A trail of wispy, meandering smoke rolled up from the pipe at Arowana's lips as he gave the implement a contemplative puff. He kept his eyes straight ahead upon the wooden doors of the massive temple as he waited in the semidarkness, only the shafts of light from the high carved windows and scattered candles providing visibility. The wizened man bounced his foot lightly as he reclined upon his ivory throne, his thonged sandal resting precariously at the end of his toes. Without so much as a sound, he shifted within his massive chair and took another drag of his pipe.
Quite suddenly, the gigantic wooden doors opened, spilling light from the bright blue sky into the entranceway of the temple. A tall figure in a black cloak with blue accents along the arms of the garment began a hasty approach for the reclining elder. Arowana leaned forward expectantly as he placed both feet upon the carved platform before his throne. The other figure bowed low upon the purple and gold carpet, pressing his head to the fibers just below the stone steps. His long, messy shock of red hair spread around his neck and chest to touch the floor as he prostrated himself.
"Grandmaster Arowana," the man began. "I have received confirmation that Raven and Qrow have not only arrived at Beacon Academy, but made unknowing contact with our informant. He will be making an active effort to monitor them for us from here on."
Arowana leaned forward and gripped the armrests of his chair while offering his subordinate a rare smile from beneath the brim of his slatted wooden hat.
"Excellent. The pair of them have made several attempts to contact us over the past month, and I fear that our lack of acknowledgement may play into a decision to turn their backs on the clan," the elder stated coldly as he stood from his throne. "Having them monitored directly will give us a far better idea of what exactly you'll need to deal with at the end of their academic year."
The prone subordinate finally dared to look up at his master, his expression unreadable as he spoke in a slow and careful tone.
"Grandmaster… if you anticipate their betrayal, then should we not move up the timeline? The longer they work and train at Beacon Academy, the more of an issue they'll become. Raven and Qrow show promise beyond their years, and affording them more time to establish bonds only increases the likelihood that they will end up opposing us," the man pointed out as he leaned back into a kneeling position with his palms flat just above his knees.
"And I am counting on it," Arowana explained as he reached the bottom of the steps to loom over the other man. "I take no pleasure in culling my own children from this world, but if they cannot resist temptation, then it must be done. Never forget that Those Above All have a sacred duty far more important than familial bonds. Your orders stand, regardless of Raven and Qrow's loyalty. In one year's time, you will go to them, and push them to act. Should they choose to remain loyal, they will need this year of intelligence and training upon the Beacon campus to stand a chance against our bigger targets. Should they choose to throw in their lot with the professors, instead, their lives are forfeit. You should be more than capable of handling them."
"And on the off chance that they do succeed in their mission to identify and eliminate priority targets within Vale, at what number will their efforts be considered a success?" the man questioned with a slight tilt of his head.
"One," came the immediate answer. "It is not a matter of numbers, but a matter of selection. Men like Ozma have no business continuing to exist upon Remnant, and he cannot be allowed to find this place, under any circumstances. If he is ever to set foot within this temple, then all is lost. That is all that truly matters of their mission, however impossible it may be for ones so young."
Silence fell over the cavernous room as the younger male's brows furrowed.
"…Ozma? Is the new headmaster's name not Ozpin…?"
Arowana's mouth pulled into a smirk once again as he folded his arms, letting his hands disappear into the baggy sleeves of his black robe.
"…soon, all will become clear. Continue your training, in preparation for the beginning of summer. Meanwhile, over time, I will grant you greater knowledge of our true purpose. Continue to prove your loyalty, and you will become the successor that Raven simply refuses to be. I expect no errors in judgment or execution from you," the grandmaster warned.
The other male dipped low into a bow once again, before rising and beginning to make a hasty exit from the temple.
"…Shrike," Arowana called in a booming voice. The subordinate stopped immediately and turned in place, regarding his leader silently. "Should our contact learn of Raven's semblance, instruct him to inform us immediately. There can be no mistakes, in any of this."
