Chapter 17
Author's Note: Hopefully the story is progressing to your liking; I'm really starting to get into writing this part of the story since I'm now setting everything up. Though I have most of the main plot planned out already, there are still a few things I know that I need to elaborate on in the future. Let me know if you think there is anything that I can do to improve the story. Love you guys and gals, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
"Ozpin, I told you that we need this information." Lionel stated firmly.
"Does it mean enough to you that you would endanger the lives of your students?" Ozpin asked monotonously.
"To be perfectly honest, I would risk anyone's life for the chance to stop the White Fang. But, it's not like I'm going to send them on a suicide mission…and I'll be there with them." Lionel explained.
"Why have you become so obsessed with the White Fang? Since I sent you to protect that cargo ship, a few weeks ago, you've been different. You've been more cautious and careful…and while that is commendable for a normal soldier, for you, it is out of character." Ozpin noted.
"Because the White Fang are messing with things…they know nothing about." Lionel said, the last part of the statement dropping to a depressing tone.
"That makes two of us. Why don't you tell me what is so important about the preservatives?" Ozpin asked.
"It's not the preservatives…it's what they're doing with them." Lionel asked before hearing the elevator open and turning his head to see Glynda.
"Good morning, Glynda." Ozpin said.
Glynda said nothing as she walked over to Ozpin's desk and slammed down a report from their intelligence agency.
"What is this?" Ozpin asked as he picked it up and read through the papers before handing them to the Knight-General.
"Well, at least they failed this attempt…" Lionel muttered.
"I've become considerably more interested given that the White Fang were apprehended attempting to obtain DNA samples from a Kraken." Ozpin said. "So this is what they are using the preservatives for? Why do they need a Kraken's DNA?" he asked.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that. Just help me stop them from getting what they need…they're messing with power that they can't control." Lionel said.
"And, to that end, you need my students for a mission in a few months? They've only been training with you for a few days now." Ozpin objected.
"I chose them because of their potential to learn quickly. Besides, this is not going to be some kind of all out Knights-only mission…this is a public bounty in which the location happens to line up with a place I need to go to obtain information. They could have easily requested this mission on their own." Lionel said.
"Which brings up questions regarding the opposite extreme. Why are you giving them normal missions if they're getting trained by you?" Ozpin asked.
"You're asking questions that I'm not allowed to answer. What do the preservatives do? Classified. Why do the White Fang need a Kraken's DNA? Classified. Why do I need Team RWBY for a mission? Classified. Are you satisfied with those answers?" Lionel said sarcastically.
"You're 'not allowed?' Who is stopping you, might I ask?" Glynda asked.
"Myself." Lionel stated. "This is something incredibly difficult to stop. They've set something in motion…and if word gets out, it will cause mass panic, again." Lionel said in a half panic, though it probably came off more as annoyance.
"Again?" Ozpin said raising an eyebrow.
"Damnit, Ozpin." Lionel said with a sigh. "Please, just continue to provide surveillance and intelligence. This is not something that you, or your allies, can hope to stand against." Lionel stated.
"And you need four children to accomplish this?" Ozpin said with disbelief.
"The younger you are, the more neuroplasticity you have. They have already learned to coordinate their skills with one another." Lionel said as he pulled down his face mask slightly, revealing a vertical cut on his cheek. "During our first training session, they had me sandwiched leaving me no room to run…so I jumped up. But I wasn't fast enough and Weiss' Myrtenaster got a quick cut in on me." He said.
"So that proves that they are ready for a war?" Glynda asked.
"In just over a month, they've learned how to read each other's moves to the point of operating like a machine. Though there is definitely improvements to be made, I haven't seen people capable of that in a LONG time." Lionel said. "When was the last time were able to injure the Knight-General? As I recall, your 'inner circle' was completely outmatched in every conceivable way. Trust me, they can handle this." He finished.
"You aren't seriously trying to argue that since we were beaten by your father, that we would do just as bad against you?" Glynda stated in astonishment.
"That's more-or-less correct." Lionel said with a straight face.
