Emerald Gust in hand, Izuku walked his way through the halls of Beacon on his way to the shooting range. Izuku whistled slightly as he went, slipping his gauntlets on, after having already done so for his boots back in the locker room, as he made his merry way to the range. He had intended to use the time in order to practice with his Shotguns, his skill with the weapons having gotten somewhat stagnant given 'everything else' going on in his life and the practical avalanche of things he'd needed to train in order to get his career as a Huntsman going. Still, he'd finally managed to crack out a little time and now he was going to use that time to-

*BANG BANG BANG*

-wonder who was using the shooting range right now? Izuku slowed his step as he approached the shooting range, peeking his head in through the entrance as he tilted it to the side. To his surprise he saw Ren in there, the young man quickly reloading his two pistols before aiming at various moving targets that skimmed across the shooting range's gallery. Izuku had to admit, watching him take several shots, that he was not half bad; scoring several hits to the head on various Grimm cutouts as he fired his pistols about as quick as he could. Again Izuku watched as he emptied and reloads clips with a practiced grace as he continued firing. After having spent time with Ren, and after having met Shoto, Izuku could safely say he understood why the partner pair got along so well; they really were kind of scarily synchronized with each other as far as their personalities are concerned. They were focused, clearly intelligent, taking a while to think and generally communicate by not communicating, using expressions or a... 'feeling' they gave off in order to get a point across.

That was the best way Izuku could put it, anyway.

Having met both boys, Izuku'd learned that despite their rough exterior, they were both pretty good guys... admittedly Shoto still seemed much rougher than Ren, judging by his interactions with the two of them, but the point still remained.

The hinges of the door creaked as Izuku leaned on it a little bit more, causing him to jump a bit as Ren turned to see who was coming in. Upon spotting Izuku Ren's magenta eyes just relaxed slightly, losing the hard focus of the young man who was firing upon Grimm targets and returning to Ren's usual, even stare.

"Ah, Izuku. Good to see you again. Have you been well this past week?" Izuku nodded as he stepped out from behind the door, effectively busted.

"Yeah, yeah. Been getting a little more attention than before thanks to us solving the bathroom fiasco but, well, you know." Ren just offered Izuku a nod of affirmation as he, slowly, changed out the clips in his pistols. Ren not having added much, Izuku found himself having to drive the conversation.

"Speaking of, how is your team doing?" Ren actually smiled a little bit as he turned on, giving Izuku an appreciative look.

"Quite well, actually. Katsuki is, of course, still annoyed at your interjection but he hasn't been grumbling much recently... except for the detention he earned by actually blowing up a toilet, though that's been more grumbling at himself for making such a mistake. It's progress at Katsuki's rate, anyway." Ren aimed at a few targets flying across the shooting range. "More than that though is that Ruby and Shoto were quite relieved, though Ruby quite more so. I don't think she would've liked having her partner suspected of doing something he didn't do, while Shoto's just glad that our team and Katsuki won't suffer in our esteem with our classmates." Izuku nodded; it was all put out logically and soundly and, from Ren's way of putting it, it really was all pretty much a win. "So I have to thank you again Izuku, your aid helped clear Katsuki's name."

Now that caused Izuku to blush and sheepishly shake his head.

"Oh no, you don't need to thank me! Heck, it was your abilities that let us catch Cardin red-handed! If it wasn't for you, who knows if we would've been able to convince Ozpin." Ren shrugged at that as he took several shots.

"I'm not going to sit here and pretend that isn't true. However, even without my own video evidence, you built a pretty strong case Izuku and argued it well. I might have given you a tool but, if you ask me, you put it to better use than I may have." The two of them descended into a bit of silence after that; Ren because he had nothing more to say and Izuku just because he felt so embarrassed at that esteem Ren give him. Eventually he walked up to watch Ren take some shots with his pistols and... well, Izuku couldn't help but feel an old curiosity creep up on Izuku.

Ren's guns. Now, he'd seen the effects that his own shotguns had on Grim when aimed at their core... it wasn't much. A punch to the head followed up by a shotgun might've been good but, well, Izuku wasn't quite skilled enough to nail those consistently enough by his reckoning. Still, a shotgun was a shotgun and it did a lot... or at least, it would, theoretically, do comparatively more than a pair of pistols.

In all honesty, Izuku couldn't remember a single Hunter who'd ever just used plain old pistols before. So seeing Ren's weapons, even if they had daggers attached and could serve that purpose as well, always seemed a little odd to him, something he'd wanted to ask about... he'd just never really felt like he'd known the guy well enough to ask something like that. Besides, how would Izuku even go about brokering that subject out of the blue?

