Hey there, everyone. As always, hope you're staying safe!
As for me, I'm doing okay. Been playing more of Doom Eternal as usual, even finally bothered signing up for Bethesdanet just to see what kind of nifty little bonuses I get by playing. Got the Phobos skin too which looks awesome though grinding for EXP since making the account has been driving me kind of nuts.
Additionally, was able to get Resident Evil 3 remake too. Been a blast and pretty tense too since it's been way too long since I've played an RE game (specifically, haven't played RE games since RE6 came out!) and so it's been a treat to play.
Alas, it's also been rather frustrating at times too, especially when playing as Carlos. His assault rifle, while damaging enough, eats up ammo like no tomorrow and his shoulder charge/counter punch just isn't clicking with me since I quickly got used to actually dodging as Jill. The horde of enemies thrown at players during his sections of the game too don't help.
To further compound my frustrations whilst playing as him, during the hospital section, those damned Gamma Betas kept on managing to land their one-hit kill moves on me even though countering their other attacks haven't been too hard. Then in my haste to continue, I accidentally accepted when the game offered to switch me to Assisted mode when I'd been playing on Standard up until then. It just felt like insult to injury but as there seems to be no way to switch difficulties mid-playthrough nor am I in a mood to start a whole new game just yet, I have to grit my teeth and bear with it.
…It didn't help either that, upon looking it up, it turned out I missed a lovely little assault rifle upgrade part during his section, which was in a safe and the document that held the code to it was the sole document so far that I've missed. Thus, when the game 'gave' me a rifle upon playing as Jill again, I was quick to abandon it in the supply box.
Well, mini-rant aside, it has been a good game so far, it's merely Carlo's sections that I feel I could've done without.
Anyways, hope whatever you guys are doing to keep yourselves occupied is accomplishing just that and with far less frustration on your ends, heh.
Now then, onto the chapter!
Chapter 37
Five slow and tense days go by, the entirety of Vale nervously wondering just what could possibly happen next after the White Fang's sudden attack on city hall.
To the very tentative relief of everyone, so far things appeared to be settling down… but it was far from being a truly good sign, what with the weeks-long gaps between previous incidents. Thus, a mere five days seemed like nothing so far.
For his part, Jaune would take whatever they all could get. While he wouldn't claim to be a glass half-full kind of guy, he found it best to be a realist with hope than a flat-out pessimist.
That said, these were truly hard times the kingdom was going through. More than a few had died during the White Fang's attack. In fact, a solid few dozen had ended up dead during all the chaos, which hadn't been helped by the cameras and comms having mysteriously gone offline during the initial part of the attack. Many more had been injured during the incident and hundreds of thousands of liens worth of property damage had ensued, thanks to not only the battle against the White Fang but also his own battle against that man and the Grimms' assault on Vale's walls.
Truly, it was hard to say that things would be getting better any time soon. The council has since then declared the cancellation of any and all future events until further notice, Vytal Festival included. What this may mean in the short time was unknown, but long term, it'd mean a lot of the students and tourists from the other kingdoms would eventually be going back home… but not until things here have stabilized some more.
That all said…
"Urggh…" Yang was groaning from where she lied in her hospital bed, sounding very much like a petulant child despite being a teen. "I can't wait until I can have actual food again…"
"Yang, you will be grateful for what you get!" Ruby tried to say that in a domineering 'take no shit from anyone' tone but instead it came out as a kid just trying to sound like an adult.
The two sisters proceeded to quietly bicker, much to Jaune's and the others' amusement.
Yang had been critically injured during the last few minutes of the White Fang attack, but thankfully she'd managed to receive treatment in time. Combined with aura, she was already healing up very nicely, but the hospital was refusing to let her out until the doctors were absolutely certain she wouldn't be in danger of reopening the wound somehow or otherwise overstrain herself.
Thus, here he and his friends all were, crowded into Yang's hospital room and essentially watching over.
This, of course, included Blake, who was pretty much glaring at her partner. "Ruby's right, you know. Better to have something than to starve. And besides…" Her glare softened immensely. "Just think of how good your first pizza will taste once you are released."
Yang huffed. "Damn it, sweettalking me like that… you got guts, Blake."
"Evidently, she's more than you if you can't even bother eating that," Weiss chipped in somewhat smugly.
Jaune chuckled quietly at the familiar bickering RWBY was engaging in as were his friends. No, more than that – JNPR's sister team appeared far more at ease now than ever before. Going through a situation like that can have that kind of effect, he supposed.
He supposed too that Blake still being around also did wonders for their general mood. Of course, this included the mood of himself and his team.
To everyone's pleasant surprise and relief, the council had taken the cat Faunus' actions during the attack as a sign of her genuinely turning over a new leaf and so had opted to not have her arrested and processed into jail and later prison. This was not to say that her crimes back then had been swept under the rug and she could waltz away scot free; there were to be proper repercussions for her to undergo. However, in light of the aftermath of Adam Taurus' attack, the council had deemed her mitigated punishment to not be that high a priority right now.
Once they'd gone about getting Vale back to some measure of normalcy and investigated just how the White Fang had managed to launch an attack into the heart of Vale like that, then they'll call Blake back in for proper sentencing. Until then, however, she was released back into Beacon's custody, albeit on a form of probation.
