A Cosmic Journey

A/N: And here we are, on the cusp of a boiling hot July. I have made the grand and age-old mistake of starting multiple video games that I enjoy, and am now attempting to decide which to prioritize while fitting in the other unimportant tasks, like summer classes, eating and sleeping. In all seriousness, I hope that everyone's week either becomes or remains well going into Independence Day this weekend.

Chapter 39: Better Than Force

Chapter Date: 06/30/20

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"Hey, you did say that you were fine with having a spar…"

"With ourselves, sure! Against team RWBY, hell no!"

Team KMMI had returned to Beacon, and it was there that I clued in my teammates about who we'd be facing in the upcoming week. Predictably and understandably, they were not pleased.

"Why are you like this? What possesses you to make plans that shave years off our collective lifespans each time they happen, if not potentially kill us outright?" Miltia laid back on her bed, dramatically bringing a hand to her head. "Where did we go wrong in raising you?"

"You didn't raise me."

"And that's the issue. Otherwise we could've knocked some sense into you as a kid, before your brain decided to let the part of you that registers danger shrivel up and die!"

I was seated in my desk chair, watching my teammates process the turn of events. Miltia was languidly despairing on her bed, while Melanie was more actively pacing a furrow into the carpet. My partner was seated on the bookshelves by the window, looking out in contemplation.

"You're trying to protect them, aren't you?" The twins looked confused, but I nodded along, pleased that at least my partner was on the same wavelength. "Knowing Blake, and her teammates, stopping one rally won't satisfy their need to get involved. And considering how dangerous that rally alone was, it's best they not be around in case any of the really dangerous weapons get introduced."

"Exactly. Telling Blake Belladona and team RWBY as a whole to not charge headfirst into criminal groups is like trying to break Jaune's Aura with a bag of chips; it doesn't work." Unless you were dealing with the Jaune of the show, but the two were worlds apart. "Nevermind the fact that the warehouse literally blew up after Taurus and I went at it."

"That actually brings up a good question; what exactly did you do to counteract Adam's Moonslice?" Ilia had garnered the twin's attention, and now all three of them were watching with interest. "That blast's firepower was up there with the most destructive things I've seen, and that's saying something given my background. You also didn't look like you were carrying a large cannon or anything of the sort into rally, and it's not Semblance-related either."

'Welp, this' gonna be a fun talk…gods knows the asskicking I'll be catching from Vernal for explaining things without her…' I sighed. "Alright. You all wanna hear another secret then? So be it."

"But I have to be clear about this…" I pulled out Luna and Corona and placed them on my desk within view of the girls. "What I explain to you cannot, cannot make its way around to other people. Not our friends, not our enemies, not Ozpin, not even Junior. Are we clear on that?"

"You're asking quite a bit of us here. Keeping things from Junior is tough at the best of times, and that's if our heart is even in it." Melanie held my gaze for nearly a full minute before relenting. "Fine."

"I've no problems either. Whatever you've got to say seems important enough to stay secret, so I will deem it such for now." Miltia nodded her consent.

Last was Ilia, though I'm not sure why I was worried. My partner smirked as I met her eyes. "If I'd wanted to sell you out, I'd have done it years ago. This is just a little more clarity into the mystery that's Kouzai Higure."

"So everyone is in agreement then?...Very well. When I mentioned there's three branches of science that go into this, I wasn't kidding. To start, I'll talk about Corona. You've all seen it, seen me use it, yes? Well, I've given it some modifications that normally go unused. In addition to it's mithril parts, it's had other parts replaced by adamantium instead to reinforce it. The markings on the side are also more than decorative, as they're magnetically conductive as well. The attachment slot for Luna and Corona's grip are both made of orichalchum as well, in order to boost connectivity between the two. More on that later. And last, I've got a special set of bullets custom-made, with ferrous slugs encased in a shell of cut Lightning Dust, instead of using Dust alone. Now, any questions so far?"

