Chapter 28: Armed and Ready
The chamber was dark. The two liked it that way. They had grown up in intense heat and light, and had grown to appreciate the cool darkness. Even now, so far away from their home in the deserts of Vacuo, the dark still called to them.
"Their leader said three days," the woman said. "Do you think she's expecting us to know exactly when?"
The man shook his head. "I have a feeling she's going to call us."
There was silence before the woman spoke again.
"Jax," she said, "do you really think this is going to work? Teaming with them, I mean."
The man shook his head again. "I won't give you false hope. I don't know." He sighed. "But we're out of options. Lord Ozpin hit us hard. We've never been able to fully recover. This is our best chance."
Suddenly there was knock. Both Jax and Gillian Asturias turned their heads to the large set of metal double doors a short distance from where they were sitting.
"Come in," Gillian called.
The door opened and two people hurried inside: the pink-haired Rosa Schwein and the pig Faunus Argento Pocoron. Rosa held a Scroll in her hand.
"Bring it here," Jax said, waving her over. He adjusted his position in his seat. He had never cared much for current technology; his Vacuo heritage had given him a "live off the land" style of life, and his patriotism for his kingdom meant that he looked down on technology that was not invented there. Still, he saw Scrolls as a necessary evil, especially in these times. Rosa put the Scroll up towards Jax's face.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Am I having the pleasure of speaking to Jax Asturias?" a woman's voice came through.
"That would depend if this is Cinder Fall," Jax replied.
There was a mild chuckle on the other end. "Yes, I'm Cinder."
"Did Carmine and Bertilak put you through to us?" Jax questioned.
"Yes," Cinder said. "It occurred to me last night that we had never actually spoken. When it comes to my allies, I generally like to know, at the very least, the sound of their voice."
"Then I should probably speak up," Gillain said. Rosa adjusted her position to move the Scroll in between the twins.
"Gillain Asturias, I presume?" Cinder asked.
"In the voice," Gillain replied.
Cinder cleared her throat. "First of all, I want to thank you. I understand that times are tough, but you've made things easier for us. On your part, you made a good first impression for starting an alliance."
"We do our best," Gillain said.
"I trust you're up to speed with our plans?"
"Yes," Jax said. "We have Crownsmen ready to fight. You say the word, and they'll be at Beacon Fortress in twelve hours."
"Perfect," Cinder stated. "Then I'd get them ready to head out. We'll be attacking right after nightfall. Focus your forces away from the laboratory area, since that's where myself and my group will be going into. If you can draw Lord Ozpin's forces away from there, we'll have a better chance at crippling the lab."
"When are you going to create the diversion at Haven?" Gillain asked.
"After this call," Cinder said. "News of the so-called uprising will get to Vale fast, and Lord Ozpin will have his forces there by the time yours get to Beacon."
There was a moment of silence, then Jax spoke. "Please understand that we're counting on you, Miss Fall," he said. "We're going to be losing a lot of Crownsmen here. If your plan fails, it will all have been for nothing."
"If the plan fails, there will be nothing left of either of us," Cinder remarked. "My risks are as great as yours. But that's why this can't fail. We're not even going to pretend that's an option. It's fact, and I'd advise all your Crownsmen to see it the same way. There is no 'if' this time around. We are going to destroy Beacon Laboratory. There's no room for doubt this time."
"I like your confidence," Gillain said. "You'll have your attack. You'll know our signal when you hear it."
"Greatly appreciated," Cinder replied. She paused. "For Crown and country?" she said hesitantly.
Jax and Gillain nodded. "For Crown and country."
The Scroll rang. Hazel eyed it curiously as Lionheart picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Lionheart," Cinder's voice came through.
"Miss Fall." Lionheart breathed a sigh of relief. "I was getting concerned."
"Sorry this is late," she said. "A lot happened today."
"Everyone is alright?" Lionheart asked.
"Yes," Cinder said quickly.
Hazel walked over. "I'm here too, Miss Fall."
"Hazel," Cinder sighed. "It's good to hear from you."
"Likewise," Hazel responded.
Cinder inhaled sharply, then spoke. "It's time. I hate to put it so bluntly, but there it is. The distraction has to start now. The Crownsmen will be converging on Beacon Laboratory after nightfall. We need Lord Ozpin's armies out there by the time nightfall comes."
"Understood," Lionheart said. "You remember that our communications will be cut after this starts, correct?"
"I remember," Cinder said. "I'll attempt a call the following morning. If all goes well, Watts should have us up and talking again by then."
"Do you want me to get the others?" Hazel asked.
Cinder paused. "No," she replied. "Let them focus on Haven and not worry about us in Vale right now. We will speak with all of you again. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that, Miss Fall," Hazel said.
"I know you will," Cinder said. "And Leonardo?"