The man known as Shrike nodded in confirmation, before making his way from the temple and closing the giant mahogany door behind himself. Satisfied with the encounter, Arowana turned and walked on past the throne, into the hallway at the far end of the room. The walls tapered and narrowed as he walked, until finally, he arrived at an ornately decorated golden door. Embossed upon the portal's surface was the image of a woman wrapped in chains, their links bolted down to the ground. Her expression was one of contentment despite her situation, and the background featured nothing but abstract glyphs.
Wordlessly, Arowana laid a gnarled palm upon the golden surface of the door and sucked in a breath. After standing in silence for several moments, he narrowed his eyes as he looked into the face of the woman within the artwork.
"Let us hope that you are not needed," he stated softly before turning and making his way back toward his throne. The room seemed to darken as he sat once again and assumed his former position facing the doors of the temple. Arowana raised his pipe to his lips and inhaled, only to let a cloud of smoke billow from his mouth as he watched the candles at the edges of the room flicker in silence.
Raven remained quiet as she walked through the halls of Beacon Academy's central building, carrying a plastic tray with a bowl of salad balanced atop it. She kept up a brisk pace as she continued farther from the lunchroom, her mind swirling with unwelcome thoughts. The buzzing memories seemed to work on an unpredictable rotation, shifting constantly between Summer's warning of a young blonde girl in the very same halls, Summer's second semblance, and her night alone with Taiyang in Willow's room. Every so often, the three more common thoughts were interrupted by recollections of her father's last words to her before she left the mountaintop.
"I expect results from you, Raven," the man had said in a tone closer to anger than encouragement. "Any who would in time pose a threat to our order must be eliminated. Our work is too important to the survival of Remnant as a whole. Succeed in your task, and you will find answers to that which you seek from me."
"By your will, Father," Raven had replied automatically. "I have all I need to help maintain our position atop the world."
"You do," Arowana agreed as he turned away from his daughter and began to make his way back up to his ivory throne. "That weapon, Omen, will serve you well. Treat it as your second brother, wield it with an unwavering will, and it will never fail you. Now, be gone from this place, and do not return until three summers have passed. I have no reason to see your face again until your work is complete."
Despite constantly clashing with the older man throughout her childhood, her mental preparation for the moment, and the oath that had been repeated often enough to be seared into the back of her mind, Raven found that the words still hurt. She stared at her father's back for what felt like minutes on end as she lightly gripped the hilt of her gifted sword. Somehow, the man seemed perfectly unmoving, not even a small fluttering of the cloth of his robe or subtle breathing breaking up his statuesque posture. Finally, Raven allowed herself a small, disappointed noise as she stooped into a bow and turned to make her way out of the temple.
"By your will."
A sudden, thunderous banging noise broke Raven from her reverie and caused her to jump in surprise as she desperately rebalanced her tray to avoid dropping her salad to the floor. A second echoing crash rang out from with the nearby room, and she realized that she had reached her destination as she looked at the door of Professor Calavera's workshop.
"…well, that's different," the woman's voice called from inside of the room. "Now, set up some padding on the wall and do it again!"
Raven took a few breaths to allow her heartbeat to steady once again, before pushing her way through the door to survey the scene. Professor Calavera stood with Raven's brother on the far side of the room, both looking incredibly amused. Adam Taurus was busy retrieving a blood red blade from the floor near the wall, where a rather large dent had formed. Jay Winchester stood at a nearby workbench, his face ghostly white as he looked at the professor while keeping a hand on Adam's sheath.
"…Professor, I wasn't intending for the blade to launch from the sheath. I… I can pay for the damage to the wall, or…"
"Nonsense!" the older woman said, her face seemingly stuck in a mischievous smirk as she approached the tall blonde. "A spring-loaded sheath is a fun little trick. Don't make excuses- refine it."
"…it is rather interesting," Adam agreed as he brought the fallen katana back to the workbench. "If we could make it… slightly less violent, it's something I wouldn't mind having as a feature of the weapon."
"Less violent?" Professor Calavera questioned incredulously as he slipped the sword back into the waiting sheath. "If anything, we need to give it more punch! Use it as a tool to give a distant target a surprise concussion!"
