A/N: In the interest of full disclosure, I was not expecting anyone to notice or read this, and it was intended more as a proof-of-concept than anything else. However, since there was infinitely more interest than I expected (anything over zero is infinitely more than zero, right?), I figured I would at least attempt to continue the story.
If you have even just a few free seconds after reading, please take the time to leave a review. This is fan fiction, and you are the fans. These stories are for all of us, and input from you can only make it better.
Thank you.
Chapter Two: The Conversationalist
What did you get yourself into, Red? Ruby asked herself for the tenth time that night. She was still in the office at the top of the clock tower, now sitting on one of only two chairs in the room. Across the desk, Professor Ozpin sat in the other. He had sent the Schnee girl off to find another of the teachers at the school, leaving the two of them in the room alone. He continued to drink coffee from his mug, talking slowly, deliberately, between sips. He had been talking for several minutes now.
"Did you know we were once all of the same order? That once, nine huntsman and huntresses gathered together with the goal of protecting the people. 'Well of course,' you say. 'Is that not what huntsman do?' These few, however, were different. They looked at the world and saw wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. They saw four kingdoms fighting each other, when there could be one kingdom, fighting the Grimm. In time, they turned their attention away from mere quests and towards those they felt the need to protect. Humanity, united, would face down the darkness. And for a time, they worked together. Alas, it was a peace that would not endure.
"The death of Huguette Payne was the final straw in a conflict that had been growing for years. Without her to bridge the gap, the order split on one very important idea."
"You seek power," Ruby said coldly.
"I seek control, Miss Rose, not power. It may be easy to mistake them, as some may confuse money with wealth, or respect with approval, but do not fall prey to that trap. But that is beside the point. Free will, essentially, is what divided our order. As an Assassin, you view it as…"
"A right for all mankind, to be preserved no matter the cost."
"And the Templars do not. Yet you blindly obey the orders of your mentor. Did you have any say in this assignment? Were you consulted before being sent to murder me? I thought as much."
"That isn't how it works," Ruby argued. "I mean, I wasn't, but I don't need to be…" With just the one question, Ozpin had managed to fluster her. "I have a say in things."
"Miss Rose, we are not as different as you may presume. Our end goal, at least, is the exact same. We desire peace. Peace among kingdoms and peace among citizens. A world without war, without pain, without suffering."
"You desire peace without freedom. Excuse me if I do not leap with joy at the prospect."
"Luckily, I do not ask that of you. For now, I simply beg your patience." He took a sip of his coffee, pausing to stare at the young girl before continuing his speech. "But enough about that for now. A change in subject may suit you. What is a secret, Miss Rose?" he asked.
Ruby was still thinking about what Ozpin had been saying, and wasn't prepared for the rapid topical change. She was faintly familiar with the idea that the assassins and the Templars had once been united, but it wasn't something normally mentioned among her order. Whatever may have once been, the past was past. Their supposed goals certainly didn't justify their means. Do ours? her first voice asked. How many have we killed in our pursuit of peace? How many faces were displayed on the screens, how many children grow up without their fathers because of us? No, there would be time to question that later. Ozpin was waiting for an answer. What does he want? Does he want me to reveal something about Salem? I only promised to hear him out, not to betray her trust in me. Or does he just want the definition of a secret? "Uh, a secret is something that you don't tell anyone. I guess?" I won't reveal anything just yet. I will only speak when spoken too. Just the bare minimum.
"You sound unsure of yourself. Would you like to try again?" He took a sip from his cup.
"A secret is something you don't share." More confident here, even if it was basically the same answer. What was he looking for? Ruby stared at his face, his eyes. They didn't reveal anything, hidden away behind his dark glasses.
"That may be the idea behind a secret, but what is it in practice? No guess? Very well. A secret, Miss Rose, is control. It can be control over yourself, or control over another." Another sip of coffee, then he leaned forward and rested his arm on the desk. "Now then. What is trust?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but paused to consider it first. Trust is faith in another, the loyal voice inside her said. No, it is faith in yourself, replied the independent one. Ruby closed her mouth and tilted her head to the side. Neither of those would be what he was looking for. He's concerned about how things are in reality, not how they are in theory. What is trust?
