RWBY: Shadow Company
Chapter 5
"Is there something you need, Ozpin?" He crosses his arms as he looks at Ozpin.
"Yes indeed, Ares. It is about your daughter, Miss Pyrrha Nikos."
Ares's eyes squinted a bit, "What about my daughter?" He said, not even trying to hide his irritated voice.
"Nothing too concerning. It is just that Miss Nikos has sent a personal request to enroll her here into Beacon instead of Haven. Starting next year after her final tournament at the end of this year."
Ares tilted his head in confusion. "She's not going to Haven? Why? Did you already accepted her request?" He said, sounding as calm as he can. "Well, no, not yet. Of course, and you as the father, I need your decision on it." Said Ozpin as he leans on his desk.
"My decision? Then I refuse. I don't see a strong reason for her to enroll here. Unless there is."
"Yes, about that." Ozpin sighs.
"Which is?"
"Your spouse has already agreed to your daughter's decision, and she thinks that it would be beneficial for her. I told her that I didn't have your approval yet," Ozpin said. Ares clenches his fist in frustration and slowly releases, taking deep breaths.
Ozpin takes a sip from his coffee mug. He lets him calm himself for a moment before continuing.
"I know this news isn't exceptional for you, but your daughter decided on her own choice. I was surprised when I first read the letter. But I believe that your daughter would do very well regardless of which academy she enrolls in."
"Why here? Shade is in the middle of a kingdom that needs law and order. Atlas is good too. At least there it won't be much trouble for her, and Haven is nearer to her, and she won't have to stay from far her mother." Ares tried to reason.
"While those are excellent points, I doubt she will change her mind. But if she does come here, she could use the break away from the media that has been bothering her for some time, and it's not as bad here as compared to Mistral. And if she enrolls here, it will be easier for you and your boys to protect her-"
Ares slams his hand on the desk.
"Don't even tempt me, Ozpin. I know what you're trying to do."
"I'm not doing this for my interests, Ares. I'm giving you a chance to be closer to your daughter. Surely you would at least want to see her again in person. Watching her through a screen isn't enough."
It is true, Ares longs to see his daughter again, but not in the state he is in now. He can't even go near her or let her get the idea to know that he is here, and if it is true, then she has already started trying to find him. It would have just caused an end for him and his family. The last thing he needs is to get his daughter and wife in danger because of him.
Is there any other choice? It's not like he didn't like it. But it's just that he couldn't trust Ozpin about this. He's up to something.
He knows it.
It took a while for Ares to agree to her daughter's wishes. "Fine. I will allow my daughter to enroll here, but this is the last thing I want to hear about my daughter, Ozpin." He pointed at Ozpin.
"Of course, Colonel."
"Good. So am I free to go now?"
"Yes, Ares. You can leave." Ares turns to call the elevator, "Oh, and one more thing, there is a recruit with an interesting name that is coming to join the shadows today." Said Ozpin.
Ares holds the elevator door, "I've heard of his name. I just never thought I'd meet his son." He closes it and leaves the office. He sighs and pulls out a picture of Pyrrha and his wife, "Just when I thought today couldn't get any more interesting."
/-/
Jaune stares out of the window, watching the view of the city as they traveled through the mountains heading straight to their base. The air wasn't as cold as in Atlas. Vale was warmer than he thought when he first came here.
The city itself was massive, and it was bigger than Atlas. And yet, no matter how beautiful the city looks, everywhere you see, you'll always have at least a few of the Faunus folk walking around. You barely see any of them. It's like they are hiding or something.
His mind had been flooded about his home back in Atlas. About his family and friends in school and some from the Atlas military. Wonder what they'll say when they realized that Jaune becomes a soldier for the shadows.
It would've been a funny joke if it was one.
But here, racism is present in almost all of Remnant, and it has always been there. And even before the Faunus war, and a story for another time. It was so bad that you would be thankful to be born a human, all the more reason for the White Fang to keep existing and retaliating against them.
And their pure hatred for the humans wasn't helping any better. And it was the most popular attraction for the Grimm.
The shadows did try to resolve the conflict between the two races. But they could only do so much since they also work for the SDC. A "slap on the wrist" isn't exactly a very life-changing thing.
And Sienna Khan is not stopping anytime soon, not until humanity stops its abuse. And until then, they'll keep fighting.
Jaune turns his head back to the front, "How much longer till we get there?" He asked Qrow.