"Hmm?" Lionheart hummed.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Lionheart said. "Goodbye and good luck, Miss Fall."
"You too," Cinder said. She paused again. "All of you." Then the line disconnected.
Lionheart set the Scroll down and rubbed his temple.
"Are you ready?" Hazel asked the man.
"As I'll ever be," he said. "Get Watts, Merlot, Tyrian, Carmine, and Bertilak."
Before long, Lionheart had assembled the Mistral branch in his office. He stood up behind his desk.
"It's time," he said. "Miss Fall gave us the go-ahead." He looked to Watts and Merlot. "Is the hack ready?"
"Just say when," Merlot affirmed.
"Are the Crown ready?" Carmine asked.
Lionheart nodded. "They'll be at Beacon by nightfall tomorrow. We need Lord Ozpin's forces out here by then."
Bertilak shrugged his shoulders. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's start an uprising."
Moments earlier, Lionheart was standing before six people. Now he was standing before over two hundred. He gripped the rail as he looked down on the open chamber, lined with the cells Lord Ozpin intended to painfully imprison with, but instead safely and comfortably had sheltered countless underneath his nose. The prisoners, who had been intended to be starving, frail, and on the verge of death were standing strong, healthy, and never before so full of life. They filled the large central chamber and the adjoining corridors, with some having climbed the rails to get a better view. Lionheart was proud of the work he had been able to do here.
"It's time," Lionheart called out, repeating those fateful words one more time. "Lord Ozpin's forces will be here soon. It's time to avenge those he took from us. It's time to take our revenge on those who hurt us. He tried to make Haven Penitentiary a place of sorrow and death. But we have made it a place of power and strength. I won't lie. There will be casualties. But for every one of us that may fall, we'll take out ten of them!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd. Various members raised guns and spears.
"Death to Lord Ozpin!" a tall, muscular woman from the crowd shouted, raising a large hammer.
"This is the first step towards taking back our world," Lionheart continued. "And there is no group I'd rather do it with." He took a deep breath. "Are you all ready for the alarms to go off?"
The crowd cheered.
Lionheart nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Scroll.
Tyrian walked up to the railing. "All of you," he shouted. "Let's make some noise while Leo's calling Lord Ozpin, hmm? Make this sound like a proper riot!"
The crowd cheered again. Lionheart turned and nodded to Hazel. Hazel nodded back, then hurried over to a large red button in a glass case on the wall, situated next to the door to Lionheart's office. He smashed the glass effortlessly with his fist, then slammed it down on the button. Immediately, the ear-piercing sound of sirens blurted out throughout the penitentiary. Red lights flashed from ceilings and corridors. Lionheart raised his Scroll to show everyone below. The muscular woman cheered again, and the crowd began to shout, yelling war cries and expletives, almost drowning out the sirens with their noise.
Haven was armed and ready.
Cinder sighed as she stared blankly at the Scroll in front of her, knowing it was not going to be used again anytime soon. She set the device down, then looked over at her team. Mercury was sparring with Roman, who, despite not having been in combat for some time, was easily keeping Mercury on his toes with swift and precise strikes and jabs from his cane. Adam was eating some bread. Emerald was crouched on the ground, and had just finished stuffing Dust crystals into a backpack when she glanced up and saw Cinder looking at her.
"It's done," Cinder said.
Everyone nodded in acknowledgement. Emerald stood up, arching her back and groaning. She stretched her arms as she walked over to Cinder.
"Are you ready?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"I'm not sure I'm ready to answer that," Cinder whispered back.
"You talked big game with the others," Emerald reminded. "And us. You don't believe your own words?"
"I have to," Cinder said. "I said there wasn't any room for doubt. I need that too." She cleared her throat. "Alright," she said loud enough for everyone to hear, "gather around."
Adam stuffed the rest of the bread in his mouth, and Roman and Mercury stopped sparring to walk over to where Cinder and Emerald stood.
"I want all of you to prepare like you've never prepared before," Cinder said. "And I don't just mean physically. Any headspace that will help, get into it. Tomorrow will be a long and tough day. We'll attack at nightfall. Even if most of Lord Ozpin's forces are diverted to Haven, that doesn't mean Beacon Laboratory will be defenseless. I want you to be ready for anything. If Lord Ozpin himself is standing behind those walls, I want you to be ready for him."
There were nods of affirmation across the room.
"We're with you, Cinder," Emerald said with a small smile.
Cinder smiled softly in return before turning and descending up the stairs. She walked in silence, her head spinning with concern and plans. She had to relax, for her own sake. Fortunately, there was always one pastime that eased her nerves.
