Chapter 26: Ironwood
In which three veterans of an eternal war come together to induct a tenderfoot, ponder an entity with godlike powers, and talk out their feelings.
Fighting an opponent in complete darkness was not, as some might think, limited to blindly flailing around. Noticing the small things was the key, like the sound of a mechanical weapon shifting, the smell of an opponents' aftershave, even the warmth of their breath. Furthermore, gathering intelligence beforehand could offer a critical edge. Memorizing the layout of a room gave any fighter an edge when they could not rely on sight.
Naturally, as the headmaster used a cane, did not wear aftershave, and apparently did not need to breath, Jaune was keenly aware that he was fucked. And since the headmaster knew the layout of this room intimately and Jaune was barely familiar, one might even go as far as to say Jaune was thoroughly, utterly, completely fucked.
Of course, Jaune had one advantage. He knew exactly how fucked he was (hint: the answer was 'especially'). Thus, he had no intention of playing fair.
A cane whooshed through the air toward his head. Jaune heard it coming and blocked it with his own.
"How come you won't let me use Crocea Mors? I thought I was supposed to switch to training with my sword–"
"–after you defeated me in combat, Jaune."
Jaune blocked another blow, this one swinging upwards. Even blind, he was quite familiar with the headmaster's moves. That was probably the only reason he wasn't out of aura by this point. Jaune pushed back, and he heard the headmaster step away from him before the footsteps disappeared.
"Aw c'mon! Can't you make an exception, just once?"
Silence.
"Headmaster? It's rude to ignore my questions. You are a teacher, after all…"
Silence.
"Ah. I see you've figured out my strategy. Well, I'll just say this – your coffee sucks, and Shade is better than Beacon."
Silence.
Damn. He wasn't going to give away his position. He'd only spoken that first time because Jaune had known exactly where he was as they'd traded blows.
Jaune crouched down and laid on the floor. He'd no idea where the headmaster was, but he was smart enough to know that an attack was coming. Jaune would've watched his back, but that sort of thing didn't really matter anymore.
Getting low proved to be the right call. Several whooshes could be heard, but all of them were at head level. Down here, the greatest danger was getting stepped on. He couldn't attack, but right now he had something more important to do. Crawling until he felt a wall, Jaune rose to his feet, taking care to do so silently.
Then, before he could stop himself, Jaune farted. Fortunately, though, it was silent but deadly.
"I know you're there, Jaune."
Jaune froze. Suddenly, loud footsteps came right for him. Jaune considered running, but that would only give away his position further. He instead elected to trust that it was a bluff and held his breath.
It was a bluff, but just barely. Ozpin's cane crashed into the wall so close to Jaune that he could feel the chips of paint fly off and land on his cheek.
"Don't think I don't have ways of detecting you, Jaune. This lesson has a purpose."
Jaune knew what that purpose was. Semblances.
As of yet, Jaune had not been able to manifest his, so it was unlikely that it would help him out in the pitch darkness. This was more of a demonstration of Oz's own semblance, and the power such abilities held if properly utilized. In other words, Ozpin was going to beat the shit out of Jaune with his semblance as a demonstration of why he should try harder to figure out his own. Reiterating – fucked.
Naturally, Jaune wished to avoid that. The headmaster had informed him before the duel that his semblance would give him an advantage over Jaune in the dark but offered no further details. An impossible fight if there ever was one, but Jaune was no stranger to impossible fights. After all, he had been named team leader for strategizing his way out of an impossible fight with a souped up Grimm. He'd learned a valuable lesson that night, even if he hadn't wanted to admit it. It was dishonorable, cowardly, and downright un-hunstmanly, but it had worked.
If you can't win against your opponent, cheat.
Ozpin had fallen silent again, so Jaune advanced along the wall using his sense of touch to navigate. Trudging along without so much as a creak from his sneakers was slow, but it was better than risking everything on a suicidal fight head on.
Jaune felt his foot hit the step. Perfect!
Jaune tripped on said step. Not perfect!
He tumbled to the ground, his cane clattering as it fell out of his hand. He let it go and instead covered his eyes with the freed up hand. It was all or nothing now. He managed to pick himself up just as he felt a blunt weapon press against his throat.
"Yield."
Jaune's other hand furiously felt along the wall. It had to be here somewhere, it just had to–
There.
"No."
Jaune pressed his hand over his eyes and flipped the light switch. Suddenly, the hundreds of lightbulbs lining the room flickered to life. As they were deep under the school in a hall devoid of natural sunlight, the bulbs were extra bright to compensate. Ozpin pupils were dilated in the darkness, so the sudden burst of light blinded him. He stumbled backwards and dropped his cane.
Well, Jaune assumed all that was happening. He was covering his own dilated pupils at the time.
The switch was flipped again, and the lights were extinguished just as suddenly as they had been lit. Jaune still couldn't see, but he could hear. The headmaster's cries of pain gave him away, and Jaune pounced. He didn't have a weapon, but this opportunity would only come once.
