In the Beacon Headmaster's office, Teams JNPR and three members of Team RWBY were engrossed in a training session involving a cutting-edge program supplied by Ironwood. Ozpin observed, a mix of displeasure for Jaune's performance and concern over Weiss and Yang's participation etched across his face.
Glynda, ever attentive to Ozpin's demeanor, poured more tea, her voice laced with wry concern. "Sir, if you hold that mug any longer, you'll break it." Ozpin sighed, acknowledging her wisdom as he set the mug down and wearily rubbed his face. "I feel disappointed too"
"Disappointed would be an understatement," he responded, disappointment heavy in his voice. "But, at the very least, Jaune is finally showing dedication to his combat training, even though I had hoped for a different approach.
"In the training arena, Jaune was locked in a fierce battle against a holographic rendition of Cole. "Yang, Weiss, I'll take it from here," Jaune declared, his grip firm on his sword as he tossed it aside, charging at the holo-Cole.
For the next five minutes, the clash continued, neither side giving an inch. Holo-Cole absorbed the brunt of Jaune's strikes with its armored limbs, even temporarily incapacitating Jaune's arm. To conclude the battle, Jaune focused his aura into his hands, systematically dismantling the holographic opponent's components, filling the air with sparks and staining the arena floor with a mock "blood" of blue hue.
Holo-Cole, maintaining a sarcastic smirk, expertly parried most of Jaune's attacks, showcasing its commendable defense. However, Jaune's patience wore thin, prompting him to unleash an aura-infused uppercut that severed the hologram's head, splattering the area with blue fluid, coolant, and oil.
Ozpin, standing tall, turned to Glynda with determination in his eyes. "Glynda, if I can convince James to return Cole, I'll invite you to a full homemade dinner at my house, and I'll use all my influence to protect him. I know it's not the best timing, but if I lose my position as headmaster, I'm committed to securing your promotion to headmistress."
Glynda was taken aback by Ozpin's words. As he walked toward the elevator, he added, "Until then, keep Ruby's team and JNPR on campus. Utilize the threat of expulsion, impose month-long detentions – do whatever it takes to emphasize that Cole should be entrusted to the genuine hunters of Remnant.
"Overwhelmed, Glynda's knees buckled, and she sank into a chair. After collecting herself with a few deep breaths, she activated the intercom in the arena, just as another Cole replica was impaled and eliminated.
Glynda's authoritative voice resonated through the intercom, capturing every student's attention. "Attention all Beacon students," she commanded. "Report to the auditorium without your weapons and equipment. This is not a request. Failure to comply will result in suspension and confinement to your rooms, and your teams will share in the consequences. For those who believe they can push the limits, I will personally ensure you're sent home with the entirety of the school year's homework and assignments. They must be completed if you intend to graduate to the next year… Do not test my patience."
Her tone was unwavering, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. "I just hope this day doesn't take a turn for the worse," she muttered, a sense of trepidation in her voice as she made her way to the elevator.
As Glynda walked, her mind wandered to happier memories, particularly the garden that Cole had helped build with RWBY and JNPR before the recent troubles. She fondly recalled a day when Cole had accidentally tripped over Nora, leading to mud fights and laughter, even though Weiss was less than thrilled.
"You'll pay for that, Cole," Weiss had declared, but everyone else, including Glynda and Ozpin, had joined in the fun, throwing mud and wrestling around. As punishment for dirtying the school and ruining the garden, they were all sent to wash up in a lake two miles from the school after their laughter-filled escapade.
With a smile and a chuckle, Glynda reminisced, "Thankfully, no one cared since it was summer vacation," she sighed with a smile. "What I wouldn't give to see those days again," she added, wiping a tear from her cheek as she opened the doors to the backstage and stepped into the overhead spotlight. Every student from all four years stood patiently and quietly, some apprehensive about why they were there.
With the push of a button, long benches rose from the floors. "This will take a bit longer than Ozpin's speech," Glynda warned, "but if one of you falls asleep, I'll have you in the cafeteria scrubbing the dumpsters with just water and metal brushes."
The students obediently took their seats, awaiting her words. Glynda stood there in silence for a few moments before she continued, "As you are all aware by now, Cole Valentine, a former student of this academy, has been accused of international crimes and is now on the top 13 most wanted list, currently ranked at number 5 due to the events at Haven Academy. Because he was never my son and is now a fugitive, I must take action to protect all of you. Therefore, we, the staff of this academy and the council, have decided on a lockdown. No one in or out unless Ozpin or I say otherwise. Failure to comply will result in expulsion or worse, and you will be denied any future as a huntsman, military service, or law enforcement. Do you all understand me?"
In unison, all the students, except for JNPR and Ruby's team, replied loudly, "Yes, ma'am," clearly fearing the consequences.
"Good. Now remember, you're still Beacon Academy students, so we'll try not to make you work too harshly, but you need to understand that no one's invincible," Glynda added before leaving through the back door. She sent a message to JNPR and Ruby's team, "Come to the Headmaster's office," and then proceeded up the steps of Beacon Tower. As she entered the elevator and pressed the top floor button, she slumped against the wall, fighting back tears as the overwhelming weight of the situation closed in on her.
"This needs to happen, Glynda; it's for their own good," she thought to herself before composing herself and sitting at her temporary desk.
Within ten minutes, JNPR and Ruby's team entered the large office, fully equipped and mission-ready. Glynda's eye twitched with repressed fury, but she slowly stood up and ordered, "Summon your lockers." They complied eagerly, and one by one, she quickly stripped them of their weapons, armor, and dust crystals, locking them using her security codes and sending the lockers back to their original locations. She then sat back down at her desk.
Grabbing the phone, she requested, "Bring seven chairs into the office, please," maintaining an emotionless demeanor.
