"It would seem you've had a busy night tonight." Ozpin said, taking a sip from his coffee mug. Sitting before him were all four members of team RWBY and Glynda standing on his right. Ozpin studied each of their faces; oh yes, they knew they were in trouble. "And the first night back to Beacon no less."
"I'm so, so, sorry about that happened." Ruby babbled, trying to do anything to explain what had happened.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Ms. Rose." Glynda said sternly, making Ruby yelp. Yang shifted, ready to intervene, then eased up. Good, she was learning some form of restraint. "Now, I want you to walk us through how it got to this point."
The four girls looked amongst themselves. "Who wants to go?" Ruby asked.
Weiss coughed. "Is it alright if I talk?" The girls nodded to her request. It was good that they were finally starting to get along, Ozpin mused. Weiss leaned forward. "We had a contact in the city who told us that the White Fang was having a regular meeting and the location."
"We wanted to see if we could get as much information as we could." Ruby added on, rubbing her arm as she looked down.
"What were you going to do with the information next?" Ozpin asked. Him taking over the questions would make this interrogation go easier.
"We uh," Ruby clammed up now. Damn it, not now!
"We were going to keep a copy of what we found for ourselves to assist in the investigation." Weiss continued on, sensing Ruby's hesitation. "We also agreed to send another copy to the police and huntsmen." Blake turned to Weiss, surprised by what she said, but seemed conflicted on how she felt about it. Interesting.
"So you abused the privilege of Beacon to go into the city after hours," Glynda couldn't hold back now, "roped in a fellow years team as well as two transfer students from Sanctum, infiltrated a White Fang meeting and on your watch, had an Atlesian Paladin careening down the Vale highways. Do I understand all that correctly?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess you do." Ruby couldn't meet their eyes now. If this wasn't such a dire situation, Ozpin would have felt somewhat bad for her. But as it stood, he appreciated that she knew the gravity of the situation. Time to reign in at least something good from this disaster of a night.
"I hope you understand the consequences of your actions." Ozpin started, seeing the girls flinch at that. "That being said, being the headmaster of one of the four premier huntsman academies on Remnant gives me connections. You said you wanted to give copies of what you found to the police and huntsmen?" Weiss nodded. "Perhaps if each of you tell me what you found, it might well have an impact on your punishment."
Ruby's eyes widened. "We all didn't exactly go to just the White Fang rally. Me and Weiss went to the Cross Continental Transmit tower to acquire data on Schnee robberies and any other data that might help."
Ozpin mused on that. They both were in a position to get such information, particularly Weiss. "And did you find anything?"
Weiss shook her head. "I got the data but haven't had the chance to look at it yet."
Ozpin nodded. Given everything that happened, that was fair enough. "I would like a copy of that data if that's alright. But first, you'll have to sign this. Glynda." Glynda pulled up her Scroll, tapped on it a few times and handed it to Weiss. "In case anyone questions how this information came into our hands, it shows that an associate of the company consented to it. That should keep legal trouble from arising."
"Sign here, Ms. Schnee." Glynda said. Weiss took the scroll signed her name on it and handed it back. She pulled up her own Scroll which Ozpin took. It was amazing how far humanity has come since the days working with the brother Gods, Ozpin thought to himself as the data transferred to his Scroll. "Thank you. What else did you find?"
"Neptune and I went to Junior's night club." Yang said, crossing her arms. Ozpin sighed. He had heard about the incident in downtown Vale and that a blonde with striking resemblance to Ms. Xiao Long here was seen leaving it. He had considered at the time yanking her application for the incident but ultimately decided to keep her in place because he didn't have enough evidence that she was there at all.
"Junior? As in Hei Xiong's night club? What brought you there?" Glynda asked. She sounded angry, but also somewhat impressed. That wasn't something Ozpin expected to hear tonight. And the fact nothing blew up this time was good, but he took her previous actions into account now that he more than suspected. "What did you learn from him?"
Yang shrugged. "Not much. I knew Junior by reputation as a guy who knew everything that happened in Vale, particularly the seedy underbelly. I'd gone to him before to look for someone." And there was the confirmation. Yang really should have stayed quiet about that part. Still, he could hear the sadness in her voice, very similar to Tai's expression after that day, when Raven left to return to the tribe. It was a face he'd have a hard time forgetting. If that was the case, then the explosions made more sense now.
"And what did you learn?" Ozpin asked, hoping for something else.
"Well, Roman Torchwick had been there several times before. The last time he was there, he had hired some of Junior's goons to help him out with the Dust robberies. None of them ever came back. I heard from Ruby later that they were with Roman during the robbery. Was that all of them? Maybe. Haven't seen them about anywhere so I'd think so."
"I see." Ozpin said slowly, taking another sip from his mug. That wasn't particularly up to date information but it was most illuminating to him. It wasn't just the White Fang Roman was working with, it was Junior's gang the Red Swords now. He had been hearing from Qrow and his other discrete allies about how Malachite had sent her twin daughters as cooperation with Junior. That alone gave Roman international influence. What's to stop Roman from pulling those strings? "We will keep an eye out for any stragglers going forth. Thank you, Ms. Xiao Long."