"Say, Ren?" The young, magenta eyed man turned to face Izuku as he spoke up. Izuku scratched at his chin slightly as he took a quick second to put his thoughts in order before he just barreled on into the conversation. "I've been wondering; do you use a kind of special ammunition for your pistols? I've been trying to tackle Grimm with Emerald Gust, but the shotguns just don't seem to do much beyond annoying them, especially the big ones. I'd imagine small caliber bullets would struggle too, but you seem to manage just fine, so... yeah, I thought they might be jacketed or hardened or the like." Ren took a moment to consider Izuku's question before nodding.

"Part of it is just foreknowledge: my father actually used a bow and arrow when he hunted Grimm which, you can imagine, made for an even more difficult weapon to use against them. However, my father's accuracy with the weapon was uncanny and so he passed on the knowledge that firing on a Grimm's head was a good go around for this particular issue. Of course, one has to be accurate enough with it and there's always the chance that the Grimm might avoid fire but... well, my father was rather quick with a bow." Ren said all of this steadily, as he produced his two handguns. "Similarly, StormFlower would be quite... ineffective if I were taking shots at a Grimm's gut, true, but with proper aim it can tear through their heads just fine."

"I actually don't use special ammunition... Nora and I... well, let's just say that we didn't exactly have a lot of wide access and leave it at that." Ren's eyes quirked to the side as he placed a hand on his chin. "Although, now that I'm teammates with Ruby, Shoto and Katsuki, perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing to look into." Izuku looked at him, somewhat surprised, as he tilted his head to the side.

"Wait, so if that's the case then you've just been using normal bullets up to this point?" Ren nodded in confirmation, causing Izuku to flinch a bit. "I mean, I understand you might not have had access, but... well, at some point you had to get your hands on your weapon, right? Why choose something like StormFlower instead of something with a bit more punch?" Ren smiled a bit as he twirled his guns around slightly.

"Well, when you're traveling on the road and you aren't 'quite' as strong as Nora... it helps to pack light. StormFlower here, before the redesigns, was a pretty simple weapon: a pistol with a knife's edge guard. They seemed like the practical choice for me... Magnhild didn't used to be what it is now. Used to be it was just a giant hammer. When we were finally in a position to be considered for Hunters Academies is when they took the shape you see today." Ren looked up at Izuku as he closed his eyes. "I have to imagine Nora's told you about my Semblance, yes?" Izuku nodded, allowing Ren to continue. "Then it can't be hard to imagine that the Grimm, growing up, weren't much of a problem for Nora and I. Even if they got close, by the time Nora really got going, she was able to handle most of the small ones that snuck up on us."

"Okay, but I don't really see why-"

"So, I didn't pick pistols as my weapon because I thought I'd use them to deal with Grimm."

...

Oh. Nora and Ren had been pretty vague about their past, though Izuku and the others had gotten a very 'general' picture. That seemed to be all Ren was ready to say in specific as he turned back to the firing range.

"When we got old enough, I was so skilled with these pistols that it seemed like a waste to drop everything and start all over again. So I just took my skill with the weapon, took after my father's example, and just perfected my use of it. With my Semblance it's pretty easy for me to skirt around a fight, or even distract a Grimm I'm right in the middle of fighting, so that I can position myself just right and either stab it somewhere it'll feel it... or-" Ren cut himself off as he took a shot at one of the moving targets and, no surprise, landed a head shot. Izuku just nodded, getting what Ren meant. He figured that would be that... but then Ren chuckled.

"Though to be honest, I was tempted way back when to pick up the bow and arrow instead during my time training to be a Hunter. It's terribly outdated and no one's 'really' interested in doing dangerous stuff like carving Dust into arrowheads, but... well, I guess you could say I was a might bit attached to the idea." Izuku watched as Ren turned to look back at Izuku and Emerald Gust.

"I have to imagine you're more than familiar with sentimentality when it comes to picking something, right?" Izuku blushed slightly as he scratched at the back of his head, Ren just turning back to the firing range. "Still, there are times where I do wonder about if I should've gone ahead with it. As outdated as the bow and arrow are, I've seen men like my father make it work. Perhaps if I'd put in the time and effort, I could've seen it rise to similar effect." Ren took another few shots and scored several more core hits before he got to reloading his pistols.

"What do you think Izuku?" Izuku tilted his head, amazed that he was asking something like- "I'm not set to change my mind. I'm far too far along now and, besides, I know the decision I made was the right one. Bows and arrows have given ways to guns and bullets for a reason. I'm just curious as to what your state of mind would've been." Ah, that made much more sense.

