The Raid was officially over but the work was far from done, evidence needed to be gathered and then analyzed, victims had to be treated and then interviewed, reports had to be made and then filed and that was just the stuff that could be started right away. Depending on several factors outside of any one person's control the actual process could take between several months or even years to complete however apart from some reports that could wait and the possibility of some interviews, none of that was the concern of Team PRAN or Sun and Neptune. Their part in this investigation officially ended with the completion of the Raid and now it was time to go home to a well-deserved rest as the Kingdom applauded their courage. But all of that was a cold comfort to the youths who exited the building feeling like utter failures even as a crowd of onlookers cheered them on while reporters called out to them asking for a statement about what had taken place inside. For a second they all just froze staring blankly ahead, not sure what to say but knowing without a doubt that they did not want to be here.
Fortunately, Captain Dews was present and able to step between and the eager crowd whom she bluntly addressed, "We are not taking any questions at this moment, however, we will be holding a press conference on a date to be announced later so please hold your inquiries until then."
"Can you at least give us a statement?"
She rubbed her forehead before answering with all the confidence of someone who has done this far too often and was sick of it, "You can rest assured that today we with the assistance of the Academies have struck a critical blow against Rage and its distribution." The crowd immediately clamored for more detail but it fell on deaf ears. "Save all your questions for the press conference," she then turned around and led the Huntsmen away from the still shouting crowd and towards a Bullhead that was waiting to take them all home. "Brothers, I'm glad that's finally over…"
That was a feeling that Pyrrha could sympathize with, "I don't like talking to reporters either, you'd think I'd get used to it after a while but… it just never happened." Never show fear to those animals, they will use it to drag your family through the mud if you do, she grimaced at the words and voices running through her head.
"Same here, I get that they're an important part of making a kingdom run properly but sometimes they feel more like a pack of Beowolves searching for an opening. Pouncing on you guys after the shitstorm you weathered is doing very little to improve my opinion."
"At least they bother you about things that matter instead of trying to pry into your private life," realizing how bad that sounded she immediately began to apologize to the captain, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I had it harder than you!"
In response captain gave a little chuckle, "Wait until my nephew hears that the Invincible Girl apologized to his aunt, he'd never believe me! But seriously, everyone says things that they don't mean after weathering a shitstorm like this."
"Yea… I suppose so," She walked the rest of the way in silence but deep down there was so much more that she wanted to say, I was the only one who didn't do anything, everyone else fought and got hurt except me… she so distracted by her thoughts that she almost didn't even realize when they had arrived at the Bullhead. But while everyone else began to climb aboard, she lingered behind trying to find the words she wanted to say to the captain and by the time it was her turn she still hadn't figured it out.
"Come on Pyrrha, let's go!"
"Please give me a moment!" There was no way for her to know when or even if she would ever see Dews again so if nothing else she wanted to get this off of her chest, "Captain I just wanted to apologize to you fo-"
Dews cut her off, "Nobody walks away from their first Raid feeling peachy, you don't have to apologize for anything but if that will make you feel better then go ahead. But first, figure out who you really want to apologize to then get it off your chest and then move on, otherwise, it will eat you from the inside out."
For a few seconds Pyrrha just stared at her before slowly turning around to look at her friends waiting for her in the Bullhead and then it hit her, they were the ones that she thought she had let down and that made the feeling of guilt inside her so much worse. Without another word to either the captain or to her friends, the young girl entered the Bullhead which then began to close its doors as it lifted off of the ground.
Nobody said anything as they rode the plane back to Beacon, they were simply too tired. It wasn't a physical exhaustion but rather an emotional and mental drain that was keeping them silent, even the normally boisterous Nora felt too burned out to even try and lighten the mood. Instead, she was doing exactly what the others were doing which was asking themselves a rather difficult question: What could I have done better? She wondered what could have happened if she had smashed that wall earlier revealing the door to the basement far sooner, Maybe we could have caught those men before they escaped through that tunnel...unless they were already gone by the time we arrived. Even if they were still there what would have actually changed? We handled the people in the rooms the best we could have and the sniper would have still blindsided us so if anything, catching them would have been worse. In the end, she had to conclude that there was nothing that she could have done to change the outcome of the raid, and that thought brought with it a profound sense of powerlessness.
Feeling the understandable need to focus on anything else she began to search around the vehicle for any kind of distraction with her first instinct being to look towards Ren who was sitting across from her and trying to meditate as Jaune and Neptune quietly sat next to him. For a second she stared at him unsure what to say or even what to do and found herself wondering whether it was even worth it to interrupt him just because she wanted a distraction, He'd gladly drop everything for me but that doesn't mean he should have to. With a defeated sigh she leaned back and looked toward the people sitting next to her, Sun was doing something on his scroll that looked rather boring while Pyrrha was nervously bouncing her leg up and down, its something that most people wouldn't think much of but she instantly recognized it as a sign of anxiety. But now what? Nora thought to herself as she considered what to do about it, What could I possibly say to her? Should I even say anything at all? She looked back towards Ren and thought of all the times he had helped her while they were growing up, He was never talkative even back then but he didn't have to be. All he ever had to do was let me know that I wasn't alone… she placed a soft hand on Pyrrha's shoulder and for one moment the Spartan and her just looked at each other without saying anything because nothing needed to be said.
