Original upload date: 7/20/2020
Revised upload: 12/4/2022
I'm so sorry for the late update. School was really taking up all of my time and getting used to an entirely new school system didn't help. I'll be trying to finish this volume by June of next year at the latest.
It also didn't help that this chapter was a mess. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking back then. There are so many threads I'm barely keeping track of them all.
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!
Metal like Roses
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.
The Morning Of
Weiss quickly realized, much to her horror, that Vin was awake as she fell. Her eyes were wide and she visibly clutched at the wood lodged in her side. And, be it from pain or shock, she made no move to stop herself from falling.
Instinct kicked in and Weiss raised her rapier. A black glyph formed just in time to catch the girl. It bent like a net before shattering, Vin once again going into freefall. Thankfully, Jaune also acted quickly and rushed forward with outstretched arms. He caught Vin and fell to his knees, careful to avoid touching the wooden plank piercing her stomach - just below her chest plate.
"Oh, Gods," he whispered as he cradled the young Mistborn. "Someone! Get help!"
Pyrrha tried to step forward, but she was already cumbered and holding Blake. Weiss quickly took her teammate from her, allowing the redhead to rush over to Vin's side.
"What happened?" Weiss whispered, her eyes staring at Vin.
Blake clutched her side, and Weiss realized her aura must have been broken. "Emerald showed up. She must have been holding back in classes because we had no chance against her. Her semblance forms hallucinations."
In front of them, Pyrrha was pressing her fingers to Vin's neck. "Vin? Can you hear me?"
She didn't respond.
Jaune, after setting Vin down, pulled out his scroll. Though his hands were slick with her blood, he was able to pull the device out and set it on the ground next to him.
"Seven-Three-Three, what's your emergency?"
"We're at the Mistral Embassy!" he yelled. "There's a Huntress down! Send help!" The voice on the other end of the link assured him that there were already emergency vehicles on their way and that they should hold tight.
Blake noticed how pale Vin's face had become. "I don't think she has that much time."
As if hearing this, and wanting to prove her wrong, Vin reached down for her belt and - with blood-stained and shaking hands - tried to grasp one of her vials. Pyrrha realized what she was trying to do and helped by grabbing one and uncorking it.
"Drink this," she said, placing it to Vin's lips and pouring its contents down her throat.
Vin coughed as she swallowed the metal shavings. Thankfully, a bit of red rushed to her cheeks and her eyes became more focused.
But not enough to make them confident in her odds of survivability.
"Hold her still," Weiss said, balancing Blake on her shoulder as she lifted Myrtenaster and pointed it directly at Vin.
Jaune turned and looked. His eyes went wide and he quickly spread his arms over Vin. "What are you doing?!"
Weiss gritted her teeth. "We need to cauterize the wound. It's the only way to ensure that she won't bleed out."
"What about her aura?" he asked. "It should be healing her."
"She doesn't have aura!" she snapped. Gods! Has he not been paying attention at all?
Ren, now being held up by Nora, nodded. "Vin was a guest on our earth. She was not given the same gifts we were."
"But… but…" Tears stung in the blonde's eyes. "We can't just let her die…"
"Why can't you give her one?"
Everyone turned to Blake. She was now pushing herself away from Weiss, holding herself up with her own strength. "You unlocked Jaune's, correct?" she asked, looking at Pyrrha. "Why can't you do the same for Vin?"
"Would that work?" Nora asked. "She is from a different world."
"Aura is the manifestation of one's soul," the redhead said. "Vin is not a soulless creature like the Grimm… therefore, it should be possible. But I can't unlock it. I don't have enough aura left to spare."
Jaune, instantly, moved his hands over Vin's chest. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
Nothing happened. Squinting, Jaune opened his eyes. "Did I mess it up? That's what you said to me."
"Unlocking aura involves using one's own," his partner explained. "You touch your soul to theirs. You must speak words of belief to will aura to manifest. Those words must be your own."
Weiss remembered when her aura was unlocked. Her sister, Winter, had done so when she proved she could hold her weapon well enough to defend herself.
"The Schnee women are special," she said. "We are of a higher standard. Just like our semblance, our beliefs are the same."
Winter placed a hand on Weiss' forehead and wrist, the one that held her rapier, and did so. Unlocking her aura and leading her on her path.