"No prob, Headmaster." She said, smirking a little before frowning again.
Ozpin then turned to Blake. "So, if I understand currently, leaves you at the White Fang meeting."
Blake nodded. "Sun Wukong, one of the transfer students form Sanctum, and I posed as Xiong members who defected to the White Fang. We got there in time for the start of their meeting. One of the lieutenants, a man who I've seen with Adam Taurus, started the meeting. One of which was that Roman's starting some new operation to the southeast of Vale. There was so much more that happened at that meeting that doesn't make any damn sense."
"Like what exactly?" Glynda asked, slapping the desk. "What did he say? Use the exact words used."
Blake looked from one teammate to the next. The look she gave left a very bad taste in Ozpin's mouth. "He said that the High Leader, the chief, of the White Fang had been killed." Ozpin mused on that a moment. Okay, that did warrant such a reaction.
"How?" Ozpin asked. He had never met Sienna Khan personally but he saw the videotapes of her fighting in Atlas. She was as good as her reputation implied.
Blake shook her head. "He didn't say, just who replaced him. That's the part that makes no sense." Her eyes were large now like an animal that knew trouble was coming. "Did Harry ever tell you about Lord Voldemort?"
Voldemort? Ozpin had met a lot of people in his lifetime, sure, but he would remember someone with such a unique name. And the Harry mention was alarming to him, but he needed to keep a clear head right now. "No. Should I have?"
"No, that's the confusing part." Blake answered.
"Voldemort. Are you sure?" Weiss asked sharply. It wasn't just her either; Ruby and Yang too looked shocked to their cores by that. That was interesting, very interesting. Hopefully, if he stays silent, Blake will clarify.
"You can ask Sun sometime, he can tell you the same." Blake answered. She turned back to Ozpin. "I'd never heard of Voldemort until Harry mentioned him. Said that Voldemort was a human supremacist and terrorist who had no reservations, no remorse, nothing. Harry told us last night about how he took pleasure in killings and torture, sometimes for information, others for amusement. Then he'd walked into Harry's family house and killed them both, but disappeared before he could kill Harry. That scar was the only thing to remember him by. I've spent hours trying to find any mention of him, nothing. It's like he doesn't exist. Then one day, he turns out to be real and takes over the whole White Fang? I hope you understand why this doesn't make sense to me?"
"It does." Ozpin said, frowning deeply. In this day and age of everything being digitized and recorded not to mention the public sensitivity to terrorism, the fact Voldemort never came up once does alarm Ozpin deeply. "You said you had a contact in the White Fang. Could you ask him or her to provide further insight on the matter?"
Blake shook her head. Tears were in her eyes now. "I can't. He's dead. Saber somehow got found out and they…" Blake took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. "He executed them. A new higher up in the White Fang did it, Russell Faraday."
Ozpin's mind came to a stop. That name again, Faraday. Professor Peach had told him directly about the dream Harry had that mentioned Faraday, Cardin overhearing his name in the conversation with Dr. Merlot, now this. The fact he was in all these situations here could only mean one thing to him, and anything involving HER was always something to watch out for. "Tell me more about this Faraday." Ozpin used every year of experience as a politician and businessman in past lives not to reveal any sort of shakiness. Glynda pulled up a note pad on her scroll, ready for notes.
"You can't seriously be asking her to recount that, right? At this very moment!" Yang said, her eyes flashing Raven's red.
"I can and I am, Ms. Xiao Long." Ozpin said sternly, turning back to Blake. "Go."
"He's not dressed like the rest of the White Fang. It was horrid shirt and slacks, both grey like they had been at sea for long periods of time. They mentioned something about the Claw Islanders being in the fold now, maybe he has something to do with them. He had short dark hair, tanned skin, dark brown eyes, probably 6 foot. His smile is how you'd know him, it's the sort that when you see it, you run the other way."
"What's his semblance?"
"Fire-based." Blake said, looking even worse for wear now. "After he had… ripped Saber's face off, his burnt it in fire. I'd known Saber since I was a kid. He shouldn't have died like that." Blake couldn't hold it back any longer, starting to sob. The girls watched Blake's slumped figure in horror, Weiss patting her on the back.
"You're here now, away from them." Weiss added in. Ozpin watched the pitiful scene in silence. How often had he seen this scene repeated throughout all of his lives? Enough to where it gave a minor twang in his heart and that's it.
"Ms. Schnee is correct. The White Fang can't get you while you're here." Ozpin said, hoping that would set her mind at ease. She wiped some of the tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Headmaster. There was one last thing though. Roman said they snagged a few of those Atlesian Paladins. A few. They're still out there, doing who knows what."
"And we will get them back." Ozpin stood up. There was nothing else he could get from team RWBY, not tonight at least. "Thank you for your time. Go on back to Beacon and get some rest."
