After what felt like way too long a time, I wrote a bit of a time-skip in my original novel and boy, what a weird feeling it was to do so. Granted, the time-skip was planned and stuff and is merely one of several, but still, how weird it felt to write my MC at a somewhat older age. I guess I must have gotten used to writing for him at a younger age somehow, heh. In any case, I'm glad that I'll finally be doing the next big thing in my novel and hopefully I won't end up dragging it out needlessly.
Now, that aside, I've really been looking forward to getting around to writing this chapter, especially after reading the reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it for the most part. And to those of you worried about me making the antagonists too strong, don't worry, things will eventually begin to balance out eventually, though the antagonists will certainly not become pushovers. Such is the nature of stories like this.
Plus, in Raven's defense, Tyrian's ambush and sudden usage of his venom took her extremely off guard since it's not something she's ever really seen before – the number of people who'd ever willingly attack her tribe can be counted on one hand and Tyrian's speed and sporadic fighting style in his frenzied state made it hard for her to accurately pin him down, even with the Maiden power.
Additionally, to those worried over Jaune's role in the grand scheme of things, that will also be addressed as intended.
Now then, with that explained, onto the chapter!
P.S. Please read the AN at the end for some additional info!
Chapter 31
"How are you holding up?" Jaune asked Blake as he and his team met up with team RWBY in a room that had been temporarily provided to the B of the team in question to avoid having too many people try to haggle their actual room.
"I've been better," Blake responded with a rather brittle smile. "But all things considered, I'm just glad to not be behind bars."
"And that only makes us just slightly happier than before…" snarled out Yang from beside Blake, an action that only got her teammates to look at her reproachfully. But Ruby and Weiss also showed understanding through their facial expressions alone.
"Must have been quite a night," Pyrrha now said, a little uncertainly.
Indeed, Jaune thought. It was honestly hard to think that just yesterday, everything had been okay… and now just look at how things were like. At least the headmaster had been able to provide this room for Blake right away, though that had still left the rest of team RWBY to tell people to leave them be when they kept pestering their dorm room door all throughout the evening.
"It was a lively night," Blake admitted. "But again, I can't complain. I'll take whatever wins I can get here."
"Still can't believe general Ironwood would try to bring you into custody though," Ren said in as quiet a tone as he normally speaks in, though there was no mistaking the disbelief in his voice. "Does he even have the authority to do that?"
"As Vale lacks a proper military, general Ironwood had been granted full authority to operate as he sees fit in place of this… of course, so long as he does get permission from the council first," Weiss helpfully answered. "And in light of the bombshell dropped yesterday, well, while the council may not have been able to convene and speak with him on the matter that quickly, I can't imagine arresting a former terrorist would be viewed unfavorably by them… no offense, Blake."
The Faunus shook her head. "None taken."
"Still doesn't make him any less of an asshole about it…" Yang grumbled.
"Yang! No unneeded swearing!" Ruby chided her older sister, trying to at least do something.
"…Did the headmaster say anything else?" Jaune now asked, wanting to stay focused on the most concerning topic, that being what will be happening from here on out.
"Not really, no. I honestly can't imagine what, if anything, he can do for me at this point. But like I told him, all I can do is prove to them that I am trustworthy, that I'm… that I'm no longer the person I used to be."
At that, Jaune could only nod. As much as he desired to strike down 'evil,' he knew better than to just incapacitate or kill anyone and everyone that's done something wrong. Just because people committed crimes – of varying severity, of course – didn't necessarily make them 'evil.' The same thing applied to the White Fang as well. Wrong as their current actions may be, it was ultimately the result of being pushed to the very edge, a breaking point. Sadly, it was inevitable for them to become what they are today.
So long as they continue to remain hellbent on their current methods, he shall respond as necessary. But those, such as Blake and Tukson, who defect and now wish to turn their lives around, such people he could never view as 'evil.' It's only those that delight in the pain and deaths of others, those that would willingly and even eagerly crush anyone who gets in the way of their goals that are truly 'evil.'
These were his beliefs.
However, he was feeling just a tad bit disconcerted here. His instincts told him this was somehow the work of the White Fang, well, the sect that had tried setting Grimm loose in Vale, he'd imagine. Perhaps this was their way of trying to take revenge. Or maybe it was merely a set-up to something greater or maybe both. But in any case, they – or whoever was truly responsible, assuming his initial gut instinct was wrong – wouldn't have done so unless they were truly desperate… a state that they'd pushed them into.
Sure, life was ultimately a series of escalations… but this felt a bit much in his eyes.
"And we'll help with that too," Ruby said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We're teammates and friends – no way we're just gonna let you do this alone, Blake."
Blake smiled. "Thanks."
The others were smiling too, Jaune included now. "Of course," he started to add. "You can include us in that number."
Blake looked to him and they stared at one another for just a brief few seconds before she nodded in gratitude.
However, not long after doing so, Blake lost her smile and then sighed. "But as great as your support is… this situation really is a bad one."
And just like that, the mood had soured once more. Not that Blake could be blamed for this; it was a shitty situation, to be perfectly blunt.
With her former past now public fact, there was plenty of outcry that was practically calling for her head on a platter. Just about all the social media platforms that their generation used to get their news was blowing up over this and it was dividing people like crazy.
Some wanted Blake arrested and sentenced to prison ASAP.
Others believed this to be overblown bullshit, to paraphrase what a relative few had been saying online.
And of course, there was a third camp that would wait until things conclude to really give any opinion on the matter… assuming this does have a conclusive end at all.
"Is there anything that can be done?" Jaune immediately asked. "Or at least something that should be done?"