And, Weiss realized, like Jaune, she had aura to spare. The Schnee Heiress kneeled down next to Vin. Whatever strength she earned from the metals was already fading. Her breath was scarce.
But, strangely, there was a bit of humor in her eyes. Like she had heard a joke before - been here before. And with her history, it was likely so.
Weiss placed a hand on Vin's forehead and the other on the girl's dominant hand. No. Something pulled her to move that hand to Vin's bosom; just above her heart.
"For it is through duty that we achieve greatness. Through this we become our destiny, rising above all to protect beneath, strength in fam…" Again, that feeling. She shook her head. "Strength in connection and bound to greatness. I deliver your soul and by my side, protect all."
As the words spilled out from Weiss' mouth, her hands began to glow. She felt something in her mind. A wall of sorts. Pressing against it did nothing.
It's not working! she panicked. But then she 'saw' it. A power. A different power. But one still tied to her own. A fissure in the essence of Vin's soul. Taking that power, Weiss funneled it into that crack and felt something break.
Then, when she finished, a blinding light exploded from where Vin lay.
The young Mistborn breathed power. One moment, she felt cold and dead. Now? She felt hot. Like the metals themselves, flaming and burning and raging with power.
I've felt this before, she realized. Barely a few days ago - but almost a different lifetime. The Well. Ascension.
Godhood.
This must be the last remnants of its power… whatever brought me here, the last of my home.
Vin sat up and noticed that not only was she steaming, but time also appeared to have frozen. To her right, Pyrrha was holding back tears. To her left, Jaune and Weiss. The blonde had his eyes wide and hands outstretched as he moved to catch a collapsing Weiss. Blake, Nora, and Ren were standing further back.
Something inside Vin made her reach out and grab Pyrrha's arm. Power instantly flooded from her and into the redhead. Her eyes glowed as some of the magic from Vin was transferred to her. Preserving them.
Blake was next. Then Nora and Ren. Their aura flashed bright as whatever magic coursing through Vin's veins was moved into them. Each time she did, the steam - no, mist - dissipated and time began to resume.
Vin's light slowly faded as she preserved the last of her friends. That name felt familiar to her. No. Not her. The power, it recognizes that name. But it was not hers. She did not preserve.
She was Protection.
She was -
The power vanished. The Well's magic no longer connected to Vin.
- Mistborn. And that's all she ever wished to be.
Vin looked up at the window she fell through and noticed the shadowed figure of Emerald watching from the burning embassy. Somehow she knew this would not be the last time they would fight. The green-haired girl turned and left.
"What. The hell. Was that ?" Vin turned around to see Nora - who no longer holding up Ren but still standing with him - staring at Vin. Everyone else was staring too, their eyes jumping from where Vin lay before and where she is now standing.
Clenching her fists, Vin realized that all of her metals had been burned away as well. "I… don't know," she answered truthfully. She didn't understand any of this. One second she was dying, and the next, she was a god.
Weiss, using her sword to steady her feat, gave Vin a small smile. "I unlocked your aura. But there was this… wall. Like something in your spirit was preventing this. And then I found this ocean of power and used it to break it down - connect them. There was so much of it."
"Connect it to what?" Pyrrha asked.
"I… I don't know."
Vin, however, could guess. Before she could think about that or even explain it to her friends, flashing red and blue lights surrounded them. The sounds of doors opening followed as Vin tried to blink the spots from her eyes. Jaune began to wave at them but his hand froze when they heard guns cocking.
"Hands in the air, NOW!" a voice yelled.
Pyrrha, Weiss, and Ren were the first to do so - with Jaune and Nora only following suit when they saw others raising theirs. But, rebelliously, Vin and Blake didn't. Their hands twitched as they judged how quickly they could grab their weapons.
The officers noticed this and red dots blinked across each of their bodies. "Don't try it! We will shoot!"
There was nothing they could do. If they tried to fight, that would just make things worse. So, Vin and Blake shook their heads and lifted their hands high. Quickly, a half-dozen men and women in uniform rushed forward and grabbed them. With no level of kindness, all seven students had their arms jerked back down behind their backs with manacles placed on their wrists.
