AN: This has to be one of my favorite chapters yet. Finally, after five stories of building things up, I think we're finally getting some serious payoff. This chapter was so much fun to write and if I'm not mistaken, it's the longest one too. I also have a basic outline mapped out for the end of this series. I'm so excited. Also, I've changed the rating of this series from K+ to T. I felt like this chapter made the series earn that rating.
*It was hard for Jasper to breathe. Between the heavy amount of dust in the air and the electro-whip slashing his naked back it was hard for him to take a breath or concentrate. A Faunus pushing a cartwheel full of crystals shuffled past Jasper. His foot smashed into a sharp rock sticking up from the ground. With a painful howl, the Faunus lost control of the cartwheel and it tipped over to the side, spilling crystals everywhere.
The slaver behind the Faunus lashed out with his whip and slashed it across the slave's back. The slave hollered so loudly the sounds of its screams made the ears on the sides of Jasper's head and the bear ears on top of his head ring, filling Jasper with nothing but an eerie ringing sound that blocked out all other noises. Grunting, Jasper clamped his hands over his bear ears.
Then he felt another lash of pain across his back from the slaver behind him. He was larger than a lot of the others with beefy arms and hands that gripped the whip so hard his knuckles whitened. He had a broad chest of which its outline could be clearly seen through his sweat-soaked shirt.
"Don't worry about what's going on next to you, keep digging!" The slaver ordered. Jasper's grip loosened on the shovel he held. They underground inside a mine to collect buried crystals. The crystals were used as the core to create the Schnee Dust company's famous energy repellant. The slavers that tortured the Faunus slaves worked for the company and made sure that the slaves collected adequate amounts every day.
Jasper thought back to the moment when Ozpin watched him get dragged out of the coffee shop. He thought about how Ozpin didn't do anything and even denied that he knew him.
He thought Ozpin was his friend, how could he betray him like that?
The thought of it made his skinned fingers tighten their hold on the handle of his shovel.
"What did I tell you? Keep digging!" The slaver barked. Jasper whirled around to face him and swung his shovel, smashing it across the slaver's face. A tooth flew out of his mouth and he crumpled to the ground.
How could he betray me like that? Who does Ozpin think he is? Does he really think he's better than me? Better than us?
Jasper looked around at the slaves and slave drivers that had stopped to stare in shock at what happened.
Jasper raised his shovel in the air, showing off the blood on it left from the slaver.
"No!" He screamed. The slavers stepped back in fear at the sight.
"Defend yourselves brothers and sisters! We will not tolerate this discrimination and torture anymore!" Jasper yelled. The other Faunus looked at each other, then looked at the slavers with deadly looks. The slavers raised their whips in case they had to defend themselves.
"Stand down! Stand down, all of you!" One of the slavers ordered. His voice was trembling in fear however at the impending doom.
All of the Faunus slaves glanced at each other one last time, then all looked at Jasper. Jasper nodded his approval. Then the slaves raised their voices in unison one word.
No.
"No, no, no, no, no!" The slaves screamed, raising their fists in defiance. One by one, they attacked their masters, tackling them down to the ground. The screams of the drivers filled the mines.
Pain, torture, agony, pain, torture, agony…
Jasper leaped after another slaver, crashing his shovel down on his head, smiling in pleasure at the sound of the slaver's cracking skull.
He betrayed me, so I will betray him.
Jasper felt an electric pulse explode up the back of his leg. Enraged, he turned around tackled the slaver with the whip by running up against him and shoving him down to the ground. Jasper raised his hand, the nails of an Ursa popped out.
"No, no don't—!"
Jasper dealt the killing blow without hesitation.
He betrayed me, so I will betray him. I will betray all of them.
The terrorized screams of the slave drivers died out more and more as they were all killed. The Faunus slaves shouted out in rejoice as they murdered their oppressors. Jasper bared his teeth as he watched the last of the slave drivers get mauled and slashed and beaten to death.
He betrayed me, so I will betray him. I will betray all of them. The humans will all burn.
Ozpin will burn.
"Brothers and sisters! Today, we unite under one flag!" Jasper shouted out. The Faunus slaves all redirected their attention back to Jasper, who stood proud and tall with his foot planted on the back of a dead slaver.
"We will be the new White Fang! A discipleship together, to show the humans that discrimination and torture of our kind will not be tolerated! We will make an example, to show the humans what's coming to them!" Jasper declared. He stalked over to the slave driver that was whipping him earlier and picked him up by the back of his shirt. The slaver groaned in pain and blinked drops of blood out of his eyes.
"Starting with him," Jasper hissed. All around him, the Faunus slaves cheered and howled and hooted.
