Author's Note: Welcome back, everyone. After, what, two and some change years of writing this fic, we've finally arrived at Beacon.
God, that Prologue Act dragged on longer than it really should have, but well, what's done is done.
Also, join the TopHat Writing Discord Server for memes and degeneracy! I'm not the owner, that would be TopHatGuy of Captain Arc fame, but I am fairly active within it.
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Sins of the Forefathers
Act the Second: The First Step
Chapter Sixteen: Vomit Boy
A crunch and a scream. Bodies flying, fire raging, glass shattering, bullets firing, limbs breaking, skin burning,
and at the center of it all, a man's voice, cloaked in yellow, kind and patient, but his warning is harsh, his reprimand absolute
she flees the storm, into the night, into the familiar red
…
"Yang? Hello, Yang? Yang!"
She woke with a start, eyes blinking fast, looking around to survey the scene, like she'd been taught. Her racing heart began to calm when she remembered where she was - on the airship from Patch to Beacon. There'd been a layover in Vale, so she'd decided to get some sleep.
She looked around. Seats were arranged in long rows, sets of five before breaking apart to allow for walkways around the wide interior.
They were on the lower deck; cheaper tickets, less leg room, and no windows, with each set of five chairs being less than four feet away from the row in front of and behind them.
She looked to her right, where her sister was. Black hair with red tips, and silver eyes, she looked just like their mom.
"What is it, Ruby?"
"I wanna go up and look out the window! The view should be great from up here."
"Did you have to wake me up for that? I was up late last night, dealing with all the paperwork to get Bumblebee added to the cargo."
"Oh come on, how can you not be excited!? This is so much higher than any of Signal's towers, the view from the window should be great! And even if that doesn't interest you, we should be able to see Beacon from here! The best Guardian Academy on Remnant, highest rated by the IGO, with a Rank 1 for a Headmaster!"
"Okay, okay, fine, we can go up to the windows. Sheesh, what was stopping you from going by yourself?"
Ruby paused in her movement, stuck between getting up and sitting down. "It's awkward to get excited about things when you're by yourself. People think you're weird. But it's less weird when someone's getting excited with you!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "I think you're getting excited about the wrong things," she said as she rose, following behind Ruby as they walked along the pathway. "You should be excited about the opportunity the Headmaster gave you - I mean, think about it! Ruby Rose, youngest student to ever make it into Beacon Academy. Everyone's gonna think you're the Bee's Knees!"
"Aw, but I don't want everyone to treat me like I'm all special. I'm just a normal girl with normal knees."
"A normal girl with normal knees wouldn't have been able to run Roman Torchwick out of town!"
"I didn't run him out of town! I just chased after him-"
"And he ran to a Bullhead and left town. You ran him out of town."
"Oh, quit it! Stop overselling me! I was just lucky that Miss Goodwitch was there to help. I didn't know who that Roman guy was, but apparently he's a real big threat to Vale. If I'd known he was strong, I would have just called the IGO."
"He can't be that strong if he ran from you."
"I guess… oh hey, they're talking about him!"
Yang turned to a monitor on the wall of the airship. On the screen, a mugshot of a much younger Roman Torchwick was displayed, along with still camera footage of him from the chase that occurred a week ago. Lisa Lavender - Vale's foremost talking head - was giving the scoop.
"-and was in the midst of robbing a Dust store when Vale's very own premier Huntress, Glynda Goodwitch, stepped in to stop him. Unfortunately, the presence of civilians and a Signal Academy student in the area forced Goodwitch to prioritize their safety, allowing him to escape. Both the police and the IGO are posting a lookout for Roman Torchwick, with any information leading to his arrest being prized at over fifty-thousand Lien. And for those young Guardians who feel the need to prove themselves, the IGO would like to remind everyone that Roman Torchwick is classified as an A2 level threat, with combat skills rated in the A5 level. If he is seen, notification should immediately be given to the authorities, and Guardians below the 5th level should immediately call for backup and enact crowd control measures. And now, onto local sports. Jerry?"
