The day was sunny and warm with a slight breeze and passing cloud's to keep things cool.
Tai approached Isaac who this weekend was fishing by the docks, without a word he sat down. Isaac held up the days catch, four medium size rainbow striped fish. "Those will cook up well." Then Tai looked across the ocean. Isaac looked at him hard before casting into the sea.
"Not going so well?" Tai nodded. "So." Isaac began. "When's the media circus going to start?" Tai shook his head slowly. Isaac nodded. "A gag order? Let me guess you loose your job or be bumped down to cleaning toilets?" The older man shifted hanging one leg over the docks edge. Isaac nodded, understanding.
"Ok, best thing I can do for us is to challenge my classes, to prove I do not need to go to school, this was a good exercise in stabilizing me into your society, but that's over, about the only thing I'm weak on is history and dust, is dust a part of the normal schooling?" Tai looked over watching him cast again. Not waiting for an answer he forged on.
"I and you need to facilitate the gifted child angle, so far the Wizard of Oz doesn't want that kind of lime light on me, well sorry, but I'm not going to see you suffer or have your daughter's put up with the media feeding frenzy this school is going to kick up. Standard terror tactics, intimidate, divide silence and engulf." Winding up the string and putting the tackle away Isaac stood gathering his catch.
"If this school leader wants a fight of perception and integrity, I'll give him a fight he will never forget." Tai half smiled standing. "It's not going to be easy. People once this starts going will need to know where you came from, why your so scarred, and why a young child knows so much."
"Easy." Isaac lightly responded. "I was taken and experimented on, I escaped in the clothing I could scavenge from my oppressors. Not sure, but if they want I will allow independent doctors to examine me, they will find me human, the experiments have slightly changed my DNA, yet I'm looking like a faunas. We don't need history, just a cause." After a moment Isaac asked. "You do have people with semblances that can mold flesh?" Tai shrugged. "Well ya do now." He half chucked to himself. "Out there somewhere over the rainbow, there are gays." He started laughing. Tai could only wonder at what, and how this would go. So he gave his best guess.
"Signal Academy is going to be getting a nasty wake up call. The head master will be beside himself, because your trying to paint him as a raciest and a uncaring human only interested in the surface of what he sees." Isaac nodded to Tai adding his two cents.
"Ozpin is going to hate this, and Ironwood may get into some trouble if someone traces those printers to him, but I have an idea that may get him out of it. I used what I know about the scanners he bought to make a new one, we have a good handle on how to scan for grim, it lights them up like fuzzy magnetic lines, but there clear even when in foliage or trees, not sure about water, or underground, it's still in the wire scattered all over the shop stage, but it works. That will be the reason, a joint project between Atlas and Beacon academy, to be able to find hidden grim at a distance. Covers each item, and explains the confidentiality."
Tai made a none committal shrug. "Ozpin may not approve of this." Isaac shook his head. "He has no say in this matter past words. This is your life, and mine, this will effect Ruby and Yangs schooling, hiding or using miss direction is a fine hobby to pass the time, but when it gets serious you have to let everything out into the light. He, you, and I can't hid this, not now."
Isaac sighed and seemed to lose himself staring out across the water. "The SCP did that, for we found about a thousand years, hid it all in the dark. Then things hit the fan, no one was prepared for it. Billions lost their lives to creatures we didn't even know could exist. Our civilization collapsed and as we recovered over the next hundred years, people, cities, and nations relied more and more on the SCP to protect, train, and mostly to warn people when something nasty was headed there way."
He made a snorting noise as they walked away from the pier. "I remember once, when I was young, we were told over the towns emergency system to cover our eyes and mouth and sit, be still no mater what we heard or felt. What ever they were, it was a lot, things brushed past us, for what felt like a small chunk of eternity, and kept going, then just as quickly were gone." He made another snorting noise of disgust. "The news bragged about our readiness. How quickly we reacted to a threat, how in a town of seven thousand only seventy or so of us went missing." Tai stopped for a moment staring at Isaac then resumed walking. He wondered why he wasn't numb to these stories. The more he heard the more he felt Isaac was normal for his environment.
They spent the rest of the weekend gathering what was needed. The paperwork was not large, nor small, but it was detailed. By the start of the school week Isaac was ready for the first of a long list of questions and tests to pass, then the next, and the next. By the middle of the week he had risen above that of a fourteen year old. Today however he needed to spend in the school board system. He had refused to sign and the regional board wanted to know why.
