Waking up in an all white room would lead people to believe they've reached heaven, Kaiser knew better than to count himself lucky. The past three years have made Kaiser and infirmary rooms more intimate than most lovers. Hospital beds were one lover he wasn't thrilled to visit again. Worst of all, through further inspection, he found himself handcuffed to the bed railings.
Kaiser's attention was drawn to the small tv in the corner of the room.
Breaking: Torchwick plunders two more dust shops. Suspected to be working with white fang leader Adam Taurus.
The news went on as they displayed photos of both criminals. Kaiser recognized Taurus as the one who beat him.
The boy was stewing in his own thoughts until he heard the door open. A man with a black vest and spectacles walked through. Kaiser could barely get a word out before he was being addressed.
"Good morning Kaiser it is nice to see you up this fine morning." The spectacled man took a sip from his steaming mug
Kaiser had experienced being greeted while in chains before, but this time he had no prior interaction with the person before him. The boy hadn't pissed his captor off at all to justify trapping him to his bed. With his weapon or coat nowhere in sight there was no means of protection. He didn't want to take any chances, not with people no doubt making rounds of the hallways. Kaiser wasn't one to anger someone with more cards than him, but the man was practically holding the whole deck.
In any case, Kaiser plastered on a fake smile. "Good morning sir, it is nice to be up." Until further investigation, the boy was certified worthless in his position.
"I'm sure you have questions for me." The man took an exaggerated sip.
"A couple inquiries yes."
"Well first let me introduce myself, I am Professor Ozpin." Ozpin revealed.
"No first name?" Kaiser crosses his arms as best he could with one of them handcuffed.
"I don't see why that matters to someone with no last name."
Ozpin had a point, the only times he had a full name were under assumed identities. Kaiser had forgone the use of any once he left his superiors.
"I guess it doesn't." Kaiser sat up straighter, brushing a bit of hair out his face. "How do you know my name?"
"I know more than just your name." Ozpin took a seat in the chair adjacent to the bed. "I've done quite a bit of research on you."
"...I thought the students were the ones supposed to be doing their homework professor."
Kaiser raised his handcuffed wrist. "Is that why you have me chained up."
"Very astute Kaiser, I imagine that someone with your training would have attempted escape the moment you woke up. The handcuffs are only so it's guaranteed that you stay and listen to everything I have to say." Ozpin adjusted his spectacles. "I'm sure that many others have had you bound worse than I have, correct?"
He wasn't wrong.
"Zodiac has been rather silent these days, haven't they." Ozpin shot a knowing look at the bedridden boy. "You were the one who was responsible for crippling their operations. Were you not?"
"Yes sir, but crippled doesn't mean inactive. There may be a few branches that may be active, some may even be stationed in vale." Kaiser explained.
"Of course, that's why you attacked Adam Taurus a few nights prior." Ozpin leaned back into his chair. "It would be rather confusing since each branch was named after astrology signs, wouldn't it?
"Yes, it would." Kaiser couldn't help but stare at the man. "So what do you want from me?"
"After further review of the footage from a few nights ago." Ozpin gestured to the TV in the room. The monitor showed camera footage of Kaiser running into the alleyway. "You handled yourself pretty well against the white fang, but the people you fought were nothing compared to Adam Taurus." The monitor displayed Kaiser crashing into the parked car at the entrance.
"You were in a terrible state when we found you, all we could do was activate your aura."
It was a pleasant surprise to know that kaiser had that going for him now. His superiors never saw a reason to grant him aura when he would be infiltrating civilian affairs.
"Still, what is it that you want from me?" Kaiser knew Ozpin was avoiding the question, he decided it was time to cut to the chase.
Ozpin sat up, pulling a Manila folder from behind him. "See for yourself." He placed the folder on Kaiser's lap, the cream colored parchment was tainted with a dark red "classified" stamp over it.
Many times in his life people had slid these types of folders into his hands, it would always lead to chaos and destruction. Kaiser shuddered at those memories before uneasily taking the folder into his hands. Upon opening Kaiser found a pamphlet and what looked like a document for personal information. Both papers were held together by a single paper clip.
"The hell?" Kaiser voiced his concern.
Ozpin cracked an amused smile. "Please forgive me, I have always been one for the dramatics." Ozpin gestured to the pamphlet, Kaiser picked it up without hesitation. "I want you to enroll in my school."
Kaiser carefully slid the paper clip off to the side.
He looked over the pamphlet, it's bright colors and pictures of varying alumni were meant to catch the eye of potential readers. But what caught Kaiser's eye was a picture at the bottom of four teens linking arms together. There was a small caption under it, 'teams become family' it said, this intrigued the boy. The life of a spy was a lonely one, there was always the risk of being exposed to or by anybody not related to work. Kaiser himself didn't have many friends, a blonde ponytail came into thought as kaiser contemplated his minuscule number of confidants.
