(The morning after Chapter 16)
As the Bullhead VTOL came in for a landing, Haiiden then began to look around at the area. This far out of the central city of the Kingdom of Vale, there were no longer any paved roads in good repair; instead, the roads were marked by two lines of dirt as the many caravans and transports had worn down the grass underneath their tires, leaving a long pair of bald patches that stretched around a corner and out of sight behind the tree line. The traffic had left a clean dirt road with a narrow strip of grass down the middle that would connect to the other Kingdoms, as well as the settlements that were built by people who wanted to escape from the noise and sprawl of the cities. Most of the younger Grimm that would stumble into these settlements, would only be cut down by the Huntsmen and Huntresses who guarded them. The more mature Grimm knew to avoid these settlements, as venturing inside would mean their death. Still, sometimes they would get lucky, as contact with some of the settlements had been known to have been lost in the past.
"It's dangerous out here alone, young sir!" the pilot of the VTOL shouted over the din of the engines. However, Haiiden disregarded the pilot's warning and waved the vehicle off after opening the door and jumping out onto the ground. It was sunny and warm, but it was still very early in the day, which made the grass damp from the morning dew. He took a deep breath, and the crisp, clean air tickled his nose; he was happy to be breathing fresh air again, especially after having been breathing the recycled air inside the VTOL. Turning around, Haiiden then waved for the pilot to leave again, only for the the young woman to shake her head at him before she took off. She was a Faunus; he could tell from the protrusions on the forehead of her helmet that were designed to protect her antlers. After waiting for the roar of the Bullhead's engines to fade into silence, Haiiden then slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and began to follow the road east.
There was no sign of any Grimm, despite the fact that humanity was always at odds with the creatures of Grimm, the road seemed surprisingly quiet. The only sounds that broke this silence were the morning chirps from the birds as they woke up for the day; the rustling of leaves as the morning breeze began to sweep the countryside, and the trees seemed to be alive as their branches swayed back and forth in the wind. The scene became more beautiful when some leaves began to fall as the wind snapped them off of the twigs that they were attached to. Haiiden couldn't help but smile as he walked along the dirt road; the tranquility of the forest gave him peace.
After an hour of following the dirt road, he then stopped in the middle of it to look around, scanning the area to find any familiar landmarks. He was in no hurry, and the chirping of the birds seemed to calm him. He then spotted an opening in the forest to the left side of the road, and saw that the trees parted to make a trail, which was only noticeable to those who knew where to look. He sighed to himself as he stepped off the road and trekked into the forest, following the hidden trail that lead into it.
The crunching of dirt, leaves, and twigs underneath his feet was replaced by soft footsteps as he walked among green grass as the path widened. As he remembered the familiar scent that the trees gave off and the smell of wet grass from the morning dew, the path he took started to look more and more like a walkway, and after some distance, there was a trail of flat stones marking the way. There were no shrubs or trees in the way, as if someone had walked this path many times in the past. No one would dare come this far into the forest alone, especially if they didn't know where they were going; the trees were thick enough to get lost in, and those who did get lost were frequently killed by either the wildlife or the Grimm. But he knew where he was going; he had taken this path many, many times.
Finally, as he approached a clearing, he saw the familiar cottage where he was raised as a child. As he drew closer, he saw that the cottage was in a state of disrepair, and as he fully entered the clearing, he noticed that some Beowolves were climbing along the roof. He gritted his teeth angrily at this sight; his mother had died defending their home against the Grimm, and to see them defile the home that she protected for so long, the home he had grown up in, angered him. He dropped his bag, and as his eyes turned a flaming crimson, he quickly drew his sword. The Beowolves immediately turned their heads as they heard him unsheathe his weapon. The Alpha, the one leading the pack, had jumped down to confront the interloper, while the other Beowolves cowered away as their leader slowly crawled forward, sniffing the air in front of Haiiden. For a moment they made eye contact and as the leader noticed Haiiden's familiar red eyes, it lowered its head and turned to run off with the rest of its pack.