Izuku took a long moment to think it over, placing his hand on his chin and stroking it as he allowed his thoughts on the matter to coalesce. Once they had, Izuku looked up to the magenta eyed young man and give a slight nod.

"Personally speaking, I think you made the right choice Ren. The bow's too outdated to be an effective weapon, especially in a day and age where Dust Rounds are common place, pack a lot more, and a lot more diverse, punch and are more intimidating to other people. Sure, StormFlower might not have that old-fashion sort of charm that a bow has, nor might it be really sentimental, but it's practical and has its own sort of flair." Izuku saw Ren nod in agreement as he twirled StormFlower around a few times, holstering the guns as he did so. It was a pretty neat trick.

"Well I'm glad you agree Izuku... though I will admit to being somewhat surprised." Izuku blinked as Ren nodded towards Emerald Gust. "Your own weapons... well, considering your history, they don't seem all that practical for someone who thought he didn't have Aura. I don't mean to make assumptions either, but all things considered..." Izuku saw that Ren was grasping for a polite way to put it, but Izuku smiled as he figured out what Ren meant.

"Whatever you're thinking, you're probably right. I'm 'very' sure that if I were in your place I wouldn't have made the practical decision... because I didn't. Like you said, for someone who figures themselves Broken, Emerald Gust isn't practical in the slightest. It's not visually impressive, it's just a pair of gauntlets and boots that don't even have the stylish flair of Yang's bracelets, it isn't good against anything but the smallest Grimm, unlike Crescent Rose and Miló and it never 'could' have taken my Semblance into account because I didn't have it back then... heck, I've had to modify it just so that I didn't end up destroying it when I used my Semblance."

"That being said... I wouldn't trade it away now either, even if something could be better. Emerald Gust is 'mine'... it's served me faithfully while I was struggling through Combat School and... well, I designed it to copy Toshinori... and everything he embodies. Throwing yourself into the fray in order to save innocent people... that's my ideal image of a Huntsman." Izuku looked up to Ren, a slightly melancholic smile on his face. "In your place? I'd have probably picked the bow. It sounds like you admired your father's skill as a Huntsman a lot... probably differently to how I admire Toshinori, given he's your father, but... well, all things staying the same, I think that means I definitely would've picked up the bow. The wrong choice? For sure... but even now, with Emerald Gust, I don't regret it, so I probably wouldn't in your case either."

Ren nodded as Izuku spoke, the young man just taking in what was said bit by bit. Eventually, cracking a smile. "It's big of you to admit that your choice might've been wrong in a practical sense Izuku... but I do appreciate what you mean. Who knows, if I had the means and opportunity before coming to Beacon... well, who knows. Nora might've tried to push me toward it back in the day." Izuku nodded at that. It wouldn't have even been about Nora thinking bows were necessarily cool... after these weeks around her, he had become aware that Nora had a certain sense for people's emotions. She might've just pushed Ren towards the bow because she'd felt how much the idea meant to him.

"Heck, she probably would if she thought you thought much about it." Ren chuckled at that, shaking his head.

"I don't think about it too much... so if you wouldn't bring that up, I'd appreciate it." Izuku gave a nod: no point in siccing Nora on Ren over it if the young man felt so secure in his decision. "At any rate, speaking of Nora, this is a pretty opportune time for us to hang out, given that it's the weekend and all. I'll talk to you later Izuku; it's good to actually have a conversation with you." Izuku nodded in agreement, feeling much the same way about conversing with Ren, as the young man walked past Izuku and left the gun range. Alright, now that Ren's gone Izuku could... cou...

'Huh... why did I come here in the first place?' he'd gotten so wrapped up in his conversation with Ren that he honestly completely forgotten. Huh, that was kind of unlike him. Well if he couldn't remember why he came here, maybe he could do something else that he had in mind? Ren was right; it is the weekend, after all. So with a shrug Izuku turned on his heels and walk out of the shooting range, having forgotten to train with Emerald Gust.

"Mr. Midoriya. I have to say, you're making quite the impression when it comes to timeliness. It seems like anytime my schedule opens up for us to have one of these little meetings, you're able to make an available space in your own schedule to make it happen. Most adults manage to lack that skill after years of practice and attempts at mastering it; I have to give you a small round of applause for that." Izuku couldn't help but smile and blush fiercely at Ozpin's praise. Sheepishly scratching at the back of his head, walking into his office from his elevator as he did so.

