When beacon was first founded, vale was well guarded, had forests, steep mountains and an Oceanside view no man or faunas could beat.
The one thing Osma grew to love most about beacon and the other descendants was that ozpin loved coffee, books, and music.
"Sir you're Pacing again" Glynda interrupted his thoughts to remark his idiosyncratic tick when he could not put something to rest for long.
"No but you don't understand Glynda, he never showed any aptitude for the hobby until today"
"Maybe start from the top and I'll understand if you're just as dramatic as Mr. Arc over Mr. Valentine cooking in the kitchens as a reward for getting out of house arrest" she mockingly said grabbing a drink off the desk as she sent one last file of paperwork to the council. "Among other things he completed of course "she added muttering to herself.
Taking a breath oz looked out the window overlooking the campus grounds, "this morning he approached me about the long since under used music room."
Two hours prior*
"prof. Ozpin, am I allowed to use this room in the west wing?" Cole asked, unfolding a school map and pointing to the music room in bold italics.
"I don't see why you couldn't, everywhere is accessible to student and faculty." Oz smiled as he handed him a red keycard.
Reaching for the card oz held his wrist just firmly enough to nonverbally say 'do not make me regret this' and received a curt nod and passed him in a stroll toward the cafeteria hoping to restock his stash of coffee.
What Cole did not know about the keycard was that oz had put a tracking algorithm inside the chip and was watching where Cole was going. Of course, the esteemed headmaster Opzin Alaster would not trust a volatile man like Cole go wherever without some precautions put in place.
bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt*
Oz pulled his scroll from his coat pocket and read a message that read: [are you near the music room?]
Smiling he sent back to Glynda:
[Mr. Valentine wanted to use the room for extracurricular reasons, so I gave him my card but fret not, it's being tracked to show the staff and vale council that we are playing by their rules.]
[noted sir, but it's obvious its being tracked.]
Cole reached the music room and unbeknownst to him RWBY, JNPR, CVFY, and surprisingly CRDL cleaned heavy carpets of dust from the room and by the state of the whole room they had just finished up. And were tossing bags away in the chute when Cardin exclaimed, "WE JUST FINISHED IN HE-" he froze looking up seeing Cole standing there without a brace and sling. "Oh, hey man, uh…I thought you were still under house arrest?"
Catching his well veiled apprehension Cole sighed and massaged his shoulder, "headmaster ozpin has released me from such constraints due to good behavior and for the mission last week being a tragic but noteworthy success." He recited as he grabbed a large roll of paper towels and a spray bottle walking over to the recording booth and sprayed all the windows down and began washing them alone hoping they didn't mind his distance and -if anything- expecting them to jump him so he left the door open.
He wasn't there for their benefit, the recording room was soundproof and strong enough for a 4 v 1 fight, one he would not resist if they tried it. He knew where they all stood so he pretended they hated him, so he made himself as vulnerable as possible.
After a few minutes of cleaning Cole had moved on to wiping down cords and that's where he lost track of his thoughts and slipped into five days ago in his mission that subsequently won over the council on his trustworthiness, lost it in the student body; and his life via execution.
Five days prior*
Cole was patrolling like normal, of course he was, it was what he was assigned for, but if he was going to stay calm, he was going to stick to protection and stay silent as he did so…it's all he felt good for now and time.
Ruby cleaned crescent rose and smiling as yang told stories to Blake and Weiss about the times before beacon they had acted and how much trouble they'd brew up just for the sake of attention from their father forcing him outta his funk and made him act like a father again.
Cole had spotted an ursa charging them, so he pulled out a bit of rebar in the wall electrified it and threw it through its chest and shot volts into said metal bar and blew up creating black smog, he was about to check for more Grimm in the area but froze when Weiss caught his attention. "Cole, eat and switch out with one of us. You have watched over us for hours, take a break for a bit."