Haiiden glared as they ran away, but once they had disappeared from view, he sighed and turned his attention back to his childhood home. It didn't look so bad once you got a closer look at it: a new paint job and some new shingles on the roof and it would be as good as new. For the first time in a while, he felt another familiar feeling, as something warm began to grow inside him. He quickly ran back to his bag to retrieve it, then trotted to the door. The fire in his soul was being stoked as he ran; he disappeared inside for a few moments, only to come out a few minutes later with some work clothes on: a pair of denim shorts, as well as an old shirt so as not to get any of his regular clothes dirty. He had removed his clawed gauntlet and placed a leather glove over it as he went straight to work.
First, he started at the front of the house. Next to the door were two dirt patches on each side which were supposed to be filled with white rose bushes. However, after years of neglect, weeds had sprouted and choked the bushes nearly to death; there were a few buds, but the bushes weren't flowering at all. He quickly got on his knees and began to pull out the weeds, handful by handful. He struggled to pull out the ones that had really deep roots; after he was done, he got a shovel and began to loosen the dirt around the bushes while clearing out any accessible roots and weeds that hid under the ground. Then went around his home to clear out the weeds that had begun to grow around its edges.
After making a full circle, he then stepped around again, but this time to look for something. As he searched, he finally spotted what he was looking for: a small mound of dirt surrounded by a circle of stones, which was also overrun with weeds. He knelt down to start pulling the weeds, out and when he was done he observed the circle of stones. Moss had grown on top of them, and made the scene look ugly in his eyes. To him it was repulsive, and he began to pick up the stones one by one and threw them back into the forest.
He stomach grumbled; the trek here and the work he had done had caused him to work up an appetite. He turned around and went back into his home, emerging from it with string and a knife in hand. He then leaned down to pick up a piece of a branch and took about twenty minutes to make a makeshift hook to attach to the end of the string. Once he had finished, he smiled to himself, thinking of all the times Oobleck had taken him out when he was being trained to learn how to survive in the wild. How to make snares for animals, and how to make make-shift rods for fishing, and today he especially craved fish. He didn't have time for the rod, and instead had decided to reel in any catch he made with his bare hands.
The stream was nearby, only a few minutes away on foot, and he was delighted to see that it was mating season for the fish. Schools of them were just skimming across the surface of the water with their fins just barely breaching the surface. As he reached the stream, he realized he had forgotten a shovel to dig for worms, deciding instead to use his knife and his bare hands to dig. It wasn't as effective as a spade, which made Haiiden groan in frustration, but after a few grueling minutes he finally found a couple meaty worms to use as bait. He attached one to the hook, using a bit of string to tie it for good measure, after which he flung the hook into the water.
The fish were especially hungry today; after less than five minutes he already had a bite, and he spun the string around his right hand as he reeled in the catch. He was thankful that he'd had the foresight to put on the leather glove, otherwise the line would have easily cut into his fingers and palms thanks to the fight his catch was giving him. As he pulled it in, he began to notice its size and color. He guessed that it was roughly a foot long and the wet silvery-rainbow colored scales glinted as they reflected the sunlight. When he had finally pulled it in withing reach, he picked it up and looked at it as it hung on the hook. His mouth watered as he looked at it, and his stomach grumbled again. Realizing that one would not be enough to sate his appetite, especially since there would be more work to clean it and cook it, he removed the hook from the fish's mouth and attached another worm before casting it out into the stream again.
(A few days earlier)
Just a couple days after coming back from their mission over at Mistral, Zed tried his best to hide his excitement as Pyrrha told HAVC her story. Listening anxiously with a wide grin as she told HAVC how Jaune had finally stood up to Cardin and seemingly saved the day. Although, she leaned in to clarify that it was with the help of her Semblance, which used her control of magnetism to guide Jaune's shield against the giant Ursa's paw just before Jaune cut the beast's head clean off, and that Jaune did not- and would never- know.. Everyone couldn't help but smile as they listened, even Cecilia, who had first doubted Jaune, and was glad that he had been able to prove that she had been wrong about him. She was sincerely relieved that he had proven that he had the heart to be a Huntsman, and to be a good leader for his team.
"Aww, it was nothing," Jaune said with a nervous chuckle as he approached, and began to turn red at the attention as HAVC applauded his valor. A couple bandages over his face marked the beating he had received from Team CRDL before the Ursa attacked and almost killed Cardin, as well as a swollen cheek. "There is a reason why we are here, after all."