"Aside from helping out with the walls around Vale," Ruby quickly added.
In light of what Blake had told them all about the meeting she'd had with the headmaster and general Ironwood, she'd essentially ended up placing the burden of clearing her own name on herself. Whether or not that meant other involved parties would simply sit back and wait for something to come was unknown. Neither the headmaster nor the Atlas military general struck him as being passive, but the worst thing that he and his friends can do is do nothing.
Blake thought long and hard and they all sat back to let her think.
When she spoke, what she had to say took them all very much off guard.
"Now that I think of it… they did mention a name," she began. "I'd honestly been such a mess at the time that only now do I remember it… and if I had to hazard a guess, it doesn't seem as if the headmaster had actually meant to say it in the first place."
"Blake, what are you getting at?" Yang asked in confusion.
"Yeah!" Nora agreed, speaking up for the first time so far. She then gasped. "Is it someone we can beat up to prove our mettle?!"
Ah, good ol' Nora. Never change.
"The name was… Salem…" Blake responded. She looked at each them one by one, clearly hoping to see if the name meant anything to them.
And one by one, they all shook their heads.
Indeed, they all could now only share confused looks with one another. The name rang no bells at all.
"Salem…" Jaune muttered the name slowly, as if trying to test out how it sounded. "No last name?"
Blake shook her head.
He narrowed his eyes as he thought hard now, focusing so intensely that he unconsciously tuned out the others as they began to talk amongst themselves about this odd development.
Salem… that wasn't exactly a common name. Well, granted, taking history into account, names have been quite unique for several generations now, a sign of showing uniqueness and diversity. But even then, the name didn't follow any particular pattern like most names generally did now.
…Come to think of it, the same could be said of the headmaster's name… but that was probably just a coincidence.
"You said the headmaster just mentioned that name offhand?" Pyrrha spoke up, getting Jaune's attention.
"Yeah. It was clearly said in the heat of the moment. What with the general practically breathing down my neck as well as his, it's clear that the headmaster hadn't really intended to say it… I wonder if he even realized he'd said it in the first place." Blake looked intensely thoughtful.
"Well," Weiss started. "It's not as if it's any business of ours, yes? I mean, it's just a name, a name and nothing more. And going by what you told us, it's clearly something meant to be private between the headmaster and general Ironwood."
"But Weiss, just what else should we do?!" Ruby nearly whined.
"More like what else can we even do?" Yang grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "Sure, we can go help out at the walls, but just how long would we have to do that to get the public to quiet the hell down and leave Blake alone? Probably not that quickly."
Her snark aside, she did make a point. Minds were rarely changed so easily, especially not on a grand scale.
"Even so," Ren began, serving as the voice of reason alongside Weiss. "It seems to be this Salem is a private matter between the headmaster and general. To try and look into it would be a huge breach of trust. We as students have no business in this matter, whatever it may be."
Weiss nodded in full agreement. "Even if we ignore the issue of ethics and privacy here, just what can we even do? All we know is a name and nothing more. There's no starting point to even work with here… and even then, should we really even try pursuing this issue? Considering the number of incidents we've been involved in already, should we really be going around potentially causing even more trouble?"
Judging by the lack of response from Ruby and Yang, it seemed to Jaune as if they didn't have any real counterargument there. And sparing a glance to his own team, it seemed Pyrrha was also on the fence about this discussion. As for Nora, she clearly looked disappointed to not be going on what she was assuming to be some grand adventure, but she was dutifully following Ren's lead.
As for himself… just what did he think?
He closed his eyes for a moment and massaged the scar on his face.
Like his friends had clearly surmised, based on the context given, this Salem was obviously a person of considerable interest to the headmaster and general, though in what way was unknown. And call it his gut, but something about this name… it felt 'evil,' weird as it sounded to even himself to even think such a thing.
…
…
…Perhaps… perhaps he was just being paranoid. His instincts were sharp, yes, but not infallible. There have been some times in the – admittedly distant – past where he'd been wrong. Experience has taught him how to temper himself to a degree, but even then, his instincts still screamed at him to look into this.
But as Weiss and Ren had pointed out, there was absolutely nothing to work with here. Who knows how long it'd be before some kind of lead could turn up? Of course, this wasn't even getting into the breach of trust and privacy here.
…First thing first, though; they had to focus on Blake's situation.
"Let's try not to deviate so much from the original topic," he said in a placating manner.
"But, Jaune, aren't you interested?" Ruby asked.
"I am," he replied immediately. "But like Weiss and Ren said, ignoring the issue of ethics here, there's really nothing we can do for the time being. And before you can think of asking Tukson, he already has his hands full with the White Fang monitoring. Trying to divide his efforts between two very different things can be a huge mistake."
"E-Erk…"
"I have to say, this is somewhat unlike you, Jaune," Pyrrha said. "I mean, normally, anything of such interest would have you looking into it… but I understand. The mere thought of looking into something so private… it's just…"
He nodded in understanding. "It's wrong. And again, we're getting too off topic here. Let's try and think of other things here that'll help Blake out more immediately."
"And what about the name?" Blake asked, curious.
"…" Jaune once again made an unidentifiable sound. He'd be lying if he said his curiosity hadn't been piqued, but again, there really wasn't much that could be done about this. "For now, all we can do is just leave it be. If the headmaster realizes his slip-up and tries to contact you about it, well, then we'll go from there, but if not, trying to step on his and the general's toes by going around their backs like this isn't going to help your current predicament."
Blake could only nod in agreement.
From there, the conversation slowly got back on track…
…But even then, Jaune could still feel something off about the name of Salem. Alas, it was going to have to wait until later before it can be looked into.