But all he got was snoring. He looks over his seat and finds him already sleeping.
Now that he thinks about it, Qrow did sound a bit tired back there at the station. Bell briefly looks at Qrow as he snuggles in his seat with his face pressed against the window. He smirks at the image beside him. But yes, the long ride was calming. And Qrow got a little too comfortable during the ride.
The sound of its engine and wheels running as he drives. He looks at his rear mirror and sees Jaune distracted by his thoughts.
He figured he should say something to him at the very least. The kid looks lost.
"Well. It looks like Qrow's not getting up anytime soon. How's the ride, kid? I hope it isn't too boring for you." He said.
Jaune breaks out of his thoughts and turns to him, "Huh? Sorry, I was thinking about something."
"It's alright. There's no need to apologize."
"So what happened to Qrow? He looked pretty tired today."
"We were doing Grimm hunting. Their numbers were growing near the emerald forest, so the General called us, and we had to kill them as usual. Qrow did most of the work, which explains why he is sleeping right now." Bell explained.
"I've also heard a lot about you, Jaune. But it's more about your father. It's surprising to have an Arc joining the shadows. I thought you might be with the Knights with him."
"Well, my dad didn't tell me much about them."
"Oh well, it wouldn't be a surprise if you didn't know-"
"That's enough, Bell. Focus on driving, will you?" Qrow closed Bell's mouth with his hand, surprising the both of them. He glared at him.
"Qrow, we thought you were already asleep," Jaune said nervously.
He lets go of Bell and stares at Jaune, "I was until you two started talking. Anyways, we're almost there, kid. You look very nervous." Qrow said as he yawned loudly. Jaune shakes his head and smiles.
"No, it's nothing. I'll be fine."
Qrow raises an eyebrow, "You know, I was thinking about arranging an aircraft for you, but your father had suggested that it won't be a good idea, considering your stubborn case of air sickness, of all things," Qrow said. "You do know that most of our transport would require air travel, right?"
Jaune rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, "Sorry. It's been a problem since I was young." He said. Qrow rubs his eyes, "Well, don't be. Because like it or not. We're going to train you until you stop vomiting in the air. We can't have that as an excuse for you to slow your training down."
Jaune gulps at the thought of it. He heard that the shadows trained long and hard to be the best soldiers in Remnant. Very highly regarded in terms of quality service and being excellent warfighters. Truly the best that money can buy.
However, their reputation with the civilians is a bit questionable.
"So, where is the base exactly?"
"Right, almost forgot. Our main base is in Beacon Academy, but it's not inside that we're staying." Qrow said.
"Not inside the Academy? What do you mean?" Jaune asked.
"I mean that the base is under the academy, and since it's in the mountains, there's plenty of room to expand it." Said Qrow.
"Once we get there, we'll bring you to the main hall, and there you will be meeting with the other new enlistees. Lastly, we need to check if their auras are unlocked. Every recruit must have his aura unlock before he can start his training. It's mandatory."
"Oh, I haven't unlocked mine yet."
"Don't worry. Once you get your first training session, the instructors will unlock it for you." Said Bell. "It wasn't a problem for Qrow. He unlocked it way before he became a huntsman."
Qrow winced.
"You used a Huntsman before you joined? So what is your semblance?" Jaune asked.
Qrow was silent.
"Me? My power is a little unique. It's bad luck, literally. And not a lot of people have that, or any for that matter." Jaune was taken back by this.
"Bad luck? How did that happen?" Jaune said as Qrow gives a melancholy smile, staring outside the window.
"Not sure, these semblances aren't predictable, and anyone could get anything." Said Qrow.
"At first, it wasn't easy. Back then, I was just a walking bad luck charm, and anyone near me would instantly have its effects. So they avoided me like a Grimm. The teachers barely helped me, and the rest could care less. But my old team was the only one who would still hang around me without worrying about it one bit. I managed to get it under control. But eventually, I learned how to control it. It was all thanks to my mentor, Ares." Qrow said.
Jaune tilted his head in confusion, "Who is Ares?" He asked.
"Ares is a shadow, a Colonel. He is one of the older members of the company. He is the leader of the Black Angles, and I used to be under him when I first started."
"Uh, sorry, Black Angels?" Jaune said.
"It's a chapter in the company. There is only a handful of them. We normally work in different groups to help ease the work." Jaune nods, "Oh, I get it. Like in teams."