"Uhhhh…" Melanie seemed at a loss for coherent words, and Ilia wasn't far behind. Miltia though…

"So the special bullets and the conductive rails are meant to amplify the force of the bullet, and the modifications are meant to help with that?" Miltia crossed her arms, a sign that she'd have brought a hand to her chin but for her choice of weapon. "And this is why you mentioned branches of science?"

"Yup. The idea behind the amplified shot comes from taking aspects of Dust Studies, along with magnetism, in order to make a simple metal slug deliver obscene amounts of force. With those alone, Corona is already stronger than most firearms."

"But that's not all. You mentioned a third aspect to the concept." Ilia's eyes fell upon Luna, and I could see the wheels running in her head. I decided to save her the trouble.

"Got it in one. The other part to it is Luna here. I've already told you that she's made of orichalchum, right?" My teammates nodded, and I paused to phrase the next part of my explanation carefully. "Luna's unique orichalchum ability allows the user's Aura to become stored into the weapon, and then be released in one fell swoop, kind of like Moonslice. Put Luna and Corona together, and you can see where I'm going with this."

"Aura channeling can reinforce or amplify a weapon, and powers Dust…but it's dependent on how much Aura goes into it, and the body can only handle expelling so much…if you could transfer Aura to a different source and allow it to accumulate, then focus it all towards a singular use…" Ilia trailed off, not needing to speak the last part out loud. The results spoke for themselves.

"So all that firepower, just from a handgun and knife? No wonder why you don't want the others hearing about it. It'd definitely make anyone who has to face you in sparring scared shitless." Melanie mused, before stopping. "Not for nothing, but why haven't you used it before? In sparring I can get, considering that there wouldn't even be a smear of the other guy left, but you didn't even use it in the fight against Mercury."

"And it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Part of the reason that Ozpin and any of our enemies can't find out about this is because the Specter used it when he interfered in the fight between team STRQ and Cinder's group, and again when fighting Adam in the warehouse. Them finding out that the weapon belongs to me is pretty much a lock on outing me as the Specter." I let the gravity of that information sink in, before dropping the other shoe. "Not to mention, either side would be thrilled to figure out exactly how it works, and then replicate it for themselves. Also…the first time I used it, I kinda destroyed Cinder's arm. Her original one, I mean. And probably her eye too, now that I think about it."

Ilia's skin visibly paled. "And that's why she has it out for you so badly. Not only did you ruin her plan, you also took your pound of flesh in the process. No wonder why Adam was so quick to leave after that last clash."

"He probably should've stuck around, all things considered. Those shots are powerful, but they also come with a recoil like no other. The first time I fired it, I'm pretty sure I broke ribs. Even this last time, using Mortem as a shield, I still crashed into a wall and was knocked out for a little bit. So it's no without its drawbacks." I paused to evaluate how everyone was taking it. The twins understandably looked a bit nervous at having the parts to what was pretty much a not-so-insignificant bomb in the room. Ilia had returned to her normal skin tone, and was inscrutable once more. "So, if that's good enough for everyone, I'm gonna turn in for the night. Gods knows it's gonna be a long day tomorrow searching for someone to officiate our match."

Miltia looked confused. "I would've thought people would be chomping at the bit to see our match go down."

"It's not finding someone that'll be the long part. It's the amount of time they'll spend laughing at the idea of it all, and what they expect to happen to us."

"Oh…right…"

… … …

"HAHAHAHAHA! OH, THAT'S GREAT! PFFFT!"

I sat across from Coco and watched as the fashionista fell to pieces, struggling not to collapse over her lunch in laughter. Next to me, Yatsu and Fox were much more reserved with smiles on their faces, but I just knew that Fox was mentally laughing up a storm. Velvet was the only serious one, and her Faunus ears twitched out of what I assume was concern.

"Are you all sure this is necessary? I wouldn't want to see the tenuous friendship you've built up with Weiss, Blake and Yang crumble under any resentment stemming from the spar."