"Hey, sis," Qrow called out as he made his way across the room to join the others. The trio working on Adam's sword looked up and finally noticed Raven's presence in response. Adam gave her a small nod while Jay copied the motion, and Professor Calavera's expression turned from one of enthusiastic glee to a far more serious neutral gaze.
"Ah, Miss Branwen," the professor began with a beckoning motion. "I'm surprised to see you here. You are, of course, welcome to join us. We're merely… tinkering, as it were."
"…if by tinkering you mean blowing holes in the wall with experimental tech, then sure," Qrow clarified as he set his own lunch tray with a half-finished sandwich onto the workbench.
"My fault, I'm afraid," Jay let on as he adjusted the tie of his academy uniform with an idle hand. "What can we do for you? Or did you just want to come and join us, for once?"
"I'm here for business," Raven admitted as she lifted her own sheathed katana from her side and deposited it upon the workbench. "My weapon is… stuck."
Professor Calavera's wicked grin returned in full force as she walked around the table and regarded the weapon with a critical eye.
"Well, well, well," she cooed as she lifted Omen from the surface of the table and turned it over in her hands. "The pre-built weapon you were gifted isn't all you had hoped it would be? Do you know who forged it, dear?"
Raven looked down to the floor, unsure of just how many eyes were upon her, and how many were glued to her broken sword. "No, I don't…"
"Hey," Qrow interrupted as he looked at his professor with a bit of irritation. "It was a gift. You can't expect her not to use it."
"On the contrary," Professor Calavera replied as she brought the sword closer to the workbench adjacent to Adam's. Raven followed her, looking a bit nervous. "A gifted weapon should only be taken into the field after extensive training with it, and equally extensive modification. Sentimentality is nice when you're cuddled up to someone by a fireplace. On the battlefield? It's suicide. This got stuck during a training session, I'd assume?"
"Yes," Raven lied as she watched Professor Calavera attempt to engage the blade rotation mechanism, only for a familiar grinding and whirring noise to echo throughout the workshop. "I tried to switch to an alternate blade, and it just… stalled out."
"Well, luckily for you, you have me, and one of the most brilliant up-and-coming minds in the field of weaponcraft right here to help," Professor Calavera said softly as she began to close a vice around Omen's sheath. Jay let out a small noise of discomfort as he rubbed the side of his neck and shook his head.
"Professor, please," the boy began, only for Adam to fold his arms and offer a snort.
"Jay, ever since you joined Qrow and I in here, you've sped up the creation of our weapons to double speed," the bull pointed out. "The Winchesters have earned their reputation."
"I'd agree with that," Qrow replied as he took a bite of his sandwich. "The WMT's got a bright future with you at the helm. You've only been helping us out for a week, and you've already turned Adam's sword into a blade-cannon and gotten the basic frame of mine off the ground."
"Do you mind if I disassemble this completely, Miss Branwen?" Professor Calavera interrupted as she nodded toward the hilt of Omen. "I could force it to open, but taking a good look at its inner workings will do you better in the long run."
Raven hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head and blowing out a nervous breath. "Go ahead, Professor. And thank you, for taking the time to do this."
Professor Calavera merely waved a hand as Raven cleared her throat and moved closer to her brother. "What have you done to your sword, thus far? I've only seen your rental."
Qrow smirked, and nodded Raven along to follow him toward the front of the room as Jay and Adam started up their own conversation once again. The boy led his sister back to the workbench nearest the whiteboard and Professor Calavera's desk, where an arrangement of oddly shaped metal scraps lay upon the surface. A few of the shards were joined together by a strange, black material, while others were scattered about atop the wood.
"Check it out," Qrow said proudly as he lifted the shard of metal at the end of the connected series. He flicked his wrist quickly, and the separated fragments snapped into the formation of a rigid, tapering, unfinished blade. "That's the basis for a transforming sword. Professor Calavera taught me how to shape the pieces correctly to interlock and came up with the securing mechanism, and Jay provided the material to hold 'em together. He's actually been a pretty huge help, so far."