"Well... I mean, it's such a huge honor to be able to spend any amount of time with a Huntsman of your name and recognition, Headmaster Ozpin. How could I not make time for a meeting like this?" Ozpin nodded appreciatively at Izuku's answer as he waved at an open seat, a cup placed on one end of the table next to it and a cup next to his own seat. Between the two seats on the table lay out a game board; one for the game 'Go' if Izuku's memory served him right. Izuku hadn't played as much Go as he had other games, Go and Shogi having been more popular in Mistral than they were in Vale, but Izuku was always open to trying new things when it came to board games.

"As before Mr. Midoriya, feel free to ask for any beverage of your choosing. Once we have our glasses pours, we can begin with our game and with our," Ozpin chuckled as he readjusted his glasses, "-small talk, as it were." Izuku smiled a bit as well; given the past two topics Izuku and Ozpin had discussed, it barely qualified as small talk, especially with the heady things Ozpin had usually asked him about. Still, Izuku looked down at the two cups placed before him and tapped his chin, thinking about just what he was in the mood to have while he and the Headmaster played a rousing game of Go.

"Well Headmaster, I'd actually be pretty interesting in trying some coffee." Izuku saw Ozpin nod his head as he prepared to pull something out but, before he did, Izuku spoke up. "As for what kind... I dunno, I haven't really ever tried any kind of coffee before so I don't really know what would be any good. So... surprise me, I guess?"

There was a quiet moment between Izuku and Ozpin as the Headmaster of the Academy just took a long moment to look Izuku straight in the eyes. It was as if he was searching Izuku's very soul, digging deep into the very boundaries of 'who you are' in order to fully understand what was in Izuku, how strong of a person he was. Finally, Ozpin slipped his hand over toward a small button on his desk and pressed it. "Miss May?"

"Yes Headmaster Ozpin?" Miss May, the young woman who was basically Ozpin secretary at the 'front desk' at the bottom of the elevator, responded through a small intercom connected to Ozpin's desk.

"Would you be a dear and bring up the Coffee Machine from the teacher's lounge?"

... Why was he talking about this as if it were some big deal...

And why was Miss May so silent on the other end of the line? These questions went unanswered as Ozpin brought his hands in front of him and entwined his fingers, steepling them in front of his face as he just looked at Izuku dead on in the eye. Izuku was almost too afraid to say anything the entire time when, suddenly, the elevator door rang and Miss May walked into the room. In her hands is a 'very old' Mr. Coffee that, to Izuku's gaze, most definitely had seen better days. She walked up and placed it on the desk, bowing her head as she did so before going back to the elevator.

"... Mr. Midoriya. One day, perhaps sooner than we all might think, you'll be part of a select group of men whom are aware of a very special set of secrets. This? This is not one of those secrets, no... but it is a start. I am letting you in on one of Beacon's oldest living traditions. Headmaster Nezu, my mentor, had carefully crafted this machine himself way back in the day. He was more of a tea sort, of course, but he knew his beverages in general and he knew how to brew them... and this machine is the last legacy of that skill." At that point the ridiculousness of the situation had far outstripped Izuku's fear as he just blinked incredulously at Ozpin, a confused expression on his face as he watched Ozpin pour in some coffee beans and water into the machine.

"Headmaster... are we just having fun here, because you really do seem like you're taking this way too seriously. I mean... I'm just kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop here." Ozpin said nothing as he continued to work on the machine which, in the end, just caused Izuku to shake his head. "I mean, it's just an old Mr. Coffee, right? You're kind of pulling my leg here, right?" Izuku watched as the coffee filtered down into the pot and watch as Ozpin, with reverence, removed it from the machine to prepared to pour it. "I mean, how good can one cup of coffee-"

Izuku's heresy was silenced when the top of the coffee pot is flipped open. Immediately his eyes were assaulted by, what seemed to him, to be a heavenly, radiant glow of light in an experience that he could only describe as spiritual.

"My Gods... IT'S BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!"

xXxXxXxXxXx

"Ooooooooh~..." The two pleased sighs that exited Izuku's and Ozpin's lips almost simultaneously echoed slightly in his office, the game of Go momentarily paused as the two of them took a moment to finish their respective cups of coffee before pouring new ones.

'This... this was some 'really' good coffee.' That itself seemed like an understatement but... well, Izuku honestly didn't have words for how good it was. It was just 'really' good.

"So Mr. Midoriya, have you come to a decision about your Leadership Club's finances?" Ozpin asked as he took another sip of his coffee... Izuku just kind of blinked for a moment, trying to clear the haze of wonder and amazement from his mind that had come from this coffee.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, right, that!" Izuku coughed into his fist as he leaned forward, Ozpin chuckling at the display.