In light of everything going on, Jaune was still not too sure what the exact details of said probation are, but he was just glad she was still here. He understood she'd eventually have to pay a legal price for her past life of terrorism, but until then he was perfectly satisfied with what he was currently seeing.
On an aside, he and the others had gotten a very brief chance to meet the B of RWBY's parents. Wonderful people, both of them. A pity they'd had to return to Menagerie to conduct their own investigation into what the White Fang had currently been up to, but they all more than understood the necessity of it.
"Well, if you're looking for something that's both healthy and tasty," Ren suddenly spoke up from nearby. The boy had an almost uncharacteristic smirk on his face. "I could always whip up one of my health drinks for you. That goes for you three too." He was addressing not just Yang, but the rest of RWBY.
The reaction was immediate.
Yang paled and turned slightly green.
Blake looked like she'd rather deal with a hundred dog – she didn't like dogs, much to everyone's amusement.
Weiss, normally a stickler for all things proper, appeared to be reconsidering life decisions.
Ruby just straight up looked as if some evil god had manifested into existence right before her own eyes.
"N-Now, no need to go that far there, Renny!" Yang said with a fake grin as she started to actually eat her hospital food. "Just you guys all being here for me is more than enough to make this taste good! Mmmm, it's alright if you're feeling jealous of me right now, Rubes. You too, Blake! And don't expect me to share, Weiss-cream!"
The others were similarly sputtering out various versions of 'thanks but no thanks' to Ren, who merely took it in stride, but Jaune did catch his fellow male shake his head slightly and go, "A true pity, they don't see the light," under his breath.
Jaune just chuckled again and patted his friend's shoulder. "For what it's worth, you can always count on me to take you up on that offer."
"And it's most appreciated, fearless leader," Ren replied with a smile, borrowing Nora's title for him.
Speaking of Nora, the girl just audibly retched from where she sat in a chair across from Ren. "Ugh! Just how did you turn out like this, Renny?! Have I not shown you the path of delight known as pancakes?! Pyrrha, don't you agree?""
Pyrrha, standing by Jaune on his other side, giggled. "I've never said this before, Nora, but I've always been more of a bacon and eggs person than a pancake person."
Nora faked(?) a look of absolute betrayal and proceeded to fake(?) cry over this matter.
Team RWBY took delight in the girl's apparent misery, laughing to themselves albeit quietly lest they bring down the wrath of the nurses that patrolled this floor, said nurses being tyrants who made damn sure the patients here obeyed without question.
Yang appeared to genuinely fear one particular nurse, one that Jaune has not yet seen and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little curious to meet this one.
Ah, and wasn't that also something worth mentioning?
Ever since the second battle with that man, something within him had changed. Before, whatever autonomy he'd possessed had been heavily influenced by his semblance's mental influence. But now? Not anymore… or at least, nowhere near as much.
It was like a colorblind person suddenly being able to see all colors or a severely depressed person spontaneously stumbling across something that lifted them nearly completely out of their depression.
To say this was a liberating sensation simply didn't do it justice; it was borderline overwhelming. Having acknowledged what his semblance does yet now also acknowledging that it was ultimately just an amplification of what was already there… somehow, this realization had triggered a change, an evolution of sorts, one that has yet to fully finish.
But one thing was certain – he was able… able to truly enjoy himself.
That isn't to say that the times spent with his friends so far have been unenjoyable or anything like that, no, far from it. He'd genuinely treasured his time with them all so far. However, during all those times, his thoughts had always been so terribly preoccupied with one thing or another, with wanting to be the best he can be so that he can help as many people as he can, save as many people as he can and bring ruin to those that would dare to cause harm to the innocent.
Basically, he'd always felt so distracted and antsy, at least to whatever extent his semblance would allow him to feel antsy.
But now? Not anymore. He no longer felt like he must do this, must do that. Oh, again, he didn't want to mistake himself. He still very much wished to help and save others. He will, if necessary, strike down those that would cause others harm. But the difference between then and now is that now he felt he could truly just… just live in the moment.
Much like how he was doing right now.
Listening to his friends cheerfully and casually quip and bicker with one another, adding his own two lien in here and there… it was a world of difference compared to before and he could almost bring himself to feel a sense of gratitude towards that unknown man for inadvertently helping him realize this change. Almost.
But true to life, every moment must always come to an end.
And now, it was time for this moment to meet its end.
"Well, I'm sorry to cut this short," he began apologetically. "But it's about time we got going. I've my debriefing to go do and my team here need to head out to Vale's walls again."
"Damn, that time already?" Yang mumbled as she looked towards the nearest clock. "…Phew, time just flies, doesn't it? Alright then, thanks for stopping by, you four. It really does mean a lot." She spoke not in her usual teasing and chipper tone but in a soft and genuine one.
"Yeah, thanks for being here for us!" Ruby added exuberantly.
Touched by their words, team JNPR bid them goodbye… and just before taking their leave, Jaune shared a very brief look with Blake, the two of them giving each other the smallest of nods. In a way, they could understand exactly what the other had been through, thus their strong bond.
Leaving now, the team swiftly exited the hospital and couldn't help but take a look around their immediate surroundings despite having done so every time they'd come into the city the past few days.
"It's still so hard to believe what had happened just days ago," Pyrrha whispered.
