Chapter 1: Beacon's Custodians (Guardians)
3rd Person POV
Beacon Academy is located in the kingdom of vale and is one of the 4 prestigious institutions that train future hunters and huntresses to combat the darkness that threatens the people of Remnant. It was only just a week ago that Beacon had welcomed its 1st years and now they are currently inside their classroom so it can be said that the halls would be empty but there are 4 people currently walking said halls. The 4 boys can be mistaken for students due to their age, but they are not wearing the school uniforms and they are headed for the clock tower which also serves as the headmaster's office. The silence is disrupted by the voice of the blond haired boy
"I keep telling you Adam that we should at least hear about the headmaster's offer; you never know it will help with our situation in the Sanctuary"
"And I keep telling you we can still operate the Sanctuary even if we don't accept his offer, I can't trust that type of guy" replied the red haired bull faunus named Adam
"We still have the income in my guarding duty and your books and "literature", Ren's stall and Minato's part-time at the cafe" he further supplies.
"I think we should hear out the headmaster Adam" said the black with a pink strip haired boy known as Ren
As the 3 continue to argue the last boy Minato, a blue haired boy, continues to listen to his headphones as they arrive at the headmasters office.
Ozpin's POV
As I was drinking my coffee, a new blend I have discovered in a certain café, a knock was heard from my door. Curious who it was I asked the person to enter. As they enter I am reminded that today is the day I hear what they say about my offer for the four young boys.
"Ahh… Butterfly, Bull, Tactician, and Lotus. Good day, can I assume that your presence here is an acceptance to my offer" I asked the four boys
"Can I ask you call us with our own name, being called with names of fictional characters leave a bad image for us headmaster" said Mr. Arisato as he rests his headphone around his neck
"My apologies Mr. Arisato, it's just characters of JMAR's book remind me of you 4"
"Cut the pleasantries Ozpin and tell us why you want us here" growled or what I think is a growl from Mr. Taurus
"Mr. Taurus please relax…have a seat. Would any of you like anything to drink water, tea, coffee, I myself just discovered a very good blend of coffee at Vale yesterday" I said
After my part the boys sat on the chair opposite to my desk. Mr. Lie and Mr. Arisato asked tea, Mr. Arc asked for coffee and Mr. Taurus said nothing. I walk to the dispenser and grab their drinks and gave it to them then I sat on my chair and sip my mug.
"Hey these taste likes Minato's coffee" I hear Mr. Arc murmur
"Hmm… interesting another incentive to convince them to accept my offer" I thought
"So what can we help Headmaster" asked Mr. Arc
"Haven't I already told you Mr. Arc about my offer, enter my academy and I will help you with Sanctuary"
"That's just it what do you mean about enter your academy" Mr. Lie expounds their concern
"Ahh… it's pretty simple… I'm asking you 4 to become students here at Beacon…luckily today's only the 1st week for the 1st years and you are already comprised of the required number of members to form a team so.." as was talking Mr. Taurus interrupts me with his own laughter
"What seems to the problem Mr. Taurus" I asked with a raised eyebrow
"Sorry "headmaster"… it's just we don't want to become students" Mr. Taurus answer surprises me because from what I heard from Ms. Valkyrie and Ms. Fon that these 4 are in financial need
"We apologize for Adam's behavior sir, but we did not apply for beacon because of financial problems, but because we don't want to be students" supplies Mr. Arc
"Ahh I see…is there no way for you to accept to be students here?" I asked
"We are sorry headmaster, but we are the caretakers of Sanctuary so we cannot stop what we are doing right now, you know how some people see what Sanctuary does and they don't accept the things we do in Sanctuary" replied Mr. Arisato
What he says is correct, some people disapproves what Sanctuary represents and not just ordinary citizen, but some people in position of power. Sometimes I think why those fools question how the White Fang turned out, when they can't even accept places like Sanctuary what they do is very beneficial and what should be expected of those people.