I will betray all of them. The humans will all burn. Ozpin will burn.**
*Ozpin wasn't really sure what he was doing.
For three years he had had Glynda by his side almost constantly. Wherever he went, most of the time Glynda was with him. Ever since Glynda had discovered her Semblance, it was almost as if he felt his job with Glynda was done. It was as if he was no longer responsible for her or needed to teach her anything else. He found himself sitting next to Glynda's sister Theodora at home while Glynda was out training with Peter and Oobleck.
Peter, Oobleck, and Glynda were going to make a great team with Oz against Collus. Ozpin wanted to wait until Collus came back to the Emerald Forest to do more mining, then they would take him on. Oz knew that Collus was not going to go down without a fight, so he wanted to face him somewhere where civilians won't get hurt.
"Remember the sword I picked up while you were taking me and my sister to your home?" Theodora asked.
"Hmm?" Oz replied, looking up at her and jerking himself out of his thoughts.
"Do you remember the sword I brought home with me three years ago?" Theodora asked.
"Yes, you never explained to me what it was. I just assumed it was yours," Oz replied.
"Not really. It was my mother's," Theodora explained. Ozpin raised an eyebrow. His interest piqued.
"Wait right here," Theodora said. She got up and walked out of the living room. While she was gone, Oz touched his cheek again on the spot where Theodora had kissed him just a few days ago. He had never forgotten it, and it almost messed with his head. After months of this hope that maybe he could start something with Glynda, why this sudden interest in Theodora?
Theodora returned a long sword she held flat in both hands, as if presenting it for someone to take. She sat back down next to Oz.
"As you probably know, most weapons are created to serve as several kinds of weapons. A scythe can turn into a sniper rifle, a hammer can turn into a plasma gun, things like that. This sword is exactly what it is. A sword," Theodora explained. Oz eyed the sword. The blade was so clean that he saw his own reflection gazing up at him from it.
"I keep it to train myself, so that I can become a Huntress some day," Theodora said.
"You never said that you were interested in being a Huntress," Oz pointed out, fascinated now by Theodora's ambition.
"Yes. My mother was a Huntress, so I want to become one too," Theodora replied.
"Is that the only reason?" Oz asked. Theodora looked at him, her eyes seeming to hint a bit of uncertainty.
"Well no, I—I—I sort of wanted to make you proud…" Theodora's words drifted away, leaving her mouth shut with her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
Ozpin cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
"Yeah, I—was hoping maybe I can make you proud of me if I trained to become a Huntress," Theodora confessed, her words tumbling over each other so that she constantly had to correct herself.
"When did you ever get the impression that I'm not proud of you?" Oz asked.
Theodora quickly shook her head. "I didn't, I just—always see you with Glynda instead."
Ozpin felt his body shift a little closer to Theodora's, enough to feel her body heat and the loose strands from her black dress.
"That doesn't mean I'm not—proud—of you. If it has, I'm sorry. I truly am," he admitted. He could see a heartrending pain wrestling itself in Theodora's eyes. Something about her seemed off, but Oz barely thought about it when he saw the pain in Theodora's face that made him feel sorry for her. Come to think of it, Ozpin knew that he barely talked to Theodora even though he had had plenty of opportunities to.
"Please tell me what's on your mind, Ozpin. You've been working harder lately than you ever have," Theodora said.
Ozpin trusted her enough to tell her this. She had told him about her goal to become a Huntress and had showed him her mother's sword.
"I'm getting a team together. Our goal is to destroy the man Collus that runs the night club in Vale," Ozpin said.
"The one who mines crystals in the Emerald Forest? Why?" Theodora asked.
"He's using precious resources for selfish purposes. He's using Dust to collect fame, he's using Dust…" Ozpin stopped himself and shut his eyes. He bit his lip and held himself back from saying another word. He curled his hand into a fist.
"Sorry, I just—I hate him," he said. He felt a soft hand touch his cheek. It felt tingly too, almost unnaturally so.
"What if I can help you?" Theodora asked. Oz turned to stare at her, looking into her gorgeous eyes.
"Let me take care of Collus, and you can train your team to bring the Huntsmen and Huntresses back."
"I'm trying to create a new academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. It's my responsibility to revive them."
"Then do it, and let me handle Collus," Theodora said. Her face was just several inches away from Ozpin's now.
"I've been looking forward to destroying him for so long. It should be my responsibility," Oz whispered. Theodora tilted her head.
"Don't you trust me?"
"Of course."