A woman stepped forward. She too wore the same uniform as the rest but hers was more decorative. One by one she inspected each of them and, when she was done, a different officer took them into a large vehicle.
Vin stood there, struggling slightly to see if she could twist her cuffs off, in confusion and worry until only she and Weiss remained.
Upon seeing who she was looking at, the lead officer began to bark into the device on her shoulder. It crackled slightly before a voice squawked back. The woman and the box argued for a moment before it suddenly went silent.
"Many apologies, Ms. Schnee," the woman said after shaking her head. She motioned for a guard to unchain her. "If we had known it was you, we never would have treated you this way."
You were fine doing so before that, Vin thought with a grumble. The metal dug into her skin, making her wince.
Weiss rubbed her wrists and glared at the lead officer. "As you should be! Now, release my friends!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me!" Weiss snapped. "We haven't done anything wrong."
The officer shook her head. "That's not what we heard. My precinct received a call that the Mistral Embassy was under attack by rouge huntsmen and huntresses. Not only did we find you attempting to flee a crime scene, but also with a person of interest."
"And who might that be?"
"Vin Venture," the officer pointed. "Wanted for the attempted murder of team CMSN."
Not new information, but still an annoyance. Instinctively, Vin reached for brass to soothe the female officer's emotions. But she quickly realized again that all of her metal stores had burned away.
Stupid. I should have renewed it when I first noticed.
Weiss' eyes widened before squinting into a cruel glare that would have made the Lord Ruler pause. "The fictional claims about Vin's 'actions' are completely untrue," she hissed. "We were just attacked by Emerald, she wasn't close to death at all. We were the ones in danger! Now, release my friends!"
Sadly, the officer shook her head once more. "That's above my pay grade, Ms. Schnee. We were told that you, and only you, were free to leave."
"On whose authority?"
"Specialists Winter Schnee of the Atlesian Military."
Weiss gasped then froze. "My sister-" for once, the girl's voice was very small "-she's here?"
"No," the woman said. "She radioed ahead when she heard about the events of tonight."
Vin frowned. How did someone, who wasn't even in Vale or Beacon, know about their capture? And how is it she was able to convince them to release her sister?
"Now, leave. You've been given a free pass. Do not waste it by interfering with police business."
A soldier grabbed Weiss' shoulder and steered her away from the area. The young heiress glanced back to see Vin give her a small, assuring nod before disappearing around a corner.
Vin stepped forward toward the large van but jerked when her guard held her back.
"Oh, no," the lead officer smiled. "You're not going with them. We've got something special for you."
The paddy wagon began to roll away, revealing a small glass box carried by a set of soldiers. Vin instantly began to panic. Where were they taking them? What were they going to do to her?
A memory flashed in her mind - a cell, small and cramped. Men with spikes through their eyes look down at her. No warmth.
No metals.
But at least back then, she wasn't alone for long.
Aura-dampening collars and shackles were placed around Vin's neck and wrists. Her remaining vials, mistcloak, and weapons were taken as well. Then, after a man with a large scroll tablet ensured that Vin's 'vitals' (whatever that meant) were good, they moved her into the box.
From the outside, it looked to be glass. But the inside was very much not. Reflected panels forced Vin to look at herself as she crouched uncomfortably inside the small cube. Her movements were completely restricted.
Trapped again.
During her time in the White Fang as a child, she would end up spending many nights locked in a detainment cell after a few not-so-peaceful protests. So, compared to everyone else, Blake was used to jail bars. But she could confidently say it was the first time she's been behind them with friends.
After the transport bus began to drive away, and they realized that neither Vin nor Weiss was with them, there was a brief moment of panic. They had just spent almost an entire night keeping Vin safe and free from imprisonment. And where was she now?
Caught and detained. Though not by Mistral - by Vale and Atlas.
Blake recognized their uniforms easily. Though the soldiers from this own country were currently escorting her, and her friends, to what she'd later find out was a detention facility, the Atlesian Knights and soldiers stayed behind.
As they arrived, the police officers quickly stripped Blake and her friends of their weapons before placing aura inhibitors on their wrists and throwing them (almost literally) into a large cell.
Being the first to regain her balance, Blake quickly rushed backward and grabbed the bars between her and the officers. "Where's Vin and Weiss?" she asked. "What did you do with our friends?"
