Chapter 9

As Ruby and Weiss ran up the stairs, Weiss stated "Emergency Comms. Fourteenth floor. Should have used the elevator…"

"After what just happened? I don't think so," Ruby said, panting after each sentence.

"So…what exactly are you go to say to make them re-initialize Vergil?"

"I'll think off something."

As they walked to the door, Weiss sarcastically said "Hi! I'm cute! Break the law for me!"

"That's not funny!"

"I'm just saying…it worked for me."

This made Ruby blush, as Weiss pushed the door opened, seeing dozens of people talking over the phone. Weiss went up to a Communication Cop and asked "Where's the duty officer?"

"Big desk. At the back," he said, not looking from his screen.

"Thanks."

As they walked towards the desk, there was a woman on the phone, looking out the window, saying "As I've been trying to tell you Captain, I don't have the authority to override…What do you mean 'gross misconduct?' Captain Dare, I assure you. People are dying down here!"

"Excuse me," Ruby said, as she saw a name plate on the desk that said 'Duty Officer Glynda Goodwitch.'

Glynda ignored her. "Yes, of course I could turn the Superintendent back on. But Commissioner Torchwick gave me explicit instructions…"

As Glynda kept talking, Ruby said "You're busy, so I'm just going to borrow this stapler…" She picked it up and put it in the jacket.

"Listen, Captain, there's a Covenant carrier hovering right outside my window! There's a sniper in my lobby, and you're threatening to have me fired?!" She slammed the phone onto the desk, muttering "Office of Naval Intelligence. Now there's a contradiction in terms…" As she turned, Glynda finally noticed Ruby, and groaned. "What do you want?"

"I need you to turn Ver-the Superintendent back on," Ruby ordered.

"Not you, too! I'm telling all of you, the commissioner-"

"I know. But I'm making you do it! At gunpoint!" Ruby pointed the stapler at her from inside her jacket.

"What gun?"

"This one!" Ruby pointed the stapler at her from inside her jacket.

"You're holding my stapler inside your pocket and pointing it at me," Glynda simply said.

"You don't know that," Ruby said.

"It might be a gun," Weiss replied.

"Or a rifle!"

"Or a rocket launcher!"

"And if it was, why, you would have to turn the Superintendent back on."

"Nobody could blame you."

"Or fire you…"

"If it was a gun…" Glynda started to type on her computer, sarcastically saying "Oh, no…Please don't shoot. I'll do…anything!"

As she activated the Superintendent, there was a loud alien whistle, followed by multiple 'Sadie'

"It's OK, Vergil," Ruby said. "I'm here!"

"He sounds…different," Weiss said.

"Vergil? What have those aliens done to you?!"

Vergil loudly whistle, causing everyone in the building to panic.

"Ruby, what's going on," Weiss asked.

"I don't know," Ruby said, truthfully. "Those aliens have been working on Vergil, and now that he's back he sounds…"

"Different," Weiss finished.

"Vergil? It's still you, isn't it?" Vergil used a sound of a parking dog. Ruby smiled. "Can you get Mom for me?" Vergil gave a frighten whistle. "Vergil can't reach her! Something's wrong…"

The Propaganda gave another announcement. "Reports are coming in from all over the city! Covenant forces are pulling back in the face of furious resistance!"

"Man, I have had it with his crap," Weiss angrily exclaimed.

"Our enemies are cowards! Battle on, brave citizens, and victory will be ours!"

"Hang on…That's coming from inside the building!"

As Weiss started to walk away, Ruby ran after her, shouted "Weiss? Wait! Where are you going?"

The Propaganda continued. "This hour we pay tribute to our fallen heroes: Dove Bronzewing, Roberto Bustamante, and Cardin Winchester…"

Weiss walked up to the door of the Propaganda man. "This is his office. Public Service Announcements Division…" She opened the door to see a man talking into a microphone.

"These officers were gunned-down in the very lobby of this building by Covenant snipers. But moments ago, members of our citizens militia wiped-out the sniper nest with a homemade flamethrower! Made from nothing more than an old leaf-blower and a can of gasoline! Keep fighting, Mombasa! Fight and we will win!"

The man turned off the microphone, saying "Off the air…"

As he turned around, Weiss saw his nametag, which said 'Ozpin' and said "Covenant Sniper nest? Those people were massacred by a crazy ex-cop. Hell, one of those people was the crazy ex-cop!"

"And your point is," Ozpin asked, huffing a cigarette.

"People are dying out there and you're feeding them this…this garbage! None of it is true!"

"Yes, well…" he stubbed his cigarette. "Some days, truth isn't really a luxury we can afford."

Ruby went up to Weiss and said "Come on, Weiss…He's a propaganda officer. He's just doing his job."

"His job?! More like lying to people for a living," the ex-cop angrily said.

"Do you know who is still listening to my announcements," Ozpin asked. "An old wman, too weak to leave her bed, a man, bleeding in the street. A teacher, hiding with her students in a school basement. They are all going to die."

"Maybe, maybe not. The marines will be here soon."

"They are all going to die," Ozpin said loudly. "My job is to fill the time before they die with the truth…with hope." He then looked at Weiss and said "But maybe you can do better…" He exhaled his cigarette smoke, and turned on the microphone, saying "On the air…"

"A special honor, New Mombasa," Ozpin started. "I have here in the studio uprising commander, Raven 'Two Shot' Branwen . Commander, tell our listeners the latest new from the city center!" He brought the microphone to Weiss, saying "Commander? Go ahead. Speak the truth."

"Welll, things aren't as good as they could be," Weiss started. "But they're looking up. We're…we're fighting hard."

"Good to hear! Any words of advice, Two Shot?"

"Just…keep fighting. We can win this battle if we stick together. We can save the city. We can win this war."

Ozpin turned off the microphone, and said "Off the air…Now, you are also a hero."

"You are, you know," Ruby said, trying to cheer her up.

"I feel sick," Weiss stated.

"No. What you feel is hope," Ozpin said, as his control-console chirped. "Ah! See? You already have an admirer!" After hitting a switch, he said "Go ahead. You're on the line with Raven 'Two Shot' Branwen-"

"That was truly inspiring, Officer Schnee. Ruby must be very impressed."

Ruby flinched by the voice. "Torchwick," she said, startled.

"But I think she'll be more interested in this," Roman started. "Ruby. I now control the fire-fighting systems in your mother's lab. If you want to see her alive again…You'll do exactly as I say."