"- and to continue off of a topic brought up by Ms. Mercury, the debate of nature vs. nurture as it pertains to the aura and, perhaps more importantly, semblance. Now there are numerous reasonings on both sides, but to touch on Ms. Mercury's theory, the idea that a semblance can be nurtured in certain direction before it fully manifests is one largely considered invalid. While it is true that major events seem to shape the semblance to suit it, allowing the wielder to overcome the situation in which they find themselves, many believe that this is instead a simple case of the wielder happening to be in a situation in which the semblance could be used to their benefit. Still, the concept that the semblance might somehow be manipulated in some way before it is first manifested was researched by famed researcher-"
Azure Mercury, 15 years old and bored out of her mind in an Aura Research class here at Signal Academy. The girl would have much preferred to be doing something more productive, like learning more combat skills she could apply to humans. She fidgeted slightly in her seat before allowing her eyes to wander around the room. Eventually they found another class doing combat drills outside, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched one student attempt to disarm another. The amount of effort being displayed however, was lackluster at best, and Azure huffed in annoyance. She already knew most of the students here were interested only in the Grimm, but Azure's motivation stemmed from a much more personal reason. Before she could get far in her musings, however, the sharp voice of her teacher cut into her thoughts.
"Azure Mercury!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
The blue haired girl shot to her feet, body going rigid with surprise. The teacher glared at her a moment, before sighing and pointing towards the door, where a pair of men stood waiting. Azure frowned suspiciously, shrinking back slightly, but one of the men smiled gently, clearly trying to seem non-threatening.
"Hi, I'm Special Agent Monroe, from the Vale Investigations Bureau. You're Azure Mercury?"
"... Yeah, I am."
"Younger sister of Asher Mercury?"
The question caught the girl completely by surprise, and she nearly fell over in her shock. Her brother? Why would they be asking about him? Why would they be ask HER about him? She hadn't seen him in two years! She composed herself quickly, trying as hard as she could to ignore the penetrating stares of her classmates. She already knew rumors were going to be flying around the school before the end of the day, and she didn't relish the questions she'd be asked before it was all done.
"Um... Yeah."
"We need you to come with us. We have your brother in custody, and since you're the only known relative..."
Scratch her last thoughts. Rumors were probably already flying around the school. Azure didn't bother responding, instead packing her things into her bag and practically vaulting across the room in her desire to be gone. She'd rather be anywhere but here when classes let out, and all the better if that somewhere was where her brother was. She had questions for him after all, and ones she wasn't going to let him get away with not answering.
Not now that she'd finally found him.
Miles away, behind a one way mirror, Jäger Schwarz glared at the cop in front of him, finding this situation to be even more troublesome than he had anticipated. Not only had one of the two hunters he'd enlisted for help failed, one even being killed by some one of the robbers, now he was being blocked from interrogating the one they had caught. His eyes flickered to the young man in the room, who was drumming his fingers on the table in boredom, before refocusing on the nameless cop in front of him.
"Repeat to me again why I can't question him myself."
"Sir, I'm sorry, but in this case, he falls under Vale Investigations Bureau. We have no jurisdiction ourselves. Until they arrive, no one is allowed access to the perpetrator."
"The longer we take to question that boy, the longer his accomplices have to get away! Let me into that room, or I swear that I will bring every ounce of my considerable pull within the SDC to turn your life into a living hell."
"Threatening cops now, are we?"
Both verbal combatants turned to find the ever famous Professor Ozpin, flanked as always by Miss Goodwitch, stepping into the room, a cup of coffee clutched in one hand, the other folded behind his back. He almost instantly lost interest in Schwarz, instead stepping closer to the glass to get a better look at the man behind it. The SDC employee, growing fast impatient and running out of time, turns once again to the cop, snapping a demand that any interrogations be recorded and passed on to him, before he heads for the door, having other issues that demand his attention. Before he can step through into the hallway beyond, however, a question floats after him, one he chooses to ignore.
"What has the Schnee Dust Company so worried, I wonder, that their Head of Security would be the one to come down here and question a boy?"