Yang tuned out as the news went on, turning to Ruby with a mixture of pride and worry.
"You chased after a Rank A2?!"
"SHHH, SHHH!" Ruby tried to quiet Yang, and barely succeeded as Yang continued to reprimand her.
"What were you thinking?!"
"I was just worried that he was going to hurt someone!"
"Yeah, he could have hurt you!"
"Well I didn't know who he was! If I had, I would have stayed with the store owner and called the IGO!"
Yang took a deep breath to calm herself. She just imagined it - Ruby, murdered by that Assassin, no trace of him to follow - if he was that powerful, only someone like her Uncle, Dad, or professional Guardians could have taken him on.
A voice in the back of her head smirked. Yes, it's always frightening to be on the lower end of a power discrepancy, isn't it? Must be how Junior's men felt.
She shook her head. Junior's men were criminals. Yeah, I messed up, but… they knew what they were getting into.
"Okay, fine, Ruby. But no more chasing after Assassins. Next time you see one, just call the IGO- or me. I could take Torchwick!"
Ruby chuckled as they kept walking. "I doubt that… Dad said Torchwick was serious business."
"Aw, whatever. I'm serious business."
They laughed and walked along the pathway, towards the upper levels, when-
a man's voice, cloaked in yellow-
Her head whipped around to her left, looking across the lower decks. There, on the other side, was him. The man from that night, who'd broken her will to fight. He was standing near a girl in black, with long black hair and a black bow. Another boy and girl were with him - the boy in green, the girl in white and pink.
"Yang?"
She stared at him for a few moments longer, thinking about what she should do. Our weapons are in storage since we aren't licensed Guardians yet… but then again, that means his are too, and I'm undoubtedly the better martial artist. I can take him. She nodded to herself and made a decision.
"Ruby, can you come with me real quick?"
"Uh, sure, what's up?"
"I just need to talk to someone I recognize. Won't be too long."
She stalked across the room to the man, Ruby trailing behind.
As I sat in the lower deck seats of the airship, I couldn't help groaning quietly to myself. Beside me, Blake rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I told you not to drink the milk."
"It was our last day in the apartment! I wasn't about to let it go to waste."
"It was expired!"
"By two days!"
"That's still expired!"
"Well whatever, what's done is- Urgh," I groaned again.
"Sure doesn't sound like it. Come on, you need to get to the bathrooms before you bother people."
Begrudgingly, I got up to follow her. We walked along the left side of the airship, heading towards the stairs up - and straight into some people coming down.
"HRRRH-"
"Oh god, Jaune, don't throw up on these people! Sorry for bumping into you."
As I inhaled through my nose and tried to keep from upchucking on the new guys, I took their looks in.
One was a fairly short girl with bright orange hair and green eyes. Her outfit was some strange array of clothes, a black vest over the top of a white shirt with a heart cutout over her breasts and some multicolored pattern over her stomach. Completing the outfit were some bright pink gloves, a bright pink skirt with a frilly underside peeking out, and white and pink boots.
She's short, but there's clear muscle definition on her limbs. She carries herself like a fighter, like a striker, feet solid on the ground.
The other - a boy, I had a feeling, despite his generally androgynous appearance - had black hair brushed to the left of his face with a single pink highlight (an influence of the girl?), and dark reddish eyes. Magenta, maybe. He wore a central Mistrali-styled green overcoat that had black patterning and gold highlights, with tailcoats extending below his waist. The ends of the sleeves were pink, and some sort of black underclothes extended past the coat's sleeves to his wrists. He also wore white pants and black shoes.
Slim, but he's very aware of his center of balance. Probably a martial artist, or at least has good training in them. But I don't know enough to make definite judgements.
I took a deep breath and croaked out, "Sorry for running into you."
The boy performed a slight bow, confirming his homeland. His voice confirmed my suspicion. "The fault is ours. We weren't watching where we were going."