"Exactly!" Zed exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat and slid over the table to sit next to Jaune. Putting an arm around his neck and pulling him close while Jaune yelped in pain. The bruises and aches still hadn't healed, and Pyrrha tried to reach out to pull Zed away but recoiled with a grin back when she noticed Jaune's smile. "I always knew you had it in you!"
Haiiden nodded as Zed spoke, at first when he had heard he was an Arc, he always knew that Jaune would do well. Although he knew that doubts began to emerge when he was spending all his free time with Team CRDL, he was glad that they were unfounded after hearing this story. Cecilia also wanted to speak out, to offer her congratulations, but knew that she had been among the many that doubted him and thought he didn't deserve to be here at Beacon. Thinking it would be in bad taste to say so, she instead sat silently. Jaune finally managed to pull away from Zed's hold on him and sat straight up in his seat, while Zed's arm still hung around his neck and rested on his shoulder.
"I do have a confession though," Jaune mentioned silently and Pyrrha looked at him after she heard what he said. "I sort of made up my credentials. I wasn't accepted into Beacon because of skills, but because I lied. I got my hands on some forged transcripts, and well, here I am. Cardin found out, and was blackmailing me; that's why I was spending so much time with Team CRDL; Cardin had me doing his homework, fetching things for him, you name it. Before the Ursa attacked, he asked me to do something that would have hurt Pyrrha; that's where I drew the line, and I stood up to him. They beat me, and that's when the Ursa attacked. If I hadn't been there, Cardin would be dead now. I don't think he'll be giving me any more trouble from here on out."
For a moment, a silence fell onto the table and HAVC looked back to each other with shocked expressions. Finally, everyone replied with a nod as they understood why he did what he did, especially since he wanted to be like his father, his grandfather, and especially his great-grandfather, who had wielded the sword he now carried during the Great War; he came from a long and distinguished line of warriors. Something seemed to hang over Haiiden however as if something pulled at the fibers of the tapestry of his life.
"Doesn't matter now," Cecilia pointed out and leaned on the table as she looked Jaune in the eyes. A grin adorned her face, which made Jaune feel slightly uncomfortable since he had never seen her smile before. "You've already proven that you have as much right to be here as anyone else."
She then went back to her morning meal, smiling the entire time that she ate. Zed still couldn't pull away from Jaune, as he was still too proud to let him go. However, the smile on Haiiden's face had already faded as the feeling inside him grew. A feeling he could only describe as guilt and shame.
"Well. Since we are being honest," Haiiden finally began, which caught everyone at the table off guard. Nora looked up with a pancake sticking out of her mouth while Jaune was still smiling, of course, he was being honest. However, he didn't know about Haiiden either, and Haiiden thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to confess as well. Cecilia sighed to herself and didn't look up from her plate as she already knew what he was going to say. "Remember when Cecilia and I had a rather rough beginning of the semester together?"
"Yeah?" Nora replied and she turned next to Ren.
"She said that it was because she was jealous of you being the team leader," Ren finished and his gaze shifted between Cecilia and Haiiden. While Jaune and Pyrrha leaned in on the table, curious since they weren't there when Haiiden tried to confess what he had done.
"Well. That wasn't the case; she was angry because I dropped out of Beacon last year, and forced the entire team to retake their first year over again," Haiiden continued and braced himself for how they would react. Nora stared at him as if she didn't know what this entailed, while Ren sat quietly as he processed the information. Zed turned and finally pulled away as Haiiden confessed to everyone at the table. Jaune turned his head to Zed for confirmation, then back to Haiiden with a look of disbelief. Pyrrha, however, was different, as she was displeased with this revelation, crossing her arms as she stared at Haiiden.
"I see," she said after a few moments of silence and looked down for a beat as she processed this information. "I thought you had a bit more integrity than that, Haiiden."
"Uh, yeah, I did everything in my power to make it up to my team, but Cecilia couldn't find it in her heart to forgive me. Not until after the duel, at any rate," Haiiden said, and he shivered as he suddenly remembered Pyrrha's admonishment was the same thing that Professor Port had told him. He finally looked down as he tried to hide his shame from his friends. However, when she noticed this, Pyrrha then set her hands on the table and sighed to herself, knowing that he was trying his best to keep his teammates happy by actually apologizing for leaving and stood with his head high as he took Cecilia's hits.
"At least you came back," Pyrrha concluded.
"Yep," Haiiden responded.
