Chapter 2: Powder Keg

Yang wasn't too surprised with the fanfare as she attempted to make her way to the fairgrounds. She had just won a very close fight, after all. She was more annoyed than anything, mostly about the lack of personal space. She attempted to push her way through the crowd when she spotted a familiar face. "Ruby!" she called out. "Familiar person! Coming through. Out of my way, damnit!" She managed to push past the throng of cheering people to catch up with her sister, only for the young girl to walk off. "Hey, where are you going?" But Ruby didn't stop. "Uh, fine? Good talk. Catch up later? Okay," she chuckled to herself. "Not at all weird."

"Yang!" she heard another voice call her name, barely getting a chance to react before Nora slammed into her. "You. Were. AMAZING!"

"She's not wrong," Pyrrha agreed. "I assume Weiss stayed behind to rest, given the hit she took closer to the end."

"Well thanks. And yes, Weiss is resting and trying to get in touch with her dry cleaner. Though, is it any surprise that I, that we, kicked ass?" the blonde beamed before her smile fell. "Ruby, how'd you get back here so fast? I mean, I know that's your semblance, but not a rose petal in sight."

"What do you mean?" the young girl looked confused. "I've been with them the entire time," she gestured to her friends.

"I can vouch for that," Blake added.

"Me too," Nora chimed in. "Even won me a giant stuffed panda!"

"You know we don't have space for that," Pyrrha deadpanned.

"Says who? We just remove one of the beds. Jaune doesn't use his, right?"

"Oh good grief. Also, Blake, why back Ruby and not me earlier?" Pyrrha asked with a teasing nudge.

"Uh," the bow on her head shifted a bit. "I wasn't entirely aware you were there."

"How?"

"I was. . . uh. . . napping." The girl in question received looks of amazement and confusion. "What, the sun was hitting my seat just right, it was nice and warm, and I'd just had a large lunch."

"Remind me to get her a novelty size cardboard box," Nora half whispered.

"Been there, done that," Yang replied with a snicker.

"We will never speak of this again," Blake said, a definite edge in her voice.

"Kitty's got claws," Nora joked before receiving an intense glare from Blake. "Okay, yeah, lips sealed. Wh, why would I ever think of bringing that up again, amiright?!" she quickly said with a nervous giggle. "Huh? Guys?" Her shoulders slumped as everyone began walking off. "Guys? Guys! You're still going to help me carry that giant bear, right? Hello? Helloooo? I get no respect around here."

On the other side of the fairgrounds, Jaune was attempting to find the rest of his friends. He had been separated when waiting in line for popcorn and could tell that he had missed the fight because of it. His mood wasn't improved when he almost collided with Professor Ozpin, losing a few of the fluffy white kernels in the process. "Sorry about that, Professor," he said shyly. "I wasn't looking where I was going and am a little frustrated because I missed Weiss and Yang because SOMEONE took twenty minutes ordering their food and got way too many hot dogs and it's been a day."

"It would seem so," Ozpin said cooly. "Though, I doubt what I'm about to ask of you will do anything to improve it." Jaune hung his head and groaned.

"What now? A giant grimm near the fairgrounds? Has Roman Torchwick escaped?! Do I have detention?! Please, I don't deserve detention! The pancakes were Nora's idea, I swear!"

"While I fear it may be a little late for poor Professor Port, meaning I'll have to talk to Ms. Valkyrie later, none of those are why I'm here. I'm certain you've heard rumors of the possibility of a shapeshifter within Beacon, yes?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good. I need your help finding it. General Ironwood has asked his student Penny Polendina to help, and Ms. Belladonna will be joining you as well."

"W-w-what? You want me, me, of all people to find a shapeshifter?! I can barely find my socks in the morning."

"Jaune, I believe you are more than capable for this little assignment, given how you have handled yourself in far worse situations. And unlike your search for socks, you'll have help. Besides, anyone who can create forgery papers convincing enough to get past Goodwitch certainly has talent."

"Wait, you know about that?"

"My boy, there's not much that goes on in this school that I don't know about. But this is a conversation for another time. Ms. Polendina and Ms. Belladonna have already been informed of their assignment. I suggest you meet with them. You'll be reporting to Ironwood in the school courtyard immediately after the final match of the day. I wish you luck."

Soldiers stood in salute as Winter Schnee exited the airship, gracefully striding across the Beacon courtyard to the General. "Is it true?" she asked. "There's a creature in this school of unknown origin and threat?"

"It's nice to see you too, Winter," Ironwood responded with a hint of annoyance.

"Since when have you been one for such formalities?"

"Since always. It's nice to see you, Winter."

The woman sighed. "It's nice to see you as well I suppose."

"Very good. And to answer your question, we're not sure. Ozpin wants to put children in charge of this, as usual. I do believe Penny is more than capable of finding this thing. Right now, I'm more interested in the rumors about the Man At Arms."

"I don't believe I've heard of him, sir."

"As I would expect. Very few people outside of Oz's inner circle know about him, and even fewer care. Ozpin and Goodwitch are more concerned with the shapeshifter, Qrow's too drunk to care, and of the four or so students that actually saw him, only one believes what they saw was real."

"So where does that leave us?"

"Interrogating Velvet Scarlatina, I'm afraid."

"Why do I sense an issue with this?"

"Whatever she witnessed when she encountered the Man At Arms left her traumatized. She has become mute and barely leaves her room for anything outside of meals. The rest of her team can barely get anything out of her, much less two strangers."

"We do have. . . harsher. . . methods of interrogation."

"Winter-"

"They're proven, sir. If whatever Ms. Scarlatina saw was that horrific, then it stands to reason that we need to find this Man At Arms before he strikes again."

"NO! I am aware of the potential weight of the situation, but between Ozpin already breathing down my neck, Jaques Schnee doing everything he can to drive me off the council, and the good will surrounding the Vytal Festival, I can't afford to take risks. And what you're suggesting would be just the thing anyone would need to get me out of here, putting god knows who in charge and potentially more people DYING because the new General doesn't know how to handle themselves with this man."

"I apologize, sir. I was unaware you had gone soft."

"Winter, there is a difference between being soft, and being cautious. I would hope you realize that."

"It just seems that we need all the information we can get."

"Which I'm trying to get without setting off the powder keg that Atlas has become."

"Then perhaps I could be of some assistance," a new voice said from the doorway.

Before anyone says anything, characters will be OOC, past events will happen differently, and some semblances will be different. Trust me, it will make sense later and is fully intentional. Other than that, I don't have much else. Until next time, Driver out.