But maybe something will turn up to change things on that.
Arthur Watts was a man of many talents, a detail he had no problem making known to his colleagues.
However, despite his occasional penchant for bragging, he liked to opt more for demonstrations of his skills rather than merely boasting of them with words alone.
Such as now, for example.
The rings he wore upon his fingers were his tools, his instruments with which he weaved beautiful orchestras of delicate chaos. Back in Atlas and especially Mantle, whose security grid he wrote the entire code for, his hold over their systems was supreme, absolute.
Here in Vale, this was far less so. Nonetheless, hacking into Vale's various systems was little more than child's play to him. And so, with access to the many cameras spread throughout the kingdom, he'd begun his research, both into what Cinder had been up to and into the individual that had so piqued Hazel's interest.
As he did so, he was effortlessly digging up any and every file worth mentioning within the Vale Police Department's online systems, comparing the details noted within them to the recordings found within the cameras.
Cinder was good at what she did, loathe as he was to ever give her such praise, but she lacked much in the ways of finesse when compared to him, of course. Certainly, her methods were enough to keep her hidden from unwanted eyes, but that didn't make her nor her lackeys completely invisible to cameras and the other technology here in Vale that he could gain access to.
Oh, it wasn't as if he was watching her carry out her plan on screen or anything – obviously, whatever power plays she's been making were well behind the scenes – but it wasn't as if she and those pathetic would-be enforcers of hers could sneak around every camera there is. Even if he was only watching them walk down the street and picking up something to eat, they were still there, albeit these were recordings taken from weeks ago, before Cinder's plan had started to fall off its fickle rails.
"Hmm." He hummed thoughtfully as he worked, slowing down ever so slightly to more closely observe details that he might have otherwise missed.
Between Salem's command and Hazel's request, the former obviously took priority… but as he was swiftly learning here, it would seem that the two initially separate tasks were intertwined.
Having been provided a description of the individual in question by Hazel, Watts had been all too quick in identifying him thanks to a combination of camera footage and some receipts here and there from purchases made within Vale.
And as he'd gone about looking into what exactly Cinder and the White Fang had been up to, he'd been able to look into the police reports on those incidents that had been caused… and noticed certain names pop up multiple times in each report.
It would seem the teams RWBY and JNPR, clearly originating from Beacon, were of high interest now, given the level of involvement they'd had in previous incidents.
Pictures had obviously been taken for documentation, including any and all injuries suffered… especially that of one Jaune Arc following the incident at the docks quite some time ago.
"Oho, how interesting," the former Atlas scientist muttered to himself, going as far as to even rub his chin in deep thought.
It was clear from the description given that this Jaune Arc was the one Hazel spoke of and had fought back at the now former town of Sol. That a boy so young had presented any kind of challenge to the man… that sort of power and skill was a definite anomaly. Watts would even go as far as to say that it was truly monstrous.
And as he was swiftly learning, it would seem this Jaune Arc and his fellow trainees had been quite a busy bunch in more recent weeks, busy enough and just successful enough at what they'd been doing so far to cause Cinder's initial plans to falter.
Well now, perhaps he had been just a bit too harsh on the young woman – if someone of a caliber great enough to even remotely trouble Hazel had interfered in her plans then it would make perfect sense for the woman to have to change things up. That Roman Torchwick, having been one of Cinder's more recent and notable lapdogs, had perished in the paladin incident against him spoke volumes. That the paladin itself had also been ruined beyond repair also said something significant.
"With this in mind… just what to do now, I wonder." Watts' interest was genuinely raised now, able to see the significance in Hazel's concerns, especially since he'd just confirmed the young Arc's status. Thanks to just how precious every piece of technology is to the kingdoms for the sake of their safety, bullheads travelling in and out of the kingdoms are logged as they come and go, a transponder on them allowing relevant facilities to easily monitor said bullheads and assess the number of passengers upon them as well as any cargo they may be carrying.
And sure enough, there was a record of a bullhead returning to Vale not long after the events at Sol, with Jaune Arc and his team aboard the vessel.
The boy had survived a battle with Hazel and was clearly doing well since there were also much more recent footage of him along with numerous other Beacon students patrolling the streets in light of Cinder's failed Breach plan.
For now, it seemed the boy and those other meddlesome students were going about their daily lives now, if only due to the necessity of keeping the peace in Vale. But considering the fact team JNPR and RWBY appear to be friends as well as what the White Fang had done recently – putting the spotlight on a former member of theirs – perhaps it would be only a matter of time until they try to meddle in affairs well beyond their capabilities like before.
Speaking of the White Fang though…
Watts hummed in amusement as he looked over the physical files he'd received. Though hacking and inventing were more his bread and butter, he also had a network of informants that he occasionally called upon when there were intranets that he naturally couldn't get to.
Having one within Vale's major news network certainly had its benefits, for the informant had provided him a copy of the 'email with an unknown sender' that someone at the network had received in addition to copies of the files that had been attached to said email as well. From there, he'd worked his magic and discovered it came from a dummy account that he recognized as one some sects of the White Fang sometimes used.
"Hmph, I see what they're planning." He chuckled as he looked over one Blake Belladonna's past records, records that he supposed were impressive by some standards. Didn't mean much in the long run though.
"Well then, seeing as the two of them are presumably friends, will this mean our resilient Mr. Arc will try something in desperation to spare Belladonna this anguish? No… perhaps not in the manner I'm thinking of… he seems to be fond of taking initiative, but not in a truly reckless manner like others would," he mumbled to himself, trying to anticipate the future.
So immersed was he in his thoughts that he didn't notice Hazel walk up behind him until the man's shadow was practically looming over him.