"Yeah… it's really nuts to think about all that stuff," Nora soberly chipped in, Ren silently nodding next to ner.
"Just goes to show that we all need to stay on our toes that much more," Jaune started. "...We need to be vigilant, now more so than ever before. But… but at the same time, it's also more important than ever that we cherish every moment we have."
His friends looked to him, partly in surprise since they too could very likely sense the change in him, but also mainly in understanding.
"You got that, right," Nora said with a big smile as she slapped a hand onto his back. "Heh, you're always giving us the best pick-me-ups, fearless leader!"
Jaune smiled lightly. "I do what I can. But honestly, you've more than enough good cheer for all of us anyways, Nora."
The auburn-haired girl just laughed as she hefted Magnhild, having had it in its compact form attached to her back.
Normally, huntsmen and trainees going through Vale with their weapons out in the open were few and in between due to being frowned upon, but in light of all that's happened, it suddenly became a necessity in case yet another incident started to brew, thus the civilians got used to the sight of armed huntsmen and trainees very quickly.
"Well then," Ren started. "I guess it's time we go our own ways, Jaune. We'll make sure to hold the fort down out there."
Jaune nodded. "I know you will. Be safe out there, okay?"
Both Nora and Ren nodded in confirmation before beginning to walk off for the nearest bullhead dock. Pyrrha, however, lingered.
She looked at him intensely but with a look in her eyes that Jaune couldn't quite identify. Upon noticing his staring, she blinked and blushed a little in embarrassment. "Sorry… it's just, you… you've changed, you know that?"
"…I have, yeah," he responded. "Is… is that bad?" He sounded a little confused.
His redheaded partner was quick to reply. "What?! Oh, no, not at all!" She was practically waving her arms around in a fluster. "It's… it's actually kind of good; it seems as if you're smiling more from the heart."
As if to prove her point, the blond leader smiled softly, for she was right on the dot there. "I guess so. It may be a little weird to you that I must've changed during a time like this, but…"
She shook her head. "No, not at all. Like you said, now more than ever, we need to cherish every moment we can get." She was smiling just as softly as he is. "…I think it's a good change, Jaune. Before, you've always felt kind of stiff and distracted, if you don't mind me saying… so seeing you like this… it's a good look for you."
"Thanks."
"Pyrrha! Come on! Don't keep us waiting on you lovebirds here!" Nora yelled out from where she now was down the street.
Pyrrha's face was quickly matching the color of her hair now. "R-Right, I'll be right there!" She then focused back on Jaune. "That Nora, always making funny comments."
Jaune just laughed. "Yeah, that's just how she is."
Pyrrha turned to leave now. "We'll be back later tonight. I hope your debriefing goes well, Jaune."
He nodded firmly and now he watched as his partner dashed off to join Nora and Ren. He waved as the three looked back his way and left.
It wasn't until after they were out of sight that he let himself sport a somewhat grim expression.
In a way, he'd lied to his friends just now.
Because of all that had happened during the attack, Beacon was requiring every student involved in it to be debriefed, thus that naturally included him and his team as well as team RWBY. However, it was not yet anywhere near his time yet to be debriefed on the matter.
This feeling of liberation had done more than just make it easier for him to truly enjoy the moment; it also meant he was even more willing to take the initiative.
And that's exactly what he'd done earlier today, not long after he and his team had even gotten up for the day.
He'd sent a private message to the headmaster, said message being 'an acquaintance of Salem stopped by to say hello.' And not very long after having sent that message, he'd received an official email stating his debriefing was to be handled by the headmaster himself during the afternoon, which was swiftly approaching.
Jaune was absolutely certain that the man would've called him in for a discussion like this much, much sooner, but with just how many people needed to be debriefed combined with juggling teams to send out on extended missions to monitor the walls just in case a new wave of Grimm came around due to the sporadic fluctuations in negativity, it was amazing that he was going to be discussing this Salem person with the headmaster today at all.
And while his team went out there to help patrol the walls, he fully intended to get as much info out of the headmaster as he could.
He knew he was likely about to get involved in something far bigger in scope than anything he's ever stuck his nose into before… but now more than ever, he felt it best to properly look into things.
Not just because he must do so, but primarily because he chooses to do.
With purpose in his steps, the blond made his way back to the bullhead docks that would then take him back to Beacon.
"Anything yet, Oz?"
Ozpin sighed as he took a seat behind his desk while Qrow, who'd been waiting patiently for his return, asked that brief question.
And there was no mistaking what the scythe-wielder was referring to.
"Not yet," the headmaster said. "She's proving to be exceptionally strong willed… but I sense that given enough time, she will give in."
He was referring to the woman he'd captured down in Amber's chambers. It'd been a time and a half balancing out relations with the council, public relations, and mobilizing what forces he personally had at hand to monitor the kingdom's walls and deal with any errant Grimm, but in between all this aftermath which was a form of chaos unto itself, he was able to inform his compatriots of what had occurred and together they all had taken the woman and her two subordinates into custody.
He and James had been questioning the trio over the past two days. And as he'd just told Qrow, to no real success so far, with the woman, that is.
With the other two, however…
"Through those two pawns of hers, however," he began, for that is what those two clearly were to the woman, mere pawns to achieve her goals. "We've managed to confirm several things."
"Yeah?" Qrow snorted as he folded his arms over his chest. "Let me guess – they confirmed the three of them were behind all the shit that has been going on ever since the school year began."