The vehicle's intercoms came to life and the pilot's voice was heard through them," We've arrived at Beacon Academy and are beginning the landing process, feel free to gather your belongings as we descend."
Just like he had suggested, everyone began to gather their things and before too long the door opened up allowing them to exit, "Thanks," Pyrrha quietly whispered to Nora before standing up and grabbing a bag just before the doors opened up allowing them all to exit. The unspoken intention of the entire group was to head directly for their respective rooms, sleep until tomorrow and when they woke up they could decide what they wanted to do from there, unfortunately, the sight of the Headmaster making his way towards them along with General Ironwood put a hold on those plans.
"Don't mind us," Ozpin said the moment they were within earshot, "The General and I are just out for a walk so just pretend that we aren't here!"
"Get some rest and know that we are expecting great things from you all!" added Ironwood.
Together the two men then watched as the students gave a collective sigh of relief before briskly moving past them and headed inside looking oddly depressed despite their success, "I'm starting to doubt that it was a good idea to send them to that Raid," Ozpin confessed to James once he was sure that the students wouldn't be able to overhear them.
"Well Glynda and Gris did try to talk you out of it, they are after all children. We shouldn't be asking them to fight our battles, not when we have an actual army and the means to create more."
"James, please not now."
The general gave a short but sincere chuckle, "I'm sorry friend but, as a fellow a headmaster, a general, and as a councilman it is literally my job to worry about everyone and do everything in my power to protect them. I want to see this war end in my lifetime so that everyone has the chance to thrive and an army just seems like a good way to accomplish that."
"Being free of the threat she poses is my wish as well as the wish of every teacher and parent but we cannot afford to rush forward recklessly, patience is how we will outmaneuver her." What followed was an uncomfortable pause related to the real reason why the two men had stepped outside for a bit, "James, I know that the council has requested that you bring Atlas troops to help bolster security and I know that you've already agreed."
"And you think it was a mistake," The general replied as he looked out at the kingdom of Vale and at all the people just trying to live their best life without any idea of how bad things really were.
"I won't lie and say that I didn't have and still have reservations but, I know that you are just doing what you think is best. All I ask is for some restraint even though I understand that It is unavoidable that you will unnerve some people, especially the Faunus citizens but I trust you to be able to handle it."
"They will have nothing to fear as long as they are innocent and I assure you that we will investigate every incident thoroughly to make sure only the right people will remain behind bars." He knew that it was not the answer that Ozpin wanted to hear but he couldn't let emotions or philosophy get in the way, But I need him on my side, "Oz, I have a favor to ask of you."
The door to JNPR's dorm room swung open as the team stumbled inside before dropping their thing on the floor, collapsing on their beds, and just laying there in silence trying to figure out what to say or even if they should say anything at all. However, one thing that they could all agree on was the desire to take a nap but also feeling too stressed out to do even that.
But out of all of them, Pyrrha had it the worst thanks entirely to the feeling of guilt that she had forced upon herself. Intellectually she knew that she had done nothing wrong but the sight of her friends hurt and ragged was one that sat uncomfortably in the forefront of her mind especially when compared to herself who had suffered nothing during the Raid. Soon the tension grew to an unbearable level and she forced out the only two words she could think, "I'm sorry."
"What?" Jaune asked confused over who spoke and why they were apologizing.
"As the leader, I should have been there fighting alongside you all but instead, I… I let you all down!" she cried out. "The worst part is that I know just how ridiculous I'm being! I didn't pick the assignments and there is no way anyone could have known what would have happened bu-!"
Nora got up from her bed and walked over to her leader before placing her arms around her with Ren following closely behind. For a brief moment, Jaune hesitated as though he wasn't sure what to do, ultimately he decided to follow Ren and Nora's lead and pulled all of them in for a heartfelt embrace, "I could never be angry at you, not when you did nothing but help me from day one."
"If I was a better person then you wouldn't have needed my help, to begin with, and what kind of leader makes it through a fight without a single scratch while the rest of her team gets hurt!? The worst part is that I know why things happened this way and I understand that it wasn't something I could change but I still have this weight on my chest that I need to get rid of, so please just bear with my selfishness for a little while longer." She pulled herself out of the group and stood in front of them for a moment before kneeling on the floor and bowing deeply, "I'm sorry that I didn't fight by your side, I'm sorry that you all got hurt while I was never in danger and I promise that I will never willingly let this happen again."