"Yup, and I'm in charge of a chapter myself. We're called the Black Ravens. Bell here is also a member of the Ravens." Said Qrow.
"Huh, is it the same for the rest, naming the chapter that is?" Jaune said.
"That's right. In the company, rising through the ranks isn't easy. But you'll gain a few special privileges, like a slight alteration to your uniform. Or a bonus to your pay if you work hard enough. Anyone can rise if that shadow proves himself worthy." Qrow said.
"Huh, it sounds like a good deal."
"It is, and my team, the Black Ravens, are just almost 100 seasoned shadows under my command, handpicked, and everything. We are the smallest group, but we're still growing, and I'm always looking for potential recruits to join us. I will admit, the work we do can be the most dangerous out of the others. It was more challenging than dealing with three teammates when I was back in Beacon. But I managed, right, Bell?" Qrow said.
"You did fine, Qrow. Any shadows that stepped out of line, you always put them back in, hasn't been a problem since. I think they get the message," Bell said.
"So what do you guys do? I mean, apart from all of the escort and bodyguard missions." Jaune asked.
Qrow groans, "Honestly, being a bodyguard is a pain in the ass. To make it short, I hate standing there and taking orders from rich pricks. The General noticed my problem, and one day he pulled me aside and assigned me with a few others who had the same issue as me. We started with just a group of 12, with me included. Instead of all the security missions that we do, he gave us a different kind. Covert operations including assassinations, search and destroy, Grimm or man-hunt, and a whole lot more."
Jaune nods.
"But, we weren't an official chapter, not yet. That was until Mountain Glenn gave birth to the Black Ravens. It was the first time I started to enjoy my job again. Man thinking about it now only takes me back, but that's another story for another time, sorry. The boys wearing the red capes are my guys and even Bell here. My right-hand man. And each company has its own culture. We are just one of them. For us, we value unity and Brotherhood."
"Wow."
"Don't forget the other black chapters working all across Remnant. To name a few, we've got the Black Sands in Vacuo, the desert boys. None in Atlas, cause all of them are under Ironwood. And then you got Black Delta in Mistral, the hardcore jungle boys. And lastly, the tropical Black Lotus in Menagerie." Qrow said.
"Wait, Menagerie? The all Faunus island? I thought the Faunus hated the shadows?" Jaune said.
"The Black Lotus are a humble bunch. They're the best team to work alongside, but recently they've volunteered to help the island after hearing about their Grimm infestation and riots breaking out in their community. They've established a base on their island and did a damn fine job, mopping up the Grimm like sweeping the floors. Tension over there is low, surprisingly. It's a shame that it couldn't be the same for the rest out here."
Sienna Khan surely doesn't appreciate their most hated enemy residing in her own home. The Black Lotus had been nothing but selfless and charitable. Despite the horrible treatment when they first arrived there.
But they proved them wrong as they helped them regardless of it. As the months went by, the Black Lotus had become well known and respected in Menagerie. The White Fang, however, wasn't so convinced.
"Ironwood's most recent activity with his white shadows brought more trouble for the rest of us. The last remaining White Fangs still standing are hunted down, as we speak, not the best time to be a White Fang in Atlas, and they arrest them. They would kill them without a thought." Qrow said.
"You don't like Ironwood very much, do you?" Jaune said.
Jaune had met the General once. He seemed like a nice person.
Qrow sighs and slumps in his seat, "Sorry, kid. But Ironwood is an even bigger idiot. He wanted to "fix" the situation as quickly as he could because of his shadows. But look where that got us now."
Qrow was right.
It's not a fair fight to the Faunus, and this racism has always been a problem since they first existed. There was never peace with them. What he saw back in the station was enough proof as it is. He wondered if he can help them in some way.
/-/
Back in Atlas, a lonely girl sits by her window inside her room. She stares silently out the window, watching the bullheads flying all over the city, be it delivery or just a regular trip around the city.
And the everyday people below are going about in their daily lives. The view is nothing to her. She had seen it countless times before, and it wasn't going to be her last. It was all just the same, nothing new and exciting.
Honestly, it's no fun up here in Atlas, at least to her.
The usual tourist would call this place paradise, but to the locals, it nothing but a constant struggle for power and wealth among its many businesses that reside here.