"More or less," Ozpin confirmed. "Much like the woman currently is, they'd proven stubborn at first, but after some persuasion, they proved just amenable enough to confirm having had a working relationship with the now deceased Roman Torchwick as well as some level of interaction with Adam Taurus' cell."
At that, Qrow grunted. "Damn, and here I was hoping you'd deny some shit… guess my semblance is still at work. That said… it took 'persuasion,' eh? How far did you and ole' Jimmy take it?"
"Far enough," murmured Ozpin before sighing.
He may be doing all that he is doing for an ultimately good cause, but no matter how good and just any cause could be, it could never change the fact that sometimes the limits of ethics and the like must be… pushed. And in the war against Salem, there'd been much pushing to be done throughout his lifetimes.
Those two youngsters – Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, their names apparently were – had seemingly expected him and James to be too merciful a duo to ever rough up others to get the info needed. For all their apparent experience working against the law, it would seem they'd still had a considerable sense of naivety within them – a naivety that he and his friend had quite literally and methodically beaten out of them.
…It always pained him to have to resort to such measures but in light of everything that's happened this time around, more measures must be considered and taken. He could only pray that whatever may happen in the near future won't ever require him to push the boundaries any further.
The road to hell was paved with good intentions, a road he's walked many times… and a road that he's come to discover could always get so much worse. The ancient wizard desperately wished to avoid further condemning himself.
Qrow grunted in distaste, showcasing his own disdain for having to go that far, but the subtle nod tossed his way told Ozpin that the man understood the reason behind such methods. "Guess even little shits like them have their moments of sheer stupidity. But I'm also guessing they didn't really say anything about our oh so esteemed 'Queen' either."
"No, not at all. They've indicated that the woman they worked for – Cinder – does report to a higher power, but they knew so little about this other person that it's useless. Not that it matters; the mere fact they deliberately targeted Amber says enough. Our primary concern now is getting this Cinder to talk – though she is no doubt just another one of Salem's pawns, she should hopefully be just privy enough to some of the details on the woman's current plans. She wouldn't have been entrusted with pursuing Amber for this long on her own without some measure of confidence in her on Salem's part."
"Right," Qrow muttered before then switching tracks. "So… are you really sure about what you and Raven talked about?"
In the somewhat immediate aftermath of the White Fang attack, Qrow had returned with Raven in tow, or rather Raven had finally come back and had been just kind enough to let her brother hitchhike via her portal semblance.
It'd been quite a tense conversation, but appreciatively blunt too. With how distrustful the woman was of him even now, it'd honestly made it easy for him to just tell her all that's been going on in great detail over the years. She in turn had spoken to him of how exactly she became the Spring Maiden. He may have expected as much, of course, but still, to hear from the woman herself about how she'd struck down the previous one just to obtain the Spring Maiden power… it'd hurt him.
The previous Spring Maiden hadn't been anywhere near ready… and that was on him. He'd thought otherwise and had trusted the young woman to stay strong in light of the dangers that would plague her life from then on. In his blindness, he'd neglected having her monitored as much and she'd run off. How the girl came upon Raven of all people was true mystery.
Truly, he should've done a much better job in watching over the Maidens, much like how he'd done in the past. Except, back then, he'd gone towards the other extreme and had practically kept the Maidens of those times as caged birds out of fear Salem would get to them. Even for him, it was insanely hard to find a perfect balance between restricting them and letting them be free, especially since even if he's capable of combatting Maidens themselves should they let the power get to their heads, it wasn't as if subduing an irate Maiden was ever all that easy.
Of course, it didn't help that only a select handful of individuals that he personally knew could actually combat a Maiden in single combat either, meaning if he wasn't around, the odds of any one or two individuals stopping a Maiden from fleeing in fright were abysmally low.
…That aside, Raven had made it clear to him that she was only forming this alliance with him on the basis that he leaves her and her tribe alone until needed and she in turn would do some digging around on her own and report to him should she find anything.
Honestly, calling it an alliance would be a stretch, rather it was more like a barely there partnership, but he'll take what he can get. Even though the likes of Qrow can comfortably operate outside of the law, he was still very much a huntsman and morally upright individual. There were lines he wouldn't cross. Raven, less so and her connections with others in the criminal underworld meant she was naturally privier to certain bits of information that would otherwise take Qrow or someone else much longer to come across. Giving her the same level of freedom she's always had in addition to his protection was but a small price to pay if it meant staying ahead of Salem's force on the reconnaissance front. Every little bit of useful info could be a huge boon.
"As sure as I can be, Qrow," he answered. His computer monitor then beeped, informing him that his cameras throughout the tower had picked up something. Looking at the live feed, he hummed. "Now onto another matter… Qrow, I've a guest coming right now. I'd like you to stick around as we talk."
The huntsman, who'd pulled out his flask for a quick swig or two, paused in mid-drink. "Yeah? And who'd that be?"
"A truly peculiar student," Ozpin began. "One who'd sent me a message just earlier today too – 'An acquaintance of Salem stopped by to say hello.' As you can imagine, he's my attention now."
That definitely got Qrow's attention, making the man take another and much longer swig of his flask, only to abruptly stop and curse under his breath; he'd just finished off whatever was left in it.