"If anything, I'm getting points with Yang for trying to settle things over a brawl instead of a logical debate. Then again, I'm losing out as well since the goal is to stop them from going out in the first place. Weiss I can deal with so long as I'm on Ruby's and Winter's good sides. As for Blake…we'll cross that bridge if and when we get there." I paused as Coco was still laughing somehow. "Are my team's prospects of winning really that bad? I thought you'd be the kind of person to claim how the rankings 'don't mean squat when you're out in the field' or something. Or maybe that's Qrow?"

"Sorry Higure, that was rude of me," Coco chuckled, fixing her shades as she composed herself. "I wasn't laughing about your chances, honest. I just found it hilariously sad that most things that surround you usually end up with fighting, with you almost always in the center of the mix."

"Yes, because getting the snot kicked out of me is my intention." I deadpanned, one pair of shades staring at another. "This is a school for huntsmen and huntresses though, so forgive me for explaining why so many fights might occur. And it's not like everything I do ends up in a fight; I'm sure once I find someone I'm interested in, there won't be fighting there."

'Are you actually being serious right now?' Fox's thoughts were tinged with more than a hint of incredulity, and I nodded in the affirmative. 'Oh, you poor, deluded soul. Your end will be swift and oh so painful.'

"Worry not, Fox. Kouzai still has ample time to discover the error of his perception, before war the likes of which he has not seen occur." Yatsu casually continued eating, as if that was the end of that terrifying line of conversation.

"So Kouzai! Didn't you have something that you wanted to ask us? Any one of us in particular?" Velvet seemed interested in the prospect of a spar among friends now that I'd explained things out to her, if her ears were anything to go by.

"Ok…Right. So I wanted to ask you all if you'd be willing to officiate the spar between my team and Ruby's…what is it this time?" My request had been punctuated by two frowns from Fox and Yatsu, a crestfallen expression by Velvet, and a wince from Coco.

"That's a tough one now…sorry Kouzai, but we're pretty booked on free time for the foreseeable future. Yours truly volunteered her kind and generous team to plan the Beacon Dance coming up, and it's quite the time cruncher." I nodded, shaking the cobwebs off my memories of the events surrounding the second volume in order to be on top of things. "Though, even if we did have the time, I'm not sure if we'd be the most impartial and objective officiants; the rest of my team pretty strongly favors yours over Ruby's, and Fox and Yatsu are smitten with a certain pair of twins, as you know."

"Hmm…if need's be, I could help out with the planning if that frees up some time." It'd be interesting to see what the behind-the-scenes on the dance looked like, and realistically speaking, there weren't that many people I knew that had the time to give and that I was willing to explain the situation to. "If the rest of your team is tilted pretty strongly towards my team, how about just you then? I think you're pretty capable of adjudicating things by yourself."

"Aww, thanks. And it's not that I'm exactly neutral between both two teams…more that I'm partial to one…" Coco scratched her cheek, and I could've sworn I saw a loopy grin appear on her face for a fraction of a second. "Or one member in particular…"

I picked my jaw off the table so that I might form words. "You have a crush on someone in team RWBY? Who? Wait, lemme think…is it Yang?"

"Not quite. She's got the pep for sure, but she's also pining after a certain Faunus that we know. I'm not the kind of gal to chase after someone who's looking at someone else."

"Blake then?"

"You're kind of bad at this, aren't you?" Coco leaned an elbow on the table, grin now a smirk. "I've won out in a few contests of love before, but that girl is a minefield of current and past romantic interests, if what I've heard is anything to go by. Far too messy to wade into. You know, with all the similarities between the two of you, you're technically in the mix too."

"Nope nope, not happening…Weiss?"

"Are you just going down the line now? You're really bad this. Come back when you're doing more than guessing, freshie." Coco held up two hands. "So see my dilemma, even if I had the time to spare. Adorable cinnamon roll and her team on one side, and a broody copycat who I love to watch get smacked on the other, along with his team…makes it tough to be objective, see?"

"Of course, how tragic for you," I drawled as CFVY broke out into laughter. "Guess I'll look elsewhere then. Thanks anyways though."

"You know, you might wanna try Prof Autumn. She's definitely less busy than the full-time professors, and she owes you for helping her get out into Vale a couple times, yeah?"