As soon as she had reached outside, Cinder retrieved her blades and quickly pulled out her blades. She knelt down and pulled a roll of string. She began tying the handles together. She then pulled out a drawstring and tied it to the tips of the curved blades, lifting up the makeshift bow. It was crude, but it had proven effective in the fight against the resurrected Neo. Cinder walked a short distance, checking the tall grass for the crude arrows, made from sticks and bits of flint, that she had crafted earlier. She was pleased to find them right where she left them. She carefully retrieved them, and, taking deep breaths, pulled one back and aimed at the dead tree nearby. She felt her mind ease as she released the shot, the arrow planting itself in the weak bark.
Salem had taught her archery, and it was always something she had been good at. It was relaxing to her. When she readied an arrow, all thoughts and fears vanished, her concentration entirely devoted to the bow and arrow in her grip. She would feel each beat of her heart and each breath in her lungs. Her eye would focus on the target, with Cinder envisioning the arrow having already met it. It was therapeutic in a way to have one activity, one that she genuinely enjoyed, that took up her full attention.
Cinder shot another arrow, which struck the bark a few inches from the first one. As she picked another arrow, she wondered if Salem would have been proud of her. Not just as an archer, but as a leader. She remembered back to shortly before the bombing of Vale. Salem had been more energetic than she ever had been before. She had come to some sort of discovery or revelation, and whatever it was made her seem more ready than ever to finally fight. It was cruel fate that her mind was lost when it was. Cinder never did find out what Salem had figured out.
Cinder sighed as she shot another arrow. Calm and focus was what she needed now. Tomorrow night, she need to be in the archer mindset. Focus, vigilance, but calm-mindedness to prevent her from doubting herself, like she was so prone to do. Deep down, she had always wondered if she was good enough. She hated that she hated herself.
Through the grey skies over Beacon Fortress, a solitary black crow fluttered. Its red eyes scanned the ground, eventually landing on their intended target. The crow angled its wings and arced downward, quickly swooping towards a large, leafless tree right on the edge of the grounds, a short walk away from the heavily guarded entrance. It fluttered its wings as it approached the earth, slowing itself for an easy landing, and finally made ground with its talons digging into the dirt. The crow began walking slowly towards the tree, its head bobbing and its tail feathers twitching as it approached a mass of objects set next to the tree trunk.
In an instant, faster than a human blink and without any noise or visual indication, the crow was gone. Bare human feet trodded where the animal once stood, connected to the rest of the human form. A masculine sigh emanated, as well as a slight shiver. The man's hairs stood on end, unhappy with how cold the environment was without coverings. He quickened his pace slightly over to the heap, and quickly bent down to retrieve a gray dress shirt with a long tail with one hand and a long pair of black pants with the other. He sighed again; he had never liked the fact that his clothes did not transform with him.
A short moment later, a fully dressed Qrow Branwen walked out from behind the tree, stretching as he mounted his collapsed scythe across his back and began heading towards the fortress. He dug his hands in his pockets, taking his time on his familiar trek forward. He thought to himself that he could use a drink. He decided he may get some after resting for the day; using his magic always wore him out to the point where he simply had to rest or risk collapsing from exhaustion. A glass of whiskey and a long nap sounded wonderful. He had already emptied his flask for the day, but he figured some more to drink would not hurt as long as he was alone.
His thoughts carried him all the way to the doors. Two guards, who knew who he was, nodded at each other and one hurried to open the door for him, the metal creaking as the interior heat rushed out into the cold day. Qrow gave the man a half-assed nod as he passed through the entrance, then heard the door slowly close behind him.
His footsteps echoed as he walked up the grand hall. The statues of Lord Ozpin lining the sides and lanterns of green flame were familiar to him. He had passed them many times. He yawned as he anticipated returning to his room and resting. He knew where the rebels were now, so he could rest and build up his strength. No doubt he would need it when he attacked. As he trod across the marble floors, his head craned down and his eyes watching his shoes, he could hear other footsteps from one of the intersecting halls. He instinctively looked up to see who was entering the grand hall just in front of him.
His tired eyes suddenly widened when he saw the figure emerge a couple dozen feet in front of him. His pupils dilated and his exhaustion jolted away, almost painfully. A long red hood and cape, accompanied by black clothing and a collapsed scythe in the figure's fist. As soon as he saw it, he dove behind a statue and peered out. No doubt, it was the Reaper.
Part of him wanted to instantly activate his own scythe and rush her down before she had the chance to act; make her pay for what she had done. Another part of him wanted to sound an alarm. However, he was altogether frozen in shock and unable to do anything. He watched as she crossed the grand hall into one of the side passages, her cape flowing behind her like a river of blood. He kept his eyes set until he saw another figure approach from a passage behind him. He recognized the obnoxious pink outfit of Nora Valkyrie. She was peeking down her shirt, checking on a large series of bandages wrapped from her stomach to neck.
"Psst!" Qrow growled in a hushed tone. "Hey, kid!"