Raven quirked a brow and folded her arms as she looked across the room. Jay and Adam were deep in some sort of dialogue once again as they worked on the faunus' sword, while Professor Calavera had her full attention on meticulously deconstructing Omen.
"That is actually rather impressive. The same technology that allows the upper halves of his blades to extend into whips?" Raven asked as she watched Qrow begin to socket another shard onto the end of the line.
"Yeah. Jay showed it off for everyone here late last week, and I got the idea of using it to shift between a sword and scythe. He altered something about the connecting parts to make them more rigid for my purposes. I don't know the specifics- Jay's surprisingly smart, especially with science," Qrow admitted.
"And why, exactly, is that surprising?" Raven asked as she turned her back on the others in the room and faced her brother. "He's set to be heir to one of the big corporations of Atlas. He has to be intelligent."
"Then why is Robin also in the running?" Qrow countered as he locked the blade fragment into place. "Dude's a loud, ignorant, racist piece of shit, and I'm not entirely convinced that Jay's fully come around."
Raven paused as Qrow lowered his voice, and she lowered hers in kind. "And neither am I. To hear you doubting someone other than yourself is unusual, Qrow. What's going on?"
Qrow cast a quick glance over to Adam and Jay just in time to watch Adam's blade fire from the sheath again, into a cushion propped up against the wall. Professor Calavera nodded her approval as the boys went back to testing the device, clearly distracted.
"This weekend, Willow, Jay, Robin, Roman, and Kali are heading to Atlas for some party," Qrow said in a voice approaching a whisper.
"I'm well aware," Raven reminded as she joined her brother in linking segments of his new weapon. "If you're so worried about Kali's wellbeing, then why not ask Willow if you can go as well?"
"It's not just that," Qrow replied as he shook his head. "It's… well, all three of ours, really. I also don't want to seem pushy, or like I don't trust them… but I want to know they're going to be alright."
"Then you only have two options- ask, and risk looking clingy, or simply trust them, and deal with being worried all weekend," Raven pointed out. "The worst they can do is say 'no.' Is that really so terrible?"
"Maybe," Qrow remarked with a grimace. "I'll think it over."
Another loud, cacophonous series of noises rang out from the other side of the room, where Adam's katana had embedded itself into the waiting cushion, the blade wobbling dangerously as the entire construct slipped down the wall a few inches.
"That… is a little much," Adam said worriedly as he eyed his vibrating blade. "Firing it out of the sheath with a spin seems incredibly dangerous."
"…it's a weapon," Professor Calavera reminded from her position in front of her workbench, where Omen laid mostly disassembled atop the tabletop. "Besides, it's not like you'll be firing it out of sheath into your hand, unless you're going for maximum laziness."
"True," Adam admitted as he walked to the embedded blade and yanked it from the large cushion. He handed the katana over to Jay, who began to look it over for damage. "Perhaps… would there be a way to add a toggle switch? Fire it straight for impact, or spinning for shredding?"
"Hm," the blonde considered as he rubbed at his chin with his free hand. "That just may be possible. It'll take time, but honestly, I'm enjoying these little workshop sessions."
"I would imagine so," Professor Calavera said as she finally managed to open the side casing of Omen. "It plays right into your projected career path, and you're quite skilled with weaponry. I'm honestly surprised it took you this long to start joining us at lunch."
Jay sighed as he used a screwdriver to open the casing of Adam's sword once again, where he began to make more adjustments. "My fault, I'm afraid. With our social dynamics being what they were, weeks ago, and I suppose still a-"
"Stop," Adam said in a tone harsh enough to catch the attention of both the professor and the Winchester heir. "Maybe things aren't 'perfect' between us, but I've come to accept that they never will be. Stop bringing it up, and we'll let the past fade away. Right now, our dynamic is good, and we have more immediate concerns than holding on to anger and tension. There's a time for that, and it isn't now. Not while we're all here, trying to improve ourselves."
While Jay was merely content to nod, Professor Calavera's expression softened into a rare, genuine smile.