"Get away from the bars!" one of the officers yelled, grabbing his baton. Blake barely pulled her hands back before the plastic stave slammed into the metal gate. It made a loud ringing as she whirled backward, holding her hands instinctively.
Nora roared and rushed forward. "Hey! We ain't done nothing! I know my rights!"
The man rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Dirty Faunus freaks," he muttered.
Blake froze. She hadn't been persecuted too much in Vale these last few months, with the exception of Cardin and his team (and Weiss' ignorance when they first met), but she was used to it. But the blazon hate this man showed, specifically to her, was a sharp enough surprise to make her stumble.
And it was apparently enough to make Jaune snap.
The blonde-haired boy rushed forward and slammed into the bars. He tried to reach for the guard, but they had already moved out of reach. "Her name is Blake!" he roared. "And she isn't the animal here, you are!"
Scoffing, the man turned away. For a moment, Blake thought Jaune might rip off the bars. She put her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't… It's fine."
Jaune scowled at the guard one more time before turning to look at Blake. "Are you okay?"
She nodded and gave her own silent glare at the racist man. "He's not worth it."
They turned back to the jail (cage) and saw Ren holding Nora by her wrist. The orange-haired girl looked as if she wanted to bite her way through the metal bars and pull the guard apart herself. Pyrrha simply put her hand on Blake's shoulder and offered a look of sadness and, surprisingly, anger.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, to which Blake shook her head.
Ren, after Nora took a few breaths, leaned back against the wall. "What is our next step?"
"Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and possibly others were planning something," Pyrrha summarized. "We should alert Professor Ozpin."
Jaune frowned. "The Vytal Festival starts tomorrow. Will he have any time to meet with us after all of this?"
"Today actually," Blake corrected, catching a glimpse at a wall clock.
"Fine. The Vytal Festival is today and we are in jail. Am I missing anything?"
Nora opened her mouth, but Ren quickly held up a finger to hush her. "Rhetorical," he whispered. The girl pouted and sat down, crossing her legs and rocking back and forth.
"It would seem," a voice interrupted, "that you have forgotten about those who care very deeply about your enrollment."
"And that we are just a scroll call away!"
The members of team JNPR and Blake turned around to see the faces of their two most popular teachers, Professors Port and Oobleck - the former being the one who spoke first.
Oobleck spoke this time. "Especially when some of these people have high connections in low situations."
"Professor!" the students cried.
"Doctor!" the teacher corrected as Professor Port nodded to a new guard, likely one they walked in with. This one was obviously of a higher rank than the ones who had arrested them. Her silver hair seemed to glow in the light and Blake recognized her name from one of the teacher's stories.
Something about mustache soap?
"Artemis," Professor Port said, "if you wouldn't mind releasing my students?"
The woman pulled out a ring of key cards - the former, racist guard made a hissing sound and shook his head - and placed one against the panel. It beeped and the door opened. She then stepped inside and placed the card against their inhibitors. The wrist devices fell free and into her palm.
Blake couldn't help but notice after hers was unlocked, the one guard grabbed his baton.
The woman named Artemis ushered the kids out of the jail cell and turned to Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck. "Next time, either call us first or train them to not be there when we arrive."
The stout teacher laughed. "It seems like only yesterday, or perhaps a week ago, that you were locked in there with me."
"That was because you kept wasting our budget on sting operations that ultimately led nowhere. If it wasn't for Ozpin, we would have both lost our jobs."
Professor Port chortled at Artemis' recount as Doctor Oobleck began to usher his students out the door. They remained silent as he led them to a hover van and, when Port returned - waving goodbye to Artemis who rolled her eyes as he stumbled slightly- they left.
It wasn't until they reached Beacon that someone finally spoke.
"Professor… Doctor… I'm terribly sorry you had to come to get us," Pyrrha said, her head down and hands folded over each other.
Blake blinked. But not sorry we helped Vin, she agreed. Their teachers seemed to understand that as well.
Professor Port got out of the car, making the entire vehicle lurch to the side for a moment, and opened the door for them. "There is nothing to be sorry for!" he declared. "Why, I remember many occasions when I found myself locked for many days and nights from the inside of an iron prison. One time…" He sighed and turned back to his students. "There will be days when you do the right thing but are not seen as doing so. But you are doing good."