Nonetheless, the man got his act together a little when a knock sounded at the door. "Come in, Mr. Arc," Ozpin called out as he leaned forward a bit more in his seat.
The door opened and in walked the young man in question. Immediately, the headmaster sensed something… not off, but different nonetheless about the blond. A shift, but in what way he couldn't fathom.
Was it somehow related to this message he'd sent? Only one way to find out.
Jaune Arc spared Qrow a brief glance, clearly befuddled by the man's presence but nodded in acknowledgement all the same way. Qrow, for his part, just glared at the blond as he slinked off to the side a bit more.
"Please, take a seat," Ozpin requested, motioning to the chair before him. Upon the blond doing so and getting comfortable, the headmaster got right to it.
"Now then… tell me, Mr. Arc. Just what did you mean regarding your message?"
"-Just what did you mean regarding your message?"
Jaune sat there for a few seconds, deliberating on how exactly to begin. Obviously, he would tell the headmaster all that he knew, but not right away. He needed a way to get some info out of the man in the process lest he just waste a valuable trump card.
"I mean exactly that, headmaster. During the White Fang attack, someone associated with Salem chose that time to make their own move," he replied. "This person mentioned Salem by name… and I recalled you having uttered that same name too. It's clearly not a common name and the timing felt too convenient to be a coincidence, hence why I brought it up."
"I… see. So, what exactly happened? Can you describe this individual?"
"Of course. However, before I do, may I ask a question?"
"You may."
Jaune decided to be forward. "Just who exactly is this Salem, sir? To have someone like this on her side is…"
"…I'm afraid that's not something I can answer right now, Mr. Arc. You have to understand that some things are best kept secret."
At that, Jaune narrowed his eyes and inwardly scowled at himself. He didn't think himself to be stupid or exceptionally lacking in cunning, but it was obvious with how calm the headmaster was keeping his expression right now that the man had far more experience when it came to masking his thoughts and sweeping things under the rug. Plus, by now, the headmaster has likely gotten used to him causing all sorts of surprises. He'd been on guard, thus breaking the headmaster's composure wouldn't be so easy…
…Or so he would've thought before.
"Even if said individual is the same one who controlled the Grimm to attack Sol?" Jaune then shot back as casually as he could manage.
And much to his hope, his words did get a reaction. It was slight, so much so that if he hadn't been extremely close attention, he'd have missed how the headmaster's form went completely still for a microsecond.
But more than that, the unknown man off the side had definitely responded to his words, going from leaning grumpily against the wall to practically scooting forward a solid foot or two with a clearly stunned face.
"…Hey, Oz. Just the hell is Mr. scarface here talking about?" the man uttered after a quick minute.
Hmm, so it looks like this man was close enough with the headmaster to give him a nickname and yet the headmaster had kept this bit of info from him. Interesting. But it was painting an image of the man that Jaune wasn't sure he was liking so far.
Having launched his verbal surprise attack, Jaune decided to follow through by coming clean. "He showed up again in Vale… and he'd clearly been waiting for a chance to gun for me. He got his chance and the two of us ended up battling it out. At first, our fight took place in the middle of a highway despite my best efforts to move it elsewhere as quickly as I could. Then, our fight progressed to somewhere further out, where we were able to truly wail on each other. During our conflict, he mentioned Salem by name. He's also all but literally came out and said he was not the only 'acquaintance' that Salem has and that the White Fang was 'certainly useful when utilized right.' He'd even affirmed that whatever group he is a part of does have some plans… and I am apparently a big enough potential threat to these plans to warrant my death, at least in his eyes."
Saying all that, Jaune sat straight as could be in his seat and assessed what effect it'd had on the headmaster. Again, it was kind of hard to tell. As much as his previous question had thrown him off, the headmaster had been quick to school his features and very posture back to normal. Even the other little details Jaune could often notice in people – how fast their pulse was going, signs of sweating, etc. – weren't there.
However, the other man here was looking like he was debating unsheathing that big sword from his back and pointing it right at him. If such a maneuver would somehow lead to Jaune's questions being properly answered, then the blond was mor than willing to let the man have a go at him.
But, to his silent relief, the headmaster did finally respond. Firstly, the man sighed and then massaged the spot in between his eyes. He'd been looking quite worn out, but only now did Jaune seem to realize how exhausted the older man looked… and he didn't just mean that in the physical sense either; something about the headmaster… it looks as if entire lifetimes worth of frustration and barely in-check despair had suddenly started to seep off him like heat from a stove.
"Oz…?" the man called out, looking concerned. "Come on, talk to us here."
The headmaster looked to the man for a second before looking back at him. Jaune met his stare and matched his intensity, making him realize that he was very much awaiting a true response.
Again, to his relief, the headmaster seemed to falter. "Qrow, please remove your hand from your weapon. The last thing I need is my office getting trashed because we're both so wound up."
The man – Qrow – reluctantly did so and assessed Jaune anew "Well, kid. You sure have a way of getting our attention." He looked back at the headmaster. "Oz…?"
"Sir," Jaune decided to add, opting for one final push. "At the very least, can you please tell me who the man is? I got the feeling since returning from the mission to Sol that you knew more than you were letting on about this guy… and seeing as he clearly bears me a grudge, I'd at least like to know just whose attention I've gained."
