Author's Note: Another chapter? So soon? Looks like it! Much like my Painting the Town chapter, this is mostly a filler to get myself prepared for what's to come. With Dance Dance Infiltration now behind me, I'm reaching what has to be the final third of Reflection where I'm drawing closer to the finale. After this chapter, I believe I have four more to go. And man, if you thought I went crazy during the dance….hahahahaha…you have no idea what I have planned for Breach.
As you can guess, this chapter is for Field Trip with a little bit of Search and Destroy added at the end. With this done, I'm going to be blasting through Search and Destroy and Mountain Glenn all in one go in order to head right to No Brakes where the main event will begin.
Not much else to say here. There's more to follow, particularly my thoughts on this episode at the end, but for now, enjoy!
"Ozpin."
Shaded spectacles met the met the speaker with a cordial welcoming. "James. An enjoyable night, isn't it?"
"Yes, very," James agreed though the response was made off-handedly, empty of any real positive feedback.
If Beacon's headmaster picked up on it, he gave it no special attention, his tone remaining pleasant. "I see that Glynda isn't with you. Finished with your dance?"
"Among other things," James replied. "I was wondering if we could use this chance to talk more about business."
"Of course." It was delivered smoothly, Ozpin nonchalantly gesturing towards the door of the ballroom. "Perhaps outside would be better."
James didn't object to the maneuvering, letting himself be led to the position that would keep what they had to say strictly between them. Though the night air would usually be considered cool to Vale residents, it was still too warm from those hailing from Atlas, the frozen temperatures of Mantle leaving many of his students and men unused to this weather. James held out with his implacable bearing though it helped that certain parts of him were incapable of experiencing the climate.
"I wanted to speak with you about the distribution of my soldiers," James started as soon as Ozpin joined him, immediately bypassing any of the delaying tactics that would've been used.
"I assumed as much." Ozpin matched the stance that the general took up with spine straight and hands clasped behind his back, something that James appreciated to show that he was prepared to listen. "You find the current arrangement dissatisfactory?"
"I find it ineffective." The current arrangement being the various presentations and deployments of the 200-series of the Atlesian Knights that were occurring throughout Vale. Cloaked as an innocent campaigning action, it let a full platoon of soldiers mix themselves within the city. However, a platoon was nowhere near enough to cover the miles upon miles of cityscape that their enemies could be hiding in, their members concealed within the millions of civilians that made the kingdom their home.
A platoon was only a fraction of the strength that Ironwood had waiting on standby but could be better used elsewhere. "Oz, as the most suitable military advisor on hand, I suggest that you reconsider my proposal for the sake of security."
He gave credit for Ozpin having the courtesy to not react in a disparaging manner but there was the recession of his shoulders that broadcasted the headmaster's opinion about the attempt. "If this was a military matter, believe me when I say that I would give your opinion my highest regard. But this isn't a military matter."
"Then consider it strictly as a security matter," James tried again, suppressing his irritation at the passiveness that his friend continued to view the situation with. "I have hundreds of personnel on hand, all of which I would gladly deploy under your supervision. Together with the combat androids, this makes this near a thousand. Use them. It is why I brought them."
"A thousand soldiers and androids on Vale's streets. That is the kind of show of power that I said I wanted to avoid, James."
"Last week should more than justify their use. They are out there, Oz, and we have no idea just how close they are. We need every available resource on hand and in use if it means preventing any more chaos."
"What you're proposing could induce the fear that will lead to the same, General."
James had been expecting resistance, but even he was put off by the staunch refusal. His men, his ships, and his resources were the culmination of the work and measures that he had undertaken in order to preserve the peace and stamp out any chance for a renewal the conflict that they managed to ascend from. Coming to Vale where the traces of this conspiracy threatened to spread, he had done so with the notion to prove that all that he accomplished had been worth it.
He hadn't expected the one man who he wanted to demonstrate that to the most to hinder him.
"The events of last week in mind," Ozpin said, "we still have no inkling of where to properly direct our strengths. To use them so imprudently, that strength can turn against us and become an advantage to our enemies."
"Not if we don't give them the room to operate," James argued.
"In exchange of restricting the lifestyle of our own in the process?" Ozpin shook his head. "That goes against what this celebration and the peace of freedom that we worked so hard to create and maintain."
James couldn't stop the snide remark. "So shall we just wait for those to go on their merry way and utterly destroy it themselves?"
Ozpin exhibited open disapproval. Indicating the interior of the ballroom, he said, "We should relish in what we have while we still can. If conflict is to occur despite our best efforts, it is the memories born of moments such as these that we will carry and allow us to conduct ourselves appropriately, so that we may not lose ourselves to the disorder."
"Relish them if you wish, but I'd rather make sure that our people do so without the interference of war." Stepping away from Ozpin, James descended the stairs to leave the celebration behind him and put the distant CCT in front. "Excuse me, but I believe I have a report to make."
The next tower that Ruby found herself underneath the shadow of was that of Beacon Tower, the light of the morning sun hidden behind the clock face rather than the moon. No suspicious characters cloaked in the night prowling around, but it did little to comfort her as she entered through the front. No enemies or combat ready to be had either, or having past it and leaving her to witness the aftermath; just the empty lobby.
There were, however, elevators ready to take her up and seeing them did make her anxious.
Last night had been rather hectic, not only with the assault made by the intruder but the hour after that. After the woman in black's disappearance from the CCT, a search had been conducted with Ruby having seen the squads of soldiers that patrolled throughout Beacon, looking for any signs of the intruder. She was probably the only student who had known what was going on as everyone else had been enjoying the dance and continued to do so, oblivious to how their school had been infiltrated.
As for what she had done during the aftermath, she had been detained to the communications room of the CCT where Ironwood had found her. Her innocence she managed to establish, but the general had kept her in place – a 'precaution' he had said, and with her having been the only one to fight the intruder and still be conscious, she was the only witness that he could question. Something which he had done extensively, firing off question after question between the reports of the search parties, wanting to know each and every detail with Ruby struggling to keep up.
She had been relieved when Ozpin arrived, having been notified of the incident and having traveled to the crime scene. Once he saw Ruby, he had intervened in the questioning, turning Ironwood to monitoring the movements of the security personnel while the headmaster remained at Ruby's side, something which the young Huntress was grateful for. She was even more so when he suggested that she be allowed to return to her dorm, citing that resting and recovering from the excitement would do better for her recall.
She hadn't realized how much she needed it until she left the CCT and everything hit her all at once. Stumbling upon the defeated guards, investigating the area with the threat looming over her of the culprit still being around, somewhere, and being proven right with the discovery and the fight soon after. Then just sitting in a chair, worried and fidgeting, while Ironwood asked his questions and she listened to the progress of the soldiers. There had been no results reported when she left.
