Chapter 8: Light and Darkness
With the knowledge that Qrow Brawnen wanted to speak with him, the day went by quicker for Hansel Kobalt. Teaching his remaining classes before lunch, Hansel managed to carve out enough spare time to call Qrow on his Scroll.
If this is important, he better not be out drinking. Hansel angrily thought to himself as he dialed Qrow's number on his scroll.
Even after years of knowing Qrow, Hansel still considered it odd that he kept the old drunk's number on his Scroll. As far as he was concerned, Qrow was just a colleague, not an actual friend. Of course, for Hansel, that was not necessarily a reason to have Qrow's contact information. He just ended up getting it one day from Ozpin and was just too damn lazy to delete his contact info.
Much to his relief, Qrow picked up. "Qrow here," the veteran Huntsman answered.
"Qrow, it's Hansel," Hansel said, "what did you want to tell me?"
"Sheesh, kid," Qrow said, laughing a little, "did you have to call during lunch? I was about to head to a local restaurant for happy hour."
"Of course you were," Hansel muttered before saying with greater volume and much more annoyance, "now cut the bullshit, Qrow, you said you had something you wanted to talk to me about. The least you can do is make an effort to be sober if you wanted me to call you that badly."
"Kid, it has been an hour since my last drink." Qrow told him. "And happy hour, is quite frankly, my favorite hour of the day. If you actually bothered getting to know me, you'd know that."
"First of all, I don't need to get to know you to know that you belong in AA." Hansel told him. "Second of all, Glynda doesn't exactly think you're the most reliable guy out there. And her judge of character is pretty damn accurate most of the time."
Qrow snorted. "Momma's boy," he taunted.
Hansel narrowed his eyes. "Don't push me, Qrow, I am really not in the mood for your shit right now." He said. "I'm not exactly happy with wasting my lunch break talking to you either, so get to the point already, and then we can both get back to what we were doing."
"Okay, okay, just cool your jets, Fireball." Qrow said, referring to Hansel with his unflattering nickname.
Qrow then took a deep breath. "Look, my spy network's updated me recently." Qrow said. "The Don is making his move into Vale's criminal underworld."
Hansel immediately narrowed his eyes in anger. "Antonio Corleone," He growled, "what the hell is he doing in Vale?"
"Look at the facts, kid." Qrow replied, "now that Roman Torchwick is in jail for good this time, and out of the picture, there's a massive power vacuum in Vale's criminal underworld. And Corleone's the only man with the ambition to try and take it over, like he did with Vacuo, Mistral and Atlas."
Hansel fell silent at this. "Look, I'm honestly worried about this." Qrow admitted. "I've heard stories about Corleone. The guy's a monster; he makes Torchwick look like a saint, and Torchwick's a scumbag that joined up with the Queen and that Cinder woman just to save his own hide from the apocalypse."
"I'm aware of how much of an asshole Corleone is, Qrow." Hansel told him. "The man ruins people's lives without a second thought, whether it's through drugs, human and faunus trafficking, or stealing. And that's not even getting into his little hobby of taking the severed heads of people who oppose him, and delivering them to their loved ones' doorsteps like a flaming bag of shit."
"You really need to stop using crude analogies when describing severed heads, kid." Qrow told him. "It's kind of insensitive."
"Why are you telling me this, Qrow?" Hansel asked Qrow, ignoring his advice.
Qrow sighed. "Kid, I'm busy trying to find a lead on where Cinder went or what Salem's next move is." Qrow reminded Hansel. "Not only that, but Oz has me keeping an eye out for the other three Maidens. He's concerned that since we're on high alert and keeping Pyrrha Nikos under such heavy surveillance, she'll just turn her attention to Spring, Winter and Summer."
"The point is, I can't do a damn thing about the Don right now, but you can." Qrow said. "You need to go to Ozpin, tell him all of this, and try to get him to put you on leave so you can find some way to cripple the guy's operations."
"You do realize that in most situations a mission to cripple an entire criminal underworld takes months or even years, right?"
"Most situations have normal people dealing with the matter, and last time I checked, you're not exactly normal." Qrow reminded him.
Hansel fell silent once more. "Also," Qrow added, a bit more gentle, "I know how much dealing with this 'Organization' of yours means to you. If you think you can get more information on what it is you're looking for out of Corleone; information that can help you beat those guys; then you owe it to yourself to give it a shot, and do everything you can to take down Corleone and get that info."
Hansel's eyes widened, realizing that Qrow was actually just trying to help him. Hansel then nodded. "Send me everything you've got on these new developments." He told the older man. "I'll…see what I can do."