"Watts. You already found something?" the man asked.
"Hmm? Oh, already back from your little walk? How was your stroll through Forever Falls?" Watts replied amicably.
The larger man had stepped out earlier and had taken a very roundabout way through Vale to get to Forever Falls, a trek that had taken most of the day already. The purpose of this little trip had been to get a general feel of Vale's back alleys and the like, just in case they had to be used as well as to better pinpoint the more obscure cameras. Additionally, Hazel had personally wished to scout out the perpetually red forest to begin sowing his seeds among the minds of the Grimm there as well as seeing for himself just how far Beacon's security may possibly extend.
All so that when it came time, they could raid Beacon most effectively and try locating the Relic of Choice, which obviously had to be at or around Beacon – no way Ozpin would dare put the Relic somewhere too far out of reach of either himself or his allies.
Alas, Hazel didn't comment and merely narrowed his eyes instead.
Watts chuckled and held up his hands in a placating manner. "As fate would have it, the one you spoke of had indeed survived in one piece and had since then been quite active within Vale itself, either helping with patrolling the streets or slaying the Grimm that have been attacking the walls ever since the Breach. And it would also seem he's the one behind Cinder's change in plans."
"So, he really was related to all this…" Hazel grimaced as he backed off.
"Indeed. I must say, though I've only done a cursory study of him and his actions so far, he's really grabbed my attention. Much like you, he would appear to be an anomaly of sorts, an aberration. The kind of power he possesses is just as unnatural for the norm as yours is." Watts leaned back in his chair as he swiveled it around so that he may better face Hazel.
"What are the odds of him somehow interfering in what's going on now?"
"Hmm. If you're referring to the White Fang's obvious scheme, I'd say quite high; he and his team appear to be close to the Belladonna girl, thus when those pathetic terrorists do attempt to take the girl's life, he'll naturally intervene. If you're referring to our plans, that's much harder to say. Trying to look at things from his perspective, I can't imagine there being any hints at all to our presence nor our plans at all, not our own nor Cinder's… but I can tell that my words aren't putting you at ease. Care to tell me your worries?"
Hazel sighed as he took a seat. "It's not quite something I can put into words, not easily… but that boy… he's a slave."
Watts quirked an eyebrow, confused. "A slave? To whom or what?"
"I don't know the root of it all, but the boy needs to be a 'hero.' Not 'wants' to be one, no, he needs to be a hero. It's his only guiding light. He may take note of everything around him, may even end up acting like any other boy his age, but that's all ultimately in his periphery vision. To try and oppose this desire of his would be like going against his own existence. And so, he'll just keep on going. Even if it takes him an eternity, he'll still keep going. It's the only thing he can ever do."
Watts said nothing for a whole minute, taking his time digesting what his ally was telling him. "So, in a way, it's similar almost to Salem's and Ozpin's predicaments?"
He was referring to the aforementioned two's curses. The former, cursed with eternal life, unable to ever die. The latter, cursed to reincarnate without end once his new life was extinguished.
Hazel could only shrug slightly. "In a manner of speaking. Not an actual curse per say… but in practicality, it might as well be. He'll never know anything else at this rate… and because of that, he'll never be a hero. Just a slave."
There was a quiet harshness in the man's words that took Watts aback, but the man hid his surprise well. As much as he'd like to continue this conversation, he and Hazel still had jobs to do. Thus, they'd have to focus on the more relevant aspects here.
"Then it would be safe to assume he will try and interfere with our plans," Watts said. "Honestly, I can't fathom how that would actually happen – he knows absolutely nothing of our existences, much less Cinder's or Salem's – but if he really is as relentless as you're clearly hinting at, then we should operate under the assumption he and his friends will somehow bump into us… well, I suppose contrived coincidences are a thing in reality."
It took a few seconds, but Hazel did nod in agreement. "Even if the boy himself has no way of learning of us being here, he is a student at Beacon, right?"
"Right," Watts confirmed. And just like that he saw the man's verbally unstated point.
Ozpin was a man that liked to keep things very close to the vest, understandable given the number of times he's been abandoned or backstabbed in his past lives by supposed allies from what Watts could surmise from tales told to him by Salem. However, if there was a possibility that Jaune Arc could prove useful, it wouldn't be a surprise if Ozpin approaches the boy and lets him know just enough to steer him in whatever direction he pleases.
That Ozpin had most likely been the one responsible for team JNPR taking on the mission to Sol said enough. Sure, it'd been the only time the ever-weakening wizard seemed to use the boy and his teammates as pawns, but there was always a next time.
"Well, in your opinion, what do you believe the odds are of Ozpin approaching him?" Watts opted to ask. As the brains of the operation, the more information he had, then obviously the better things will be on his end. If it was possible to know just how and when exactly Jaune Arc could be sent out as one of Ozpin's new pawns for good, then that would do them a world of good to know these details. "Moreover, what are the chances of Arc accepting what the man could possibly tell him?"
"If it's for the sake of saving more people, it wouldn't surprise me if he accepts right away," Hazel began. "But even then… I saw it in his eyes near the end of our battle. A slave he may be, but he's aware of this fact. It's small right now, but perhaps he might actually start truly thinking for himself now and do things his way. To answer your initial question, though, hard to say."
Watts silently accepted his ally's words. Made sense to him. "Then if we are to eventually deal with him…?"
"Once things are underway and the chaos begins, he'll naturally leap into the fray, regardless of what he may possibly know by then… and remember – when that happens, I'll be the one to take care of him," Hazel answered in a firm tone. There was a sense of terrifying resolve and power now in those eyes of his, great enough to make the entire room suddenly feel far too small in Watts' opinion. And dare the man even say it, for a split second, it looked as Hazel's eyes changed for just a fraction of a second. "I'll finish what I'd started in Sol."
