/SERVOS… ACTIVATED/
She began to slowly flex her fingers, getting a feel for them once more, and yet strangely, she couldn't feel. She always felt it an odd sensation whenever she was 'awoken'. How she was not able to feel or see or hear anything at first but one by one, she would get those senses back. The more and more she experienced it, the more she began to appreciate it, which made being woken her favorite feeling in the morning.
/SENSORS… ACTIVATED/
There it was… She never got tired of this sensation whenever she awoke. Her hair resting against her face, the clothes draped over her synthetic skin which lightly tickled her and the comforting bed that she slept upon. A bed which she requested.
/OPTICAL SYSTEMS… ACTIVATED/
The world seemingly came to life before her eyes, first appearing in gray monotone, then finally showing its true beauty as many wonderful colors filled her vision. Even the Atlesian Gray of the Olympus was an exciting color to her.
But then a familiar face appeared before her, looking down at her; it was the ever so attentive face of her guardian, Dr. Maynard. His mouth was moving and yet, she could not understand what he was saying and she simply responded with a smile.
The man simply gestured with his index finger and inputted a few commands onto his Scroll.
/OTIC SYSTEMS… ACTIVATED/
The first thing she could hear was Dr. Maynard's usual humming but as she listened closely, she could hear and almost feel the humming of the Olympus' engines as it reverberated along its hull. The next thing she heard was the footsteps of that outside of her quarters and the morning drills of the soldiers outside on the deck.
She then turned to Dr. Maynard once more who at this point had still not looked up from his Scroll. Instead, simply raising his finger once more.
/VOCALIZATION… ACTIVATED/
"There we go," Dr. Maynard said as he looked down at her once more. "Can you hear me now, Ms. Polendina?"
"I can, Dr. Maynard." The girl that was named Penny, replied. Slowly, she sat upright on her bed as she addressed her guardian. "I think it's funny how you always seem to forget turning on my otic systems. Watching your mouth move is always amusing."
"Well, words and the idea of vocalization has always been an interesting topic for me," Dr. Maynard said with a chuckle. "It is how we evolved past our primal state from simple grunts and into fully formed words with almost arbitrary meanings. The only thing that keeps it from being arbitrary is our shared agreement for what these words mean."
"You are monologuing again, Doctor," Penny teased.
"Oh, I am," Dr. Maynard then laughed. "But there was a point I am trying to get at, Ms. Polendina: as something that we use in our daily lives, we take the idea of speaking for granted. It is the building block of civilization and without an agreed-upon language, we would be nothing."
"And I am here to defend that," Penny answered with an assured nod. "To save the world and to defend civilization."
"Indeed, Ms. Polendina," Dr. Maynard said, likewise with a nod, as he took a step back and allowed for Penny to push herself off the bed and onto her feet. "And I have no doubt that you will do just that someday."
"So, what is first on the agenda?" Penny asked with an excited hop.
"Well, first, let's finish our morning ritual and complete your diagnostics," Dr. Maynard said with a smile as he then inputted a few commands onto his Scroll. "Are you ready?"
"I am, Doctor," Penny replied and felt something tickle the back of her mind as suddenly, different characters and words began to flash into her vision. They appeared and disappeared in an instant but she could always read and comprehend them as they came and gone.
"So far so good…" Dr. Maynard said attentively. "However, something is eating up a lot of your processing. Do you mind telling me what that is?"
"Just a memory I had stored," Penny replied.
"Hmm?" Dr. Maynard hummed in reply. "A memory? May I ask of what?"
"Well…" Penny said hesitantly. "It was when I ran away from you a few weeks back. I am sorry again, Doctor."
"Don't be, Penny," Dr. Maynard replied. "I cannot control your curious inhibitions but I do ask that you tell me these things before you try to run out on me, okay?"
"I can't make any promises, Doctor," Penny teased once more.
"Oh you," Dr. Maynard simply replied. "So, do you mind telling me what is so special about this memory, that you chose to keep it?"
"I met a nice girl," Penny replied.
"Oh? And what was her name?" Dr. Maynard asked.
"Her name was Ruby Rose," Penny replied, despite all of what she was thinking about and her systems kicking into gear, she could still clearly speak and remember her new friends' name. "She's a friend."
"I am glad you are making friends, Ms. Polendina," Dr. Maynard replied.
