Chapter Eight
Guards
Lair - Salem's Domain
This was boring.
Immensely boring.
Awfully, immensely, agonizingly boring, without my ice cream.
At least the meetings with Adam and his posse were entertaining. I usually felt bitterness, sadism and vengeance coalescing within him, but on the outside, he radiated calculation and calm. Just another mask someone else wore.
The man who sat in Adam's seat was nothing like him. They were both Faunus, but shared nothing else. He thought he was slick, hiding his tail around his waist like a belt. Adam was suited to lead the White Fang. This man, Tyrian Callows, wasn't.
He was highly unstable and maladjusted if his rants during these meetings was anything to go by. Not five minutes would go by before he made a ridiculous claim about gouging Ruby Rose's eye out in revenge for Cinder, or setting the world on fire, and would then devolve in uncontrollable, maniacal laughter.
He was loyal to a fault, I'd give him that.
"Neo, are you listening?" Salem broke my line of thinking. I had rested my head on the table to alleviate the headache of listening to her talk about being disappointed in us. I lifted my head up and let her know I was, tilting my head and blinking my eyes impassively in return.
I considered it a success when her eye twitched.
"Your failure at Beacon sets our plans for Vale back." She didn't monologue anymore about being disappointed, but I could sense it. "What went wrong?"
Without Roman there to translate and relay my words for me, I was back to using my scroll to communicate. Poor guy, I was starting to like him and then he got himself eaten by a Griffon.
Little Red pushed me off the Airship and I couldn't save Roman before he got eaten by a Grimm. Emerald read off the contents to the assembly. I can't fly.
Salem tutted, tapping her fingers against the mahogany. It was just another failure among failures from their assault onto Beacon. Ruby had downed the Atlesian Command Airship, causing them to lose control of the droids on the ground, allowing the Hunters to regroup and push them out.
"And Ozpin?" Salem turned away from me, turning her attention to the disgraced Cinder.
"Dead." Cinder answered. Salem's eyes narrowed dangerously and the tendons in her hands flexed. She was ticked.
"Are you sure?" Scratch that. She was incensed. Lover's spat? Maybe family? Personal vengeance maybe, but she was exhibiting restrained rage, not letting it pass to her allies, keeping it tightly bound within her. Those two relationships created rage no other relationships could. Callows was capable of it, but Salem wasn't insane.
"I collapsed several tons of concrete and rubble onto him. He's dead." Cinder confirmed.
"But did you see him die?" Cinder's silence and subtle shifting told Salem she hadn't seen him die. Of course, I had seen the man alive and teased him a few hours ago, but she didn't need to know that. "Then he's still alive."
"But-" Cinder started, voice cracking, before Salem stopped her.
"Ozpin is a cockroach. Until I see his body burn, I presume he's still alive." Salem paused, letting them take in the news. "What did we lose from the invasion?"
"Three dozen bullheads, half that in Alpha Grimm and fifty of my grunts haven't checked in." Tyrion recited. "Of course, that doesn't count the Dragon we lost."
"There should have been no one on the campus able to harm it." Salem hissed. "I had everyone accounted, which means we missed something." How sweet of her to phrase it so nicely, putting some blame on herself. "Neo, who did we miss?"
I moved my head in an infinity pattern and then shrugged, portraying my own confusion at the gap in information.
"I want to know who killed it." I knew she wasn't sentimental about the Dragon's demise. They were nothing but tools for her in her guerilla war against the Hunters. She was more annoyed than terrified about the Hunter who bested the Dragon. At least, that was what I sensed.
I nodded my head, letting her know I'd do my best to find out any information about the Hunter. There was no express order given to relay the information I found, or already knew as it was the case. Just to find the information and I was ahead in the game.
Another nod from her told me I was dismissed and I was enveloped in a pulsing portal of purple and black and dumped into the location I was plucked from; a back alley in one of the Beacon Districts which led to my favourite ice cream cafe.
Interesting.
Perhaps my loyalties were being questioned. Roman wasn't loyal to their cause, just loyal to the money he was promised and since I was loyal to him, they assumed I was loyal to money as well. Meaning I wasn't privy to the more in depth meetings Salem was having with the rest of her little faction.
Ozpin and Summer wouldn't be happy. One of them at least. While both were realists, Ozpin actually held onto his morals and learned to plan around them, but Summer, being a kindred soul, would plan for the worst.
My further thoughts about getting ice cream were cut as my scroll reconnected with the regional towers. Few people had this number and even fewer had the guts to message me.
Pulling out my scroll, I was met with the impassive face of a blank silhouette and a blocked number, but the name made me pause. It was titled: 'Friend'. Apparently, Bianca had deemed it necessary to give me Summer's number instead of her own and covered her tracks in case it happened in public.
Though, Bianca gave me her number, not the other way around and not even Ozpin knew the number to this scroll.
Beacon, Headmaster's Office, 1600, Disguise as Kara
Short and to the point. Not asking if I wanted to accept, but knowing enough to know she had my interest.
Another beep on my scroll forwarded me the credentials I needed to get onto the Airship headed for Beacon. I had no doubt they were temporary.
I still had a few hours to kill. I could waste it indulging in ice cream.
Or.
I could have fun with Summer and poke and purvey the depths of her soul, or lack of one as it may be the case. It was probably still there, mangled and restrained beyond any hope of recognition or recovery. Just like mine.
I liked or. Or meant I could do both.
The chime on the door of the cafe told the owner his favourite customer was back. It probably had nothing to do with the copious amounts of ice cream I inhaled easily and always paid for. My lifestyles choices paid for themselves easily enough.
"And what can I get for you today?" He asked this question every time I walked in if I ever happened to change my mind and today was one of those days. Forty different flavours of ice cream stretched out underneath the glass.
I indicated I wanted one of the erasable placards he kept behind the counter for people like me; the deaf or the mute. I was going to have to show this place to Kara.
Do you want ice cream?
My scroll beeped back almost instantaneously.
Strawberry. I have a freezer in my room. Hang out there.
I wrote down my order on the placard and handed it over. Half a quart of Neapolitan ice cream and half a quart of Strawberry ice cream, with real strawberry chunks.
"New friend?" Fortescue raised an eyebrow. I usually never got more than one flavour and only did when I was with someone, most notably Roman, who usually got pistachio. He was weird like that. I mean pistachio? Seriously? Mint was better, but nothing could beat my triple flavoured namesake.
Unbeknownst to me, Bianca had an inexplicable urge to cheer and then hurt a mute. Kara would have to do for the time being.
I gave a partial bouncing nod. Acquaintance for now. Friend, maybe. I had never before seen such a similar soul before in my lifetime. People like us usually self-destructed, were completely inept husks, or were eventually put down by their friends and loved ones.
I had managed to keep a small amount of myself through my long and grueling training, but the coming war had stripped everything from me as I watched countries tear each other apart. The last of my family had been killed; my two brothers and sister. The rest of my family had been killed off before them.