"Thanks, Headmaster." Ruby said, opening the doors so the four girls could leave, Blake still crying a little.
"Oh, and Ms. Rose." Ruby turned back, standing in the doorway. "I hope you remember what happened tonight and what came after. I hope that it can guide your decision making in the future." Ozpin looked to the corner of the police's security camera, nodding to it. The red light in the corner blinked off. It was perhaps unethical he did it without RWBY's knowledge but it helped in terms of their openness.
"Was that it?" Glynda demanded, her voice rising a little as the team left and the recording ended. "They broke Beacon rules and infiltrated known criminal organizations under no official Huntsmen or kingdom authority. I don't deny that she had seen something horrific tonight or that their hearts were in the right places but they chose to go out without telling any authorities about their intentions and ended up with a destroyed highway and casualties. That sort of behavior is why certain sections of our population are coming to call us barbarians. You've seen the reports, how they actively hamper Huntsmen duties. The last thing we need right now is that movement becoming widespread."
"I'm not saying they won't get their due punishments." Ozpin agreed, watching the door. "There is to consider the art of timing. Blake had lost a dear friend tonight. I'll inform them of their punishments in the morning when she's calmed down."
Glynda nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. "What do you have in mind?"
"Each of them should get 3 months of community service work primarily rebuilding the highway and an extra essay on vigilantism and huntsmen regulation laws. I think 20 pages each should do the trick. As for Ms. Xiao Long, I have in mind adding in probation for 3 months where she stays at Beacon Academy with exception to the community service. Mandatory anger management courses for 6 months would be beneficial as well and depending on what the results end up being, further action will be taken. They would all still be able to attend the Vytal Festival."
Glynda nodded. "All that is lighter than what I would give them, but I leave those decisions to you."
"They tried to do a good thing tonight, Glynda, and gave us some invaluable insight into how our enemies may attack next. We need to speak with General Ironwood about his search for that Overlook Hotel; Russell Faraday is starting to disturb me. He's more than he seems. Additionally, I admit that I'm also taking into account the presence of Team Delph as backup which was the smartest thing team RWBY did all night. Their actions to save the civilians on the bridge were highly admirable and praised by Faunus and human alike. I hadn't had the chance to tell you yet, but the Vale Police had officially confirmed that 12 people had died out of a total of 156 trapped on that highway. From the damage reports, if Delph hadn't been there, that number would have been much higher and the punishment much more severe. Still, they chose to break the rules as well, intentional or not, so I think the vigilant and huntsmen law essay should be added to them too. Can't have any more students trying to play at huntsmen before they're ready for that burden."
"That's better." Glynda replied, her tone softening. "And I will be sure to watch the papers this time around. If any of the rest of Delph's members try plagiarizing off Harry's papers again, then I will have to take action then too."
"No doubt they will try." Ozpin agreed, sipping from his coffee.
"Those boys are out of hand. Have you been hearing the nickname they've been given lately by the student body?" Glynda asked as he sipped. Ozpin nodded.
"I think Team Chaos has a better ring to it than Delta Phi Eta Iota or even Delph, but traditions are traditions, Glynda."
"Yes, and they earned every bit of it. Plagiarizing papers, insubordination with instructors, stealing food from the kitchens, that mission to Merlot's Island. You do realize that in the last week of the first semester before their mission alone, Midoriya had broken the gym equipment a total of 11 times? I've been called down every single time to fix it when the maintenance man is out or can't do it and I've been saddled with the paperwork. Gods, it's like team STRQ is back but they're dummies."
"Indeed. I do hope that Teams Delph and RWBY takes my advice from here on out. This is their only warning." Ozpin took a sip from his mug, the two leaving the interrogation room to fly back to Beacon.
Pyrrha Nikos tightened down the last straps of her graves, letting out a sigh as she finished. This was her first fight of the semester, the second semester where Pyrrha had been knocked down to the second best fighter in Beacon Academy. It was something that had never happened in her history of tournament fighting. Many students saw it as a sign of weakness, that the Invincible Girl was fallible after all. It was an odd feeling, one that Pyrrha found herself conflicted with as she out on her circlet, beads dangling at her side. She felt honored to fight someone who was better than her at long last. And yet, the number of students who requested to fight her simply for the purpose of taking her spot rose to such a level that Professor Goodwitch was forced to bend the rules so Pyrrha can now choose who she wanted to fight from here on, not the other way around. Today's pick was one she was curious about.
Cardin Winchester was less a bully now and more of a hermit for their first day back. He hardly talked with anyone lately, no contributions to class, no snide insults or even moves on Faunus. He would also disappear for hours on end between classes and no one had a clue where he went. So when she saw him in class, with a metallic eye replacing his lost one and a metal arm all the way up to his shoulder, she decided to see what he had up his sleeve out of curiosity. That eager look in his eye was just like the ones other students would give Pyrrha, the look of someone wanting to knock her down.