Taking a large gulp from his thermos, Doctor Oobleck looked at them through the rear-view mirror. "Get some rest, students! While you may have avoided punishment today, you still have a duty to fulfill. Ms. Goodwitch told us to remind you that failing the Vytal Tournament in the first round will result in cleaning the entire school with a toothbrush!"
Everyone shivered. Thank the Gods that it wasn't Ms. Goodwitch who was sent to pick them up.
And so the students went back to their rooms. Blake to RWBY's and JNPR to the room across.
Shortly after his student's arrests, Professor Ozpin sent Bartholomew Oobleck and Peter Port to bring them back to his school. Glynda was already on the phone with Leonardo and he himself would go do and check on the Mistral Embassy - which would, by extension, include a visit to the woman known as Vin Venture.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see half of the building had been burned free. Small wisps of gray smoke slithered across the silver moon as he walked from the intersection and into Mistralian land.
There were, thankfully, little to no injuries. A few scrapes and burns it seemed. That and a few coughing fits.
Nothing too difficult to handle. In all his years, Ozpin had to deal with many things to keep the peace between the four kingdoms. There had been terrorism, bombings, and, of course, the Grimm. One woman couldn't have caused too much damage.
But he also knew that people are prideful. And an attack on their building could be seen as an act of war. Or sabotage of the Vytal Festival.
Ignoring the building, the headmaster of Beacon noticed that with the accompaniment of a half-dozen guards was a glass box on the ground. Through its glass sides, he saw Vin, her eyes closed, with her arms wrapped around her legs. She was tapping against the side closest to her randomly.
Ozpin rubbed the top of Long Memory and walked up to one of the soldiers around the box.
"Excuse me. But I must ask that you release my student to me."
The guards jumped, apparently not hearing his steps, and reached for their weapons. However, they faltered upon seeing his face.
"Councilman Ozpin," one of them greeted - Ozpin was fairly certain he was Jerry Shamrock, the son of one of his previous students from a while ago. Shamrock gave a sharp salute before dropping it. "I'm afraid we cannot do that, sir. This girl is to be detained until Mistral can press charges."
Ozpin sighed and noticed the bars on his jacket. "Mistral isn't here, Sargent. And I was just on a call with Headmaster Lionheart. He is aware of the situation and my actions. Or, to be precise, he is not aware of the situation as this entire debacle was not made aware to him.
"That was not brought to my attention sir. But we would still need orders from a member of Mistral's council to release her. Or for Vale to provide sanctum."
Which is impossible, as she is not a citizen of ours, he sighed. Ozpin turned to look at Ms. Venture trapped inside of a cage like an animal. Of all nights, why did it have to happen on the eve of the Vytal Festival?
Weiss, when Blake entered, was pacing back and forth around the room. Her hair was down and its edges frayed. Her eyes were bloodshot. And papers were sprawled about the room.
To anyone else, this would be the common sight of a student. But to Weiss, it was unprecedented.
Winter is coming, she panicked, biting her nails - something she had NEVER done before - as she walked from her side of the room to Blake and Yang's, then back again. What if she doesn't think I've studied hard enough? Or earned the correct grades?
I'm excelling in all my classes! My team is… better than most.
But what if it's not good enough for her?!
She clutched her head. Winter, throughout her life, was the best part of her family. She idolized her. When Mother and Father were… away, Winter was always there to help Weiss. Either to cheer her up or help her realize it was childish to cry about her lack of a dessert.
After she left to join the Atlesian military, and Father all but effaced her legacy as a Schnee, Weiss had seen her less and less. And most of the time she did was when she was with General, then Colonel, Ironwood. Which put Father in a bad mood.
The last words they spoke to each other was Winter telling her to keep her blade sharpened and her dust refined.
Battle tips.
I need to prove myself. I need to be good enough to earn her attention. I need-
Weiss froze when she heard the door open and Blake gasp. "What happened here?"
A quick glance down and Weiss realized she was standing barefoot on a pile of her most recent test scores. Before Weiss could come up with an answer, Blake looked around and asked another question.
"Where's Vin?"