Without anything to tie my down, I started wandering, the only semblance of memory being a rapier gifted to me by my half-brother. Not even my name could tie my down. I couldn't properly remember it and I doubted Ozpin remembered it either.
And the coin. Couldn't forget the coin.
I pulled myself from my memories as Fortescue handed over my two purchases in a freezer bag and I handed over the required lien. I waved him a goodbye and exited the cafe, the usual chime jingling when I opened the door.
I proceeded to a random alleyway and wrapped the entrance to it with an illusion, making it seen as if nothing had changed and I wasn't in it. Even if it was a desolate path between buildings, I could never be certain.
I sank into my memories of Kara, imagining the exquisite Faunus in her ethereal glory.
Black chased down the lengths of my hair, chasing the brown, white, and pink away, before morphing into a clear to hide the rather considerable length. Hair was always a finicky illusion as my long hair could move and distort the normal motions of short hair. I added the cat ears absentmindedly, having seen my fair share from the White Fang.
I breathed life into my eyes, substituting my heterochromatic ones for gold and altering my pupils the match the feline's. I wouldn't get any benefits off them, sadly.
Passing a hand over my face tinged my skin to a rosy olive, the colour seeping down my body to my hands and feet. Another pass altered my facial structure, moving cheekbones and fixing my jawline to match Kara's.
Next came the worst part: scaling the illusion to match her height. Kara stood at a massive 5'9" and I stood at 4'10", not even cresting the five foot mark. It was disorientating, having my vision eleven inches below where the eyes of my illusion were suppose to be seeing from, but my years of practice came in handy as I tied each part of this illusory body to a point on my real one.
I had almost thought my transformation complete until I looked down at myself and saw the writhing swathes of intermingling colour where my clothes should be, tracing out a rough outline of where my real clothes were.
This illusory frame couldn't support actual clothing so I imagined a fitted grey tee and a pair of black skinny jeans on myself. A pair of black trainers tied the clothing off.
Weaponry was the last bit, but I hadn't seen what type of weapon she had exactly, only seeing the end of a handle sticking over her shoulder when I meet her. I switched the carrying method of my rapier from my hip to my back and blanketed the image away. It went wherever I went.
I shattered the illusion around the alleyway and frightened a passing lorry driver. My disguise was complete and Summer would help solidify it and make sure it passed the muster.
Thankfully, the Beacon Districts were rather small. Everything was compact; the ferry station only half a click away. I would make it there on the hour.
I remember the council carefully carving the map to limit Beacon's direct regional control. Keep the Hunter's satisfied with petty tokens of appreciation and they'd have a force to use against the Grimm.
I spent the walk getting used to the illusion, noding to random people in the streets, especially if they gave me looks of disdain for my ears.
Humanity was petty. A few distinguishing traits and they suddenly thought they had the right to discriminate. Of course, it didn't apply to the majority of people; just the bigots.
I looked at the sky. There were a few clouds drifting listlessly, but nothing threatening rain. Rain just made my life harder. Each rain drop could shatter any part of my illusion and I'd be forced to continuously spend Aura to maintain them.
A nice man greeted me at the station check in. Not everyone could get access to the school after all. It was a military base at its core.
I pulled up the temporary identification Summer had sent me and handed the scroll over. Rather than inspect it, he scanned it, the NFC chip registering the data.
His smile turning sickeningly fake as his pallor dropped and sweat started to form on his neck. He needed practice.
"Have a nice day ma'am." He managed to stutter out and usher me past. I caught the data still on the screen.
Summer didn't want any problems for me, registering me as an A-class Captain; directly below her in the chain of command if I recalled the structure correctly.
I felt insulted. Or the persona I was wearing mimicked an insult. My memories couldn't quite fathom insult, but practice made perfect. The shred of pride I had within me wanted to ask her to upgrade me to S-class, but knew it would cause nothing but problems.
Boarding the Airship was no problem as I ignored the ramp and leapt up straight to the emergency hatches at the top of the craft. Twisting the handle, I dropped into the bridge, scaring the crew.
I halted their protests by letting the skipper read my credentials. He couldn't exactly protest my presence; I was highest ranking member on this ship. He gave me a simple warning of not touching anything, and I planted myself directly behind the glass to watch the ship take off.
The ship swung away from the station, its wing rotating as it transitioned to a forward vector, mostly carrying construction material if the thrust to weight ratio was reading correctly.
Beacon hadn't taken enough damage to warrant this much material if this was one of several Airships constantly rotating between the school and the district. Someone was making plans and it wasn't just for repairs.
They were mobilizing, and Summer wanted my help. It wasn't Ozpin calling the shots anymore, but her. The SMS stated she didn't just want to meet me. She wanted to see how far my abilities extended, to be able to see whether I could replicate someone she knew intimately.
Which meant she needed me for anything from a replacement mission to an assassination mission, and couldn't be implicated in it.
My respect for her elevated higher.
I didn't wait for the ship to transition back to its docking sequence, leaping back up through the hatch in the ceiling and vaulting over the edge of the craft to free fall onto the landing platforms. I made sure to warp the area around me while I descended to make sure no one saw me.
If I wasn't so small and the platforms weren't solid steel then I'm sure they would've cracked.
Room number?
2117. I'm leaving campus. Have fun.
I scanned the landing platforms, picking out the only Hunter who matched me in emotional signature. Sure enough, there she was, standing behind a tall blonde man. As if knowing I was watching her at the moment, she gave me one handed signs confirming the room number and a goodbye.
I disappeared after that, heading towards her room, letting her know I got her message.
Just as I suspected, the window was barely ajar. I jimmied the rest of the distance with my rapier and disappeared into the room, closing the window in the same manner I found it.
I immediately placed my frozen treats into the mini fridge placed by the desk.
Did you change the sheets?
Yes, my bed is right of the window.
She didn't seem surprised I was going to crash or about my presumptions about the bed she shared with Kara.
I forced my mind blank and drifted off into dreamless oblivion, the days of exhaustion finally catching up to me.
The light brush of wind across my face snapped me from sleep and I leveled my rapier at the intruder's throat, only to have it blocked by a vambrace.
I offered no apology to trying to skewer her throat and slipped my weapon back into its invisible sheath.
"Looks almost perfect." Summer paced around me, reminding me I was currently impersonating a woman standing in the same room as me. I must've snapped it back on after I awoke. "Your ears need a few light scars and splotches, but you can see for yourself."
Kara offered herself up for inspection and I enjoyed the feeling of being able to craft a work of art. Imagining a person was fun, but actually getting to create a forgery was a testament.
There were a few tiny aesthetics I missed, most glaringly obvious being the lack of scar on her neck. I traced a finger across my neck and added it, matching it to a tee.
Her hair wasn't as soft or luscious as mine and held a vague tactile resemblance to animal fur. It was coarser than human hair, but held a softness within it. I had never felt anything like it before. It took several tries before Summer and Kara agreed my hair could pass. I added in the light splotch of grey on my left ear.
Her eyes weren't solid gold, but actually were more like ripples of gold traveling away from the pupil. I altered mine to match hers. Her facial structure and skin tone I managed to match perfectly. I seemed to have a knack for those.