"Mhm, I stopped a truck from hitting her," Penny continued.
"Ah, so that's how you hurt yourself," Dr. Maynard said. "I was wondering how you got that. I assume then, that she knows who you are?"
"She does," Penny replied but then she grew worried and turned to Dr. Maynard. "Again, I am sorry, but I promise that she didn't seem to mind at all."
"Don't be sorry, Penny," Dr. Maynard answered with a dismissive shake of his head. "You are a trusting young girl but remember that not many people would understand who you are. And what people don't understand, they will fear."
"But I am not scary," Penny countered and Dr. Maynard noticed a spike in her emotional charts.
"I know you are not," Dr. Maynard assured her and smiled at her, which seemed to ease her spirits as the charts went down. "You will be introduced into the world someday and when people see what you can do, and then I promise it won't matter as to who you are and where you came from."
"I can't wait then, Doctor," Penny said with a hum as her diagnostics then concluded.
"Everything seems to be in order, Penny," Dr. Maynard said as he hugged his Scroll close to him and headed for the door. "Come. Today is an important day, Penny."
"Why is that, Doctor?" Penny asked as she followed beside him closely.
"The fleet has been ordered to move into the kingdom," Dr. Maynard replied. "We must do our best to present ourselves to the people of Vale."
"Why the change in plans?" Penny asked. "Didn't the Head of Security request that all of the Atlesian ships be docked outside of the kingdom?"
"There have been some changes while you slept, Penny," Dr. Maynard replied and Penny could detect an inflection in his voice. Something was wrong.
"What's happened?" Penny continued.
"There was an attack by the White Fang just yesterday," Dr. Maynard replied. "They had blown holes into the tunnels leading in from Mt. Glenn in an attempt to allow the Grimm to pour into Vale."
"What?" Penny exclaimed and stepped in front of Dr. Maynard. "Why wasn't I woken for this? I could have helped."
"We already had men on the ground as well as Huntsmen and Huntresses from Beacon Academy," Dr. Maynard continued. "From what little General Ironwood relayed to me, your friend: Ruby, was down there as well."
"Is she okay?" Penny quickly asked, growing increasingly worried.
"She is fine," Dr. Maynard replied with an assuring smile. "For a Huntress in training, she handled herself really well."
"Whew, I am glad…," Penny said with a huff but then puffed her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Still… I want to help and this could have been a way for me to reveal myself."
"In due time, Penny," Dr. Maynard replied. "I promise you will have your moment to shine. In fact, General Ironwood has an idea for how you will do that."
"He does?" Penny asked excitedly.
"Mhm, during the Vytal Festival, there is a tournament where the students from the four academies compete to show who is the best fighter," Dr. Maynard continued. "General Ironwood would like you to participate and show the world what you got. If you think you are ready for this…"
"I am combat ready!" Penny said without hesitation. "I want to show you, the General and my father that I am ready!"
"I have no doubt about your abilities, Penny, and so, I will send in your application for the tournament," Dr. Maynard concluded. "I will also let your father know of your decision and he will most likely tune in to watch."
"Thank you, Doctor," Penny said as she stepped forward and hugged him. After a few seconds, Dr. Maynard likewise embraced her for a moment before he pulled away and they both continued onward.
On their way, however, they would pass by officers, scientists like Dr. Maynard and soldiers and technicians. While most of them greeted Dr. Maynard pleasantly, Penny noticed that many of them looked down at her with disdain.
Penny was told that the Olympus was manned by many who were handpicked by General Ironwood himself. Penny trusted that these people were the best and brightest and yet she felt uneasy under their gaze.
If she had to choose a word to describe it… it would be hateful. However, she shook off the feeling. Just another memory that she can clear later.
Penny recognized this hallway despite all of them looking exactly the same. Judging from her memory banks and their position on the Olympus, however, this particular route was towards the elevator that would then take them up to the Olympus' control room.
Ahead of them, were two technicians as they recalled the elevator and waited. Once it arrived, they stepped in but held the door for both Penny and Dr. Maynard once they noticed them.
"Good morning, Dr. Maynard, Ms. Polendina." Both of the technicians said in unison, which Penny recognized as twins by the name of Garnet and Scarlet.