No waiting around anymore, Pyrrha thought to herself as she got back up having finished her donning of armor. Seeing how he fought before primarily against Jaune, this shouldn't be too difficult of a challenge. With a flick of her left hand, her shield Akoúo and javelin flew into her hands. Pyrrha took in a breath; she had spent good time with Harry and his strange godfather, Sirius Black, so she'd learned a thing or two from them. Hopefully, if she can bring those to fruition, she would be ready to take Percy Jackson on again. That fight echoed in her mind as she walked onto the stage. She couldn't help wondering if that glare he gave Pyrrha didn't happen, would the outcome have changed at all? She shook her head of that, now was the time to focus. She stepped onto the stage to tumultuous roars from the student body. Pyrrha tried not to look at any of them focusing on Goodwitch standing at the front of the stage and the still unopened door where Cardin would step out. She rubbed her right arm, happy for the support but really hoping they'd quiet down so she could focus easier. The fact Harry Potter could handle the crowds as well as he did, especially that dating question, disturbed Pyrrha more than she'd like to admit to anyone. "Ms. Nikos, are you ready?" Goodwitch asked.
Pyrrha nodded, lifting her spear. The doors on the other end opened at last and Cardin stepped out. His left eye was now replaced with a metal ball with a blue light glowing from the socket and metallic plates lining the side of his face where more skin and bone was lost. His left arm was full-on silver gleaming metal, the same tone as the armor he wore since he started at Beacon with some changes. His breastplate was much larger going down to his navel with new arm guards accompanying his broad shoulder plates and graves on his lower legs. "Mr. Winchester, are you ready?"
"Yes, Professor." He said, pulling out his mace and holding it in front of him, ready to strike. Pyrrha studied his posture further. She had misjudged him earlier; the eagerness she saw wasn't arrogance or a nigh-lustful desire to take her down a peg. No, she saw that look many times during Cardin's 'fights' against Jaune. This was the determination of a boxer eager for battle. Well, if he wanted it, he was going to get it.
"Begin!" Glynda shouted. Pyrrha spun Miló, the javelin transforming into a rifle and started firing at Cardin. Cardin held up his left arm, the bullets impacting his arm but not puncturing them. Pyrrha took steps forward, pulling the trigger again and again. 'Ten bullets left,' Pyrrha thought as she transformed her rifle to xiphos form, slashing at his stomach or at least attempted to. Cardin lowered his hand, his mace in the other going for her legs. Pyrrha leapt in the air, slicing down. Cardin held up a hand, Miló stopping with his grip swinging his mace to her. Not today, Pyrrha thought as she smashed Akoúo against Cardin's face. He staggered, holding his face with his cybernetic arm and grunting. She rushed to him, slashing at him multiple times, each one scratching his armor, each slash getting him closer to the edge of the stadium. 'Time to finish this,' Pyrrha thought with some mild disappointment. She leapt into the air, pressing a button on the side, javelin rocketing to Cardin's face. In a flash of motion, Cardin swiped his mace to his left with such force Miló went careening on the stadium. Cardin pressed a button on his mace, and to Pyrrha's surprise, the tip of the mace flew to her as well, the cage-like top opening like a gaping mouth.
Pyrrha dodged out of the way, rolling towards the stagnant Miló. She could have used her semblance but it would have outed her semblance, something she wouldn't allow to happen. She scooped it up, pointing it at Cardin but to her surprise, she felt herself get knocked into the air backwards. The stem where the mace had come from had fully extended to where it was a baton. Again, he didn't smirk in triumph at the hit, he watched what she did, pressing a button and the mace head flying back to the now-retracted stem to form the mace again and holding the mace in front. 'Not bad, Cardin,' Pyrrha thought as she spun and landed on her feet. 'How about this?' She twirled Miló in a circle which Cardin leapt back from before thrusting his mace into her. She held up Akoúo in time for the impact to be taken, Akoúo giving a little. It was enough for Pyrrha to activate her rifle form, firing three rounds into Cardin's stomach. 'Seven,' she ran to it him, jumping over and rolling over his head, slashing at his back. To Cardin's credit, he didn't get pushed around from the blow just throwing a punch in her direction. He turned back, lifting his mace and bringing it down on her head, Pyrrha leapt to his right, eyes widened as the mace changed direction and went for her head. She held out a hand, lam glowing. The mace shifted subtly away from her to where he only hit air. He staggered. 'Now's my chance.' She gave a roundhouse kick to the center of his back which knocked him forward but not enough. 'More force.' She spun xiphos which became a javelin, spinning it to knock Cardin's feet out from under him and in a flash of motion, slammed Akoúo into him. With a yell, he collapsed from the stage and onto the ground below, rolling to the edge.
Pyrrha let out a breath as the lights lifted. She was getting better, one step closer to beating Percy. But that last push, she pumped more Aura into it than she thought; Cardin really was a tank at the end of the day. "And that's the match." Glynda said, walking up. Pyrrha watched as Cardin pushed himself back up, climbing up onto the stand again and walking over to her, breathing heavily from the fight.