"…quite right. To be honest, I wasn't intending for any of you to start making this into a daily hangout, but I will say that you've all made things more interesting around here between classes. That's also the smartest thing I've heard you say since the year began, Adam," Professor Calavera pointed out.
"We're all getting more intelligent. At least, I'd like to think so," Jay cut in. "I certainly feel much more aware of worldly affairs, finally being outside of Atlas for an extended period of time."
"Don't sell yourself short," Adam said as he watched Jay fiddle with the inner workings of the modified sheath of his katana. "You're a lot smarter than I expected, and we seem to have a good deal in common. We already know of a few of the things you've helped create, however… unfortunate their applications may be."
Jay paused his work with a sigh, and simply watched the professor for a few moments as she went about deftly disassembling the entire frame of Omen's sheath. She worked quickly and quietly, the job seeming almost second nature to her as she pulled out and inspected each of the colored blades. The sight brought a bevy of conflicted emotions to Jay's chest as he watched, and he found himself speaking without thinking.
"…yeah, I guess you have. Still- those two things were never meant for what they're used for, currently. I've got a long way to go before I can really start putting out impressive tech, and I've got goals in mind that require me having full control of the company, before I start pursuing them. Projects too big, too costly, and potentially, too dangerous to entrust to my old man," Jay explained as he finally turned his head to look at Adam once again.
"…you're not going to just leave us hanging with that, are you?" Adam questioned. "It's not like either of us are going to run off and tell your family what you're thinking."
Jay offered a humorless smirk as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well… maybe not, but it's also not something I've brought up with Rob. I get the feeling he won't be into it, but I'm interested in pushing toward synthetic life. Automatons, for military roles. Save some lives, keep the peace, and maintain a meaningful and lucrative partnership with the Atlesian military. It would certainly secure the WMT's place in history, for one thing."
Adam paused as he gave Jay an expectant look, only for the other boy to appear confused.
"…something I said?"
"…you know, that sort of technology could be applied in lots of other places, as well," Adam pointed out. "Sending automated beings into dangerous situations where lives would otherwise be spent."
"Right, that's what I mean," Jay agreed. "There's no job more dangerous in Atlas than serving as part of the fleet or patrolling the lower city and keeping the peace."
Adam felt his upper lip twitch in annoyance as he quickly turned his expression back down to his blade. Professor Calavera looked over at Jay, glaring daggers as he met her eyes. A tense, uncomfortable silence passed, until Jay's face drained of color.
"Oh, of course! I… yes, that sort of technology could be adapted to mine dust, safely and efficiently. I didn't mean to gloss over th-"
"It's never crossed your mind before now, has it?" Adam interrupted as he pressed his palms down into the surface of the workbench. "This sounds like a dream you've had in mind for quite some time, and yet you've never thought of its uses beyond the military."
Jay made a ragged, uncomfortable noise as he hung his head in shame, before giving it a gentle shake. "Adam, listen, you've gotta understand that I didn't really… I mean, this isn't something I think about every day, it's just a long-term goal. Things have started to change pretty quickly, and I didn't really…"
The boy trailed off as Adam let out a tense breath through his nose. "You didn't even think of faunus as worth saving, until recently. I know. At least the change is starting to take place, now. All I'm asking is that you think carefully about what you want to do first, should you manage to create these automated beings of yours."
"I will. You have my word," Jay promised as he finally met Adam's eye again and gave him a firm nod.
"Alright, you four," Professor Calavera cut in as she looked over the fully disassembled katana and sheath upon the table before her. "Your Team Synergy and Tactics class is about to start, and I've got some other things to attend to before I'm back on later. Clear out, and take the crippling awkwardness with you."
Jay and Adam nodded as they worked together to store the faunus' katana beneath the workbench, while Raven and Qrow did much the same with the Branwen boy's weapon. The twins made their way back to the front of the workshop, and walked over to Professor Calavera's workbench to look over Raven's weaponry.
"I'm not even sure what I'm looking at," Qrow admitted as he put his hands into his pockets. "Even so, this looks like more than a twenty minute job."
"It is," Professor Calavera agreed, "but not for the reasons you might be thinking. Go ahead and move on to your next class, boys. Raven… I think you and I should talk, briefly," the woman added.