He moved aside as the girl spoke up. "Whoa there! You don't look too good. You know what'd help you? Ren's special medicinal shakes! They don't taste great, but they're super healthy!"
"Nora, please, let the man pass. He clearly needs to go…"
"Yeah, sorry," I grunted out again as I made to move past, only to be blocked again.
The newcomer was a blonde girl- oh son of a bitch it's that cunt from Junior's Club.
She was with another girl, short, but taller than the orange haired girl, Nora. Her hair was black with red tips and she had dull silver eyes. She wore an all black blouse and skirt with red trimmings, a belt with a rose design, black stockings, and black boots with red trimmings.
Girl really likes red and black, huh.
She also wore a bright red cloak- must be a Huntsman fan. Or related to one. They're usually presented to Beacon graduates during their licensing ceremony.
The blonde girl had a glare on her face as she stepped forwards, past Ren and Nora. Blake noticed her aggressive intent and moved behind me to support, but she really didn't need to.
I opened my mouth and puked all over the blonde. My puke got all over her skirt, boots, and her exposed legs. She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with shock, even as the red girl brought her hands up to her mouth in surprise. Ren and Nora had jumped back too.
"Sorry!" I squeaked out in feigned shame as I ran past, heading up the stairs to the bathroom.
I faintly heard Blake apologize as well before she ran and caught up with me. "You know her?" she asked.
"I told you about the incident at Junior's, right?"
"That's her? Shit… think she'll cause a problem?"
"I think she just tried to. I'll let Ozpin know what's up, he'll handle it. In the meantime, we should avoid- HRRH-'' I pulled open the bathroom door and slammed it shut behind me, leaving Blake to awkwardly stand outside by herself as I evacuated my bowels the wrong way.
Ugh, jeez!
Ruby Rose grumbled to herself as she stomped along the cobblestone path, not quite paying attention to her route.
I know Yang had to clean up, but I can't believe she just ditched me like that! And ugh, it's all that blonde guy's fault for throwing up. Who the heck gets airsick anymore anyway? Don't they have medicine for that?
As she traipsed along the path, her eyes barely focused, she didn't notice as she bumped into someone along the way.
"Ah!"
She tripped and fell on a girl, who quickly pushed her off in a huff.
"Get off me, you-"
"Miss Schnee! Are you all right?"
Ruby got up off the ground to see a girl about the same height as her, wearing a light-blue and white dress, with a white coat-like covering over her arms. Next to her stood a portly man who was, to her surprise, somewhat smaller than the girl. He wore a black, buttoned vest over a white long-sleeved shirt with black pants.
"I'm so sorry, I was-"
"Not paying attention, I can tell. You almost knocked over my stuff!"
"Now, now, Miss Schnee. I'm sure she didn't mean it." The man picked up a fallen suitcase and nodded to the girl. "Let's get going. I'm sure the Headmaster doesn't want to be kept waiting."
The girl glanced at him, before sneering back at Ruby. "You're lucky I have more important business to attend to. Watch where you're going in the future, you, you… dolt!" She stormed off in a huff, leaving Ruby dumbfounded, mouth wide open.
As she walked away, Ruby groaned out loud, "What is with today?!" before falling back, arms splayed out.
As she lay there, there was a moment of blissful, blessed, quiet solace where the chaos of the past couple of- oh my god it's only been an hour since that guy threw up.
"Are you okay?"
Ruby opened her eyes to see a concerned looking- oh my god it's the guy that threw up.
Instinctively, she rolled over onto her feet and put her hands up, shouting, "Don't throw up on me!"
The blonde guy narrowed his eyes and pulled back the hand that he'd extended. "Well, if that's how you want to be about it…"
Ruby's eyes widened and her cheeks burned as her mind caught up with her mouth. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Agh, Ruby, you idiot! Way to start a conversation!
She averted her eyes in shame, only to hear the guy sigh. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I puked on your… friend?"
"She was my sister, actually." Ruby turned back to see the blonde guy accompanied by a brunette with a big black bow.