"Good match." He sheathed his mace and held out his meaty arm. Pyrrha stared at it, surprised, before taking it. Something so nice coming from Cardin of all was astonishing; losing his teammates on whatever happened to him on that mission really changed him.
"Good match to you too, Cardin." She said, giving what she hoped was a winning smile. It was partly true; he wasn't the toughest fight she'd ever had but the difference in the first semester vs now was striking. They parted as Professor Goodwitch approached them.
"Well done, Ms. Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament."
"Thank you, professor." Pyrrha nodded, her smile becoming a bit more relaxed now.
"Mr. Winchester, you've made some decent strides yourself. You might stand a chance in qualifying for the tournament yourself." It was meant to be assuring but Cardin flinched a little at her words. "Alright. Now, I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" Glynda looked from person to person. No one raised a hand, understandable. She'd have done the same in their shoes. Glynda looked from student to student. "Ms. Belladonna?" Glynda called out, Blake's head shooting up. Poor girl looked exhausted even from down here. It wasn't just her, the rest of team RWBY has been angry all day. "You've been quiet today, something that cannot be said for Mr. Grif."
"Uuuhh, uummm." Grif said, looking from person to person in a panic. Pyrrha personally had never heard him talk but then again, he talks so much she'd gotten good at filtering him out.
"How about you two…"
"I'll do it." Pyrrha turned to the person who volunteered. She didn't recognize him at all. Silver hair, black side-buttoned dress shirts and black pants. That's the Sanctum Academy attire but he didn't ring a bell.
"Mercury Black, is it?" Glynda asked, adjusting her glasses. "Very well. Let's find you an opponent. May I recommend…?"
"Actually," he interrupted. "I want to fight her." He said, pointing over to Pyrrha. 'Are you serious right now?' Pyrrha thought to herself. She only had seven bullets left and her Aura had taken a few hits from Cardin, though was it that bad?
"Me?" She asked out loud measured. "Are you sure?"
"I'm afraid Ms. Nikos has just finished a match." Glynda said in a very final tone leaving no discussion. "Besides, due to current circumstances, I would ask Ms Nikos for her permission before any match happens. I would highly recommend you find another partner."
"No, it's fine." Pyrrha said, trying to put some pep into her voice. She hadn't taken that many hits or used that much and she had a feeling that he didn't exactly fight in a conventional manner. Maybe she could learn something that could give her a leg up on Percy.
Glynda studied her for a moment, clearly concerned, before nodding. "Very well. You may get suited up, Mr. Black."
"Thank you, oh great one." Mercury gave a sarcastic bow before walking to the stairs leading to the lockers.
"You call that a bow?" Grif called out. "That looked more like a dog trying to wipe its own ass on the pavement."
"Mr. Grif, you will treat the transfer students with the respect they deserve." Glynda called out, though Pyrrha noted she didn't go any further in her beratements than usual.
"Yeah, okay." Grif grumbled, leaning back into the crowd again. Mercury gave a curious look to Grif before continuing onward. Yeah, Grif was someone that Pyrrha had to take a long time to get used to, but that was an odd look for sure.
It didn't take long at all for Mercury to step out. He now wore a silver overjacket and black pants with silver stripes on the side. Bullet gauntlets were strapped to his legs. Kick-based style it is then. Pyrrha held Akoúo in front, Miló held behind and at the ready. He gave a smirk as he walked on, closer to the ones Cardin gave but this guy felt sinister to her. He held his fists up as he stood in front of her, ready to start.
"Begin!" Glynda called out. Mercury ran to her in an instant, kicked Akoúo. She swiped Miló in javelin form, knocking Mercury off his feet. Though he didn't waste a second, pushing himself up into a handstand, spinning a little then doing a backwards somersault before landing on his feet again. Pyrrha smirked; she could feel it in her bones that this guy was really good but he was holding back. With a grunt, Pyrrha ran at him but Mercury repeatedly kicked at her, Akoúo blocking each kick before forcing it into his stomach. Mercury got knocked back but remained on his feet this time.
"Hm." Mercury said, tilting his head. 'Not bad?' Pyrrha thought. She wasn't putting in too much effort but not bad was the best she could get out of him? He then leapt into the air, his leg scrapping against her shield, trying to sweep her then hit her in the side. Pyrrha dodged or blocked them all. She knew that Mercury was going to try something harder now so she held her javelin and shield together. Mercury ran at her, kicking her shield many times. 'That's weird,' Pyrrha thought. It sounded like metal scrapping on metal with each kick, just like in the fight with Cardin. Was it metal braces or something else entirely? The last kick knocked her shield aside though when he went in for a side kick, Pyrrha blocked it again. She was ready now, Miló spinning in the air. Mercury went from the other side but Pyrrha held up an arm, blocking it. It did feel like metal and with a lot of force behind it. Her semblance kicked in, loosening some of the blow. She forced him back, grabbed Miló and spun around in the way a ballerina spun. Mercury blocked each attack, knocking Miló out of her hands. 'He's very good.' Pyrrha confirmed. Mercury looked smug, doing a roundhouse kick to her head. She tilted it back, lifting her shield and hiding her hand slightly above it, her semblance kicking in again. He lay on the ground, not moving for a moment while humming to himself. What was going through his head was not what mattered to Pyrrha. She grabbed Miló and charged at him, the boy leaping onto her shield where both legs rested upon it. An explosion rang against Akoúo, making her arms shake as Mercury leapt away. Pyrrha charged at him again, wanting more from him.
