V3E4: Contingencies
If it wouldn't have hurt so damned much, Hope would be punching a wall at the current. It seemed that Oz had well and truly become a complete dead end.
"To think he would give up on the mission his god gave him."
Hope paused, before remembering how much of a cunt his own god had been and the similarities in how useless both the God of Light and Adonai were.
Well, post-Old Testament Adonai anyway.
Hope sighed.
"No, it's not just about the gods..."
It's also about someone he once loved so much.
"Would I have given up as well?" He questioned himself. "Spending an eternity failing, only to get back up and try again?"
In his heart of hearts, he knew he probably wouldn't. If anything, he'd probably become a colossal asshole in Ozpin's shoes instead of a quitter. Well, more of one anyways.
The otherwordly seer kept rolling down the halls of the student dorms, passing through the silhouette of some couple walking hand in hand. He opened the door to his dorm and went straight to his desk, leaving the door to slowly close behind him with a click. On his desk was his sheathed blade, Shatterslash. Even encased in its leathery holdings, the cracks in the blade still glowed slightly as the soft hums of many fold voices whistled a disjointed note. Hope freed it of its leather holdings, its usual disjunction unifying into a harmonious song. He laid in on the desk, just listening to Shatterslash's choir. Suddenly, it played a familiar tone. A triumphant shout of defiance against insurmountable odds before facing further dangers.
"Wait, I know that one." Hope hummed. "That's the one when I killed that one Alpha."
Hope felt his whole shoulder sting, the long fangs of the beast still a fresh memory in his mind and body.
"Glad I gutted the fucker..."
Lifting his blade to the light of the dark yellow sun peering through his window, Hope admired the work Muramasa put into his blade.
"It still bugs me how you just... Appeared, when I needed you."
The blade's song changed, this time turning into the determined whistle of a driven madman unwilling to stop his single-minded pursuit. Not born from any wicked intent, but of devotion. Of refusing to fail, sense be damned. Hope nodded, not quite getting what the song meant but somewhat understanding the emotion behind it. Stricken with curiosity, a question burgeoned in his mind.
"Do you..." He paused, rephrasing his thoughts. "Does a part of you, remember me? From before you took your current form."
The song stopped completely, the blade becoming unusually silent. The lights disappeared, save for one fragment of the shattered metal tapestry. A part of the core shined through the unnatural steel. The shard of the core sang dully a miserable, regretful drone. Hope gently rubbed the blade with a nearby oiled cloth as he shushed the blade.
"No more tears. I know you weren't thinking at the time." He reassured. "There's nothing you could have done."
The drone continued, its pathetic whine turning sorrowful at the knowledge that it was useless at the time.
"What's done is done." He smiled. "I know you won't ever fail me again."
The drone stopped, the blade silent for a scant moment, before singing back to life. Yes, never again shall it leave his side, never again will it let itself be used against him.
Never again shall it fail him.
A knock at the door interrupted the blade, its lights along with its song falling to silence. Hope sighed through his nose, knowing who was on the other side of the door.
"Door's unlocked..."
The door cracked open, letting in a busty blonde with a harsh look on her face.
Which surprised him, because he expected a future shortstack with frosted tips.
No, instead of Ruby coming in to tear him a new asshole over his and Qrow's pissing match, Glynda was the one entering his humble abode. Her harsh look softened somewhat as she stood before the seer.
"Is this a bad time?" She asked. "I heard you talking to someone."
Hope put the blade away, still looking at his teacher friend.
"You're fine. I was just done calling someone over the scroll."
"I see."
Glynda looked around the room curiously. The last time she came over, Hope had just been kidnaped, so she hadn't had the time to look around properly.
"Pretty cozy." She commented.
"I was supposed to live here for like three or so years." He explained. "So I kind of went nuts."
She kept looking around the room, awkwardly standing in place. Hope glared at her incredulously and pointed to the couch in the corner with his thumb.
"Well, don't just stand there! Make yourself at home!"