"Really? You don't look anything alike… Oh, and my name's Jaune. The quiet one's Blake," he pointed his finger over his shoulder at her.
The girl glared at him, but ultimately proved his point by saying nothing.
"I'm Ruby Rose, and my sister is Yang Xiao Long."
"Xiao- you wouldn't happen to be related to Taiyang Xiao Long, would you?"
"Oh, you know my dad!?"
Jaune glanced back at Blake before replying. "Well, more like I know of your dad. He's famous after all. I mean, team STRQ was the only freshman team to ever win the Vytal Festival Tournament! Not to mention they're all highly ranked Guardians. But I thought that he married-" he stopped, and said, "no, nevermind, it's not my place to pry into private matters."
So he knows about that? That's weird, Uncle Qrow said that because they're highly ranked, our family's privacy would be carefully maintained by the IGO. It's why dad lives in the middle of the woods after all…
"So anyway," Jaune said, "are you here to support your sister? Don't take this the wrong way, but you look a little young to be joining."
"Oh, ah, the thing is…" Should I tell him? I mean, either way people will know once classes start… "I've been given the opportunity to skip grades by Headmaster Ozpin."
Jaune and Blake's eyes widened. "You're here on the Headmaster's personal recommendation?" Blake spoke up for the first time.
"You must be pretty powerful to warrant that kind of treatment," Jaune added.
"Uh, nope! Just a normal girl with normal knees."
The raised eyebrows on both their faces suggested that they didn't quite believe her, but she pushed forth to change the subject.
"A-anyway, I have this!" She reached down behind her back and pulled out her baby, unveiling Crescent Rose in its full glory with a twirl. "Crescent Rose! A high impact, variable Sniper-Scythe. I made it myself."
Jaune whistled. "If you can actually use that monster in combat, then you're definitely more powerful than I would have guessed."
"Uh, thanks? I think? So uh, what do you guys use?"
Jaune shrugged. "I don't have a personal weapon. I usually just buy milsurp and get inventive."
"Wait, you don't have a personal weapon? Don't they teach you how to make them?"
"Maybe at Signal, but I came from Atlas. There isn't a Guardian prep school there like there is in Vale. You go through the militia training same as everyone else, and you only get a special weapon if you apply to be a Specialist through Atlas Academy. But I wanted to come to Vale, so maybe I'll find something to like as classes progress."
"So you don't have a weapon, but you do have military training? I guess that evens out. And what about you?" Ruby took a chance and addressed Blake, seeing a handle sticking up from behind her. "What's your weapon?"
Blake sighed, apparently not liking being the center of attention - I can understand that - but pulled out a black sword.
"This is Gambol Shroud. There's a pistol mechanism in the grip and guard. The sheath is also sharp enough to serve as a secondary blade."
"What kind of steel is it made of?"
"Darksteel- I wish. No, it's just normal steel that's been chemically treated black so that it's useful for stealth."
"Oh that's cool! What caliber is it?"
"Nine millimeter."
"Really? A caliber that small isn't powerful enough to kill Grimm."
"It's not meant to kill them, just distract them."
"Oh that makes sense!"
"Speaking of making sense," Jaune cut the conversation short, "we should make our way to the great hall. The orientation speech is in ten minutes."
Blake and Ruby nodded their assent, and they all left the landing pads towards Beacon Academy.
The great hall was crowded- or at least it felt that way to Pyrrha. She was stood up with her back to a wall, and surrounded by people, all clamoring for her attention.
"-Pyrrha Nikos!-"
"-Invincible Girl!-"
"-autograph-"
"-on a team together?-"
"-love to challenge you-"
-it all blended together to her, and it was wearing her down to try and address everyone's concerns.
Sometimes I wish I had a Semblance like the Empress', instead of just Polarity.
"Please, one at a time! Actually, perhaps we should all save this for later? The Headmaster just walked on stage!"
It took some doing, but she finally managed to get everyone to focus on the Headmaster and calm down.
