And here's the next chapter. Hope you like it!
He took a sip from his coffee mug as he and Glynda looked out the window in his office. An Atlesian Dreadnaught, the Yeti if Ozpin remembered the nickname correctly, landed on the landing strip in front of Beacon. A squadron of dropships, Yuki-Onna's, and fightership's, Chione's, soared through the air as the gangway on the Yeti was lowered and soldiers began to march out.
Glynda crossed her arms, a scowl appearing on her face.
"James certainly loves bringing his work with him wherever he travels," she said through clenched teeth. Ozpin watched as the Yuki-Onna's began to land.
"James has a duty not only to Atlas Academy but to the Atlesian military as well," he said. Glynda looked at him, cocking an eyebrow. He sighed. "But those are a bit of an eyesore." He turned around at the sound of a knocking at his door. "Come in," he said.
The door opened and General Ironwood walked in. He was a tall man with a firm jaw. His graying hair was cut short and he had a scar going across his forehead. His white suit was clean and finely pressed, and he wore a white glove on his right hand. He smiled at Ozpin as he walked to the middle of the room. Ozpin hobbled over to him and Ironwood offered his hand. Ozpin took it and shook it politely before bringing his hand back to his side.
"Oz, it's been too long," he said.
"Indeed it has, General." Ironwood chuckled.
"No need to be so formal." He looked over Ozpin's shoulder. "Hello again Glynda, it has been far too long since we last spoke."
"Not long enough," she said. She walked past them both, not looking at Ironwood at all, and reached the door. She looked back at Ozpin and said "I'll be outside." With that she shut the door. Ironwood looked back at the door as Ozpin hobbled over to his desk and started to pour coffee into a mug.
"I see she's hasn't changed a bit."
"She has every reason to be upset with you James." Ozpin handed him a mug and started to refill his own. Ironwood shrugged and took a sip. He grimaced, pulled out a flask and started to pour its contents into the mug.
"Unless she can come up with a better idea, I don't think she has a reason to be mad," he said. He took a sip, found it more to his liking, and put the flask away. "Speaking of, do you believe you have any acceptable candidates for the procedure?" Ozpin shook his head.
"We have a great many talented young ladies at this school. Narrowing it down to just one candidate will be difficult." Ironwood rubbed his chin.
"If that's the case, perhaps we could use my candidate." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.
"I do not think giving such powers to a Schnee would be wise."
"Winter is a capable soldier, and-"
"And a Schnee. I need not remind you how the current Schnee family feels about the Faunus. Someone like that is unfit for that power." Ironwood scowled.
"I have known the Schnee's my entire life. Winter is different from the rest of her family. She is more like Nick then she is her father." Ozpin stared at him, his gaze unwavering.
"Until she actual does something to back up that claim, I will not consider her fit, and I am sure Glynda and Qrow will agree with me." Ironwood sighed.
"Fine. But if what Qrow says is true we must decide soon. We cannot allow that power to fall into her hands." Ozpin linked his fingers together.
"I'm aware." Ironwood gently shook his mug, looking at the drink as it swirled.
"Speaking of Qrow, a little birdy told me that you are teaching his niece." Ozpin nodded.
"Indeed I am."
"How is she?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how is she on the battlefield? Is she a good tactician? Is she showing any signs yet? She does have the same eyes as her mother, correct?" Ozpin nodded.
"Yes, she has silver eyes like Summer did. However, she hasn't shown any signs yet, I believe that she may be too young for them to start manifesting." Ozpin took a sip from his mug before continuing. "She is a talented fighter, definitely one of if not the most gifted fighters to study here. Glynda tells me that she has a sharp mind and that her strategies in the classroom, while unorthodox, are none the less brilliant."
"Excellent." Ozpin furrowed his brow.
"Excellent?" he asked. Ironwood nodded.
"A living, breathing Silver Eyed Warrior. Ozpin with her at our side we could-"
"No," he said. Ironwood raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"No? Ozpin she-"
"Is a child. I will not have her be a pawn in our war."
"Then what was the point in bringing her in two years early? Why have her train to be a Hunter? Ozpin, we need her." Ozpin stood up, looking into Ironwood's eyes.
