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Chapter 5: Shots Fired Pt I

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Coco places the inside of her elbow nonchalantly against her ribcage and accents the pose with a slight flick of her fingers. Practiced and poised, the brunette stands in front of the photographer clad in her trademark coffee-coded attire. It was hard to tell exactly what product Coco is modeling for with the standout pieces of clothing and accessories-and how her proportions brought out the best of each one. A staff member waves her over to a table and chair. She sits down in front of the ring light and holds a few standard poses, all throughout never needing a single prompt. Moving the sunglasses down her nose, she holds a flirtatious wink long enough for two snaps of the camera.

"Perfect! That was the last one, you're good to go. Nice work as always, Coco."

The director gives one loud clap to signal the end of the shoot. She walks up to the big monitor and peruses the set of shots they have just taken. She lets out a smile.

"Someone's in a good mood. Things going well at Beacon?"

"It's everything I hoped it would be. Except for one thing." She taps the monitor and scrolls through previous shots.

"That is?"

Coco sighs. "The headmaster assigned me to be the leader of my team."

He bursts out laughing. "You? Leader?"

"Hilarious, right." Coco shakes her head.

"Better share the news with the boss," he snickers.

"I told him I'm going to have my hands full and not to expect anything from me until I graduate," Coco replies. "He's lucky I'm still modeling for his brand. Say, can I keep this?" Coco points to the sunglasses she had been modeling with.

He sighs and gives a knowing smile. "Never been the most affectionate kid, huh? I'll pass on the good news for ya."

"Don't bother. He's a busy guy, doesn't need to spend time on silly reports like this. He's done enough for me. Besides, I'm going to renounce it soon anyways." Coco waves him a thank you and heads out into the cool night of Vale.

By the time she returns to the dorm, it'll be around 11PM. Late enough for most students to be asleep but still early enough for Coco to grab a cup of coffee and get some studying done. That's what she's hoping, but it seems like her teammates have other plans.

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Fox leans against the windowsill, feeling the cool glass on his back and waiting for the inevitable argument to go down. The Vacuan has always been more of an observer, ironically enough. He understood Coco, because he felt that their attitudes were similar, but he could also see how frustrating the situation is for Yatsuhashi. Not receiving any meaningful responses from their leader must feel isolating, but as the leader, Coco must have a good reason. She's clearly not the type to hand hold her team to victory. He also felt for Velvet, having been in a similar situation. Growing up in a nomadic tribe, being blind either meant he was useless and should be discarded or that he needed to be coddled like a defenseless child. Everyone else seemed to have become blind to his other skills, his potential, and most importantly, his great sense of humor. The only people who took him seriously so far have been his mentor-the man who gave him a place to stay after he first arrived in Vale with nothing but the clothes on his back-and the members of his team. The big show they put on at initiation seems to have extended the acknowledgement of his skills to the student body as well. His new start has been going pretty damn well, and he wants to keep it on that trajectory.

Upon sensing Coco on the other side of the door, he sends a quick message to her.

Be prepared for an earful.

No back up? Coco sent back.

No promises.

"Coco, there's something we want to discuss," Yatsuhashi announces as soon as she enters. A rustling sound from Velvet's bed indicates that she stood up. Fox could imagine how uncomfortable it was for the Faunus, being stuck in this situation that someone else had created for her.

The door clicks shut. Coco blows out a breath of barely concealed exasperation. "OK, so what's this about?"

"Have you given any thought about what to do with Team RUST?"

"You mean that Rusty guy? He's nothing but talk. There's nothing to do." There's a rattling of chains and the dull sound of ceramic on wood. The mug has been brought out.

"No, his whole team is stirring trouble. They've been harassing Velvet these past two weeks."

"And?"

"And they need to be dealt with."

"So, why haven't you dealt with it? You don't need my permission."

Yatsuhashi inhales and exhales deeply. The coffee machine starts whirring, filling the pursuing silence. The smell of coffee instantly permeates the room.

"Are we done now?"

There's a hard edge in Yatsuhashi's voice. "Coco, we are not just civilians. Some of us have enough power to destroy a whole building or worse. And not everyone has an equally strong sense of responsibility. Their antics are going to hurt someone. I don't feel safe leaving Velvet alone with these-"

"This sounds more like a 'you' problem. Dealing with these things is part of the training. Velvet should be able to handle herself."

"This is our problem, the team's. And as leader, it's your job to know what's going on and to mediate."

Coco sighs heavily. What she says next alarms Fox. "I should've just handed in the damn resignation on the first day."

"What?"

"Resignation?"

The two members who have been silent throughout suddenly blurted out. Fox uncrosses his arms and stands to his full height.

"Look, this was a mistake. This leader thing? It's just a title that was put on me. I didn't choose to be your leader, and I have no intention of being your leader, so I will clear this up with Ozpin as soon as I can." Her heels clacked heavily towards the door. "Feel free to take on the role. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be at the library."

The door slams shut. Fox immediately follows after her, Velvet's soft voice fading behind him, "She's not serious, is she?..."

How long have you been thinking of this?

Since the beginning.

And you never thought to say anything. Fox felt the anger rising up to his chest. Why didn't you tell us sooner?

Coco continues to walk down the hall without slowing down. Fox catches up to her and stays in step.

Couldn't find the right timing.

Because you didn't make the time. Fox figured Coco had faith in them and wanted to see what they could do on their own. He knew from the start that she wouldn't be the type of leader to spoon-feed them much like the leader of his old tribe-the one who wouldn't grant him the same treatment-and his mentor. He must have felt the same familiarity in Coco. A leader is what keeps the tribe's spirit strong. Without them, we would all have been-

Fox, I'm really not in the mood to listen to your life story right now.