"Good morning, you two," Dr. Maynard nodded as he and Penny both stepped in, with the two technicians flanking them. Besides Dr. Maynard, Penny liked the twins.
"Please, just call me Penny," Penny replied as she looked up at Dr. Maynard. "The only person who calls me by my last name is the Doctor but that is because he thinks he is being respectful."
The two technicians giggle.
"Mostly out of respect for your father," Dr. Maynard quipped, to which Penny replied with a nudge against his shoulder.
After that spat, the ride up was silent. Penny couldn't wait for a birds-eye view of Vale, despite already having been on the ground and when the doors slip open, she immediately charged inside.
The giant ballistic-proof glass that acted as the Olympus' cockpit was thousands of square-feet that stretched not only round the front but around the sides as well. Allowing her to, for what she calculated, was a two-hundred and forty-degree view around the ship.
In the control room, were rows of computers with technicians manning them as they scanned and kept watch over the Olympus' systems. Penny quickly scanned each one and noticed that temperatures in the engine room were a little higher than normal but the tech quickly caught on and called in to check on them.
"Penny, come with me," Dr. Maynard said as he beckoned for her to follow as he walked down the flight of stairs from the command console.
She quickly caught up to him as he stopped in front of the glass. They were still high in the sky, high enough to be caught in the clouds, but she could still see some of the soldiers and navy men performing drills and their duties upon the deck.
"Penny," Dr. Maynard said, which surprised Penny and that did not happen often.
"Yes, Doctor?" Penny replied.
"I just want to reiterate what is going on here," Dr. Maynard continued. "The Council of Vale, as well as the Councils of Atlas, Mistral and whatever governing body is in Vacuo, have concluded that the title of Head of Security was to be given to General Ironwood."
"For all the good things I heard about Headmaster Ozpin, General Ironwood is the best choice for when it comes to defending the people during the Festival," Penny replied. "My father had always told me stories of Huntsmen and Huntresses but General Ironwood is a man of strength. I am sure he will keep the people safe."
"Indeed," Dr. Maynard replied but once again, Penny detected an inflection in his voice.
"Is everything alright, Doctor?" Penny asked.
"I have always admired the Huntsmen Academies, Penny. Some of the most famous heroes in history have come from these schools. However, in recent times, the people's faith in the Huntsmen have diminished, especially after the Huntsmen Civil War," Dr. Maynard continued but Penny stood silent.
"As such, fear and uncertainty have begun to spring up and it is our turn to give them certainty and security," Dr. Maynard added.
"You seem saddened by that, though," Penny commented.
"I am, Penny. For hundreds of years, the Huntsmen Academies have watched over us but as the years progressed, it is painfully obvious that the Huntsmen can no longer be tasked with this burden. At least, not alone," Dr. Maynard continued but Penny simply looked at him and tilted his head.
Dr. Maynard sensed her confusion.
"What I am trying to say is that the Huntsmen is the identity of Humans and the Faunus as a whole," Dr. Maynard continued. "I just hope we don't end up forgetting their services these past centuries."
Penny did not have an answer. She didn't understand what it was that Dr. Maynard was trying to tell her and so, she chose to stay quiet.
Instead, she kept her eyes forward as rays of light began to shine through the cloud layer. As they were descending, the city of Vale came into view. On the ground it was pretty, but up high it was magnificent and Penny ended up pressing her face against the glass.
The soldiers, once they had concluded their drills, suited up in their armor and began to make way to the troop transports that lines the outer edge of the Olympus' deck. One by one they mounted, with the transports being able to carry around two-dozen of them but then, came the Knights.
The automatons came in rank and file and began to board onto separate transports designed specifically for them. In groups of six-dozen, they boarded their carriers along with their handlers that would assign them orders.
When the men were finally assembled and ready, the transports took off, the sound of the engines was muffled by the glass. Following alongside each transport was an escort of two single-pilot fighters. Using her ocular systems, Penny watched the transports descend towards the front gates, and with another landing directly into the city. The soldiers and Knights quickly disembarked and poured into the city and began to take up positions on the corners of every block.
People watched in fascination but also in confusion and some with fear.
Soldiers then stationed themselves on the rooftops and began to keep watch and before long, there was not a single inch of territory that wasn't under the watchful eye of Atlas and the Olympus.
"In the end, however, I believe the ends justify the means," Dr. Maynard said to which Penny turned to him once more.
