A/N: I'm gonna start by giving a shoutout to Major Simi and the anonymous guest, the latter for the kind review, and the former for sticking with this story for this long. I appreciate the both of you. Since I'm in the mood, here's a shoutout to GeneralAllenWalker, for the feedback and being willing to put up with me for this long. Here's one for finstermunker while I'm feeling generous.
And before I forget, time to state the obvious: absolutely nothing you spot in this story belongs to me, it's the property of the owners. If the stuff here was mine, you think it'd be on FF net?
00000
...
00000
Inhaling slowly, Cinder stood beside the throne with her hands clasped, waiting patiently for her master to finish. Her usual morning routine was becoming more unhinged by the second, due mainly to Emerald's message; a couple lines of text and six images were the contents, all of it concerning a weird statue she and Mercury found. After rereading it twice, she thought the information was utterly insignificant, but felt it was worth reporting their progress.
Salem set the scroll down on the expansive table, her expression unreadable. When she pushed the tiny device away, the candles in close proximity flickered.
"Cinder." she spoke without inflection, staring at a faraway wall rather than her.
As she was expected to do, Cinder replied. "Yes my lady?"
"My previous command to you is now voided." Salem said simply, not reacting to the woman doing a double take. "Watts and Hazel will go to Haven on their own, you will not be joining them. Go to Vale, and find this relic." she finished, tapping on the screen. The pixelated image of a circular statue flickered for a moment, as if the device itself was in terror. "Do not allow it to fall into enemy hands."
"Ah, but-" Cinder tried to speak, her features wrinkling in astonishment.
"I am aware of the contradiction to my previous orders. But this..." at last Salem showed emotion, her upper lip curling. "I had thought this relic dead and buried long ago, in the era before time began. If Ozpin has found it, then he will use utilize its power. I will not allow him to possess such an advantage, no matter the cost."
Cinder gulped, mustering her reserves of willpower. "What... what is that statue? Is it a weapon?"
Salem leaned back, glaring as she scoffed. "Humans are such simple minded creatures. No, this is no weapon." As Cinder opened her mouth, the dark lord of this place turned her gaze, silencing the woman immediately. "This artifact is older than the world itself. It existed before Man and the Grimm, perhaps before the gods themselves."
The master leaned back, tenting her fingers as she stared at the unassuming image. The subordinate's rising confusion was disregarded, her black eyes unfocused.
"It is a creation of the old ones, gods and monsters alike who were brought low by their arrogance, in the aeons before creation began. Those ancient beings used great totems such as this to traverse their realms, via magics beyond mortal understanding. I do not know if they left one of their rings behind, or if the gods found one to claim as their own. What matters is its presence here." Salem finished, brushing her hand over the scroll once more.
"If its so old, then should I destroy it?" the woman hesitantly asked. Cinder was aware her master knew secrets beyond the keen of anyone save perhaps Ozpin, but she rarely shared such knowledge. This was a rare opportunity to learn of things she would never suspect existed before.
Salem's huff brought her back to the present. "There is no force on this world that can destroy this artifact. It existed long before Remnant, and I suspect it will exist long after this world perishes. No, you will either bring it to this place, or bury it deep so no one will find it. Whatever you do, do not let Ozpin or his allies claim the ring, or he will bring ruin to us all. Seek help from the White Fang if you must, but insure none of them will spread word of what you found."
"I understand." Cinder nodded, feeling anything but.
Salem nodded once, giving her a lidless stare. "Now go, do not disappoint me again."
00000
...
00000
"Sonofa-"
One strike was all it took, just one rapid backhand swipe from Tyrian's arm, was enough to knock the incognito Colonel off his feet. O'Neill's attempt to dodge was utterly fruitless, leaving him stunned to the point of letting go of the M9, the gun tumbling from his limp fingers. He didn't hit the ground yet before the bandit lunged towards Eliane, bringing his twin knives up for a vicious slash.
A resounding clash of steel rang out with her parry, the grunting blonde using her weapon to block his attacks. But the bandit was unperturbed; rather than back away, Tyrian kept slashing faster than she could move, leaving her on the defensive. The constant flurry of attacks were driving her back, the woman ceding ground against his vicious assault. His demented laughter showed what he thought of the fight thus far.