Glynda leaned forward, a grave and serious look on her face.
"Are you sure you want me to do that?"
"Glynda, I've been at your flat." Hope reminded his teacher friend. "I've been in your bed and I've seen the mess of cans and bottles in your utility closet. There is literally nothing you could do that-"
Glynda interrupted Hope with a sigh of relief as she unzipped her skirt, threw off her heels and unhooked her bra. Letting her hair down, the normally stoic and all-business teacher threw herself unto Hope's bed with a pleased groan. Hope smiled, glad to see Glynda took his invitation to heart.
"Want something? Got drinks, snacks..."
"A drink sounds nice." She purred as she adjusted Hope's pillow.
"Take your pick, I got all the basics: coffee, tea, water, energy drinks, sodas, beer..."
Glynda snorted as he rolled to his fridge.
"Beer? You, a guy who drinks Atlan Whiteouts, Mudslides and Bushwackers, has beer in his fridge?"
"I mean, I don't drink it." His nose scrunched up. "Matter of fact, I can't fucking stand it."
"Why do you have it then?"
Hope sighed in pure aggravation as he dove his head into the fridge.
"Yang's been annoying me about how empty my fridge is and has not so subtly told me that I need beer in the fridge."
"Why does she care so much? This isn't even her room." She said, cuddling Hope's comforter and getting really comfy.
"Because, and I quote, 'Your room is mad toasty, I bet drinking cold beer out of the shower's awesome.'"
Glynda didn't say anything back, if anything, she kinda agreed with the other blonde bombshell.
"Anyways, you want beer or not?" Hope asked, holding out a can of Business dark stout.
She shrugged playfully, writhing in his sheets.
"Beer's good," she muttered. "A want a nice cool beer."
Hope set a can of Vale's finest canned stout on his nightstand. Glynda immediately cracked the can open, drained half the content down her gullet then let out a horrific belch. Hope blinked, now seeing just how much of a slob Glynda truly was.
He didn't complain, because he was exactly the same when he got back from work.
Hope grabbed himself a can of Monger energy drink, holding it high.
"Cheers."
Glynda clinked her can against his before downing the rest. Before she could ask for another one, Hope threw her another.
"You're a real keeper, you know that?" she praised as she opened her new can.
Hope chuckled flirtily.
"Oh, I know. Question is: can you keep me?"
Glynda hummed pensively.
"It would certainly be worth trying..." she mumbled quietly.
Hope smirked to himself, pretending to not have heard her. Despite the light atmosphere, he sensed that there was something she wasn't telling him. Not that he disliked Glynda's presence, if anything he'd like to deepen their friendship further. However, if she came to him straight after his spat with Oz, then there had to be something else.
"I don't assume you're here just to hang out?" He questioned. "Or am I just paranoid?"
"No, you're right." She smiled. "But it is mostly good news for once instead of the usual crap."
She sat up, straightening out her appearance just slightly enough to look serious.
"I've received a message this morning from the VHA and the VCPD."
Hope motioned her to continue, crossing his hands in front of his face.
"Someone I trust at the VHA told me that they took the Breach pretty hard."
"How hard?" Hope asked.
"Damned hard." She revealed. "They got spooked something fierce and the higher-ups have been crapping themselves over the possibility of a second Breach-like scenario. Progress on getting anything done is slow but with how silent the Fang has been, they have every reason in the world to think that something's afoot."
Hope nodded approvingly despite his grim visage.
"At least something's getting done..."
"Lumbering beast, Anon. They may be slow but once they're ready, nothing will stop them. Counteracting's not gonna happen but when the fan's gonna get soiled, they'll be standing there in hazmat suits and disinfectant sprayers."
Hope nodded again.
"Good. And the VCPD?"
Glynda cringed.
"Not so much good news."
He sighed.
"Give me the garbage first."
"Indecision, timing and protocol are causing some serious trouble over there." She explained. "The Chief of Police is super grateful that you saved his kids, but he can't go against the council's orders."