Sighing a breath of relief, she took a moment to calm down as the crowd left her alone. Looking up, she was stunned to find herself looking right in the eyes of a boy through the crowd.
The boy was a bit taller than her, had blonde hair with blue eyes, and his expression seemed to be caught somewhere between apathy and hardened concern. He was accompanied by a girl with long black hair and a bow, who was also looking her way. She, however, seemed less interested in Pyrrha than the boy.
Are they also fans? I'm surprised they didn't join in the big gathering… or perhaps they didn't notice me because of it?
She waved politely, and the boy simply nodded before turning away to focus on the headmaster.
Hm, that reaction doesn't feel like it's from a fan. But not a rival or challenger, or he'd have replied or given some sort of, well, challenge. The girl also seemed disinterested. Do they genuinely not know who I am? Perhaps they're from Atlas, then - outside of the Vytal Festival, the tournament scene has never been big there.
In any case, I'm glad they left me alone. Hopefully the rest of today is full of similarly pleasant surprises.
Shaking her head free of thoughts, she looked up at the stage, where the Headmaster was stepping on, accompanied by a few teachers.
I didn't think Pyrrha Nikos would be here. Whatever team she ends up on is gonna be one to keep an eye on.
I scanned the crowd as Blake likely did the same next to me. Ruby had run off as soon as we'd arrived, having apparently seen her sister.
Speaking of, I should definitely tell Ozpin about her. Wouldn't want her to blow my cover.
"Your attention, please."
I looked up to the stage and saw Ozpin, accompanied by what I guessed were the faculty. A woman was at the podium, tall, blonde, and gorgeous. Piercing green eyes quieted down the audience with a glare through her glasses.
Glynda Goodwitch, Rank 2, The Shimmering Serenity. She looks like eye candy, but most likely that's something she's cultivated to lower people's guards. Considering her rank, she could probably kill all of us in the audience without lifting a finger, especially considering her Semblance.
As a matter of fact… I passed my gaze along the rest of the faculty. In terms of straight appearance, none of them seemed particularly outstanding - one could even say they were blatantly ordinary.
And yet.
As someone who's lived around and known many strong people, and even fought a few… There's no doubt in my mind.
Everyone on that stage is strong. Not everyone's as strong as Glynda, and I think Adam or Cinder could take one or two of them. But Junior, the Malachites, Emerald, Mercury, Neo, and I? Outmatched.
My eyes widened as I noted one in particular.
Amber's joining the school? I guess Ozpin recalled her in response to the Assassination attempt, but why? Is it really worth leaving Forever Fall undefended?
I perked up as Glynda continued talking.
"Welcome, future students of Beacon Academy. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I am a Rank 2 Guardian and the acting Deputy Headmistress of the Academy. Alongside me on stage are the educational faculty of the Academy - in other words, should you make it through the entrance examinations as well as the initiation trial, these men and women will be your professors for the next four years. They will personally introduce themselves to you when you take their classes.
"In the meantime, may I present our esteemed Headmaster, Ozpin Pastoria, Rank 1 Guardian, 'The Patron Saint of Huntsmen'!"
As she stepped back, the audience erupted with applause as an old man stepped forward. His hair was silver-grey, but well styled. His face had fewer lines than a man who was almost a hundred should have, but Aura could explain that well enough. He wore a complete suit of a dark emerald green color, and his steely brown eyes gazed out kindly from behind old spectacles. His expression was kind, as though he were a doting grandfather, and all of us, his grandchildren. His back was slightly hunched and he leaned on a cane, one that had a hand guard- The Long Memory, his personal weapon. I couldn't tell from where I was standing, but it was said that he built it himself out of a chunk of Darksteel he'd found in some cave.
I doubt that, though.
He strolled slowly along the stage to the applause, taking his sweet time as though he felt his age.
Nice try, old man, but your act won't fool me. I've seen your true face… I know you're strong, sharp, and no less deadly now than you must have been forty years ago. In fact, you weren't even Rank 1 then, so you must be even more powerful now.