When a large mass swung at his back, his giggling was cut off, but not his smile. Mid parry Tyrian ducked away from the enemy sword, off balancing her while he cleanly dodged the hammer that came at him from his blindside. The hammer's owner was briefly stunned by the quick response, and then by him jolting to his feet right in front of her, grinning maniacally. Nora tried to bring Magnhild back to block, but it was too late; Tyrian drove a fist into her midsection, staggering the girl for a slash at the face, which her Aura barely absorbed.
Whipping himself away from the unbalanced girl, Tyrian dove back for Eliane in one loping jump, the all too brief hail of bullets from the last fighter passing within centimeters of his skin. This time the blonde lunged forward, meeting his knives with her own blade, before stabbing it forward. It slid off his still intact Aura, the grinning bandit using the chance to bring himself closer to the woman. But a raised knee into his torso put an end to the idea, driving the air from his lung in one loud gasp. Her fist at his jaw jerked him back, a hasty dodge afterwards preventing her from skewering his torso.
Although unbalanced, Tyrian still caught the twin blades of Stormflower with his knives, announcing the sable haired young man's entry into the fray. Ren swept the pistols around, landing a series of rapid strikes on the attacker. But for every one that landed, two more were blocked by Tyrian's knives, the force behind them not enough to break past the parries. In seconds, the man's grin returned. And with it, the fight turned around.
Ren nimbly avoided a bladed uppercut, leaving himself open for a punch to his gut. Grunting from the strain, he met the man's slashes as best as he could, but he saw immediately how outclassed he was, barely able to even block the strikes. The flecks of raining metal from his damaged blades made no difference to Tyrian, although the dulled edges were hampering his attacks. Forcing the pistols apart, he brought his foot up to catch Ren's chin, executing a backflip as he sent his opponent reeling.
Nora yelled as she brought Magnhild down on his exposed position, snarling when Tyrian simply rolled to the side despite the shaking ground. This time she blocked his lunge with the handle, although he still managed to force her back. Her grimace turned to revulsion when he leaned over the metal bar, his smiling countenance coming far too close to her face.
"Hello little girly, I just wanna talk." he hissed, a giggle escaping him. With a snarl she forced him back, his deft movements showing he wasn't bothered by the shove. With Eliane approaching with her sword held high, and Ren bringing his pistols back up as he reoriented himself, Tyrian merely breathed deeply at the combined threat.
Then a metal bin hit the top of his back, the unexpected attack making the attacker yelp as he lost his footing. He whipped his now furious expression around, just in time for O'Neill to drop his stolen trash can and draw his recovered M9. In four seconds he fired seven rounds, grimacing at the snarling man as he staggered and cried out, but stayed on his feet. Only the last bullet managed to break through his weakened Aura, tearing through his jacket and burrowing into his bicep. A pained snarl accompanied the small spray of blood, making the attacker focus a hate filled look upon the older man.
A flicker of movement caught O'Neill's attention, and he quickly dove to the side, narrowly dodging a strike from Tyrian. Jerking himself around to track the Colonel, he was completely unaware of the arrow whistling through the air until it slammed into his shoulder. The unexpected blow elicited another cry of pain, jerking back with a length of wood wiggling out of his shoulder. Gripping the projectile to snap it off, he glanced to the source of the attack, just in time for the orange haired girl to smile.
Like O'Neill, Tyrian leapt away from his spot as fast as he could, only just avoiding the explosion aimed at his feet. The blast wave still buffeted him, for a second boldly propelling his entire body off the ground. Nevertheless he managed to land on his feet, albeit in an uneven stagger. Hacking out a ragged cough, he whipped back to his foes with his knives at the ready, his expression dimming at the sight that met him.
Eliane had her bow drawn back, a metal arrow in the notch which was focused at him. Ren had both halves of Stormflower pointed in his direction, his deeper breathing having no effect on his steady aim. Nora was still in the same place, holding Magnhild to shoulder height as she grinned confidently. Getting back onto his feet with a groan, O'Neill too trained his handgun on the attacker, the man wincing when he stood up.
"I told you bud, you're heading back to the madhouse. You wanna make it worse for yourself, then go right ahead." O'Neill invited with a gesture, ignoring the brief looks from his ad hoc companions.
