The Fall of Professor Arc
/
/
Disclaimer and Dedication:
Dedicated to Coeur. Thanks for the stories, and the countless ideas. You've only yourself to blame, you know!
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. 'Professor Arc' in particular is the brainchild of Coeur. If you haven't read it already... why are you here?
/
/
Jaune absence was a conspicuous one in the Teacher's Lounge that evening. After so many nights, so many months of commiseration, every teacher there missed his company. But they could also agree that his absence was for the best- a regretful but ultimately necessary sabbatical for the newest 'student' of Beacon until he once again returned. A separation that would keep the mystery and impenetrable barrier between teachers and students.
And hide the extensive drinking and combination to the staff minibar while we're at it.
They were all there- well, alright, only four of them were there, but they were the important four. Ozpin, Oobleck, and Port sat at a table, playing cards as Peter dealt and Ozpin was no doubt counting. A little ways away Glynda sat at the bar, alone and nursing a drink of her own as she listened.
"I regret to report that I was unable to contact our dear colleague's family," Oobleck was recounting. "Despite exercising all due diligence and then some, after attempting every point of contact we had on file, no Arc I managed to reach was familiar without our own Professor Arc."
"Odd, that," Peter considered even as he dealt again. "Didn't Jaune mention his sisters and mother were alive?"
"So he did, so he did," Oobleck said. "But when I called those numbers, no one knew of any relative at Beacon Academy."
"Perhaps they changed numbers since then?" Peter asked. "Or moved?"
"How could we find them then?" Oobleck. "We could have simply announced it over the airwaves during the tournament, but now that the Vytal Festival has been cancelled…"
That sparked a groan all of its own, and Ozpin didn't try to hide his dismay as he took another stiff drink. They all did. The incident was truly a mess all around. Even if any of them had any idea of where else to find five million lien worth of dust by the end of the week- even if they had five million lien on hand before, if, the insurance payments came through as Glynda would no doubt ensure they would- even if the Schnee Dust Corporation decided to do it all pro-bono and rushed as much dust as they possibly could as fast as they could-
It didn't change that the dust explosion that had thrown Professor Arc off of Amity Colosseum had been, well, inside Amity Colosseum.
The hole in the stadium seating alone was expected to take months to repair- complete system checks and repairs to the inner circuitry alone many more. Between that, the proven involvement of the White Fang in staging what was being called the worst terrorist attack that never happened, and everything else… even the Council had ultimately said 'fuck it' and cancelled. Whether or not people would have come, it was deemed too unsafe as well as impossible. And so Amity had left Vale, trundling off to Atlas with Ironwood's air fleet, and leaving Ozpin to deal with the mess being uncharitably blamed on his students and faculty.
Ozpin liked arranging for those persons to meet Glynda. Insurance agencies across Vale already feared her, and now too were many of the Council's petty bureaucrats. Maybe, when they wised up to that, he could send them to Taiyang Xiao Long. The man had his own views on the Professor who saved his daughter, and other views on those who blamed him.
But that still left Jaune himself, and his family. And for that, Professor Ozpin would…
"We'll do nothing at this time," Ozpin decided. "We will give him time to recover, or to adapt to his new life, before making this public in hopes of gaining their attention." Not because they were swamped with work at the moment, not because drawing attention to Jaune's role and condition might harm Beacon's reputation, not because Ozpin really didn't want to deal with angry parents.
Not entirely because of those reasons, at least. He really did want to give his counsellor time to adjust to life as a student- as the student he hadn't had the chance to be at Vacuo.
"Well, that settles that then!" Peter guffawed, willing to accept it and move on. "And how is our colleague settling in? Officially and, ahem, personally?"
"Mr. Arc's paperwork has cleared all levels of the bureaucracy," Glynda claimed from where she was nursing a drink at the bar, not bothering to turn around. "His enrollment in Beacon as a student is officially recognized, even as he draws his health insurance benefits for his… condition," she said formally.
Oobleck paused, unsure of how to broach his question. "And what, ahem, of the age restriction for enrolling for Beacon? Of being too old?" He asked. "The one that helped motivated his employment in the first place?" he said, looking briefly at Ozpin.
Glynda thinned her lips in a grimace, and did not speak, so Ozpin did.
"Mr. Arc's records have been… rectified," he said. Another reason he wasn't eager to find the correct Arc family… and another favor owed to Qrow in the meantime. "There is no limit on the age of instructors we hire to give them benefits, but to prevent any confusion or… misunderstandings... Mr. Arc is, in the eyes of the law, a sixteen year old minor as well as a student of our academy."
Glynda threw back her glass and drained the spirits within, before reaching over and refilling it anew.
"Onto lighter, better news," Ozpin transitioned, "Peter, what about that… other issue that arose?"
Peter laughed, loud and boisterous. "That little prank someone sent us claiming that Jaune's transcripts were forged from the start?" He asked, barely able to say it without laughing.
Ozpin let a lip curl. "Yes," he said. "That."
"Well, it was anonymous from the start," Peter said, "so the sender wasn't willing to reveal himself to us- likely because he believed he would be even less credible if he did so. That was his first mistake," Peter claimed.
"His second was timing- so soon after Jaune tragically loses his memory, and his ability to defend himself?" Peter shook his head. "An opportunistic attempt if there was ever one. If this wretched soul truly cared, he would have revealed before Amity, not afterwards. There's a motive here, as likely to be revenge as any other. And third…" the big man shrugged.
"Jaune's records before they were 'rectified' were just as they said. Either our anonymous source truly edited every official database in Vale to alter the age and birth date of one fraudulent student… or they simply looked at what was already there, and claimed credit. The perfect thief, for a crime never detected." He snorted, showing how likely he thought that to be.
"Your conclusion?" Ozpin asked, not the only one enjoying this amusing, almost comical, attempt at a diversion someone had sent their way. Even Glynda looked pleased, almost smug, as Peter ripped the case apart.
"Obvious slander by a nefarious criminal," Peter ruled. "Likely as revenge, even retaliation, for Jaune's role in foiling… whatever the White Fang had planned at Amity. A promising Huntsman- one who no less than three Huntsman and the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy herself have worked with and have full faith in- accused of impropriety the moment he can no longer defend himself?" Peter scoffed. "They must take us for fools- thinking we would cast aside such a promising lad so easily. That we would confuse a forgotten education for total incompetence."
"An obvious ploy," Ozpin agreed, smiling at the sheer amateurish gall of whoever had attempted it, "and not one we will fall for. Jaune was our colleague, once, and he will be again… but for now, he will be our student and become a fine Huntsman all the same."
"He'll have the education he couldn't get before," Glynda vowed, and none dared oppose her. None of them even wanted to.
"To Jaune," Ozpin toasted. "The best assistant teacher we could have asked for- and just as qualified as the rest of us."
"To Jaune," they all agreed.
/
/
Author Note:
It's funny because it's true.
As for people worrying about drama...
Drama? From me? In this story? Peshaw. Please.
That's next chapter.