"Not a bad idea. Thanks Coco, and let me and mine know if you need help for the dance."

"Will do, Kouzai. And good luck, in multiple senses of the word."

… … …

"Yes."

"Umm, professor? I haven't described what exactly-"

"I don't care, just mark me down for a yes." Amber stood up from her office seat and strode over to me, and I had to focus on not flinching at the intensity the Fall Maiden was devoting to something as simple as walking. "I need a distraction to break up the monotony of the day-to-day, or I'll be going nuts."

"It won't be as groundbreaking as you're expecting. I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to officiate a spar between my team and team RWBY later in the week." I watched Amber's shoulders sag a bit, and I felt terrible for getting her hopes up. "Before we get to that though, do you wish to talk about how things have been going at Beacon? I know the first time we talked, you were in need of a stiff drink. I can't exactly offer that at the moment, but I've got experience listening to people drunkenly talk about what's bothering them, so listening to coherent people is an improvement."

Amber regarded me for a moment, before shrugging and heading over to where a couch rested by one of the walls, plopping down on it. "My office isn't exactly huge, so feel free to talk from there or drag the chair over, or stand if that floats your boat."

"Sure." I was careful to carry the chair instead of dragging it, lest the sound drive Amber over the edge into committing homicide by way of natural disaster. "Sooo…I'm guessing that your time at Beacon hasn't exactly been going swimmingly."

"It's not so much what I'm doing at Beacon so much as it is what I'm not doing anywhere else. I haven't been off-campus in weeks! Not to mention, there was practically no one around during the break."

"And I'm guessing that during your lengthy stay thus far, you've traversed nearly every inch of campus already, or every inch worth traversing at least." Amber nodded vehemently, and I figured that I should cover my bases. "I had initially thought though that your coming to Beacon was a voluntary decision on your part. From what it sounds like though, it seems like your presence on campus isn't very voluntary."

Amber sighed, bringing her regular hand up to brush against her robotic limb. "It's…complicated."

"With all due respect, I was recently kidnapped and involved in what I can only assume to be an international conspiracy involving multiple organizations of criminals. My friends barely batted an eye while dealing with said people. Complicated to a huntsman or huntress pretty much means that you haven't hit the problem hard enough yet." It was a low blow to bring up the exact conspiracy that Amber was involved in, but it'd do the Fall Maiden good if she had someone to talk to about her situation. "Have you tried convincing or persuading others on your situation? I know Ozpin sounded pretty stubborn, but maybe Goodwitch or Qrow would be willing to lend a hand."

"Fat chance of that. Despite her ability to strike primal fear into Ozpin so that he does his work, Glynda implicitly trusts every decision he makes. And for all the blasé nonchalance that Qrow tries to exude, he's still very much glued to Ozpin's side." Amber eyed me critically for a moment, before her gaze softened and she leaned back again. "Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

'Wow, I can't believe that actually worked as well as it did.' I took on a serious posture to give her words the proper consideration. "Like I said, I'm a bartender, which means I'm contractually obligated to listen to others divulge things. Though, that might not be a great example, since there are quite a few scumbags that frequent the club, and some of those sordid and quite illegal tales make their way to the relevant ears at times."

"You need to find a more reputable bar to work at…hah, fine." Amber laced her fingers together and looked down at them. "The gist of my story is that I'm being protected by Ozpin and Beacon from the groups that've been in Vale recently. I did a number on Cinder, though she gave as good as she got. I'm sure both of us want a chance to pay the other back with interest, but Ozpin is of the mind that I need to remain at Beacon, since Cinder and her people wouldn't dare try to get to me while I'm here."

"Outside of Beacon though…" I trailed off, looking like I was connecting the dots in the conversation. "So, when I was abducted by them…"

"They were trying to force my hand, get me to come after them…it nearly worked too, if not for Qrow staying behind to make sure I didn't charge off." Amber bowed to me, and I was taken aback. "I never got to apologize for what happened to you since there would be an explanation needed, but…I am so sorry for what happened to you. I…understand if you're upset about this information."

