A/N: Enjoy

Sorry for the one week MIA. I actually finished writing it, but then—during editing—I felt that the way the conversation I wrote completely threw out character personalities. So I rewrote about 80% of it, basically the entire conversation.

Whole chapter's basically a conversation piece. Gosh, that's hard to write.

Anyway, enjoy!

Day 1:5 - Announcement

"That's…a lot of people."

Everyone has gathered around and in front of the Beacon's Statue, most within the encircle ring of pillars. Hushed voices are uttered among small groups. Individuals posture around the avenue. An air of tension permeates in the area, even before they reach what Dusty considers the 'outside of the ring'. He swears he can even smell the scent of fear, not that he knew what that smelled like. Probably piss and sweat lol. Goddammit, shut it. At least he manages to consciously rein his mouth and not mutter a reply.

Then again, most of the posturing individuals are the ones looking the most frightened.

Fiona falls in step beside him. "Are all of these people 'Players' like us?"

Dusty has his eyes set at a group of four at one of the many pillars, taking shelter under the long evening shadow casted by the setting sun. He is starting to believe that the idea of 'Dust-infused clothing equals Players' is not standing up to what he is currently perceiving. "I can't tell. Everyone is just wearing whatever."

And Sivitri is pacing along on the other side of Fiona. "It should be all Players. At the very least, more Players than NPCs here."

"Why would that be? There." Dusty diverts the party to a lamp post, the left post of the second set just before entering the foyer proper.

"The Headmaster's message, he said 'except those on guards and patrols'." Fiona takes the spot to lean against the lamp post while Dusty and Sivitri the Explainer flanks her. "Actual players like us were already ready to be booted by the game, so the only ones that will receive any guard or patrol missions will be NPCs."

"Actually I've done questing straight into getting booted before. Mostly with getting as much game time before regular scheduled maintenances." Dusty sometimes forget about it, but usually it was because he decided to ignore it in favour of gaming.

"Doesn't that cause you to lose your progress data?" Sivitri asks.

Dusty shrugs. "Never happened to me unless it's things like escort missions." He absolutely hated those where NPCs walk slower than a PC's running but faster than PC's walking.

"Lucky you."

"Live life on the edge, mate."

The chat lulls for a moment.

"So," Fiona starts, "about the people?" She brings the topic back.

Sivitri shrugs and offers nothing. Dusty slaps the back of his neck and tilts side to side for stretches. "Well, we can just go up to someone and ask." He paces on the spot, anxious about the whole situation: If anyone he asks goes confused and demands answer because they are non-players, he can cite insanity. "Or we wait and see if—Woah!"

The ground suddenly gives way under his idling steps. He fails to catch himself, stepping backwards onto the road. He bumps into someone walking past behind him before he could stop.

"Woa, hey!" A hand pushes him back on his tonfa.

Dusty turns around, an apology on his lips and halts. He recognises the spiky dark, greying-haired middle-aged man, looking irritated with an uncapped metal flask in hand. His grey dress shirt has a darkening spot, the other hand still lifted in the air as he looks at the expanding wet spot. An enlarged, razor-cutter-looking weapon hangs on the back of his waist, underneath the tattered cloak. Dusty blinks as his mind puts a name to who he is looking at.

He just bumped into Qrow Branwen.

"Sorry!" Dusty half-yells in a panic, standing up a little bit straighter as if he was addressing a superior. In some way, Qrow is. And now the scarecrow is eyeing his flask. "Sorry about that, sir. The road just—"

"Forget it." Qrow grunt, then whispers something to himself about…luck? Then shakes his flask, still filled. "It's just a case of misfortune."

"I'll buy a round!" Words spill out before Dusty processes it. Qrow eyes at him. He scratches the back of his neck. "Later. After the assembly." He added.

"Now we're talking." Qrow finally turns to him with a smirk, raising the flask and drinks some before keeping it away. He puts out the other hand. "Qrow Branwen."

Dusty takes the handshake. "Dusty Memphos." Letting go, he tilts his head back to gesture at his companions. "Those two are Fiona Lily and Sivitri."

Qrow looks around at to his companions, grins at them, then back to him. "Ho. Where's your fourth?"

"None yet." Dusty shakes his head, then throws a thumb back. "Open spot if you like."

"Heh, sorry." He lets go first. "Already on a team."

Despite that, Qrow still followed Dusty when he takes a few steps off the road to rejoin his companions. Sivitri has his arms crossed and head slanted, a questioning look directing at Dusty. It's fine. He nods back, then to Fiona he shrugs a shoulder at Qrow: Know him? Fiona nods. "Here's Qrow."

"Nice to meet you "

"Pleasure."