Vin? Weiss' mind froze. Vin!
"They kept her there," she explained. Her mind flashed back to seeing the girl held back as Weiss was escorted away. "They wouldn't let me stay. Said my sister was coming."
"You left her?" Blake asked, incredulous.
She did. Oh, Brothers, she did.
Tears began to well up in Weiss' eyes. "I- I- I didn't-!"
Blake turned back around in the doorframe and began to leave. Then, after checking her beeping scroll, she froze.
"I'm sorry," the heiress whispered. Her scroll dinged shortly after. Weiss looked down at hers upon her desk (which was now a complete mess).
'Ms. Venture is fine,' it read, a notification from a number she didn't recognize. 'She is on her way up. Please try to refrain from another nightly excursion until the festival is over.'
Weiss looked up at Blake, whose eyes flashed coldly for a moment. "Who…?"
The Faunus thought for a moment. "Ozpin."
Sending a silent prayer, Weiss realized she was the problem. She left Vin. She complained about her team when it was first assigned. And everything else was secondary. Weiss didn't need to prove herself to her sister. The only ones she should have been worried about were her team. Not her own selfish feelings.
One call was made. One simple call and everything was handled.
Ozpin slid his scroll into his pocket and asked for a chair beside his student. While it was, for the most part, the day had been long and this body wasn't as strong as it used to be. He gripped his cane and looked to the side, watching Ms. Venture for a moment.
The cube was specifically designed to entrap those with unlocked auras. Any attacks directed outward would simply be reflected inward. And due to the aluminum-acrylic nature of the 'glass', all of her movements and actions could be recorded and surveyed.
Still, she made no struggle or moves to escape. All she did was tap against the glass. Alternating between using one finger and two.
Taap. Tap. Taap. Taap.
Taap. Taap. Taap.
Taap. Tap.
Tap.
Taap.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap.
Tap. Taap. Tap.
Tap.
Ozpin listened carefully to the rhythmic taps and gave a small smile. Then, wresting an arm on the box's cover, he outstretch his hand and slowly tapped his own digit.
Taap. Taap. Taap.
Taap. Taap. Tap. Tap.
Tap. Taap. Taap. Tap.
Tap. Tap.
Taap. Tap.
There was a brief moment of pause from the girl. She opened her eyes and cast a glare directly to where he was sitting.
She tapped again.
'You know thieve's tap?'
Ozpin smiled. 'I know Mauve code if that is what you mean. How are you holding up?'
'I'm fine. What's happening?'
'I am waiting on a friend. This ordeal is almost over,' he tapped back.
Noticing, or hearing, the tapping from Ozpin, Jerry suddenly looked up from a small outpost and walked over. Relaxing his fingers, he leaned forward and stood up.
"Officer?"
"What's going on here?"
"It would seem I have some early morning shivers," Ozpin replied, the lie rolling off his tongue easily. What was one more? "The air these days has been awfully bitter with the coming season."
Jerry's demeanor changed slightly. His upright back gave way to the tiniest hint of a slouch as he let a smile twitch across his cheeks. "Yeah. Do you need a blanket? Or some hot chocolate?"
"No, no," he said, his own lying smile growing. "I'm fine. I believe we will be leaving any moment anyways."
"Why's that?"
A black sedan suddenly roared up to them. Once again, the soldiers brandished their weapons. The door opened and out jumped a small man.
Or, rather, a small Faunus.
Dropping to a knee, Jerry avoided the gaze of one of Mistral's councilmen, a dignitary for the Festival, walked passed and offered a hand to Ozpin.
"Ozpin! It is good to see you again. When I got your call, I came as quickly as I could."
This time, a real smile spread across his face. "Mortimer Diamondtop," Ozpin responded, shaking the offered hand. "It is good to see you as well, old friend. Have you perhaps heard from Leo?"
Mortimer nodded. Like all Faunus, he had animal characteristics. Mostly in the form of two large mouse-like ears atop his head. He wore a black suit with a red tie and white gloves - likely fresh from an event with the Valian elite - there were so many nowadays that Ozpin could never keep them track.
"He offers his extreme condolences," the Faunus explained. 'It would seem that the woman known as Cinder, as well as those in her team, were not actual students of ours. Their credentials were fake and none of the other student-body knew who they were."