"It is our job to protect the Silver Eyed Warrior's, and there is no safer place in Vale then Beacon. And she is a fighter, she would have made it here one way or another. But she will not become a pawn for us. If she ever joins in our fight, it will be by her choosing, not us tricking or forcing her to." Ironwood closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. He opened his eyes.
"Fine." He turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder as he stood in the doorway. "But just know that they will not be children forever, Ozpin. Sooner or later they will join the fight." Ozpin took his seat and spun the seat around to look out the window. He heard the door close. He sighed.
"I know," he said.
Pyrrha peeked over the edge of her textbook to look at Jaune as he pretended to study. She felt a blush creep in her cheeks, as she watched him read.
He wasn't someone that many people would consider attractive but she found something about him intriguing. His hair stuck up in the cutest tufts and she couldn't help but notice that his arms were starting to get bigger. She smiled; proud that her training regimen was getting such nice results. And he didn't treat her any different; he didn't care that she was famous, she was just Pyrrha to him. She felt her smile grow and her blush deepen.
"Pyrrha."
"Huh?" She looked over at Ren.
"Do you think we have studied enough? It is getting late." She lowered the book, and saw that Nora was drooling on the book next to Ren. She turned to Jaune, who had looked up from the Z Men comic he was reading.
"What do you think, Jaune?"
"I think Ren's right. We should hit the hay." He stood up and stretched his arms, yawning. Ren gently shook Nora awake and she stood up, leaning against Ren and complaining that her dream of giant sloth's had been ruined.
Pyrrha stood up and gathered up their books. She began to walk through the library but paused when she saw Blake sitting at a computer. She looked over at Jaune before looking back at Blake and walking over to her.
She stared at the computer monitor, her eyes unblinking as she scrolled through news site. The White Fang in Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas were still destroying Schnee cargo, setting shops on fire that refused service to Faunus, the usual fare. But the branch in Vale had mostly gone silent, aside from the incident at the docks last month. But that was it. She grit her teeth and exited out of the site, looking up the murder rate in Vale. She drummed her fingers against the desk in agitation as the page loaded.
She rested her hand against her chin as she scrolled through the page. There had been a surge in violent murders, a majority of the victims were human. Her eyes wandered to her hands for a moment, the faces of dozens of Schnee guards flashing in her mind, before she shook her head and looked back at the screen.
Her mind began to wander as she looked up the Faunus arrest rate in Vale.
The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight filtering into the room. The seat was metal, and cold. Ozpin sat across from her, his hands resting on the metal table between them. He picked up a mug from the table as he looked at her.
"Well this has certainly been an interesting week," he said. Blake said nothing as Ozpin took a sip from his mug. He brought the mug back down to the table. "First one of my students disappears for several days only to reappear, having stopped an attempted robbery by the White Fang." He smiled at her. "I'm sure after such an exciting time you just want to get back to your dorm and have a nice nap. But I think we need to have a little talk."
"O-Of course," she said.
"As you know, to be completely accepted into Beacon Academy one has to survive my rigorous entrance exam. I also require transcripts from a Combat School, although I am willing to overlook the transcripts for exceptionally skilled applicants." He leaned forward. "You are one of those applicants. No transcripts, and you managed to not only survive the exam, but walk out of it unharmed and unfazed by what you saw." Blake looked away from Ozpin, his gaze unsettling her.
"I grew up outside the kingdom's; its fight or die out there with the Grimm and raiders."
"I'm aware. And I am quite proud that my school is willing to accept anyone despite their walk of life. Rich, poor, human." His eyes flickered to her bow. "Faunus," he said. Blake narrowed her eyes. "Might I ask why you find it necessary to hide your Faunus heritage?" he asked.
"You may be accepting of my people, but the humans who go here certainly don't. And I refuse to be treated any different because of who I am."
"So you're solution is to hide who you are?"
"Until your kind starts treating us like equals, and stop using us as a scapegoat for your problems, then yes."
"We are making strides Blake." She scoffed.
"Well your kind need to start making larger strides, Professor. I want to be seen for who I am, not what I am." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.
"And what are you Blake?"
"I- I don't understand what you're asking." He leaned forward, his eyes on the arm sleeve on her left arm.
"What I am asking, Blake, is how did you know the White Fang was going to be there?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head.