"Yes, 'that'. If I'm not mistaken you were quite curious about it and... well, this is the fifth week of your little club meeting. You are up for consideration now, if you have a report to submit." Izuku nodded as he took another sip of the coffee, a pleased grunt echoing in his throat as he quickly swished it down.

"I'm aware Headmaster, and we actually had a discussion about this in our meeting for this week, considering the timing and all." Ozpin nodded, seemingly pleased with his preparedness, as Izuku just scratched at the back of his head. "Sad to say, but I don't think the Leadership Club can very reasonably ask for funding at this time Headmaster. Most of what we do during the week involves a lot of talking and a lot of sharing of experience... stuff that comes free because it 'comes' from us. We help each other in ways that don't really require money right now. Sure, maybe sometime in the future it might be nice to have money to feed more people who join or to hire guest speakers like experienced Huntsmen to come in and talk to the group but... well, for now, we're content to just wait and work on recruiting more people before we make any big decisions about funding. We just don't need it yet."

Ozpin took a moment to smile before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I must say, I'm actually quite proud Mr. Midoriya. It's a very responsible and well-reasoned conclusion you've come to, especially considering what you may have stood to gain if you were a little more morally scrupulous. While I wasn't about to discount the possibility that your club 'could' have resource requirements that might need funding, I couldn't think of them myself at the time and, assumed, that this would be the conclusion we'd work towards. I was open to being surprised, but I was just as open to being right." Ozpin took a drink of his coffee again as he gave a satisfied sigh. "Needless to say, I'm quite happy that, coming to the same conclusion, that you and your club have taken the responsible route and declined to ask for funding. A lot of people your age wouldn't." Izuku nodded in understanding before taking a drink of coffee.

"Yeah, Coco told me about the Fashion Club. I figured if we tried to do anything untoward like that it might end up sullying the reputation of the club... I'd be a pretty poor treasurer if I allowed something like that to happen." Ozpin chuckled slightly as the older man seemed nostalgic.

"Ah the Fashion Club. I suppose Miss Adel 'would' bring that up as an example of what a club shouldn't do or shouldn't be." Izuku tilted his head to the side, curious, as Ozpin smiled a bit. "The Fashion Club was an idea that was proposed last year and failed spectacularly because it turned out to 'just' be a club to try and get clothes for free with the school's money... and Miss Adel was the Head of it."

...

"Huh?"Izuku blinked in confusion, somewhat blown back by Ozpin's amused expression. "What? I mean, I thought it was weird that Coco knew so much about it, but it really doesn't seem like something she'd do." Ozpin chuckled slightly as he took another drink of coffee.

"Indeed. Miss Adel, these days, wouldn't dream of it. Back last year though... well, this is more a matter you can discuss with the various members of Team CFVY." Izuku pouted slightly, hooked into the start of his story and now left bereft of a resolution to it. "Point is though that, during her First Year, this was... one thing that Miss Adel tried. It definitely looked bad and there were a 'lot' of Professors who didn't quite like Miss Adel's actions or her attitude. A handful even called for her expulsion; such an attempt to cheat the school wasn't fitting of being a Huntress. I have to admit, they weren't wrong; a Hunter shouldn't be going around doing those sorts of things. The reason why people are so supportive of us, why we're given such a spot in the light these days, is that people trust Hunters to do what's best for them, to be the Heroes they can depend on. Such actions... well, they run contrary to that image."

"Yet if I had expelled Miss Adel as they suggested, then the young woman who currently stands at the very Top of the current crop of Second Year Students wouldn't be here. An exemplary Huntress and a caring Team Leader would've been booted out if the people who thought so ill of her had their way. If I hadn't given her a chance to show what she was capable of, then... well, it would've not only been a loss for Miss Adel, but also a loss for the Hunter's profession." Izuku nodded his head as he got the idea that he understood what lesson that Ozpin was getting around to.

"That's why you always give people second chances, right? An opportunity to prove themselves." Ozpin took a drink of his coffee and smacked his lips for a moment before he smiled at the young man.

"An opportunity to prove themselves, yes... but second chances, well, not always." Izuku blinked in confusion as Ozpin took another drink. "There have been several people that I have let go of over the years for various reasons, Mr. Midoriya. People that I formerly trusted that I've let slip out of my circle or who had my confidence that I removed from it. Some of them had all the potential in the world, just like Miss Adel... but that hadn't been enough to keep me from pushing them out when I judged it necessary." Ozpin took another drink of his coffee as he looked down at you, a twinkle in his eye.