"You got it, kid." Qrow told him.
"And Qrow?"
"Yeah, what?" Qrow raised an eyebrow, wondering what else Hansel could possibly have to say to him.
Hansel's next words nearly floored him. "Thanks," he said simply.
Qrow's mouth dropped open on the other end before he grinned in disbelief and amusement. "Well, what do you know," he said, "and here I thought you didn't know how to thank people."
"Don't push it, Qrow. Just take the thanks and go before I change my mind." Hansel growled.
Qrow just chuckled and hung up. His face then adopted a worried one. "Just be careful, kid," he muttered to himself, "throwing yourself in the fire like that, all alone, I've never been too fond of it. I just hope your luck hasn't run out just yet."
Qrow then entered the local restaurant. He soon found himself gazing at a hooded man sitting at a table at the end of the building. His contact. "Kid needs to learn to respect his elders." Qrow mused. "I'm also on business, too."
Hansel, meanwhile, found himself heaving a sigh, wondering how he was going to manage this, as he waited for the information Qrow promised. "Damn it, it's not like I can just walk away from teaching, even Professor Ozpin won't be able to just let that go." He noted.
"And I just gave the students a new assignment. Brainstorm ideas on how to develop or unlock their Semblances and then try to demonstrate them during training exercises…"
Hansel trailed off, realizing what he was going on about. He found himself shaking his head frantically and comically. "Gah, what the hell am I saying?" He wondered. "This is just a dumb job I've got to do on the side to help those brats survive. I am not a teacher, I'm a huntsman, first and foremost!"
"And destroying the Organization is my biggest goal, first and foremost, I can't forget that." Hansel reminded himself.
Hansel nodded. "That's right, this is just something I'm doing for Ozpin's sake…and those brats have shown they're at least worth the effort." He added.
"But I can't ignore the fact that Corleone's consolidating more power, even taking the Organization out of the equation, it's just going to lead to terrible things."
"Gah!" Hansel screamed furiously. "This is so stupid, I shouldn't be having this much trouble with this decision! Why can't things be easy for once?"
"Stupid training exercises, stupid Corleone…" Hansel trailed off as an idea suddenly came to mind.
"Training exercises…Corleone…" If Hansel smiled more often, he would have.
Later that day, Ruby Rose broke away from her teammates. "Where you heading, Rubes?" Yang asked her little sister. "The dorm is this way."
"You guys go on ahead," Ruby said, "there's…something I need to take care of."
Yang smirked. "Another rendezvous with Teach?" She teased.
Ruby blushed at this. "Yang, come on!" She exclaimed. "He asks me to come to his office one time and you start teasing me about that?"
Yang just laughed while Weiss and Blake sighed at the blonde's immaturity. "To answer your question," Ruby said, "I'm actually going to go and see Professor Ozpin. There are some things I'd like to discuss with him."
This caught Weiss's attention. "Ruby, you can't just march up and meet with Professor Ozpin. The man is the headmaster. He's probably too busy to see you."
Ruby shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, smiling, "Professor Ozpin will make time for me."
"Since when have you become Professor Ozpin's favorite student?" Yang frowned.
"Since he realized how awesome I am." Ruby teased as she ran off.
Yang watched her sister run off before an idea came to her. Blake sighed and grabbed Yang by the arm. "No, Yang, we are not going to eavesdrop on a private conversation."
Weiss nodded. "Agreed," she grabbed Yang by the other arm, "Ruby has a right to privacy that you should respect."
"Boo!" Yang yelled as the two worked to drag her back to the dorm. "You two are no fun!"
While Yang was dragged away, Ruby made her way to the elevator towards Professor Ozpin's office. She noticed an intercom and pressed the button on it to call up to the man. "Yes?" Came Ozpin's voice.
"Professor Ozpin, it's Ruby Rose. Would you mind if I come up? I'd like to speak with you about something."
"Ah, yes, of course, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said jovially. "I'd be happy to speak with you."
Ruby nodded and entered the elevator, quickly moving up to Ozpin's office. She was immediately greeted by the man's calm but kind face. "Good afternoon, Ruby," Ozpin dropped his formalities to properly chat with her, like he did when she was struggling in her leadership role. "I must admit, this is a rather unexpected visit from you."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Ruby admitted.
"Oh no," Ozpin shook his head, "believe me, after the past few weeks, I could really use a break, and spending some time with a student is just what I need."
Ozpin gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down," he said, getting up, "would you like some cocoa?"