"Thanks, your esteemed heiress of the SDC, but I ate five minutes ago," he mockingly bowed making yang glare, Blake scoffed, ruby chortled and Weiss giggled "plus you have more good stories to listen to before we move out further into the forest; I'm not one of you so don't act like that with your team"
Weiss stood up and put everything into conjuring a six-foot thick wall of earth and smiled pulling Cole over to the fire and said, "good soldiers follow orders but you're not that, you're my boyfriend, our protector for the night, and you need a chance to be as normal as you can manage."
"it's not on purpose, I just have rust on my people skills…uh skill, point is, the three of you shouldn't push yourselves to like my being here" he stood to get up but fell on his back, yang sat atop his stomach after she'd punched him so hard his lips split on both upper and lower parts looking as if a blade cut him on the right side.
He never felt the pain but definitely heard yang talking as she helped him up. "Look, sparkplug you are fine in my book but your hatred for me is very misplaced, you hate raven for your pain; Blake is off limits so point your hate boner at the white fang that orchestrated the breach"
Cole's fangs showed as he glared like he was gearing up to fight, he shook with unbridled fury, but he forced it down and turned away to let it all out punching the wall and pulled a piece of a Beowulf's throat through and dropped it in the fire.
"I have tried to move past this but you can't possibly understand how painful it was to watch a huntress hesitate to do her job and flee like a coward hoping no one would remember it, I will never forgive you…I can't forget either" growling in annoyance he added "and I don't have a 'hate boner' for your girlfriend, I just want her dead"
"Dude it's a pretty hateful boner" Ruby quipped snorting out a laugh.
She looked into his eyes and saw his heterochromic eyes reflect Adam's fury and swallowed the fear. "If I could go back and change things I would, but I cannot. All I can do is atone for my mistake; Cole I am sorry your mom's blood is on my hands-"
"I see, well belladonna best of luck protecting your mother when such a situation crosses you and someone else flees when you beg for a rescue that will never come" he said flinching at his shoulder and pulled out a few painkillers and dry swallowed five tablets.
Ruby stood up and said, "you three need to argue whose pain is worse than whom's and pack up, its five in the morning so we need to get moving"
As they packed up Weiss put out the fire and sighed "y'know, I really wish you guys would get along-"
BOOM*
SPLAT*
They all saw and heard the gunshot before they heard Weiss hit the ground, blood pooling from her stomach. Looking down Cole watched as she lay still gasping in pain looking wide-eyed at him just begging silent 'why's' before she passed out.
The four of th'm were in shock, Weiss was just shot and there was a hole in the wall the size of a ping pong ball in the center of the wall just to the left of Cole's head.
Cole was the first to react, he obviously spiraled from distressed to angry and confused when he saw may Zedong from team BRNZ; jaune talked about her from his fight in the Vytal festival tournament. How he knew about that girl he didn't want to know.
She smiled as she got up and ran flipping the bird behind her laughing arrogantly.
Cole was heavy breathing as he watched her run away in slow motion, turned around walked over to Weiss and used his lightning to sear her flesh closed since she was unconscious but still alive as he seethed out like a demon possessed, "call for evac I have a rodent to catch."
"Already on it but, stay he- oh, no go I wasn't just in the middle of talking" yang said watching him speed out of the room of the abandoned house in an all-out sprint toward the sniper.
Wind whipped around his body as his lightning pushed him to pick up speed through the trees. His body ached and burned from the exertion, as he caught up to the bitch that attempted her assassination on Weiss.
At the apex of his run, he launched himself forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey with deep and animalistic roar using his Shockwave like a cannon.
Unsheathing his broken sword and sliced right through her ribs spilling her blood and a portion of her intestines on her clothes making her topple onto her side crying out in agony. Sliding to a stop and growled angrily.
"None of that screaming-for-help shit from you" Cole glowered as he decked her in the head making the back of it hit a tree.