"I forfeit." Mercury said, turning back to Professor Goodwitch. Pyrrha gasped, trying to stop herself from running into him.
"What kind of bullshit is this?" Grif called from the stands. There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd though some hissed at Grif's exclamation.
"You… don't even want to try?" She had faced a lot of opponents but having them step down right in the middle of a fight was something she'd never had before. And it was getting so good too!
"What's the point?" Mercury held up his hands. "You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart."
'Fine.' Pyrrha laid a hand on her hip as Glynda called the match. What a pity he gave in so quickly, he's far better than he's leading on.
"Next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent." Glynda said, glaring at him from behind her spectacles.
"I'll be sure to do that." Mercury said, waving back to Pyrrha as he left. The whole thing just didn't sit right with Pyrrha as the alarms started going off.
"That is all for today. And remember, students, the Vytal Dance is this weekend. Next Monday, your first missions begin. I will not accept any excuses."
"Of course," Pyrrha said as she made her way to the locker rooms.
"Pyrrha?" Pyrrha turned. Cardin was standing out front of the lockers. What was he thinking. Pyrrha coughed into her hand.
"Hi, Cardin. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Can we please meet tonight?" Cardin asked. "On the balconey."
"What do you want?" Pyrrha hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh but after how he treated Jaune, it was hard not to keep it back.
"I just need some advice, that's all." Cardin said.
Pyrrha studied him. He certainly wasn't acting how he usually does. Maybe that curiosity she had earlier could be satisfied this way. "Okay. What time would you like to meet?"
"Nine o'clock should do it." Cardin nodded. "And thank you." He left the lockers without saying another word. Pyrrha watched him leave then worked to get changed back into her black T-shirt and red shorts, the only casual clothes she had, before leaving.
Her team were waiting for her outside. Jaune, who was looking so much stronger than he did when he started at Beacon. He walked up to her. "What did Cardin want?" He asked.
Pyrrha saw the concerned and very wary looks on their faces. "He said he wanted some advice and to meet him on the balcony at 9."
Jaune's face hardened. "Then we go together."
"Jaune, it's probably…"
"You're my partner, Pyrrha. I want to be there if Cardin tries something funny."
Pyrrha smiled up at Jaune. That right there, the fact he actually cared about her wellbeing, she really wanted a stronger relationship with Jaune. But alas, he spent time chasing after Weiss. It was so sad, but now was not the time to dwell on that. "He's right." Ren added in. "We're a team and we stick together."
"Yeah! We'll smash Cardin up!" Nora boomed.
Pyrrha smiled at each one. "Thank you." The four made their way back to their dorm room. Once back, they went about their homework. Pyrrha couldn't believe how much had stacked up on them already. At this rate, her and Jaune's training is at risk. She already had to cut training with Percy because of how bad it got and she would only do so with Jaune if it got bad enough. Still, as she worked, the dance kept coming up in her mind. She spared a glance over to Jaune as he did his own homework. He looked up to see the time.
"Oh, crap. Got to go!" Jaune grabbed a guitar and ran out the door.
"He's cuckoo." Nora said, swirling a finger around her head.
Pyrrha didn't even dignify that with responding, knowing full well where he was going. Why he insisted on chasing after Weiss, Pyrrha would never know. Romance was so weird. But fighting and homework, those were easy to solve. So with a sigh, Pyrrha went back to it. Night started coming on when Jaune returned. "How was our most recent escapade?" Ren asked.
Jaune sighed, setting down his guitar. "I really don't want to talk about it." He said and went back to his homework. Pyrrha sighed, the last line being filled in on her work.
"Jaune?"
"Hm?" Jaune looked up.
"Would you like to train early?" Something to get both of their minds off of the dance or anything else.
"Sure." He leapt up, getting Crocera Mors. Pyrrha held a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles at his enthusiasm. He was like a little kid at times.
"Great." She grabbed Miló and Akoúo and together, they went off. Ren and Nora stayed behind but Pyrrha knew that when the time came, they would make their way over. The walk to the balcony passed on silence. "Are you ready?" She asked at long last, Akoúo resting on its side. Jaune nodded, but before he lifted his blade, Pyrrha charged at him, Miló lifted high.