I watched Amber for a moment, determining that the huntress was torn up over the series of events, before I waved my hands as if to ward off any misunderstandings. "Hey, it's alright, I don't blame you for any of that. There's always a chance that they picked me because I'd interfered in one of Torchwick's robberies before the year started, and you could also say I'm at fault for not being more cognizant and prepared as a huntsman-in-training. In any event, trying to assign blame to anyone but the people who actually committed the crime is circular reasoning at best. But enough about me. My question is what you would like to do about your situation, and I don't mean some surrealist statement like 'I'm gonna find, and I'm gonna kill every last one of them." I'd like to know what is it that you really want to do."

Amber's mouth was slightly open, before she caught herself and smirked. "That's kind of a deep question to be dropping on me." The smirk slid off her face, and Amber tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling. "I suppose…I'd like to get some ice cream."

"…Huh?"

"Oh, and visit that noodle restaurant I'd go to whenever I was in Vale. And shop for clothes. And visit the aquarium. Buy furniture. Visit pet stores. See a movie."

"…"

Amber's list tapered off, and there was a breath. "I've always loved traveling, and getting to see and experience new things. Being who I was, that life was accessible to a certain degree, but I wanted more. And then I almost died…now, I still wish to explore and experience, but there's a part of me that wants to see the life that I haven't gotten to taste yet…might not get to taste, if those aiming for my life are successful. Maybe it's presumptuous of me to want such, but-"

"It's not." I cut off Amber's line of thought, despite my teeth being clenched and me promising myself that I'd let Amber speak. But the sheer resignation…"It's quite appropriate to want some facet of a normal life. I don't think there's a single huntsman or huntress out there capable of remaining completely separate from society without cracking. So what you want, should be granted to you. And I'll help you get there, I promise."

Amber looked frozen, and I paused to digest the fact that I'd just promised to do what Qrow and Glynda hadn't, against Ozpin of all people. 'Not one of my greatest moments…'

"Heh heh, how bold of you…if nothing else, I am admittedly looking forward to the spar between teams RWBY and KMMI, so I'll gladly officiate." Amber slowly rose off the couch and stretched out. "Thank you for listening. I think I needed to get that off my chest."

"I'm sure you'd do the same for me or any of my friends," I replied easily. Sensing a comfortable lull, I placed the chair back to its original position. "I'll be taking my leave now. Have a good afternoon, Amber."

"You as well, Kouzai."

I found myself outside soon after, taking in the pleasant temperature of springtime.

"Alright, I've completed one task and picked up an infinitely harder one. How on Remnant am I supposed to convince Ozpin of anything?...if I can-" I paused as the sound of engines steadily grew louder. Looking up, I watched three massive carriers approach the airfield down the main road, their trademark appearance marking some very important events. I didn't have time to ruminate, however.

"Well, damn! Talk about good timing! I was just about call up the gang that I'd arrived!"

"So confident to assume that I'm here for you." My mouth was running faster than my brain, and I turned to take in a new sight for sore eyes. The black, red and gold tailcoat he'd started wearing in Argus was now a permanent fixture to his outfit. More noticeable to the weather eye though was the fact that his collar wasn't upturned, his jeans weren't rolled up, and his shirt was buttoned and tucked in.

"I've heard you guys in Vale have gotten up to all sorts of shit. Time to catch up." Sun Wukong was all pearl-white smiles.

… … …

… … …

Ozpin needed more cocoa, or maybe some coffee for once.

"Ozpin, you cannot tell me that the current state of affairs doesn't have you concerned, or that this is a situation that you were anticipating being in." James Ironwood was slowly walking around his office, holding the peace offering of a warm drink while his small fleet remained parked outside.

"James, I do not wish to have this discussion again, so for the sake of putting our differences in opinion to rest, let us mutually agree that while additional measures might be necessary for the circumstances that we find ourselves in, proper communication in order to efficiently and discreetly enact such measures is also necessary."