First thing this morning, she received a summons to report to Ozpin's office for that follow-up that had been promised.
Although she was nervous, it wasn't solely the debrief that made her so. She had used the time well, sorting out what happened last night. What was bothering her was that if last night was the only thing she should tell them about.
The elevator came much too fast for her liking and she chose to make up for it by standing inside it once she entered for a few moments, staring at the button that would send her up to Ozpin's office. Should I tell them about what we found?
The question repeatedly came to her last night, coupled with if the intruder had anything to do with what was going on with Torchwick and the White Fang. Initially, Ruby thought it was just the timing that made her suspect that but there was something else that was bothering her: the intruder herself.
Her clothes lit up, she recalled with that image of the yellow-orange glow. And she deflected my bullets just like that other woman who had been with Torchwick.
The Dust robbery seemed like forever ago but she would always remember it as the turning point in her life that landed her here. With recent actions against Torchwick, she had lately thought back to it with him as the focus with their first meeting being the omen of their future battles. She may not have forgotten about his companion, but that person had been drifting more into obscurity…until now.
Ruby never got a good look at her face, but that power she wielded that let her contend with a veteran Huntress like Goodwitch she would never forget, especially with her having been at ground zero for some of those fire-based spells that had been casted. That sensation of narrowly avoiding such destructive capabilities both when she dodged those arrows and when Goodwitch had thrown her out of the way of a Dust-fueled eruption were very memorable. Not to mention having the attention of those flaming eyes.
Ruby finally reached up and pressed the button for Ozpin's floor. I promised Weiss.
She told Weiss that if things became too dangerous – as in, dangerous enough for a team of first-years -, she would tell their professors and let them handle it. She hadn't said that just to convince her; she had meant it. Yet she hadn't thought it necessary so far. They had been doing well working as a team and their engagements so far had gone successfully.
But then there's this whole thing in the southeast. Ruby began rocking on her heels as the elevator went up, floors passing by in that same too-fast manner as when the elevator arrived. And now something happened right in the middle of Beacon.
Not too dangerous yet, but growing unsettling enough for Ruby to wonder if this was all something that she and her team could handle by themselves. Should she tell Ozpin while talking about last night? Did she have to tell him everything? Maybe just mention the southeast. But he would probably want to know how she found out and if he asked she wasn't sure what she would tell him.
The elevator kept going up, the window that Ruby had time to think shrinking with the ticking of the floors.
I'm not ready yet! Panicking, Ruby slammed her hands against the panel, hitting all the buttons, and sighed with relief when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, they closed, the elevator went up another floor, and the doors opened again.
Phew. The cloaked girl rested her back against the elevator. Everything's okay.
The doors closed, it went up another floor, they opened, waited, and closed again. After five more repeats of this, Ruby stared at the lit buttons that she hit, each one a floor of this very very tall tower.
…I regret this decision.
"They were here." James swung around and slammed his fist upon the desk and repeated, "Ozpin, they were here!"
"We are very much aware of that!" Glynda snapped, her patience already worn thin and now breaking with this latest outburst. "Thank you, James."
The general threw up his hands. "Fantastic! You're aware." He looked between her and Ozpin, the latter of whom was seated at his desk with fingers against his head as if dealing with a migraine, something Glynda could believe. "Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?"
This was the same tirade that he had gone on last night and what had taken up most of this morning while they waited for Ruby. So far, it had done little and Glynda had to prevent the grinding of her teeth as she faced him, the two standing at odds in front of the headmaster's desk.
Empty bluster, she silently insulted, wondering just what James thought they should do when they had no idea how to proceed. No target; just one big mess.
There came an interruption before either could go on, that being the beeping at Ozpin's desk, a notification winking on. It brought life back to the headmaster who raised his head to the hologram and stood up to face the elevator. "Come in."
It opened a moment later and Glynda's anger was slightly dulled when the small form of Ruby Rose entered, the girl smiling nervously at the three adults. "Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." A pause. "It wasn't me."
"Thank you for coming, Ruby," Ozpin greeted, his stance rigid with hands clasped in front of him but words benign. "How are you feeling?"
Ruby had been drifting closer, hands wrung together, and Glynda couldn't help but feel sympathy for her student. She had arrived at the CCT late but she had caught the young Rose departing from it, the fifteen-year-old looking just as tense and very out of place in her red dance dress amongst the fully-armored Atlas soldiers that hustled about. Glynda distinctly remembered describing the sight as sad.
Ozpin's greeting did seem to get her to relax, if only just. "Okay, I guess." Trying to put more into her smile, she said, "I'd feel better if my bad guy catching record wasn't oh for three."
Silence was her reward, the three of them unamused.
Ruby rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, her smile disappearing. "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for. Got it."
James approached and placed his ungloved hand on her shoulder. "Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could."
Ruby appeared surprised at the compliment but accepted it with a timid, "Thank you, sir."
Glynda glanced at Ozpin with a critical frown. He met her gaze and she caught the covert movement of his fingers that called for peace. Grudgingly, Glynda complied. The general may've thought that Ruby performed well but, other than wishing that she hadn't been the one to be there, Glynda saw her student's performance as reckless. As soon as Ruby knew something was wrong, she should've called and waited for an experienced Hunter rather than take the intruder on herself.
"Now," Ozpin spoke up, attracting everyone's attention, "the general here has already informed us of the events that…transpired last night. But now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add."
"Was anyone with her?" Glynda asked. "Did she look familiar to you at all?"
"I…" Ruby's eyes wandered, lips pursed as she tried to remember only to slowly shake her head. "I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass!" Her brow furrowed in thought. "I don't think that was her Semblance though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked."
Glynda tapped her crop against her palm. "Save for the glass…that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby."
"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique," James countered. "It could've been anyone."
Or it could've been the same person, Glynda silently rebuked with the displeasure that she leveled at James. Ancient technique or not, putting Dust into clothing required someone who was skilled in its application. For someone who showed such mastery over Nature's Wrath as the woman at the Dust shop did, it would be easy to extend that skill to Dustweaving. Glynda had failed to see another like that since then.
"Wait," Ruby called out, bringing them back to her. "You think that girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?"
Ozpin stroked his chin in deliberation. "It's possible. But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together."
The next frown to be sent his way was by James. Glynda watched as Ozpin kept his composure against the open ridicule, the two men staring each other down.
Ruby was oblivious, looking hard at the floor, chewing on her lip. "Actually, I think I remember her saying something about a hideout or something. In the southeast, just outside the kingdom."
"Interesting," Ozpin murmured.
Glynda scrutinized Ruby. "I thought you said the intruder never-"
Ozpin interrupted her and she had been with the man long enough to know the tone that he was using. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."
"Anytime!" To Glynda, Ruby was a bit too quick in turning away from them and going for the elevator before the headmaster stopped her.