"Also we really don't need to go to school we have understanding up to secondary school level and not to boast sir but we 4 can go toe-to-toe with some of your faculty" adds Mr. Lie
"Is that so…" "Hmm…if they can't be persuaded to join as students what can persuade them.. what they say is true they may not know these but I have already observed what they can do their skill level is already within beacon graduate levels and with their teamwork. These 4 can help me in the coming conflict especially with what Qrow said " as I was thinking I remember something that catches my attention "I understand your stand gentlemen, but if being students does not suit your skills, how about other alternatives, like maybe becoming staff members." I said while a sip from my mug "Ahh…these blend really is very nice"
"We appreciate the offer, but do you really want us to teach your student?" asks Mr. Lie
"Not to question your judgment headmaster, but even if you hire us to teach them do you really think that they will even respect us and listen to what we are teaching" Mr. Arc supplies sarcastically
"Especially if they learn they will be taught by one "animal" " supplies Mr. Taurus
I wait for a fourth voice, but I only raise my brows as I see Mr. Arisato just stares at me with a stoic gaze, and believe me that gaze unnerves me a bit " Is these how Ms. Rose felt when we meet at the police office" I wonder
"*Cough* I believe we have another misunderstanding gentleman, when I said staff I did not mean the faculty, what I mean are…" before I finish my sentence I was interrupted by Mr. Arisato
"You want to hire us as custodians"
"Precisely, I know it might seem out of place, but even for academies as prestigious as Beacon we still experience mishaps in the school grounds. Well what can you do even if you say they will become future hunters and huntress, they are as of now still children."
"So will you 4 accept my offer to be "caretakers" of the school and I believe you will so an outstanding job for it, just see Sanctuary for example. And don't worry the pay will be about 200 Lien (20 USD) a day with health benefits and you have 2 day-off every week." I further supply some of the contract details.
"What do you really want Ozpin?" asks Mr. Arc as he all but growls at the question
After Mr. Arc voices his concern the atmosphere plummets at a very fast rate and it is not because of the sudden change in how he address me, but something else as I was about to open my mouth to ask him what is wrong I hear Mr. Arisato's statement
"Please headmaster even if we are young we are not naïve, don't you think you're the 1st person who offered to "hire" our service. Now tell us what you are hiding from us because if what you say does not satisfy us, well it's all up to you"
With Mr. Arisato's declaration the tension further increases and I can see the subtle alertness of the 4 "I see now how they were able to protect Sanctuary with just them… if what I see is right Mr. Arc and Mr. Arisato are the negotiator and Mr. Lie and Mr. Taurus are the added back-up. Really these 4 are full of surprises and if what I have seen are true, well they will be very good addition to our defense against what is to come, but 1st let's stop where this conversation is headed."
"Please relax gentlemen I apologize if what I have said might have offended you 4, but I believe what I want is not the same as what you perceive what I want. 1st what I have said about hiring custodians is true, but not of great of importance. The real reason is that I need added security for the students that will not alert those who wish do harm upon them."
From my statement the atmosphere lessens, but still wary and prompts me to continue.
"I have reason to believe someone is threatening to destroy the peace that the 4 kingdom has desperately tried to maintain" from my statement I hear Mr. Taurus scoffs from what I have said, but I don't pay it any heed and continue my speech "As of now we do not know the identity of our enemy or how powerful she and her group is we only refer to her as "The Queen" "
"And how do you know that they want to destroy the 4 kingdom?" asks Mr. Arc
"I have some evidences, but I cannot disclose it as I still don't know where you 4 stand, but to persuade you to join our cause I would like you to see the 1st year initiation" as I say that I show them the footage of the initiation last week especially the clip of Team RWBY and JNPR.
Jaune's POV
When I have met the Headmaster of Beacon 3 days ago offering to help Sanctuary I hurriedly told my 3 brothers in all but blood. Their reaction can be said as positive even with Adams scoffs, so I contacted Mr. Ozpin that we would like to discuss about his offer 3 days from now which happens to be today. The trip was alright for a guy with motion sickness, which translates to vomiting once thank God Minato knows that rejuvenating spell of his, any way after the trip we arrived at Beacon and let me tell you the architectural design was breathtaking and we headed for the clock tower the headmaster's office. We traded the usual banter when we went to these types of meeting me convincing to the still grumpy Adam that we should hear the offer with Ren's positive side remark and Minato listening to his ever beloved headphones.
When we arrive at the headmaster office and knocks he calls for us to enter and greets us by calling us with that accursed nickname, how he knew that the characters of that book I wrote represents us is beyond me. Minato dissuades Mr. Ozpin from calling us with it accompanied by his usual deadpan expression, but to us 3 we know that he is also irritated by that nickname, because really Butterfly who was the moron who made that as that characters name, "O yeah it was me…hehehe sorry Minato" Any way the headmaster offered us drinks and I took coffee which taste like Minato's personal blend till this day no one has ever made the same coffee as this.