Fists rained upon the dazed headmaster, and his aura crackled lime green. The weak glow illuminated the headmaster's body, and Jaune aimed a kick at his head, further disorienting him. Ozpin's decades of experience had given him the edge during their duel, but swordsmanship went out the window as they wrestled on the ground. Jaune had youth and stamina, and Ozpin was still reeling from the burst of light.
Only when the older huntsman's aura broke did Jaune let up. Exhausted, he slid off the old man. Just then, the elevator door opened up.
"Ozpin!" boomed a loud voice. A well-built, middle aged man walked out of the elevator alongside Qrow. "Old friend. How have you been?"
Qrow was not envious. He really wasn't. Playing chauffer for Jimmy was definitely what he enjoyed spending his time doing. The fact that some Taiyang-assed blondie was getting some private training with the wizard didn't piss him off, honest.
"General. It's been too long."
Oz and Jimmy shook hands. When they released, Jimmy motioned to the tube at the opposite end of the room. "Oz, I'll get straight to business. We need to discuss our plans for the maiden you've been keeping in that chamber. Qrow told me–"
"Plans?" asked Johnny-boy.
Jimjam seemed to finally notice the sweaty little slacker polluting the air with his presence. (okay, maybe Qrow was a little envious).
"Ahem. Who–?"
"This is Jaune Arc, a student of Beacon."
Jimbo's eyes widened. "I–I see. I can explain, young man."
This oughta be good. Slim Jim was all about keeping secrets classified and compartmentalized. Qrow couldn't wait to see him try to talk his way out of blabbing about the maiden in front of a student who wasn't in the know.
"Uh…the young woman …um…"
Qrow could see the wheels turning in Jimothy's brain before a switch seemed to flip. Qrow recognized the tensing of muscles and the blank stare. Jimboree's semblance, Mettle, took over.
"Mister Arc, you seem to have stumbled into the headmaster's secret underground sex dungeon."
It was a good thing that Qrow wasn't drinking at the time, because he would've choked on his whiskey if he were. Huh, maybe the universe was finally giving him some good luck to make up for all the bad.
"Ozpin is keeping a young woman restrained inside that chamber to slake his malevolent lusts. He prefers to enact perversions on virginal victims, or maidens, so to speak. I've come down here with Qrow to apprehend him."
"Really?"
"Yes. Please take the elevator out of here so that you don't get caught in the crossfire."
"Calm down, General. He already knows."
Just like that, James' semblance turned off and his muscles loosened. Must suck ass, Qrow mused, going through that. As unlucky as being unlucky was, Qrow would've traded his arm and leg to the Brothers to get rid of a semblance like Mettle. Heh. Maybe limbless Jim tried to make the same deal with the Gods, and the divine bastards just haven't paid up yet.
Of course, semblance or not, Jimmy was still a dick. "What on Remnant do you mean he knows? You told a random student about the maiden?"
"We've often talked extending our circle of trust. It's already so small as it is. As much as I like to believe that our actions will hold off the threat as long as we draw breath, we all grow old. One day, we shall no longer be able to continue the fight."
"'Cept your immortal ass."
"I'm serious, Qrow. Even if I reincarnate, I will lose Ozpin's influential position and resources. It's time to start thinking about passing the torch to a new generation. The General has prepared Winter, and I must prepare my own legacy. Jaune has proven himself willing to sacrifice his own comfort for the greater good when he came to Beacon. He is courageous, loyal, and now skilled enough to best me in single combat. Speaking of which–" Ozpin faced the boy "–I suppose this means it is time for you to begin using your sword."
"About that, headmaster… banter aside, I was thinking about sending Crocea Mors back home to Ansel. I see no reason to start my training from scratch with a sword. I only ever took it with me because I had this self-indulgent fantasy of becoming a sword-wielding hero like the Arcs of old and making my family proud. It seems childish and cringey now, and using a famous weapon isn't exactly gonna help me out if I'm part of a secret war. Besides, I'm so used to fighting with a cane that it would feel weird to switch now."
Qrow frowned. James didn't trust anyone, but that shit right there was why he'd objected to taking on a new member for their little cabal. If you became a part of Ozpin's inner circle, you gave up everything – dreams, family, friends. Qrow didn't have a husband or wife of his own because he couldn't risk Salem using them as leverage. Loyalty to Ozpin had torn Team Stark apart and cost Summer her life. How long until Jaune decided to cut off his own team and family to protect them? How long until this kid had nothing left but a bottle? How long until he became another Qrow?
Ozpin smiled. "It's gratifying to know that the time I invested in our lessons was well spent. Perhaps we should visit the forges of Beacon together. I possess much knowledge about the design of canes that I'd be happy to–"
"You can compensate for your dicks later," Qrow grumbled. "Jim, if the kid knows about Salem, he can't go back now even if he wants to. Now, if we're all finished, it's time to talk about the maiden."
The t̵h̵r̵e̵e̵ four of them crowded around the aura transfer machine.
"What's her status? Why the urgency?" asked James. Qrow had told him the maiden was in critical condition, but James wanted to know every detail.