"And Miss Rose, please try and be discrete about this matter."
Ruby nodded meekly. "Yes, sir."
They waited until she was on her way down before Glynda and James rotated to Ozpin in unison. He ignored their knowing looks, staring at the closed doors of the elevator before taking a seat behind his desk.
"No comment?" Glynda asked.
He didn't comment, instead sending a question to James. "What's the status of your men that were injured last night?"
"Alive," James answered, knowing as much as Glynda to not pursue the line of inquiry that they both had in mind. "They'll pull through but none of them had been in any shape for extensive questioning."
Ozpin nodded. "What of the transmit tower? Have your technicians uncovered anything?"
"Too soon to tell but initial scans have come up inconclusive. I'd like to think that Miss Rose had managed to stop the intruder before they could perform any acts of sabotage but I wouldn't be a general if I relied on assumptions for something like that."
"Is it possible?" Glynda asked. "I didn't think something like the CCT would be that vulnerable for anyone to walk in and introduce something into the system."
"Normally, no," James replied, more troubled than annoyed at what could've been seen as an insult to Atlas's greatest creation. "Again, I'm no technician so you'd have to ask one of them, but I've been told it's impossible for any kind of remote interception of transmissions or infiltration of the network itself. If one wanted to sabotage or listen in on conversations, they'd have to do so directly whether it be bugging a specific terminal or introducing some kind of intrusion program. Even then, security protocols and regularly-scheduled system scans would make sure any such programs wouldn't last a week if it was ever introduced.
"The problem is that last night the CCT had been undergoing a massive system update. The towers of the other kingdoms will be given the same but Vale is the first to get it to coincide with the other changes such as the replacing of the 130s with the 200s. Unfortunately, the update required security AIs and many other systems to revert to a passive setting to provide smoother implementation. According to the technicians, if someone wanted they could, in theory, slice a program into the system; one that'll be much harder to locate and could remain undetected until its activation."
"The intruder knew when the network would be at its most vulnerable."
James nodded gravely. "They did."
"What of the Paladin that you recovered last week?" Ozpin asked.
"Ah, that." James's expression grew more serious. "We were on the scene and managed to recover all that we could of the wreckage while providing local police with a story to tell to the media."
Glynda held her tongue on that particular handling. As soon as the first broadcast had been made, Atlas had deployed an entire squad of soldiers with supporting ships from their fleet. They arrived with their usual extravagant entrance and all but kicked out the officers of the VPD that had located and cordoned off the wreckage of the battlesuit, leaving them with the threat that action would be taken against the department if they reported any of what they saw, deeming it as a breach of military secrets.
"I forwarded the ID number back to headquarters." James scowled. "It was one of ours."
"And you said you hadn't brought any of them with you."
"I authorized no such transfer of any nature. The prototypes and all first-line production models should still be in their assorted hangars and development facilities back in Atlas."
"All except one, apparently," Glynda noted.
"…If it was one." At her incredulity, James explained, "I ordered an investigation as soon as we identified the Paladin. I missed the latest report but what has been found so far is enough to leave me very concerned."
"Concerned as in there may be more out there?" Glynda exclaimed with disbelief. Couldn't the military keep anything locked up?
Face tight with severity, James broke away to step over and stare out through the clock window of the tower. "That's what the evidence points to. As to where they could be if that is the case, I believe Ruby gave us the answer."
"A hideout in the southeast," Ozpin repeated, his back to James.
"There we have it," the general spoke with purpose. "We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."
Typical, and Glynda found herself glowering at him, slashing her crop as she snapped. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di-!"
"Glynda!"
She turned to Ozpin and the hand he lifted to quiet her. "Well he does."
"She's right." His chair swiveled around so that he could speak directly to James. "As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we must not be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."
Glynda angled her head in silent agreement. For how long they've been investigating, this was the first positive lead they had in a long time. But it wasn't one they should pursue with the kind of speed and force that James was demanding. Since this whole thing started, they had done nothing but chase shadows, their enemies hiding behind proxies meant to divert their attention while they remained one step ahead of them. These last few incidents with the White Fang were no doubt another cover while they made their own quick and precise strikes, the attack on the CCT she was sure being one such example. To devote to such an attack, especially with their enemies as highly-placed as they were starting to realize, could turn disastrous.
The clenching of James's fists spoke otherwise as he rounded on Ozpin, his voice low. "I have served you faithfully for years. But if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses and wait-"
"It is not!" Ozpin interrupted, springing to his feet and stabbing a finger towards James. More diplomatically, he said, "You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?"
James considered the argument. "Fine. I'll gather a small team of my best troops-"
Ozpin shook his head. "While I do not doubt the quality of your men, the environment that they'll be heading to is not suited for them. Though I cannot claim to know the exact location of this hideout, I can form a guess and the area where I'm thinking has seen a large increase in Grimm activity. This is a job for Huntsmen and Huntresses."
James's biting back of a comment was nearly visible but, again, he deferred to the logic. "Hunters, then. I don't have any of my more experienced teams on hand but I can suggest one or two that I believe to be ready for such an endeavor."
"I already have a team in mind."
Glynda had a sneaking suspicion on just which team it was and it was clear that James did as well with how he stared over Ozpin's head and to the elevator. When he returned to Ozpin, it was with a judgment that he didn't hold back on. "Yes, I think I can make a guess on which that is."
The headmaster didn't back down, answering with a calm explanation. "It is the perfect opportunity with the perfect cover. With the first-year teams set to perform their first missions, no one would find it unusual for them to happen to select one that takes them to the southeast."
James said nothing but the tension in the office didn't decrease as the exact opposite occurred. Then, with reproach, he said, "I guess this answers my previous question about your children winning this war, but I didn't think you'd be so willing to send them out to start it."
That broke through Ozpin's patient demeanor. Behind his glasses, Glynda could see an emotion that caused the depths of brown irises to darken.
James proved to be unperturbed by it. "I don't question your decision to accept that girl into Beacon; she's clearly skilled and I get that. She's proving to be a very resourceful and talented student, but that's no excuse to put this kind of burden on her when we both know what this'll include no matter who her family is and what you feel like you owe to-"
"That is QUITE enough!"
Glynda's glasses had slipped to the tip of her nose at the shout but she didn't donate the smallest effort to push them back up. It had gotten through to James, the presence of the now stricken general dwarfed by the passionate aura that Ozpin gave off and what was at odds with his usual disposition.
"Think of what you will of me and my actions," the headmaster uttered dangerously. "However, do not question my intentions. I am a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it for as long as I maintain that position. Every decision that I make I do with that responsibility in mind which includes those involving my students who have chosen to one day uphold that same duty. Do I make myself clear?"
James couldn't say anything, rendered mute by the headmaster.