Nora looked up from her wrappings and pointed at herself.
"Yes, you, idiot. Come over here, quick."
Nora skipped over and leaned in. "Yes, sir?" she asked.
"We have an intruder," Qrow explained. "A real dangerous one. The Reaper is in the fortress. I need you to get as many guards, Huntsmen, and Huntresses as you can and get back here."
"Oh?" Nora said inquisitively, which was not the reaction Qrow was expecting. Usually these Huntsmen and Huntresses, some of which he had trained, treated him as unquestionable authority. Her not immediately obeying caught the man off-guard.
"You haven't heard, sir? The Reaper is working with us now."
A pain shot through Qrow's head. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"
Nora nodded. "I was surprised too, sir. She came in here and attacked us. But Lord Ozpin ended up talking with her. They've come to some kind of agreement. He told us that she's free to roam the fortress and lab as she sees fit. Something about her helping to take out the rebels."
Qrow scowled and shook his head. "This isn't right," he muttered. "Why would he do that?"
Nora shrugged. "It's not my place to question Lord Ozpin, sir. If I may speak freely?"
Qrow huffed and waved his hand, indicating for her to get on with whatever nonsense she had to say.
"I'm not too happy about it either. She's dangerous. She's the one that slashed me. She ruined my good shirt too."
Qrow nodded angrily, rubbing his tired eyes. "Fuck," he muttered.
Nora squinted her eyes. Then her expression changed as if she had just come to a surprising realization. Qrow instantly saw her stand straighter and become more anxious.
"What the-" Qrow grumbled.
"Forgive me, sir!" Nora said in a more respectful, subservient tone. "I did not recognize you. You are Professor Branwen from Signal Academy, correct?"
Qrow sighed and leaned against the statue, annoyed and angry. "Not a professor anymore. I resigned."
"I apologize for my informal behavior, sir!" she said. Her face was still, but her eyes had a clear look of fear. She must have been a student at Signal.
"Don't let it happen again," Qrow growled. "Now fuck off."
"Yes sir!" Nora said loudly before turning and hurrying away.
Qrow grumbled and pressed the back of his head on the statue behind him. He did not like to be reminded of his time at Signal. Long hours and rotten environment, but most of all the regret. Not shaping the students into formidable warriors by any means necessary, he would do that in a heartbeat. Instead, he regretted what happened when he was drunk. He felt nauseated by the thought, or maybe it was just his exhaustion mixed with the unsettling news.
The Reaper, working with Lord Ozpin? Qrow was attempting to wrap his head around why Lord Ozpin, the god that Qrow had dedicated his life and service to, would sink to such a low to recruit lowlife criminals. A lowlife criminal was the best way Qrow could describe Ruby Rose. As he leaned in the grand hall, he thought silently to himself.
His sister, Raven, had never been a good person. He'd always hated her. But there was one thing she did right, even if it was only for a moment, and it was choosing Taiyang Xiao Long as a husband. He was a good man. A man Qrow got along with. The closest thing to family he ever had. When Raven left Taiyang and their poor daughter, then came Summer Rose to fill the void. She was someone as much as family as Taiyang. Those two people were the only ones who ever looked at Qrow as human. Which was why it shook his world when he dropped by one day and found a burning house and bloody corpses. It did not take long to find out who was responsible. Having seen the Reaper, Taiyang and Summer's own traitorous flesh and blood, walk past him and him not doing anything, unable to do anything, made him sick.
Qrow pushed himself onto his feet and hurried as quickly as his tired legs could carry him towards his quarters. He needed to vomit and sleep. He would kill the rebels tomorrow, and then Lord Ozpin would have no further use for Ruby Rose. Then Qrow could get permission to kill her. He knew he could sleep more soundly knowing that.
Lord Ozpin craned over the map on his desk. He reached over to the machine he had placed on the wood next to the map and began typing some settings into it. It was helpful to keep a log. As he finished, he glanced over at the four skulls sitting on the desk. He huffed as he picked up the smallest one, staring into its blank sockets.
"You thought you could stop me," he muttered. His gaze passed over the rest of the skulls. "You all thought you could stop me. Stop me from taking what was owed to me. And your friend nearly succeeded. But I live on, eternal, thanks to you."
Suddenly, a buzzing snapped Lord Ozpin out of his thoughts. His Scroll, rarely used, was vibrating in his jacket pocket. He huffed angrily, setting the skull back before reaching into his pocket and pulling the device out. The call was coming from Leonardo Lionheart. Lord Ozpin grumbled as he answered.
"There had better be an important reason for you to be contacting me directly, Lionheart," Lord Ozpin hissed. Then he heard the unmistakable sounds of alarms and yelling in the background of the call.
"My Lord!" the frantic sound of Leonardo Lionheart's voice exclaimed. "We have a very serious issue here!"