"Cocoa?" Ruby was surprised as Ozpin went over to a table off to the side. "Umm…sure, I guess."
"I was just about to make a fresh pot." Ozpin said as he quickly made some cocoa and poured some into his signature mug.
"I…always thought that was coffee." Ruby admitted.
Ozpin chuckled. "Contrary to popular belief, it's actually cocoa." He admitted as he poured more cocoa into a second mug.
Ozpin then walked over and handed the second mug to Ruby before returning to his seat. "So, Ruby, how have your classes been?"
"They've been great," Ruby smiled, "it's nice to get back into things after everything that's happened."
"And how are you finding your new teacher? I hope Hansel has shown some improvement since the first couple of days."
"Oh, things have been great in combat classes." Ruby assured Ozpin. "He can say some real harsh things sometimes, but Professor Kobalt is actually really nice when you get to know him. He's just…bad at showing it, I think."
Ozpin nodded. "I'm glad to hear it, that kind of testimony should at least calm people down when they inevitably complain about me hiring someone young enough to be a student."
"…Why did you hire Professor Kobalt?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Well, I would hope his classes speak for themselves at this point," Ozpin admitted, "but Hansel, as I'm sure you've realized, beneath his stubbornness, is a fighting genius. A prodigy, much like you when I recruited you to Beacon."
"Aww come on, I'm no prodigy, I've still got a lot to learn." Ruby claimed.
Ozpin chuckled. "Prodigy doesn't mean perfect, Ruby, it just means that you've grown at a rate faster than many of your peers. Hansel was the same way when he came to Beacon and was made my apprentice."
Ruby nodded in understanding. "But enough about Hansel, what did you want to talk about?" Ozpin inquired.
Ruby took a deep breath, now completely serious. No turning back now. "It's taken a lot of courage to approach you about this," Ruby admitted, "but I think I'm finally ready to talk about it."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow for a brief moment before narrowing his eyes, knowing what this conversation would be. "I see, and what would you like to talk about?" He asked, playing the role of the unsuspecting one.
"Uncle Qrow said that my silver eyes make me special." Ruby got right to the point. "What did he mean by that?"
Ozpin nodded, knowing that this conversation had been a long time coming. He took a quick sip of his cocoa and responded. "Qrow told me that he had given you a basic understanding of your eyes." He noted. "What else would you like to learn, Ruby?"
"Why are they so special?" Ruby asked.
Ozpin nodded in understanding. "From what I could piece together about what happened, you were triggered by intense emotions that caused you to manifest your powers."
"You see, Ruby," Ozpin said, "what you've used is a hereditary power passed down a bloodline. A power with the capability to change Remnant's fate."
"Uncle Qrow mentioned how even the Grimm feared them, is that true?" Ruby inquired.
Ozpin nodded. "Your eyes do indeed carry a power that even the Grimm fear," he revealed, "your eyes, Ruby, are the very antithesis of the Grimm. Whereas your eyes carry hope, the Grimm are creatures of despair."
"What does that mean?" Ruby inquired.
"Perhaps I used the wrong analogy," Ozpin admitted, "very well, how much do you know about old legends?"
"Umm, do fairy tales count?" Ruby asked.
"Close enough," Ozpin shrugged, "you see, Ruby, there are stories of how Remnant was created. The story I choose to believe is that Remnant was created by two brother gods. A god of light and a god of darkness; two brothers who were constantly at odds with each other."
"The elder god of light created water, plants and wildlife during the day. Then at night, when the younger god of darkness woke to see his brothers creations, out of spite, he created drought, fire and famine to destroy them."
Ruby's eyes widened. "But what the younger brother underestimated was life's ability to endure, so he created the Grimm, creatures with an innate desire to destroy everything."
"Weary of feuding, the older brother proposed they work together two create a masterpiece they could both be proud of." Ozpin continued. "A creation with the capacity for both light and darkness, the capacity to be both good and evil."
Ruby realized what Ozpin was getting at. "They created humanity." She realized.
"Exactly," Ozpin nodded, "now, you're probably wondering what this has to do with your eyes."
Ruby nodded. "Ruby," Ozpin continued, "do you think that creations of gods are a result of magic? Divine power?"
"Well, of course," Ruby said, "what else could it be, right? I mean, it's not like we can create life with our power."
"In a way, you're right." Ozpin said. "For better or worse, the Grimm are creatures of magic, constructed by the divine power of the younger brother. A dark magic, yes, but magic all the same. There are other legends that say there was a time when humanity could use magic, but it paled in comparison to the gods. There was our magic, and then there was the divine magic that the gods could use."