With his kind smile firmly set on his face, he reached the podium and set his cane against it before adjusting the microphone. As the audience died down, he straightened his back.
The 'grandfather' was gone- all I could see now was a warrior. Even his ever present smile seemed less kind, and more like the vicious smile my father would have whenever he told me about his battles with other Rank 1's.
"Prospective students, my name, as you know, is Ozpin Pastoria. Welcome to Beacon Academy. It is the oldest of the Guardian Academies, having been founded seventeen years after the end of the Great War. The original idea for the institution came from the Last King of Vale, Wenceslas the Good, who wished to institutionalize the education of Guardians - or, as they were known at the time, 'Aura Warriors', those who could manifest their Aura and fight Grimm on equal grounds. The First Council acted upon the idea and established the academy thus. The details of these events will be discussed in your introductory history class with Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, our Dean of History." He waved a hand over to the array of teachers, and a green-haired bespectacled man waved a hand in greeting. He wore a full suit, but even still seemed disheveled, as though he hadn't worn the suit in years and only brought it out for the occasion.
"For those of you not aware of my age, this may surprise you, but I was actually part of the first class of students at Beacon Academy. At the time, Beacon Academy did not have an age requirement, and in fact many war orphans such as myself simply showed up at the applications and were signed up at the spot. I was fourteen then, and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
"Those days were some of the best of my life, and I hope that in time, you come to think of your life here in the same way.
"On the day I signed up, I stood in this hall, much as you all are- well, not quite this hall, as Beacon has expanded and renovated much over the decades. But I stood and listened as the first headmaster, Myops Elenchus, welcomed us all with cheer, and yet lamented. He lamented that youths such as us would have to give up our youth, to devote it to a lifelong career of combat. As a war orphan, I didn't quite understand what he was saying- for me, and those like me, combat was everything we knew. But over the years, and especially in my own time as Headmaster, I think I have come to understand what he meant.
"The great tragedy of this world," and with this Ozpin bowed his head, "is that young men and women such as yourselves cannot spend your youth in peace. Many of you have been preparing for this for years now, either in Guardian preparatory schools, in apprenticeships, or some other method. And those things have done you well- they have made you strong, intelligent- capable.
"But what has it cost you? A life of peace, a life where you wouldn't have to worry about meeting training quotas or strict dietary regimens to achieve your physical acumen. A life where rather than having nightmares about Grimm, you would instead sleep peacefully, knowing that the world was, in fact, a safe place.
"But the great tragedy is that the world is not a safe place. Our world is one in which monsters are real, and so it falls to great men and women to devote our lives to fighting them, for the sake of those who cannot.
"But my headmaster believed in something, a belief that he passed on to me. He believed that one day, we just might find a real solution to the Grimm. One day, we might achieve a peace that truly lasts, such that we wouldn't have to keep throwing children like you into the fire. I believe that that day will come.
"It probably won't be tomorrow, or the day after that, or even in what remains of my lifetime. But I believe that day will come.
"So grow strong, my children. Bring your best to this Academy, and it will bring out the best in you. Grow strong, stand firm, and ride out the darkness, because one day, I truly believe that a new dawn for Remnant will come."
As he finished, the audience erupted in cheer once more, with some even hooting and hollering. Beside me, Blake clapped politely, and I did the same.
It was a well designed speech. Bringing up his history helped humanize him, and his orphan status definitely won extra points with some students. His genuine sadness at our situation with the Grimm helped him connect to us even more- well, not me, but people like Ruby or probably Nikos are eating this up. The 'sacrifices' we've made to get as strong as we are- they probably relate to that. Calling us his 'children' was a good touch.
But I have to wonder… does he really believe the Grimm will go away someday? Is it a religious belief, or is he just that delusional? We still don't know where they even come from, let alone what we could do to get rid of them if we did.
Then again, he's a Rank 1, so maybe he knows something I don't.
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! That was the BEST, SPEECH, EVER!