She had an interesting style of clothing, mixing in varying shades of black and white, and I could have tried to match the clothing but Summer said not to bother. Kara owned similar enough clothing to the ones I had crafted.
A useful combination of lacking a true identity, and my Semblance allowed me to 'save' my illusions in a mental file drawer. I saved a copy of Kara and stepped into her, two exactly similar Faunus staring at each other.
I decided to kiss her.
I was expecting her to recoil in disgust or pause in shock, but I felt disappointment instead as her hand threaded into my fake hair and broke the illusion, shattering the entirety of it.
"She can make clones Neo." Summer answered my unspoken question. If she didn't even recoil at kissing a visage of herself then I wondered what she and Summer got up to on their downtime. "No Neo, we don't need clones. We have Bianca and Nova for that."
Even with our identities stripped from ourselves, it was near impossible to strip primal instincts. These weren't crafted emotions, the phantasmagoric emotions which clouded and biased everyday interactions.
Though, I'm not adverse to using them to keep her in her place.
They had an interesting dynamic it seemed. Kara had the presence of an alpha, but Summer held equal footing with her. They probably fought for dominance over the other, but refused to complete it, preferring the dance of equals.
It was much like the dances I shared with Ozpin. Except I stood nowhere near him as an equal.
What'll you be doing while I'm out masquerading as you?
Working on my part of the mission we need you on.
Do I get to kill anyone?
"During the first part, no, but for the second, you can let loose."
It had been such a long time since Ozpin had let me loose. I can't quite remember what happened, but I remember Ozpin scolding me for several weeks about causing the collapse of a civilization.
Meh.
"Come. I'll explain the rest up in Ozpin's office." I arched an eyebrow at her words. It seemed I was wrong about who was in charge. I reapplied my illusion and bade farewell to Kara, only to remember the treats I had stashed in the room. I removed both of them and handed over the strawberry to Summer, along with a spoon.
Kara released a silent snort, but made to further comments.
I startled as I felt Summer wrap her Semblance around me and let me get used to the feeling before we ran off towards the tower.
It was unfortunate we had to take the elevator as neither of us had the ability to scale walls. It let Ozpin know the rest of his guests were here as the hidden partition opened up.
Summer's blasé reaction to not having the real Kara next to her solidified my acting as we stepped out in Ozpin office. The man, as usual, sat at his desk and drank from his cocoa mug. There were five other people in the room with him.
To his right stood the pair of Bianca and Nova, not giving any indication they knew their teammate was being impersonated. To his left stood Bianca's copy, whose name I didn't know, the General of Atlas, and Qrow Branwen. The latter two had tried to kill me, each at least twice now.
Ozpin noticed the ice cream we were each carrying. He didn't bat an eye at the strawberry ice cream Summer was carrying, but his silver eyes danced with mirth when he noticed the tri-coloured ice cream I was eating.
"Summer, Kara, nice of you to join us. Winter seems to be running late." He was playing along with this. He could never resist a prank.
As if on cue, a gleaming silver Atlesian Command Ship descended from the cloud bank. While not much bigger than its Vale counterpart, it boasted a larger fire load and could act as a portable regional transmission station.
"She always loves to make grand entrances." The General sighed, watching the ship traverse the skies and disappear into the northern hangers.
Winter. Winter Schnee I assumed by the presence of the younger. That's why she looked familiar. White hair and blue eyes. The White Fang liked to play darts with their faces. Among other things.
But I still didn't know why she was here.
"Weiss, you and the rest of my team will hide in the clockwork gears before Winter gets here." So that was her name.
"Why?"
"I may have talked with Winter over a video call and got her to think I was you." Weiss blinked back, again asking why. "Because I thought it would be funny. Now, go hide."
It seemed every powerful Hunter enjoyed screwing with the less powerful. Such went the way of life.
Weiss looked unsure of her orders, but a nod from my new friend had her leaping up into the clockworks, followed by the rest of us. I filed away the note for later; Summer had established herself as Weiss' superior.
Summer and I crouched on one of the slowing ticking gears, watching as Winter entered the office, only to be barreled over by Bianca, acting as Weiss. It had happened so fast I suspected Summer had helped, but she was revealing nothing.
It was hard getting a read on her. It was like looking at a mirror. An older, dustier mirror, but a mirror nonetheless.
"Weiss?" Winter picked herself up with her feet, struggling against the parasite attached to her. James gave a chuckle, knowing what it felt. I sucked on my ice cream, getting ready for the coming entertainment. "Let go."
"Mou~ So cold." She was adorable. My lack of a voice stopped me from being able to do it, but if I had one, I would constantly be shifting into her. "At least act like you're happy to see me."
"Nice to see you too." Winter returned the hug gently, causing Bianca to release her hold. Touch was important too. Couldn't forge that either. A double layered illusion allowed me to eat my ice cream, one to hide the real ice cream, and the other to mimic ice cream. It took much more hassle than it should've. "You've changed. You look older."
It seemed this prank wasn't going to last long if the narrowing of Winter's eyes was anything to go by. Looking between the Bianca and Weiss, the differences were easy enough, but if Winter wasn't able to notice then it meant they were estranged. Both had the predilection for white, but Weiss was dressed conservatively in a short dress compared to Bianca's tee and short shorts.
"I'm eighteen now." I wondered what the actual age gap was between the dimension hoppers. "And I'm a Hunter. Time the show the world who I am."
"You're wearing short shorts in public." Winter's demeanor changed. "Weiss would never wear short shorts in public."
Damn, brain freeze.
"She would also never hug me like that, especially if James and Ozpin were watching." An armoured arm materialised holding a broadsword at Bianca's throat. "Your scar looks too old to be received less than two weeks ago. You're not my sister."
"You think I could get away with impersonating Weiss in a room with Ozpin and James?" Neither of them moved against Bianca at Winter's accusation. "Could I do this if I wasn't your sister?"
She spawned a glyph in the tiny space between her throat and the broadsword and then continued to spawn them around Winter and her construct, trapping them in a dome.
"Weiss wasn't even close to this level of Semblance usage two weeks ago." Winter tested the dome, hitting it multiple times with her constructed sword. None of the glyphs broke, nor did Bianca seen to struggle with their maintenance. "James, get me out of here."
Bianca trapped him in a dome too before he could reply. It was impressive watching the woman work with her Semblance. A few more years and Weiss would be able to do the same.
"Now what? I have both of you trapped." The General continued to not react which meant he was in on this.
"That gives me the right to do this." Winter spawned two larger glyphs outside the dome, revealing two Alpha Beowolves ready to pounce. Two domes sprang up around them, trapping them as well. "Okay. I call bullshit. How many of these can you hold up?"
"As many as I want." She was going to be a challenge to spar against. A chess master against an illusionist. She lowered the four domes she had created. "I really am your sister Winter. One of them at least."
"What do you mean by 'one of them'?"
Weiss took this as her cue to jump down from the gears and landed directly next to Bianca. Winter took one look at them and walked to the minibar. At least she was professional about it and not panicking.
