Chapter 12:

Inside Beacon Academy

Headmaster Ozpin walked down the hallway not caring if his footsteps were heard. The inside of Beacon rarely struck him as worth mentioning. He simply ignored all the types of banners, arches, pillars, and tile designs on the floors. The headmaster at the legendary Beacon Academy wasn't necessarily in a good mood. The recent startling news of the love interest formed within team RWBY occupied Ozpin's mind.

Ozpin needed to tell the appropriate people about this new development. After all there was a high chance either Weiss or Ruby could die. Just in case they did die their families deserved to know any new developments, even the ones the two teenagers didn't want their families to know. Ozpin needed to send two letters. One letter, which was a simple school notice, was being sent to Ruby's parents. Her parents wouldn't have any idea of their daughter's change in her sexual orientation. The other letter was going to be sent to Weiss's parents. Ozpin wasn't going to enjoy the sending any of these letters.

Evening light fell through the windows, brightening certain areas so torches during the day weren't necessary. Ozpin had the windows opened, since the edge of the window was low enough to haul supplies through. A protective dome had been constructed around and above Beacon Academy, the lower part was made of dust-augmented steel walls, the upper part and roof was made of dust augmented Plexiglas.

Any new students who would arrive would need to be taught certain rules. The rules would be simple; don't stand to close to the wall, don't stand next to the wall, you may watch the wall but don't throw anything at it, if you find any breach in the wall report it immediately, do not go outside the walls after dark. The only time any one person is allowed outside the walls of Beacon Academy; is to either send or receive students enrolling or graduating, they are on an assignment approved only by school personal, or if a rescue team is needed to retrieve anything or anyone.

Personally Ozpin thought the rules were complete and utter bullshit. He didn't see how these walls and fabricated rules could keep the students and staff members safe. They were implemented anyway under his nose, so to speak. It would be to late to stop the walls construction, that part was inevitable. However, the obvious power grab known as the 'new rules', that part wasn't allowable.

The headmaster had refused to implement the rules. Nor would he pay any more attention to them. Attention of course that could be used to receive and process the teams reports. The four teams were still out on the assignment, eliminate as many super Grims as possible, while providing information on them.

Ozpin came to his office entrance. Lining the walls were mounted head trophies of all different types of animals. The air, thanks to a fan system installed approximately five years ago, was kept relatively cool.

A newly hired secretary sat at her desk grieving. One of the people infected with the Darkness Plague had been her brother visiting the academy. "Mrs. Rose may I speak with you? We need to discuss you daughter." Ozpin said.

Ruby's mother raised her head, staring at Headmaster Ozpin. She, in light of the recent news of the attack, decided to volunteer for work at the academy where her daughter was attending school. "Of course headmaster." Mrs. Rose answered.

"Please come into my office. We will, I think, be more comfortable in there than out here." Ozpin said holding open a door.

"Thank you sir. Is my daughter alright?" Ruby's mother asked in a worried voice, already expecting but not wanting bad news. Both her and the headmaster walked in to the office and sat in chairs across from each other.

"Since this is not a formal meeting, what may I call you?" Ozpin asked resting his walking stick against the side of his chair.

"You can just call me Risen." The woman answered without thinking.

"Well Risen here's the situation. Your daughter is captain of team RWBY. Certain students after a selection are put into different teams. Ruby's team and three others have been sent outside the walls on a school-approved assignment. Are you familiar with the threat that caused the dome to be built around Beacon Academy?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes I am familiar. In fact that was the very reason I came to the Academy. I wanted to find out if anything happened when it happened. I also wanted a reliable place to send my husband letters from informing him of our daughters situation." Risen said, pausing momentarily. "Me and my husband normally wouldn't do this. We want Ruby to have an education. And besides monitoring someone's personal life just isn't the way we operate."

"Ruby isn't your actual daughter. You are her foster parents correct?" Ozpin asked.

Risen looked up and said, "Yes she is not our real daughter. But we still care for her very much, and are worried about her safely."

"I was informed that you were her actual parent. Apparently someone was lying to me. I have further knowledge that you are neither her foster parent, nor her legal guardian. I am suggesting you leave, seeing as uninvited guests are not welcome any more within these walls." Ozpin said. "I realize what you're trying to do. You work for the White Fang. You've infiltrated the academy under the disguise of Ruby's mother. You plan to see if you can learn of the walls weakness. I am sorry but I can't allow you to live."

The violence that ensued was very brief. The now enraged Faunus charged Headmaster Ozpin with a knife in her hand. Using his walking stick Ozpin killed her quickly. He didn't like killing the Faunus; a few of his students were in fact Faunus. However the real reason he hated it was that one of the more promising students to attend the academy in recent years, she was a Faunus.

He had learned this in the most recent report from team RWBY. Along side the confession of a forbidden love, and another injury to their leader which she recovered from, was a confession of being a certain race. Blake Belladonna had admitted to being Faunus in the report, she had asked that no one must know of this but him. Ruby Rose had asked in the report as well not to mention her new relationship with Weiss Schnee.

For now headmaster Ozpin would respect their wishes. Not a soul would know about either of these things. For now he wouldn't breath a word to anyone.

…

The hospital of Beacon Academy

The 4-dozen or 48 people who were currently infected with the Darkness Plague were lying strapped to beds. Their thrashing due to the pain was deemed unhealthy by the doctor staff; it would only serve to worsen the already painful experience. The infected people weren't necessarily kept in the main rooms of the hospital; they were kept in separate rooms. The main reason for this was that the 48 people couldn't be cured. Why use up resources on people who couldn't be cured when you had people with treatable injuries coming in every other day?

The 48 infected people; 22 humans, and 26 Faunus. The doctors had been given reasons as to why there was more infected Faunus than infected humans. The reason was that a group of Faunus had visited the Academy for a social and ethics debate. The debate was being held in the political hall inside Beacon.

"This Darkness Plague is scarily dangerous." On doctor admitted to a nurse. "I don't know what's more stressful, treating this many people coming in on a regular basis or the fact that we can't do anything to help those afflicted with the dreaded and accursed Darkness Plague."

…

Thank you for reading Chapter 12. Fell free to leave your honest reviews, telling me what I should/shouldn't change about the story.