Chapter Two

...Within two hours the Mistrali Airship M.A.F.S. Fenix Royal fell from the skies into the oceans between Vale and Mistral on its voyage to Vale City transporting several envoys of Mistral and Gaenan Industries to discuss expanding mining operations to that land with the blessings of the Kingdom, the last radio distress calls it was recorded to have sent out and were intercepted by listening posts from both Vale and Mistral accused the airship of sporting the colors of the Schnee Dust Company Air Fleet, sparking an international incident severe enough that each of the three Kingdom's envoys had to have the Headmasters of the Hunter Academies themselves assigned to keep peace between them.

In the end, attempts to uphold peace unravelled, as Jacque Schnee accused then CEO Ira Blodstoe of orchestrating a false flag attack, knowing the destruction of the Fenix Royal would claim the life of his daughter, who was one of three representatives sent by Gaean Industries to discuss their expansion plans with the Vale Environmental Committee.

In response to this, Ira was reported to call Jacque Schnee a 'snake who has come to believe his own lies as truth, and one whose fruit must be crushed', and then left the negotions table with all in attendance watching. Within twenty minutes of CEO Blodstoe taking a flight back to Gaean Industries headquarters, while the Jacque was on an Intercontinental Transit Tower communique with General John Birchbark of the Atlas Armed Forces to discuss increasing the security of SDC operations, a broadcast was sent out, which contained a message from Ira Blodstoe.

To keep this issue brief and short, the CEO of Gaean Industries declared that despite attempting to make his counterpart in Jacque Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company see reason, and for his own insult directed to Ira to his face, he was no longer going to seek peace with the SDC. With a promise to not drag the Four Kingdoms into another war, he then issued that Gaean Industries was now declaring war against the Schnee Dust Company itself.

After the message ended, news stations all across the four Kingdoms began to report news of SDC assets out traveling the highways being sabatoged, various senior ranking personal being attacked within their own homes, and other various activities that were set up to specifically avoid causing injury or damage to anything not belonging to the SDC, or people not affiliated with it. The perpetrators were quickly revealed to be agents hired by Gaean Industries, and as the reports continued, it was soon clear that what would henceforth be known as the Corporation War had begun.

Ruby shuddered as she imagined what it was like, and got up to walk around the cabin to explore the airship. She walked by Jaune, who was hand-cuffed to a nearby sink, an expression of traumatized nausea as he groaned. Now that the world-renown Atlas Special Operatives were revealed to have been on the airship, she saw in the distance one of them was conversing with Glynda Goodwitch about something. She was startled when a woman, who was dressed rather elegantly and had her bright white hair styled in a ponytail stood up and held her hand up.

"Hold it, no more then 15 feet apart from the suspect." she said with a stern tone. Ruby immediately realized she was another Special Operative, and took a moment to compose herself.

"Sorry, I was just wanting to speak with Miss... Mrs... Goodwitch."

"Glynda?" the woman asked.

"Ah... yes. If she's not available, I will just be going." Ruby answered. The woman nodded.

"I will let her know that you were asking about her. What's your name, in the event she asks?"

"Ruby Rose." the teenager said, to which the woman nodded.

"Ruby... I heard about you from Glynda herself. You may call me Winter." the woman replied, maintaining a tone of authority and icyness. Ruby nodded.

"So were you on vacation or something?" she asked. Winter took a moment, her eyes looking off to the side at Jaune, then back at Ruby.

"Yes, though we are required to be ready to be called into action if something happens in whatever area we're taking our vacation in." she replied with cool stoicism, gesturing to the blonde as he made a gasping sound followed by voiding his stomach into the sink.

"Urrgh... why is there carrots? I didn't even eat carrots." he mumbled as Ruby and Winter both watched with distaste.

"Well, from what I understand Jaune here was an aspiring student for Beacon, much like yourself." the Special Operative said, turning back to Ruby.

"Yeah, I uh- I only met him on this flight today." Ruby answered, stammering for a bit. After a moment of awkward silence passed, the speakers for the airship activated.