"Am. I. Clear?"
"Crystal." The general's face became a blank mask. Straightening, he folded his arms stiffly behind his back and nodded curtly. "I'll take my leave then."
Not saying anything more, he circled around Ozpin and crossed over to the elevator in a measured, military gait. Neither man looked back at the other during the entire time it took for the elevator to arrive. The last that Glynda saw of him was his back before the doors sealed him away from sight.
Despite his exit, neither she or Ozpin made a move with the latter still focused on where James had been standing. Eventually the older man did move, dropping and sitting slumped in his seat, fingers coming up to massage his temples. "Glynda, please send a message to Bartholomew. I need to speak with him."
"Of course." The retrieval of her scroll was automatic. Shifting her glasses back up, she tapped the screen only to stop and examine the bowed headmaster. Gently, with no measure of accusation, she asked, "So what happened to letting them remain as children?"
"It seems that that is a role they wish to shed sooner rather than later." Ozpin did not seem powerful anymore. Though his hand fell away, he continued sitting stooped. "They have chosen to trust us with this so we will do the same and, hopefully, we can take measures to ensure that they do not come to regret this."
Glynda returned to her scroll to carry out his request. It took one who made many mistakes to obtain the bitter knowledge of how to prevent them. Nevertheless, though she knew him to have made too many in his life, there were never any guarantees that would make any of what he had gone through worth it. In the end, she could only hope that what decisions he would make in the future would not add to what he had already given up.
"She's taking a while," Yang said worriedly, glancing at the hanging clock to see that an hour had passed since Ruby left for Ozpin's office. She and the rest of Team RWBY had done nothing but fret during her absence.
"She should be fine." While Weiss spoke more calmly, Yang was getting better at picking up on the concern that the fencer was attempting to conceal. "All they want to do is go over what happened last night with her."
The reminder of last night did little to make Yang feel better. None of them had known what had taken place, all of them completely ignorant. It was Weiss who eventually caught on to something being wrong and she came to Yang and Blake while they were dancing to ask if any of them had seen Ruby. After a fruitless search, they gave in to using their scrolls to discover her whereabouts which she answered with the news that she was at their dorm.
Ruby being Ruby, she had insisted that nothing was wrong and they should continue to enjoy their night. It was because of how they had come to know their leader so well that they made a beeline to their dorms, cornering and then convincing her to tell them what was wrong. None of them had been particularly thrilled to find out that while they had been having fun, she had been fighting a dangerous trespasser.
Yang switched to Blake, the faunus having been trying to read earlier but the closed book that she abandoned on her mattress hinted to how well that went. Ruby had been at the top of her worry list but once they made sure that she hadn't come to any harm, Blake had been next in line. Considering how she had finally put her worries aside to enjoy the night, only for the events of said night to occur, Yang feared a relapse.
Blake wasn't expressing any such thing and Yang was taken aback to find her girlfriend being the one to appear worried for her as she assured, "I'm sure she's okay."
About as soon as she said so, the door creaked open and it was still opening when they sped towards it, Yang being the first to shout, "What happened!?"
Ruby jerked back at suddenly being accosted by her three teammates. Sweeping over their urgent looks, she chuckled nervously. "Uh, well, um…heh. May I come in first?"
They granted her that, giving her the space to enter the sanctity of their dorm. Under the combined attention of her team, Ruby reported on what happened at Ozpin's office. First on how he, Goodwitch, and Ironwood had all asked questions which she answered truthfully…followed by telling them about something they didn't ask for: the hideout in the southeast.
"I thought it was the right thing to do," Ruby explained. "I did think about not saying anything but after what happened I figured it would be better if I told them at least that much."
Yang felt inclined to agree. Considering what they knew and what they suspected, it was probably better to at least inform their professors about the base in case they were biting off more than they could chew. Sure, it may prevent them from seeing the end of the investigation they started if they did take over, but if it meant insuring the wellness of the kingdom and its citizens, it would be a small price to pay. She certainly knew the risk of taking things too far.
Weiss didn't appear to be sharing the sentiment, arms crossed in disapproval. "That was a risky move."
Behind her, Blake was quietly mulling it over "No." She smiled supportively at her leader. "I think you handled it well."
Ruby had become subdued at Weiss's opinion but Blake's support did help a little as she mumbled, "I hope so."
Seeing her downcast had Yang reaching of to give her an affectionate squeeze at her shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be all right, Ruby." Trying to think of how she could get her sister to feel better, Yang abruptly remembered something that had been delivered to them. "Oh, I know what will cheer you up!"
"What's that?" Ruby asked, intrigued.
"I don't know yet." Moving to one of their desks, Yang retrieved an upright cardboard cylinder that had come through the mail and held it up for Ruby to see. "Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together."
The news of a package was more than enough, Ruby squealing as soon as she saw it. "Oooo! Something from home!" She immediately zipped across the room, latching onto Yang's back and waving her arms wildly towards it.
Laughing internally, Yang held it up, keeping it just out of Ruby's reach, and flipped it over. A heavy shake popped open one of the plastic caps at the ends with another getting something to fall out of it.
A black furry roll dropped to the floor with Yang thinking that their dad had sent some kind of small rug or blanket. That was until it started performing short bounces. Blake and Weiss were immediately fascinated, crowding around it with their partners to collectively examine the furry, jumping thing.
It was after a third bounce that it transformed, four short legs extending from the roll and breaking the all-black appearance with white. A stubby tail of the same color protruded from the rear. At the front, there came a pointy muzzle with a black, moist nose on a triangular head topped with erect ears tapered to rounded points; white on the inside, black on the out. Small, beady gray eyes looked up at the four who stood over it, the short tail wagging excitedly once it saw them.
It was a dog: a little black-and-white corgi that barely came up to their knees. It barked up at them twice.
The reactions were instantaneous, Weiss and Blake jumping back and screaming in shock. As for Yang and Ruby, theirs were of jubilation.
"ZWEI!" Squealing, Ruby bent down, scooping up the dog in her arms and rubbing her face against him, dissolving into delighted laughs and giggles when he began licking her face.
Yang could hardly believe that their family pet was here but she was leaning over to rub the top of his head adoringly. Off to the side, Blake and Weiss continued staring at the dog with disbelief.
"He sent a dog!?" Blake cried.
"In the mail!?" Weiss contributed.
"Oh he does stuff like this all the time," Yang informed, grinning widely.
"Your father or your dog?"
Yang lifted her gaze to Blake to answer but stopped when she saw that her girlfriend wasn't with them. She looked higher up to find her hiding on Ruby's bunk, peeking over the foot of the bed to give Zwei a look of narrow-eyed caution.
That was when Yang remembered that RWBY already had a cat. Oooooooh my God.