The male students said their goodbyes and headed out of the room, with Qrow giving Raven one last unsure look as he lingered in the doorway.
"Lock the door behind you," Professor Calavera instructed, and Qrow did as he was told before disappearing out into the hallway.
"Is… something wrong?" Raven asked hesitantly as she eyed the collection of parts and colored blades that had once been her sword. The sight brought a cold sense of unease to her chest, and she scanned the arrangement desperately for some obvious problem. It didn't take the girl long to realize that she, much like her brother, had absolutely no idea what she was looking at.
"You could say that, yes," Professor Calavera replied as she slowly lifted her welding goggles to reveal her eyes. They were narrowed with suspicion as she spoke again, her tone icy. "You are certain that you have no idea where this sword is from?"
Raven considered her words carefully as she recalled the conversation with her father just before she left the mountain once again. She knew the clan's blacksmith personally, and he was a trusted family friend.
"No. It was a gift from my father. I'd have to ask him," Raven lied as she kept her voice even and devoid of emotion.
"Then your father needs to be more careful when picking out weaponry for his children. This weapon was practically designed to get its owner killed," Professor Calavera stated matter-of-factly.
Raven felt an unfamiliar, numb sensation creep into the center of her chest as her composed expression gave way to one of unease.
"I… what?"
"Either the person responsible for the rotating mechanism that trades out the blades was incompetent, or intentionally designed it to fail," Professor Calavera explained as she picked up a rind-shaped metallic part. Grooves on the upper and lower half were filled with black ball bearings, though each side had one in silver that was slightly larger than the rest. "Are you seeing the problem?"
Raven's heart skipped a beat as she leaned in to regard the arrangement of parts, only to see a familiar emblem of a winged gear etched into the surface of the enlarged silver ball. She fought back her urge to gasp, and did her best to sound surprised as she felt her chest begin to thump in double time.
"Wh… what is that?" she asked as she pointed at the offending ball bearing, only for Professor Calavera to grimace.
"The insignia of an arrogant fool, most likely. Etched his personal signature into a cheap, botched part that no one is ever supposed to see. I've known several smiths who do this sort of thing, but never so sloppily," Professor Calavera practically spat. "Not only are the signed bearings the wrong size, but the etching makes them liable to jam as dirt and debris collect within this carousel. Any weaponsmith worth their salt would know that something tacky like this could cause problems. Lucky for you, it's a simple fix."
"Good," Raven said a bit too quickly. "That's good to know. Listen, I should really get going, and I really appreciate you taking the time to look at this. I can fix it later during class, if y-"
"I'll have it fixed for you before then, if you leave the weapon with me," Professor Calavera offered as she popped out the offending ball bearing from the top ring. She turned it over in her fingers, before spinning the sphere such that the etched emblem faced Raven. "You've never seen this before, I take it?"
Raven found herself unable to tear her eyes from the familiar symbol as she spoke in a tone of cold indifference.
"…never."
"Then run along, and leave this to me. I'll have it done for you by tonight," Professor Calavera said simply. She popped out the other sphere from the bottom track as Raven took her tray, unlocked the door, and hurried out into the hall with a quick offering of thanks.
The woman set the two uneven components down onto the workbench before shaking her head and moving toward a supply cabinet. She pulled out several drawers to look for spare parts and located a pair of ball bearings that would fit in relatively short order. As she brought the two needed pieces back to the workbench and set them down next to the uneven spheres, Professor Calavera hesitated.
"…to fix the weapon of a potential threat… or not…?" she mused to herself as she eyed the disassembled weapon. The woman weighed for options for nearly a full minute before letting out a sigh. Professor Calavera narrowed her eyes as she slipped the new bearings into the tracks and stuffed the etched pair into a pocket upon her apron. She began to mutter to herself in annoyance as she went about fixing the katana properly in the silence of her workshop, her mind combing through every detail of Raven's facial features throughout their conversation.
Author's Note:
One more chapter to go before Atlas. What You Stole will also be returning next week.
-RD