Tyrian bared his teeth, gripping his dulled knives tighter as he narrowed his eyes. He appeared to be ready to dash towards them again, until a shrill whistle reached the five combatants.
Although none of the weapons left their target, the eyes of both sides swiveled to the side of the darkening park; the source of the whistle calmly walked into view, his easy canter and unkept appearance unable to disguise his attentive gaze. Neither could they hide the large curved sword he held, the sharp edge trailing close to the grass. The new arrival stopped several meters away, giving the party a once over before switching to the wild eyed intruder.
Tyrian stood up straight, for a moment blinking. Unexpectedly, he grinned. "You're alive, I'm surprised."
"That's right Callows. I'm a little upset you got away after our last spat. How's the leg?" the newcomer asked, putting one foot forward as his posture shifted.
"A little sore still. How is your stab wound? With as much venom as I pumped into you, I'm shocked to see you upright on your own, let alone ready to fight me." Tyrian replied, adopting a rictus of a smile. His footing likewise moved, so he could face him as well. The step backwards he took didn't go unnoticed by anyone present.
The man chuckled, rippling his fingers. "It takes more than some cheap poison to put me down. So, you gonna give up, or do I have to convince you?"
"Hmm..." the attacker rubbed his chin, still grinning. "I'm going to decline your offer. How about instead-"
When Tyrian suddenly shot forward, an arrow and a number of bullets flew out, some coming close to grazing him. Halfway to the party he veered to the side, taking off in a dead sprint into the darkness. Eliane turned to follow, but she only went a few steps before pausing, exhaling slowly while she gripped her sword tighter.
Finally lowering their weapons, Nora and Ren immediately turned to O'Neill, wearing identical looks of concern as the latter held up an offered hand to help. He waved them off, mouthing 'no sirs' before turning to the approaching man, standing up straighter despite a wince. The ragged looking arrival kept his eyes away for a moment, sighing as he glanced to the group.
"You folks okay?" he asked, collapsing his sword to place on his back.
"We're fine, thanks for the save mister..." O'Neill left hanging, replacing his M9 to his holster. The younger members didn't do the same, not aiming at the man but not putting their weapons away either. Nora especially kept a tight grip on Magnhild, though she kept stealing looks at O'Neill for directions.
A friendly smile crossed the man as he stuck out a hand, which O'Neill took to give a hearty shake. "Names Qrow Brawen, wandering Huntsman."
"Crow? Like, caw caw?" O'Neill questioned confusedly, raising his brow as he let go. The man chuckled in response.
"Yeah, that joke got old a long time ago. How about yourself?" he asked, crossing his arms as the blonde returned. Like the former students, she kept her sword in her grip.
"Jack O'Neill, I was a tourist until five minutes ago. You know that creep?" he jabbed a thumb in the vanished attacker's general direction, the gloom of night making it seem as if he vanished into thin air.
Qrow nodded, his smile fading. "Bumped into him on a few occasions. I was gonna go after the guy, but I wanted to check on you guys first."
"We are fine." Eliane spoke, standing a couple meters away. Qrow roamed his eyes up and down her form, as Ren and Nora exchanged frowns. "Thank you for your help."
"No problem miss..." he purposely trailed off, adopting a disarming smile.
"I am Eliane. You're a Huntsman as well." she replied, her scrutinizing gaze examining her counterpart.
Qrow nodded, turning his head to the armed pair watching him. "And you two?"
"They're with me." O'Neill interrupted, his friendly look hardening when he glanced to the others. "And we're getting outta here. Hey Ellie, mind tagging along?"
"Depends." the blonde responded, raising a brow.
"Business. One of you get on the horn, tell the gang, yours and mine, to meet up in one room and stay put, we'll be there in a few. I'll explain everything then." O'Neill commanded, waving for one of them to lead as he pointed to the towering silhouette in the distance.
Ren and Nora exchanged a pensive look, but they complied; the sable haired young man took the lead while the normally happy girl yanked out her scroll, both of them reluctantly collapsing their weapons to sling away. Eliane jerked her hand to transform her sword back into the bow, replacing the weapon to her back as she kept a short distance behind them.
But before the procession could leave, the man spoke up. "If you're heading to Beacon, I'm coming with you."
"Why?" Eliane inquired, a moment before O'Neill could ask the question himself.