Before she could make one of the hundreds of cat jokes that were budding at this revelation, Weiss had recovered enough to come forward and bend over to examine Zwei with displeasure. "Are you telling me that this mangy…"
Conscious of her presence, the corgi broke off from licking Ruby to roll over enough in her arms to look at Weiss.
"Drooling…"
His tongue was hanging while he panted, watery gray eyes focused on her.
"Mutt…" Stars suddenly sparkled in Weiss's eyes, the heiress puckering her lips, creating a hilarious inflection to her voice when she cooed, "Is gonna wiv wif us forever? Oh yes he is, yes he is!"
It was Yang's turn to stare at Weiss with shock, not expecting the baby talk to go with the ecstatic smile that formed as the Schnee heiress began poking at the black nose with the tip of her finger, Zwei playfully nipping at it. Needless to say, Ruby appeared overjoyed at her partner being more than willing to accept her pet.
"Awh, isn't he adorable!?" Weiss continued cooing.
Blake was nowhere near as enthused, having moved from the foot to the head of Ruby's bed in order to achieve as much distance as possible from Zwei. "Please keep it away from my belongings."
The team was distracted when a speaker crackled on, Professor Goodwitch's voice breaking through. "Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?"
Uh oh, Yang thought, having completely forgotten about what today was.
"Well we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week," Weiss said, referring to their mission that they were supposed to select today.
While Ruby set Zwei down, Yang removed the other cap from the package and peered inside. "Look, there's a letter."
With Ruby and Weiss drifting nearer to read the slip of paper that Yang pulled out, none of them noticed Zwei amble over to their bunks, standing up on his hind legs and pressing his forepaws against Weiss's. He was well short of reaching Ruby's but that didn't stop Blake from scooching further away from the edge. She sat there, petrified, as he stared up at her with a curious head tilt. She hesitantly lifted one arm as slow as possible, not wishing to startle him, and went frozen again when he did bark at the miniscule movement.
"'Dear girls'," Yang read, unaware of her partner's plight. "'I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang'."
Either giving up or more interested in food, Zwei rushed back to sit at Yang's feet, Blake watching him go, relieved but remaining wary. Seeing him, Yang flipped the cylinder over and held it over Zwei. A shake provided an unexpected result: dozens of cans – way more than what should realistically fit in the package – fell out and piled on top of Zwei, momentarily hiding him from view before his head poked back out.
"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked.
One last shake and a can opener fell out, hitting Zwei on the head but him paying no mind to it, happily panting within his pile of canned dog food.
"Well, that settles it!" Yang declared. Making for the door, she waved them to follow her. "Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!"
Remaining dubious, Weiss nonetheless followed but not without bending down to stroke and pet Zwei's face while passing. "Oh I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you again, oh you're so cute…" The rest dissolved into that incomprehensible cooing, Weiss petting him for as long as possible until her arms could no longer reach.
I guess she never had a pet before. A thunk got Yang's attention and she looked back in time to see Blake hopping off their desk, having leaped from the bed and to it in order to avoid the floor and the canine that lurked. A grin stretched all across Yang's face.
Blake saw it and began glowering at her as they exited the dorm. "Don't say a word."
Reverse psychology was a funny thing as Yang was compelled to do the opposite. "So does this include dog faunus or-?"
"Don't."
Huh, call her crazy but Yang was pretty sure that Blake just said, 'please say more'. "Well between this and the laser pointer, I'm suddenly curious. I can't help but notice that whenever we have to vacuum, you just happen to be long gone every single time."
"Yang…"
"I know things are rough, but maybe you and Zwei can bond over squeaky toys."
"I'm warning you."
With the others gone, Zwei's scruffy head swiveled to the only person left.
Ruby hummed indecisively as she considered him. She really didn't wish to leave him here for the several days they were to be gone, not with how happy he looked to be seeing her again, but she couldn't really bring him with them on their mission.
…Or could she?
Struck with an idea, Ruby's eyes fell on her Beacon-labeled backpack. Picking up Zwei and immediately shushing him when he barked, she unbuttoned the top flap and placed him inside. Compared to getting shoved into a mail container, the space in the backpack was plenty snug for the corgi who looked down at its latest home and then its owner, a question rumbling at the back of his throat.
Ruby held a finger to her lips. "Stay in the bag and be quiet until it's safe to let you out. Got it?"
Zwei remained quiet, already obeying her order. Smiling, Ruby gave him a final pat before flipping the flap over his head and buttoning it in place. The bag shifted, Zwei getting comfortable, and then stilled.
In an ordinary family, people would probably balk at the idea of bringing a dog on what had to be a dangerous mission. The key difference here was that Zwei was the pet of a family of Hunters and he was no ordinary dog. So with no reservations, Ruby threw on the pack, adjusted the straps to accommodate Zwei's weight, and walked out into the hall, Zwei staying true to her instructions as there wasn't the smallest indication of life from him.
She wasn't expecting Weiss to be out in the hall waiting for her. "You ready?"
"Yeah," Ruby answered casually, hands removing themselves from the straps to not attract her partner's attention. "You didn't have to wait for me."
The heiress didn't even glimpse at the bag, eyes sticking unwaveringly to Ruby. "I don't know. Considering the last time I let you out of my sight, it was for you to get into that whole mess yesterday."
"That's still bothering you?" Ruby walked past Weiss to catch up with their teammates, too busy praying that she wouldn't ask about her bag to give her anything else other than a, "It all turned out good so let's focus on Team RWBY's first official mission!" She supplemented the declaration with a fist waving energetically in the air and her walk turning into a jog.
Weiss was slow to follow and her answer was nearly lost to Ruby who bounded down the stairs. "Let's."
They had to be the last to arrive, the interior of the amphitheater containing a huge crowd that got the air buzzing with side chatter and conversation. At the head of the assembly was the stage, Professor Goodwitch already speaking into a raised microphone. "Quiet. Quiet, please."
Ruby broke away from her team, taking a small detour to a baggage area where cases, packs, and other kits of what she guessed to be equipment and supplies that other students prepared for their missions were located. Ruby set her pack down at the front, making sure to have it facing out so that she would be able to easily spot it, and then went to rejoin the others.
The crowd, she soon saw, wasn't a unified body. Instead, it was actually divided into four groups that were lined in front of the stage with a measure of space separating each. For one group, its members were marked with the white long-sleeve shirts and wool vest jackets of Atlas students. Another, the gray and black of Mistral's Haven uniforms dominated another. As for the third, there were no uniforms whatsoever; just casual clothes that favored t-shirts, shorts, and skirts. Ruby pegged them as residents of Vacuo.
All the way to the left, Ruby's teammates were merging into the expanse of browns that signified trainees of Beacon. She hurried on after them and found herself greeting their friends in JNPR while she took her spot next to Weiss.