For a brief but uncomfortable moment they all silently just stared at her wondering how to best express how they felt, how to tell her that there was absolutely nothing to forgive. However none expected that it would be Ren who would find the words to express their feelings, "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we forgive you, even though there is nothing to forgive."
"But!"
Nora cut her off, "You volunteered to go into the basement."
"There was no one there!"
"You didn't know that and neither did I or Jaune or Dews or anyone else there, in fact, we all thought that it would be the most dangerous place in that building and you volunteered to take that risk."
"But I… I," she did not resist as her friends pulled her back into the group hug even though it did little to stop the voice of doubt, You don't deserve this. You let them all down when they needed you the most. NO! You're wrong! They hold nothing against me, they said so themselves! Foolish girl, people lie all the time especially when you're a celebrity. No… they're not like that.
"Pyrrha what's wrong?"
She snapped back into reality and saw her team looking at her with concern, "What happened?"
"You were shaking," Nora replied.
"I… I was just…," She didn't know what to tell them, what could she possibly say when she barely understood her own emotions and thoughts. Champions never doubt themselves, fear is for lesser people and you are a Nikos! Our very name is the promise of victory and you are letting us down! Suddenly it all made perfect sense to her, "I need help." It was a slip of the tongue that was never meant to be spoken out loud or heard by anyone and yet, it felt so liberating to say even though she didn't know what to do next.
Jaune on the other hand pulled away from the group and quickly typed out a message out on his scroll before explaining what he was doing, "I'm texting Riviera to ask if we can see him, that is if you want to."
"Are you sure that's…," Pyrrha never finished that question, she already knew the answer.
"Okay, he just texted back that he'll be ready for us by the time we get there but it will be a group session, are you all okay with that?"
In the past, the Invincible Girl would have declined and that was assuming either her parents or coach even allowed her to answer but coming to Beacon and gaining a team of her own had been an eye-opening experience in a way that would have sounded absurd in the past. She learned just how vulnerable she was and had become increasingly aware of issues that were always present but suppressed, ignored, and were now forcing their way into the forefront of her mind. Most importantly she also learned that she had people who loved her despite those flaws and who wanted to see her rise above them. She just needed to take that first step, "That sounds wonderful."
"That will be all for today, please remember that there is extra credit available to those who volunteer to assist with the preparations for the Beacon Dance as well as the Vytal Festival. Those who are interested simply have to contact Professor Ann Greene whose information has already been messaged to your scrolls." Glynda Goodwitch watched as several students began to look up the professor with Miss Xiao Long being among them despite her excellent grades. She probably has her reasons, meanwhile, the rest of the young lady's team was already prepared to leave and were only waiting on her to finish.
"One more thing, can Team RWBY please stay behind and speak with me?" Immediately a look of confusion appeared on the girl's faces as they naturally wondered why she was asking for them. The confusion soon turned into an accusatory glance at each other as they all tried to silently work out who had gotten them into trouble, the answer was no one because they weren't in any trouble but there was no way for them to know that. I should probably say something but… Despite her reputation as a strict disciplinarian Glynda was someone who could appreciate something truly amusing and this was checking all her boxes and more, Does this make me a bit of a sadist? My old team would probably say yes and then tease me for even asking.
"Professor, I swear I can explain!" Ruby then started rambling something about setting fire to a costume to cleanse herself of the filth.
Glynda had no idea about what the young girl was talking about and chose not to ask, "Miss Rose, neither you nor anyone else on your team is in any trouble. I simply called you over to inform you of the condition of your friends."
All at once, they began to shoot rapid-fire questions at the woman ranging from the condition of their friends, the results of the raid, and whether the White Fang had been involved at all. That last question, in particular, caught Goodwitch by surprise until she realized just who had asked that, Of course, Miss Belladonna would want to know that, she is very much affected by all of this especially given her background. I just hope Ozpin won't make her feel too uncomfortable. The Professor raised her hand to ask for some silence which she received after a few seconds, "We don't know who that group was and we are not making any assumptions, more importantly, your friends are safe but tired so please let them rest for now and tomorrow you can check up on them."
"Bu- But…," Ruby felt her sister's hand on her shoulder comforting her.
"They'll be fine, don't forget how tough those guys are! But even they need a moment to recover and pull themselves together, okay?"
"Okay," the young leader then looked at Glynda, "Thank you for telling us and um, not to sound rude or anything buuuut…."
"That will be all Miss Rose, you and your team may leave. However Miss Belladonna's presence has been requested by Ozpin, you are to proceed to his office immediately." The poor girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights, scared stiff and unable to find the strength to run away but desperately wanting to do so. Glynda did not doubt that if it wasn't for the presence of her friends that Blake would have tried to run away and she wouldn't have blamed her, Sometimes I really hate this job.