"Attention all passengers, attention all passengers, this is Vale Air Line #261, we are now half an hour from intiating docking protocols with Beacon, we request that all passengers, staff and crew be seated and all personal belongings stowed and secured away." the voice of the pilot annouced.

"I'll have to take care of my stuff. Bye Winter." Ruby said with a short clearing of her throat, then walked back to her seat in the airship cabin.

"Bye, and good luck with your training in Beacon." Winter replied, before turning back to Jaune, and looking over at Glynda Goodwitch, who had concluded her conversation as well, and holding a binder with some papers in it.

"What did I miss?" the personal assistant to Headmaster Ozpin inquired of Winter.

"Nothing of much important, just another of your potential cadets wishing to speak with you, we'll be running a background check on this one in the mean time." she replied, while Jaune visibly tensed up. Glynda looked over at him, and sighed.

"No need for that, Ozpin told me to assure you that the Beacon registry staff already checked his records, and found nothing of import. You may release him into our custody, and we'll take responsibility if anything like Mr. Arc has another gaff." she answered Winter. Jaune looked up in surprise, eyes going back and forth between Winter and Glynda.

"Huh?" he inquired, as while Winter clearly had her protestations, she decided to just let him go without much protest. Glynda simply suggested quietly to return to his seat, and the young blonde man meekly walked away. Once he was out of earshot, Goodwitch turned to Winter.

"Oh, and Miss Schnee? Your sister Weiss had also applied to Beacon, and was accepted. She will be flying in on her own personal transportation, so this may be the first chance you have had to see her in some time." she informed her, to which Winter's face softened.

"...No, it would best serve her well that she doesn't know I was here." the Special Operative declined, and brought her face back into a neutral mask. Glynda nodded in understanding.

"If that's what you think... you and your fellow Special Operatives stay safe out there, especially with how Gaean Industries and your father's business are becoming hostile once more." she replied, then walked away to her own seat. Winter sighed, as the man with green hair walked up to her.

"We'll need it, especially with what those... things we found were willing to do." Winter whispered quietly. She looked back at him as he stared off in the distance outside the window.

"Indeed, and with what little we have gathered on them, hopefully Ozpin and Glynda will help ensure those kids survive if they encounter them before us. I'm not sure which of two theories I have about them is worse to think about regarding them." he replied.

"What would those theories be?" Winter inquired

"The first is that they're some new weapon or cult invented by Salem to better infiltrate the Four Kingdoms while her Grimm distracts everyone, which means she is growing more powerful... the second is that she didn't have a hand in their creation." Winter sighed.

"And if the second is true, that just raises one more question: what are they, and what is their endgame?"

Half an hour later, Beacon Academy

Once the airship docked, Ruby walked down the ramp, and stared in awe at the courtyard that she was seeing. from where the airship landed on a platform for it, she saw a single straight road lined to a fountain in the middle of several lone standing arches, the sides of said road lined with light poles diplaying the flag of Vale, a pair of crossed axes within a laurel wreath, both of which are typically colored green against a black background.

Ruby looked over as she heard a woman scream in anger and disgust saw Jaune running to a trashcan in the background. When she heard the woman he apparently vomited on speaking, she recognized the voice.

"Damn it, these are my favorite boots asshole!" Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's sister yelled as she walked out into the one, waving a fist at Jaune. The woman herself was dressed in a leather jacket with a yellow crop top with short shorts that just covers enough to be considered semi-modest as her midriff was left bare. Her lanvender eyes were currently held in a firy glare while her deep blonde hair flowing down past her waist like a golden curling curtain. Adorning her legs from just above the knee and below were a pair of orange socks, over which she wore a pair of knee-high boots now currently soiled. Ruby had a surprised look on her face, and as Yang cleaned herself off as best as she could at the moment, she spotted Ruby. Her mood, while still down from her incident with Jaune, was uplifted as she processed who she was looking at.

"Ruby!~" she called out with a wave, running over to her.

Alright, let's get this over with. Ruby thought, a small half-smile forming as she didn't expect to see Yang at Beacon, and she even wondered how she didn't see her on the airship until now.

After a very short conversation, the two walked together, with Yang listening as Ruby explained how she met the Headmaster of Beacon himself, the events leading up to it and so on...