Hope facepalmed, causing him intense discomfort.
"You've got to be shitting me! Don't tell me these retards think that everything's back to normal."
Glynda joined him in complaining, taking off her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose.
"They're idiots who spend too much time in their fenced-off communities to know what's really happening in Vale."
"I can tell!"
Glynda adjusted her glasses, her face sour.
"Police's hands are tied by protocol since VytalFest is the number one priority. A not insignificant chunk of the force has been diverted to keep order at the festival."
"Yeah, I noticed that." He bit his thumb's nail. "What are they thinking?"
"Dunno. But those that are left who aren't on Fest duty aren't sure how to proceed."
"What are they thinking?"
"From what my contact has gathered, opinions are split down the middle on what should happen. One side thinks that just because Atlas is here that they can relax."
Hope grumbled resignedly.
"Can't blame them too much on that part. I mean, what kind of suicidal moron would go against..."
Hope pointed to the outside of his window at the huge floating supercarrier parked right outside of Beacon.
"That."
Glynda shook her head, already knowing the answer Hope drilled into her head.
"And the other side of the argument?" He asked. "Any better?"
"Kind of." she scratched her head nervously. "They know that something's up with the Fang and that they need to do something, even though they don't know what they should do. They'll be on guard but there isn't much else they can do."
"It'll have to be good enough." He acknowledged. "Still league better than for them to wait around, dick in hand, looking like a bunch of jackasses."
Glynda blinked multiple times.
"You have a very colourful vocabulary."
Hope's eyes widened in surprise.
"You only just noticed?!"
"No, it's just that you keep surprising me with the amount and combination of pure trashiness that you can expel from your mouth."
Hope put on a shit-eating grin.
"It's one of my many talents."
"What a useless talent..."
He sniggered to himself as Glynda sighed powerlessly. His stupid smile was replaced with one of genuine affection.
"Thank you, Glynda. For everything."
She smiled back before lounging in his bed some more, now that she said what she wanted to say.
"As you said, It comes with the job." She still smiled as she sipped from her can. "Still, you're welcome, Anon."
The heavy steps of stomping footfall followed by a set of heavy knocks on the door made Glynda jolt in Hope's bed. Hope rolled to the door faster than Glynda could straighten herself out. He opened the door wide, revealing the two-meters (6'6) tall irate man standing in the hall.
"Well, you look like the biggest puckered asshole." Hope tried to joke.
Ironwood sighed through his nose before inhaling deeply. No, he's right.
"I apologize for coming in at this hour."
Ironwood looked over Hope's head, noticing Glynda... Dressing herself? Ironwood's cheeks tinted a lite rosy colour, coughing awkwardly.
"Am I uhhh... Am I interrupting something?"
Hope looked over his shoulder, seeing Glynda looking like a deer caught in a headlight. A deep, sadistic desire within Hope to tease his blonde friend was suppressed by his curiosity about the general's presence.
"Nah, Glynda's just the type to get comfy when she kicks back."
"Is that so?"
The combat teacher hastily zipped her skirt up once she finished buttoning her blouse, forgetting to put her bra back up and it showed. To be somewhat crass, her mountains had pointy tops.
"...Yes." Hope hesitantly confirmed, all too aware of how this whole situation looked.
Ironwood thinned his lips, refusing to go any further on the issue. Hope waved him in, pointing to the chair by his desk.
"Well, I doubt you came in with that sour face to tell me the weather," Hope said.
"Sadly, you're correct." the general confirmed, his upset expression returning.
"Before that, want anything to drink?"
Ironwood's expression softened.
"Coffee if you wouldn't mind."
"Let me guess, black with a shot of vodka?"
The general smirked.
"Caramel Schnapp with a cloud of cream."
Hope grimaced approvingly with a nod.
"You're in luck, I bought some last week on a whim."
"Wonderful." The general beamed.
Glynda cocked a surprised brow, a lidded stare toward her military comrade.