"However, they were both vulnerable to a particular kind of weapon." Ozpin continued. "The power of the silver eyes."
Ruby gasped. "My eyes?"
Ozpin nodded. "Your eyes carry the power of a sort of anti-magic, Ruby." He revealed. "Not just anti-magic though, anti-power is more accurate. When you manifest the power of your eyes, you gain the power to cut right through power of all kinds. Not only that, but indeed, a single flash of your power can wipe away the life force of a Grimm. Not its influence, but its life force."
"Its influence?" Ruby was confused.
"Grimm are also creatures of hate and spite, representing the younger brother's hatred for his older brother's creations." Ozpin reminded her. "You can destroy their life force, preserving them in a sort of suspended animation, but you cannot destroy their hatred for all around them."
"So that's why they're able to kill with a look," Ruby realized, "my eyes…are the Grimm's worst enemies?"
Ozpin shook his head. "No, my dear," he said, "not if you do not keep up your training."
Ruby looked at Ozpin in surprise. "Ruby, as powerful as your eyes are, a weapon is useless if used improperly or without knowledge of it." Ozpin told her. "Your eyes aren't the Grimm's worst enemies, you are the Grimm's worst enemy…after you complete your training and reach your full potential."
"I don't want you to think this means you can go out and start killing Grimm on your own." Ozpin told her. "No, you need to stay here, and continue your training."
"But how can I when people are dying?" Ruby demanded. "If I'm really so special…if I really am capable of making a difference…then I have to do something! No matter the cost!"
Ozpin shook his head. "And if you get yourself killed, then it will have all been for nothing." He told her sternly. "Ruby, even if you do have this power, you are still just a child with a lot of room for growth."
"That's why us adults are here." Ozpin told her with a reassuring smile. "I promise you, we'll do all we can to keep Remnant safe, until you are ready to do your part."
Ruby still looked uncertain. "I need you to trust me," Ozpin continued, "I've been with plenty of Silver Eyed Warriors like you for a long time. And no matter how strong you are, you still need to develop your abilities like everyone else."
"Like my mom, right?" Ruby asked quietly, making Ozpin fall silent. "She had silver eyes too."
Ozpin sighed, his face contorting into a look of guilt. "Yes," he said, "but not just her. I've known plenty besides her."
"And they all failed…right?" Ruby asked.
Ozpin nodded sadly. "I'm sorry about your mother, Ruby." Ozpin admitted. "Gods forgive me, her death still haunts me."
"It's not like it was your fault." Ruby looked at Ozpin in confusion.
Ozpin chuckled humorlessly. "In a way, it was." He admitted. "Remember when I told you that I had made more mistakes than any man, woman or child? That's more true than you think. I've made so many terrible mistakes, that even your mother, as amazing a Huntress she was, could not fix them."
"Was my mother really that wonderful?" Ruby asked. "Dad and Yang told me stories about her, but…"
Ozpin gave her a smile. "She was," he said, "Summer Rose was the best student I ever saw at Beacon, since Ashley Hollow herself. Those two would've been rivals once upon a time."
"Rivals, huh? So I guess she was pretty dedicated to her job, huh?" Ruby muttered bitterly.
Ozpin looked at Ruby in concern. "Do you resent your mother, Ruby?" He asked.
Ruby shook her head. "Of course not, I love Mom." She said. "And I'm proud of the fact that she was so great."
Ruby fell silent for a moment before sighing, her face contorting into an incredibly sad expression. "It's just," she continued, "I wanted a mother…instead I got a martyr."
Ozpin nodded in understanding. "I love her and respect her so much, and yet I can't help but be angry at her sometimes." Ruby shook her head. "Does that make me a bad person?"
"No, it makes you human." Ozpin assured her. "We all have something that we're ashamed of, Ruby. That doesn't make us bad people."
"Not Cinder Fall," Ruby growled.
Ozpin frowned at the mention of that woman. "She doesn't feel any shame. She did all that without flinching, without any guilt." Ruby noted. "I don't think I can forgive someone like that, Professor Ozpin."
Ozpin nodded in understanding. "Hey," Ruby said, just thinking of something, "if I got stronger, could I take down Cinder? If I took her down, it would go a long way to helping the world, right?"
Ozpin nodded before giving her a warning glance. "Do not hunt her down out of revenge, Ruby." Ozpin told her. "You have every right to be angry, but do not let yourself be consumed by revenge. Such emotions are dangerous."
"But you're right, defeating Cinder Fall would go a long way," Ozpin continued, "but make no mistake. It would not stop anything in the long run."