A grin split Ruby's face from ear to ear. She was standing next to Yang, who was trying to calm her down, as her excitement practically had her vibrating.
Ooh, that bit about riding out the darkness was so inspiring! And I can't believe the Headmaster was there for the founding! He's so cool!
"Calm down, sis, Professor Goodwitch is about to speak!"
Ruby took a deep breath and tried to sit still as the Deputy Headmistress replaced Ozpin at the podium. As the crowd quieted down, she began.
"Prospective students, listen closely if you want to become actual students. I will now be explaining the entrance examination process."
Before Goodwitch could continue, Ruby felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked up to see a male faculty member standing there, someone in a suit. He had a tired face and slicked back brown hair. They leaned down and whispered, "Miss Rose, you don't need to hear this. Since you've been accepted on the Headmaster's personal recommendation, you are exempt from the entrance exams."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Really?"
The faculty member nodded. "You will be bunking in a private room for the week. The only test you will be required to complete is the actual Initiation Exam, which comes at the end of the week after all the scholastic exams."
"Oh. Okay!"
"Indeed. If you would follow me please, the Headmaster will be along shortly to welcome you in person and inform you as to what will be expected of you this week."
Ruby nodded. "Okay Yang, do your best!"
"Ugh, lucky. Well, I'll see you later then, Ruby!"
Ruby followed the man out of the hall, unaware that a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy was watching her go.
Emerald had never seen Cinder so depressed before. They were in the backrooms of the Just Right, and Cinder was deep into her second bottle of some cheap, strong booze that Emerald didn't know the name of.
Roman was there as well, similarly drinking away his own failure due to the interference of Glynda Goodwitch.
Emerald, Mercury, and Neo were all sitting on chairs on the other end of the room, occasionally exchanging awkward glances with each other as they didn't know quite what to do.
Dark mutterings came from the two drinkers, particularly Cinder, who whined incoherently about how she'd failed her Master.
"Should we be here for this?" Mercury finally spoke up.
"I don't think so, but what else should we do?" Emerald replied.
"Go home and let them sort out their feelings? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm with Cinder on being worried about my immediate future given that we fucked up in front of Raven Branwen, but what could we possibly do about things?"
Nothing, that was the simple truth. They didn't have the power to undo any of their mentor's failures.
Well, I mean, we could probably steal some Dust, but considering Roman was supposed to steal it in bulk, I don't think we could do it now with the city on guard.
As they all remained seated, quietly stewing in their own thoughts, a tear in reality made them all jump. A dark circle opened into the room, and two people stepped out: Raven Branwen, and a somewhat short man.
The man in question seemed to only be a few inches shorter than Raven. He had blond hair cut into a short buzz, with wide, excited blue eyes. His face had a few small scars, but his lack of wrinkles and wide smile made him seem young. His build was cut, with clearly defined muscles, but he lacked the sheer girth of a bodybuilder. A sword hung from a belt on plain blue jeans, and a simple white T-shirt covered his torso, but his exposed arms also had a large number of scars criss-crossing them.
Emerald, Mercury, and Neo immediately stood at attention, but Cinder and Roman were too far gone to notice them.
Raven facepalmed, only to perk up when the blonde man muttered something to her. She nodded, then waved her hand, opening a portal above Cinder and Roman. A torrent of water rushed out - and judging from the drop in room temperature, Emerald noted that it must have been very cold - splashing all over Cinder and Roman. They panicked, flailed in their seats and fell over onto the ground.
Cinder and Roman began to complain, only to immediately shut up when they noticed who had entered. They quickly dropped their bottles and stood at attention, Cinder bowing at the waist.
"My apologies Master, I didn't notice you enter!"
"Yes," Raven replied dryly, "I doubt you could from that deep in the bottle."
Cinder cringed as the blonde man addressed Roman. "Hey, Torchwick! How's it going? Steal anything good lately?"
"Well-"
"Don't answer that, I hear you got your shit kicked in by Glynda. Sucks, huh?"