She didn't have the time to do anything else for once she said her hellos, Goodwitch's amplified voice reverberated through the amphitheater again. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."
The headmaster had been standing to the side the whole time, only coming to the forefront when Goodwitch conceded the floor to him. Up at the ceiling, the lights dimmed save for the one that shone down on him. The announcement and his approach swiftly put an end to the discussions being shared amongst the arrayed students and Ozpin waited patiently for the last of the gossip to die down, assessing those gathered with a discernable satisfaction.
"Today we stand together, united," he spoke and began gesturing towards each group. "Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale: the four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with who, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought four countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression."
He shook his head sadly. "And as you all are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color."
Ruby was listening intently to the speech and she knew how much her smile grew at this part in particular. Unlike those stories that spoke of such battles and triumphs in a fantasy setting, this was something that had been real and what made the world she currently existed in. Other than the wonder and admiration for such tales, there was something else that swelled intensely: pride. Pride of not only belonging to one but two traditions.
The first was that of a Huntress, a duty that her parents and other family members upheld and she always took delight in considering herself as their successor to that tradition along with Yang. But then there was the second, the one that she became aware of when she was old enough to understand the significance of the name that she had been given. Unlike the other, which had been in existence for as long as anyone could remember, the one responsible for her name was less than a century old.
It made it more personal – more significant – in its own way that her generation had come right after such a war-torn era, and her name was a mark rooted to those who had fought against that tyranny that was vanquished.
Being a Huntress and being Ruby Rose was a union that combined those traditions, both of which entailed one thing: opposing and eliminating all manner of evil for the sake of peace and justice.
"It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression," Ozpin praised, "but neither would the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity – through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united, but this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it."
At the outer rim of the amphitheater, a number of blank holographic displays rose up.
"As first-year students, you'll be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission." As he continued, text began to fill the displays to create a list of missions, each one with a short description. "Some of you will be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."
Ozpin backed away from the mic, the amphitheater brightening as the lights fully came back on, and the applause followed his departure from the stage.
"This is perfect!" Ruby proclaimed as the mass of students broke up to choose from the assorted missions. "All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast."
Yang was quick to agree exuberantly. "Yeah, we'll follow them around by day and give them the slip at night!"
"Let's check search and destroy," Weiss suggested.
Together they perused through the missions, Ruby at least taking some interest in the selections. As Ozpin established, the missions were for both inside and outside the kingdom. Search and rescue for a missing trader, escort for a family moving into Vale from one of the outlying villages, perimeter defense to guard engineers repairing any damage to the walls, and peacekeeping through criminal investigation and apprehension.
Though Hunters are mainly romanticized as monster slayers by the general public, it wasn't their sole responsibility. Ruby was guilty of the same thing, she having been focusing on the fighting arts at Signal before Beacon made sure to instill to her that being a Huntress entailed more than just fighting.
The core of Huntsmen and Huntresses is the service and protection of the citizens whether they be within the kingdoms or out beyond the walls, no different from a police officer. They had better training and resources that allowed them to brave the wilds and take on the Grimm but, as one could see by the listing, most of the missions may involve Grimm but killing them was not the objective. A Hunter's main objective was to contribute as much as they could to civilization.
Contrary to what their title implied, they were guardians, not exterminators, and ones that must always promote that image in order to ensure that the public could rely on them. By defending a wall that kept the kingdom safe, recovering supplies that were needed for the survival of a village, or assisting local police in uncovering and arresting a dangerous criminal to keep inner-city peace, it kept that relationship and that trust strong.
It wasn't restricted to a Hunter's home kingdom either as it was residents from Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral who were currently selecting what were Vale-based missions along with Beacon students. Even then, it had to be remembered that Beacon students were from different kingdoms and outside territories. For Huntsmen and Huntresses, there were no borders or segregation of any kind, the practice of exchange students being a common one and RWBY would most likely find itself being the transferees during their training. No matter where they went, it was always expected of them to offer their skills and protection to all.
"Here we go!" Ruby pointed towards one of the entitled Search and Destroy missions. "Quadrant five needs Grimm cleared out!"
Blake studied the details. "Well, it's in the southeast."
"Sounds perfect," Yang chimed in.
Ruby tapped her finger against the display and a window appeared for her to input their team name. After typing in the four letters, she hit submit. The notification that followed was not what she expected.
[MISSION UNAVAILABLE TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS]
"Wonderful," Weiss said once the red letters dissolved and reverted to the mission display with no change.
"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.
Ruby happily suggested her Plan B. "We mail ourselves there!"
"Well, that's one option." Coming out from behind the display was Ozpin, scroll in hand. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students." When he lowered the device in order to address them, it was with too-casual interest. "It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that the four of you will make your way there no matter which job you choose."
Ruby did her best to look innocent against Ozpin's pointed stare and knew she was coming up short. It didn't help that she could sense the looks that her team was sending her way, full of accusation. "Whatever makes you say that?"
"I'm still curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester," Ozpin said, his gaze falling upon each of them. "I'm interested to know how you really learned about a 'hideout' in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."
"Um…" Ruby mumbled, desperately digging for an excuse she knew she didn't have. "Well…"
"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for." He lifted his scroll back up. "So how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" He punched a command into his scroll and the window for the Search and Destroy mission stood out with a different notification appearing over it.
[ASSIGNED]
The members of RWBY shared amazement with one another before regarding their headmaster, Ruby being the one to determinedly say, "We won't let you down. Thank you, professor."
"Do not thank me for this," he replied, the easy disposition becoming stern as he observed them. "Team work and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand: the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory."
When he broke away from them, it was with a successful diminishing of the mood. The looks that were passed between RWBY this time were tense. Unsettled.
"Good luck," Ozpin added as his departing words.
His warning was still hanging over their heads when the girls filed out, Ruby making sure to retrieve her backpack and its hidden contents on the way. Despite having gotten what they wanted – with approval, no less -, the excitement that had carried them on since they decided on taking the fight to their enemies had been torn down by Ozpin. Even Ruby could sense it. Between what happened last night, her questioning this morning, and now their headmaster stressing on the dangers of what was beyond the city, it left them disconcerted.
For all the dangers and risks that they had taken so far, triumphing in spite of them had put the real threat of failure further away from them. It hadn't possessed any real meaning for them until now with someone like Ozpin laying it down.
"That wasn't exactly uplifting," Yang said with an apt description.
"But it's the truth," Blake defended.
"It's going to be tough but I know we can do it!" Ruby interjected, trying to get their spirits back up. Whether it was overconfidence or not, they've been doing well as a team so far. So long as they stuck together, they would surely succeed!
"Hey, Team CFVY's back!" someone shouted.