"…His name," the headmaster began as he leaned back in his chair before getting up. "Is Hazel Rainart. He is… well, I would best describe him as a lost soul, a wanderer. He primarily stuck to the frontier and so information on him is scarce, but much like you had done, he'd built up quite a reputation for himself in his younger years. However, thanks to technology not being as omnipresent and advanced back then, he'd been able to go under the radar for much longer and effectively. At some point, however, he began to turn to a life of crime – primarily assault and murder, though it was usually due to others attacking him first from what I've been able to gather, he merely had a tendency of responding with too much force."
Jaune sat back and digested all this. "…There's more," he stated.
"…He once had a younger sister," the headmaster reluctantly continued. "She'd trained and applied for Beacon. Unfortunately, she ended up dying during a training accident. Hazel did not take that well at all and he further spiraled downwards."
…Ah, Jaune thought sadly. During the latter portion of their most recent battle, he'd come to gain a certain understanding about the man, this Hazel. And now, he understood him better. It was clear from how the headmaster was saying it that this sister had been the sole person Hazel had cared most about. To lose someone like that, it certainly wouldn't do wonders for a man's emotional state, to say nothing about Hazel who'd clearly been like he was once upon a time, a slave to some greater purpose.
…He wondered now if perhaps losing his sister had been what may have driven Hazel towards this Salem.
"I take it, not long after losing his sister that he somehow came across this Salem?" Jaune risked asking, wondering if the headmaster would answer. "If so…"
He trailed off, not really sure how to continue as he thought on this. His mind was working a mile a second, trying to figure out everything now just based on what he'd learned in this past moment, with little success.
"Most likely, yes." The headmaster sighed as he slowly grabbed for his cane and began to pace in the area behind his desk. "Because of what had happened to his sister, Gretchen, he'd come to hold me accountable for her death… and such animosity would make him a prime choice for Salem as an enforcer."
"Which then brings me back to my other question, sir," Jaune began. "Just who is Salem?"
"Kid, that's not really a person you want to hear much about," spoke Qrow in a quiet tone.
Jaune sighed, having figured to hear a response like that. "Look, I'm not asking for every single detail-." Not right off the bat, he thought. "-But at the very least, it'd be a big help if I had a general idea of who I'm dealing with and what may lie in store for me and possibly others. Now that I've made contact with this… this faction or whatever you wish to call them, me continuing to remain in the dark on this matter going forward will only be detrimental to us all. Lack of information can sometimes hurt infinitely more than bad intel. I'm sure you know that all too well, sir."
It was clear that there was a battle being waged in the shadows here. The headmaster and this Qrow were but two members of one side and this Salem and Hazel were clearly part of the other side. Now, how exactly both 'sides' can be properly defined was still unknown, but with him and his friends having been inadvertently dragged into this conflict thanks to the most recent incident, Jaune highly doubted that this would be the end of it.
Hazel very much intended on killing him one day, so it'd only be a matter of time until they did battle again. Even if that didn't happen, even if somehow someway, Hazel ended up reprioritizing things, now that Jaune was aware of him, there was no way he could let this go. Now that he was aware of such an immense threat existing out there, Hazel can't be allowed to take out his sorrow and bitterness on others like this.
And besides that… Jaune wanted to settle the score between them. Not out of some spontaneous desire to prove himself stronger or something stupid like that – he still very much thought such desires were unproductive – but rather… he wanted to try helping the man. As he'd correctly assessed, Hazel had once been a slave much like he'd been. He wanted to try putting him to rest.
Was this stupid of him? To actively want to help an enemy that before he would've simply been driven by his semblance to cut down and move on? Oh, no doubt about it. It was a significant change from how he was before, but a change he was swiftly embracing.
In any case, he still fully intended to defeat the man; after all, Hazel had made it extremely clear that any kind of actual talk they could have won't be happening so long as the two of them were capable of fighting. Thus, it would be inevitable for them to first try and kill each other.
A sad state of affairs, but life was never without challenge.
The headmaster ceased in his pacing to fully turn his way and look at him, silently debating over what to do his, said internal conflict made obvious through some minute shifts in his facial expression. Eventually, the man sighed and then let out a brief chuckle. "Your approach is as straightforward as your fighting style, Mr. Arc… but your wit does shine through nonetheless."
The headmaster took a breath and eyed him intensely, so intensely that Jaune actually felt himself feel on edge. The man before him had always been considered an exceptionally strong individual by sheer virtue of the fact that he was the headmaster of a huntsman academy, a position not easily given out to anyone, especially not when the rest of Beacon's staff, that being their professors, being such accomplished huntsmen and huntresses.
But now, Jaune could see a strength far greater than that reflecting in those grey eyes of the headmaster's. It was a strength, not just in a physical sense but also a spiritual sense, that far exceeded what many could even remotely compare to.
For an instant, Jaune wondered if the headmaster was about to attack him – and he wasn't too sure of his odds should such a thing come to pass. While he estimated his physical strength to be even greater than the headmaster's in addition to his speed and sheer endurance, the headmaster would no doubt be comparable in these respects, to say nothing of possessing far greater experience and skill. And of course, judging by Qrow's shifting stance, it wouldn't just be the headmaster he'd have to worry about.
But as quickly as this thought had struck him, it was just as quickly dismissed as the look in the headmaster's disappeared and the man motioned for Qrow to back down, who did so reluctantly.