"…Very well then," Watts responded, trying to keep his cool. "In that case, let us truly begin in earnest. If this is to work, we've no choice but to reach out for Cinder. Originally, I'd have simply done as Salem said and leave things be, but just to ensure our own plans remain on schedule, we'll need to actually link up with her first. At least with the White Fang's antics taking the stage for now, going out and meeting her shouldn't be hard to pull off."
If nothing else, Watts figured, Cinder and her subordinates can serve as good distractions. It wasn't as if Cinder herself was actually needed for anything, despite what Salem had told the girl otherwise. And considering there was a wielder of the silver eyes among the teens associated with Jaune Arc, well, he supposed Cinder could be steered in the girl's general direction and rid them of another potential pest.
The plan had always been for Cinder to infiltrate Beacon, disable the CCT, and then bring about enough chaos to warrant a full-blown Grimm siege on Vale during the Vytal Festival. During that time, Salem herself would storm the kingdom with them at her side to effectively wipe out Ozpin, Ironwood and his fleet, and all others in the way, an action that would effectively cripple whatever remnants there'd be of Vale's forces afterwards in addition to striking a hard blow against Atlas' military. Then, with the CCT down, the other kingdoms would be none the wiser to what was actually going on, which would give them more than enough time to search for the Relic of Choice and then move onto the next kingdom.
Rinse, lather, repeat, just like that.
Ah, and of course, he'll be making especially sure that James would die by the end of all this, but only after obtaining what he personally wanted first.
In any case, this should have been simple, but as he'd learned today, that clearly wasn't meant to be. No plans ever do survive first contact, it seemed. But while he now had several more concerns than he did before, Watts wasn't too worried. Hazel had affirmed he'd be the one to deal with Jaune Arc and the White Fang's plans for Belladonna will come in handy as a good smokescreen.
He wouldn't dare say that things were ideal, but they were as ideal as things could be and that alone meant a lot.
Thus, without another word spoken to Hazel, Watts turned back around so that he was facing his various monitors and files and began his work again.
In the time following Qrow's blood-chilling call yesterday, Ozpin had experienced a hell of a fright, one greater than anything he's felt in many years. It hadn't been until the following call some odd minutes after that that he'd been able to slow his pulse down. The same went for James too, who'd been there during both calls.
But while it was good to know Qrow was still alive and kicking, the news that accompanied the second call had left the headmaster shocked all over again. Even now, a whole day later, he was still honestly feeling stumped.
Raven was now the Spring Maiden. The woman herself had killed the previous one to obtain such power. In all his many lives, Ozpin had grown all too accustomed to the horrors that humanity can and will commit… but the killing of so young a child would always leave him reeling.
No doubt, this was due to what had become of his own children throughout the lives he's led…
…He had to stop this. He needed to focus.
In any case, he had to be thankful that Raven hadn't been taken by Tyrian Callows. Had that madman actually been able to capture Raven and hold her captive long enough to make it to the vault, the Relic of Knowledge would've been forever lost to Salem. Even if he'd already used up one question to stay ahead of Salem last time, two questions were still more than enough for the woman's purposes. And it wasn't as if she couldn't just wait out the time needed for all three questions to be available again.
Furthermore, Raven had agreed to side with him once more, if only for the safety of herself and the remaining bandits from the decimated tribe. And, of course, for payback against Salem and her forces, futile as that would be to achieve.
And for once, James hadn't been against it, at least not that much. Ozpin supposed such a close call had left the general feeling too rattled to be too angry over Raven joining with them again, though it went without saying that the man would have his misgivings when this issue came back up.
Alas, that would be a bridge that would have to be crossed once it actually came up. Until then, having a united front mattered much more.
"I can't believe how foolish I'd been," he said to himself within the solitude of his own office.
Despite knowing firsthand how important the Maidens were, he couldn't bare simply keeping each and every one of them confined for their own safety, to say nothing of the impracticality of such a thing anyways. Because he'd allowed Amber and the now previous Spring Maiden so much free reign, the two young women had paid dearly for it. The latter was dead and gone and it would only be a matter of time until Amber joined her too, so weak was her remaining life force.
At least the Winter Maiden was being held without issue back in Atlas, but that's due to a combination of the woman's naturally demure personality and her increasingly frail constitution.
As for the Summer Maiden, well, she was still doing well the last he heard. That was another one he'd granted too much freedom to, but in his defense this time around, she was the strongest of the current generation of Maidens. He doubted even Raven could defeat her if the two were to ever clash. Sadly, because the woman was given so much freedom, getting in contact with her was essentially impossible for the time being. At least Salem's forces couldn't track her down either just yet.
But more than just his screw-up with the Maidens, he'd still been acting far too passively. Aside from having his inner circle's respective sources looking into potential leads and beefing up security as needed, he'd yet to actually do much of anything. Certainly, he'd sent out team JNPR on that mission, but it ultimately only confirmed what he'd already suspected anyways, so it wasn't too big a reward for the risk involved.
Looks like he'd have to speak to James again about what to do next. And rather than just discuss their immediate plans, they will really have to try and hash out a solid long-term plan for combatting Salem.
Ozpin suddenly sat up in his chair, his tired eyes now wide open.
"Oh no…" he muttered in a moment of genuine horror.
During all the 'excitement' Qrow's calls had caused, he'd forgotten one critical mistake-.
-He'd mentioned Salem's name to James during their argument yesterday… in front of Ms. Belladonna.