"Anything, for the safety of the citizens, and soon, the whole world will know this."
0-RWBY-0
Haiiden stood in an almost catatonic state as HAVC and RWBY rode on the elevator. The name Ruby Rose kept ringing in his mind and he prayed that he had just misheard. It must have been just a coincidence that she just happened to share the same name as Summer Rose but every time he turned to examine her, the resemblance was more and more uncanny.
Aside from the occasional whispers from Ruby, presumably to her sister, the ride down was quiet but Haiiden could feel a strange energy. Then suddenly, the elevator began to shake and he saw that Zed was now hopping in place.
"Mr. Ignis, calm yourself," Glynda Goodwitch said, seemingly sensing his excitement all while looking straight ahead. "You are rocking the elevator."
"I can't help it, Ms. Goodwitch," Zed said quickly, as he tried his best to contain his excitement. "Honestly, RWBY, you gals are amazing!"
"It was nothing," Ruby replied bashfully and waved off the compliment.
"To him, it is everything, Miss Rose," Vaughn said as he looked down at the black-haired girl, who tilted his head at him. "He spent any time he had to spare to research the White Fang for the sole purpose of tracking down Torchwick."
"Time he could have spent on his studies, I imagine," Professor Goodwitch commented.
"Well, I am happy for him," Blake said. "It has been a long time since I have seen him smile like that. Since he left Menagerie."
"Just try not to forget that you are here to become Huntsmen and Huntresses," Glynda Goodwitch replied suddenly as she looked down at her Scroll.
"Professor Goodwitch, is something the matter?" Ruby asked as she noticed a bit of ice in her voice.
Professor Goodwitch turned to face Ruby and at first, her expression was her usual stern one, but then her gaze shifted and her expression softened.
"This will be off the record, RWBY and HAVC," Professor Goodwitch said in a hushed voice as she turned to address each member. "While I don't agree with what you two have been doing behind mine and the Headmaster's back…"
The elevator went quiet as the two teams exchanged worrisome glances.
"I will have to applaud you for interfering with the White Fangs plans when you did," Glynda Goodwitch continued. "Your initiative is something that is lacking in many aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses."
"But what about on the record?" Weiss asked.
"On the record, what you have done is get involved into what is essentially a political war against the White Fang," Professor Goodwitch continued. "As Huntresses and Huntsmen in training, you are also representing Beacon Academy and right now, the people's trust in the Huntsmen is currently a tenuous one."
"Why?" Ruby asked.
"Miss Rose, you are doing well in your studies," Professor Goodwitch said with a sigh. "You should know why."
"The Huntsmen Civil War," Haiiden replied. "It was in Professor Ossea's class."
"Exactly," Professor Goodwitch replied. "While not often mentioned, as it was a minor conflict hidden by the much larger Faunus War, it is still talked about. Now more than ever, it is a subject that is brought up and your interference might have further spurred the issue."
"We were simply trying to help," Ruby countered, and while Haiiden understood the sentiment, he could feel that Ruby genuinely did not understand.
"Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch started but then stopped and sighed as she took another moment to think.
For some reason, the elevator ride felt longer than usual to Haiiden at this point.
"How can I explain this so you could understand?" Professor Goodwitch finally said. "You are trained to fight monsters and not people. It has always been an unspoken rule amongst the Huntsmen and Huntresses that they would not get involved in the conflicts of the kingdoms, as defense against the Grimm was paramount. The only time Huntsmen and Huntresses were ever involved in conflicts was to defend the army's during a battle, as the Grimm would be attracted to the violence."
"As such, the Huntsmen have garnered the reputation as being the defenders of every living being. Regardless of race, creed or allegiance," Professor Goodwitch continued.
"We did defend people," Ruby countered, which surprised even Haiiden as nobody ever challenged Professor Goodwitch on anything. The shy girl that he had just met was now suddenly going up against probably the scariest person he knew. "The White Fang was causing harm to the people around them. They had to be stopped."
"Ruby," Yang whispered and tried to reign her in by tugging on her sleeve.
"Trust me, Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch replied, and surprisingly, she wasn't being stern with her. "I understand your reasoning but I don't think other people will."
Ruby kept silent but she kept eye contact with Professor Goodwitch. A sight that Haiiden could not keep his eyes off of as Ruby's gaze only further reminded him of Summer.