"I don't remember you being born with a twin which leaves you to be a clone, but you're able to control our hereditary Semblance exceptionally well, which takes several years of practice. You don't look older than me which means you're Weiss or me from the future. Am I close?"
So she wasn't just a pretty face. But why was I here if James and her were here? Summer could've asked me to show up whenever, but she choose this time, meaning they were part of the operation, but couldn't know I was taking part of it.
"Older Weiss from another dimension." It was strange why they were telling her. They could've stayed in the shadows and not interacted with people who knew their dimensional counterparts. They needed her then, not just James.
"So why are you here?" It seemed the shock of learning it hadn't even passed through her system.
"Right now, I'm here to make sure Weiss gets her independence." She flashed a megawatt smile. "And to screw with you."
Lord Schnee would not be happy when he learned of his eldest children gaining independence.
"You change." Her posture shifted to defensive.
"I grew up Winter." She offered simply.
"No. You really change. Your stance, gait, speech, emotional output. You're nothing like when you started Beacon." Observant.
"It's been five years since I started Beacon, four from now. I'm twenty two years old. I've accomplished more than I could've ever hoped."
"And Weiss' independence is a way to gain it?"
"Leaving her stuck under the overbearing thumb of our sperm donor will do nothing but diminish her. Can you already see what a year in Beacon has done?" Bianca pointed to the shifting Weiss at their side. Must've been awkward to be talked about like that.
Winter looked over her sister's form, eyes scouring every crack and chink in her armour. I couldn't judge. I knew nothing about her other than the fact the White Fang hated her and her family.
"Weiss, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Do you want a sister, or do you want a puppet?" Weiss retorted with as much pleasantness as she could muster. "Is that meant to be a serious question?"
"Let me rephrase. Do you want to keep your Atlesian citizenship, or give it up?"
"Is there a benefit to keeping my citizenship?" Winter thought about it and then shook her head. "Then I'm going to become a citizen of Vale and no longer be one of Atlas. I just need to find a consular officer and finalise my application."
A throat clearing cough directed everyone's attention to the Headmaster and General standing near each other.
"You can consider it done." Ozpin told her, extending his hand out for her scroll. She handed it over and he tabbed over to it, hovering over the last name. "There is one issue Bianca, Winter and James discussed without you, but I do believe you won't be opposed to it."
"Which is?"
"I changed your last name." Ozpin handed the scroll back.
"To what?" She reacted without looking at the scroll before noticing the name change. I couldn't see it from my vantage point.
"You're adopting me?" Weiss' voice cracked and snapped to look at James. He cracked a wry smile at her reaction and nodded.
The girl threw herself at the General, slamming into him and causing him to stumble back before returning the hug. She had some momentum in her body. Could I do the same to Ozpin? I'd have to hold that idea until I wasn't in this body. Maybe to Summer.
The grizzled spymaster decided now was the time to descend from the gears and landed next to James.
"Don't worry James. I brought a crowbar." Summer and her team shared a smiles. I was missing an inside joke.
"Qrow." Winter didn't seem surprised at his appearance. "Is that meant to be a pun or..?"
He gave her a puzzled look before removing an actual crowbar from who knows where. He didn't have any affinity towards illusions as far as I knew. He wedged one end between Weiss and James and tried to wrench them apart.
"You weren't kidding when you said you needed a crowbar to get Bianca off James. Seems the same applies to Weiss." He gave up his effort, watching as Weiss snuggled into her new father figure.
Bianca nudged Winter forward, tilting her head and looking at James.
Winter rolled her eyes, but walked over to the hugging pair and hugged James from the back, leaving him trapped in the middle. Bianca haphazardly joined the group, throwing herself vaguely in the middle.
"Girls, this is getting- a little- constricting." James managed to get out from underneath all the limbs trapping him.
"I'm gonna need an excavator at this point." Qrow sweatdropped, stowing his crowbar back to wherever he pulled it from. "Maybe a wrecking ball and few sticks of dynamite."
"Outside." Ozpin couldn't care less if he tried, just as long as it left his school intact. He was getting the jitters; his left hand was trembling imperceptibly. His cocoa supply must be running low.
"We got him some more." Summer whispered to me as if following my train of thoughts. We were on the same page it seemed. Another note to fill away. Similar thought patterns and detail recognition.
Under the weight of the two women, James collapsed onto the floor. At the ridiculousness of their situation, they burst into giggles and laughter before untangling themselves and helping each other up.
"Congratulations on your impromptu adoption, Miss Ironwood." Ozpin gestured to the scroll Weiss clutched tightly. "If you'd sign the form to finalize it, I'll prioritize the application."
Weiss did just that, signing her name with a flourish and handed her scroll over. Ozpin fiddled with the form momentarily before pulling up Weiss' profile and making the necessary changes. He handed her scroll back with a large green stamp of approval across the screen.
"That's it?" Weiss arched her eyebrow and received her scroll. "That was quick."
"I have absolute authority over my Hunters." For now before Summer comes into her role, but even then I couldn't see Ozpin stepping away from the role entirely. Summer would keep him as an advisor. "You're under the protection of the Vale Hunter Commander while also being protected by James as an Ironwood."
He wasn't going to be revealing anything it seemed. Not to the general public. Not yet. Ozpin and Summer were more than enough to protect a single Hunter and tacking on the name Ironwood made her untouchable; protected by two city-state Hunter factions.
They were protecting her beyond a normal scope. Beyond a level of protection an estranged heiress needed from her father and former family. They had removed her from any legal binding to Atlas and then tied her to Vale, further surrounding her as a member of the Ironwood family.
My initial mobilization theory grew stronger.
"That's it Miss Ironwood. I suggest keeping your new status hidden for at least the time it takes for Lord Schnee to ask for your return to Atlas." They feared the political fallout from the Schnee's, which they could solve by using me in an operation, if they were keeping it hidden until then. "Your team should be returning from their stint at the bar. Go celebrate."
"Can I tell my team?"
"Your team is your family." Ozpin loved to not give straight answers. "You're dismissed. Your sister and new father will be along after we finish our business."
Weiss sent James a shy smile before hugging him again and repeated the same for her sister. She disappeared into the elevator and rode down in an effort to find the remainder of her team.
"You've had your prank James, now do I get to meet Ozpin's successor or was there another reason Weiss was dismissed?" So I was correct with my assumptions earlier. Summer was replacing Ozpin, but didn't want everyone to know about it; only a select few.
"She's been in this room, waiting for Weiss to step out." Summer twitched to let her other two teammates know we were dropping. Nova and I dropped to either side of her.
"Summer Rose." She extended her head in an imitation of greeting, but this was nothing more than a cultured response created by her team. "A pleasure."
"Likewise." Winter shook her hand as tensions rose between the two. Summer was completely immune to Winter's posturing, but Winter was getting rattled by Summer's lack of response. Funny. She hadn't asked about Nova or I.
