever seen of her was her lips and nothing more. Short and unkempt copper hair, one eye iliac, the other olive, but that's not where their eyes were drawn to. A large burn from the side of her head all the way to her arm, and so many other scars dotted around the rest of her body. The thing that caught Ruby off guard the most was how sad she looked. Not even a hint of a smile, eyes downcast, face turned away slightly as if to hide the burn marks and with the way her lips were ever so slightly parted, she looked not sad in the traditional sense. Ruby understood, but if she were asked to put it into words…
Tranquility tilted her head to the other side. "What?"
I know, I know, that was a pretty abrupt ending, but it didn't feel right to continue after that, and believe me, I TRIED. But anyways, depressed pk now has a task, so yay for her! See y'all later!
P.S.: I am altering the timeline, pray I do not alter it again.