"Why did you leave?" Ren asked and everyone at this point was curious as to the answer. Everyone now knew why Jaune had fabricated his credentials, but now it was Haiiden's turn to reveal his motives for abandoning his education at Beacon.
(Present Day)
Haiiden realized at that moment that he hadn't thought about why he left in any great detail. Realizing that in actuality, it didn't really make much sense outside of his own reasoning. He had always told himself that it was because he wanted to just skip the training and the school to just fight, that Beacon had nothing left to teach him that he didn't already know. Then the sudden realization came to mind, like being hit by a train, as he thought about the people that he had hurt with his actions. His teammates, even the people who had trained him in his life: Port, Oobleck, Goodwitch, and Ozpin. He then turned around and looked down from the roof at the mound that lay behind his home. The longer he looked at it, the more the feeling of dread and self-loathing crept into his mind.
"Ozpin took great lengths to get you into Beacon, what with your family's history. Is this how you repay him for what he has done?" he remembered Glynda telling him when she and Ozpin confronted him in his apartment two months ago. He winced to himself as he continued to repeat what she had said in his mind.
"I was sorely disappointed when you left. I thought better of you; perhaps I thought you had a bit more integrity than that," he then heard the voice of Professor Port echo in his mind, which forced him to reel back and feel like he was almost going to throw up.
"Do you hate me too?" he had asked Vaughn when he told him the story of his twin sister's upbringing.
"No, sir, or at least hate wouldn't be the word I would choose. More like, disappointment, but with a smidgen of understanding," he remembered Vaughn's reply. He gritted his teeth to try and keep from screaming as everything began to form an avalanche of self-hatred in his mind. He decided that it would be best to banish these thoughts by distracting himself with more work. He had already eaten enough, and he was down to half of his last fillet but then he looked down at the ground. There, he saw the same fox that he had seen before but this time with a group of kits that were accompanying her.
"A mother," he thought. He sighed and looked down at the fillet again, and decided to give the scraps to her. As well as the heads and offal, whatever he hadn't used when he had prepared his lunch. He slowly made his way down the ladder off the roof and the foxes slowly backed away as he descended. Not wanting to scare them off, he threw the leftovers to them and went to retrieve the heads and guts that he was going to compost. As he watched the mother let the kits eat first, a smile crept onto his face. However, it didn't last long as his previous thoughts still haunted his mind. The insidious feeling that he was a disappointment festered in his mind; he sighed to himself before he went into the cottage to retrieve his tools, this time with his sword and scabbard at his waist, remembering how he had been caught off guard at the stream. Emerging from the house again to climb back up the ladder, he began to remove any old and loose shingles from the roof.
(The previous day)
HAVC was with JNPR in the school's dining hall to study, as well as to enjoy their meals. The topics ranged from history to the different Huntsmen and Huntresses of legend. Zed was still freaking out over what happened with Jaune, so eventually, the topic redirected to him. Jaune then revealed that he had been training with Pyrrha for the past few days, and no one objected to this. No one could think of a better instructor than Pyrrha when it came to learning how to fight.
"Aww man, it's in your blood!" Zed announced as he continued to praise Jaune.
"Are you sure you aren't praising him because he stood up to Cardin?" Cecilia jokingly asked.
"Both!" Zed replied, and Vaughn couldn't help but sputter as he tried to contain his laughter. After a moment, the entire table erupted into laughter.
"But Zed is right," Haiiden said with a smile; he was the first one to calm down, and he leaned on the table so as to get closer to Jaune. He remembered the man that he had to bury in Mistral, the man with no name. "You bear an amazing name, with a glorious legacy. You have the Crocea Mors, the very weapon that defines who your family is, as well as who you are."
Jaune's cheeks began to turn red, and he looked away as he scratched the back of his head. He felt a tad embarrassed at the attention that he was currently receiving.
"Well, I am still training. Don't want you guys to get disappointed when I end up not making it. So maybe save the praise for when I actually earn my name," Jaune said and smiled sheepishly, hoping that his words came across as a request.
(Present Day)
"A name," Haiiden thought. He had been so trapped in his mind that he didn't realize how much time had passed. The sun was going down now and the sky had turned a vivid orange in the west to signal that it was going to be dark soon. He got down from the roof and back away from the house to get a better look at it. It already looked much better than it had when he'd arrived. It was enough work for the day, and he decided that he would do the rest tomorrow, but he had to do something first. He went back inside the house and retrieved a rucksack from inside and rushed to the stream.