Stepping so he could face them, Qrow lowered his arms. "I was heading there anyway, I have a couple nieces enrolled that I wanted to visit."
"Neat." O'Neill said, his features neutral as he turned to speak.
"If you want to trust me, they're the best way to prove I'm not with Callows." Qrow explained, shifting his weight as he kept an even look.
O'Neill thought for a moment, glancing to each of his companions. The boy and the girl shrugged sheepishly, unwilling to argue with the Colonel. Eliane checked her own scroll, pausing her typing. "If he proves to be dangerous, I'll deal with him myself."
"Alright, fair enough." O'Neill waved for the now smirking man to follow. "C'mon Qrowbar, to the emerald city we go."
The dark haired man walked two paces before stopping, giving the older leader a look. "Qrow bar? That ones new."
Beacon, thirty minutes later...
Crowded was the best way to describe the guest dorm room; the brightly lit space was built as a home to accommodate four maturing students for a long span of time, a mirror of the regular student lodging. It was capable of holding several times that number at once, although the wisdom of doing so was questionable at best. It was claustrophobic with all the occupants at rest, but far worse when even one decided to be active.
Such was the case when a flutter of rose pedals marked Ruby's passage from her bed to the door, ending in a tackling bear hug on the first arrival. As a high pitched squeal of excitement left the girl, her victim chuckled as he returned the hug, glancing up to smile at the blonde coming to greet him.
Qrow grunted as he half dragged the red toned girl out of the walkway, making room for Ren and Nora to enter, both giving their friend a surprised look. Immediately after them, Eliane quietly sighed when she walked by, much of the tension in her body language draining away.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby exclaimed, briefly tightening her grip hard enough to make his breath catch.
"Hey Uncle Qrow, What're you doing here?" Yang asked, cheerful yet perplexed while giving him a far more restrained hug.
Returning the hugs as best as he could, Qrow chuckled. "Long story girls, so long I don't know where to start."
After letting go of Yang and Ruby, the disheveled man quietly herded the excited girls further out of the doorway, allowing O'Neill to step him. The Colonel paused to look over the reunion, quietly ah'ing when their confused eyes fell upon him.
"Hey, whaddya know. Small world." he commented, while Ruby exchanged a confused look with a puzzled Qrow. Yang blanched as she recalled where she left him, swiftly glancing to the other blonde in worry.
O'Neill peered over the room, taking a headcount: Blake and Weiss were striding up to check on Nora and Ren, catching up to Jaune and Pyrrha already looking them over. The former's concerned expression deepened when Eliane approached, hood down and expression blank. While Ruby, Yang, and Qrow all seemed to want to mingle in the group themselves, they refrained for the moment. Instead all three glanced to him, the girls showing clear worry. Ironically enough, O'Neill was the only one not visibly armed.
"Guys, what happened?" Jaune worriedly questioned, his hovering brushed off by both his friends and his sister.
The redhead mirrored his concern, which Nora's reply of, "We're okay." failed to stop. Meanwhile Weiss and Blake kept a gap between themselves and the others, both girls sending guarded looks towards the Earther.
With a sigh O'Neill closed the door behind him, making sure it was locked before turning back to the group.
"Okay, may I have your attention." he spoke loudly, enough to cut over the small buzz of conversation. Once all eyes were on him, he first pointed towards the blond. "Did you call the others?" he asked directly, not clarifying what he meant.
Jaune shakily nodded, giving one last worried look to his friends before clearing his throat. "Yes, I radioed them just after the message."
"Fantastic. Now mister Brawen, got some news for you." O'Neill turned to the uncle, crossing his arms with his features blank.
Standing up fully, Qrow took careful note of his nieces uncertain looks. "Alright, I'm listening Jack."
"I'm planning on doing something really dangerous, and I'm gonna need your help. To do that, you need to know some stuff." he began, aware of everybody in the room snapping their heads to him; the only one not showing alarm was the older blonde, who nevertheless narrowed her gaze at him.
"Uh..." Ruby went, sucking in a breath while she shrank back, Yang joining her.
"Go on." Qrow invited neutrally.
"Short version, I'm an alien from another world, a Colonel on my planet's armed forces at that. I and a bunch of others on a spaceship came here to negotiate a trade deal and hopefully an alliance with Remnant. Oh, and these four got involved in this mess a few years back, and the others were roped into this mess a week ago." he concluded by pointing towards the immediately cringing team JNPR. It took mere seconds for the cringe to spread to team RWBY however, with only Eliane immune to the mood.