Azure was stepping out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop, mind intent on her goal. A shout from one of the agents behind her was ignored as she sought out the front entrance and beelined for the door. Just as she reached it, the door was flung open, and she barreled into a larger man dressed in a black suit sending her toppling to the ground. The man glared down at her, clearly unhappy, before stepping around her, followed by a parade of similarly dressed man. She mumbled an insult under her breath, then got to her feet just as the agents reached her.
"Ms. Mercury, slow down. I know you want to see your brother, but we have some questions we need to ask first."
"Then ask them while we walk. Once we get there, I'm not waiting."
The friendlier one sighed before pulling out a notebook and leading the way into the lobby and beyond. As they walked, he began firing questions at her, things like when she last saw him, when she last heard from him, where was she at such and such a time. She answered them only half-paying attention, eyes expectant everything they got close to a door and mood souring every time the passed them. Soon, however they stopped outside a pair of doors, gesturing towards one of them.
"Ms. Mercury, you'll get your chance to talk to him, we promise. But for now, we need you to simply observe in that room, please."
"That's not what you-"
"I know. And I'm sorry. But we need to talk to him first. You'll get to see and hear everything. Please?"
Azure mumbled in annoyance, but did as instructed entering the room and having her attention immediately grabbed by the person that sat unawares in the next room. She went up to the glass and placed a hand on it, eyes drinking in every detail about her brother. His clothing was nicer, more dapper as one of her friends might put it, than what she remembered him wearing before. He looked older too, although she supposed that anyone would after two years. What caught her attention the most, however, was how much he differed from her memories. Gone was that easy, brotherly smile, to be replaced by that cocky grin. Her fist clenched in frustration, which was made all the more acute by the fact that she knew it was her fault he'd turned into this.
The agents suddenly entered the room, interrupting her internal anguish and forcing her to focus on the whole picture instead of just her sibling. As soon as the door opened, she watched her brother stop drumming his fingers and cock his head to the side in curiosity, watching the pair himself. They sat down, opened up a rather large file and pulled out a stack of papers, looking through them before focusing on Asher.
"To confirm, you are, in fact, Asher Mercury?"
"Yup, that'd be me."
"17 years old?"
"18 next month."
"Older brother of Azure Mercury?"
Asher flinched, but nodded silently.
"Mr. Mercury, do you realize how many crimes you've committed in the last two years?"
"No. Please, enlighten me."
"According to this document here, you and your associates are wanted for at least 11 counts of bank robbery, 4 counts of art theft, and 3 counts of train robbery."
"Well, that does sound like a lot, doesn't it?"
"So then, you realize the position you're in."
"I go to court, I get convicted, I go to jail, life continues?"
"Mr. Mercury, you could go to jail for a very long time."
"So?"
"If you come clean with us, about everything, help us catch your associates, we can get your sentence reduced."
"Come clean about what, exactly? Cause I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Asher. The Schnee Dust Company wants to get their hands on you. Very badly. Now, something in that bank must've been important to them, and whatever it was, it was gone after your associates left. If you don't tell us what you know, there's nothing we can do to protect you from them."
"You know, this scene is missing something. I mean, you're being nice and everything, but isn't there supposed to be... I don't know, a plate of donuts or something for me to eat? Butter me up or something like that? Last interrogation room they had me in, they at least gave me some hot chocolate."
"Asher, please take this seriously, this is your life we're talking about!"
"Kinda hard to miss, thank you. Now about those donuts?"
"Damnit Monroe! He's not going to give us anything! Let's just hand him to the damn SDC, here's deserves at least that much!"
Azure frowned at that, not at all happy that they would even suggest something like that. The questions continued for another 20 minutes, revolving in much the same manner of them trying to weasel something out of Asher, and her brother just dancing around the subject or completely ignoring it altogether to talk about something trivial. She found herself getting annoyed with her brother, and she wasn't even the one questioning him. Eventually, the agents just gave in, promising to come back for another round of questions later, and then exited, leaving her brother alone once again. She paused a moment before starting for the door, only for a voice to halt her in her tracks.
"You're his sister, I presume?"
She turned curiously, wondering who else would be here. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of him, and only widened further when she saw who was with him. Her jaw worked itself for a moment, opening and closing without sound, before she finally managed to get out something she almost immediately regretted.
"Can I hug you?"