Haiiden crouched down and dipped his left hand into the water to collect some stones that were about the size of his fist, which he placed in the bag. With a groan, he heaved the rucksack over his shoulder when it had become full and rushed it back to the house. He went around to the back and stopped at the mound that he had been eyeing on and off throughout the entire day. One by one, he set the stones next to each other so that they bordered the mound in a circle, as a marker.
As he went back inside, he got ready in front of a mirror as he got into his usual garb: His white, button-less and zipper-less coat, which exposed his chest and was cinched at the waist by a belt. He removed the leather glove from his right hand and replaced his gauntlet on his arm, then looked down at it for a long moment. For a while, he lost himself at the sight and remembered how he had received it in the first place.
He shook his head to relieve himself of the thoughts that were plaguing him, and he turned to a small couch that faced a fireplace. On top, was draped his mother's shawl with intricate designs sewn onto it, a snowflake and with little laces and fringe on the edges. He picked it up and felt the fabric with his left hand, letting each individual strand pass between his fingers and thumb. He took a deep breath as he finally wrapped it around his neck and let it drape over his chest. As he stepped to leave the cottage, he noticed that on one of the tables, one of the picture frames had fallen over.
At the base of the frame, was a necklace that encircled it, and when he saw it he couldn't help but let out a sigh. He approached it and set the frame upright, staring into it to see the photo of his mother and he then picked up the necklace that was around it. It was made of silver and was adorned with different charms. One was a snowflake, then a four-pointed star, a rose, and a bird, but no matter how detailed it was, he was never able to distinguish what kind of bird. His thumb gently rubbed over each charm, especially the snowflake, and set the necklace back down around the photo of his mother, making it appear as if she was still wearing it in some way.
"I am ready," he thought as he stepped outside.
(The previous day)
"What about your weapons? Do they have names like mine?" Jaune asked just shortly after he had made his previous comment. HAVC looked back to each other and shrugged, except for Haiiden who had frozen in his seat.
"Psh. No," Zed exclaimed and scoffed at the thought. "Naming your weapon is pointless."
"I don't know Zed. I agree with Haiiden that the weapons we use define us," Cecilia interjected and pulled out her claymore. Its long blade was nearly as long as she was tall, and had a cross guard that formed in the shape of a "V". She chuckled to herself; she had never given her weapon a name before, as the thought had never crossed her mind, but if it did have a name, it would have to be a name that defined her. "I think I will call it 'Glacies Lamina'e, from a dead, ancient language in Mantle, before it was destroyed in the Great War."
JNPR all looked to one another as they wondered what it meant. Even Zed, who looked at her with genuine curiosity as he wondered why she had chosen that name.
"It means 'The Blade of Ice'," she elaborated, and everyone nodded as they finally understood the logic behind the name. It fit her well, especially since she was able to manifest her Aura and her Semblance through her weapon, almost as if she was using it as a wand to direct her attacks and allow her to form ice to trap her enemies.
Vaughn then thought back to his weapon, however, he didn't want to pull it out as his sister did.
"I think I'll refrain from naming it for now," Vaughn responded, much to his sister's disappointment.
(Present Day)
He then turned back to the mound, and wondered how to best present himself before he finally let go of the handle, just enough to let it fall so that the blade pointed downward. Then he slowly lowered it so that it stuck into the ground as kept his hand loosely on the hilt.
"Hey mom," Haiiden said with a sheepish smile, a small glimmer of hope resided in his mind that he would get some kind of response. None came.
"I'm sorry. I know it has been a while, but I have been rather busy. Huntsman stuff, you know?" He continued, and his sheepish smile lingered. "I am not an official Huntsman yet, but I am getting there.
"However, I did have a little fall from grace," he said with a smile and laughed to make himself feel better, but he knew it wasn't funny. It never was. "I dropped out of school. I know what you would have done, you would have put your hands on your hips, and with your warm smile, you would have scolded me for leaving."