It got Ruby and the gang to notice the team that was cutting through the trainees who just left the amphitheater. They didn't garner much attention from the exchange students, receiving only cursory looks, but a number of Beacon students had dropped whatever it was they were doing to stare and even approach the line of four.
With good reason, Ruby thought as she and her team went over with added haste. After all, it's CFVY!
As for who CFVY was, it was one of Beacon's veteran teams and one that carried some renown as could be plainly seen. For Ruby, their reputation for effectiveness in handling tough missions involving the Grimm with their teamwork and individual skills was something she wished her team to be known for when they became seniors.
At the head of the line was Fox Alistair, a boy of dark complexion with messy dark copper hair. He was simply dressed in a high-collared, sleeveless vest of muted orange zippered at the front and black jeans. It left his scars visible; his arms covered with them with another notable one crossing vertically down his lips. Ruby could only imagine the battle stories that they told, each one probably received when he dove right into his enemies in order to tear them to ribbons with the orange blades that curved along his arms, each one strapped to his hands around the wrist and over his knuckles. As for his eyes, they were a startling pair of white.
He gave off the impression of someone who didn't care about appearances, which was ironic given who his partner and team leader was. Behind him was Coco Adel, the fashionista of Beacon as she was known as. Always following and dressing in the latest fashion, her current getup seemed more for modeling than combat. Browns and blacks with a long-sleeved shirt, leather high-heeled boots, and trousers of those colors that were covered in accessories: a feathered scarf, a slip of a skirt, beaded bracelets and necklaces, and a bullet-lined belt with a gold crosshairs buckle. Ruby had yet to see Coco without those black aviator sunglasses or the beret, and that went double for the black handbag with golden studs dangling from her shoulder. Her brown hair was cut short, barely going past her ear lobes save for the one long lock at the front, the end dyed in orange and red colors.
As for the third member of CFVY in line who also happened to make up the third letter, it was someone who they knew very well.
"Velvet, are you okay?" Blake asked worriedly as soon as they reached them.
The bunny-eared faunus they had come to know as Velvet Scarlatina stopped and turned to address them. For having met her at the start of their school year when she had been bullied by CRDL, none of RWBY had suspected the girl to be their senior, or to be part of a team like CFVY. It was easier to believe for this instance, not just for Velvet being dressed for battle but it being obvious that she had just come from one. Her clothes and hair were disheveled, features worn, and there had been the slump of fatigue in her stance and in her hanging ears before she straightened both and smiled at them.
"I'm fine," she assured. "I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me."
She was as different from her partner as Fox and Coco were. Small and thin to the point of delicate, Yatsuhashi Daichi was nothing of the sort. At seven feet and all of that with oversized muscles, Ruby couldn't think of any student as gigantic as he was. On his back was a long-handled sword with a thick, curved blade sporting a golden edge that was fitting for his stature, the end reversing into a barb-like hook.
As threatening as he looked, how he bowed his close-shaven head to the first-year team upon passing spoke of the gentle nature within the giant. He was donned in very little armor. Save for the armored belt, plated gloves, and a layered shoulder armor on his left, the boy wore a green robe over a tight black shirt.
Although acknowledging, the nod that Yatsuhashi passed to RWBY carried a respect that they earned along with JNPR. After hearing what Ruby and the others had done for Velvet, the other members of CFVY had accepted and welcomed them as friends. This went double for Yatsuhashi. Whether due to Velvet's heritage, her being his partner, or just the vulnerability that the small bunny girl could give off, the big Huntsman was very protective of her and had shown plenty of gratitude to the first-years for what they did for her when he had been unable to assist her.
While he moved on, Velvet stayed behind to speak with Weiss being next to voice her worries. "Your mission was supposed to end a week ago. What happened?"
Their mission, as they all learned later, was to guard a village that was experiencing an increasing number of Grimm attacks. Go in, defend it, and then push out to exterminate the Grimm presence once it was secured. Though further than most, the village wasn't that remote and the Grimm, while more concentrated, hadn't been that numerous. None of the circumstances should've led to CFVY to be out there for as long as they ended up being, leading many to fear that something had gone wrong.
But Velvet shook her in negative. "Nothing happened. It was just…" Her chin fell a little, letting them better see the fatigue that set in as she stared into space. "There were just so many."
Ruby was expecting the troubled frowns that her teammates had when she looked to them and knew that she had to have one as well. They all heard the rumors and occasional whispers going around school pertaining to the Grimm and that there had been an unusual rise in their activities.
Like what's going on with our mission, she remembered. Theirs, CFVY's, and who knew how many more. According to one of the hushed conversations, the only other time that the Grimm had been more active had been during the dark ages that led to the Great War.
"Oh, but don't worry!" Velvet cut into their worries. "You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."
"Riiight," Yang replied, her tone referring to all that the rabbit faunus was unaware of.
"I should go." Velvet gave them a short wave while leaving to reunite with her team. "Be safe, okay?"
With her absence, they were left with this latest bit of unsettling information, but Ruby wouldn't let it shake them up. Determinedly, she stated, "We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to back to start now."
Blake nodded in agreement and Ruby could see her efforts reaching Weiss and Yang. "Right."
"Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!"
"Yeah!" Yang cheered.
Morale restored, Ruby thrust a finger towards the horizon. "Let's do this!"
That morale came crashing back down minutes later with Yang staring, horrified, at what was waiting for them. This has got to be a joke. A bad dream that I haven't woken up from yet. It's got to be.
Ruby's expression mirrored her own, their fearless leader lost as to how she could possibly turn this around. Weiss was all eye-bulging shock, and Blake had a look that perfectly expressed how their chances on this mission just went down to 'doomed' levels.
"Why, hello girls!" Professor Bartholomew Oobleck merrily greeted. With an enthusiastic swing of his arm and a smile full of white teeth, he asked, "Who's ready to fight for their lives?"
Silence was his answer, tentatively broken by Weiss. "Professor Oobleck..?"
It was indeed their history teacher. When they had been informed of the airpad that held their assigned transportation, they had set out to it. None of them recognized the figure standing in the middle of the path that led to the waiting Bullhead as their professor. Instead of his usually messy shirt and tie, he was wearing a large brown coat with a rounded pith helmet hiding his mass of green hair
A heavy pack was hanging from his back but when they approached there was no mistaking those opaque lenses when he rounded on them.
Despite all the clues that pointed otherwise, Yang still held some hope that this had to be some sort of mistake. That was until Oobleck started pacing in front of them and his rapid-fire delivery mercilessly gunned down what hopes she had left. "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations. Rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all the essentials, plotted the air course, and readied the airship. And!"
Weiss jerked her head back when Oobleck shot over to stand in front of her, arching to be eye-level with her. "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn a PhD for fun, thank you very much!"
Weiss was at a loss. "Uh…."
Yang discreetly pinched herself at her thigh. Nope, not waking up. This is real.