"Uh… Miss Goodwitch?" Jaune asked, but all he received was a stern glare that silenced him. Three droids promptly arrived, carrying chairs, and left just as swiftly.
"I'm sure you all are wondering why I asked you all here," Glynda began, standing up and walking over to a pot of tea, pouring herself a cup.
"I assure you, ma'am, we haven't the foggiest," Weiss said respectfully, catching Glynda's attention.
Choosing her words carefully, Glynda took a long, calming breath. She sipped her calming jasmine tea while pacing in front of them. "Now, as most students who come to this academy are brash, arrogant, and spiteful," she emphasized each word with her heels clicking on the floor. "But with time, they learn that it's not about them when they get a taste of their first few missions and end up more humble and steadfast to be proper hunters and huntresses of the future."
Sitting down, she took a sip of the orange-colored tea, watching them squirm under her watchful eyes. "But in your cases, for one reason or another, you all forgot that halfway into your second school year, and I couldn't be more disappointed with all of you." Her words cut like knives, and her piercing gaze made them feel the weight of their actions. "You all were relatively humble when you got here, albeit a bit childish and overly excited, maybe even idiotic in thinking you were invulnerable, but humble all the same. Two of you learned to be so in the second half, but it's still the first year for the rest of you."
Weiss fiddled with the hem of her dress, feeling a sense of shame and refusing to speak up. Blake remained her usual enigmatic self, Yang glared daggers, Jaune shrunk in his seat, Ren tried to maintain composure, Nora was uncharacteristically quiet, and Pyrrha avoided eye contact by playing with her hair.
"But somewhere down the line, you all got it in your thick skulls that it didn't matter and had targeted Cole for his mishaps, only making it worse when he returned, broken and suffering in silence," Glynda continued, her voice firm. "You made it harder for him, agitating him to the point of no return. Wasn't it enough? I saw the footage of the day he left Beacon, and everyone saw it."
They all looked up at her, flinching in unison when she stood up, trying not to let her anger escalate.
"I'd expect better of our students, but with all of this on the table, you then lost Ms. Branwen on a mission to recover your classmate," she took a deep breath, her frustration apparent. She clenched her jaw as she noticed Yang's smirk and her gaze flickered toward the seemingly too-clean window. "And on top of this, you celebrated his new status by destroying state-of-the-art Atlesian-grade holographic hard light projection droids to look like him. I can't begin to understand where your heads went when you thought it was a good idea to continue down this deplorable path. I'm genuinely ashamed to call you lot students of Beacon Academy."
Glynda decided it was best to conclude her remarks and let them reflect on their actions. For the first time, the seven of them watched as Professor Glynda Goodwitch grabbed a bottle of Vacuian bourbon, with a card tied to it bearing her name in silver calligraphy, and poured herself a glass.
As Glynda took a deep sip from her glass of bourbon, her eyes bore into each of the students, leaving no room for evasion or denial. The room grew heavy with silence, the tension palpable.
"Professor Goodwitch, we…" Jaune began, but Glynda raised a hand to silence him.
"Do not speak," she said, her tone unyielding. She took another sip of the bourbon, allowing a moment of silence to hang in the air.
Finally, she continued, "It's imperative that you all understand the gravity of your actions. Not only have you jeopardized Beacon's reputation, but you've risked the safety of your fellow students. Cole Valentine, a former student of this academy, is now a fugitive, and you have put him in even greater danger."
Glynda's eyes met Yang's defiant gaze. "And you," she pointed at Yang, "your behavior has been particularly troubling. Your recklessness has endangered your team and others."
Yang's defiance seemed to waver, replaced by a glimmer of remorse. It was evident that Glynda's words were cutting through the walls they had built around themselves.
"You were meant to be the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses, protectors of Remnant," Glynda continued. "But you lost your way, and in the process, you failed your comrades, your school, and your own potential."
Glynda finished her glass of bourbon, her expression softening ever so slightly. "I hope you will reflect on your actions and consider what it truly means to be a Huntsman or Huntress. The path you've chosen is a perilous one, and it's a responsibility not to be taken lightly."
The room remained silent, the weight of Glynda's words sinking in. It was a sobering moment for all present. The professor's stern exterior had given way to a sense of disappointment and concern for her students.
As the students exchanged glances, Glynda stood up and walked to the window. She gazed out at the view of Beacon Academy, her thoughts a turbulent storm within her.
In the end, Glynda's actions were not born out of anger but out of the profound care she held for the students and the future they represented. She hoped that her words would serve as a turning point, a catalyst for growth and redemption.
And as she continued to look out at the academy that had shaped countless generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses, Glynda knew that the path forward would not be easy, but it was a journey that her students had to undertake if they were to become the heroes they were meant to be.
'think about your actions and the consequences they carry,' Glynda said, her voice softened with a hint of concern. 'I suggest you all return to your rooms for the day and reflect on what it means to be a Huntsman or Huntress.'
The seven students exchanged glances, finally acknowledging the gravity of their actions and the disappointment they had brought upon themselves and their school.
'You are dismissed,' Glynda concluded, gesturing towards the door. 'Go back to your rooms and consider your path from here.'
Silently, they rose from their chairs and exited the office, leaving Glynda alone to contemplate the challenges that lay ahead. She could only hope that her words had ignited a spark of understanding in their hearts and that they would emerge from this ordeal stronger, wiser, and more committed to the values of Beacon Academy.
If this was the result the gods then they were cruel and unjust; the damage that had been done during the month was simply unpalatable.
"What's happening to my students" she said dejectedly draining her glass.
Thanks for reading I hope to improve the next chapter.
I'm limiting each chapter to 4000 words or less from here on.
Comment anything you think could be worked on at:
H6pp1n355_in_misery.
Criticism is appreciated