"Girls, enough." Ozpin cut the tension. "James and I have enjoyed a beneficial alliance of our Hunters for over twenty years. In an effort to bolster ties, we've crafted an operation to test cooperation."
"Approximately two weeks from now, the combined forces of Vale and Atlesian Hunters will siege, rescue and destroy the eight labour camps controlled by the Schnee Dust Corporation."
"You're out of your mind." Winter deadpanned. Not going well for cooperation right off the bat Summer. "Three people know the exact number and location of each and every camp."
"We have a plan to retrieve the information needed." Oh. Me. I was the plan. I was going to impersonate one of these three people to get the information. "We have a Hunter who can take the image of a target given a genetic sample. We'll use him to enter an SDC facility and retrieve the locations."
Liar, but Summer wasn't betraying anything from her facial micro-expressions to her gestures and stance.
"Plan to lure the target?"
"Night out on the town with seduction followed by a blackout and image copy. Kara is putting together a program to rip the information from a computer terminal. Estimated time for the plan is eight hours from initial contact at a bar. We'll need the locations of the SDC CSO and his undersecretary for the next two weeks."
"The CSO is a recluse but his undersecretary favors a bar called 'Pair of Aces' on the weekends." She gave the information without pause. Her network of informants must prioritize the SDC.
"I could have told you that." Qrow grumbled discontentedly and kicked imaginary dust up with his foot.
"Shut up Dusty." Summer and Winter retorted simultaneously and shared wicked smiles. A cloud hung above Qrow's head, bathing him with rain and lightning. His illusions were decent, but I really wanted to know where he put his crowbar.
"Once the information we have is verified, we move to strike every camp at once, depriving the SDC of a workforce. I have 3000 Bullheads and 12 Airships to use for this operation and by Bianca's calculations, we need 12 of your Airships to evacuate everyone."
"That's your entire fleet of ships in use at one time." Winter calculated. Even I wasn't sure about the number of Bullheads Vale had in operational service. "And around 33% of your forces being deployed outside of the country."
"Yes. A necessary measure to wean the White Fang and the Faunus from beyond Cinder and her faction's control." Interesting. She was keeping Salem's involvement a secret to her ally. Wasn't really important in the short term.
"Not going for the offensive." Winter concluded. Even combined, they lacked the sheer manpower the White Fang could put out. "And your plan for when the cost of Dust skyrockets?"
"Dust isn't a core component in my Hunters. We use it as augmentation to our Semblances. The smaller Dust companies within the other city-states will supply the demand."
"Dust is used as a major component in powering our countries and equipment." I remembered the time the world didn't know the power of Dust. Ozpin remembered it too, when countries went to war for a useless commodity such as crude oil.
"Need drives innovation. We'll learn to make do." She had a plan for this somehow. Perhaps going down the renewable energy track would work this time. Perhaps not.
"And what's to stop me from not granting you the use of my Airships?" She was bluffing. She still had a heart. Summer used Kara's and I used Ozpin's. Sorta.
"The guilt of leaving the Faunus labour camps alone when you had the chance to end it and instill a small measure of equality for them." Kara must've held a large amount of sway with Summer.
Winter chose to bite down a sizable portion of her drink before answering.
"I'm going to need to stash a sizable amount of Dust before this going down from my shadow companies." Summer would no doubt do the same and notify the other heads of Hunters to do the same. "You have my support, but if you think I'm going to let you run havoc alone in my state then you're wrong. We do this together, or not at all."
"Your plan?" Summer had walked her into this nicely, making her think this was all her idea while simultaneously shoring up her losses in an operation of her idea.
"Half and half. Vacuo and Mistral are too small to participate in this type of operation and would result in a need for a larger security net. Vacuo already has security problems within their own Hunters and Mistral could stay away from the political fallout in the event of failure. You take four camps and I take four camps. How do you know there are only eight camps?"
"Our world had eight camps. It's only an assumption for now until we can confirm the information in the event of a discrepancy."
"And where do I take the rescued Faunus?" I hadn't given it much thought but the sheer number they were pulling out from the camp would be a logistical circus show. I was in a circus once.
"You'll take them to the island of Patch where Signal Academy will oversee a refugee camp for the 80,000 potential Faunus before we'll move them to Menagerie for permanent relocation."
"You've secured their relocation to Menagerie?" It was its own autonomous state, agreed by the other four larger states to exist as a lesser fifth member. Reminded me of another country which existed to house criminals and undesirables. Something with an A.
"I plan to establish contact today and meet tomorrow."
Something with an A. Ame. Abe. Acacia. No, that was a tree. Or a berry.
"Send me a detailed report of the operation and my part in it if Ghira Belladonna accepts." Seemed Winter was on board with the plan, and by the looks of Ozpin and James, so were they.
America. No. That wasn't it, but it was fun watching them self destruct. I definitely didn't have a part in that. Probably.
"Well then. Vale and Atlas are renewing their alliance. A toast." Ozpin lifted his last few drops of cocoa as everyone else lifted a flask, bottle, or bowl of ice cream.
Aus. Austria. Yes, that sounded about right. The land of the convicts and criminals.
"I do have one issue with you Summer." My partner gave the go ahead to ask. "You're not entirely there, are you?"
Summer let a positively rapturous smile break across her face, her silver eye replicating Ozpin's twinkle. Okay, that was creepy. She shouldn't be able to replicate it so perfectly.
"Have no doubt in my capabilities as a leader or Hunter, Winter Ironwood. It might be the last action you take." Great. She was getting in the same habit of Ozpin; not giving direct answer. I caught myself. This persona was starting to bleed into me. Acting.
Winter couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she stared at Summer's void of an eye. She would be annihilated if Summer ever found reason for it, but I doubted she would. Just a feeling.
"Was this the extent of my meeting here with you?" Ozpin and Summer had nothing else to talk to her about the operation. "Then I'm off to spend time with my sister. Come on James."
The General followed behind her like an abandoned puppy finally being adopted. I blinked as a surge of memories flooded in. Ozpin had done the same for me those many years ago.
"Qrow, what do you know about the late Roman Torchwick's partner, Neopolitan?" Ozpin broadcast an image of my regular form onto the monitor.
"She's a tiny sadist with a penchant for ice cream. She excels at outsmarting and evading authorities with her illusions and hasn't been seen since the Invasion of Beacon." Flattered, but that was a poor description of me. Anyone who got two glances at me could tell the same information. "Wanted for grand theft in every city-state. Why?"
My assassinations had gone unnoticed by even the spymaster of Vale and all of his little birds. Not to mention arson, assault, extortion, grand larceny and the impersonation of a Vale Hunter Captain.
"Summer wasn't entirely truthful when she said we had a Hunter who could impersonate the CSO's undersecretary."
"We don't have enough money to acquire her services." Qrow was quick to catch on. "She's a mercenary and a loose end."
"She's our best option at getting the information we need in the time frame we have." I was going to enjoy this job.
"And your plan to convince her to get the correct information we need, not to mention find her?"
"We already found her. She's been in this room since before Winter arrived." Qrow froze, scanning the room intently. "You did mention her penchant for ice cream."