"That, I didn't expect."
For an answer, Ironwood granted her a quick, silent glance full of judgment at her current disposition.
"What?!" Glynda pouted. "I like to drink and kick back on my off hours!"
"In a student's dorm...?" The general questioned.
"A twenty-three-year-old ex-student!"
"In a student dorm?"
Her cheeks puffed up, huffing as she turned away. Hope saw Ironwood's face simplified into a chibi caricature of the Atlan general, with small blue dots for eyes and a simple line for a mouth. He didn't look too bothered with Glynda, if anything he was incredibly unimpressed by her behaviour.
That still weirds me the fuck out.
Hope put the general's now completed beverage on his desk. At the sight of his libation, the chibified general returned to normal.
"Thank you." The general politely praised. "It smells wonderful."
"My pleasure."
He let the military man enjoy some of his hot beverage before going straight into business. The man smiled, a strong, boozy and sweet coffee was one of the most wonderful things to have after a long day, truly!
"What can I do for you, general?" Hope asked.
Ironwood waved his hand dismissively.
"Just call me James. We are in a private setting, after all. No need for decorum."
"I mean, I already did. I was being facetious."
"...Oh."
The general cleared his throat.
"Anyways. I came to you in the hopes that you could allow me to help in any way I can."
Hope blinked.
"You... came to me?"
Ironwood looked down gravely, his hand balling into a fist.
"Yes. Ozpin isn't taking any of this seriously and I hate standing around doing nothing while our enemies are out and about!"
He slammed his flesh hand on the desk angrily.
"I refuse to be useless!"
Hope smiled at the general's convictions and drive to help.
There may be hope yet...
Still, his smile soured at the reality he knows.
"You won't be useless for long, I'm afraid."
Ironwood's fist began to quake, his teeth clenched tight.
"They are about to strike, aren't they?"
"Not yet. but soon."
Glynda rubbed her chin pensively.
"When?" She asked.
Hope looked down, remembering Penny's first demise. His eyes closed, his expression stricken with pain.
"During the tournament's final round, someone's gonna die." He revealed. "That's when they'll highjack the video feeds and start their Grimm Holocaust."
Glynda nodded, noticing Hope's sorrow with her own sympathetic look.
"The finals are still days away, so we still have some time."
Hope inhaled quickly, then exhaled slowly. Regaining his cool, Hope looked to the general, who straighten out completely.
"What would you have me do?"
Hope took out his scroll and laid it on the desk, stretching it to the corners. Glynda threw herself off the bed to join her scheming compatriots. Hope showed an aerial map of Vale on his scroll.
"Before the vanguard, comes the scouts." Hope half quoted. "I want your Mantlean men to survey the city for any and all strategic positions that may be of use, whether as kill zones for heavy weapon squads, chokepoints for ambushes or evacuation zones for the civilians."
Glynda scratched her head.
"Why the Mantlean soldiers specifically?"
Ironwood smiled, catching on to Hope's intentions.
"Mantle is an old city, much like Vale. It has similar trappings like narrow roads, organic building layouts, interwoven pathways."
"And it takes a city rat to know a city, even if it's a whole different kingdom," Hope said. "They'll know exactly what to look for."
Glynda still wasn't convinced.
"I guess that kinda makes sense."
Ironwood hummed pensively as a particular building caught his attention.
"This building," He pointed to it on the map. "is a pretty central location.
"The police headquarters?" Glynda asked, recognizing the building.
"Yes, perhaps we could use it as a stronghold to better dole out orders and coordinate with local defence forces."
Glynda nodded enthusiastically.
"I could ask my contacts at the VCPD to get you and your officers in touch with the chief of police and sympathetic captains."
"Yes!" Ironwood agreed, a smile slowly reaching across his face. "Perhaps we could do it as a sort of joint forces exercises! Atlas has military police, after all, so we could do it as an opportune cover to not alarm the people and the enemy."