Ruby looked down at this. Ozpin then made the decision to get back on track regarding her silver eyes and the Grimm. "All you would do, is make yourself an even bigger target…of her master."
Ruby's eyes widened at this. "Her…master?" She asked in disbelief.
Ozpin nodded. "This was something else I had wanted to talk to you about, once you came to me with questions about your eyes."
"Now that your powers have manifested themselves, and now that you know of your heritage, you may one day have to face this great evil that has plagued Remnant for so long, because those who came before you failed." Ozpin grimly revealed.
"A great evil?"
Ozpin nodded. "The Grimm have a master among them. A primordial evil that has been with Remnant for years. An entity of pure malice and hatred that seeks the destruction of humanity."
"She has no fear, no weaknesses, and no conscience. Instead, she seeks to create fear, exploit weaknesses, and manipulates her followers to act without conscience." Ozpin continued. "And Cinder Fall is just another example of those she has turned to her side."
"Why…why does no one but you know about this woman?" Ruby asked.
"Not just me, Qrow knows as well." Ozpin admitted.
"But the reason she is a secret, is because the very knowledge of her existence would send humanity into a panic. Think about it for a moment, Ruby, the Grimm themselves are terrifying to humanity when they are merely viewed as beasts that hunt us. Imagine the panic that would ensue if people knew they were being commanded by an entity far more powerful than the Grimm, then any of us?" Ozpin reasoned.
Ruby let that sink in and realized that Ozpin was right. "God…" Ruby muttered fearfully. "…and people with silver eyes…are meant to fight this woman?"
"Only because she knows people like you are a threat to her creations." Ozpin told her. "That is also why I need you to stick with your training, stick with Beacon. You'll be in worse danger without it."
"And Cinder is…being commanded by this evil?" Ruby asked.
"Alongside other agents she keeps in the shadows." Ozpin explained.
"And…does she have a name?" Ruby inquired curiously.
Ozpin nodded. "She is called Salem." Ozpin revealed.
"Now, do you understand, Ruby?" Ozpin inquired. "If this is really the path you wish to tread, you may one day cross paths with her. And if that day comes, you need to be ready."
Ruby fell silent for a moment. Ozpin sighed. "I apologize if I scared you, I just felt that you had a right to know, if you truly wish to be pulled into a conflict that's far greater than you."
"'If I wish to'? Do I really have a choice?" Ruby wondered.
"There is always a choice, Ruby." Ozpin assured her. "And I won't hold it against you if you wish to not be involved."
"But I can't not be involved though," Ruby said, "if I really do have all this power, I can't just stand by and do nothing. Then…then Mom will have died for nothing."
Ozpin shook his head. "That may be true, but Ruby, it's not fair for you to be burdened with our problems because you feel like you have to."
Ruby fell silent at that statement. Ozpin gazed at Ruby, completely serious. "Why do you want to be a Huntress?" He asked.
"I told you the day we met." Ruby reminded him.
"Tell me your reasons today." Ozpin told her, shaking his head. "Really think about it and tell me, what is it that drives you? Not what your parents have told you. Not what I, or any of your professors, have told you. What does your heart tell you?"
Hansel's going to be angry at me for giving her an out, but I need her to really consider her conviction. He added inwardly.
Ruby thought it over. She then gave an answer that surprised Ozpin. "Is it really so wrong to be driven by what other people tell you when you agree with it?"
"What do you mean?" Ozpin asked.
"People think that…if the only things you believe are what other people tell you, then you don't have beliefs of your own, but I don't know if that's entirely true." Ruby admitted. "I mean, don't people learn different ideas no matter where they are? Weiss and Blake learned two different sides of a conflict just by being around each other."
Ozpin's eyes widened, realizing that he may have actually underestimated Ruby a little. "You're right, Professor, a lot of my beliefs are what other people have taught me, but they're still my beliefs because I agree with them." Ruby admitted.
"So yes, I do still want to be a huntress because of the examples my parents set for me. I want to help people. I still want to be a huntress, because I want to be a beacon of hope for others, like you and every other professor taught me. But most importantly, it's because I want to try and create a world where people no longer have to be martyrs for others. I…I want to be the one who saves everyone, to avoid all of that misery."
"Most people would call you overly optimistic, naive, a fool." Ozpin told her. "Are you absolutely certain you want to raise your weapon in defense of such beliefs, when many of them aren't even your own?"
Except your belief in ending martyrdom. Ozpin added inwardly. That belief is all your own.