"If I destroy Collus myself, will you be proud of me then?" Theodora asked. Ozpin answered by kissing Theodora full on the lips, long and hard. Theodora wrapped her legs around Oz's waist and threw her arms around Oz's neck.**
*Theodora had him now. He was hers now. Not Glynda's, hers. She had loved him since the day she first met him, and had wanted him so badly. She knew now what she had to do to keep him. She knew now what she had to do in order for him to be proud of her. When she destroys Collus, it won't be because that's what the one she served wanted. It was because it would guarantee Ozpin's approval. And his love.**
*Ozpin and Theodora stopped when Oz's scroll on the table in front of them beeped. It was the beep signaling that there was an emergency news alert. Oz and Theodora's lips separated but Oz still felt the heat. He picked up his scroll and pulled it open to stretch the screen out.
A news reporter named Magenta was standing in the news station with a screen displaying security camera footage of a violent riot in the streets of Vale. Cars were on fire and people fled in all directions, trying desperately to get away from a mob of…
Faunus.
"An angry mob of Faunus is terrorizing the city of Vale. The members of the mob appear to belong to the Schnee Dust company's miners. The reason for this riot is unknown, but we're receiving reports that bodies of the slavers they belonged to have been found in the mines near Vale," Magenta narrated.
"This is so unexpected," Theodora commented.
"Not really, the Faunus and the human race have been at odds with each other for a very long time," Ozpin replied.
"But why did this riot start? Why now?" Theodora asked. It frustrated Oz that he didn't know the answer to that question.
Then he spotted him in the footage.
Jasper?
"Hold on," Magenta said, raising her hand to her earpiece. "We're receiving video footage being streamed through a scroll by a civilian in Vale."
Magenta and her station disappeared to let in a video screen showing Jasper standing at the center of the mob. He had a hood over his head, covering his bear ears. His eyes blazed with a fierce insanity and anger that made Ozpin cringe. He felt Theodora's body shiver against him.
In Jasper's hand, he gripped the collar of a large man with his outfit showing off his allegiance to the Schnee Dust company as a slave driver.
"All of you who are human, listen to me! You will all know how it feels to be mistreated and discriminated and tortured! We will torture you just as you have tortured us!"
He raised the man higher in his grip. "But first, an example," he turned to face the man.
"What is your name?" He asked. The man hesitated, but finally gave in.
"Duke Winchester," he said.
"Now, Duke Winchester, tell me what we all want to hear. Say, 'we'll rise'," Jasper said.
"I—I ca—."
"Say it!" Jasper screamed, spittle flying from his mouth.
"We'll rise," Duke squeaked. Jasper grinned in satisfaction.
"Thank you Duke," he said. He then proceeded to whip Duke with an electro-whip. Over and over again he did it and didn't stop regardless of Duke's pleas for him to stop. Jasper cackled and spit at Duke. He didn't stop until Duke stopped moving.
All Ozpin was able to do was stare at the screen in horror and disgust. He could feel acid leaping up his throat to strangle him.
"This is horrible. It's sick," Theodora said. Jasper looked in the direction of the screen. The screen shook when the person recording realized he saw him.
"Ah good, you're recording. I want Vale to know that I will not stop unless one of you brings me the man known as Ozpin to me. I want him alive. Do you hear that, Ozpin? If you do not come to me, more will die," Jasper declared. Oz dropped the scroll and shook his head. He reached to touch Theodora's arms.
"Why does he want you?" Theodora asked.
"I did this. This is my fault," Oz said.
"How?"
"I gave him a coin once when he was out on the street homeless, and when he went into a coffee shop, the owner wanted him out. He tried to get me to be on his side, but I denied I knew him because I didn't want it to look like I supported him," Ozpin explained.
"Well," Theodora stuttered, "that makes sense. You're going to be a professor. You'll hurt your reputation if you're seen supporting the Faunus."
"I know. But there's more. To help him—before the shop incident—I secured him a job to work for the Schnee Dust company. I had no idea they would treat him like this," Ozpin said. Theodora nodded in understanding.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"I have to go find and gather the others. I can't go to Jasper alone, he won't stop hurting people. Now that he has a force behind him, he won't stop," Oz said. Theodora put her hand on his cheek.
"Go."
Ozpin nodded, and made sure to plant a brief kiss on Theodora's lips before leaving.
On his way out, his scroll beeped again, signaling that someone was calling him. When he saw that it was his father calling him, he put his scroll back and ignored the remaining beeps.**
*"Father? Dad?" Roman called out. He was standing in the doorway at his house, looking down the hall. No answer came. There had been nights where he stood in the doorway calling for his mother, knowing fully well that the only answer he was going to get was a loud, angry reaction from his father Collus. This time, his father wasn't answering.
Roman looked down at his scroll, watching the news footage of the riots going on in the streets of Vale. He was rocked off his feet when an explosion violently shook the ground. He slammed his head against the side of the doorway. Bright lights exploded like fireworks in his vision.