"And while we're at it, the officers on the ground could help your scouts find those key locations for your plans."
"An excellent idea! That way we save time and trouble."
Ironwood looked at Hope expectantly, to which he waved his hand disapprovingly.
"You don't have to ask me if the plan is sound, James."
"But surely you could-"
"I'm not a strategist, James. I can sneak around, flank or rush head first into the meat grinder but not much else. If anything, I'm worse than a jarhead because I didn't even make it into boot camp."
Hope put his hand on the general's shoulder.
"I can deal with tactics, not strategy. You're the general here. You can do better than I ever could. Do what you think is sound and right."
Ironwood nodded pensively.
"You're right. I just thought..."
"I'm not a leader of men. I'm a lunatic with the drive and spite to see my goals through to the end. And the people need a leader right now, not me."
Hope pushed his hand off Ironwood's shoulder lightly, smiling confidently at the general.
"You got this, just remember that sometimes the bigger picture is more important than just the individual elements. Don't miss the forest for the trees."
The general nodded at Hope's sage advice, recognizing the ominousness in Hope's tone when he talked about the bigger picture. The same ominous feeling he had when Hope told him that Watts was still alive and the one responsible for scraping his droid's operating systems.
"But whatever you guys do," Hope added. "remember that our enemy still has free reign around the city. We need to be as discreet as possible so as to not raise suspicions because if they can sabotage us, they will."
The Huntsman and Huntswoman both nodded solemnly.
"No matter what happens, we will do our utmost to ensure the safety of Vale's people." Ironwood declared, holding his fist over his heart. "I swear it to you."
Cinder paced nervously around her team's temporary accommodations, holding the tip of her thumb between her teeth. Neo glanced boredly at her current employer before letting out a silent yawn and returning to a comic book she snatched from Mercury. Speaking of which, the lone man in the room recanted what he and Emerald saw in the courtyard.
"So he has finally made his appearance..." the false maiden muttered.
"Yup," Mercury confirmed. "Bad hair and personal hygiene, a stupid cape, a big-ass sword and he stunk like my dad after a long day. No doubt it was him."
Cinder nodded to herself as she sat down on her bed. Mercury looked around the room for the last member of their merry band of murderers and thieves.
"Emerald still not back."
"I sent her on an errand regarding our old friend."
Mercury rolled his eyes, leaning on his fist tiredly.
"I still think we should just kill the bastard."
Before she could reply, her scroll began ringing off. Taking it in hand, the false maiden saw Emerald's icon pulsing in rhythm with the ringtone. She pressed the accept call option, knowing that something dreadful must have happened.
"Report," Cinder ordered.
"Neo was right, they shipped out the droids and replaced them with Atlas military personnel."
Cinder's pupils shrunk as her face twisted in anger.
"WHAT?!" She bellowed.
Neo smirked behind her comic book, smug at having called the sudden but inevitable development.
"Unfortunately so," Emerald confirmed, wincing at Cinder's enraged visage.
"HOW?!" Cinder yelled again. "The modified files were supposed to be hidden! How could they have known about what to look for?!"
Mercury cleared his throat conceitedly, an act that boiled his boss's blood further.
"Asshole with future sight, 'member?"
Cinder's Aura glowed as she slapped her forehead, her expression worsening. Waves of heat began emanating from her person with such furor that Neo's comic caught fire. Neo began panicking as she threw the fire in her hand to the floor, desperately stomping it out. Mercury winced as the heat began to slowly melt his Aura.
"OF COURSE IT'S HIM!" She screamed indignantly. "IT'S ALWAYS HIM!"
Cinder threw her hands down to her sides, breathing rapidly. She exhaled loudly as the heat began to wane, much to the other two residents of the room relief. Cinder began panting, her tantrum taking the wind out of her sail.
"It seems..." She exhaled. "like I have underestimated him once more."
Mercury hummed in agreement.
"So when do we-"
"We are not killing him."
Mercury threw his hands up in the air.