The Vacuan stops in his tracks and stands still, allowing the distance between him and Coco to widen. You're just running away from your responsibilities. You're scared.

Fox didn't know what felt worse… what he said, or the fact that this whole time he had fallen into the trap he thought was beneath him. That what he saw was just what he wanted to see.

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"Now, class. Keep your eyes wide open and stay alert." Professor Oobleck accented his words with a pointed finger. Professor Port's first year class follows the history professor-their guide for this field trip-through a thick forest. "This forest isn't nearly as dangerous as the Emerald Forest, but no, I'm not worried about your safety at all. No, if you passed the initiation then there is no need at all to be-... various interesting specimens of Grimm here, some of which underestimating could be- Which is exactly why I have chosen this location. You may feel overconfident in your powers right now, that you can take on anything, but reconnaissance is essential to…"

The professor's rapid fire speech carried all the way to the back, where three members of Team CFVY stayed. His voice fades in and out, blocked by the massive tree trunks they've been wading through. Velvet doesn't know why the professor thought it would be a good idea to lecture and walk through the forest at the same time. Though, she doubted being any closer to the professor would've helped because she was in no mood to be paying attention. After last night's argument, she was actually glad that they got to be outside instead of sitting through classes with all this tension in the team. Even though all she can see are the backs of their heads, she can tell how much Coco's words affected them.

"She'll come around", Velvet says quietly. "It was the middle of the night. Not the best time to have been talking things out-"

"There wasn't any other time," Yatsuhashi retorts. He stops in his tracks until Velvet falls into step beside him. "Sorry. I, uh, didn't mean to sound so…"

"It's alright. I get it…"

He glances at her. "I'm a bit surprised. I didn't think you wanted Coco to be our leader."

"I guess I gave off that vibe… I just couldn't get over our differences. I was being bitter, but I never thought that I wanted her to step down. I'm sure, if we talked it out a bit like you and I did during initiation, we can come to a solution. There must be something about the position or maybe even our group that Coco has trouble with. "

"Maybe. No, you're right, that's probably the case. I get so worked up when it comes to Coco." He sighs and shakes his head. His voice softens. "She reminds me of someone I knew, who only thought about themselves and made trouble for everyone else."

Coco's a high achiever. She is responsible, maybe even rigid. The problem is she's not prioritizing the group and it's impossible to talk to her about anything serious.

It was Velvet's turn to sigh. It's ironic that she's the one mediating things now when she was complaining so much earlier. But, she knows that she is partly to blame for the argument. She couldn't stand her ground against the bullies, and she let the worry get to Yatsuhashi. She has to do something about it.

Just leave the talking to me, guys. She quickens her pace and walks ahead of them resolutely, leaving the two to look at one another.

… You know, it's really creepy when you do that. Yatsuhashi sent and Fox cracks a smile.

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"Uh, professor, isn't this supposed to be a field trip?"

"Why yes, but it is! A field trip. An expedition where we do field work. Now, please keep your questions focused and productive to what we are here to learn. That is!" He turns around and hot coffee spills out from his canteen. After a comical pause, he shakes out his hand and indulges in the assist from Max who brought water with him. He continues, "How to detect and survey what kinds of Grimm are in an area. You've all studied up on the Grimm types in Professor Port's class and this is your chance to apply it! We can start by investigating their footprints or damage within the vicinity…"

Coco makes some mental notes as Professor Oobleck continues his special lecture. She had slipped in next to Team CRMM near the middle of the group of students and was close enough to hear the professor clearly, thankfully. She knows the history professor requires the extra focus and she's glad for it. She needs the distraction. On top of what Fox said last night, she has to figure out what to do with Ozpin's suggestion from earlier this morning.

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"Miss Adel. It's rare for a student to come to me directly. How may I be of help?" After entering his office through the elevator, Coco sees Headmaster Ozpin with his hands clasped together and elbows on the glass desk, the centerpiece of his office. The room, however, feels more like an observatory than any office Coco has ever been in.

"Thank you for meeting me this early, sir." She places the document she filled out in the early morning on his desk as politely as possible. He arches an eyebrow and, much like Professor Goodwitch, has a mysterious smile on his face. "I've given a lot of thought over the past two weeks and I have decided that it would be best for me to step down as leader of Team CFVY."

Without even looking at the document, he asks, "And what, might I ask, brought this on?"

"I'm grateful that you felt that I was fit for this role. But the past couple of weeks have reaffirmed my belief that I'm just not cut out to be a leader."

"Tell me, Miss Adel, have you tried at all? Leading."

Coco becomes silent as she observes the playful glimmer in his eyes that reminds her of her brother when they were kids and he would gloat about knowing something that she didn't. The silence is filled momentarily by the quiet whirring and ticking of the wheels above them. She sighs and crosses her arms.

"Honestly, no, I didn't."

"I appreciate your honesty, Miss Adel. I will be honest, too. I have no plans to change the system here at the Academy. So, tell me. Can you imagine yourself being led?"

Coco scowls and he smiles.

"I suggest you give it a proper try first. If afterwards you still feel the same, have your team complete the form with you, as required, before you bring it back to me."

She takes the document back and folds it neatly into thirds. "Thank you for your time, Headmaster. I should get going or else I'll miss the ship."

"Enjoy the trip, Miss Adel."

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A/N: I wanted to write in a more consistent style, so you may notice some changes in my writing. I'm also in the process of editing some small changes in the previous chapters. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a comment. P.S. I'm getting a bit busier in my personal life, so I can't promise that the next chapter will come out on time.

Next Chapter: Shots Fired Pt. 2