He stood up now but was unsure of what to do in this moment. The young girl was too secretive a person, a combination of her natural personality and her term during the White Fang, to just go around casually mentioning Salem's name to others… but the same couldn't be said of her friends, whom he didn't doubt for even a second the girl had told.
But… could there perhaps be a chance the girl hadn't realized his horrible slip-up due to being so overwhelmed by emotion herself? It was a hell of a hope to have, but not one entirely out of the realm of possibility…
…
Damn it all, there's no way the Ms. Belladonna didn't hear Salem's name. That meant both teams RWBY and JNPR now knew of Salem's name.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful, he thought in a self-depreciative tone. Just how many more mistakes, big and small, will he end up making during his innumerable lives before he truly does learn his lesson.
So, just how exactly to address this and minimize the damage? If there is even a slight chance they may not have caught on, then it obviously wouldn't do to come out and ask them if they heard of Salem's name. But if they did, he can't just tell them to drop the matter; both teams are far too adventurous, given how the outings of some of their members were what led to some of the incidents that had happened in recent memory. Trying to tell them to forget about it would only be encouraging them to get involved.
But…
Ozpin narrowed his eyes in thought and gripped his cane tightly in the process.
From the start, both teams had already been of significant interest to him. Ruby Rose naturally held his interest by sheer virtue of being a silver haired warrior just like her mother was and Pyrrha Nikos' strength, skill, and temperament was already making her like the ideal candidate for the position of the next Fall Maiden… and then there was Jaune Arc too.
But as necessary as their potential power may one day be, could he in good faith go and even consider bringing them into the fold this early? No, he couldn't. Ignoring for the umpteenth time the moral issues here, there was just no way to accurately predict how things would go. Now, while wild cards can sometimes prove incredibly helpful, in the war against Salem these days, it was too risky to bet on so many unknown factors.
Ozpin sighed, wracking his brain for solutions.
Nothing was forthcoming… but it still didn't change what he had to do.
He exited his office and took the elevator down, immediately heading for the room he'd situated Ms. Belladonna in.
And no sooner than when he'd reached the hallway the room was situated in…
"Headmaster?"
"Headmaster?" Jaune called out as he spotted the man in question appear out of the corner of his eyes. He was mildly surprised by the headmaster's sudden visit.
The man also seemed a little surprised to see him there, but he nonetheless smiled in greeting, albeit tiredly. "Mr. Arc. I take it things are well for you and your team this evening?"
He and his team had just been taking their leave for the evening while the members of team RWBY remained inside with Blake. Thanks to the sheer thickness of the walls and the door, he doubted any of them could overhear them.
"So far, yes. We were just about to return to our own dorm for the night. Have you come to check on Blake?" he replied and asked.
The older man nodded. "While I don't doubt her emotional resiliency, I felt it best to stop by and see for myself how she'd held up this past day."
Jaune could only nod.
"She seems okay, headmaster," Pyrrha spoke up from beside him. "Though, as you'd expect, the news is still taking its toll on her…. Is there anything that can be done about it?"
The headmaster sighed. "I'm afraid there's really not much that can be done right now, no. Aside from releasing statements that counter the more… vindictive comments being made by the public, there's no real way to just make everyone forget what had occurred. Though general Ironwood had been gracious enough to grant her a reprieve, the same sadly can't be said of the council."
At that, Jaune could literally feel his friends tense up. "Will she be called before the council?" Ren asked.
"…Most likely, yes. They've already made such a request, but I'd been doing what I can to ward them off for now. However, my protection can only last for so long – my authority as headmaster does not extend to Vale," the man answered in a somewhat dry tone.
"Will Blake be receiving any help during that time? Is there any chance we can help in some way?" Jaune immediately asked.
They'd done their best to figure something out, up to and including trying to contact Tukson and maybe get him to look into the matter, assuming he wasn't already doing just that, but sadly there wasn't much they could come up with. Unlike the docks incident, where there'd been physical clues that can be directly followed given time, the same can't be said of this particular incident. There was no physical lead to go after nor did they have the resources needed to look into Vales News Network and find out where exactly the email came from.
…Well, Jaune supposed that if Weiss contacted her father and got some hackers or something hired, then maybe it would be possible, but the girl had made it clear that her relationship with her father wasn't exactly good. Plus, the man definitely had a lot of ill will towards not just the White Fang but Faunus in general. The day he ever willingly does anything to help any Faunus, much less a former White Fang member, will be the day the world spontaneously implodes.
Not that it was really needed, Jaune figured; it was obviously the White Fang behind this, no doubt trying to get some sort of revenge for their failed Breach plan. Not to mention this is sowing even more chaos amongst the populace, so two birds with one stone.
"Hmm, can't say anything is coming to mind," the headmaster answered. "But the council will no doubt announce when Ms. Belladonna is brought before them for questioning. I cannot imagine the public simply sitting by for that, no matter how well we may try to speedily and quietly get her to the council's chambers within Vale."
"Then we can serve as guards for her, if need be," Jaune immediately suggested.
The headmaster quirked an eyebrow in response, but nothing more. He may not exactly be saying that it was good idea, but the fact that he didn't immediately dismiss the suggestion hinted it was indeed a viable option.
"Yeah! Just like fearless leader said!" Nora exclaimed in support. It was a good thing this particular wing of the dorms were long since abandoned, being old dorms that had just barely been renovated or else her loud voice would've made everyone jump out of their skin. "We could pummel anyone that tries touching a hair on her adorable cat ears!"
Jaune's mouth twitched upwards for the briefest of seconds. Leave it to Nora to say something random like that.