"Are you serious?! Why are you so afraid of him?! He's just a-"
Mercury hadn't had time to finish his sentence as a pair of blades materialized in Cinder's hands. He flinched as her previously red-hot anger turned to pure glacial rage.
"Afraid?" She repeated coldly. "You seem to misunderstand me, Mercury."
She approached him, the heat waves returning as they began scorching the nearby furniture.
"I am not afraid of Anon Hope," She declared coldly. "for I certainly could extinguish his spark in a matter of seconds."
Mercury backed up against a wall, fearful of Cinder's powers as they began running amok.
"I am powerful, he's a crippled gnat on my ass. I can do whatever I please while he's restrained by the shackles of morality."
She stabbed her blade right next to Mercury's head before grabbing his face and forcing it inches away from her own.
"He is weak and I am strong. And I will never be afraid of him, or anyone else for that matter."
The heat died down as she ripped her angular blade from the wall, walking away from her terrified subordinate. She let out a long sigh, looking at the consequences of her tirade. The walls had blackened along with the wooden furniture. The glass of the windows had actually started to melt outwards. They still held, but they couldn't open the window anymore lest they broke them. She inhaled sharply, looking at her trembling hands. She always hated how much she shook after losing her cool. It made her feel weakwilled. She stared at her scroll, its own crystalline screen having been damaged by her anger, if still functional. She'd have to get a new one.
Again.
She sighed before looking back at Emerald, who hadn't left the call and stayed silent until Cinder's gaze was back on her. The false maiden saw her other lackey gulp as she returned her attention to her.
"Keep me posted," She ordered. "And keep an eye on Hope. I don't want one moment of his life omitted."
"Y-yes, ma'am." Emerald stuttered before disappearing from the call.
Cinder immediately dialled another number and soon enough, a pair of horns crowing a spiky mane of crimson hair appeared on screen. Adam Taurus finished readjusting his hastily put-on mask as he stared at Cinder's frustrated face
"Cinder." The brazen bull greeted unenthusiastically.
"There's been a hiccup, we'll need to change parts of the plan."
Adam sighed.
"Straight to business then..."
"Can it, I'm not in the mood."
"I can tell. What happened?"
"The jig is up on Arthur's virus."
Adam leaned back uncertainly.
"So the plan's screwed?" He asked. "The wall defences, the forcefields, the droids, they're all still uncompromised?"
Cinder forced a sinister smile.
"No, the defences are still gonna fall." Her smile turned into a devious smirk. "All these idiots could do is decommission their androids and replace them with people."
"So what you're saying is only the droids got caught?"
"Yes, the plan will still go ahead as planned." Her smile disappeared. "All I need you to do is amass more troops for the assault phase."
Adam grumbled.
"You told me that you'd only need the bare minimum of agents for the initial phase and then for them to get out. Now you want me to give you an army?"
"Yes." She confirmed coldly.
"So I just have to send my men, who are guerrilla fighters, into Atlas's expertly trained soldiers along with the VCPD?" He complained.
"Yes."
"That wasn't part of the deal."
Cinder scoffed, looking down on her masked ally.
"Get over it, and pray that I don't alter the deal further."
Adam snarled.
"Understood."
The call cut out, ending their conversation. Cinder threw her scroll haphazardly on the burned desk before letting herself fall on her bed. She groaned, even her bed smelled burnt.
"Damn you, Anon Hope."
Even though she cursed his name, she couldn't feel any true enmity towards He Called Hope. Sure, he was a dangerous foe with perhaps the most wit out of anyone in this damned city but even still. There was just something so...
Attractive about him.
Not in the physical sense, although Cinder did have to admit that he was rather easy on the eyes before his mummy makeover. She guessed that magnetic would be a better descriptor than attractive. As if some strange force pulled them closer together. She chuckled inwardly at the thought. What a stupid idea... The only way this can end...
Is in bloodshed.
V3E4 - END!
NEXT ON PLAYLIST: V3E5 - PLAY?
