"Well, he's getting better, at least. It took him over a minute to fall on his ass, this time."
Sun rolled his eyes as he took a long pull from his water bottle while reclining on one of the digitally constructed stadium-style benches within the training room. He watched in silence as Jaune braced his shield beneath Elm's hammer, only to end up on the floor yet again shortly thereafter. As Sun finished drinking, he passed the bottle over to Ilia and gave her a dirty look.
"Be nice. These are the Ace Ops we're talking about. None of us are really lasting all that long, just yet."
"On the contrary- I'm undefeated," Ilia boasted.
"That's because you haven't fought one of us, yet."
Ilia stiffened at the sound of Harriet's voice directly behind her, and she and Sun both turned to observe the woman. Her dark skin was rolling with sweat, she had a fluffy white towel thrown over her neck, and was gripping a plastic water bottle in her hand.
"…I was hoping Sun didn't know that, yet," Ilia admitted. "I've been… busy."
"Busy," Harriet repeated before lowering herself onto the bench above the teens and taking a drink. "Busy with what, exactly, that's more important than training?"
Sun spared a quick look between the women as his tail flicked nervously.
"Hey, it's… Ilia has some… personal things going on, a-"
"I can defend myself, Sun," Ilia said as she shook her head and looked up at Harriet. "I've just been training with my team, because it's… comfortable. Familiar. My parents died in the dust mines that we're about to get sent into. I don't think I can take any more stress right now."
Sun watched nervously as Harriet stared at Ilia for a moment. His tail twisted and swished along the cold surface of the bench as the woman raised a hand and ran it through her short hair, before letting out an uncomfortable noise. Finally, Harriet's expression twisted into a grimace, and she set her bottle down beside herself.
"I…" Harriet started, only to fiddle with the tuft of hair at the front of her head as she paused. Several seconds passed before she cleared her throat and began to speak again. "I'm… really not good with this sort of thing, but that's… I'm… sorry."
Sun raised a brow at the apology, before giving Ilia a nervous look as the smaller girl began to speak.
"…it's fine. Not like you killed 'em," Ilia pointed out. "I'm honestly just trying to keep it together. Getting my ass kicked day in, day out doesn't seem like it would help right now."
"Right. I get that," Harriet offered. "I've dealt with personal jobs, too, and it isn't easy. Maybe you shouldn't go…?"
"Maybe I shouldn't," Ilia agreed. "But is that a realistic option, when we've got so much work to do there? It's not exactly a great idea for me to be running jobs alone down in Mantle, either. There are Fang agents in the lower city. They know me. It's better if I just suck it up and lean on my friends."
Harriet shot Ilia a look of contempt, before she whipped her head to the side to glare at the cold, mechanical arm that had suddenly rested itself upon her shoulder.
"Don't mind me," Yang said as she lowered herself onto the bench next to Harriet. "Just a little sore after you beat my ass. Surprised to see you sitting with us, instead of talking to Clover."
Harriet brushed Yang's arm from her shoulder before looking across the arena at Clover, who was busy tapping away at a tablet. The man seemed to be recording combat data as Jaune and Elm continued to spar, and he seemed rather displeased.
"…in some ways… so am I," Harriet replied. "But, you were right, the other night. You have your way of running things, and it apparently works for you. I might as well get familiar."
"Like I said- you're always welcome," Yang reminded. "All of you guys are. It helps keep things smooth between us."
"Until Weiss dropped the bombshell that her father apparently 'needs' to win the election, that is," Ilia spat. "I don't care what the short-term benefit is. The only seat that man deserves is a bench in a cell."
"Ilia…" Sun started.
"What? Are you about to tell me I'm wrong?" the girl retorted, her eyes full of hatred. "Do you want Jacques Schnee to have that kind of power?"
"Hey," Harriet cut in. "None of us do. Infighting won't get us anywhere. I get that things are tense between you and Weiss, but you need to get it resolved, before we head into the mines. This kind of shit isn't going to fly down there."