Isaac stood alone. The Signal academy had a professor absent and Tai was the one to fill in the vacancy, the administration refused to reschedule. His layer had an emergency case and could not participate. As he spoke the administration kept interrupting, they wanted clarification on his statements, warning time and again his report was being recorded and he should use his words carefully. Towards the middle of his testimony he asked if the investigating board had in they're past so many interruptions, or even such a blatant attempts to confuse, and intimidate a student. Asking for the Signal administrators to save their questions until his statement was completed.
He was chastised by both sides. Isaac could only endure the abuse. When it was there turn Isaac found waiting quietly for them to finish was like taking too long in a sauna. Once the schools testimony was completed Isaac asked for clarification on a list of questions he had written down. Feeling toward the end a sense of satisfaction. Most on their confusion, how they would riffle through their written statements, then spend the time to clarify. The ones presiding over this investigation were he knew becoming more interested. To them Isaac was not behaving as one his age should. The barrage of questions, interruptions and mild scolding did not phys him much beyond irritation. More then once the board had asked where he learned this, or that.
He didn't need to lie much. Working the captured experiment angle, hours of learning, combat training with instructors who would give you a good scar just as a reminder to become better. His descriptions on some of his missions were mistaken as grim hunts. The grim varied, here, taking many different forms in this world. At the end, as the board tried to wind the session down. His bombshell arrived. A currier came in.
Isaac signed for the documents explaining as he did that this was evidence in his argument against expulsion. "I am human." He stated simply. He waited for the noise and warning's to treat this event with the respect it deserved to wind down. Standing Isaac handed the document to the board. "A semblance user who could alter mater started to change me, almost achieving his goal until a containment crew subdued him. These papers will prove it. I can also allow testing by a medical facility of your preference."
The principal was adamant that Isaacs race was not an issue. Isaacs continued endangerment of students was. Isaac nodded correcting, him saying that would be something for the courts to decide. His past actions will be brought into the light. This interview was merely to inform the board of intent. Win or loose Isaac knew he would never go back to that school. The medical documents were returned. Isaac was informed that the board would take a few days then make their decision. Gathering his paperwork Isaac left without looking at them or saying a word.
Outside a small group of news gathers were waiting. Isaac found he's hunting mates had informed the media and hired investigators. He had to keep telling them he could not make a statement as the principal had threatened his guardian with reprisals should he make any account to the public. Isaac knew the shit storm was going to start because of his words but decided to play the rattled kid angle to the press. Saying something to the effect he wished his guarding could have been present while he faced the adults. Some of the political comics posted after were pretty funny, and damning.
Before Tai returned home. Ozpin had called wanting details from Isaac, seemed his statement had already been broadcast on the news and this event was turning into a faunas human conflict. It was a short conversation as the facts were pretty cut and dry in content. Ozpins concerned warning landed on unsympathetic ears. Isaac considered Tais and his children's future more important then his own.
The next day Isaac concentrated on challenging his classes. His goal was to reach a graduation level of a 17 year old. That was the minimum education level for a hunters license. He was thankful for all the electronic data. The test and results came back within an hour of sending them in.
Finely finished he left the government building where he had taken the tests, heading for the Hunters guild. Spending the rest of the day there, showing his capabilities and knowledge hunting grim. The stress of trying to finish was weighing heavily on him, enough that the reviewer suggested he wait for tomorrow, get some rest.
Isaac shook his head explaining the Signal school board would be formally kicking him out of the academy that day. He needed to get this done today. "This will be my last chance to be registered as a hunter, after tomorrow, it's done, over." Isaac sincerely told them, explaining what was happening with as much detail as he dared trying to keep Tai out of trouble. They let him finish the tests, telling him the results once the scores were in.
"Well, the courses were done, low scores, but to a passing degree, but then, your still pretty young. If you pass the combat test you'll be the youngest hunter in recorded history. Sorry, but the guild rules say we record this part, we have to try and take you down, and you have to try and take us down."
This was a part of the schooling Isaac never fully understood, fighting people, not grim. They entered an arena like structure a simple circle with walls.
Three hunters formed a triangle around him when the cameras started recording she spoke. "We don't expect you to defeat us, this is to see how well you can fight, there are minimal standards that you must overcome." Sighing Isaac took a stance. "What if I could immobilize you all, would I pass?"
"There have been a few with semblances that can do that, so no." She answered quickly. "Ready?" Isaac tied a strip of cloth around his head, covering the eyes. Pulled his sword and took a stance. "Ready." He told them. He lasted twenty seconds managing to land only two hits before his aura shattered.
Wedging himself up to his feet Isaac pulled the blindfold off disappointed in himself. The woman seemed to be laughing quietly. "You passed." One of them said. Isaac blinked, a are you kidding plastered on his face. This made the group chuckle. "Youth, there all the same." She told him putting away her weapon.