Glynda was enraged, "You impudent child! What you need–"
"The bottom line is that they are going to come with me on this mission. We are going to stop the White Fang from getting these DNA samples even if it means killing every Kraken in all of Remnant." Lionel stated.
"We won't allow this!" Glynda said.
Ozpin sighed. "Indeed…we will fight tooth and nail to keep them safe. But I suspect that our pleas will be overridden…" Ozpin said as he looked up at the Knight-General. They were both thinking the exact same thing.
"If it comes down to it…I will invoke the Rite of Impressment." Lionel said without hesitation.
"What?! But this isn't another Grimm War! The Knight-Remnant Act states that you can only conscript people in light of another Grimm War." Glynda argued.
"That is Article Four, Section One. In Article Four, Section Seven, it states that I am allowed to invoke the 'Rite of Impressment' if the Knights face a Grimm-related threat to the security of any nation. This Rite may only be used in the event that said nation would be unable to adequately defend itself for any reason. How well a nation is able to defend itself is left to the discretion of the Knights by majority rule." Lionel said monotonously.
"So you honestly believe this threat is great enough that Vale cannot defend itself?" Ozpin asked.
"This threat is great enough that the even Remnant cannot defend itself." Lionel countered.
Ozpin took another sip of his coffee and glanced to the Knight-General, "The Knights have historically looked down upon the Rite of Impressment. There have only been six recorded cases of there being a majority rule in favor if conscripting anyone to help the Knights. And you believe that they will agree to use children as–"
"Enough with the whole children thing, Ozpin…look me in the eyes and tell me that they aren't the Saviors of Remnant. You've seen their eyes…it's them." Lionel said.
"I suspected it, but part of me always believed that it was a myth." Ozpin said.
"Trust me, Ozpin…most of the legends that we hold dear are not as ridiculous as we may believe." Lionel said.
"They're the Saviors…?" Glynda asked.
"I believe so. They raised Remnant out of the ashes before…now they will raise her to a higher plane of peace and understanding." Lionel said.
"Do you have any other proof?" Ozpin asked.
Lionel sighed. "Not right now…I just see far too many similarities for them to not be the saviors. Think about how they act: Blake is the exemplar of justice and equality; Weiss demonstrates intelligence and mannerism; Yang exudes passion and determination; Ruby is the paragon of peace and kinship. They learned to fight together abnormally quickly…almost as though they've done it a thousand times before." Lionel remarked.
"Indeed. I just find it hard to believe is all…don't you think there is the possibility of the records being wrong? Maybe we are only seeing these traits because we want to…" Ozpin said trying to rationalize.
"That is certainly a possibility…but I'm not going to sit idly by and wonder if they the ones or not. I have seen evidence which compels me inexorably towards the affirmative conclusion." Lionel said as he stood up and pulled out his scroll and sat it on the table. He pressed a few buttons before many holograms began to light up. One by one, the holograms began to take the appearance of people…of Knights. He was calling, from the looks of it, every Knight in Remnant.
Lionel pressed a few buttons on his wrist-mounted computer, "I've sent you all any information regarding our current predicament. I have reason to believe that these four ladies are the reincarnation of the original Saviors of Remnant, and I request a vote to conscript them via the Rite of Impressment." He said causing a few murmurs as each of the 407 Knights read through the information they received.
"Has this information, regarding the White Fang, been vetted?" One asked.
"By intelligence agencies in Vale, Mistral, and Atlas, as well as our own." Lionel responded.
"You don't think they're too young to begin they're training?" Another asked.
"Weren't we younger?" Lionel asked.
The Knight raised an eyebrow, "True…but we're Knights, so–"
"Let's not pretend that we're born with any form of superior power…we all know where our strength comes from." Lionel said causing many glances around and whispering. "These ladies have been able to injure me on their first training session…while I was using my semblance." He said which made all of the Knights stop look toward the Knight-General who was revealing the scratch on his cheek.
"…w-while you were using your semblance?" one asked.