Ozpin shook his head. A dead end. "Well, I am sure we can deal with that after the games. I take it they are no longer welcome?"
"Ha-huh!" Mortimer laughed. "Is a huntsman just their semblance?"
"Of course not. Now, if I might ask, would you please tell Seargent Shamrock -" Ozpin nodded to the still respectful office "- that Ms. Venture is no longer wanted by the Mistral police? On account of her so-called victims not even being students of yours?"
A moment later, Jerry was pressing his hand against a panel and the box's seal was removed. There was a slight hiss, followed by a gear turning, and Vin stood up as the lid fell away.
She looked at Ozpin, and those around him, as if awaiting the chance to attack. He gripped his cane and tapped his finger against the bulbous handle. Four simple letters.
S - A - F - E
The girl didn't appear to trust that, but her hands stopped reaching for daggers that were no longer on her person.
"My sincerest apologies," Mortimer said, giving a small bow to the girl. "It came to our attention too late about Cinder and her team. Be assured we will do all in our power to capture them and bring them to justice."
There was a small moment where Ozpin worried about how Ms. Venture would react. To his surprise, she gave the councilman a curtsy and nodded back.
"I understand. It was a difficult circumstance and I am thankful for your understanding."
Long Memory almost slipped out of his hand in shock.
Mortimer smiled. "The thanks is mine. This is, on some level, our fault. Now, if you do not mind, I must go. There is still much to do before the Festival." He smiled and nodded to Ozpin, who did the same in kind.
"May it not be too busy for you, old friend."
"No thanks to you!" he laughed in response.
Ms. Venture was then given back her property. She tossed on her cloak like immediately and made sure her dustpoints had their cartridges filled. It almost looked possessive and animalistic - like any minute she would bite off someone's hand if they tried to make a move to take them back.
After another apology, this time from Seargent Shamrock, Ozpin led the woman back to Beacon. He didn't push the girl to talk but asked her to do so. She did. Begrudgingly. Explaining how she, Ms. Belladonna, and the majority of team JNPR's roster fought again the woman known as Emerald and barely got away with their lives. She explained that she was far more adept in combat than she initially showed and, without the fire's aide, they wouldn't have made it out of the embassy.
She pressed a hand to her stomach.
Ozpin nodded and offered his condolences. He did wish he could do more - for her and all in his care.
Shrugging, Ms. Venture said it was fine.
After a few minutes more, they found themselves back at the school just as the light of a new day began to reach up across the skylight. They watched as the sky turned from black to blue to purple and violet.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Ms. Venture nodded and rubbed her eyes. There were still scars on her heart.
"I think it would be best for you, and your team, if you kept the events of this evening to those already aware," he said. "Including Ms. Rose and Xiao-Long. I doubt they'll be happy to hear they missed these events."
"Yang'll probably be upset she didn't get to fight," the girl muttered.
Ozpin chuckled. "I wouldn't disagree." Though they may be angry at you for other reasons. I'm sure Mantle will want to sweep this under the rug - as do we. But… that still leaves many unanswered questions.
Tapping his cane to the ground, he began to make his way back toward his office. "Ms. Fall is still out there, as is her team. Please, do try and be careful."
She nodded and he watched Ms. Venture head back inside as he sighed.
I fear we have not heard the last of them. This story's prologue has reached its end.
Now the story would begin.
There would be no discovery of a body in the wreckage of the building. Every person working there would be accounted for. Even those who weren't supposed to be there - the one they would be looking for most, would survive the night and return to safety.
To Emerald, that safety was a cavern. In the basement of the embassy, she opened a false panel against the wall and slid inside. Then, to ensure it wouldn't be found, she used her Theif's Respite and fired at the rocks, causing a small cave-in.
Content with her handiwork, she moved deeper down the tunnel. Rocks had edges of glass and obsidian along the edges from the heat used to melt this passageway. If one wasn't careful-
Emerald reached out as she stumbled slightly and sliced a bit of her palm.
Damn! she winced, clutching her palm and putting the wound to her mouth, sucking the blood spilling from it. She knew it wasn't mortal - her times on the streets made her very adept at knowing how much pain and blood a person could survive on.