Everyone, including Summer, turned to stare at me as I sucked ice cream off my spoon, innocently flicking my tongue out to savor the flavour. This part was all vanilla and strawberry.
"Kara, anything you wish to share with us?" Nova disengaged the safeties on her gauntlets and slid rounds into them. Damn. Summer didn't notify her teammates. Well played, but still a testament to my skill. Though in their defense, both Kara and I being mutes didn't help.
Summer pressed a hand into my illusory head and shattered my body, revealing the form I most commonly wore in public; my pink, brown and white one. Qrow made a move towards me, but before he could, Ozpin whacked him hard over the head, dispelling the notion.
"Ow, Ozpin. Seriously?" Qrow rubbed the growing bruise. "You learn a threat's in the same room as you and you hit me. Priorities man."
"She's here as Summer's guest, or have you not realized Summer was the one to break the illusion?"
"And her loyalty?" I squeezed Summer's hand in reassurance. She was mine and he would see how far my loyalty went during this war.
"Mine, for now." Summer would be in the firing line if I ever defected but she was my newest companion. Salem couldn't tear me from her.
"And you're fine helping us out for this operation?" Qrow asked me directly and I nodded my head enthusiastically, causing Ozpin to narrow his eyes. Summer had promised to let me loose for the second part of the operation; the destruction of the labour camps.
"I'll forward her the needed information as we get it. Winter will let me know when the best time to retrieve the information comes around."
"Keep her out of trouble." Me? Just because I had a track record didn't mean I was going to ruin their fun. Where would I get my fun from then?
"No promises. You know your job?"
Impersonate the undersecretary to the CSO of the SDC and retrieve the number and location of the labour camps they control.
"Correct." Qrow looked lost at my form of communication. "We'll take care of dosing our target. You'll have the job of entering an SDC facility and cloning the computer with Kara's programs."
"Who is where exactly?" Don't worry, I didn't hurt her.
"Bundled up in our room, cursing her computer while she debugs her code. Then pacing, hitting the wall, and smashing her head into the keyboard when it doesn't work." She knew her well. "Not necessarily in that order."
"Hmm." Ozpin didn't reply. "When are you planning to steal the information?" Ugly word; steal. We were borrowing and making public to ourselves pieces of information which should be public but would destroy Atlas' individual right's policy if it was, which was still shaky from the whole 'show no emotions' fascist regime they had.
Amateurs.
While it was the correct answer to suppressing the birth of Grimm, it didn't actually squash emotions. It kept them bottled up and out of sight and spawned more Grimm because of the people's inability to express themselves.
They eventually fixed their problems but I had managed to reign free for a few months unnoticed before they eventually caught on to me. Poor Atlesian General; I had to ditch the original tee I had. How did Bianca get away with wearing so much white?
"This weekend at the latest or whenever the undersecretary decides to go drinking." I'd have to clear my calendar. Not that I actually kept one. "Not tomorrow hopefully."
I tugged at Summer's hand again, asking her why not.
"Menagerie." Oh right. "And I can't take you. I have to take Team RWBY with me."
I'd have to busy myself somehow until the weekend then. I'd make Ozpin earn those headaches. One of which was starting now as I could imagine Ozpin imagining the shenanigans I would get up to as I waited for Summer to call for me.
You're mine after tomorrow.
"Try not to destroy any depots or accidentally kill someone." I snorted. Nothing I did was accidental. Unless it was meant to be accidental, but then it wasn't accidental, was it? A dilemma for another time.
"I can spar tonight, if you want?" Exactly my line of thoughts.
"Not on campus." Ozpin got his final word on it.
And what will you be doing until then?
"Working on paperwork." Summer then looked over to Ozpin. "Unless I have anything needing my attention?"
"No. As agreed, I'll handle the administrative side of the Hunters while you'll handle the frontline. Unless you want to handle the administrative side?"
"Send me all the paperwork you have." Ozpin furrowed his eyebrows. "I do quite enjoy the mundane task. You, on the other hand, are taking a vacation."
"Afraid I'll usurp your authority?" He stirred his mug carefully. His face betrayed nothing and neither were his emotions. He wasn't one of us, not by far, but he could hide from me just as well.
"Ozpin, while I much enjoy being your figurehead on Beacon, I'd much prefer if you were mine. Both of us splitting duties will only accomplish you undermining me, or me undermining you." She really didn't mince word when she didn't have to.
"Mah, mah, I can tell when I'm not wanted." He rose from his chair, snagging his cane as he made his way around his desk to stand in front of Summer. Ozpin could crush her without lifting his finger and Summer very well knew he could. "Glad to see the power hasn't gone to your head."
"Don't look so glum. I'm not leaving you without anything to do as my other second-in-command. You'll be in charge of the temporary refugee camp on Patch. You still have access to all the funds and materials as if you were still in charge. Just send me an invoice so I can do inventory properly."
"As you command, milady." Summer's bottom lip twitched in annoyance. If he started speaking in an old dialect then I was going to kick his shins. Painfully. He could do much worse, such as speak in the forgotten and dead languages before the world was unified to use one language.
"You'll come back after the operation and when I've established my command properly. I'll make time to come visit and brief you about the situations and I'll even bring Neo to alleviate your boredom."
I smiled. He smiled. Summer smiled. We all knew Ozpin didn't get bored. He'd create his own mischief when life became stale. And I usually caused enough mischief in his stead to help him.
"Do I get to keep my spymaster or are you acquisitioning him as well?"
"I need him to keep track of the undersecretary." Qrow nodded his head. "You have today off. Spend some time with Ruby and Yang, but tomorrow, you're going to Atlas with Winter."
"Do I have to?" Qrow whined pitifully. "Why do I have to go with her? I can take my own bullhead."
"Because you need more friends." Summer replied dryly. "Winter will be good for you."
"The season or the person?" He couldn't resist the quip. Summer stared back, unblinking. "Do I get to be the lucky one informing her I'll be traveling with her?"
"Of course." A sinister smirk cracked her face. "For your duration of your stay with Winter, you're my proxy. If she wants help, you help. You have the authorization at the level of a Captain. I want Atlas as my closest ally when this world goes south."
Qrow shivered under Summer's malicious grin. She was dancing with her words this time. She didn't care if Qrow actually acted as a proxy. She wanted him with Winter. She was playing matchmaker.
Not my choice of entertainment, but everyone had their own. Ozpin enjoyed micromanaging, Summer enjoyed her own shenanigans and I enjoyed accidentally wiping civilizations. One of these things just didn't belong here. How dare Ozpin micromanage.
"I'll take my leave. Try to behave." Ozpin directed this last part to me as he stepped into the elevator, Qrow following him. "And make sure to tell Glynda not to panic when she realises I'm not here."
"I'm sure she'll understand from the communiqué ready to be sent from your desk."
"My sweet child, I have absolutely no idea what you mean." Ozpin innocently answered back and thumbed the close button, isolating him from any further inquiries.