"You do make a point," he muttered as he proceeded to rest his cane against the side of his desk. "…Forgive me, Mr. Arc, for being so unsettled – these have been trying times."
"I understand," Jaune said as he too settled down, his own tense posture having undoubtedly been what had gotten Qrow ready to attack in the first place.
"…I cannot tell you everything," the headmaster then said. "At least, I'm not sure if I can or should do such a thing. Even with how much more open this is all becoming, secrecy is still an essential tool here."
"…To keep the peace?" Jaune guessed.
"Yes. Now, I'm sure you're thinking that secrecy is quickly becoming a pointless endeavor considering how agitated the populace is already… but do believe me on this much, Mr. Arc, it could be worse. Far worse… and it is that potentiality that my allies and I are trying to avoid."
Jaune's hands balled into fists at that. The headmaster didn't strike him as a man prone to exaggeration, so the mere fact he was saying something like that even after all that has happened over the past several weeks and months… it made him wonder just how grand a scale this secret was on.
Nonetheless… he wished to know.
"And just what would this secret be?" he asked quietly.
The headmaster paused for just a few seconds. Whether it was out of uncertainty or a petty desire to make things suitably dramatic was unknown… but then the man finally began to speak.
And Jaune listened.
About a solid twenty or so minutes later, Qrow and Oz watched as the blond finally took his leave, the latter having explained to the teen what the true situation was like.
Qrow watched the teen go, feeling exceptionally bad; the poor young bastard looked like he'd mentally bluescreened, not that the huntsman could blame him for doing that.
That said though…
"You sure it was a good idea to tell him all that, Oz?" he asked once he was sure it was just him and Oz here.
Oz sighed. "You heard him, Qrow – in a short timeframe, he's come to learn a fair bit on his own. To let him continue on his own would only invite future trouble, especially if Hazel really is so invested in him now."
Qrow grunted, conceding to that point. "I guess so. Still, doesn't sit well with me, all this. Granted, not like we've ever known exactly how all this shit will go down, but with everything getting crazier and crazier every single day…"
"I know, Qrow. I feel the same. Too many unaccountable variables are making their appearances now and at the worst possible times. All we can do at this point is damage control, try to factor in this new knowledge and use it to our advantage."
Qrow looked at his old friend critically. "Does that mean you plan to use that kid?"
Oz grimaced. "You know my feelings on such things – if at all possible, I'd very much love to keep all of the children out of this. Not just my students, but literally anyone else if possible… but you and I know very well now that things are never ideal. Much like with the case of your niece, Mr. Arc here possesses a power unlike anything else in the world, which means he's now a person of interest to Salem and her pawns. And unlike the case with Ms. Rose, whose silvers eyes are rare but not something truly unique to just her, so far I've yet to recall a case much like Mr. Arc's. I take it you were able to tell too?"
"...Yeah, I was." Qrow let out a long sigh and had to make a conscious effort not to reach for his flask. He made a note to fill it up to the brim before taking off. "That kid definitely surprised me there. Even got me to nearly draw my blade."
He was referring to earlier, when Oz had eyed the kid so intensely that said kid had looked ready to actually throw a blow their way… and it'd been during that moment that the huntsman had been able to actually feel the power of the teen's soul. It'd practically rolled off him in waves and had been so great that for a split second, Qrow had thought even a Maiden would find this kid tough to defeat, if only in terms of pure unfettered power.
So yeah, this kid – Arc – was definitely an abnormal one. No way power of that level could just be chalked up to mere talent or whatever bullshit people could attribute that sort of thing to.
"Of course, if possible, I'd very much like to keep Mr. Arc out of this… but I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of holding any more cards back," Oz said quite reluctantly. "That I was willing to tell him of Salem's existence at all should be indication enough for you, Qrow."
"Not like you told him everything, though," Qrow pointed out. "Not about the Maidens or the existence of magic in general. You just told him about Salem's existence, her control of the Grimm and pretty much just that. You only barely mentioned the Relics or the Brothers."
Indeed, Oz had done his best to just vaguely mentioning those last two points in general, having just summed it up as the Relics being 'objects of great power' that were made by 'beings not of human origin' and that Salem had a vested interest in said objects. And again, the Maidens and their magic wasn't really mentioned at all, to say nothing of Oz's own pile of personal secrets, like his reincarnation shit and the like.
"Feels like you were just pointing a gun and getting ready to fire it." Qrow tried not to sound too accusatory here, but nerves frayed by all the shit that's been going down has really worn him down.
Oz at least had the decency to look upset with his own actions. "…I won't excuse my actions there. I did do just that. But, Mr. Arc's abnormal power, and the fact he's already gotten involved thanks to Hazel are not things that can just be dismissed out of hand. One way or another, he would've continued down this new path. I could tell by the look in his eyes, Qrow; this is not something he would've turned a blind eye to. It was either tell him or risk him going off and getting involved in ways that could potentially hurt our cause more than help." The man, having been looking away, now turned and faced Qrow. "In any case, It's not as if Mr. Arc will just blindly believe all I've said and take it at face value. He's demonstrated the ability and willingness to think things over. I may have pointed him in a certain direction, but he won't just go in that direction blindly."
Qrow glared at Oz and the man simply stared back, unflinching. After a minute, the former could only shake his head and break eye contact.