Qrow was silent for a moment, expression blank. When he glanced to the girls, they flinched. Upon checked the others in turn, Blake slapped her face to sum up the general attitude, her pained sigh being shared by several others.
"Creative." he said after a moment, cracking a smile that no one returned. Chuckling while he crossed his arms, he flopped his head to Ruby and Yang, both girls wincing. "Okay, where'd you find this guy, and how much did you pay him? Because seriously, this is a good practical joke. Weird coincidence that I bumped into him at the park, but hey, stuff happens."
"Uncle Qrow..." Yang shivered, all but shaking in place.
"He's, ah..." Ruby was quaking, cringing at the situation.
"Its, um..." Jaune tried to say, glancing to his teammates for support, but finding none.
Ren sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. "This is bad."
"I'll admit." Qrow held up his hands, easygoing when he waved to JNPR's general direction. "You have me on them. I remember hearing about some missing students from here a while back, and if they are the same people, then welp, I got nothing. Good story though."
Eliane raised an eyebrow. "You doubt them?"
"Oh yeah." Qrow agreed, glancing towards the stone faced O'Neill. "Because cmon, aliens? Aliens don't exist."
There was a flash of white light in the center of the room, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. In the time it took for the closest occupants to rub their eyes, the trio of new arrivals took stock of their location.
"Colonel, we came as soon as we could. Did something happen..." Carter trailed off, widening her eyes while she sucked in a breath. Daniel was silent, glancing towards the stunned looks of the crowded room and sighing, moaning under his breath while he squeezed his eyes shut. Teal'c kept his composure, calmly offering an acknowledging nod towards the group. All three were still clad in street clothes, although each was equipped with a radio.
The man kept smiling, staring blankly at the arrivals as the two teams seemed to shrink back in even greater embarrassment. When he glanced to O'Neill, the Colonel nodded solemnly. Qrow sighed wistfully, giving a small shake of his head.
"I am way too sober for this." he muttered, rubbing his brow.
"You and me both. Anyway." O'Neill stepped forward, clapping his hands to catch the combined group's attention. "Cut a long story short, we got jumped in the city park. Some whackjob with a pair of knives went after us, and Qrow here helped drive the psycho off. Ellie, fill em in please."
"His name is Tyrian Callows." Eliane duly reported, ignoring her brother going slack jawed at the friendly greeting. "He's a bandit with a fifty thousand lien bounty. He's wanted in three kingdoms for many counts of murder, arson, kidnapping, rape, theft, assault, graffiti, torture-"
"Yeah yeah we get the point." O'Neill interrupted with a wave, earning a sour look from her. "Skip to the part where he attacked. You two." he pointed to Ren and Nora. "Help her fill in the details. What happened that you saw."
Elaine took a silent breath, glancing towards her nonplussed brother. "Jack and I were having a conversation, where he explained who he was and what he was doing here. He was reluctant to divulge any information at first, but once I told him about the things you already shared to me, he opened up. These two arrived just as we concluded the chat."
Jaune pointed to O'Neill, mouth agape as he turned from him to his sister repeatedly. In contrast Daniel coughed into a fist, settling a suspicious look upon the Colonel that made the man bristle.
"Um, yeah, that's about it." Ren began guardedly, after O'Neill gestured at him. "Then this Tyrian guy attacked, we fought him off, then this man here." he pointed to Qrow. "Showed up, and scared him away. That's about everything."
"So why are we all in one room?" Blake spoke up, inhaling when a number of eyes fell on her. "I don't understand why we're consolidating like this, and here of all places."
"I agree sir, and why'd you call us down here?" Carter asked carefully, frowning at the officer.
When the gazes of thirteen people were upon him, O'Neill took his hands out from his pockets. "That creep was targeting you two."
One pointed finger drew the collective attention towards Ren and Nora, the orange haired girl confusedly pointing at her chest.
"How strange that guy with a rap like Tyrian just so happened to jump us when we were in a public park, when its getting into nighttime, where's there's fewer witnesses, all while in the middle of a city that has a hefty bounty on his head. He didn't hold back on hitting Ellie or me, but he did for the both of you." he explained, glancing to make sure everyone was listening. "Now, unless you two were rolling with some organized crime before you left, I think he has no apparent reason to go after you. Unless he knows something he shouldn't."