Ruby nodded without hesitation. "They're my beliefs too, Professor, because I agree with them. And it's better than just giving up and waiting for people to just die for nothing."
Ozpin heaved a sigh. She still has much room to grow…but I've definitely underestimated her. Summer, she's definitely your daughter.
"I want to create a world, where children can play without worry." Summer had told him once upon a time. "That's the kind of world I want to create."
"Very well, Ruby, if that's your answer, then as your professor, I shall support it." Ozpin told her with a smile before adding seriously. "But be warned, your faith and optimism will be tested. In this world it takes far more faith to be the kind of person you want to be, then to be a cynic who has accepted the world as it is."
"But for what it's worth, I truly hope you keep that innocence." Ozpin added gently.
Ruby nodded in understanding. "Thank you for the lesson, Professor Ozpin." She said. "May I be excused?"
"Of course, I'd rather your teammates didn't worry about you."
Ruby nodded, but before she walked away, she had one last question she wanted to ask. "My friends," she said, "do I have to keep all of this from them?"
Ozpin sighed and nodded. "For the moment, yes," he admitted, "should the situation demand it, I promise you, I will help you tell them everything."
"That's good enough for me," Ruby nodded in agreement. "Thank you again, Professor Ozpin."
Ozpin smiled and watched Ruby leave. The man then heaved a tired sigh. "Damn," he cursed softly, "delay it as much as I want, she will eventually become the one that will lead the inevitable fight against Salem."
"Gods forgive me, is this what must be done in order for me to be free?"
Meanwhile, as Ruby rode down the elevator, a horrifying thought crossed her mind. Salem…is she the reason Mom never came back?
Meanwhile, in a dark, uncharted land, inside of an unholy structure, resided the evil entity known as Salem. The doors to the great hall of her fortress opened up, revealing three men of various appearances. A visibly insane man with a long ponytail that could not stop giggling. A dark-skinned musclebound man. And the third was a dapper looking individual with a huge mustache.
"Sit down, all of you." Salem informed them, sitting at the head of a large table and gesturing to three open seats. "Thank you all for arriving on such short notice."
"When my goddess calls, I answer." The ponytailed man responded, moving towards his seat and sitting awkwardly by crouching on his chair.
The mustachioed man nodded in agreement. "It was a bit sudden, Your Grace, but we are, of course, nothing but loyal." He took a seat as far away from the crazed man as possible.
The muscular comrade of their's simply grunted in agreement and sat on the other side of the crazed man as well. The mustachioed man then chuckled, noticing that a fourth comrade of their's was absent. "It appears there's someone missing, where's your little pet project, Your Grace?" He said tauntingly.
Salem remained calm at the man taunting someone who was not even here to defend herself. "Watts," she said to her subordinate, "as always, I do wish you wouldn't be so malicious towards young Cinder."
"And why wouldn't I be?" Watts inquired curiously. "With all due respect, Madame, Cinder failed miserably."
The ponytailed man giggled cruelly at her misfortune. "You should punish her, dear Goddess. Punish her."
"Cinder knows she failed." Salem replied dismissively. "Reinforcing the matter is pointless."
"Where is she?" The muscular man inquired. "She can't possibly still be injured from two weeks ago."
Salem shook her head. "No," she responded, "Cinder's injuries have healed, although they will take some time to rehabilitate."
"Rehabilitate?" Watts was surprised at this.
Salem nodded. "Not only that, but she is also busy…"
Salem was interrupted by a large explosion outside. "…coping." She finished.
"Disgraceful," the muscular man growled, "she should conduct herself in defeat with a bit more dignity. She should not have been beaten in the first place."
"I agree with Hazel," Watts nodded, "after all the help we had given her, it seems so unlikely for her to have failed. And now look at what's happened. Support for the Huntsmen Academies is higher, we don't have a complete Maiden, and Ozpin is still alive."
"All very true statements," Salem noted before chuckling in amusement, "this is my first real loss in a very long while. Dear Ozpin should be thrilled to have actually won for once."
"How could one of us have failed in an assignment such as this?" Hazel inquired curiously. "Everything was in our favor."
"And this is where you three still have much to learn, just like Cinder." Salem told them. "We simply underestimated humanity's ability to unite and overcome for once."
"Is that what happed?" Watts frowned. "We underestimated our enemies this time? It can't possibly be that simple."
"Oh but it is, Watts." Salem said, amused. "That doctorate of yours causes you to overcomplicate things, sometimes. You look for too many complex solutions, and yet you fail to realize that sometimes it's the simple things that can make or break something."