The headmaster seemed somewhat amused too. "Well, I wouldn't say such a duty would give you free reign to do that, Ms. Valkyrie… but your enthusiasm to help is appreciated. Now, I believe I've taken up enough of your time, you lot; you look tired. I'd suggest getting some rest."
Though done smoothly enough, Jaune could sense the sudden dismissal for what it was.
He and his friends shared an all too quick look amongst themselves, positioning themselves in such a way that it would seem as though they were just turning around to actually leave.
But while his friends did look ready to leave, they shot him another quick glance that practically told him to go ahead with what they really wanted to do.
So, that's exactly what he did.
"Just one quick question, sir," Jaune started, still more or less facing the headmaster's way.
The conversation about the name of Salem… despite his best efforts to keep himself and his friends focused on Blake's situation, the topic of their talking had eventually turned back to the odd name near the end there, just before they'd left the room.
It was quite a risk to go and bring it up with the headmaster – not because they feared the man will attack them or anything, but rather that it was clearly a confidential matter. To even try and hint at them knowing could very well bring about consequences that could impede their future efforts at what really mattered to them.
But even so… well, Jaune supposed it was better to get this over with now rather than just let things stew unnecessarily.
"Will anyone by the name of Salem be present during the council's questioning of Blake?"
There, he'd gone and said it. Of course, what little context Blake had provided them had been more than enough to know that this Salem was unrelated to the council completely, but better to word it this way just to be sure.
And sure enough…
It was so terribly slight, so quick in action and so microscopic in scope that even Jaune himself somewhat doubted what he'd just seen… but he would swear he just saw the headmaster tense up fiercely for all of a microsecond.
"No, I can't say anyone by that name will be involved in the matter," the headmaster said in a perfectly even tone.
Jaune nodded. "I see. Thank you." He then bid the man a good night and took his leave, his friends walking alongside him.
It wasn't well until they'd gotten back to their dorm that any of them even dared to speak.
"Whelp, looks like there's some shady stuff going on, after all," Nora, of all people, commented. She looked as serious as Jaune had ever seen her be.
"It would look that way, but… even then, there's not really anything we can do about it, right? Of course, not that I think we should be getting involved in what's clearly a private issue here," Pyrrha chipped in. "What do you think, Jaune? Ren?"
It was Ren that went first while Jaune thought deeply on the matter. "…I'm still of the same opinion as you, Pyrrha. Whatever this is about, it doesn't seem like something we should be trying to involve ourselves in. Even if we do try to look into the matter anyways, all we have is a name… and one that sounds so rare that I doubt there's anything that could be found out about whoever this Salem is."
Pyrrha then looked to him and quite intently at that too.
Jaune once again touched his scar before speaking. "…Personally," he started. "I feel something really off about this name. Something about it… it just resonates with me, somehow. But as we've already noted, there's really nothing that can be done about it – we don't have anywhere near enough info to reliably work with."
"Sooooo….? What does that mean, leader? We're just gonna try and ignore the clearly juicy gossip going on here?" Nora asked. "For all we know, this could be some secret spy stuff going on! How can we possibly just stay outta that?!"
Despite how excited she was trying to sound, it was clear to them all that Nora was putting up an act now. She was curious about this, to say the least, but she too realized how serious an issue this appeared to be. Perhaps she and the others had been able to see the headmaster's reaction to his question too.
"For now, all we can do is drop it," Jaune declared.
"But," Pyrrha replied. "If somehow we do find out more information about this mystery person…?"
"…Then we'll start looking into it," Jaune answered firmly. "But only if or when we do get more details. Pyrrha, please believe me when I say going around the headmaster's back like this doesn't make me happy, but even so, something about this name is unsettling me for some reason. I don't know if I'll be able to just let this slide if we do get a viable lead."
Pyrrha's expression was a complicated one. Despite all that's happened since the start of the year, she was still in many ways the same person she was when they first met. This was a good thing, of course, but she was still very much too considerate of things.
Not that he was any different. Alas, his semblance's mental pollution was really egging him on now.
"…Fine," the redhead said after a moment. "But if we do ever pursue this, I'd very much like to not go too far with this – there's no telling what could be waiting in store for us."
"I'm afraid I can't make any promises about that," Jaune said truthfully. "But I understand. We'll do what we can."
It really wasn't much, but it did placate Pyrrha somewhat as well as Nora. Ren merely nodded in quiet understanding, but whatever deep thoughts his fellow male was having on his response was unknown. At least his team still seemed united on the matter.
And so, with this issue put to rest for the time being, the four of them opted to go to bed early.
They all had the feeling that the next few days were going to feel exceptionally long. They were going to need to be as well-rested as could be for anything that could and will happen.
One by one, they all fell asleep after freshening up.
Jaune was the last to fall asleep as was something of a tradition by this point.
But before he drifted off to the land of dreams, a sense of foreboding filled him and he unconsciously tensed up as he started to sleep.
Though he didn't quite know it himself just yet, he was already preparing for what was coming.
In light of the White Fang's recent actions, Cinder was finding herself feeling almost amused. But more than that, she was even feeling downright jubilant in a way.
This new scheme, no doubt concocted by Adam and some of his more intelligent subordinates, may very well serve as the cover needed for her and her own subordinates to swoop in and rid themselves of the people that had caused her plans to deviate so much.
It was certainly much earlier than expected, but she cannot complain. As much as she'd resigned herself to waiting patiently for the Vytal Festival to approach, now was as good a time as any to kill one Jaune Arc and his friends before they could somehow interfere with her plans again.
Besides, it was getting rather annoying to deal with an increasingly impatient Neo. So this ought to put the diminutive girl in a much more pleasant mood.
However, her good mood didn't last for very long as Emerald came to her out of the blue.