Beacon, Headmaster Ozpin's office

Watching from a distance away, the Headmaster himself observed the airships bringing the new mass of Cadets of the year, as well as those who were returning for their 2nd-4th years. The room he was in had a number of various furnishings, which was meticulously set up and crafted under his instructions to ensure that while they allowed an atmosphere of being welcoming and comforting to any of Beacons pupils and aspiring Hunters and Huntresses, still made clear that he was also there to enforce discipline on them during their time in Beacon. A TV in the background was set to the Inter-Continental News Network, AKA ICNN, which was reporting the latest in a series of international stories that have been going hot off the press.

Ozpin looked over, and saw that it was about Roman Torchwick, the man that Ruby stopped from stealing from From Dust Till Dawn.

"In current ongoing events starting from last night, International professional thief and wanted criminal Roman Torchwick had once again been seen committing another Dust heist, the latest in his career of professional robberies throughout the Four Kingdoms. Due to what appears to a pattern of striking Dust properties owned, or at least sponsored by either one or both the Schnee Dust Company and Gaean Industries, both companies are currently locking horns over whether or not Roman Torchwick's activies are being done for hire by their competitor. General James Ironwood, Headmaster of Atlas' Hunter Academy Signal, has done well so far in keeping the peace. The man himself has become a prominent figure alongside Beacon Academy Headmaster Ozpin for both their critical roles in ending the Five Month War between both corporations, with Ozpin coordinating efforts with all four Huntsmen Academies alongside both the Vacuo Defense Force, and the Vale Armed Militia to seize control of various facilities to both corporations and then starting a three week long takeover of the Mistral governmental sectors by breaking into the Mistrali Senate and having much of its 70-head membership, which during the course of the war was effectively controlled by Gaean Industries in spirit via corruption and bribery to plant 'sock puppet' Senators to control legislation." Ozpin sighed at the pain that was escorting said Senators out of the building with only him, Raven, Qrow, and three other Huntsmen to spare keeping an eye on them.

"In doing so, he managed to ensue chaos as the Mistral Guard were deployed, only for most of the regiments that had been sent to apprehend the Huntsmen and take control back to raise up arms against not Ozpin, but against Gaean Industries for dragging Mistral into a war against its own political ally, and what many felt were their national friend Atlas, a view shared by their counterparts in the Atlas Homeland Army who were led by James Ironwood himself to launch a coup de'tat of their own within Atlas to cripple the Schnee Dust Company's own capabilities, and cutting off the SDC from access to various logistical hubs such as airports and seaside docks, effectively cutting off its supply lines and..." while taking another sip of hot chocolate, he heard knocking at the door. He turned to the door, and saw through the window that it was his assistant Glynda Goodwitch. She must've left Professor Oobleck or Port to help the Cadets both new and old to settle down into Beacon, especially since she confirmed before leaving the airship from Vale that she got in contact with the eldest of the Schnee sisters Winter.

"Enter " Ozpin annouced, to which the door opened as Glynda walked into the office. She then showed the manilla folder in her arm to him, to which Ozpin nodded and gestured to his desk with the hand holding his mug. As she set it down, Goodwitch sat down on one of the seats in front of his desk, while the Headmaster sat down and opened the folder to read it.

"Alright, so did the Special Operatives mention anything while you were with them?" He asked, to which Glynda sighed.

"Well, they said that they believe that they stumbled onto some new threat by Sa... her, sir." Glynda replied, and Ozpin looked up. His expression changed slightly, one that was of a long memory of regret and remorse.

"...I understand how you think I might feel, but I am not that fragile regarding that particular old wound. So you were saying about Salem?" the man asked, placating his assistant as she continued.

"Ah, yes. They're starting to wondering if she is having a hand in the events going on, and found a possible new avenue she is exploring in completing her goal." the woman summarized, as Ozpin examined the folder. His eyes widened slightly, and his face tightened subtly.

"Brothers, I can see why..." he mumbled. Glynda raised an eyebrow. Ozpin looked up at her, then down at the folder.