Damn it all, Qrow thought. He understood that sometimes to do a good thing, one had to take extreme measures but it was bad enough as it is with some of the Maidens of the past having gotten involved at so young an age. Now here they were potentially dragging in some brat not even through his first year of Beacon, abnormal power aside. At least with the previous Maidens and with him and the rest of team STRQ back then, they'd been sort of eased into this shitstorm.
"Well, that aside," Qrow began as he circled around the desk and leaned onto it, planting his fists on it in the process. "You kind of failed to mention Hazel Rainart somehow getting the ability to control Grimm."
At that, Oz looked apologetic again. "Something I'd genuinely forgotten to mention in the haste of everything. My apologies, Qrow. But… even if I had mentioned such a thing, just what is there to do about it? It isn't as if we've any way to figure out how he'd gained such an ability, though I highly doubt it's due to the same way Salem had gotten it… even then, we've no true way to counter it either other than killing any Grimm within any area he could be in."
"Maybe so, but like you and the kid pointed out, every bit of info helps, right? Come on, Oz. I know we all get a lot of crap on our plate, but we need to stay up to date here. Last thing any of us, especially me who gets sent out into the field, is getting mauled by some Grimm if Hazel decides to gun for any of us and we don't see it coming at all."
"I… I know. I will." Oz looked especially tired now. "…I'm doing what I can. Please, believe me on that much, Qrow."
Qrow, looking more haggard than he usually looks, could only scowl in acknowledgement. "Just… don't get too caught up with all this shit, Oz. United front and all that, remember?"
"I know, Qrow."
A long minute of complete silence followed, the two not being able to think of much else to say.
Eventually, Qrow backed off and stretched, loosening his tired muscles and cracking his back. Damn, he needed a drink bad right now. "…Well, if that's everything for now, I think I'll go pass out somewhere… maybe hit up my nieces tomorrow, surprise 'em and see how they're holding up."
Been a while since he's been able to see either Ruby or Yang. And considering the latter had gotten injured pretty bad in the White Fang attack, it definitely wouldn't hurt to check up on her, even if she always did get embarrassed whenever her family fussed over her, too much of a 'big girl' to be seen being fawned over.
…Heh, damn that brought back some memories. Damn brats and their childish ways…
"Very well," Oz responded, looking just a bit more chipper now. "That does sound like a good idea. I wish you a good night, Qrow."
Qrow, having turned around, could only waved nonchalantly. "Yeah. Likewise, Oz… and remember what I just said."
"I will."
With that, Qrow took his leave. But as he got in the elevator – how Oz got this thing fixed so quickly in just a few days was mystery even to him – and grimaced as he thought over everything that had just happened.
Just when he thought shit had hit the fan, he'd come to learn that it hadn't quite hit it completely, not just yet. If anything, now that he knew all this, it was starting to feel like the brewing of a major storm, cliché as that sounds.
The huntsman could only hope that his semblance won't end up adding to it… but as his life has proven so far, his semblance likely will only make things worse somehow. With how worn down he and Oz and everyone else on their side was getting, too, things weren't especially looking too good even with Raven agreeing to help.
And he sure as hell was hoping that Oz's new investment in that Arc kid won't backfire too. That would be another thing they didn't need.
And so, despite his best attempts, as he tried to catch some z's in a hotel room a half hour later, Qrow could only toss and turn in growing worry.
Before any of you worry over Jaune getting led around by the nose by Ozpin now, please don't – just because Ozpin had only told Jaune a fraction of the truth doesn't mean our resident blond is just going to take it at face value or anything. Like Ozpin himself pointed out, Jaune will be mulling over this new information and devising his own ways of doing things.
And of course, despite Ozpin stressing the importance of secrecy, well, I'm sure it's obvious Jaune won't be keeping this info to himself. That isn't to say he's going to suddenly round up his team and RWBY and tell them all everything in one go, but it's only a matter of time until he does tell them what he's learned though, but not until after he's processed everything and come up with some conjecture of his own.
Oh, and yeah, Ozpin and Ironwood really are beating/torturing Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Granted, it's more of a last resort type of thing as they're attempting the usual 'good cop/bad cop' routine, but they know the trio are acting on Salem's orders so it's not quite the same as dealing with the usual types of criminals from their point of view.
Additionally, those statements are meant to highlight the nature of war in general – doesn't matter which party is 'in the right' because no matter what the truth really is, all sides involved can't remain 'pure' forever. Such is the sad truth about natural escalation. As pointed out within Ozpin's section, the road to hell is paved with good intentions and morally ideal options don't always exist, especially not when going up against someone as patient and ruthless as Salem. Even a simple glance at real life history should more than demonstrate this all too real truth.
Of course, that isn't to say Ozpin and his side are just as bad as Salem's or anything like that, but rather it's just to highlight how far they've been pushed and how far they must be willing to go sometimes.
Well then, not much else to say, I think. Of course, the fallout of the attack on city hall is far from being unveiled just yet and the next chapter or so will still continue to detail this in addition to showing what other moves are being made behind the scenes, so do look forward to that.
Oh, and please do note Jaune's character development too. Please let me know if it feels natural. If not, then do remember that his semblance has a mental pollution effect so it's not as if he's fully free of it just yet.
Anyways, until next time, everyone. Stay safe!