"Come now, children!" Oobleck ordered. "According to my schedule we are already three minutes behind…schedule!" A heartbeat later and he was zooming towards the Bullhead, leaving behind the dust cloud that Yang watched slowly disperse.
"Well, alright then!" Ruby spoke. "Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck-" At receiving the disbelieving headshakes from her teammates she broke off and joined them. "Okay yeah, when you say it out loud it sounds worse."
"Save the world!?" Yang was actually thankful for the distraction, brought to them by Nora who was accompanied by the rest of her team, exhibiting an over exaggerated look of betrayal. "You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt! Sad!"
She tapped a finger to her chin, breaking her rant. "Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault though." She shook her fist towards her partner standing at her side while she glowered at him. "Ren."
The boy in question looked away, chin high and arms folded as he ignored her.
"Sounds exciting," Jaune said next. "Where you going?"
"Oh just outside the kingdom," Ruby answered truthfully.
Nora jumped at that, her grievance with Ren immediately forgotten. "Hey, so are we!"
"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow a sheriff of a nearby village," Pyrrha explained.
"We set out tomorrow," Ren informed.
Neptune suddenly appeared at their side with Sun. "Then you can party with us tonight! We're shadowing a crimes specialist. All inner-city detective stuff." As an afterthought, he added, "We get junior badges."
Jaune was the only one to really react to the last, becoming enthralled. "Ooooh!"
"We normally go to the city with you guys," Sun cut in. "…Which means stuff's always exploding and junk. So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's…ya know." He shrugged. "Normal."
"Well-" Ruby began to reveal until an unexpected shout came from the direction of their Bullhead.
"FOUR MINUTES, LADIES!" Oobleck zipped back into the belly of the airship.
Right, they were heading out now and the fact dawned on their friends. It was more than them needing to go that was responsible for the tense quiet that came over them all though. As Yang watched, she saw uncertain smiles and glances thrown around and quickly deduced the cause.
They had never been separated like this before. They had gone into dangerous areas, sure, but only in places like the Emerald Forest or Forever Fall and even then they had always remained comforted that they were all nearby and looking out for each other with the confidence that they were all going to return to Beacon at the end of the day. While they each viewed their missions with excitement, it was with them all standing here and the realization that they were all heading in different directions, into unknown territory, for an uncertain length of time, that they could perceive the ominous sensation that hovered around them.
They were going one way. Their friends, another. No idea when they were going to see each other again or knowing how they were doing until they came back home much like what they had gone through with CFVY. The only thing that they could hope for was that, when they were reunited, it was for everyone to have done so unharmed.
Ruby's hesitant farewell gave credit to it. "Well…uh. Wish us luck."
Yep, Yang thought as they dispersed, she and her team to their Bullhead while JNPR and the members of SSSN remained at Beacon. Guess the fun times really are over now.
Author's Note: So…Field Trip. Now, I'm gonna be completely honest: I really did not like Ozpin's speech. If there was anything in the latter half of Volume 2 that really stuck out to me that I would describe as lousy, it was the speech. Part of why I was loving Volume 2 so much at the beginning was just the abundance of lore that we were getting in the earlier episodes. You had a silly, fun card game that nonetheless hinted to so much about the world and the kingdoms, you had Atlas and James Ironwood, Ruby and Weiss's trip to the CCT, and all those moments that gave bits of information that got you to think so much about Remnant such as its geography, its history, its technology, and so much more. But it was only here that we were given a two-minute long speech that was the perfect opportunity to tell us more, specifically about the Great War. And what did we get out of that whole thing concerning the war? Apparently….it was bad.
Brain: News flash, kids: war is bad.
Since Volume 1 there has been numerous references made to this Great War. Glynda mentions Remnant experiencing an 'incredible time of peace' in the first episode, Jaune mentions his grandfather having fought in it, and people continue to talk about it with Weiss revealing the CCT's construction made as a gift after the war, Ruby saying to Penny that they are in a time of peace…yeah, you get the point. So when we finally get an opportunity to learn what made this particularly war so great, it's basically summed up as really really bad. Oh, and people are named after colors because of it. And that…I could've done without that and I'm sure there are many people in agreement. This explanation concerning why people have names referencing colors I find to be very similar to how midichlorians were first mentioned in Star Wars: Phantom Menace. We didn't need it, we were perfectly fine with just accepting it as it was, but they had to go and give us a vague explanation for it anyway. Unless this turns out to be something significant like 'beware of people who don't have color names!', I find this to be incredibly meaningless when we could've learned about so much more such as the Great War.
I was disappointed to say the least as the Great War was something I desperately wanted to learn more about. Was it really just one giant war or was it a series of wars that were grouped together? Was the Faunus War one such war? One must shudder to think of what conducting a large-scale war would entail on Remnant where you have the Grimm that will be attracted to all the battles and plenty of innocents and villages that could be caught in the crossfire and wiped out. Maybe there had been other kingdoms other than the current four that had been annihilated as a result? Unfortunately, the dark history of Remnant that we're always told is so dark and war-ridden is going to remain obscure for a while longer. It wasn't just this speech though as RT's other attempts at developing their world such as the World of Remnant specials were just as mixed in terms of success where half of them did prove to be informative – Dust and Kingdoms – while the other half just told us what we already knew or what we ended up learning soon after in Volume 2 – Grimm and Aura.
This is not to say that I didn't enjoy what we did learn more about, particularly what kind of missions that Huntsmen and Huntresses undertake and that there's more to them than just killing Grimm. It kind of just irked me with a few other missed opportunities concerning lore throughout Vol. 2 like Jaune skipping Aura training so we can't see what, exactly, Aura training involves and how one goes about discovering their Semblance. As for the rest of the episode, I was clutching my heart at Weiss's diabetes-inducing reaction to Zwei and when we saw that Oobleck was to be their Huntsman, I was thrashing around in my seat going "Yesyesyesyesyesyes!" for a good five minute after the episode's closing.
Next is what I added, that being Ozpin and Ironwood. I wanted to add a bit more conflict between the two to give a bit more substance to when Ironwood later questions his loyalty to Ozpin which leads to him reporting him and having him removed from overseeing the Vytal Festival. I acted on suspicions – Ironwood's comments on Ruby -, took some liberties -Ozpin snapping -, and I don't know how readers will react. I still think I came up short with what I wanted to do, even if I did add that opening flashback between Ozpin and Ironwood at the dance. I'll leave it to the opinions of the readers.
For now, it's off to the next chapter for me. With what Field Trip lacked in universe building, RT more than made up for it with Search and Destroy and Mountain Glenn. As I mentioned in the beginning, I'll be going through both those episodes in my next chapter so that I can get right to No Brakes.
Brain: And then the fun really begins! Well…begins again, I guess.