Summer wrapped around Ozpin's former desk and pull up the primary monitor. It no longer displayed an image of me, but an important memo ready to be sent to every major Hunter base along their secure channels.
I skimmed the lines briefly. The memo itself wasn't long but it was densely packed with information, stating Ozpin was stepping down from his post and installing Summer Rose as his replacement. He gave no reason to his resignation and no reason for his appointeé, but he specifically stated Summer wasn't replacing him as Headmaster of Beacon; she was rising to the rank of High Commander, above his station.
Most of the Hunters wouldn't care who lead them during a time of peace, but the specific appointment of a High Commander would set every Hunter on edge as they prepared themselves for any coming conflict. The Hunters in training; Beacon's students, wouldn't yet understand what the role of High Commander meant. The upper years might.
Summer needed the next weeks to ensure they understood who was in charge and make an impression on her new underlings. With Ozpin out of the picture and an operation to plan, she had only one chance to get this right.
Summer read the memo but made no changes and signed her name, adding in the clearance codes needed to broadcast the message across the country. Her own codes declared her as the High Commander and Ozpin's codes, already attached, meant no one could dispute it.
Her scroll beep furiously as message after message poured into it after she pressed the send button.
"Glynda's on her way here." Summer declared without bothering to check her scroll. "Neo."
I reapplied my disguise, slipping into the body and reattached the mirroring network. It was like slipping into a pair of jeans. Qrow watched in fascination as I impersonated the Faunus. Bianca and Nova scrutinized my form, looking for any discrepancy in my disguise.
They found none.
Perfect timing as Glynda stormed into the office pulling Ozpin by his ear. At a height disadvantage to his deputy, he was forced to bend awkwardly at an angle. Qrow had miraculously managed to escape her.
"Explain." Glynda pointed to Summer sitting at Ozpin desk filling out whatever form passed her way. She wasn't bored, but neither was she motivated. Perhaps that was the secret to paperwork; the inability to get bored.
That didn't explain Ozpin's ability to finish it with ease. Roman never gave me paperwork after I incinerated it and a few tons worth of cargo to escape. He didn't even begrudge me burning the cargo. He never gave me paperwork again.
"I'm retired Glynda." Summer snorted, fixing a line she erred on. "Yell at her. She's in charge now."
"You're about as retired as Qrow isn't a functioning alcoholic." Qrow took no offense to Summer's remark, sipping at his seemingly endless supply of drink. It was usually the other way around, but the spymaster never seemed to be completely sober. Too many demons in his past.
Consequences of the job.
I had the benefit of donning fresh identities to run from mine and I eventually forgot about them or they all died out. It was the primary reason why Ozpin frequently lost track of me.
"You're getting back in your seat. You're not even fifty." I snorted inwardly at that. I'm sure Ozpin didn't even remember his own age. "And what is this nonsense about a High Commander?"
"By Summer's gracious forethought, she decided to retire me early as she prepares for the operation against the Schnee Dust Corporation." Glynda started but remembered who exactly she was dealing with, letting him continue. "You and all relevant parties will soon receive a dossier detailing all aspects of the plan."
"Which I've been working on for a while and am putting the finals touches on." Summer finished for him. "It'll be sent out by sundown today, while also explaining what the role of a High Commander dictates."
"And I'm not getting any answers before then?"
"Not even if you use your fuzzy handcuffs and your whip." Glynda Goodwitch became my new favourite person as she failed to hide her blush and her emotions reflected she wasn't faking. Where did Ozpin manage to hide her? She didn't even attempt to refute it.
No one else in the room reacted to her. I was the only one out of the loop then which mean it was pointless using it as blackmail, even before factoring the knowledge of the people in this room.
"While Ozpin is busy overseeing his part of the operation, you're to remain on campus as interim Headmaster. Your duties as a professor will be taken over by Bianca." The aforementioned Hunter nodded her head at her orders.
"This is very sudden." Glynda grimaced at the sheer pace Summer and Ozpin were moving at, figuring out this operation must be major it they were splitting up parts. "I'll send Bianca my classes and their syllabi."
Her acceptance of their plans had mostly to do with Ozpin not actually retiring. Hunters never retired. They moved sections, rose in ranks, demoted, but never retired. Servitude until death, in any form or capacity, as macabre as that sounded. I suspected James' continuation as an advisor had everything to do with such a mindset.
"This office is yours until Ozpin returns." She had planned this. She knew Ozpin would leave a memo to be sent out, knew Glynda would catch him on his way out and knew Ozpin would be forced to return here to explain himself, however briefly.
The only question now was how Ozpin would reply. He wasn't going to let this slight go. He finally had a chance to spar with an equal in manipulation and planning. I shuddered; they would be a worse duo than Roman and I ever were. Remnant would fall to its knees if Salem didn't wipe it out first.
At least when I did it I didn't annihilate the people. I enjoyed tearing the structure, the very fabric of their governments to shreds. A political assassination here, inciting a riot there, manufacture propaganda over there and impersonate a few civil servants not far from here.
I left fragments. Salem left nothing.
"I'm leaving any relevant paperwork for you at this desk. I'm taking my paperwork to my room. Enjoy." Summer mustered as much sincerity as she could. A small spark jumped in her core.
"I hate you." Glynda bit back, but straightened her glasses and replaced Summer at the desk, preparing herself for the grueling task of managing the school. She had much less to do now with Summer performing the overarching duty above hers.
"I'll send James up later." Glynda only grunted as she delved into the paperwork, her mind regressing into boredom. Why was it even called paperwork when everything was digitized? I assumed calling it 'digitalwork' sounded less catchy. At least James would help her with his lack of duties to his own Hunters.
Those two shared more sexual tension than any other couple I've seen in the recent past, but nothing could beat the amount I glimpsed between Qrow and Winter. You could cut it with a butter knife.
Summer ushered me gently to the elevator, her touch just gentle enough to not pierce the fine membrane of my illusion. Her Aura resonated well enough with mine to prevent any interference. I could feel mine pulse along her hand and no doubt she could feel it as well if I read the faint tingle of amusement from her.
The rest of her team and Ozpin followed us, leaving Glynda trapped in an endless cycle of paperwork, her only relief being whenever James decided to help her.
"You'll get your fight right before sundown when I finish with my paperwork." Summer broke the silence as they stepped out of the elevator into the empty lobby. It was eerily quiet as the main hub of international communication, but the Hunters were always known to act independently when not given explicit orders. I was just satisfied she remembered. "I have something for you in our room Oz."
Great. She was giving him nicknames now.
A familiar feeling of Summer's Semblance wrapped around us and we propelled forward through the campus traffic, barely touching the ground before Summer pressured us onward.
In what seemed seconds and probably was, the five of us stood on a white glyph outside their room. I stamped my foot on the glyph, but nothing came of it. It was durable if it could hold five people on it.
Without fanfare, Summer slipped into the room. A lump sat on a bed, barely moving as hands emerged from the blankets wrapped around it. The hands tapped away at a keyboard quickly before a finger wiped a line with the backspace, twitching as iteration after iteration of her code ran into errors.