"We have several things to talk about before the mines," Yang agreed. "Things like Hope. Things like the footage that Weiss is apparently holding onto, now."
"Alright, hold up," Sun replied while making a 'T' shape with his hands. "Yes, we need to have another little meeting before we head out, but don't pile on Weiss and act like she's causing problems. No, I don't want Jacques in power… but I'm assuming there's a plan. He's a criminal and an asshole, but if you ask me… I don't think Winter would suggest something like giving him a council seat unless she's got a plan to pull it out from under him after he stops being useful."
"Then maybe Winter should come to our little talk," Yang offered as she folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not happy that we probably won't have time to deal with Hope and Pietro before the mines… but I'll hold my tongue for the good of everyone until we get a free minute. This Jacques situation is some bullshit, though."
"…speaking of- where is Weiss?" Ilia asked. "I have an idea, but…"
Sun squirmed in his seat, looking rather guilty as all eyes slowly turned toward him.
"She's… uh, with Marrow."
Yang chuckled softly to herself as she cracked her knuckles, while Ilia's face broke out into a wicked grin. Harriet heaved a sigh and shook her head, while Sun did his best to keep his composure.
"Sooooo…" Harriet began as she looked at Sun, "I usually don't get involved because I don't really care, but if it's going to potentially affect group dynamics… is something going on there?"
"Are you sure you're not just interested in a little gossip?" Yang teased with a smirk. "Admit it- you're curious."
Harriet narrowed her eyes and took a long swig of water.
"…I'm not admitting any such thing. I just want to know if my teammate is putting his attention where it doesn't belong."
"What, Aces aren't allowed to date?" Ilia asked, feigning innocence as best she could.
"Never said that," Harriet denied, beginning to get flustered. "But we've barely met, and if those two think they're going to be paired constantly just because they're spending time together…"
"I doubt Clover or Winter would let that happen," Sun pointed out. "Besides, we, uh… honestly don't really know. They have been seeing each other pretty often and training together a lot…"
"Pff, it's totally turning into a thing," Yang said confidently. "It's almost poetic, really. I'd love to see the look on Jacques Schnee's face when she brings home a faunus who made it into the Ace Ops."
"I want video," Ilia insisted.
"I think we all do," Sun agreed.
"I want things to be kept professional on the field," Harriet contributed. "What they do off the field is their business, but the second it becomes a liability out on a mission…"
"We'll keep her in check," Yang reassured. "Besides- Weiss isn't like that. Weiss doesn't really seem 'the dating type', come to think of it. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe they're having crazy, animalistic sex right now. Who knows?"
Harriet merely shrugged, before kicking a foot up onto the lower bench to re-lace one of her shoes.
"Maybe. Marrow was apparently a bit of a ladykiller in his Academy years."
Ilia quite nearly choked upon her water and began to cough violently as she raised a hand to cover her mouth.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Harriet quickly realized her error and cleared her throat before taking a tactical sip of water while trying to ignore the amused expressions of those around her.
"…there's a little juicy gossip," Yang said triumphantly. "Knew ya had it in you. So Marrow's the 'free love' type, eh?"
"I wasn't… it was a simple observation!" Harriet said angrily. "It's just potentially likely that he could be thinking in that direction! He hasn't been in a serious relationship since joining our ranks, so maybe things changed. I don't know! We don't talk about that sort of thing!"
"Then why do you know that he got around at the Academy?" Ilia probed.
"I…" Harriet began, only to retreat back to her water bottle.
"…are you blushing?" Yang asked, her voice full of amusement at the dull redness of Harriet's cheeks.
"Hey," Sun warned, a guilty smile upon his face as well. "Let's not start throwing around any accusations! Keep it friendly, people."
"I'm not answering anything else. Nothing," Harriet insisted as she began to towel off her face.
"How suspicious," Ilia continued. "Sounds to me like you know more about your team than you let on."