Qrow takes the spot in front of Fiona, between the three with his back to the road, swaying slightly with hands tucked inside his pants pockets. "Seems like the three of you are a tight group, huh?" He looks from Sivitri to Fiona, then stops at Dusty. "Graduate team?"

"No. Circumstances put us together." Dusty replies. Play it dumb. Follow the thread. "What about your team?"

Qrow steps uneasily on the spot, casting his sight around. "Oh, they're around." Dusty tries to look around as well, expecting to see his sister in her Raven form and spying. He does not find any avian lifeform. "One's a professor at Signal, probably scared out of his mind for his girls here and his students. The other two…well." He shrugs, hands raised.

"None of my original team is around as well." Dusty checks his Scroll: The rest of DFRL remain offline. He sighs and pockets it. "And I can't contact any of them."

"Worried for them?"

They're fine. "They can take care of themselves. If I see them, I'll see them."

A sympathetic nod, then Qrow turns to the others. "What about the two of you?"

Sivitri shakes his head once. "I flew solo." He ruffles his hair. "Or with randoms that I don't stay in contact with after party missions. This is the first time I stayed with anyone."

Oh shit, does he know Qrow's not an actual player? Dusty sweats. Fiona is surprised as well and is questioning him with a look. Dusty gives her an unhappy face. At least he kept it ambiguous enough.

Both Sivitri and Qrow miss their silent talk. "Heh, I guess this is a pretty big problem for you to do that."

"Yup, bro."

Qrow turns to Fiona. She looks back, then down and mumbles. Dusty pats Qrow's arm for his attention and shakes his head. Qrow understands. "Ah, my condolences."

"Thank you." She replies sadly.

"I suppose all of you know about the situation." He pulls out his flask for another drink. It stays. "What are your thoughts?"

"I'm waiting to see if anyone has a theory." Sivitri then gestures his head at Dusty, pushing Qrow to him.

"I…don't?" Dusty slowly says. He hopes Sivitri is talking about the method of deaths and not about being stuck inside the game. "I've seen some fantasy writing about people suddenly explode into flame seemingly randomly."

Sivitri makes a sound. "That sounds familiar, now that you said it…Isn't it a game?"

Oh, man, stop!

"That sounds interesting." Qrow does sound interested. "What's the title?"

"It was Par—"

"'Spontaneous Human Combustion'." Fiona yelps, cutting off Sivitri. Hhhooo, nice one, Lady. "It's a medical term describing people is set in fire without any visible sources of ignition nearby." She explains. "Although in most known cases, it occurred precisely because the source is non-visible immediately."

"Isn't that just a fantasy trope?" Qrow snorts. "Those ideas appear in movies."

"No no, it actually does happen, but the term is much more loose and in-between before the final conclusion." Fiona counts off her fingers. "Cigarettes, fireplaces, working with high heat sources, smuggling oil or Dust…The meaning of term itself is less magical than one would think."

"Hang on a minute," Qrow is definitely buying into it. "Wouldn't that just mean people died due to an exact external source?"

"That's why 'SHC' is mostly considered as an in-between term during an investigation, rarely as a conclusion, but that does happen." Fiona raises a hand. "Imagine someone smuggling oil—or Fire Dust across Kingdoms, if it burns out completely in the victim, it would be extremely difficult to pinpoint the actual cause of the burns once it burn itself out. And thus," she snaps her finger, "'SHC'."

That's…actually interesting. Or was that complete bullshit?

"Wait, I don't get it." Sivitri speaks. "If someone smuggles Dust on the person, how did it not get found out?"

Fiona grimaces. "You just don't smuggle it visibly."

"But where do you hide it? Luggages get searched. Pockets get scanned…"

"In your stomach."

Wait…"Wait, what?" Dusty speaks. "How'd you know that?"

"When you're friends with the Forensics department, you get to see lots of weird stuff." She shudders.

Oh. His stomach cramps at the thought. And then the guys groans. "Seriously, who swallows Dust just to smuggle it?" Or drink oil? Holy shit!

"When people are desperate, they'll do anything." Fiona replies. She points at Qrow, who is drinking until his cramps are cured. "I sincerely hope you don't smoke, Qrow."

"I don't, but why?"

"Fire and alcohol."

Qrow stares at the girl, just below his nose level, then glances at his flask and grimaces. "Thanks for the mental image. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

"Have you heard of the term 'sarcasm'?"

"I have, I just ignore it and pretend you're sincerely thankful."

Qrow grunts and pulls another drink. Seriously, is that an Endless Flask of Liquor or something? The scarecrow just seems to keep drinking from it. Qrow pulls the flask away and gazes at it, then back to Fiona. "Did you…" He pauses, recalling something, then looks at all of them instead. "Did any of you hear of any word command of some form?"

"Word command?" Sivitri parrots it.

"Yup."