"You would have told me that this is not what a Huntsman does. A Huntsman must stick with things until the end, and never abandons anyone," he said suddenly, not realizing what he had just said until after the words had parted from his lips. He swallowed as he realized that he had abandoned the friends that he had made at Beacon, but he had come back, surely that redeemed him, Didn't it? His breathing began to quicken as he became nervous, almost ashamed that he would approach his mother after what he had done. He felt unworthy to be in her presence as he tried to think of rationalizations for him leaving but came up with none.
"Mom, I'm so sorry," he said as he collapsed onto his knees, holding back something in his throat to keep himself from choking. "I swear, whatever I did, I did because I thought of you. I want to become your living legacy and to make sure that your name did not die with you."
Haiiden stared down at the mound behind his home, with his hand on the hilt of his blade as he continued to look down at it. After a few moments, there was more rustling from the bushes but this time he was prepared, and saw the group of Beowolves that had returned, and stared at him from the bushes. Or rather, he merely saw the glowing of their red eyes that betrayed their locations; apparently, they were attracted to his feelings of despair and self-loathing. He glared back at them, choosing not to move from his spot as he tightened his grip on his sword. He stared down the largest one of the group, the Alpha. However, the pack leader's eyes moved from Haiiden, then onto the mound that he was standing in front of. It lowered its head as it glared at it then snapped its attention back to Haiiden and let out a low, guttural growl.
"You know what this place is, huh?" Haiiden growled in reply and turned to face the Beowolf. It bared its teeth at him in response, while the rest of the pack seemed to get ready to attack in case Haiiden was to make a move against them. "How many of your kind have died here? Hundreds? Thousands?"
The Beowolf then replied with a snarl and stepped out of the bushes towards Haiiden. With lightning fast speed, he quickly drew his sword and readied it in front of him, baring his teeth at the Alpha as well. This sudden act of aggression stopped the Alpha in its tracks, and again they were left in a standoff as they stared each other down.
"And yet, now that she is dead, you still continue to die here," Haiiden said under his breath and stepped forward towards the Alpha. "I see no reason why that should change today."
With that, Haiiden suddenly lunged at the Beowolf with no thought for tomorrow.
"What about you?" Haiiden remembered Nora ask as she jumped up from her seat and slammed her hands down on the table, which startled everyone, even Haiiden, who was forcibly ejected from the void his thoughts had driven him to.
"W-What?" Haiiden stammered as he looked to everyone at the table as he almost forgot what they were talking about.
"What is the name of your weapon?" She yelled out and stood on the table to strike a pose. "Maybe 'Slasher'. Ooooh! Or maybe, 'The Punisher'!"
"Stop it, Nora, before you hurt yourself," Ren said with a sigh, a hand against his cheek as he pulled her down from the table and back onto her seat. She smiled at Ren, acting innocent before she turned back to Haiiden.
"Just a thought," she concluded. Haiiden couldn't help but smile but he only used the smile to mask the feelings of pain that he felt.
"Ummm, like Jaune, I think I'd rather wait until I've earned the right to give my weapon a name," he responded, then got up from his seat and walked away. He had decided to go and visit Ozpin as he felt he needed something to keep his mind off the subject. The two teams watched as he walked away, then looked back to each other while Zed responded with a shrug, confused as to why he had suddenly left their conversation.
"It already has a name," Haiiden thought
"Yes?" Ozpin said as he answered the next call that went to his Scroll.
"Hello, Headmaster. This is Lipesce," the man on the other end of the call replied with the usual serious tone in his voice.
"How can I help you, Colonel?" Ozpin asked, turning his head to Glynda to see what her reaction was, only to see her shrug in response.
"Nothing at all, Headmaster. You have already helped enough, I am just calling to congratulate you," he continued.
"Congratulate me?" Ozpin asked with a raised brow. Keeping his eyes on Glynda and noticed that she also had a raised brow as she tried to guess what Lipesce was saying.
"Why, for how well you train your students, of course. If all of them have this much skill then I am really looking forward to seeing their careers as Huntsmen and Huntresses," Lipesce continued and picked up his tea from its saucer and sipped from it.
"As Huntsmen protecting humanity, I hope they won't have to be called by the military again," Ozpin responded with a hint of disgust in his voice. He had always opposed the idea but had been forced to go along with it.
"Oh yes. Of course. By the way, you don't mind if I keep their profiles a while longer, do you?" Lipesce asked as he set the tea back down onto its saucer.