She scrambled back holding her guts in one hand as she scooted back first into a creek begging for her life and whining and whimpering out. "Please, I am begging here, huntress to hunter, it's just a job. I was hired on for an intimidation shooter, I swear I didn't mean to hit the girl"
"I SAID SHUT. THE FUCK. UP" he said hammering her in the chest and stomach with all his strength as he wailed on her "you tried to kill her, and unless you wanna keep breathing I suggest you shut your mouth"
Coughing blood and choking on water and bits of mud "I am begging you, I'm sorry, I was only supposed to-" she went paler than she was already as she looked into the electrified blue and green eyes of pure rage of the god of lightning dust themselves. His white hot rage broiled inside like a pool of molten steel and it was spilling over.
Cole hoisted her to eye level to himself and pulled back his bloody armored fist "you should aimed better" he whispered before he punched her so hard a wet crunch sounded out as he knocked her out and went to work pushing her guts back in her and tore his shirt apart and wrapped her wound before using the rest to tie her hands and feet together and dragged her body back to their campsite.
It took almost ten minutes to get back to camp when the rest of the team watched Cole come back cut up, shirtless and bleeding from his lips still but now his wound had spread. None of them rushed him, acknowledged his tears nor asked him if he was okay.
He saw that the time he took getting back a bullhead touched down and he gave them may as well as her weapon and the casing from which housed the bullet that hit Weiss.
"This bitch was hunting us; she was paid off to kill ruby and me-"
"that's 'ruby and I' spark plug" Weiss croaked out as she was wheeled onto the ship.
The three of them laughed at her correction while Cole continued his explanation choking up and teared up again "well, anyway I explain it the intent was to kill me and you. Ruby, I almost killed her but as soon as I had cut her no aura registered, it's like it just winked out as soon as I cut her"
"we'll focus on your report later son, just get comfortable and put this on" ironwood said tossing Cole a black t-shirt "and I think you need to get stitches for the shiner she gave you." He mused.
Cole took the shirt with a quiet "thanks" and sat in silence at the very back of the bullhead not bothering to put it on and just stared off at the ceiling getting lost in his thoughts.
"Oz I don't think this kid should be a hunter- yes he's fine…physically you fossil, mentally he's more that broken. He needs therapy otherwise he'll become too explosive and will pose a threat; the sniper that shot Weiss Schnee would agree" Ironwood growled pocketing his scroll and huffed with a tired and sympathetic look at cole and how he looked at the former heiress.
"A glass that is shattered can be remade to look artistic but the damage is still Present" Cole looked into Ironwood's eyes cold and tired.
"truer words never spoken so proudly Mr valentine" he replied patting his shoulder. "just make sure the shards don't hurt your new family"
"what 'new family' I'm completely alone" he asked, pulling away from the general.
Present time*
Cole shook his head and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and said "fuck it"
Yang of all people looked up and saw Cole grab a bass guitar and hooked it up to an amp and dragged both over to a mic.
"Hey sparky, the power isn't on, breaker needs to be flipped first" she beamed in excitement as the rest saw her rush off and when they all saw what he intended to do they all grabbed instruments and Weiss said over the clamoring and clanking, "what song you feeling like love?"
Cole put the guitar down and said "remember everything"
Cardin and his team set up the instruments while ruby helped jnpr set up the lights and came back to hear his song of choice.
Ruby squealed and yelled happily "that song is perfect" she turned to the people who specialized in the instruments needed "yang on lead guitar, sun on back up guitar, Nora you're on drums, Weiss…weirdly enough there's a violin in here so you got that one aaaand the rest are on lights and effects"
Everyone reacted in their own way in agreement and began to set up around Cole like he was the leader. As he just stood there dumbfounded the figurative stage was set and ruby shouted from behind a camera. As she started filming the lights turned on as the others started playing.
"c'mon Cole, we're here for you, take the hint" she said as he awkwardly cleared his throat and began to sing.
Oh, dear mother, I love you
I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough
Dear father, forgive me
'Cause in your eyes, I just never added up
In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me here alone
The more he sang the more emotion he put into it and felt the beat of the drums and guitar hit and he just started belting out the lyrics.