"Like 'flask'?" Dusty lifts an open palm to Qrow, wiggling his fingers inwards. He snorts.

"Nice try." Drat. Qrow gives Dusty the you're dead eye. "And no." He takes a sip.

"Like 'Ah boy ah, come down and eat your dinner!'?" Fiona mimes yelling up an invisible stairs.

Qrow almost choked on his drink. He coughs, then grunts. "What even is that?! And no."

"Like yelling 'Rasengan!' and doing an attack?" Sivitri mimes pushing air with one hand onto an open palm then an throwing motion.

Qrow just looks vacantly at Sivitri. Then he sighs. "You know what? That's probably the closest description to what I mean, so yes."

Ah goddammit, Siv, you're supposed to play along! Not answer him!

Sivitri massages his chin. "My Semblance works that way, mostly: 'Warcry'. It's a sound-based Semblance that emits from my throat."

Qrow crosses his arms and paces on the spot. "It's close, but that's rather different to the situation we're in." He then gestures at Fiona, looking apologetically. "You probably heard it. The 'term'."

Fiona drops her head.

"Yeah, maybe." Dusty takes a slight step forward, getting between Qrow and Fiona, successfully taking his eyes off her. "I never heard anyone saying it myself though." He throws his head in Sivitri's direction. "Siv's the first person to find me and actually described to me about it."

"What do you think of it?"

Dusty shrugs exaggeratingly. "How would I know? I just said I never actually hear anyone saying it. And what about you?" He turns it around.

"Saw and heard it happen right in front of me."

Oh…oh, shit?

So he knows about us? The game? The anime?

Why am I even so worried about him knowing, anyway?

"Okay, so you know more than I do." Dusty tries to play it off. To sound pissed off. He actually is, for Fiona. "So why the interrogation?"

Qrow's hands are up and out, trying to placate Dusty. "Sorry, bad habit from the job. And…well…" He is about to drink again, then seemingly thought better of it and raises it towards Beacon. Dusty follows it, looking at the direction and sees the crowd.

Past the crowd, the statue isn't blocking. Where there are camera flashes.

Amidst the flashing lights, there is a familiar blond-haired girl standing taller than crowd in his sight. In front of the Blondie is a shorter black-haired girl. Standing behind both of them are another black-haired girl with a large ribbon on her head and a girl with turquoise hair. And behind the all-girl team is another blond short-haired boy, with a scarlet-haired someone blocked from view by the statue beside him. A tuft of orange appears and disappears constantly behind them, in front of the Asian-looking boy that is standing, the most obvious person of their team.

They must be waiting on stairs. Why are the student teams here? To entertain the reporters?

"See the students?" Now that Qrow mentions it, Dusty can identify the blazers and neckties on Yang, Jaune and Ren. "I got obligations to protect the kids. So I have to find out." Yang looks briefly in their direction, taps Ruby on her head and points to them, which caused the shorter girl to start jumping and waving. Qrow raises his flask. Half the crowd seems to be in awe at the student team. The situation turns awkward for the students and they quickly scamper into the building.

Then the crowd turns around and sees them. And the murmurings begin.

Ah, crap. Don't make the situation worse. Dusty is certain that Qrow's name is being mentioned as the volume start rising.

Yet Qrow seems to bask in the attention. "Heh, look at the crowd." Wasn't he supposed to be a secret spy? Why the hell is he looking so happy? Qrow turns back to Dusty. "Look, I—"

Whatever that he wanted to say was interrupted when speakers around the foyer suddenly echoes loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "Testing…testing…" Dusty turns back to the building again. He sees Professor Glynda Goodwitch standing at attention beside an unknown older woman with a lighter hair-colour than Glynda and wearing a man's suit. On the other side, unblocked by the statue, is Professors Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck, the latter tapping a microphone which echoes from the speakers.

Camera flashing intensifies.

Then Dusty hears a different voice speaking, someone important who is standing with them but he fails to spot because of the statue.

"I'll keep this brief." Yeah, that someone is definitely Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. He even used the same opener! "An unidentified weapon had been unleashed upon Hunters across Remnant."

Across Remnant? Oh! Of course. All four Academies were valid starting zones for new players…Oh…fuck…How many of us tried to quit? "Until the methodology of the attack is identified, I want all Hunters to remain within the border." So we're confined, or quarantined. "Missions will be temporarily halted until further notice, with some exceptions: Certain requirements must be fulfilled and limited to an assigned area; Patrols between the City and outlying villages will continue, but none is to be carried out alone."