"As long as I get them back, and no one else touches them," Ozpin replied.
"Of course, Headmaster. The information will remain confidential, I promise. Have a good night," Lipesce concluded and quickly hung up the Scroll, the call disconnecting on his end.
"Good night," Ozpin growled into the dead connection, and slowly set the Scroll down before he looked up at Glynda.
Back in Mistral, Lipesce chuckled to himself lightly as he opened each file to take a quick peek while a young woman then approached him with another folder and handed it to Lipesce.
"Oh, are these the photos from the Knight-130 cameras?" He asked with a hint of curiosity and strangely, with a touch of excitement.
"Yes, sir," she replied before Lipesce waved her to go away, and she bowed before she left.
"Let's see." He whispered as he pulled out a photo of Cecilia, her head turned away as she spoke with a soldier back at the base about Colonel Sceryei. He then opened another folder and inside was another photo but this was older as it showed a younger version of Cecilia. He removed the photo and replaced it with the updated one and scanned the contents of the cover sheet.
NAME: CECILIA SCERYEI
D.O.B: FEBRUARY, 8th 908
HAIR COLOR: PURPLE
EYE COLOR: GREY
OCCUPATION: HUNTRESS IN TRAINING; CURRENTLY ATTENDING BEACON ACADEMY
WORK HISTORY: FORMER ATLESIAN SOLDIER, RANK: ACTING LIEUTENANT; DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED. DECORATED WITH THE ATLESIAN STAR CROSS WITH CLUSTERS
MISC INFO: ADOPTED FATHER: COLONEL ANATOLYI SCERYEI (STILL MIA); BIOLOGICAL TWINS WITH VAUGHN SCERYEI
Lipesce then skipped the rest of her information as it was not relevant. The next photo he pulled out was Vaughn's. Just like with Cecilia's, he pulled out the outdated photo and replaced it with an updated one. Just like with Cecilia, his head was turned as he explained how he mixed Dust to Haiiden. He then began to scan the contents of the folder after he had replaced the photo.
NAME: VAUGHN SCERYEI
D.O.B: FEBRUARY, 8th 908
HAIR COLOR: GREY
EYE COLOR: GREY
OCCUPATION: HUNTSMAN IN TRAINING; CURRENTLY ATTENDING BEACON ACADEMY
WORK HISTORY: FORMER ATLESIAN SOLDIER, RANK: ACTING LIEUTENANT; DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED
MISC INFO: ADOPTED FATHER: COLONEL ANATOLYI SCERYEI (STILL MIA); BIOLOGICAL TWINS WITH CECILIA SCERYEI
The next photo was of Zed. This photo didn't capture his usual moment where he was always grinning but rather one of his darker moods where he was playing with his karambit.
NAME: ANDERS "ZED" IGNIS
D.O.B: JULY 12th 908
HAIR COLOR: ORANGE
EYE COLOR: GREEN (ORANGE WHEN ANGERED)
OCCUPATION: HUNTSMAN IN TRAINING; CURRENTLY ATTENDING BEACON ACADEMY
WORK HISTORY: UNKNOWN
MISC INFO: FATHER IS A WELL-KNOWN BUSINESSMAN FOR THE SCHNEE FAMILY COMPANY
"Last, but certainly not least," Lipesce mused to himself, seemingly with a smug grin as he then picked up the photo of Haiiden. This one showed Haiiden looking into the camera of the Knight androids. When he first received the file, he was curious as to why it had the large red "Classified" printed on it. "All because of your father, you too, are Vale's best-kept secret."
After he opened the folder, he then sighed as he slowly placed the photo over a box marked "photo here". There was no photo to replace as the box was already opened upon opening the folder.
NAME: [DATA EXPUNGED]
D.O.B: [DATA EXPUNGED]
HAIR COLOR: [DATA EXPUNGED]
EYE COLOR: [DATA EXPUNGED]
OCCUPATION: [DATA EXPUNGED]
WORK HISTORY: [DATA EXPUNGED]
MISC INFO: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Lipesce closed his eyes and smiled when he had finished scanning the contents of the file. "You are an interesting young man, aren't you? I wish you luck in your future endeavors, 'Haiiden'.
"In the meantime, we will be watching. And waiting. And one day soon, the time will come for you and your friends."
****End of Volume One****
**To be continued in Volume 2**