Jaune swung Crocera Mors up and the two blades clashed. Pyrrha smiled; Jaune's reaction time had gotten better, and while she could see his arms shaking, he was holding his own. The two clashed blades back and forth, Pyrrha taking some steps back before Jaune started pressing harder, herself closing ground. Jaune smiled a really cute smile, pleased with himself. Pyrrha herself was surpised how much stronger he'd gotten. 'Time to add in something new,' she smirked to herself. She pushed him back before breaking contact and before Jaune could register what happened, she swept her leg around and knocked Jaune off his feet. Pyrrha couldn't help herself; she started laughing as she sheathed Miló. "Well done." She held out a hand which Jaune took. "Your swordplay has improved immensely."
"Couldn't have done it without you." Jaune answered, brushing the dust off his jeans.
"So, are you ready to move on to Aura?" Pyrrha asked. That wasn't coming on nearly as well as his swordsmanship, but Pyrrha was determined. What she did know was that he had a lot of Aura to use.
"Actually, I'm just thinking that we skip Aura tonight?" Jaune asked, rubbing the back of head as he turned away. "Might go on a jog or something."
"Come on. I know you get frustrated but you must keep trying. I'm sure we'll discover your semblance any day now." Pyrrha really was starting to feel good about it. The fact that it hadn't manifested yet led Pyrrha to believe that it was Aura-related and not elemental or world-altering like most.
"That's, not it." Jaune said, still not able to look her in the eye. "It's just," he let out a sigh. "It's dumb."
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked. If there was something, anything, she could do to help Jaune then maybe she could win him over bit by bit. "Jaune." She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know you can tell me."
"It's Weiss."
"Oh." Pyrrha frowned for a moment. Why did it have to go back to her? Still, if this was how she went about it, then she'd get it done. "What about her?"
"I asked her to the dance and she shot me down. Bis surprise, right?" He scoffed.
"Well, I believe the saying goes…" She couldn't hesitate, not now. "There's plenty of fish in the sea."
"That's easy for you to say. You've probably got guys clamoring over each other to ask you out."
Pyrrha chuckled too, but it was empty. "You'd be surprised." Her team, Delph or Chaos as they're known by these days, and RWBY were her only friends. And while Midoriya was cute, he wasn't Jaune and couldn't even hold a conversation with her some days.
Jaune sighed, no longer looking her in the eye again. "It's not so fun anymore."
Pyrrha blinked. "What's not so fun anymore?"
"Asking Weiss out." He sighed again. "Pyrrha, I don't particularly like Weiss, like at all. You can ask Ren and Nora about this, but in my family household, my parents are very old fashioned. No TV, no video games, nothing. Even the number of books at home are limited to the essentials. Dad's this big survival nut who thinks such things are trivial."
"Jaune, where are you going with this?" Pyrrha asked, eyes widening. This was not something she had heard Jaune ever open up about before.
Jaune clenched his fists but continued. "So my sisters and I would find other means to try and find enjoyment through other means. Hunting, fishing, riding bikes. I enjoyed all those things, sure, but I got my greatest enjoyment out of annoying people. Seeing what their personality was like, what made them tick, it was something I would come to master before I left for Beacon. And Weiss, she has such a silver spoon up her butt that anything would annoy her."
"So, all this time, all the heartbreak of asking her out and her rejections, you put yourself through all that just for kicks?" Pyrrha asked. She honestly couldn't believe what she was hearing. It made sense given how he acted around her vs not, but the fact anyone would stoop to that level broke her heart a little.
Jaune rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, it's as dumb as it sounds. And the fun of it is wearing off fast." He shook his head. "I really don't know who I'm actually going to take with me to the dance I really don't." He then turned to Pyrrha. "Hey, if this doesn't work out, would you like to go? As friends, I mean."
Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat when he asked that question. Was this actually happening? Was she dreaming? Subtly, she pinched herself on the arm. Nope, she's still here. "I would love to." She beamed, the sincerest she'd given in a long time. And while his form of entertainment was weird, at least Weiss was well and truly out of the picture now. Their moment of joy was cut short when shuffling steps came from inside the balcony. Ren and Nora had stepped through. "Oh, don't mind us. Carry on!" Nora shouted.
"Nora," Ren said annoyed, "How many times have I told you to give people space?" He turned to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Was all that true, that you flirt with Weiss to annoy her?"
Jaune nodded. "I know it's petty but seeing her get contorted like that is the most fun I've had with annoying people in a long time."
"Jaune." Ren said. "You never know when these people might save your life one day. Do you really want them to remember the time you annoyed them?"
Jaune rubbed the back of his head again, blushing now. "I guess you're right."
"So, the whole team's here." The conversation ended. Cardin stepped up onto the rooftop. "You know what? I get that." He made his way to the railing, sitting up on the counter. He was now wearing a button-down white shirt and slacks.
"So, what is it you'd like to ask me about?" Pyrrha asked, standing in front of her team. She appreciated it but hopefully, this would set him at ease a little.
Cardin gripped the railing he sat on, the metal crumpling under his metal arm. "What am I doing wrong?"
"I'm sorry?" Pyrrha asked. That wasn't a question she expected him to start with.