After pleasantries the meeting will now start and I have to be especially attentive, because as one of our negotiator it's my job to deconstruct the offer and think how it will affect us both positively and negatively. When he explained what the offer was I though "WHAT THE HELL! He wants us to attend school as students that's it and here I thought he was offering us a job" when we voiced are rejection he becomes silent for a moment and then changes the offer to become teachers and I may have voiced some of my thought, because really first he wants us as students then when we rejected it he raises the hurdle and wants us to become teachers. He clarifies that we would not join his faculty but be custodians, when I have heard these I was about to voice my objection he then list our incentive and when I heard these that's when I want to go ballistic.
These guy wants us here, that is the only conclusion when he said all those too good to be true payoff and for what, us becoming janitors "What Ozpin is playing at will not work, because sadly for him he was not the 1st to do these kind of things and here I thought the "Great Emerald Wizard" can be counted on to be moral." It was not only me who notices his agenda, but also my brothers. We know where the path of the conversation is headed and sadly for him we will have to reject it however forcefully as we have to and go our merry way.
And yet I stand corrected it seems the headmaster also perceived what we thought the conversation was headed and told us the truth even if it was not the whole and we now know that he wants the betterment of the people in his mind. He then makes us watch the 1st year initiation; because he thinks that it will hint us about his perceived threat and boy did we have the surprise of a lifetime.
The clip finishes and the 4 of us just stares and the screen all of us thinking the same thing "Did that even count as a 1st year initiation or a suicide mission, because really 8 student not even 1st year had to face not just 1, but 2 Elder Grimm a fucking Deathstalker and Nevermore that just unbelievable and the worst part is we know those 8, but for me the most shocking is the return of my memory." As we composed ourselves, but from Ozpin's expression he saw through all of us and we look at each other and nodded then Minato spoke.
Minato's POV
From that shocking revelation we agreed to further hear out Ozpin, because Elder Grimm does not awaken only when a large amount of negative energy is present and that was not just 1 but 2 then his caution is not unwarranted. We looked at each other and nodded we have reached a consensus we will hear the headmaster out and I have voiced our decision.
"I believed we owe you an apology headmaster, and we want to hear more about your offer"
"No harm done gentlemen and I am glad that discussion will continue, but I think the only thing left is for you to decide to accept or decline my offer" from his tone I can infer that he already knows our answer, but I won't decide until I hear the full story and so I asked.
"Before we decide we would to know what our duties are and please no more unrelated information we want what is really expected of us" I said my voice firm with no room for negotiation and I think the headmaster can see the resolve in our eyes.
"Alright… what I want from you 4 to become my ace in the whole. As you may have seen the presence of 2 Elder Grimm during a 1st year initiation is very alarming, because as you may know Elder Grimm are always in a form of hibernation and must need a great amount of negative energy for them to awaken, luckily the one awakened was only in their earlier stage and was not really a full Elder Grimm. But I digress what want to point out is I want you 4 to be guardians of Beacon, you 4 will be the unknown factor, the wildcard on these threat that I know will come. With you 4 working as custodians you will not attract the attention of the enemy and when the time comes I want you as additional forces for my group. "
"And what group is this?" Jaune asks the question we all have in our mind.
"Quite simple Mr. Arc my group wants to protect the people from the darkness that threatens them and I want you 4 to join this group."
We look at each other and with another nod I finalize our decision
"Ok headmaster we accept your offer, but…" I start and an oppressing aura envelops the whole office and let the other finish starting with Jaune, then Ren and then Adam
"If we discover that what you have told us is not in line with what we have heard…"
"Then you better watch out because…"
"You will know how deadly the monsters you have unleashed is!"
"We the 4 brothers accept your offer" we all add and the aura disappears and from Ozpin's broad smile that he has gained a very powerful piece in these wicked game of chess.
"Now that is all of the way how about we discuss the pay and help that will be provided at Sanctuary" adds Ren
"Ahh yes the pay will be the same as I have said before and for the help on Sanctuary I will delegate one 2 members of the group. I would like to ask you to guide those 2 to Sanctuary and let them stay there as a long as you 4 are here, don't worry those will readily accept the offer, because they have always wanted to visit Sanctuary since the day it was created 5 years ago. Also when not in your guardian duty I would ask you to perform your custodian duty, because technically I am hiring you 4 as custodians."
"So when will we start?" Asked Adam
"3 days from now on if possible"
We all nodded and said our goodbyes. As we walk about the hall way to go back to Sanctuary we so many questions to ask, but that is for another time now we just need to head back home and the 4 of us have only one thing in mind right now that is also shown by our smirks "This will be an interesting year". This day will be known as the day "The Tales of the 4 Brothers" will be born.