"From what Professor Oobleck stated in his report on your mission… and yes, I will call him Professor as he is an instructor first and foremost," Professor Goodwitch said, with a bit of a hiss. "That one of the assignments he gave you was to give a reason as to why you became Huntresses. Your answer and your actions, Miss Rose, seem to contradict one another."
Ruby's expression became nervous but she stood her ground.
"If you can, do you mind telling me what is your idea of the ideal Huntsmen?" Glynda Goodwitch asked.
Haiiden was listening more intently now. A young girl such as her could have been anything she wanted and she chose to be a Huntress. Then it suddenly reminded him of someone else who asked him the same question he was now thinking.
"I think…" Ruby started but then her cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "The ideal Huntsmen and Huntress is someone who protects anyone and everyone."
"I agree with that but as a Huntress, you would be defending people from the Grimm," Professor Goodwitch replied. "But what you have done is essentially get involved in an ongoing conflict. Are you prepared to go to war, Miss Rose?"
"No," Ruby replied immediately, seemingly almost offended by the question, to which Professor Goodwitch waited for her to continue. "Going to war means that I would have to kill, not protect anyone, but I will stop those who try to hurt others."
"Ruby," Blake said softly and looked up Zed who was looking back at her, but then diverted his gaze back to Ruby.
"As Huntsmen, they would defend those from the Grimm and bring justice to those who would hurt others," Ruby continued slowly, but surely, becoming more confident. "It doesn't matter the situation or the odds, they would always charge in doing the right thing."
"Admirable, Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch replied. "However, what you described is not a Huntsmen or Huntress, but rather, more along the lines of a Hero."
"What is the difference?" Ruby asked, the response of which made Haiiden freeze a moment.
"The difference is that a Huntsmen understands that sometimes sacrifices must be made," Professor Goodwitch said, sullenly. "You cannot save everyone."
"I don't believe that," Ruby said sadly.
"I won't try to convince you otherwise, Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch said with a nod but then turned away.
"But I have seen what happens to those who try," Professor Goodwitch whispered.
Haiiden now couldn't keep his eyes off Ruby. She was indeed Summer's daughter and this realization made his heart sink as a single thought began to ring in his mind…
Then suddenly, the doors slid open and HAVC and RWBY noticed soldiers with the Atlesian emblem emblazoned on their shoulder pads stalking down the corridors. Accompanying them, were Knights.
"Damn it," Professor Goodwitch spat. "Didn't think they would be coming in so soon."
"You there!" A soldier exclaimed and approached the elevator. "Make way to the foyer for General Ironwood's announcement, this instant!"
"If you hadn't gotten in my way, I would have been there by now," Professor Goodwitch hissed at him, which made him flinch. "The General may want to wave his big stick but I believe you better speak softly. This is my school and you have no authority over me or the faculty."
The soldier looked towards his peers and they silently stepped aside.
Here was the Glynda that Haiiden always knew but something felt off.
"Professor, what announcement are we exactly heading to?" Haiiden asked.
"It is best you hear for yourself," Professor Goodwitch responded, to which the students all looked to one another as they all disembarked.
"What is going on?" Cecilia asked as everyone followed Professor Goodwitch.
"Everything will be explained in the announcement General Ironwood has planned," Professor Goodwitch replied as she began to lead the students down the hall.
The members of HAVC and RWBY exchanged glances once more, with Haiiden instinctively looking towards Ruby. For a moment, they lock eyes but only for a moment as then something compelled him to quickly jerk away.
0-RWBY-0
Word spread fast through Beacon as students began to make way to the school's foyer. The halls were congested as they were being corralled and separated into groups based on the academies they originate from. Many of those who have made friends with other students from other academies tried their best to stand next to one another to converse.
HAVC and RWBY made their way through Beacon's group and managed to group up with both CFVY and CNBR. To CNBR's right, much to Haiiden's surprise, was team CRDL.
"Hey little lady," Zed said with a grin as he approached Byeli and placed an arm around her. "How was your mission?"
"It went well," Byeli said happily. "Professor Port surprised us and made it a joint mission with Professor Peach and CRDL."
"CRDL?" Zed said and glared over at them. "They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
"Nope, they had our back," Byeli said as she looked over at her team, then peeked over at CRDL, with Cardin simply looking over at her from the corner of his eye before looking forward.