The insane fellow giggled at this, making Watts instinctively glare at him. "Do not think my disposition means I'm not angry." Salem told them. "I'm furious."
"I'm simply choosing to be productive, by laughing it all off—like dear Tyrian over here—and preparing for a new plan."
Tyrian laughed at Salem gesturing to him, happy at being noticed by his goddess. "If I may, Your Grace," Hazel spoke up, "I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we want to know why the operation failed."
"It's just as I said, we underestimated our foes, and the kind of strength they had on their side." Salem revealed.
"Are you telling me Ironwood's pathetic military drove off our forces, after all the efforts I put into creating that virus?" Watts frowned.
"Or perhaps that sinner, Ozpin, has more power than we realized." Tyrian suggested.
"Surely, those students weren't enough to drive off one of us and an entire army's worth of Grimm." Hazel noted. "Just one of us should have been enough to massacre that school, as tragic as it would have been."
"It must've been those damned associates Cinder chose to ally herself with." Watts noted. "Just as I said when we were planning this, that unremarkable thug, Roman Torchwick, had no business being involved in our operation. And the White Fang are good for nothing except being attack dogs at our beck and call. And don't get me started on the thief and the assassin. Those two apprentices of hers are useless."
"Roman Torchwick was necessary to gain access to Vale's criminal underworld." Salem countered. "And the White Fang soldiers that chose to ally with us are useful for boosting our numbers. And young Emerald and Mercury are just that: young. But they also have potential."
"However, all of your answers—educated guesses they were—are all incorrect." Salem told them. "We did indeed underestimate Ozpin's faction…two warriors in particular."
"Two?" Watts inquired, visibly confused.
Tyrian laughed. "They must've been something to drive off little Cinder." He noted.
"Not at the moment, no," Salem admitted, "but their presence was…unaccounted for, which made them the reason our plans for Beacon Academy failed."
"Explain," Hazel grunted.
Salem's face contorted into an evil grin. "A new Silver Eyed Warrior has revealed herself."
This caught Tyrian's interest, as evidenced by his maniacal laughter. Watts rolled his eyes. "That old legend again?" He said, annoyed. "Ozpin can't seriously be putting his hopes in that again. How many times must he fail in using that little card against us before he gives up?"
"It will never be enough, he'll never stop." Hazel narrowed his eyes furiously.
"An old legend as it may be, but as soon as her powers manifested themselves, a young student of Beacon Academy, only fifteen years old, from what I was told, dealt a devastating blow to Cinder." Salem told them. "She's young, but her potential is clearly vast."
"But she's still nothing but a novice." Watts countered. "Half-Maiden or not, Cinder should not have had an issue with her."
"Cinder, unfortunately has a crippling weakness against the power of the Silver Eyes." Salem admitted. "And I will also take responsibility for what happened. I had honestly thought that line had been wiped out for good."
"Indeed, we've dealt with their kind before." Hazel nodded. "But, we were fools to simply assume they were all gone."
"There's more," Salem revealed, "the Silver Eyed girl wasn't the only hindrance that ruined our plans."
"Oh?" Watts was interested in this. "And what's hindrance number two?"
Salem smirked. "It appears we also underestimated Ozpin's ability to gather useful allies. Our old foe has gained one of the few remaining Kobalts as his ally: the Blue Demon, Hansel Kobalt. He got in Cinder's way, and delayed her from taking the Fall Maiden's remaining power. He was also the one who severely injured young Adam Taurus."
Tyrian stopped giggling for a moment to look at Salem in surprise. Watts' mouth dropped open. Even Hazel's eyes went wide as he gazed at his master with newfound interest. Tyrian then started laughing once again. "The cursed family," he started chanting.
"The Kobalts? As in the family that drove themselves to madness?" Watts could not believe what he was hearing. "I thought the last living ones had scattered to the far corners of Remnant, to die in solitude."
"The damn hypocrite," Hazel growled, regarding Ozpin, "to think he'd use someone from that family of devils while claiming to be a paragon."
"There are indeed very few Kobalts left." Salem admitted. "Three, in fact, and we were right to think they had vanished into obscurity, to live out their remaining days in shame and solitude. However, it seems that Ozpin managed to ally himself with the Blue Demon. And from what Cinder told me, he's quite close with Ozpin, as though the boy were his apprentice."
Tyrian smirked, interested in Hansel. "The Blue Demon, lots of stories about that one," he giggled, "yes, yes, yes, how wonderful. Just say the word and I will slay the demon, Milady."
"No, none of that, young Hansel will have his own part to play in the future." Salem brushed Tyrian off. "After all, a demon would be more at home among devils, don't you think?"