"Yes." Lionel affirmed causing eyes to grow wide with amazement. "I ask again, all in favor of conscripting Team RWBY to aid in our quest, please raise your hand." He ordered.
After a second or so of looking around, one by one, each of the Knights began raising their hands until not a single person opposed the directive. "Thank you, that will be all." Lionel said as he ended the call.
"I suppose that settles it…" Ozpin said. "Just keep them safe." He finished.
"I don't intend to interfere in their current life too much. I want them to enjoy their childhood, but I will make sure that they are prepared for the future." Lionel stated.
"To be clear, these girls will not become Knights at the conclusion of all this…correct?" Glynda asked.
"If they do turn out to be the Saviors of Remnant, I don't see any reason why the Order of Knight-Hunters won't make an exception to grant them Knighthood." Lionel said causing Glynda to give him an evil glare. "Regardless, it will not be a requirement. If they have the option to become Knights, it will be their choice to make." He finished as to calm the scathing woman.
"Very well. What is the mission that you will be taking them on?" Ozpin asked as he awoke his computer.
Lionel pulled out a small, ripped piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "Operation 01-3761-6884-A6. It will be in, hopefully, three months' time…though, that is subject to change." He stated.
"I have marked the mission as in progress." Ozpin said as he rose from his chair and extended his hand to the Knight-General. "I certainly wish that you would allow us to help you in your endeavor…but if this is something that must be done in secret, I wish you luck." He finished.
"Thank you. And I would ask that you not tell them the actual reason for their conscription, yet. For the time being, I will simply tell them that it offers more freedom for training missions." Lionel said as he shook Ozpin's hand before turning around and heading for the elevator.
"Please, just keep them safe. They deserve better than this…" Glynda said as Lionel entered the elevator.
"I know…and I will." Lionel said as the doors closed.
"Yang! Do you even know what the Pythagorean theorem is?" Weiss bellowed.
"Yeah, you need it for triangles." Yang responded.
"What is the equation for it?" Weiss asked with cockiness.
"Uhhhh…A plus B plus C?" Yang said in an inquisitive tone.
Ruby let out a chuckle while sitting on her bunk, from across the room. Blake had her head buried deep in her book, but even hearing something like that pulled her out of her fantasy world in order to send a smirk toward her teammate.
"Shut up, Ruby!" Yang said as she threw a pillow at her sister, which nailed her right in the face, knocking her on her back.
"Don't throw things, you brute! The Equation is A-squared plus B-squared equals C-squared." Weiss said.
"Why don't you guys have to do this?" Yang whined.
"It's called the learning standard…the Board of Education came to an agreement with the four Hunting Academies regarding baseline knowledge for admittance. Since this school doesn't teach any math, literature, science, or anything else of the sort, we have to prove that we know our general education." Blake explained.
"But, since you didn't pass your general education exam, you almost weren't allowed in; they only let you because of your skills. But you still have to take remedial classes and retake the exam at the end of the year." Ruby continued from where Blake left off.
"But I only failed the math portion…" Yang said.
"That's why standardized tests are stupid; they don't care about what area you're lacking in, so long as the overall score is a passing one." Blake responded.
"So stop whining and focus on the task at hand…before you get kicked out of the school." Weiss said before hearing a knock at the girls' door.
"Thank Remnant…" Yang muttered as she stood up and walked to the door.
"Hello~" Yang half sang as she opened the door revealing the Knight-General. "Hey, what's up?" Yang asked.
The Knight-General glanced at Yang, sighed, and looked back down the hall. "Seriously?" he said to Yang while still looking away.
Yang wondered what he meant for a moment before looking down at herself, remembering that she was without a bra and only wearing a tank top and panties. "Like what you see?" Yang said sarcastically.
"How old are you?" Lionel asked.
"Seventeen." Yang responded.
"Then, no, I don't like it." Lionel said jokingly. "Please close the door, make yourselves decent, and reopen the door…we need to talk." Lionel stated.
"Kay, one second." Yang said as she closed the door.
"She's going to get me arrested…" Lionel thought with amusement.
The door then reopened, "I'm sorry you had to see that cow in such a manner." Weiss said.