Grunting in pain, he staggered back onto his feet, clutching his head. His father wasn't home. There was only one other place to look. Knowing he couldn't go without something to defend himself, he got his cane and stormed out of the house.
The sun's light was blocked out from the heavy smoke in the air. Cars sat in flames on both sides of the street and bodies could be seen littered in the most random places. Roman spotted one Faunus picking up the body of a human and tossing it like a rag doll into a dumpster.
Roman fell back when a Faunus ran into him. This Faunus had a bull's horns in his head, its edges sharpened enough to impale Roman through and through. Roman aimed the butt end of his cane at the Faunus. The bottom opens up to reveal a rifle with a cross grid. He fires off a large blast, engulfing the Faunus and tossing it backwards. The Faunus crashed into the wall of a small, run-down shop. Roman gets up and dusts himself off with a grimace.
"I just got this suit cleaned," he complained. He twirled the cane in his hand and continued his way towards the night club. Once he got there, his heart dropped down his stomach. The large front doors of the night club had been sealed shut and barricaded. Several nervous guards stood at attention by the doors. Roman ran towards them.
"You have to let me in! My father is in there!" Roman demanded. The guards looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Sorry Roman, but your father has ordered us to not let anyone in. The place is sealed tight. No one can enter," one of the guards said.
"Please—let me at least speak to him. There has to be some way I can do that," Roman said.
"Look out!" Another guard screamed. Roman turned around and saw a car wrapped in flames hurtling towards them. Roman threw himself out of the way and the car smashed against the door. It barely made a dent in it, but the guards were down. The large, bulky Faunus responsible for throwing the car came after Roman. It had bull's horns just like the other one that Roman faced. When he got a closer look at him, Roman realized it was the same Faunus. This time, the Faunus had a long rod staff with a short, silver blade protruding out of one end. Roman twirled the cane in his hand, and slapped it across the Faunus's chest twice. It barely affected the Faunus. It only made him angrier. Steam erupted from his nostrils. It ran closer to Roman, spinning the staff in both of his hands. Roman kept himself protected by spinning his cane as a defense mechanism. Roman lashed out by hooking the end of his cane around the Faunus's neck and riding his cane around the animal so that he was behind it. He yanked his cane back hard, listening to the sickening snap of the Faunus's neck.
Though Roman's throat felt bone dry, he managed to spit a wad at the Faunus's body.
"Stupid mutt," Roman said.
Coughing from the new smoke billowing from the remains of the car, Roman stumbled his way over to one of the guards and snatched his scroll from his belt. He made a call to his father.
"Roman?" Collus asked.
"Dad, it's me. I'm outside the club. You have to let me in," Roman begged.
"Where are my guards?" Collus demanded.
"Dead. Why won't you let me in?" Roman said, his voice rising higher each second.
"The place is sealed. I have every possible security protocol enacted," Collus said. The hand that was holding the scroll dropped to Roman's side as he tried to process this. His father wasn't going to let him in. He was alone out here.
Where's Theodora? She said she would meet me at home an hour ago.
Roman raised the scroll back to his ear. "I hate you, Dad," he said.
"I know you do, son. Good luck," Collus replied. He then hung up, leaving Roman to throw the scroll away in a rage.**
*Ozpin strode up to a large screen he had set up in the large room with the stage in the "happy place". Behind him, Glynda, Peter, and Oobleck stood watching him. Using his scroll to stream the video to the screen, he contacted the person he needed to talk to.
"Yes, Ozpin?" The man on the screen asked.
"Have you seen the news? Do you know what's happening?" Oz asked.
"Of course. The leader of this group of terrorists is asking for you. What have you done?" The man asked. Ozpin hesitated before answering.
"I've done nothing. I don't know why he's asking for me," he lied. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach.
"If that is the case, you need to decide what to do. He won't stop until you come to him or someone finds you and takes you to him."
"I will go to him myself. I can't endanger my team or the lives of the rest of the civilians in Vale," Ozpin said.
"Very good. Do what needs to be done, even if it's hard," the man requested.
"Thank you, Qrow. I will keep you updated," Ozpin promised. He disconnected the signal and turned to the others. He tried to keep his eyes off of Glynda. Whenever he looked at her now, he felt somewhat guilty. He thought about his kiss with Theodora. He knew it had changed him. For better or worse, he didn't know yet.
"Don't try and help me unless I give the word," Ozpin said to his team. Though they looked like they disagreed with him, Glynda, Peter, and Oobleck all gravely nodded. Ozpin had to do this alone. This was a personal matter.**
Yes, Duke Winchester is Cardin Winchester's father. Yes, the Planet of the Apes reference near the beginning was intentional. It just felt so perfect for the moment.