Still… her mind flashed back. She had almost killed them. Every single one. But then that girl Vin Venture showed up. She'd fought her with ease. Knocking her away with her strange collection of semblances. Emerald had gone from having a near-full gauge of aura to almost none. The last of it had shattered as she fell from one of the levels as the wood burned.
She had done it though. I hurt her. I almost killed her!
Almost isn't good enough.
Emerald came to a dead end and kicked a rock in the corner. With a rumble, the door swung away and she stepped into a large warehouse. Crates of dust were stacked along the edges and masked Faunus glared at her sudden appearance.
One of them led her to a table where Cinder, Mercury, and that mute psychopath Neopolitan were all standing.
"What took you so long?" Cinder demanded as she noticed her entrance.
"I'm sorry," she jumped. "I wanted to make sure that Venture was dead before I left."
Neopolitan raised an eyebrow. Her silent way of asking how that went.
"But… I failed. After I made sure the plans were all destroyed, I looked back out and saw Nikos unlocking her semblance. She turned into some kind of… light and healed herself!" Emerald squeezed her hand and felt the blood drip across her fingers.
Letting out a loud gulp, Mercury clutched his head and shivered. "Are you saying… She didn't have an aura until now? Not even a semblance?!" Mercury began to hyperventilate. Ever since he returned from attempting to spy on her, and losing a scroll full of important information, he hadn't been who he used to be. Vin had done something to her. It was almost as if she took away his courage.
Initially, Cinder wanted to punish him. But there was nothing she could do to faze him - so she left him as-is.
To shock him out of a panic attack, Neopolitan slapped him upside the head.
"Tell me," Cinder hissed, stepping toward Emerald with a shadow across her face, "what was the point of bringing you along if you could not deal with one small girl?"
Emerald stepped back. "But… I did hurt her! I stabbed a piece of wood into her back and she almost died!"
"Wood?" A pause.
"Yes, Cinder," she nodded. "From the scaffolding!"
Cinder raised a hand. Flinching, Emerald closed her eyes, only to shortly after feel a warm hand press against her cheek.
"Not bad."
A sound of equal parts whimper, gasp, and moan escaped Emerald's lips. "Thank yo-"
Suddenly, the hand was wrapping around her throat and her eyes bulged as Cinder lifted her into the air. The warmth of her touch started to grow hotter as her eye sparked alight.
"But if you think I will forget how you left and risked capture, endangering my mission against my orders, you are poorly mistaken." Cinder leaned forward and whispered into Emerald's ear. "Only this once will I forgive your failure."
Emerald nodded and, as Cinder dropped her, coughed. She did her best to keep herself standing. To no surprise, no one had moved to help her. She couldn't count on anyone. Only Cinder cared enough. She had saved her from death.
I owe her my life.
"I'm sorry," Emerald whispered.
Cinder waved her hand as she stepped back over to her spot around the table. "Be sure to kill her next time."
"Next time?"
"There will be a next time," she said. Her sadistic smirk already looking at the blueprints of Beacon academy. "After all, the last piece has joined the table."
Mercury looked up. "The last piece?"
"That would be me," a voice called out from the shadows. Emerald had thought him to be one of the White Fang leaders, as he wasn't working, but none of the ones they had used had ever held much sway over Cinder's 'board'. His mask was more ornate than the others and a sword hilt shined in the light as he stepped forward.
"I," he continued," will be doing what you humans can't."
"What's that?" Emerald growled.
Adam Taurus, leader of the White Fang's Valian branch, gripped his sword and held it out in front of him.
"Kill every huntress and huntsman who dares keep me from my goal."
Ooooh baby this was a tough one. I really should have lined things up better. I think I've got all the pieces in place to start Volume 3 now. Maybe a little something before Ruby's visit with her mom.
This chapter was a lot of self-learning. Unlike the previous chapters, I ended up creating a lot of new OC's. Heck, do the dozen or so guards that I have used count? Some of these OC's were fun references, others were name-drops to followers who I feel are highly invested in this Fic. As I write more, I might try to add others.
Jerry12344321: Yes, I know, I'm sorry. Thank you very much! I hope you keep enjoying this, and maybe I'll even go above and beyond McDonald's
Please, feel free to follow and comment with predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!