"Confidence is an odd thing, Mr. Midoriya. Sometimes, it can hold out even against the most brash and offensive behaviors... but other times it's easy to shatter for good. Even with all the good intentions in all the world, sometimes the actions a person takes, even a close friend, cannot be ignored or looked over. Likewise even truly terrible things must be overlooked in the name of taking a chance, in making a bet, in bargaining for something, potentially, better in the long term... it's a very complex thing, Mr. Midoriya. All wrapped up in perhaps the most difficult thing that we as humans have to manage... Trust."

"Tell me, Mr. Midoriya..." Izuku watched as Ozpin took a long, deep sip of his cup of coffee as he looked down at him. "Cardin Winchester. He's attempted to frame a childhood friend in the name of socializing ostracizing him and his team and getting him in trouble with my School, the boy's attitude toward the Faunus is... repugnant, to say the least and rather than face a punishment on his own, he dragged his own team down with him in the hopes that a punishment shared would be less of a burden on himself." Izuku nodded his head as Ozpin quirked an eyebrow at Izuku.

"Let's say that you were occupying my seat, Mr. Midoriya... what would you do with Mr. Winchester and why would you do it?"

"Honestly, Headmaster? I can't find fault with the current arrangements. Cardin has to do time for his misgivings, and repay the faculty and student body in such a way to remedy what he did. It might help educate him, make him think more clearly about the consequences of his actions, and help push his character forward towards being a better person. God knows, he's been... well, a bully towards many of the first years and even a second year." Ozpin nodded at the start of Izuku's assessment, the Headmaster calmly taking a drink of his coffee as the younger man placed a hand on his chin. "The janitorial work also lets you get an idea of how much he regrets his actions. If he does the punishment without complaint, then he acknowledges that he did wrong and must make up for it. On the other hand, if the teachers have to chase after him to get him to do his punishment, then he's likely to go back to his old ways."

"One thing I would have considered is perhaps getting him a counselor. My own... history has made me realize something: bullying doesn't just pop into existence. It can signify that the bully has a different way of thinking than everyone else or might have a serious root cause, like lack of self esteem, parental abuse or neglect, things like that. I don't profess to be an expert, far from it, I haven't exactly bullied people myself, but it's definitely something I'd think about. Knowing the cause of a problem is the best way to resolve it, after all." There was another nod from Ozpin as he looked off to the side, a concerned look on his face. "But... considering all he's done so far? I'd put him on a last warning. He's betrayed a lot of the trust people had in him at the start of the year, dragged his teammates under the bus with him, and his racism is counter-intuitive to the concept of a Hunter."

"That all said, Professor, it's all just my opinion, and my connection to Kacchan... err, Katsuki might make me biased." With that Ozpin gave a firm nod as he set his cup of coffee to the side.

"That's a fine assessment Mr. Midoriya, and your recognition of your bias is appreciated... however, I did ask for what 'you' would do given the opportunity, however biased your opinion may be. Indeed, it might prove difficult to exclude bias from your decision given how much Cardin Winchester has meddled in the affairs of your own circle of friends. If I'm not mistaken, there was an incident in the cafeteria earlier on in the semester where he attempted to bully Miss Asui, correct?"

Izuku just nodded, it wasn't like he could deny it.

"We all have our biases Mr. Midoriya, and they all drive our decisions... it isn't necessarily that we must be aware of our biases however. It's that we must be aware that we have... well, overwhelming power to exact our thoughts and opinions on others." Izuku blink slightly as Ozpin took a long sip of his cup of coffee. "What you described Mr. Midoriya are similar to my own thoughts as it concerns Mr. Winchester. While I can't be sure that there is a serious root cause behind his behavior in place of a superiority complex, most of these other assessments I'd find quite valid. It's why I put Mr. Winchester to work, after all. However; in making my decisions I must be careful that I'm not simply acting out of a desire to... exact my vision upon Mr. Winchester. That I am acting for the right reason. Because my word, my position... my power, gives me a great deal of influence over where Mr. Winchester's life will go from here.

"Mr. Midoriya... if the teachers who had called for Miss Adel's expulsion had won the day last year, Miss Adel's career as a Huntress would be over. No lesser Academy would take her in if she were expelled from Beacon for reasons broadly labeled to be 'behavioral problems' or 'criminal activities'. Because I am the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, my word carries weight far and wide as the Headmaster of the most Prestigious Hunter's Academy on Remnant. My word carries power that far outweighs most others... power that people the likes of Miss Adel and Mr. Winchester, regardless of how well off the latter's family may be, would not be able to recover from should I use that power to destroy them."