He turned to her. "You heard me. I don't know why I started this program anymore, but the world has turned upside down for me. Amber left me, my team's wiped out and more enemies of the kingdoms keep popping up than Grimm nests." He turned to Pyrrha, that determined fire in his eyes blazing again. "I'm in it now to avenge my team. I'm going to kill every last one of those Grimm that I can get my hands on. That fight today proved to me that I've done nothing right. I need your advice. Please. What can I do to get better?"
Pyrrha stared at him, eyes wide. She still hated what he had done to her Faunus classmates in the past, but she still felt sorry for him. "I…"
"What Pyrrha wants to say," Jaune said, stepping in, "is that there are certain things that you could do to improve your fighting style. And we all will help you in that."
"Jaune!" Nora protested in shock. Pyrrha felt surprised herself, what was Jaune up to?
"But," he continued on, "I do have a certain condition we'd like for you to meet. If my team is okay with it, of course."
"Of course." Cardin said, a sense of desperation in his tone now. "What do you want?"
"Yeah, Jaune, what do we want?" Nora asked, looking between the two. Ren stayed silent but even he seemed interested.
Jaune sighed. "What happened on your mission?" He asked at last. "No one knows what happened there. Team Delph are all refusing to answer questions, the professors aren't saying a word either. It's like it never happened at all." Jaune straightened up. "If you tell us everything you know, we would consider helping you."
Cardin stood up, towering over Jaune as he walked to him. "That damn mission cost me my team, my body. It might as well cost me my dignity too." He held out a hand which Jaune shook.
"Is that good with you guys?" Jaune asked, turning to look back at them. Pyrrha nodded. That sort of thing was good.
"Yes." Ren stated, taking a step back. Nora said nothing, just joined Ren.
Jaune turned back. "So, tell us from the beginning."
Cardin let out a breath. "It started in Sumire with Chief Munchkin. He put us through the grind, every day scouting for new Grimm nests to clear out or stand on the wall to decimate any bandits or Grimm that came in. We probably had one bandit attack, a dozen Grimm and no nests to do. We were bored most days but gods, the people appreciated how much we sacrificed for them. It all ended in an instant when Munchkin called us into his office. He had gotten word of an energy spike in the middle of the ocean. He ordered us to get out there and investigate and that we did."
And he went on as such, explaining to great detail the liquid Dust that was there, Dr. Merlot, and the monsters of the mist. Pyrrha held a hand over her mouth in horror when she heard him recount the Bullhead going down, Harry getting struck by the lobster-like beast and the tentacles with teeth. It was like something out of a science fiction novel, only a horrifying one. He then recounted how his team died, Delph finding them in the bunker and their breakage into the lab and the fight. The rat-people freaked Pyrrha out to no end, so much so she asked for a breather before they continued on. "We all got onto one of the old airships and left the island as it detonated, taking Peach with it. Aside from an aerial Grimm attack that screwed Midoriya most of all up, we were home free. And that's it."
Pyrrha soaked up every word. "I'm sorry, Cardin."
He smiled a little at that. "It took me time to work through it, but like I said, I'm going to avenge my team and take as many of those monsters with me." Pyrrha looked to Jaune who looked equally alarmed. That was something to work on as well. Cardin was making himself a mental time bomb and they needed to defuse it before things really get out of control.
"And you're sure this portal was the source of this mist?" Jaune asked
Cardin nodded. "There might have been more but that was the main one. The fact that it died out before reaching Sumire tells me if there were many, they were all on the island."
"And this Crimson King." Pyrrha added. "He had this servant, Russell Faraday."
"It sounded like he was trying to bring him back into the fold, the way he said it."
Pyrrha nodded. That was really concerning to her. "Did you hear his name? Did he give any details about operations, other people he knew, anything?" Cardin's eyes widened, looking away. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just that I completely forgot about something until you mentioned it." Cardin nodded. "Yeah, he did mention someone else. He seemed to intimately know who Delph's members were."
Pyrrha's mind came careening to a stop. "Come again?" She asked. The boys at Delph were odd, they shouldn't belong together especially at the start of the first semester, but how would some crime boss know about them? "How did they know about them exactly?"
"I don't know about most of them, it was Percy who was singled out. What did he say? Oh yeah. He said that the sword felt strong in his hand and that he was honored to be in his presence. Called him a son of Poseidon. And based on Percy's face, that really struck a nerve." Cardin said, deep in thought about anything else.
Pyrrha looked back at Beacon, imagining Percy back in the dorm rooms tucking in for the night (or not, given how tired he looks most days). So was this Poseidon a friend, enforcer, what? How were they connected. Now that she thought about it, was Poseidon his mother or father? She had no idea, since Percy was so secretive. Was Percy's connection to this Crimson King why he was silent, trying to get away from him the way Blake was trying to get away from the White Fang? "What are you hiding, Percy Jackson?" Pyrrha muttered to herself, still staring. She didn't know, but if those boys were truly threats, then for the sake of her team, she would get to the bottom of it.