"Comfy?" The lump didn't react to the presences in the room, too engrossed in her screen filled with multicoloured lines and semicolons. Her ears wiggled in greeting, hands occupied with fixing and optimizing her code, flying across the keys.
Summer scratched her ears in return, Kara's hands momentarily pausing as pleasure scorched through her body. Her ears playfully batted the hands away, keeping their owner focused on her work.
She was left alone as Summer lifted a box from under the desk and handed it to Ozpin. Brightly decorated in shades of white and blue, it depicted a cup of steaming cocoa with tiny marshmallows floating in it.
Lies.
There were no tiny marshmallows. Ozpin had sent me to investigate the fraud committed by the company and I delivered a sad report about the fallacies of advertisement and enticement.
It didn't stop his enjoyment of the hot chocolate; just dampened it without the presence of marshmallows.
Summer produced a pack of mini marshmallows from under the desk as well, handing it to Ozpin. It was the best retirement package he had ever received, and I had seen him accept plenty. His short vacation would be a cocoa fueled extravaganza of comfort as he directed the setup of the refugee camp.
He disappeared out into the hallway with his severance packages under his arm, a merry step in his walk.
The High Commander shut the door and settled into a desk, her scroll projecting across the surface to display window upon window of paperwork. And she wasn't pawning it off to Bianca or Nova. It was definitely the inability to get bored which kept her going.
Then why did I so violently react to paperwork? Summer was nothing more than an infant compared to me yet she could handle it perfectly fine. When had my facade become an integral part of myself?
When did a facade stop being a facade and become real?
Memory upon memory swirled in my head, tinged with the emotions of Neo. Neo wasn't suppose to be real. She was a disguise, my longest lasting one, but a fake nonetheless. I had grown accustomed to her, donning her fabricated profile as my own, molding it, growing into it.
Who was I?
Flashbacks struck me. Locked memories clashed with my present ones, triggering a massive recall.
No one.
I was no one.
A hand sent goosebumps running up my arm before grabbing my wrist and pulling me down to sit on the bed. The lump on the bed had closed her laptop halfway, abandoning her task for the while.
Identity crisis?
Get out of my head. I scowled at her infuriatingly kind smile.
Summer struggles with it too. She wonders who she is as memories bleed it from her time before her imprisonment.
My problem isn't a lack of identity; it's the creation of one. Kara didn't respond, only extending the blanket she was wrapped to cover me. If I can't remember who I once was, and neither can Ozpin, then who am I really?
The first approach we tried with Summer was the recreation of her identity before she had it stripped from her, but none of us could fill in the exact details of her personality. The small quirks, the eating habits, thoughts process, etc. So instead of creating a person, we guided Summer with our morals, teaching her what was right and wrong based on our life experiences. She still misses some obvious points, but she's much better than the shell she once was.
She's basically a combination of the three of you then? Kara copied one of my weird head nods and shakes, settling for a mix of the two.
It wasn't easy. We had your counterpart for reference but there wasn't much to go on since you had long ago passed the phase of a lack of identity and moved on to choosing which one. Summer had nothing except for us.
You built her a new profile, letting Summer fill in the details instead of giving her a preset, guiding her to parts of her old self from which she could extrapolate her own decisions.
And a High Commander was born. A perfect machine for leading the Hunters. Summer was crafted as a paragon; the epitome of leadership. So tell me. Who is Neo On?
I am no one.
No. No one is who you and Summer truly are, but Neo On is a personality. She loves ice cream, playing with her illusions, and causing havoc. Summer Rose and Neo On are primary identities. They are echoes of your past selves, emulations as you put it. They are and aren't who you are, if that makes any sense.
You're saying Neo On is an echo of my true self.
Yes. We couldn't get rid of Summer's love for strawberries or her family, just as time can't get rid of you.
And you know this to be true?
No. Her smile turned mischievous. But it's what I've observed from my time with Summer.
Hmm. I gave no further questions and sank into my mind, my body enjoying the warmth provided by another, snuggling up to her as she returned to work on her code. Kara had brought a point I hadn't considered since my transformation. Summer and I did emulate, we remembered and didn't feel, but it didn't dilute who we once were.
Kara's view on me meant Neo On existed before her official creation and running through my previous disguises, there were similarities. There was always ice cream and there was always Ozpin. They were the constants in the facades we wore.
I had at least one answer to who I was. Another was the quasi-friendship I had with Ozpin. He always seemed to manage to find me, no matter which disguise I had on when he did.
I was whoever I decided to be. I had control over me, and only I had it. Who I helped and who I screwed over was up to me. Summer was on the list of people I helped irrevocably, which included her team. Ozpin sat firmly on the fuck with list, and Salem sat on the screw over list.
Over thinking always lead me to these moments of self doubts.
My bed companion twitched irritably as she smashed the backspace key and deleted an entire section.
Can I help? I didn't have much experience with programming but Roman had spent long hours in similar positions and draining enormous amounts of coffee. Shame he was gone, but he did use me as a rubber duck for his problems.
Maybe. Because I can't underestimate the complexity of the defenses of the SDC, I can't focus on a specific target and have to make a broad spectrum attack, which includes dictionary, brute force, and a rainbow table. I nodded my head along. Roman had explained this process to me many times. My only problem is the run time, as it could take several months to crack the passwords and you'll have a few hours.
Roman always added the generic passwords to the beginning of his dictionary attacks such as guest, password, admin, password without the o. You know, the ones no one expects a multi-million Lien corporation to use. You'd be surprised how often it worked.
I would love it if it worked but I can't just assume it will. What makes this entire process more annoying is that I don't have the proper structure to test the code against. I can only siphon so much from Beacon's server farms for my tests and I'm still getting hours of runtime in my test cases. You'll have a fraction of the processing power I have right now.
I can always torture the undersecretary for information. Kara quirked her lips.
Can't get rid of him and can't mark him. Discretion is key, which continues to complicate my problems as I need to search the security system for videos of you entering and wipe them selectively. I'm not going to have much free time for these next two weeks, but I swear if the password is stupidly generic, someone will die.
I could help her and perform my own reconnaissance in an attempt to both stave off my own boredom and help her. I could leave it as a surprise or I could notify Summer of my plans.
Which brought a nagging thought to the front of my mind. Summer's last name was Rose and I couldn't put it out of my mind. I had definitely heard the name before.
Why does the name Summer Rose sound familiar? Kara noticeably stopped her typing but the ligaments in the fingers tensed before relaxing.
Summer Rose was Ruby Rose's mother before she was captured and tortured by the White Fang for her hereditary secondary Semblance sometime fifteen years ago.
Oh.
That's why her name was familiar.
I was the one sent to capture her.
Thought I would try something different and decided doing a chapter from Neo's point of view would be entertaining. I've also stopped watching RWBY onwards from Volume 3. I know nothing about Volume 4 or 5 and had to search up Cinder's condition after the battle. Everything I've crafted so far is without their influence, but I'm constantly surprised when my roommate confirms some of my predictions.