"Mr. Winchester and Miss Adel could have all the potential in the world... but that potential would be rendered moot the second I put my foot down." Ozpin took a long sip of his drink as he took a moment to sigh. "Indeed, such a perspective goes far beyond mere ideas of school and professional existence. The idea that the powerful need to be aware of their biases, need to be aware of how 'they' feel can affect their choices... it goes far beyond that. It can weigh on the very scales of whether a man lives or dies, Mr. Midoriya."

"Why do you think Toshinori doesn't kill any of the criminals or terrorists he comes across, Mr. Midoriya?" The question knocked Izuku for an honest loop as Ozpin looked down at the Go board, making his move. "It isn't that he's powerless to. Gods know, Toshinori could very well crush most men's heads like a grape if he put even 50% of his power into it. It isn't because he'd be in trouble for it: he's earned his reputation as The Symbol of Peace and Hope. If Toshinori Yagi said that 'someone' needed to die for Peace to continue, most people would believe him in a heartbeat. It isn't because the Governing Council could stop him; Gods know, they're more riding his coattails these days than they are active inhibitors on what Toshinori does or where he goes.

"No... Toshinori Yagi doesn't kill a criminal on the street, a terrorist threatening lives or a rogue Hunter because he believes, deep in his soul, that people can be brought over to his way of thinking. That however far into darkness they've gone, that if he can just shine as bright as he can, shine on as a bright Beacon on a Hill, as a Symbol of Peace, that they can find their way out. That people 'deserve' it." Ozpin took a long drink of his coffee as he sighed. "That is Toshinori's bias... and it's one that he's only been challenged on once. It isn't necessarily a bias I share either. As I've said, I've taken away my trust in men in my time for various things, Mr. Midoriya. I couldn't afford to have the same belief in people that Toshinori Yagi has. Toshinori realizes that his idea might come off as quaint... but he holds to his belief firmly. The man has never regretted allowing someone to live..." Ozpin cut off from speaking further as he took a drink of coffee, his voice calm and even as ever.

"And you. Mr. Midoriya, 9th User of One For All... are set to be the successor to that legacy. Claim to hold the same ideals as Toshinori Yagi, to be inspired by him, to wish to follow in his footsteps as a Symbol of Peace and Hope... yet you are your own man. Izuku Midoriya 'is' a different person from Toshinori Yagi... with different biases hidden underneath."

"It's easy to be magnanimous and to look at things through an even perspective when it's just someone like Mr. Winchester. Someone who, in the grand scheme of things, isn't a terrible person. Violent, racist, abusive, sure... but not to degrees that we would find monstrous... but there are people out there like that, Mr. Midoriya. Men whose abuses go beyond mere disrespect, men whose racism drives them not to insult or to harassment but to murder... and men who build their very identities around 'that' murder. Men and Faunus who more resemble monsters than even the Grimm themselves."

"Mr. Midoriya. If Adam Taurus stood before you right here and right now... would you hesitate? Would you hold back your power, hoping to bring him in alive... or knowing that the power of One For All lay deep and strong within you... would you seek to snuff his flame out?"

Izuku's breath caught in his throat as Ozpin threw out this hypothetical, rhetorically throwing out a gauntlet in order to challenge him. His eyes were very clearly measuring Izuku, trying to see where his resolve landed. Even to someone who wasn't necessarily 'great' at reading people, like Izuku, could tell that much. Izuku tilted his head down as his mind and heart raged against each other as this situation as this was placed before him.

It wasn't right to just kill someone. It wasn't Just, it wasn't Heroic and it wasn't Right. It was not what being a Huntsman was about, what being a Symbol of Peace meant.

But at the same time... could he just watch if Adam Taurus were trying to harm innocents? He wanted to be a Huntsman who saved people, he'd told Ruby that much... how could he live up to that ideal, how could he think yourself worthy of such a title, if he just stood by and let the innocents be slaughtered... even if it was to uphold a Just and Heroic ideal.

Izuku's two halves, his mind and his soul, his reason and his emotion, his id and ego, waged a miniature war... and Izuku realized something in the middle of it. He let loose a small sigh as he looked up at Ozpin, his emerald eyes shining slightly.

"Headmaster... you aren't asking me something that's easy to answer. I mean... under the best scenario? Absolutely, I'd do my best to take in Adam Taurus alive." Izuku shook his head as he sat up straighter to look at Ozpin in the eye. "It isn't just because that's what Toshinori thinks is right... it's because being a Huntsman 'means'. Being a Hunter, it means protecting people from the Grimm and then turning around and killing those monsters. Sure, you might be right... people like Adam Taurus might be as terrible as the Grimm... but they 'aren't Grimm. They're people, they're human beings and Faunus with souls. As horrific as they might be... they're 'us'... and they deserve justice the same as everyone. If I were to hold no regard for that, if I decided to act as Judge, Jury and Executioner... when we decide that we can just destroy lives because we view them as being 'like' the Grimm, then we've stepped out of what we've sworn ourselves to be as Hunters. From that moment on, we're not the protectors we've sworn to be."