"You can't possibly want to recruit the boy." Watts was surprised at this. "The Blue Demon is just a title, Your Grace. A title that reflects the terror he strikes in the heart of the criminal element. Even if that boy has that cursed family's blood in his veins, I doubt he would just abandon Ozpin."
"Oh, it's just an idea," Salem said in a whimsical tone, "but if any of you encounter him, you're allowed to hurt him, but don't kill him. In fact, that goes for both of our two hindrances. I want the girl brought to me. I would love to meet the warrior Ozpin has decided to put his faith in this time. As for Hansel, I want the boy broken thoroughly, physically and mentally."
"Break him, Your Grace?" Hazel was surprised at this. "To what end?"
"To hurt Ozpin's pride," Salem revealed, "and to also take advantage of the darkness in that boy's heart."
"His darkness?" Watts was also confused.
"He's a Kobalt," Salem reminded them, "that boy was born twisted, just like the rest of his family, and if we play our cards right, he will rise to the occasion and become one of us. If he's good enough to hold his own against Cinder and maim young Adam, he'll be quite useful to us."
"It's merely a side objective of course," Salem continued, "we will continue our plans as usual. But we will also use any opportunities we have to push young Hansel to become one of us."
"And we can hurt him, right?" Tyrian asked, anticipating the very thought of fighting and hurting Hansel.
"Of course," Salem assured Tyrian, "pain is the only thing the Kobalts truly understand. It is through pain that he will become our ally."
"As you command Your Grace," Watts said, "but please note that I am still uncertain of this plan regarding the boy."
"As am I," Hazel admitted, "but I will do as asked."
Salem nodded, smiling in satisfaction. "Wonderful," she said, "your loyalty is most appreciated. In spite of our setbacks, everything is proceeding according to plan. All I ask now is that you remain here and put your assignments on hold, for the time being."
"Why is that?" Watts raised a curious eyebrow.
Salem smiled. "A week from now, we will be meeting with Remnant's most powerful terrorist cell. They wish to open up dialogue with us. Yes, the shadowy 'Organization' that strikes terror in the hearts of the people of Mistral, Atlas and Vacuo."
"Gray Jackal."
Once again, Salem's actions stunned her associates. "You are all dismissed for now." Salem told them. "I advise you all to prepare for our meeting."
Watts, Hazel and Tyrian all bowed in respect as they exited the meeting room. "Oh, and Arthur," Salem addressed Watts by his first name.
Watts turned over his shoulder to gaze at Salem. "Since I know how dreadfully bored you get when you have nothing to do," Salem told him, "I want you to develop a new arm for young Adam."
"You don't intend to give him one yourself?" Watts was surprised.
"I believe you wanted to try out your own work after you saw mine." Salem noted. "Consider this opportunity an apology for sidelining you for the time being."
Watts smiled and bowed to Salem. "Thank you, Your Grace," he said gratefully, leaving the room with Hazel and Tyrian.
Salem then chuckled sinisterly at the thought of her plans. "To think, after all this time, I never put two and two together." She mused. "Oh Ozpin, I've definitely underestimated you this time. But, it will be the last time."
"And as for you, I look forward to properly meeting you soon…Hansel." Salem said with a hint of familiarity.
Back at Beacon Academy, Hansel Kobalt groaned slightly, feeling a headache coming on without warning. "Shit," he muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out pills of some sort.
Hansel quickly popped two pills into his mouth and swallowed them. He shook with slight relief, already feeling the headache leave him. "Why the hell can't these things happen more predictably?" He wondered.
Hansel then entered Ozpin's office. "Good afternoon, sir," he said respectfully, quickly pocketing the pills before the man could see them.
He hoped Ozpin did not notice. Ozpin did not need to know that he was taking medicines of various kinds. "Hansel, another unexpected meeting today." Ozpin said with a smile.
Hansel raised an eyebrow at Ozpin's statement. "Who else met with you?" He asked curiously.
"Ms. Rose," Ozpin revealed, "she asked about her eyes."
"How much did you tell her?" Hansel asked curiously.
"As much as she needed to know to understand what her role would be, but not enough for her to just rush out recklessly." Ozpin replied.
"As long as she's ready to do her part, I suppose that works just fine." Hansel shrugged, accepting that for now.
"So, what would you like to discuss with me, Hansel?" Ozpin inquired.
Hansel smirked. "I want to take a class out on a…field trip." He said.
A.N: By the power invested in me, by my powers as writer, I declare the Neverland Gorge Arc has officially begun!