She's seen Atlas ever since her birth, and its glamours and wealthy lifestyle have already lost their charm. It's just a city full of the rich and a separate class from the rest of the world.
It used to have its moments when Atlas was ranked as the best kingdom in Remnant many years ago. But sadly, they didn't hold that title for very long.
If you ask anybody from outside of Atlas about which is the most powerful place in Remnant. They'll say it's Atlas because of their massive technological advances, and it's true. All the best tech is made and imported from Atlas. They even hold the record of the largest active army in Remnant, right next to Vale. And their robotic army helps triple that number.
Weiss sighs, "That's Atlas for you."
And what's worse is that Jaune is gone. She knew that dork has left to study in Vale for the next few years. He didn't want to choose Atlas as he was tired of staying here and wanted to explore for a while. Guess that's understandable.
"If only I could get out of here too," she said, feeling so annoyed at the thought. Her lessons have tripled now. With Jaune gone, that would make her schedule even more cluttered with her already busy life. All work and no play.
A knock came from her door, "Miss Schnee, it's almost time for dinner, and your family is waiting for you." It was Klein.
Weiss smiles, "Thanks Klein, I'll be on my way then."
"Would you like me to escort you, Miss Schnee?"
"Yes, that would be nice, please."
"As you wish, my little snowflake."
She leaves her room, following Klein and heading straight to the dining room.
Is it wired that she already misses Jaune? Her only true friend that she can be herself with other than Klein.
"It's a little sad that young Jaune has left for Vale, and on such short notice too," Said Klein. Weiss couldn't help but rolled her eyes at it, "He said it during our last meeting, and he had to right before he's about to leave. He didn't even mention anything about studying in Vale one bit other than that day." She ranted.
"Huh, yes. It's rather odd. Young Arc's not the study type of person, he even told me himself."
True, Weiss knows that Jaune hates studying, yet he still tries his best. She remembered a time when Jaune was just collapsed upon entering her room, scaring her in the process. It turns out he was exhausted from pulling an all-nighter for an exam. He ended up sleeping the entire day.
That memory brought a smile to her face until she accidentally lets out a giggle, catching the attention of some servants walking by.
She immediately covers her mouth, blushing. Thankfully Klein didn't seem to notice as he happened to be focusing on someone else.
She didn't see who he was focusing on until they greeted her, "Good afternoon, Miss Schnee."
She turns to the voice that spoke to her. It was a pair of shadows. All dressed in white, completed with white cloaks.
"Good afternoon." She greeted back. The shadows salute and resume their patrol. Yes, and there's them, Atlas's proudest addition to their vastly superior military. A prestigious company for the kingdom, joined by the proud sons of Atlas. But Ironwood's shadows are a different breed.
She remembered a time when the shadows here use to wear all black. But now, that color had phased out when the new white, blue, and red slowly came in.
General Ironwood had utilized them to the fullest, giving them the best weapons, gear, and status. Anyone who manages to get accepted to be one of Irownwood's shadows is assigned a rank higher than an average soldier. Something like a specialist but just a little more special.
They are not the same compared to the ones outside.
They interacted more with the public and fought alongside the army, and even the kids loved them. It was a little weird when they phased out all non-Atlesian from their company. They were all replaced with pure Atlesian boys.
"I don't like them one bit," Said Klein as he huffs.
"Why is that, Klein?"
"Miss Schnee, the media talks so much go things about them, but they don't see the true faces of these boys. They're not men. They are entitled brats, rich parents who bought their sons into the shadows. They frolic in their uniforms and chase after women, and they are just absolutely disgraceful."
"You don't have to worry about me, Klein. I can take care of myself."
He sighs, "I know my little snowflake. But those two just now aren't supposed to be walking down this route because I'm the one who planned it. No one knows this manor better than I do."
"That is true." She said.
Kelin coughs a bit, "About your application to Beacon next year, are you sure your father would approve?"
"I am not sure, Klein. It worked with my sister Winter when she left for the military, and no doubt that she is part of the shadows now."
"She is, and she is also in command of a chapter herself called the White Sentinal." Said Klein.
"Wait, she is, but how did you know?"
"Your father wouldn't stop boasting about it. How her eldest daughter now holds a prestigious army under her wing just like him."
They finally reached the door to the main dining room. "And here we are, after you, Miss Schnee," Kelin opens the door for her.
"Thank you, Klein." Weiss enters the dining hall.
End of chapter 5