"People are governed by the law Headmaster, and that's part of what separates us from our enemies... to ignore the law when it inconveniences us, to cast it aside and, more than that, to take away life, which was meant for 'living', just for expedience? Where does that train of thought end?" Still, the burning resolve falters slightly as you glance off to the side. "Still... if I were put into a situation where Adam Taurus was going to take lives... if he were going to murder the innocent? I'd want to do my best still but... I wouldn't let innocent people die. Like I said, life is meant for living... and just standing to the side, letting other people take it just because you're hesitating? I can't imagine that it's any better than doing it yourself. I always want to think that I'll do what I do in order to protect people, Headmaster... but 'never' because I view villains and people like Adam Taurus as being less than they are, as being less than the Grimm." Izuku heaved a sigh as he returned his gaze to Ozpin.

"It's not even like it'd be an easy thing to do regardless. Not just because he'd put up a good fight... but because of what 'Adam Taurus' means to people." Ozpin arched a brow as he allowed Izuku to continue. "Symbols aren't always positive things Ozpin. We view Adam as a Symbol of a noble ideal turned to violence, of being debased... of peace turned on its head, compared to Toshinori... but to people who view Adam Taurus as their leader... the situation must look backwards. To them 'Adam' is the symbol of good and justice, while Toshinori... well, I can only imagine what some people in the Fang must think." Izuku took a heavy sigh, one that shook his entire body as chills ran down his spine. "Could you imagine what would happen if I, a Human Hunter, killed Adam Taurus in cold blood, Ozpin? What kind of message that would send to people who might be on Adam's side or even those who might be on the fence? Forget about building bridges... that might just inspire people to think like Adam does. That, whatever Symbol of Peace that humanity puts forward... that violence remains the only answer."

"I'm going to be the Symbol of Peace... and no one said that would be easy. But... I have to try my best." He looked down at the board again and make a move, eyes scanning across it... 'huh... you know, from this position, I'd swear that-'

"And I believe 'that' is game, Mr. Midoriya."

'Crap.'

Ozpin smiled politely as he took one last sip of his cup of coffee, smacking his lips slightly as the Godly brew passed them. "I'm not going to lie Mr. Midoriya as inspired as your words are, I have heard them before... and I can't say that I'm entirely moved by them." Ozpin chuckled slightly as Izuku's expression became downcast; and why not? After all, he figured he'd failed that little discussion of Ozpin's. "However... I will grant you, that I do feel slightly nostalgic hearing them. It's been a while since I've heard such a line of logic coming from a User of One For All, after all." Izuku blinked slightly as he looked up at Ozpin, tilting his head.

"Huh? Have you and Toshinori not talked about this recently?" Ozpin, Headmaster Ozpin, actually chortled slightly at this.

"Mr. Midoriya, believe you and me, Toshinori's been a very confident man for a very long time. In his view, to save people while also winning a battle without the enemy dying... all he's ever needed to accomplish it, in his mind, was to push himself. To 'Go Beyond' as it were and to stretch the absolute limits of One For All's Power. He's never quite accepted the idea of a no-win scenario like the one you've proposed. Don't mistake me, he's accepted that he can't be in all places at all times for all people, Toshinori is a confident man but not delusional. However... he has always felt that, so long as he was present and able to fight, that there would always be a way for good, True Good, to win out in the end."

"No Mr. Midoriya, while your ideals ring true to Toshinori's and mark you, quite well, as his successor... it's another User that you've reminded me of in this particular moment." Izuku blinked and tilted his head to the side as Ozpin just waved him off. "It's gotten quite late Mr. Midoriya. I believe that this is as good a place as any to end our discussion." Izuku hesitated for a moment, his curiosity threatening to override his good manners, but he nodded in understanding as he stood up. "Good night Mr. Midoriya... and thank you for coming by. This was quite pleasant."

Izuku... didn't know entirely where Ozpin was coming from on that one. Not only did he lose the game again, but the topics he brought up that time were... quite heavy, in Izuku's opinion. Still, he supposed that coffee 'was' really amazing and the game was fun enough. So he just nodded politely and offered Ozpin his goodbyes before he quickly boarded the elevator, descending back down to Beacon Academy.

A/N: Due to my own clumsiness this came out a day late. The normal update pattern will resume and the next will come out on the 24th as normal, apologies.

-gorilla_fingers