The room was silent for a moment, the many occupants exchanging a wide range of looks. It was broken by Teal'c speaking up. "What evidence do you have to support this assumption?"
"I don't. But my gut tells me there's something going on." O'Neill admitted, crossing his arms.
After glancing over the newest arrival, Carter shifted her footing. "Sir, if there is something, then we should contact Ozpin."
"I agree." Daniel joined in, standing akimbo as he looked over Qrow. "Besides, you already violated the gag order by dragging him in. Speaking of, who are you again?"
"Names Qrow, and I'm these girls' uncle." the man replied, jabbing a thumb towards Ruby and Yang. "And I'll be honest, I'm mostly in the dark here. You knew about all this already?" he directed to the girls, both of whom shrunk back.
The blonde gulped, holding up her hands placatingly. "Its, ah, yeah. Weiss started all this." she quickly replied, watching the white haired girl do a double take.
"Yang!" Ruby half yelped, grabbing the blonde's arm to forcibly shake. It had nothing on Weiss herself, who leveled a glare on her.
"Anyway." O'Neill said loudly, silencing the group. "We are going to Ozpin. Just not yet."
"What does that mean?" Nora went in confusion, glancing to Pyrrha and Ren for puzzled shrugs.
"Means I'm going after the creep myself, and I'd appreciate help." O'Neill stated flatly, nodding towards the now blinking Qrow.
Although not the only one to be visibly surprised, Daniel was the most successful in getting his mood across; he swiftly crossed the room to plant a hand on the Colonel's shoulder, forcefully dragging him to the corner. When he spoke, his soft response came out closer to a hiss.
"Jack, what're you thinking?" he half growled.
"I know what I'm doing Daniel, don't freak out." O'Neill calmly replied, speaking normally. A glance at the others told him the obvious: the bespectacled man's attempt at discretion was a glaring failure, with everyone staring blankly at the two.
Daniel gritted his teeth. "I know you know what you're doing, that's the problem. The question is why."
"My own reasons Danny, now calm down." O'Neill brushed the man's strong grip off, ignoring his fuming while he strolled across the room, pausing in the middle to glance at the others. "Closet right?"
"Y-yes si-yeah." Pyrrha nodded quickly, giving the others a mutually nervous look.
Weiss reluctantly stepped out of the way, allowing O'Neill to swing the closet door open to dig inside. As he did however, Teal'c took a step closer. "I will accompany you O'Neill."
"Thanks." was his muffled answer, followed by him leaving the tiny space with a long staff in hand, which he tossed to the Jaffa.
"I will as well." Eliane announced, turning to give a balking Jaune a look, holding up a hand to steady him. "If your performance in the park is any indicator, then you will need my help."
O'Neill paused for a moment in thought, a sling in his grip. Finally he shrugged. "Alright, you're in." he said, turning to Qrow last. "You?"
He sighed, giving his nieces an apologetic look. "Yeah, sure."
"Thanks. Carter." he spoke, stopping the blonde Earther before she could open her mouth. "You're in charge while we're gone. Everyone, do what she says, but don't leave this room." he pointed to the floor with a Zat in hand, which he then tossed to Teal'c. "Stay calm and wait here. If we're not back by sunrise, take everybody to the Prometheus and call Ozpin, either order works." he ordered, slinging the borrowed P90 across his torso with several replacement magazines.
"Ye-yes sir." Carter nodded, features winkled as he made his way across the room with his chosen partners in tow. Daniel had his arms crossed, firmly scowling at the Colonel for the entire walk.
"Alright everyone, wish us luck." O'Neill announced, giving one more backwards look before opening the door, Teal'c and Eliane following without a second glance, but Qrow paused to give Ruby and Yang another hug to assuage their fears.
Once the wandering Huntsman closed the door, O'Neill waved him on while he examined his ad hoc party; a blonde huntress with a bow, a ragged looking man who smelled of whiskey, a Jaffa in street clothes and a staff, and an off duty Colonel with a P90. The combination made him quietly snort. Only Qrow spared a glance back, showing worry that he could fully understand.