"I was kind of surprised too as to how well it went," Celise added. "They are actually not that bad at killing Grimm."
"Hmmm," Zed hummed before looking back at Byeli, his fox ears still out.
"I can see you are doing well," Byeli commented as the sight of his ears made her beam just as brightly as him.
"You have no idea," Zed said with a chuckle. "I will tell you about it later."
"Yes, please," Coco from CFVY added as she listened in. "Tell us all about what happened. When we heard the sirens going off in Vale, we assumed that you would be down there with us."
"Instead, we heard you guys were under Atlesian custody," Velvet added as she approached HAVC and took a moment to examine each member.
"We are fine, Velvet," Haiiden replied.
"Just a misunderstanding," Cecilia added. "I promise we will explain later."
"Well, I am glad none of you are in any real trouble," Velvet said as she took another moment to glance at HAVC before joining her own team.
"So, you already know each other then?" Ruby asked as she noticed Zed and Byeli conversing.
"Small world, huh?" Yang joked and nudged her sister.
"Well, remember that we have not met yet until now," Vaughn said. "Maybe not as small as you think."
"Finally met RWBY, huh?" Coco asked. "Are they everything you thought they were?"
Not really, Haiiden thought but was then pulled from his thoughts as the last of the students finally made it to the foyer, only for armed guards to flank the stage.
Haiiden looked around and noticed that many of the exits were blocked off by Atlesian Knights and Atlesian Soldiers.
"What is with all of the Atlesian soldiers all of a sudden?" Haiiden asked his team. "What's going on?"
The group heard his comment and likewise took a moment to scan around the foyer, except for Ruby, who was too short to look over the other students' heads.
"That's…" Coco said. "That's a good question."
"Just what kind of announcement is this?" Yang asked, her jovial and almost ignorant attitude turned attentive and serious.
The commotion that once filled the foyer of Beacon turned silent with only tinges of light whispering can be heard.
Suddenly, flanked by an entourage of Knights, General Ironwood began to ascend the steps of the stage and stood at front and center, with his hands behind his back and he stood straight.
"Greetings, aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses," General Ironwood began as he took a moment to glance at each academy. "I know what is currently pervasive in everyone's mind and that was the breach which occurred yesterday. I would first like to commend the students that came to Vale's defense; while not fully-fledged Huntsmen, you did not hesitate to answer the call to action."
Applause erupted in the foyer and yet, everyone stood silent, and did not speak. Haiiden took another look around and he probably could have guessed why.
"However, this incident is why I am here before you today," General Ironwood continued. "I am sure you all have heard the reports and the news by now. I know what some of you might be thinking: How did this happen? How could the White Fang do this? Why? While all I can say that the White Fang used an old railway in Mt. Glenn to attack, I, unfortunately, do not have a motive for you as of right now…"
The foyer was mostly silent save for a few whispers that were quickly hushed by the faculty. Haiiden then noticed as Headmaster Ozpin quietly made his way up onto the stage but stayed to the side, just out of sight.
"Furthermore," General Ironwood added. "It is of the opinion of the Council of Vale, as well as the Councils of our allied kingdoms, that this attack was due to a failure in foresight on Headmaster Ozpin's part."
The crowd erupted into protests, mainly, from Beacon all while Atlas stood quietly.
"What?" Weiss exclaimed, all while Yang began to tighten her fists.
"But how could he have reasonably foreseen this?" Blake countered.
"Ozpin didn't do anything wrong!" Ruby yelled out but was drowned out by the other voices and she then turned to her sister and tugged on her sleeve. "Yang, did we do something wrong?"
"No, Ruby," Yang assured her all while keeping her eyes on Ironwood.
"Furthermore, it has been shown that the Headmaster cannot keep track of his own students," Ironwood continued. "The attack was spurred on by the sudden intervention of Beacon's students, whose team names shall not be mentioned."
HAVC and RWBY went silent all while suspicious mutterings began all around them.
"But I do offer you solutions," General Ironwood added. "I offer protection for Vale and the citizens of the four kingdoms during the Vytal Festival. Which is why the Councils has granted me the position of Head of Security during the Vytal Festival."
"But he has always done well as head of security!" Another voice stated.