"...when we are finished with orientation and have the time, I am going to have to speak with you and the rest of the staff privately about this new threat the Special Operatives encountered." Ozpin said, showing Glynda a picture that was in the folder. When she looked at it, her eyebrows were pressed together as she frowned.

"Isn't that just a trio of Beowolves? I don't..." her voice trailed off when she started to look more closely at the photo. First, while two of the 'Beowolves' was almost black from head to toe like its opponent, the quality of the picture made it clear it was actual fur instead of the... 'shadow fluid' as some scientists attempting to study the Grimm called the stuff Salem creates them with. Ozpin showed a close up photo, which showed that the... Not-Grimm Beowolves didn't have any of the bony protrusions that they should have, instead having silver highlights in several areas.

Next, was the fact in the first video, they were showing a clearly much higher level of intelligence, as in both photos they were using weapons in the form of some form of dagger or knife, and were clearly highly trained. In the first photo however, the Grimm Beowolf was pinned to the ground, with the others choosing different areas to attack. One of them chose to attack their Grimm counterpart by its head and upper torso, while the second was holding down the monster by its legs. Not-Grimm #1, the one attacking the upper torso, had its jaws clamped around the Grimm's throat, laying down to the left side of the struggling beast and stamping its left leg on the same arm.

At the same time, it held the right arm at bay with one of its own, all but confirming the implied strength of these creatures to have apparently not only wrestled a Grimm down raw muscle, but still having the freedom to maintain a position to continue attacking it as Not-Grimm #1 was stabbing the Beowolf in the stomach with the dagger it held. If the bright red glowing cuts and slashs were any indication, they were doing this for awhile. Meanwhile, Not-Grimm #2 was savaging the Beowolf's legs and waist with claw, fang and another dagger in its hand, ensuring it couldn't break out of the hold #1 had.

The second picture however, which depicted one of the Not-Grimm Beowolves, was something that revealed more then the silver highlights of its pelt. A number of what appeared to be tribal symbols were painted with some form of paint, as it was crouching before what appeared to be an altar in the woods. The creature was taken in mid pose, crouching down as it was focused on some kind of ritual, cleaning a skull of some kind with a knife clearly of either Human or Faunus origen.

"Where did they get these?" Ozpin asked

"Apparently these photos were posted on social media in Menagerie by several of the Faunus living asking questions about what was going on. An analyst for the Atlas Intelligence Division looking for evidence of White Fang activity intercepted the photos and saved copies of them upon noticing that the profiles of the Menagerie profiles were suddenly hacked, and their accounts blocked with privacy locks and shut down a short time later." Glynda replied. She straightened a stray lock of hair, and then continued.

"Winter mentioned that she and Clover were immediately ordered by General Ironwood himself to go find and get the Faunus in question out of there, but hadn't shared much beyond that."

"Hmm..." Ozpin hummed, the Headmaster tapping a finger as he thought. "...sounds like whatever these creatures are, they don't like having people talk about them. Miss Goodwitch, take these to our records, and file them in the High-Security Vaults."

"Sir, do you really think they're that serious?"

"I am not sure, but it would be best to not leave it to chance to show us what these... Not-Grimm Beowolves are capable of." Ozpin said to answer Glynda's question, turning back to the news report when he saw it was about the White Fang. Ozpin frowned, already concerned what it might say.

"...as a peace rally in Mistral had organized and marched through the economic district by a number of Faunus citizens yesterday and to this morning, protesting against the government for the so-called 'Iron Curfew' that has been in effect for 10 months. This term, of course, is in reference to the Mistral Senate passing a curfew banning Faunus from gathering in numbers of more then ten individuals in local establishments from the hours of 5 PM to 6 AM, and requiring them to be in their residential homes by 4 PM unless their employer grants them a 'Moon Light Card' which allows them to be out and active until 8 PM. Several of the protestors, wishing to stay anonymous, claimed that they had applied for a Moon Light Card up to as long as five weeks ago, but hadn't received any answers as to whether their requests had been granted. The White Fang has also posted videos of the protest throughout the Scroll-Net, bringing the issues to international attention. Oddly, White Fang leader Sienna Khan, in a rather unorthodox manner from her usual infamous methodology of using terrorism and violence to get her way, had actually called for her brothers and sister to 'Maintain an unarmed and civil protest' and was cited to be avoiding a possible escalation or retaliation on part of the Mistral government against those Faunus not a part of their membership by actively calling for all cells of the organization to not conduct any of their activities for the duration of the event, and to not interfere with it in any way. The protest's leaders themselves believe that they are able to continue the protest for two more days, after which time, they will peacefully disburse and head back to their homes..."