Was it sad that he considered Ozpin's offer just for the benefit of making friends, yes.
Did Kaiser care, no. Still, he didn't want to seem too desperate. "I need time to think of this."
"Of course, you have two weeks until the semester starts." Ozpin now standing up had procured a pen for Kaiser. "Try to fill in what you can for the document should you choose to accept my offer, I look forward to your response Kaiser." Ozpin was halfway out the door before he heard the boy call for him.
"Oh, and professor?"
Ozpin turned to face the boy, on his bed were the handcuffs completely removed from the bed railing and the boy's wrist. Jutting out of the keyhole was an unbent paper clip. To Kaiser's credit, he looked nonchalant about the ordeal. "You might want to have these back."
Ozpin quickly took the handcuffs and left the room.
"Holy crap you live in a clock tower?!" Kaiser woke up early to visit Ozpin to give his response. He came across the problem of actually locating the elusive professor, only to realize that Ozpin never told him where he'd be waiting. With the help of some random staff member, he was able to make it to Ozpin's office. He figured he owed it to the staff member to listen to some story from his youth.
Inside the office was a giant semi circle cut out that had numbers engraved into them, the ceiling also was laden with clock gears. Ozpin sat at one end of the room behind a giant desk, behind Ozpin was his second in command Glynda Goodwitch. Kaiser had come to know her after she visited his room to deliver his gear, his coat was now repaired after Taurus took some... creative liberties with it.
"I advise you to watch your language around the headmaster."
"Ah, please forgive me Ms. Goodwitch, I just felt overwhelmed." Kaiser bowed his head slightly. He was truly astounded by the sheer size of Beacon academy as a whole. The boy felt like he could travel for days around the academy and still manage to miss some areas.
"Well then, have you put any thought into my offer kaiser?"
Kaiser took a seat across from Beacon's headmaster. "Not really." He feigned indifference.
"But that's why you made the offer." Kaiser reclined in his chair. "You knew I had nowhere else to go, you just gave me an out I couldn't refuse."
Ozpin grimaced, "how did you come to that conclusion?"
Kaiser stretched out his limbs. "Easy, you had me followed for a while."
The room went silent. For several minutes, each of the occupants had not said a word. Garbled laughter overtook the room, a fourth person had listened in on the meeting.
"He really has you there Oz." A man emerged from the shadows behind Ozpin. A tattered cape flowed behind him as he drunkenly staggered forward.
Kaiser tensed slightly and shifted into a defensive posture in his chair, he was ready for any sort of sudden movement.
The man took notice of this and leaned over Ozpin's desk. "Relax kid, you look like you'll burst a vein!" Dark red eyes peered into Kaiser's own.
"You healed up quite nicely."
Kaiser wracked his brain for where he'd seen this man before. It all clicked when the man pulled out a flask to take a swig. "You were there when I fought Taurus!" Kaiser pointed a finger at the inebriated man.
"Yeah, you really took a beating there kid." The man said.
"Who are you?" Kaiser didn't relax for a second.
"I'm the guy following you." The man lifted himself off of Ozpin's desk. "Names Qrow, Oz here has me looking for 'prospective huntsman' so he had me tail you for a while." Qrow tried to take another swig of alcohol, only to slam his flask on the table upon realizing it was bottomed out. "You didn't look like much until I saw you fight Taurus. That's when Oz here had me bring you in."
Kaiser turned to Ozpin who eyed the boy carefully. "Where did you even hear about me? I can't imagine you and Mr. Ross would have chats over afternoon tea."
"I've been keeping tabs on him and the agency he runs. I know a fair bit about his unconventional practices, such as raising a child spy." Ozpin raised an eyebrow at Kaiser. "I just wanted to know what you were doing with your freedom. Not much I'm afraid, which is why I ask if you'd like to be a part of something bigger."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"You can make a difference here without having to do so with a gun to your head." Ozpin adjusted his spectacles. "You get to choose what you want to protect. With my training, you have the potential of being one of the greatest huntsmen of this generation."
"I see."
"So then I ask you again Kaiser, would you like to enroll in my school?" Ozpin set his mug down.
Kaiser closed his eyes and silently muttered. "If I didn't I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"
"I believe you'll be a great addition to this institute. The first term will be starting in a week, so get plenty of rest." Ozpin turned to Ms. Goodwitch. "Glynda here will deliver your school uniform and your scroll. I understand that you have nowhere to stay as of right now, I'll have one of the transfer student dorms unlocked for the time being. You are dismissed."
"Thank you headmaster, and you too Ms. Goodwitch, Qrow." The headmistress nodded in acknowledgment while Qrow just raised his empty flask.
Ozpin spoke up before Kaiser reached the door. "I expect good things from you."
The only response Ozpin heard was the sound of the doors clicking as it shut.