"You think your high on the food chain. Compared to the untrained you are, but we've been doing this for decades. You never stood a chance." She told him, then sighed looking at him a frown furrowing her face. "It's a shame, really, if what you said is true. Tomorrow you'll be formally banned, this will not cancel your license, but you will never refine what you already know beyond home schooling. There's going to be a lot of upper academies angry about this."
"We can issue you a hunters card. You won't be a fully certified hunter so a lot of perks will simply not be there. The reader boards will be limited on what you can take, but you can still legally collect bounty for a hunt. Hook up with a certified hunter and you can work with them, as an assistant, pays better, and you can be included in some of there perks." One of them assured Isaac. He didn't know who spoke he was still riding on the high of passing the last test in a long miserable week. He felt himself relaxing, unwinding, like he had survived a hazardous mission on his old world.
His card was made from a strange laser etched hard light. It could, he was told, not be forged. The computer in it stayed charged by the body's electrical field. His exploits and missions would be recorded on it. The rest was permanent. He took the ID handing the cool edges reading the data they put on it. He felt strange seeing his face on the holographic card. It wasn't until someone said here. Handing him a rag. He looked up feeling tears sliding down his face. Taking the rag he wiped finding no matter what he did that feeling just kept growing until it became somewhat hard to take a lungful of air. It took a while before he could give his thanks and head for the door.
Leaving the hunters board Isaac calmed down a bit more. His mind quickly seeing a lot of possibilities on how, and which way this would go, come tomorrow the real shit storm would start. He was in survival mode by the time he crossed the street heading for the transport system. Tai is going to love, and dread this he knew.
"Hay, Salish, he's gone, stop looking out the window." She sighed turned, leaning back to face those who gathered around a table. "I still can't believe this is even happing." Obsidiou nodded his head. "Ya, that kit has brought in more big bounties in the last eight months then most bring in, in years." He leaned heavily into the table before he continued. "Hay Samovar? How's the ribs?"
"So the school board rigs up an event just so they can kick him out?" The last asked as he pulled out a chair and gently sat down before answering Obsidiou. "Healing, he kicked like an angry mule. Just glad he didn't hit me with that hypodermic needle he calls a sword." The man sighed turning to speak directly to the others. "Didn't expect him to use his semblance to move his own body."
Obsidiou nodded. "That's why the blindfold, he was sensing liquid, guess it was like three sixty degree vision for him. He blocked a lot of my strikes from behind. For his age the kid can sure fight." He settled down leaning on the table fussing with his empty cup becoming quiet. "Shame, really."
The day was nearly over as the group settled onto the break room sitting in chairs clustered around a wooden table. At first they were just watching each other, until one spoke up. "Anyone know how those complaints are coming along? Over fifty kids, hunters in the making have been dropping written complaints, now formal complaints are coming in, certified by a lawyer no less, all describing what happened."
"Recorded like it was, it's more use to the prosecution." Samovar harrumphed at Obsidiou. "More like to the uneducated. Those are advanced maneuvers on a scale that's near military. Think about it, letting yourself be the target of not one, but three behemoths. So your team mates can get in a free blind shot?"
"More true then you know. Seen that energy colossus bounty yet? It was turned in to the Vale board. Happened a few weeks ago? Two kids, barely adults ended an energy grim. No one died and no property damage. The weapon, which is mobile I heard, took it down, trading blows with it no less, and that little eight year old made it."
Salish laughed. "So why has this never been done before? And when do we get some? Mobile with a ships firepower, there should be one every mile on the shore."
"Thirty million for one of those monsters, not including ammo."
"You, sure know a lot. I thought all that equipment was at the Mavideniz fishing port?" Salish smiled finely getting it. "You're not thinking of going active? Are you?" She smiled anew as Obsidiou shrugged.
"Kind of. It would be nice, you know, being in at the beginning of something that could change the world. My niece on my brothers side is a senior at Signal and she's talked a lot about that kid, how great and crazy he is. How devoted he is to ending the grim, not just killing them, ending them. She believes he knows the way to find out how."
"He may, hundreds of millions have come through here in bounty alone these last few months. We've all seen the recordings, that group the kid has gathered around him. They take down grim in size and quantity only seasoned hunters could or should be able to."
"Well, come the weekend I'm checking with Tai, if the kid went to Mavideniz I'm going, check him out, maybe find out what's going on, maybe in a year transfer over." He held his arms up in a shrug. "Hay, bounty's will be coming in, so someone's got to open a new office."
The end of the week went pretty much as Isaac expected. The board was formal, giving a long itemized list of reasons before stating they had reviewed the evidence presented and sided with Signals administration. Isaac Able Cain was to be expelled for endangerment of the student body and recklessness, recommending he be evaluated by a competent psychiatrist. Tai and Isaac gathered there paperwork, stood, and left quietly.