"Haha, yeah…"
"And hey, Roman, I hear you've got a new apprentice!" The blonde man turned around at the trio. "Which one of you works for Roman?"
Timidly, Neo raised her hand.
"And your name is?"
Neo said nothing, prompting Roman to explain. "Neo's mute, Jack."
"Hiring disabled kids? Damn, if she was a Faunus then you'd have the most progressive hiring practices this side of Mistral! Speaking of apprentices, Roman," Jack turned back to Roman, "I hear you sold out my son."
Jack? His son- That's Jaune's dad? THAT'S JACK THE RIPPER?
Behind Raven and Jack, Emerald, Neo, and Mercury exchanged panicked looks. Cinder, no longer bowing, paled considerably.
"Look, Jack, if I'd known you were working with Raven-"
"Shut up, Roman."
The room fell deathly silent as Jack slowly walked up to him.
"Whether or not I'm working with Raven has absolutely nothing to do with you selling my son out. You betrayed my son, and while he probably expected it, that doesn't mean you get to walk away unpunished. Now Roman," he stepped face to face with the crime lord, "pick an arm."
"Jack-"
"Pick. An. Arm."
Roman began to shiver, then turned away and held his left arm up.
Jack nodded. "See? It's not so bad when you get to make the choice yourself."
He reached a hand out and-
One moment, Roman's left arm was attached to his body.
The next moment, it wasn't- it was hanging limply, clutched in Jack's right hand by the forearm. Blood spurted from the gaping hole where Roman's arm once was, covering the walls and floor. More dripped from the limb held in Jack's hand.
There was a moment of silence, and then Roman let out a strangled gasp before collapsing on the floor unconscious.
Jack turned to Mercury, then to Neo. "You two, get him to a doctor. His Aura means he'll live, but that kind of shock and blood loss can cause serious issues to a person's health."
Neo and Mercury immediately did as they were bid and rushed forwards to pick up Roman's body, dragging it out the door. Mercury could be heard asking, "Junior has a doctor on the premises right?" before the door shut behind them.
After allowing a few moments to pass in silence, letting the weight of what had happened sink in, Jack turned to Cinder.
"You're Cinder, right? The chick that Raven's training?"
Cinder warily glanced at her Master, looking for help, but turned back to Jack when she found none. "Yes sir."
"Good, then listen close. The plans are gonna change now. None of this stealing Dust or Mountain Glenn bullshit. We're gonna go bigger. Much, much bigger."
For the first time since she'd joined Cinder, Emerald found herself wondering whether it would have been better if she'd just refused Cinder's offer.
Author's Note 2: Review Replies
TopHatGuy: Shut the fuck up about my upload schedule, Little Boss. I'll upload chapters when they're good and ready.
gogo bananas: Thanks for sticking with it. I hope this continues to entertain.
CircusControl: Hope you enjoy this one as well.
ZenithTempest: It's hard for me to balance it out, but ultimately, it's worth noting that Jaune was losing to Mercury whereas Blake was matching him. Yes, when Jaune gets the drop on people and can set up traps and whatnot, he can compete with people stronger than him, but in a straight fight he struggles with people more capable. The Beacon story will hopefully expand on this more cohesively as Jaune engages with people "on his level" so to speak, instead of having to compete with people like Cinder. Beacon overall will somewhat focus on character conflict, in particular drawing more focus to the two sides to Jaune as well as melding them. More on that in the coming Acts.
Epicweaver: Shipping isn't a particular focus in this fic, rather, I'm trying my best to make genuine relationships between these characters, whatever those relationships may be. With that said, I do see what you're saying - Jaune has gotten awfully close to the Assassins, partially out of necessity. As for the importance of the Arc name, well… You'll see.
Augustus Arc: I'm glad to see you enjoy the story! Hope this continues to entertain.
Almighty Spartan: Yeah, I had always intended to spare Amber because I had ideas for what to do with her. No one'll be dying anytime soon. Maimed, yes, but dying? Not for a while.
Strife1234: Well, here's more.