"I didn't know they were going to be there." She started to rub her left arm. Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "I was trying to help a friend out and they just happened to show up. I was in the wrong place at the right time." Ozpin chuckled.
"You wouldn't have been the first to be in a situation like that. But I do find it quite curious that you are the only Belladonna I could find." She cocked her head to the side.
"I'm sorry?"
"Belladonna. An uncommon surname, and after doing a little digging to learn more about one of my more talented students, I found that she had no relatives. Almost as if the name was made up." He leaned forward.
"That attack at the shipyard was not an isolated incident, and your hostilities towards certain human students here has been noticed. I may be your Headmaster but I am also a Huntsmen, and it is my job to protect this world from the forces- human, Faunus, or Grimm- that wish to destroy it." He looked into her eyes. She struggled to not squirm in her seat.
"Are you absolutely sure there is nothing else you want to tell me, Blake?" She shook her head. "I see," he said.
He stood up, leaning on his cane for support.
"Starting tonight you will be placed on academic probation. Do try and not make it a habit to skip classes for days at a time, Ms. Hōzuki." Blake stared at him as he walked to the door, her mouth agape in shock. He looked back at her as he opened the door. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my staff and I are more than willing to listen." He nodded at her and left the room. She sat there in silence and looked down at her hands.
"Blake?" She looked away from the computer screen and at the owner of the voice. Pyrrha was hunched over next to her, her face at eye level with Blake. She was carrying a large stack of books.
"What?" Blake asked. Pyrrha straightened up before saying
"I asked if you were willing to help me with something personal." Blake sighed, exited out of the site, and turned in the seat so she was facing Pyrrha.
"Sure, what is it?" Pyrrha smiled, before looking around. Once satisfied that no one was around she leaned in towards Blake.
"How do you get a boy to like you?" Blake looked at her, her expression neutral.
"Aren't you a celebrity?" The smile disappeared.
"Well, yes but I want him to like me for who I am, not what I am," she said. Blake chortled, she knew the feeling. She rubbed the side of her face, and looked away from Pyrrha.
"Look, I appreciate you coming to me for this but I don't have the best experience with men." Pyrrha nodded her head in understanding.
"Do you have more experience with girls? Is there a difference between wooing a boy and girl?" Blake felt heat creep into her cheeks.
"Uhhh, I wouldn't assume there would be. I-I wouldn't know, I haven't been with a girl yet." Pyrrha put her hand to her lips, a giggle escaping her lips.
"I'm sorry, it's just the way you said that I thought you meant you had only been with girls." Blake scratched the back of her head.
"I've only been with one person, and…" she looked at Pyrrha. "It didn't end well between us." She stood up, turning her back to Pyrrha. She wrapped her arms around her chest. "Look, I have to go. Sorry I wasn't more help." She walked away and heard Pyrrha shout
"Okay Blake! I appreciate that you were willing to help me!" Blake shoved past some students and exited the library.
The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and the air was thick with humidity as Blake walked through the campus. Streetlights were on, and a few students were out and about. Blake made a beeline for the dorms; Yang should be passed out, and Ruby and Penny would probably be out getting a late snack or something else. And Weiss was probably on her way to the library to get some studying done. Blake would probably have the room moderately to herself for a few hours.
Adam. Where did it all go wrong? She sighed as she walked, and put her hands in her pockets. She missed him; despite how much he yelled at her, how much he hurt her, she had still loved him. He had such a fire in him, and was so determined to help their people.
She clenched her teeth and shook her head. He wasn't the same man anymore, the man she had loved was gone, and there was no way to get him back. The faces of the Schnee guard's flashed into her mind again. And she wasn't the same woman anymore. She looked up at the sky, the moon was a comforting sight and she hated how cloudy it got at night during the summers. She stopped and stared up at the sky, her hands slipping out of her pockets. She rubbed her left arm and sighed.
She walked through the doors of the dorm building, and made a bee line for the elevator. She tuned out the sounds of multiple students as they laughed and talked in the lobby. She pressed the button and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to come down. A flood of people shoved past her and went into the lobby. She glowered at them before entering and pressing the button for the fifth floor.
She hated the music that played in the elevator and stared up at the ceiling, counting the tiles as the elevator ascended. The door opened and she stepped out, walking down the hallway. She stopped in front of her door and pulled out her scroll, and opened the door.