"Well, good to see you all getting along, finally," Clover called from the bottom of the stands as he approached. "For a while, it seemed like things were going to stay tense between us, even off the field."
"Nah, we're good!" Yang insisted as she threw her arm around Harriet's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Just talking mission prep!"
"Good!" Clover praised as he began to walk up the steps. "We're heading out in a matter of days, after all."
"I will end you," Harriet mouthed to Yang with a glare, who merely shrugged.
The sound of huffing and puffing followed Clover up the steps as Jaune trudged his way onto the benches. The boy's hair, normally an arrangement of akin to the quills of a critically ill hedgehog, had instead wilted into a mess of uneven, partially erect hooks and flattened sections.
"Anything… I need… to know?" Jaune asked through labored breaths.
"Good fights, Jaune!" Elm called before throwing a palm into the boy's back and sending him stumble-running up into the stands. "You're improving!"
"Y-yeah," Jaune nervously agreed as he braced his palms on the bench next to Ilia. "Thanks…"
"Well, it's been a productive day," Clover informed as he moved to sit next to Sun. "There's a break and little surprise scheduled to break up training right about now, but that requires our missing companions…"
"Huh. Wonder where they could be," Ilia mused with an overhead stretch.
"Winter's on her way, and she's got Marrow with her," Clover replied. "That just leaves Weiss."
"Weiss isn't with Marrow?" Yang questioned.
"…why would Weiss be with Marrow?" Jaune asked. "Did I miss something?"
"Oh, you definitely missed something," Ilia replied.
"Guys, let's not start this up again…" Sun pleaded.
"…were Weiss and Marrow training elsewhere?" Clover asked, seemingly oblivious.
"It seems likely," Elm answered as she finally moved to sit near Yang. "I saw them out by the fountain last night. It looked like they were discussing tactics."
"Discussing tactics, huh?" Yang said as the door opened at the far end of the training room. "There's Weiss. And she's alone! Aw, shame…"
The group turned to watch Weiss approach with a flustered look upon her face. Her weaponized heels were deafening as they clacked across the floor of the otherwise suddenly silent room, and she seemed to be slightly disheveled.
"Sorry!" Weiss called as she jogged her way up to the bleachers. "Marrow needed some help with something in his room, and we lost track of time!"
Yang and Ilia exchanged a knowing look as Harriet merely held her head in her hands and interlaced her fingers behind the back of her head. Sun stole the water bottle back from Ilia and took a long drink, avoiding Weiss' eyes all the while.
"Well, hopefully it wasn't too physically involved," Elm said as Weiss stood near the bottom of the stands. "We've still got hours of training ahead of us."
"I dunno, she is looking pretty sweaty…" Ilia mocked.
Weiss rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips at the accusation.
"We did just spend the majority of the day exerting ourselves in his penthouse. I may be a little sore, but I can still fight."
Just as Yang opened her mouth to say something, General Ironwood appeared through the doorway to the training room and kept his hand on a button next to the frame to hold it open. Marrow was next to enter, dragging along a metal cart with a large layer cake atop it. Pushing from the other end was Winter, who had an annoyed looked upon her face. Sun stood up as the group entered and hopped his way down the steps to stand before the bleachers, looking over the sudden arrivals.
"What's all this…?"
"Something far less than it should be… and for that I apologize," General Ironwood explained as he moved to stand before the assembled crew. "You've all done a great service not only to me, but to Remnant by bringing the lamp to Atlas. To be completely honest with you… I haven't stopped thinking about what might have happened had you decided to do anything else with it."
"…we did what we had to do," Yang explained as she and the others began to make their way down to the ground floor. "Huntsmen and huntresses take an oath to protect Remnant. The lamp is safest here. Bringing it anywhere else puts it in danger and violates that oath. Simple."
"As 'simple' as that may be in your mind, Miss Xiao Long… it didn't come without great personal risk. I want to recognize that with a formal gesture… even if it really is only a gesture, at this point. All of you deserve a legitimate graduation with full honors, but I'm afraid that this will have to do. Lieutenant Schnee?"