"As Head of Security, Headmaster Ozpin has allowed me and my men room and board in your Academy," General Ironwood added over the now increasingly rowdy crowd. "For the remainder of the Vytal Festival, I will be in charge of Beacon Academy."
Protests then roared from Beacon Academy.
"This is bull-" Cardin exclaimed but stopped himself mid-sentence.
"Students," Ozpin said, sensing the tension, as he stepped forward next to Ironwood. His intervention was enough to calm the students of Beacon as they all stood and watched with bated breath. "I have served my tenure as Headmaster always trusting the judgment of the Council and I see no reason to stop now. I willingly relinquished my position as Head of Security over to General Ironwood after realizing my own failures."
Beacon stood silently but students can be seen exchanging glances with one another.
"I ask that you likewise trust my decision as well as the Council's," Ozpin finished. "I am certain General Ironwood will do well as Head of Security.
From what Haiiden knew of how the Council operated, trusting them was the last thing on his mind but the assurance from Ozpin made this all bittersweet.
"Rest assured, Ozpin is and always will be your headmaster. There is no denying his effectiveness as a teacher," General Ironwood announced. "My role here is strictly for security purposes which means me and my men will not be interfering with your school work or the roles of the faculty. However, there will be changes aside from that… starting with mandatory curfews."
There was a collective groan from all of the students of Beacon as well as Shade and Mistral. The only ones who stood quietly were Atlas Academy but Haiiden just assumed that this was normal for them back in Atlas.
"That is all for now," General Ironwood concluded as he turned to Headmaster Ozpin and nodded.
"Thank you for your time this morning, students," Ozpin said sternly but with a smile. "The General and I shall discuss further policy changes and we will let you know about them soon."
The students in foyer began to disperse as the soldiers and knights stepped away from the exits.
"Damn," Zed said as he stood in place with his hands behind his head. Dumbfounded at what just happened while his fox ears were now laid flat against his head.
"That really came to bite us in the ass, huh?" Cecilia commented. "I didn't think we would get Ozpin in trouble like this."
"We did what we thought was right," Zed said assuredly. "I am sure Ozpin won't begrudge us that."
"Not at all," Vaughn added. "He tried his best to defend us in his office. That is after he most likely relinquished his title as Head of Security."
Zed the turned to RWBY who were now talking amongst themselves, most likely about what had just occurred.
"Everything alright?" Zed asked as he approached RWBY with Vaughn and Cecilia.
"We just didn't think that we would get Ozpin in trouble," Blake replied as the rest of the team turned to face them.
"Kind of makes us feel like we did something wrong," Ruby added.
"What happened was probably the best possible scenario," Vaughn said, addressing Ruby. "If you hadn't gone in when you did, it would have been worse, Miss Rose."
"Vaughn's right," Zed added as he smiled at Ruby. "Me and Blake would know this best. If given the time to plan and prepare, the attack would have been worse. We are lucky that we had you on the scene."
"Indeed," Blake reluctantly agreed.
"Thanks for that," Yang said but was still seemingly dejected. "I just feel bad for Ozpin."
"You heard what Ironwood said," Cecilia added. "He is still our Headmaster."
"That can always change," Weiss pointed out.
Zed nodded but was surprised when Coco came from behind and placed an arm around his shoulder.
"So, do you want to tell us what you did?" Coco asked.
"I have no idea what you mean," Zed replied with a roll of his eyes, playing dumb.
"The two teams that Ironwood mentioned," Coco continued as the rest of CFVY came to back her up. "One was RWBY and the other was you, wasn't it?"
"Perhaps," Zed joked. "We thought RWBY might have needed some backup was all."
"Mhm, is that all?" Coco continued. "I feel there is more to it than that."
"They commandeered a Bullhead, Coco," Blake replied instead.
A now shocked Coco glared at a now sheepish Zed before she slapped him behind the head.
"What were you thinking?" Velvet asked in a hushed voice as she stalked towards him. Careful, to not let anyone else hear.
"I can't believe you two let it happen," Coco said as she addressed the twins, who stood calmly.
"The way we saw it, if we didn't go with him, he would have gone alone anyway," Cecilia replied with a shrug.
"Knowing Zed, he probably would have," Coco relented then nodded before she glared at him once more.