several hours later

With the end of the orientation speech and congratulating of those who made it into Beacon, the Cadets were being filed about to their various assigned quarters in time for the mandatory time to be in bed. In the case of those starting their first year, they were made to share a room wherever they had space, but advised that since they had performed the test that will determine what teams they will be in, not to unpack their belongings.

Ruby and Yang were currently walking down a hallway after, the former having her shoulders slumped over from embarrassing herself with an unfortunate encounter with Weiss Schnee herself. Yang spoke up, doing her best to cheer up Ruby.

"Hey, relax Ruby, some girls are just born as bitchy snowflakes." she said. Ruby simply looked over at Yang, and then started chuckling.

"I suppose..." Ruby said, as they passed by a Faunus who was dressed in gray fatigues with a faded blue short-sleeved shirt and a yellow high-visiblity vest. A quick look at his arms confirmed him to be a Faunus via having a series of snake scales running along them, but since he was focused on his Scroll, which he put a black privacy case around the two girls ignored him.

As they walked away, he pulled up a chat app on his Scroll, labeled GlassChat.

FaunAhroGlaWal3Langley42: @MissConDeltaGreen, reporting that Pack has made it inside Beacon. he typed into a group chat, and waited for a response as the person he pinged typed out their reply.

MissConDeltaGreen: Excellent. Veil Breach confirmed?

FaunAhroGlaWal3Langley42: Confirmed. @MetiThurGlaWal1Ted, show them the security camera footage.

MetiThurGlaWal1Ted: UPLOADING VIDEO...was what followed, then VIDEO UPLOADED displayed itself under a promp in the form of a thumbnail of Winter and Glynda with a play button.

MetiThurGlaWal1Ted: Her sister Weiss Schnee is also apparently here, but I only caught that from reading Glynda's lips on my Scroll. Anybody got a confirmed sighting?

HomAhroGlaWal1Stanton: I saw her. A Little Red Riding Hood Goth bumped into her, and she went and chewed her out for it LMAO.

FaunRagaGlaWal2Eleanor: Kek.

MissConDeltaGreen Muted HomAhroGlaWal1Stanton and FaunRagaGlaWal2Eleanor

MissConDeltaGreen: Focus, you're out in the field, no slacking off. Veil Breach has indeed been confirmed, the four of you are now tasked with Mending the Veil. Integrate into Beacon, scout out the Cadets and Beacon staff, and remember to try and get Initiation to put you all in one Team. Easier on all of us if you can maintain Pack cohesion without Ozpin splitting you up. The Snake Faunus grinned lightly, as he saw MissConDeltaGreen's message got two middle finger emoji reactions.

MissConDeltaGreen: Your unprofessionalism is noted @HomAhroGlaWal1Stanton @FaunRagaGlaWal2Eleanor

MetiThurGlaWal1Ted: What about Weiss?

MissConDeltaGreen: If you can deal with her in some way, consider sabotaging whatever goals she has regarding Beacon a secondary objective.

MissConDeltaGreen has Unmuted HomAhroGlaWal1Stanton and FaunRagaGlaWal2Eleanor

MissConDeltaGreen: Gaea is Mother, Gaea is Father.

MetiThurGlaWal1Ted: Gaea is Mother, Gaea is Father.

FaunRagaGlaWal2Eleanor: Gaea is Mother, Gaea is Father.

HomAhroGlaWal1Stanton: Gaea is Mother, Gaea is Father.

FaunAhroGlaWal3Langley: Gaea is Mother, Gaea is Father.

MissConDeltaGreen: Briefing is officially concluded. The Snake Faunus nodded, and after logging off of GlassChat, got up and began walking to the Cadets' on-campus apartment.