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?
'Cause I remember everything
He turned to Weiss and smiled.
She just winked and smiled back.
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?
'Cause I remember everything
Turning to jaune and to yang he apologized as best he could with just a look but couldn't tell if he got through to them
Oh, dear brother, just don't hate me
For never standing by you or being by your side
Dear sister, please don't blame me
I only did what I thought was truly right
It's a long and lonely road, when you know you walk alone
Turning back to ruby, he just lost himself in the song and just sang his pain away as he began to tear up.
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?
'Cause I remember everything
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?
'Cause I remember everything
By this time Cole had given up holding his pain back and just sang this portion on his knees because his legs gave out. Everyone thought it was just an act until they saw his tears dripping onto the floor.
I feel like running away
I'm still so far from home
You say that I'll never change
But what the fuck do you know?
I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you in
Please forgive me, I can't forgive you now
I remember everything
While Cole had the chance, he muted the mic and cried on his knees letting sun and yang do their thing in the guitar solo part and both got back-to-back and jammed out acknowledging Cole but going with the flow.
He hugged himself as he felt himself slipping into his darkness and hyperventilating as a result.
Knowing Cole needed someone on backup singer Cardin of all people jumped in and sang a piece until Cole got himself under control.
If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?
'Cause I remember everything
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?
'Cause I remember everything
As he met Cardin's eyes, he shoved the pain back inside, took a breath and finished it off with a lightning show of yellow and gold flashes, feeling the more nostalgic memories flooded back giving him hope.
It all went by so fast
I still can't change the past
I always will remember everything
If we could start again
Would that have changed the end?
We remember everything, everything.
As the music faded out Cole shuttered the last part of the song as he swore, he saw Ezra smiling at him from across the dark room. He choked at the regal sight of her, assumed to be spirit, seeing him one last time and sat down feeling hungry, tired and lighter than before.
"Can we go eat dinner" he asked feeling Weiss hug him and helped him up.
"After that, hell yeah we need food you edge lord" yang joked as everyone broke down the set up and started putting it all away.
"Obviously after we clean this place up" ruby mused as she pocketed her scroll and beamed at Cole like she did something facetious.
"what's with the look you little squirt" Cole said side bumping ruby in the waist.
"you'll see rockstar" She quipped not wanting him to know all of beacon now knows Cole can sing like a pro.
"Oi, you three help us put this all away!" Nora yelled, tossing Cole his keycard.
"Got it" Weiss, ruby and Cole said in unison and walked over to help clean up.
In ozpin's office*
"This happened when you got back and now, you're telling me your surprised, they all worked together to help a fellow student feel better-" she stopped short sighing exasperated and annoyed "isn't that the point of the extra stuff you built into the school so this stuff would help every student unwind?"
"I'm just blown away Mr. Valentine has such raw talent to sing and someone such as him doesn't look like he was even remotely capable of that"
"that's so shortsighted of you headmaster, you are losing sight of your job or are you underestimating your own students?' she mocked walking into the elevator and said before the doors closed "I'm going to see Mr. Valentine to retrieve your keycard before he gets any funny ideas"
"Be quick, we have to prepare for tomorrow's announcement for the end of the school year ms.goodwitch" he replied sending the footage to ironwood with 'pay up' with a laughing emoticon.
It feels like forever since I posted an update for this story, but this one is for the buildup for what is coming next, a rewrite is harder than I thought but I'm doing my best to get these out as best I can with what little time allotted to me.
As I said last chapter, I'm doing this for the few whom read this, and I appreciate your attention to this world I'm building
Good-ish news I have a month and a half left in the navy till I get out (hopefully) and then it's off to getting a job to take care of my kid and dog.
Enjoy your day
Treat yourself
Comment anything you think could be worked on at: H6pp1n355_in_misery.
Criticism is appreciated.
Pizza.