"Uhm, ma'am?"
"What is it?" Cinder asked of her, her rising spirits now plummeting at record speeds simply by looking at the troubled expression on the girl's face.
"We've… We've just received two visitors. They're here to speak with you," the girl said rather nervously.
That got her attention right away.
They were currently in a safe house that had been prepared quite some time in advance. Naturally, it was completely off the books, which only made it that much more alarming that two 'visitors' could find her temporary base like this.
"Who are these visitors?" she demanded, her eyes beginning to light up as she subtly channeled the partial power of the Maiden. She was prepared to do away with these 'visitors' as quickly as possible should they prove to be anything less than cordial.
Emerald glanced down the hallway she'd come from and silently moved aside to make room for whomever was clearly waiting out of sight…
…And upon seeing who the 'visitors' were, Cinder lost focus of her smoldering power and looked in shock.
"Come now," Watts said as he and Hazel entered her room. The man was every bit as arrogant as always. "Did you really think finding you would be difficult for me? You ought to know better by now, Cinder."
The woman now narrowed her eyes as she regained her wits. "Leave, Emerald. Do not bother us until we call for you."
The girl looked ready to protest that command but thought better of it and left albeit reluctantly.
Several seconds went by before any of them spoke. "Watts," Cinder started. "What are you and Hazel doing here?"
"Should it not be obvious? Salem's plan, of course, a plan that your own designs were supposed to better set the stage for."
Cinder did her best to not twitch, but the man's unspoken jab very much got under her skin. "Then I take it you two are here on her orders to support me?"
Though she wouldn't say so aloud, having these two here would be a significant boon, especially Hazel.
"Not exactly," Watts answered as he surveyed her quarters and clearly found them lacking to his ridiculous standards. "Initially, we'd been commanded to merely see how things were going on your end. However, after reviewing all the details, I felt it best for us to get directly involved. To merely wait around would risk upsetting the plan her grace had so carefully laid out and that wouldn't do."
Cinder grimaced. She knew well what the plan was, but she hadn't realized until now just how tight the timetable had become. As much as Watts riled her, he made the right call by coming to her.
"I suppose that we've no choice but to work together," she stated. "Very well. Stomaching your presence will be doable so long as it achieves the desired results. I take it you already have something in mind?"
Watts smirked. "I do indeed… and I believe you'll wholeheartedly support my 'suggestions.' Tell me, Cinder, how badly do you want to be rid of a certain blond teenager…?"
Aaaannnnnd done! Man, I just realized how quickly this chapter was done after the previous one. Hopefully I can keep this pace up. Wish me luck!
Now, some things to briefly explain/discuss.
Firstly, I've noticed some of you guys worried that Jaune was becoming too passive and would end up marching to Ozpin's tune. I hope this chapter will put you at ease with the content provided. From the start, he was never going to be Ozpin's pawn – he would always ultimately do his own thing, but you have to realize that unlike Ozpin who has plenty of resources and information at his disposal to base his decisions on, Jaune doesn't. With so little to go on, simply going out there and looking for trouble won't do any good if he doesn't even know what to look for. It's not as if he's going to stumble across clues to Salem and her forces during his outings into Vale or on some missions. So, yeah, hope this chapter provides the explanation needed and that his actions this time around make you hopeful.
Also, regarding the plan brought up in Watt's segment, please know that this plan is only what Watts knows of. It is not in any way the entirety of Salem's plan for Vale much less the rest of the kingdoms.
On that particular note, I'm honestly surprised such a plan wasn't executed in canon – with so many named and thus important characters all grouped up in Vale, had Salem committed her forces to Vale, they could've taken down Beacon along with all of its staff and student body, thereby heavily crippling their fighting forces, to say nothing of also being able to take out a significant portion of Atlas' fleet. I mean, think about it – if they'd done this, RWBY, JNPR and all the other students would be dead, so no more silver eyes or anything. The staff of Beacon would be dead and while Ozpin would just reincarnate anyways, he'd be short on allies. Plus, if Ironwood and the fleet he brought with him get taken out, Atlas suffers a heavy blow too.
Additionally, with the CCT down, the other kingdoms wouldn't know what exactly happened (not like they'd be able to mount a solid offensive against Salem's legions of Grimm anyways), thereby giving Salem the time needed to locate the Relic of Choice and prepare her forces again, at which point they could just go to Atlas, destabilized from losing a solid portion of their forces and Ironwood, and just do what she's currently doing in canon, obtain the Relic of Destruction and use its power to pretty smear Vacuo across the entirety of Remnant. As for Mistral, well, Leonardo was already under her sway via fear and a lot of the kingdom's huntsmen had already been taken out thanks to what was implied to be the work of Hazel and likely Tyrian too, to say nothing of Leonardo possibly sending some out on suicide missions without their knowing.
Also, if she had done this and succeeded in thoroughly crushing Vale, a lot of the students that came from the other academies would die too, which would further deprive the other kingdoms of much needed protection.
Perhaps I'm overlooking if not outright forgetting some details, but to me, this feels like a pretty solid plan for her, especially since it's now been officially established that she could pretty much mold the Grimm as she pleases like she did with the Beringels gaining wings (again, something I'm surprised she hasn't been hinted at trying long before), meaning if she got really creative, she could make some of the weaker Grimm a hell of a lot more dangerous to say nothing of the larger and smarter ones.
You all are naturally free to agree or disagree with me on this and in fact I encourage it – I'd really like to hear if you think my plan for her is good or shitty and why you think that is.
Anyways, just wanted to provide some additional explanation/context is all. Hope it was insightful.
Until next time, everyone. Take care!