"She was kept stable by life support until a few weeks ago." answered Ozpin, sipping coffee from his thermos. "For reasons we have yet to understand, her condition recently worsened. Now, she's…"
"…circling the drain," finished Qrow. The grizzled huntsman often likened James to an emotionless robot, but Qrow could not have sounded more unaffected by the situation if he tried.
"While I wouldn't use such macabre phrasing, Qrow is correct. The maiden will most assuredly die soon, and her powers will transfer to a new host. I've got some ideas for candidates to inherit it."
"How long does she have?"
"Probably two weeks. Maybe a month if we're lucky."
"Lucky, eh? Maybe I'd better pack up my semblance and scram. We can't have the bitch dying before schedule," Qrow casually muttered as he pulled out a flask.
"For Dust's sake, Qrow!" roared James.
"Gentleman, please–"
"Show some respect. This woman is dying!"
"Bitch deserves it." Qrow took a swig of his drink. "It's her own fault she's in there."
"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
The three men looked at Jaune. Up to this point, he'd remained silent, drinking his own cup of coffee and deferring to his superiors as they discussed the maiden (as a boy his age should).
"What makes you think that?" Qrow asked quietly.
"You sound just like my teammate, Russel. He's pissed at his partner Dove and doesn't hesitate to let everyone know. If you didn't know him, you'd think Russ couldn't give a shit about Dove, but he only gets so emotional because Dove means the world to him. The thought of losing him as a friend is tearing him apart."
"Dove…the blind kid? What'd he do to mohawk?"
"He asked a professor if he could replace me as leader of our team." Jaune set down his cup. "Got turned down flat. Now he's in the doghouse."
In addition to being a military leader, James was also a headmaster of his own academy. He was not ignorant of how petty and jealous children could be at times, so such a request was not surprising to him. What did surprise him was how calmly Jaune spoke of the matter. He didn't sound angry in spite of the fact that he was the most wronged party in this exchange.
"It's all good, though. Oz gave me some advice on how to help my teammates smooth things over. Right now, I'm letting the three of them conspire to hook me up with my partner for the dance. I figure that spending some time conspiring together will help repair their relationship."
James couldn't help but notice the casual way Jaune spoke. It's Headmaster to you, not 'Oz.'
"Excellent strategy, my boy," complimented Ozpin, either unaware of or unconcerned by his student's use of the nickname. "They would only grow bitter if you ordered them to collaborate, but allowing them to unite of their own accord for a common goal will give them a chance to mend bonds. Well played, Jaune."
Jaune beamed. "I had a good teacher."
"It should only be a matter of time before Team Adventure is thick as thieves once more. As they say: time heals all wounds, no matter how deep."
Ozpin said this to Jaune, but it was clear who he'd wanted to hear it.
"Great, tha's some real heartwarming shit. But it's not the same. No amount of time's ever gonna change what she did. And let me tell ya, it was worse than going behind my back to a teacher."
"She's dying, Qrow. Now may be your last chance to say goodbye."
"…fine. I'll try it."
Qrow sauntered over to the window of the aura transfer machine.
"I'm pissed at you. You ran off to go see the world, and you left the rest of us behind. We would've come with you, ya know, if you'd only asked. I would've had your back. And I'm also mad that you were so reckless with your power. The world would've been better off if you weren't the maiden. You could've used that power for good, but you chose to be selfish and squander it. Now, the boys and I have to clean up your mess. Well, I think I can forgive you for all that. You made mistakes, and so did I, but I'd never stop loving you over that. No, the reason I can't wait for you to flatline isn't any of that shit."
Qrow exhaled deeply. He raised his flask to his lips, but his expression soured before he drank any. With shaking hands, he threw the flask towards the machine. It bounced off the glass harmlessly and fell to the floor.
James had never seen the man waste whiskey before. Qrow's beef was clearly far more serious than it had initially seemed.
"It's because of Yang," seethed Qrow. "You lost all chance for forgiveness when you abandoned your own daughter, your blood, OUR blood. And after what you did to Summer…every day for the past ten years, I've wished you weren't a maiden so I could pull you out of that tube and kill you myself. So, when you die, Raven, know that I'll be around, but only to piss on your grave."
Omake
Jaune: My semblance isn't showing up. Man, I'm never gonna be able to use it.
Ozpin: Worry not, Jaune. My cane has a built in semblance activator.
Jaune: Gee wiz – ard! How does it work?
Ozpin: *hits Jaune* Figure out ya damn semblance, boy!
Next Chapter: Penny is the Hero – In which a lovable robot saves the school, nay, the world from certain doom.
Author's Notes
I'm so happy! I got cyberbullied by a real live bot!
I was told by a 'guest' that my new fanfic, K is horrible (a moldy casserole) and I should improve my writing, but the guest moved on pretty fasted because he/she had more important things to talk about. They told me the name of a crackfic that needs reviews and threatened to report me if I didn't read it. Well, they actually said that I don't even need to read it, just review it positively (said crackfic is in a competition and needs to get the most reviews).
This means I'm real and have officially completed a rite of passage! I'm super ecstatic.
By the way, they threatened to troll my followers, so watch out I guess? Good luck, everyone. See you next update.