"At least I have some udders!" Yang said from the bathroom.
"Shut up, brute, or you can figure out the math on your own." Weiss retorted earning only silence from the bathroom.
"You may come in, sir." Weiss said as Lionel walked in, grabbed a chair from one of the desks, and sat down right as Yang emerged from the bathroom with a sports bra replacing her tank top and a pair of boy shorts. She walked over to Blake's bed and sat down next to her before Ruby jumped from her bunk to her teammate's.
"First, who knows what the Rite of Impressment is?" Lionel asked.
Without surprise, Ruby's hand shot up within just a second. "It allows you to draft people to help the Knights." She said.
"Aren't their parameters to do so, however?" Blake asked.
"Yes." Lionel said as he pointed to Ruby. "And yes." He said again, looking at Blake this time. "Put simply, I can conscript people if: there is a considerable Grimm Threat and the there is a majority vote within the Knights." He explained.
"So…?" Yang droned.
"I have conscripted Team RWBY." Lionel said causing the girls' eyes to widen and stare blankly at the Knight-General…all except for Ruby who was barely unable to contain her excitement.
"Thisissocoolwhenwillwestartwhatarewedoing?!" Ruby shouted.
"Calm down, Rubes. I kind of want to hear more…" Yang said as she tapped her sister on the shoulder and kindly pushed her back to the bed.
"Indeed. What Grimm threat are we facing?" Blake asked.
"Well, I'm kind of twisting that one for my own gain…well, your gain too." Lionel said as he crosses his legs. "You see, since the White Fang is harvesting Grimm DNA, I'm assuming they are going to be doing something malicious with it…because I highly doubt they're doing it in order to develop a Death Stalker anti-venom." He said.
"So why do this if the only threat is the White Fang?" Weiss asked.
"For one, they are a menace to society and need to be taken down. And it seems the Kingdom's of Remnant are still not taking them seriously. Two, both yourself and Blake have business to settle with the White Fang…correct?" Lionel asked, earning a nod from both girls. "Third, being conscripted gives you much more freedom during your missions and intel gathering as well as giving me more freedom to push you harder." He finished.
"So, this really is a way to help us improve our skills?" Blake asked.
"Yes. Don't think it will be all training, however. Some of the missions you will go on will have extra objectives and different directives. Which leads me into the second reason I'm here. I have scheduled for Team RWBY and myself to go on a mission in roughly three months. The main objective is straightforward enough: clear a Nevermore nest. However, there is also a potential White Fang outpost disguised as a cargo ship that passes through that area. We will be raiding the ship, as well, in order to hopefully learn why they need so much Grimm DNA." Lionel explained.
"Hell, yeah! We get to kick some real-bad-guy-ass!" Yang said.
"And this is already scheduled? Do you have a specific date?" Weiss asked.
"That's the thing, it is scheduled to pass back through on November 14th. However, since it is so far off, there is a possibility of the being ahead or behind schedule…so we'll have to play it by ear in terms of the specific day. I'll be keeping you updated as I learn new things about the mission." Lionel stated.
"Sounds good to me." Ruby said with a huge grin.
"I agree; getting some payback will be quite enjoyable." Weiss said.
"A cargo ship outpost…this might be outdated information, but trying searching for Romanov Synther. She was the Lieutenant in charge of handling the cargo and most major transactions." Blake stated.
"Thank you, I'll see if I can get a hit in our network." Lionel said as he typed the name into his scroll. "That was all I had to talk about…and Ozpin does already know about the conscription. You will still have to maintain your grades, however…I gave you more work, not so you can slack off, but because I believe you can handle it all." He said as he stood up and slid the chair back to the desk before walking back to the door.
"We'll be ready; don't you worry about it." Yang said with confidence as Lionel walked through the door.
"Thank you for this opportunity, we'll do our best to help stop the White Fang." Blake said as she closed the door.
Lionel smiled as he waved goodnight to the ladies as the door closed. "If I'm right, you'll do a lot more than help…" he thought as he began to make his way back to his house.