Ten steps later and the door opened again, one occupant escaping from several muffled voices to jog after them. Qrow, Teal'c, and Eliane all turned around to check, while O'Neill let out a quiet sigh.
"Kid, what'd I just say." he said laconically as he turned around.
Jaune cleared his throat before standing at attention, the black and silver sword on his belt waggling with the movement. Despite the schooled calm he sported, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of fear in his expression.
"Sir." he acknowledged, swallowing a lump when Eliane narrowed her eyes. "I'm here to-"
"Do nothing but get your butt back in that room." O'Neill interrupted, no trace of bemusement on his expression, while he let the P90 hang limply.
A low shudder worked its way through the blond. "With all due respect sir, taking backup is extremely prudent in this situation."
"That's why these three are coming along, and that's exactly why you're staying behind." O'Neill responded immediately, his brow creased.
Qrow crossed his arms, although he had a sympathetic look. "Look kid, I like your enthusiasm, but this isn't the time. This isn't some street thug we're dealing with, Tyrian's a professional bad guy. If you tag along, you're only going to get hurt."
"The way you are trained will not work here, you will only be an obstacle in the upcoming fight. We do not need a liability." Eliane spoke flatly, making raw hurt cross the blond's features for a moment.
"That's why I was going to offer my team-" Jaune began, only for O'Neill to swipe a hand at him.
"Were you not listening when I said the fruitcake guy was targeting your buds? Now what do they and you have in common? Stay in that room, and if he slips onto the grounds, then you can play hero." the Colonel dismissed, a huff leaving him.
"I concur. The defensive advantage of Beacon renders most threats moot." Teal'c agreed in a monotone, resting the base of his borrowed staff on the floor.
"But-" Jaune held out his hands pleadingly, gulping. "Sir, we can help."
O'Neill narrowed his eyes. "Any of you come along, and you'll make this whole thing pointless. This is the last time I'm going to tell you. Do I need to make that an official order Arc?"
Jaune sucked in a breath, shrinking back while his expression quivered. "No sir."
"Good, now git." O'Neill pointed to the door, and with a shuddering breath Jaune turned to walk away, his uneven breathing hinting at his temper.
The ad hoc group watched for a moment, silent until the young man closed the door behind him. Once the lock clicked, Qrow gave O'Neill a guarded look.
"What was that?" he asked lowly, dropping his arms.
"A dumb kid with delusions of grandeur, and coincidentally a member of the same military as me. No, they were not drafted, they joined on their own free will, despite my vocal protests." O'Neill replied in the same way, sullenly grumbling. The attitude didn't abate when he gave a sidelong glance at the only female in his party. "Sorry for chewing out your brother."
"I am unhappy about your methods, but I do agree with you." Eliane said, finally taking her gaze away from the door. "None of them in that room are ready to face this threat, and I already lost my brother once."
"When we're finished here you can have him back. Hey, take them all why don't you, they're done with the SGC the moment this missions over. In the meantime, let's go." O'Neill gestured down the hallway, only for Qrow to clear his throat.
"That ways a shortcut." he pointed in the opposite direction, making O'Neill deflate. "And while while we have some time, mind filling me on why we're not calling the cops, the Beacon staff, or anybody else?"
Striding to overtake the party, O'Neill kept a moderate pace down the guest dorms, briefly testing the door to make sure it was locked. That accomplished, he moved on without looking back.
"Dunno if you met Ozpin before, but I have, and he's a wily type. He's keeping some nasty secrets, and I wanna know how bad they are before we commit to being friends." was O'Neill's reply.
"That does not seem to be an effective justification for keeping Ozpin in the dark." Teal'c countered, giving Qrow a look when he pulled out a scroll.
"Texting the girls. And I agree, that's not a good reason." he said, frowning at O'Neill's back.
Out of their sight, O'Neill sighed. "Ozpin rubs me the wrong way. Can't put my finger on what it could be, but there's something about him that's setting off my 'don't trust' alarms. And I get the feeling this Tyrian guy is part of it. I'm gonna find out what it is, before we really screw the pooch."
O'Neill didn't know it, but the second he finished his sentence, a new light insistently blinked on the headmaster's desk.
00000
...
00000
A/N: if you don't mind, would you leave a review? Even if its only to complain, that way I can fix this story.