Winter stepped forward and drew her scroll- an exact replica of the ones issued to Sun and his team.
"Have your scrolls ready. With this license, you'll be free to work anywhere in Remnant as a fully recognized Hunter. If and when your friends manage to join us, they'll all be given that very same honor."
Sun watched curiously as Winter briefly swiped upon her scroll to send a signal to his. Within seconds, a license reading WUKONG, S. appeared alongside his personal information and the date. Somehow, despite the momentous accomplishment of being ordained an official huntsman, he felt oddly hollow as his own digitized face stared back at him.
"For those that it applies to," Winter continued, "any criminal record attached to your name will be erased. Your personal files have been amended to redact all mentions of such activity, and of the unfortunate events of the Vytal Tournament."
Yang offered Winter a solemn nod as she accepted her license, before turning her head to watch as Ilia hesitated. The faunus' scroll was still in her pocket, and she refused to meet Winter's eyes as the taller woman stepped before her.
"…I don't deserve this. Between the White Fang, and the fact that I've never been to a Hunter's academy… this isn't right."
Clover made his way over to stand next to General Ironwood and gave Ilia a subtle frown.
"With Salem on the move… structures and rules that used to apply are going to fall by the wayside. Maybe it's not 'right' in your mind because of guilt… but no one in this room is clean. From what I've heard, if you hadn't fought alongside the others standing here, Haven Academy would be in ruins. Lives would have been lost. The relic may have been lost, as well. Don't let your time in the White Fang shackle you any longer- use this gift as a formal gesture of breaking free."
Ilia drew in a deep breath through her nose, before slowly exhaling and holding out her scroll toward Winter.
"…thank you…"
"Corsac will be given the same opportunity," Winter explained as she sent over the license information. "He declined to join us tonight in favor of helping to speed along the production of his new gear over in R&D, but he'll be operating alongside you all as a formalized huntsman, too. Mr. Arc."
Jaune offered his scroll and scratched at the back of his neck with the other hand.
"I… really feel like I don't deserve this, too," Jaune admitted. "I kinda… lied my way into Beacon…"
"We know," General Ironwood said simply.
"You… wait, what?" Jaune asked as his license appeared upon his scroll.
"…did you really think Oz was unaware?" the general said flatly. "He told me at the Vytal Tournament. I still owe him fifty lien… and I suppose I owe you an apology. Your team performed quite well."
"Oh," Jaune replied quickly with a smile. "Well, uh… actually, this more than makes up for it. Thank you, sir!"
General Ironwood merely nodded as Winter moved to stand before Weiss. The two women looked at each other in silence for a moment, before they both held up their scrolls.
"I know… this isn't how you wanted this to go," Winter said solemnly. "And knowing you, you feel like you haven't earned this just yet. But… I'm proud of you, Weiss."
"You're right," Weiss acknowledged as she watched her license pop up on screen with a wistful sigh, before turning her gaze up to Winter. "But having the opportunity to get this from you? It may actually be even better."
Winter couldn't fight back her smile before she stepped forward and pulled Weiss into a tight hug. The sisters remained embraced for a long while as General Ironwood stepped forward to address the assembled teens. He offered Weiss and Winter a warm smile before turning his attention to each of the newly christened hunters in turn as he began to speak.
"Congratulations, all of you. The road ahead will not be easy, but you now have another tool to help you navigate your way forward. With that license comes full access to the amenities of this room, as well as passage to all but the most secure locations within the Academy. Let's make tonight one of celebration, and call your training here, for now. Tomorrow… preparations begin for securing the abandoned mines that Hope is currently scouting. I hope you're ready for a challenge."
Sun took one last look at his own portrait upon his scroll before snapping the device shut and giving General Ironwood a confident nod.
"We'll get it done. We always get it done."
Author's Note:
Likely going to be another chapter this week. Who the hell knows what the update schedule for this story is anymore- 'at least once per week' is now the rule once again.
-RD