"To that end, I urge every Hunter to register yourselves or your team." Dusty turns to see his companions' reactions. They return with worrying looks as well. "For those of you who work alone, we will assign a team of four for you. Please rest assured that this is a mere temporary set up, until we can fully identify the threat." I doubt it will happen anymore. No players that are here are suicidal and attempts to quit…

"Lastly, Hunters that do not have a place of their own due to this issue may obtain temporary lodging in Beacon Academy." Oh right, player housing isn't a thing. "Facilities are open for use, but subjected to availability."

"For more enquiries about this, please talk to Professor Goodwitch and Professor Peach, who will also be processing your registrations and team assignments in the amphitheatre." Oh, the older woman is Peach? Hmm, must be the hair colour. She's only mentioned in the original series, if I remember correctly. "For any other questions, please refer to Professor Port and Professor Oobleck. That will be all." The shouting starts up along with more camera flashes, but it seems to Dusty that the latter duo professors have intercept the reporters before they could get to the Headmaster. The door opens up behind them and both former professors enter the building, likely following behind Headmaster Ozpin who he still has not laid eyes on. He feels mildly disappointed about it.

"Alright, glad that that's over." Oh right, Qrow's still here. The scarecrow has his flask still, but pockets it just as Dusty turns to him. "As I was just saying, before old'Oz interrupted." Qrow crosses his arms. "I want to talk about our situation."

"I'll have to stop you here as well." Sivitri steps forward. "Why are you interrogating us? You've done enough damage around here already." He tilts his head to Fiona.

"It's okay, Sivitri." Fiona says. "I'm fine."

Now the scarecrow is acting sheepish. "My apologies. But I'm talking about…something else." He gestures outwards.

What thing else? Then Qrow loses his grin and drops his hands. Like, seriously, what?

"Oh!" Fiona jumps forward. "You mean—"

A sudden ring sounds loudly among them. Dusty naturally pulls out his scroll, like his handphone back in real life. The ringing is not from him. Neither is it from Sivitri or Fiona, judging by their scrolls in hand and looks.

They turn to Qrow, who has his scroll up. A grey-haired man with a pair of tiny glasses show up on the hologram. "Qrow, where are you?"

Oh, Ozpin…

Qrow changes the call from video to voice-only, putting it to his ears. "I'm around." He looks at the Players. "Yeah." He shrugs at Dusty. "Fine, I'm on my way." He hangs up the call and keeps his scroll away. "Well, time to go and keep up appearances." He 'explains'. "We'll talk more later." And to Dusty he looks, "I'll be back for the drinks. See ya." And then, he just walks off.

"What was his problem?" Sivitri asks once the spy is out of hearing range.

Dusty turns to Sivitri. "He's an NPC." Sivitri blenches. "Supposed to be Ozpin's super spy. He definitely suspects us."

"I think…" Fiona speaks up. "Did either of you ever meet any GMs in-game before?"

"Game Masters?" Dusty and Sivitri looks at each other. The Brunet shakes his head. Then back to Fiona. "Nope. Why?"

"We've see a GM in-game before." Fiona taps her chin. Since 'We' can not be either Dusty or Sivitri, it must be with her possibly-deceased friend. "They tend to use actual canon characters for doing GM work. It stands out for players. But they are required to stay in-character when they pick up a character to use."

"Wait, you mean that guy is an actual player? A GM that has stuck with us?" Sivitri sounds relieved.

"I mean, maybe?" Fiona looks back to the school. "The GM we saw was using Professor Goodwitch as her character, not Qrow."

"Do you think this Glynda is also a GM?" Dusty asks. Fiona shakes her head.

"GM Rachel breaks character when she plays, despite what the management outlined. So I don't think Professor Glynda is Rachel."

Dusty goes into thinking mode. "Qrow only seems to break character near the end."

"He didn't mention about his nieces, just 'students' in general." Fiona points out.

Dusty recalls further back. "He didn't say anything about STRQ either, just Taiyang as Signal teacher."

"It's possible he just doesn't like to be reminded of their fate." Fiona says. "I know I don't."

Both fall into silence after the speculation. "So, verdict?" Sivitri asks.

Dusty looks to Fiona. She shrugs. Dusty returns to Sivitri. "I guess we wait and learn more." Can't get over the man is just being a super spy…And he'll be back. Sivitri nods, accepting that.

And now, for the next order of business. Dusty looks around the foyer. "So, we still need a fourth." The crowd had thinned during their discussion. Dusty turns back to his companions. "Do we Eeny, meeny, miny, moe for it?"

A/N: Thank you for reading. If you're curious about the reason I rewrote, I originally had Qrow picking a fight. It looked dumb as I was editing it and so I scrapped the entire thing.

Linkone1: I plan on having places shown up to Volume 5 being available (because I haven't watch Volume 6 yet), but as of current planning, none of them will actually appear for the characters, except for them being mentioned. Expect things to hang in, around or nearby of Vale, because Headmaster Ozpin has barred them from going out there.