Ozpin chuckled lightly, while Glynda could only frown in barely hidden disapproval. Azure took that mostly as a no, but turned to face them both fully, flushing red and fiddling with the hem of her skirt, trying to come up with some sort of comeback to save face. Ozpin pressed on, however, clearly unconcerned about any possible embarrassment.
"Your brother is quite remarkable, wouldn't you agree?"
"Um... I'm not quite sure I follow, sir. I mean, he's kinda under arrest for... all that stuff they said."
"Not that. Although, that might be remarkable too, in its own way. No, by all reports, when his friend was in danger of being attacked by two fully trained hunters, he stepped in willingly to confront one of them, even knowing he likely wouldn't win, all to buy his ally time. He also actively tried to keep the hostages he was supposedly using as insurance from getting caught up in the fight. That, I think, is commendable. Almost heroic, even."
Azure glanced at Glynda, hoping for some clue to how she should react, but all she got in response was a weary eye roll. The girl frowned in confusion, mulling over the statement, before she glanced at her brother again, as if searching for confirmation that the heroic image of her youth was still in there somewhere.
"I... suppose... that is sorta heroic..."
"Hm."
"Sir, can I... ask you something?"
Ozpin simply waited patiently, the fidgeting blue haired girl staring at him a moment before choosing to take that as consent. Azure mulled over her question a moment longer, before she took a deep breath and finally got it out.
"Sir... do you think a hero would give up everything he's earned, disappear for years, abandon his family... just to save the same people they were leaving behind?"
"Heroes are rarely found walking the straightest path to victory, Ms. Mercury. And for some, that victory doesn't lead to glory or recognition, but ridicule and hatred. Does that make them any less of a hero?"
"... I'm not sure I follow, sir."
"Someday, you'll understand. Just follow your heart and believe in what you want to believe."
Azure's frown deepened, she hated riddles, but before she could ask into it further, the door opened and Agent Monroe poked his head in. He wore a sheepish look on his face, clearly trying to look apologetic, although it didn't quite reach his eyes like his other smiles. The girl's eyes narrowed, even before she heard what he had to say.
"Uh... look, I'm sorry, Ms. Mercury, but we can't let you in to see your brother yet. He's kinda getting moved out of our control. The orders came from higher up. I really wish I could help you."
Azure stood there fuming for a moment, then exploded, screaming obscenities and practically chasing the agent out of the room and down the hall. What did he mean she couldn't see her brother? It was HER damned brother, she could see him when she wanted to! Where was this higher up, she was gonna scream his ear off too! Get back here, you useless bastard, can't even keep your promises! She was gonna show him what she learned at combat school, whether he wanted to or not!
Back in the viewing room, Glynda glared at Ozpin, which he pointedly ignored. There was silence as the test of patience played out, before Glynda finally gave up and voiced her thoughts.
"You did it already, didn't you?"
"If I had told you before, would you have gone along with it?"
"... No. Probably not." Glynda sighed in resignation, before pulling out her scroll and tapping away at it. "Do we have a reason we're taking custody of a highly sought after bank robber?"
"Officially? He going to be shown a better path, in hopes that he can become a model citizen of society, as well as contribute to our sorely lacking crime investigations classes."
"Crime fighting classes?"
"Unofficially, to make sure the SDC keeps their hands off of him, and perhaps find out what it is their so keen to keep hidden."
"Crime. Fighting. Classes?"
"A wonderful idea if I do say so myself. I was thinking of throwing it together with Combat Tactics classes. It wouldn't hurt to show them a little about fighting crime without using exploding crossbow bolts, after all."
Ozpin grinned to himself as Glynda frowned behind him, the woman mouthing the words "exploding crossbow bolts". It was clear she hadn't seen the videos someone had posted on the DustNet. How he was going to love bringing that up at the next curriculum meeting.
Author's Note- And here we go. A double feature. Mostly because I had all this in my head, and I didn't feel like they should go in the same chapter. There was actually more planned, but when I put it in, it didn't feel right, so the family reunion will have to come later. For now, we'll be switching back to the main cast, a few weeks after the initiation, because I don't feel like encroaching on that.
As always, comments are much appreciated, and keep dreaming.