"…Very well. In that case, I believe it would be in our best interest to turn the topic of discussion towards another issue of security within Vale at the moment; the Specter." James frowned when Ozpin pinched between his eyes. "I'm serious, Ozpin! You know as well as I do that the kind of output displayed at that White Fang recruitment event is definite cause for concern. Much of the damage to the warehouse is indicative to Adam Taurus's moveset, but the rest…disregarding the sheer power, the forensics nearly prove that the bullet was a metal slug amplified by various sources, quite similar to research being performed in Atlas."

"Your concern is noted, James, but suffice to say, Atlas does not have the monopoly on scientific or military research, nor does it have the ability to prevent others from possessing such weaponry."

"You know that's not the point. I will admit that all signs point to the conclusion that the Specter's appearance at that warehouse was as a hostile to the White Fang and Adam Taurus. That, however, only deepens the mystery. If the Specter is not operating as an agent of Hers, and does not act on your behalf, then who are they working for? And more importantly, who are they?"

Ozpin tilted his mug back, back, quite far back until he realized that he was out of cocoa, before bitterly lowering his hand. "I empathize with your desire to solve this mystery, and rest assured that I have resources invested into such. Qrow's work speaks for itself, and I am content to instead focus my attention towards stopping Cinder Fall and her associates in their tracks."

"Far be it for me to stop you from being proactive, but I would like to provide aid of my own in those avenues as well." Ironwood gestured to the elevator door as the notification of an incoming guest appeared. Ozpin accepted, and the elevator door opened to reveal a girl with orange hair, bright green eyes and freckles, dressed in a theme of black, green and white. "This is Penny Polendina, Pietro's daughter. She'll be participating in the Vytal Festival, but given her considerable combat ability and acumen, I believe that she will be of great assistance in locating and identifying the Specter."

"Salutations, Headmaster Ozpin! My name is Penny, and I'm combat ready!" The girl did a perfect bow, before straightening and eyeing Ozpin.

Ozpin slowly reached for the pot of coffee, poured until his mug was full, and drank deeply. After nearly a minute of this, he set the mug down.

"We will…discuss Ms. Polendina's involvement in the matter at a different time. At the current moment, it is nearly time for my appointment with Glynda." There was no such appointment, but he would assuredly take paperwork over the headache that threatened to ensue if his old friend went any further. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss, James?"

Before his eyes, General and Headmaster James Ironwood performed an action that Ozpin had only witnessed him perform a handful of times; he shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck.

"There is one more matter that I would like to bring to your attention, though perhaps 'like' is too strong a word." James paused, as if considering how best to phrase his next statement. Another surprise. "The prisoner that you currently have detained, Mercury Black…Penny would like to…talk with him…again."

"…"

"I am told that Friend Mercury is currently on the grounds of Beacon Academy! Given the number of days that has passed since I last conversed with him, I would be most appreciative of the opportunity to talk with him!"

"…"

"…"

A/N: So, that happened. This is one of those plot points that I put in to just accentuate how extensive changes to the canon timeline can be. If anyone's wondering how in the nine hells this meeting occurred, it's the ending passage for one of the chapters for Volume 1. Other than that, hopefully the absence of combat didn't upset those who were craving bloodshed. Rest assured that there'll be plenty of that coming up. Now for reviews.

Netapel: Although Kouzai is far from what one would consider an unreliable narrator, his unique priorities and abysmal romantic skills keep him from picking up on what others might notice. When you're dealing with females in the world of RWBY though, escalation and bold actions are the default strategy, so there'll be a reckoning at some point.

Gizmo Gear: Yup, now that characters and relationships have mostly been established, it's time to get into the meat of the plot and whatnot.

Blueassassin996: As Qrow can easily attest to, thinking that you've dodged a bullet only means that you're not paying attention to the other thousand. Having his identity as the Specter under wraps is a pretty large bullet though, admittedly. And of course, being able to speak with team RWBY without too much chance of being socked into next week is always nice…until you challenge said team to a spar to stop them from fighting a giant death robot, and then all bets are off.

-SE

Next Chapter Date: 07/07/20