"There is just one thing I don't get," Fox then said. "How did you know that they needed help in Mt. Glenn?"
"That is a long story," Zed replied as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well, we have time before classes start again," Coco said as she patted Zed on the back. "Come on, I am hungry."
Zed grinned and turned to leave but then realized that something seemed off.
"Wait, where is Haiiden?"
0-RWBY-0
Things couldn't get much worse in Beacon now, at least, from what Haiiden thought. At first, he was incensed at the idea that General Ironwood, of all people, would be heading the security of the Vytal Festival but most of all, that he would be in charge of Beacon.
He then took a moment to calmly think things over and concluded that this would only be temporary. However, with that worry out of the way, only new ones replaced it.
Of the man back in Mt Glenn.
The other, of Ruby Rose.
A man who knows who he is, and the other, a ghost from his past that now haunts him.
"Hello, Hero." A familiar voice said.
Haiiden turned to see Lumina approaching him in her white summer gown as she stopped in front of him with a skip.
"Still calling me a hero, Lumina?" Haiiden said with the best smile he could muster.
"Why not? You are a hero, aren't you?" She joked.
"Hehe," Haiiden said, as he scratched the back of his head. "Some days, I really don't feel like one."
Lumina tilted her head as she examined his face.
"What's wrong?" She asked, her jovial expression now replaced with concern.
Haiiden didn't initially answer and instead looked down at the ground.
0-RWBY-0
"Damn it," Mercury cursed as he leaned against the wall next to his bed. He and Emerald did their best during the day to study the patrol patterns of the soldiers and guards but were then confined to their rooms as per the new curfew.
"Operating here is going to get a lot harder," Emerald commented as she paced in the room and watched Cinder text on her Scroll. "There are too many soldiers around."
What surprised Emerald was the grin played across Cinder's face.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Cinder assured her as she pressed send on the Scroll and stood up. Emerald and Mercury converged on Cinder, curious as to what she meant.
"You have a plan, I assume," Mercury quipped.
"Indeed," Cinder replied. "With help from our friend back in Atlas, the bug he had given us has allowed me to discreetly add a fourth member to our team."
"Fourth member?" Emerald asked but then came a knock on their door.
With a smile, Cinder stood from her bed and approached the door before opening it.
In front of her, was Neo, accompanied by an Atlesian soldier.
"Keep track of your teammates," the soldier said as he urged Neo to enter and she did so silently.
"Thank you for finding her, sir," Cinder said, feigning worry as she hugged Neo and pulled her in as she looked up at the soldier. "She is very curious about Vale and we just ended up losing her. As you can see, she doesn't talk much so contacting her is difficult. You are amazing! Thank you!"
"Well, just be careful in the future, okay?" The soldier said as he then bowed his head and turned before marching away.
Cinder kept her smile as she watched the soldier walk away but as soon as he turned the corner, her smile instantly vanished. She slammed the door behind her and turned to address the newcomer.
"Good of you to meet us, Neo," Cinder said as she approached Neo, however, instead of her usual devilish smile, she furrowed her eyebrows at Cinder.
"What's wrong with her?" Mercury asked, to which Neo replied by rushing him and looked up at Mercury angrily.
"Woah now!"
"Now, Neopolitan," Cinder said as she stepped between Mercury and Neo, causing Neo to back away slightly but now her attention was solely on her.
Emerald, ready to spring into action, slowly reached for her weapons.
"It is not our fault that we had to assist the Atlesians in capturing Roman," Cinder said as she looked down at Neo, literally and figuratively, as her eyes began to lit up. "If Roman had dealt with the nuisance that is Ruby Rose, then we wouldn't have had the need to adapt to the change in plans."
Neo grit her teeth in response.
"I assure you, however, that we will get Roman back," Cinder continued but then her expression softened and was replaced with a cock-sure smile. "In fact, he is in an advantageous position on the Olympus."
At first, Neo expressed confusion as to what she meant.
"Come with me and my two disciples," Cinder offered. "We will meet with Ash and Adam to discuss further plans."
Neo broke her gaze as she took a moment to think but then looked back at Cinder. After a moment, her usual smile broke out across her face, and her heterochromic eyes changed color to pink and brown.
She stretched her hands out and Cinder reached out to grab it and before long, both Emerald and Mercury both grabbed hold of Neo's wrist and they vanished from the room.