"Trust is something that takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair." She said it with confidence. What would it matter if it wasn't the answer he wanted? Since when had she wanted to impress him? A half-hour ago he was just another target, judged guilty of crimes and sentenced to death by her master.
He smiled at her and rose from his chair. "Very good, Miss Rose. You have no reason to trust me-yet. We have not known each other for even a day, let alone had years to develop a strong relationship. Right now, I am merely a man you were sent to kill, and who has now tried to distract you and to prolong his own life by pointing the finger at another. Which is why I am going to offer you an olive branch, as it were. A way for us to build some trust in one another." He walked over to the wall of windows and looked out over the grounds of the school, carefully avoiding stepping on any of the broken shards from where Ruby had smashed through. "The people of Vale-"
He was interrupted by a knock on the door. It opened and a tall woman with thin glasses and a pencil skirt walked in, followed by Weiss.
Ruby studied the older woman carefully. She had the steady manner and cool focus of an experienced fighter, but it was mixed with a disinterest that may have rose from being too long removed from a battlefield. She appeared to have a collapsed riding crop attached to her boot. An interesting weapon, Ruby thought to herself. How does that work in combat? Maybe not a riding crop, but a baton? That would be a little bit more sensible. Finished with her threat assessment, Ruby turned her attention to the woman's appearance. Her height, which she had noticed as soon as she walked in, was accentuated by the high-heeled boots she was wearing. Light blonde hair, tied back in a bun, contrasted nicely with her green eyes.
"Miss Rose, this is Glynda Goodwitch. She is a teacher here at Beacon. I have asked her to join us because last night she managed to foil an attempted dust robbery in Vale. She will tell you the details, and then I expect you two ladies," he pointed first at Weiss and then at Ruby, "I expect you two ladies to work together to find the man responsible, Roman Torchwick. Weiss, you can think of the practical training you will receive. Ruby, you can view this as a way to help the innocent."
It seemed as if he expected there to be an uproar at this announcement, and he was not disappointed. Almost before he finished speaking, Weiss was shouting at him.
"Professor, you can't expect me to work with someone like her! She is an assassin! She is probably friends with the one who killed my father!" So she knows what I am, but not who I am, Ruby thought. And Ozpin isn't correcting her. I wonder why? Also, no objection from the other one? Strange.
"Miss Schnee, your sister allowed you to come here on the condition that you would listen to me. You will make this work. Perhaps you may learn a thing or two. That is, assuming the assassin is willing to set aside her pride and work towards a common good? Her own master may not give her a say in her future, but I am will show her the respect she deserves."
Once again, he was giving Ruby a choice. Once again, though, there didn't seem to be much room for dissent. "Uh, I guess it can't hurt…I've chased after criminals before." Maybe I can use this to my advantage, to escape from here.
Ozpin nodded, Weiss crossed her arms and started pacing back and forth while refusing to look at Ruby, and Glynda began to relay the details of the Vale police investigation.
Ozpin and Glynda looked out from the clock tower down at the distant city of Vale. The Bullhead carrying the two young women was hard to see in the darkness, illuminated only by the blinking lights on the tips of the four wings.
"Can we trust her?" Glynda asked.
"Which one?" Ozpin retorted. "The heiress or the assassin?" When she didn't respond, he continued. "Trust…is the wrong word. I think we can rely on them. We can rely on Miss Schnee to follow orders, and we can rely on Miss Rose to play the part of a hero." He walked from the windows to a small end table with a chessboard on it.
"You sound very confident, sir, in a girl who wanted to kill you an hour ago." Glynda crossed her arms. "I think we should have locked her away. She is too dangerous to be left to roam around on her own. Imagine what could happen if she finds out the truth about us-"
"Our opponent has made her move, and for better or worse we have made ours. She has sacrificed one pawn, but we know she has more," he said, ignoring her as he picked up a black pawn from the chessboard and moved it forward, then moved a knight to capture it. Holding the pawn in his hand, he raised it up to eye level and stared at it, turning it over to let the stained glass piece catch the light. "The question is, what will she do now?"
"Which one?" Glynda asked, throwing his words back at him. "Our opponent, or the girl?" Then she added under her breath, "As if they aren't both our opponents."
Ozpin placed the piece carefully to the side of the board before looking up from and meeting the female teacher's eyes momentarily. "That is a good question."