The principal was muttering to himself as he straightened out his paperwork, glad the whole ordeal was finely ending. When the door opened and two men in suits with three city guards walked in. One held up a piece of paper. "Gentlemen, I have a search warrant, approved by the Patch counsel. You are to surrender any documents pertaining to this event. All scroll calls, massages, documents, all pertinent data. You are to submit to the law officers here for arrest while an investigation for conspiracy, misuse of school funds, falsifying data, extortion, intimidation, silencing of witness, and a host of other, minor charges on the docket."
As the outburst intensified one officer's voice rose over them, he informed them that this was not a debate, he would stun them and charge them with resisting arrest if they continued. They were handcuffed, all documents, scrolls and records taken, and ushered out the door into a bedlam of reporters.
As they were place onto a car the principal spotted Isaac standing to the side, who to his wonder locked eyes with him, smiled then turned away, vanishing into the crowed. Frustration or enraged he didn't know why, but the principal screamed a barrage of insults at Isaac, bouncing in the car and raging in his seat. The recordings made by the press all but condemned him. He would get to view his outburst on the news, and the media backlash after he posted bail.
The reason for this nightmare was his own students, they had complained, to the hunters gild, the Patch counsel member's, his students had pooled there funds, hired competent investigators. The hired lawyers had smoothed the way to fund a full scale investigation of the school for racism and corruption. That faunas was considered some kind of gifted child, who had challenged all his courses past graduation, in less then a week. Then passed a low level hunters exam. They didn't need to expunge him, he was already gone. A hunter? He just couldn't believe it, do they hand these out now, to just anyone? They paraded him around like some kind of hero fighting grim, racism and corruption. That faunas needed therapy, not a license to carry weapons.
He had been suspended along with a professor, even the school board, pending inquiry. There home's had been searched, vehicles and belongings, the computer taken. In his office it was much worse, document's some twenty years old were taken for study. He knew even if found innocent of all charges no one would want him in any Academy or school. Win or loose the best he could hope for was after the trial he could collect his pension, his career was over, and all for a stupid faunas with mental issues.
Beacon
"The entire district's school board?!" Weiss almost screeched pacing wildly. "The principal and professor I can see, but the entire school board on Patch? Even if they're exonerated none will ever be able to hold a trusted position!"
"Didn't take him long to destroy the school system." Blake blandly commented. "I'm just worried he may come here." Weiss stopped frozen in her mad pacing and gawked at Blake. Yang snapped off a quick picture of Weiss.
"Hay!"
"This is my wall paper now." Yang declared grinning.
Ruby rolled to the edge of her bed. "Weiss, Blake. You don't know what he can do, so don't jinx it." Surprised Blakes eye brows rose to her hairline. "I was just joking about him coming here. The School board aside. The News said he started some kind of mercenary company called Grims Bane made entirely of hunters. Taking high risk contracts. We won't be seeing him." Blake watched surprised as the two sisters each groaned aloud. Ruby pulling a pillow over her head. "She jinxed it she jinxed it!"
Yang stood and looked out the window as if searching for enemies. Blake and Weiss glanced at each other before Weiss asked. "Just what do you think your doing? Or more precisely what do you expect to see?"
"A forty ton machine that can shoot a one hundred and sixty pound projectile from miles away with enough explosives in it to take out half this buildings wall in a debris storm and most of the rooms inside in one shot." Ruby made a mewing sound pulling back into the tent bed. "You can forget about aura saving you, even if it hits, even thirty feet away, your dead. I saw what the light weapons can do. Knock down a nevermore at range to five miles."
"Why would he come here?" Blake carefully asked. "From what the reporters say he's driven to end the grim." Yang spun to face Blake her eyes blazing red, anger foremost in her voice. "People! An army needs People! You going to say no to someone who can wipe out half the school before anyone even knows there under attack!"
Two tense seconds ticked by before they heard Ruby laughing. Yang blinked her red eyes vanishing and started chuckling herself before sitting on Blakes bed. Blake closed her book marking the page with a finger and smacked Yang on the shoulder with it. Then went back to reading. Her bow farther to the sides then normal.
"That was the worst joke you've ever pulled and you have tried some gauche ones." Weiss stiffly informed Yang. Yang responded with a. "Meh."
"Some day if we've the time, we should go down to Mavideniz. What's going on there is,, uh,, vary different." Ruby told them.
"Na." Said Yang lightly, climbing up to her roost. "He'll come here, he needs people to run those grim killers."
Weiss and Blake glanced again at each other Blake making a huffing noise. Weiss just shook her head while holding it. "Unbelievable." She muttered.