She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her. Weiss was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, one leg resting over the other, her back ruler straight. She stared at Blake as she stepped into the room. Yang was laying on her bed, struggling to stay awake. Penny and Ruby were on their bed, chewing on slices of pizza. A game board, dice, game pieces, and cards were scattered all over the floor.
"Hello Blake," Weiss said, standing up from the chair. Blake closed the door and leaned against it.
"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.
"You and I need to have a talk," Weiss said. She pointed her finger at Blake. "You have been acting more quiet, moody, and anti-social than normal and I'm worried about you." She lowered her finger and stepped towards Blake. "You made a promise to me Blake, and I want you to tell me what's bothering you." Weiss' face softened. "Is it something I did?"
"No, it isn't you Weiss," she said. Blake could feel the eyes staring at her as she took a breath to steady herself. "I just…" she took another breath. "I don't understand how you are all so calm."
Ruby leapt down from her bed and Yang fell to the floor before stumbling to her feet. Penny continued to eat her pizza and watch them.
"Are you still thinking about the White Fang?"
"Of course I am! And that Torchwick scumbag they're working with." She looked at them. "Something huge is going on if the White Fang are willing to work alongside a human, especially one like him. And no one is doing a Gods damn thing about them!"
"Psssh, stops worrying Blake. Da police got it covered," she slurred. Blake furrowed her brow.
"The police don't care about this, they're just as quick to blame some random Faunus for the White Fang's crimes. We've got to do something!" Weiss stepped forward.
"Blake, we're not ready to take on an entire terrorist organization. We're students, we have to leave this to the professionals."
"And when will we be ready Weiss? Four years from now? You expect the White Fang to just sit around and do nothing for that long?" Blake clenched her hands into fists. "They are getting ready for something huge right now and we're just standing around here doing nothing! They don't care if we're ready or not, they're going to do something, and soon." Weiss sighed, and rested her hands on her hips. Ruby stepped forward.
"If it will make you feel any better, we can try and hunt down the White Fang and find out what they're doing." She said. Blake smiled, and nodded her head.
"Hold up," Weiss said. She looked at Blake. "You're on academic probation, we can't just sneak out like last time."
"The Summer Solstice is coming up if my memory is correct." Penny said. They looked at her before Ruby said
"Oh yeah, that's in just a few days. We can head out into Vale then." Yang pumped a fist into the air before collapsing onto her bed.
"Wooh!" Weiss looked at Blake before sighing and nodding her head.
"Fine, if it will make you feel better I guess we can try and find them." Blake smiled. Ruby pat down her dress, groaned, and looked up at Penny.
"Is my scroll up there?" Penny quickly looked over the bed. She gave a small salute.
"Negative!" she beamed. Ruby groaned and bolted out the door.
"I'll be back!" she shouted over her shoulder.
She couldn't believe that she had left her scroll in the lobby when she had gotten the pizza. She hoped it hadn't gotten stolen. She rounded the corner and slammed into someone. She collapsed to the floor and stammered out an apology. A hand appeared in front of her and she looked up at the person she had crashed into. She was a friendly looking girl with brown skin and mint green hair. Ruby took her hand and the girl pulled her to her feet.
"It's fine, just be a little more careful, okay?"
"I will," Ruby said with a laugh. "I'm Ruby. Are you guys new here? I haven't seen you before."
"We're exchange students from Haven." A female voice said. Ruby looked over the girl's shoulder to look at her teammates.
Behind her stood a tall man with gray hair, a short girl with black pigtails, and-
Orange eyes. Ruby stared at the woman, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her. The woman glared back. Ruby looked back to the woman she had run into.
"Well I hope you guys like it here in Beacon! I'm sure we're really different than Haven. Oh, but exchange students have their own dorms." The girl with pigtails made several motions with her hands.
"Uhhh."
"She said that we must have gotten turned around."
"Oh! Yeah that happens to you new students all the time. You guys are east of here? I think?" The gray haired man and pigtailed girl walked past her. The woman with orange eyes trailed her hand over Ruby's arm.
"Thank you, I'm sure we'll find our way." The woman walked off and the green haired girl followed. Ruby watched them go before she started to head to the elevator.
And that's it. Let me know what you think!