"Why? What did I do wrong?"
"You did nothing wrong, he just thinks that you can help him better understand a certain issue so that he in turn can help others in a greater capacity. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid about."
Blake was no stranger to fear, her time in the White Fang meant that her childhood was not an ideal one despite the best efforts of her parents to shield her from the ugly reality. She lost count of the number of times she feared for the safety and freedom of someone else and even herself. It was fear that led her to eventually leave the group she had been all but raised in and it was that same fear that pushed her to uncover the truth about what was going on in that same group. But this was something completely different, what happened after she walked through the doors separating her and Ozpin could have a very real impact on the rest of her life and that scared her. The Headmaster may be a good man but that did nothing to change the reality of the power gap between a mere 1st-year student with a past and the head of an academy and the most respected man in the kingdom. If he wanted to hurt her for any reason whatsoever, then there was literally nothing she could do except run and even that would not be enough.
"Hello Miss Belladonna, I hope you haven't been waiting long, are you alright?" Asked Ozpin who for some unknown reason was right behind her rather than in his office, a fact that took the young lady by surprise as she jumped several feet into the air in an impressive display of acrobatics.
"How, what?!" she stammered out trying to figure out how he snuck up on her.
"First off let me apologize for arriving late, I got out of a lengthy discussion with a friend of mine. As for how, well you were so wrapped up in your thought that you didn't notice me stepping out of the elevator." He then walked right past her and held open the door, "Please come inside and make yourself comfortable."
She stared at him for a little bit longer before finally gathering her nerves, "Thank you," she then entered his office and sat down as he followed after her.
He then got behind his desk but before they could begin there was an important question he needed to ask, "Would you like some tea, coffee, or perhaps hot cocoa?"
Naturally, her first thought was to reject the offer but her second thought was how badly she needed a drink to calm her nerves, I doubt he has sangria. "I'll take the cocoa," she watched as he gave her a warm smile before producing a cup for her along with a thermos that contained the cocoa. Shortly afterward there was a nice hot cup resting in her hands a small sip and was delighted by the rich chocolate that was at just the right temperature and sweetness.
"Miss Belladonna, I'm afraid that I'm going to ask you a question that you will almost certainly find uncomfortable so before we begin I want you to understand that you are not in trouble and that you can leave this office without consequence and with the knowledge that I will never ask the question again."
A cautious curiosity began to creep into her head, "What's going on?"
"I already know that you are the daughter of Ghira Belladonna, the chieftain of Menagerie and the founder and former leader of the White Fang." He looked into her eyes and saw the abject terror that she was doing her best to suppress and felt a pang of guilt for making her feel like this. "I also know that you are an excellent student and someone who sincerely wants to help people despite having a past that would deter someone of weaker character."
It took every fiber of her being to keep her from doing something rash, such as leaping out of the chair and making a mad dash to the stairs, "What do you want?"
"I know that the White Fang as a whole would never condone the weaponization of a drug like Rage but, is that a stance that the Vale Branch holds?"
She gave him a look that told him exactly what she was going to say before she said it, "Why ask me this now? You've clearly known for some time who I was so why not pull me aside during the Dust robberies or after the video?"
"That's a fair question with an easy answer; I didn't want to disturb you for no good reason. Truth be told I don't think this little session is even necessary but a close friend of mine has some questions and wanted me to ask on his behalf."
"You're talking about Ironwood," there was a bluntness to her voice that wasn't angry or remorseful, just straight to the point.
"I know that he is a bit of a controversial figure in the Faunus community," That's the understatement of the century, "but I assure you that his intention here is to simply try and better understand what we are dealing with."
Blake drank deeply from her cup and took a moment to just feel the pleasant warmth spreading through her body before finally answering the question, "When I was still a member of the Vale Branch the use of Rage was something that would have been discouraged… and I'm not sure that is still the case."
"So, do you believe that something changed after you left?"
This was a simple question with a simpler answer and yet it made her feel uncomfortable but the problem wasn't the question itself that was the problem. It was the follow-up questions that worried her, But why? You know that Adam changed for the worse and you don't owe him anything so why does this make me feel guilty? Sure he was my mentor and my-
"Miss Belladonna, are you alright? You can leave if you feel uncomfortable."
She gave a surprised gasp and looked at him for a split second before turning away to avoid eye contact with him, then she took another drink to buy herself some extra time to think, I should say something, but what? It doesn't have to be specific…
"No one will force you to say anything if you don't want to."
"It's alright, I need to say this. The White Fang I left behind would have never worked with a man like Torchwick, so yes… they've changed and I fear it's not for the better."
"Do you have an idea why?"
"No. Whatever happened, happened after I left."
"I see…," She doesn't seem to be lying but I'm sure she has her suspicions, I just hope she doesn't find herself in over her head. Well, onto the final question, "Is there anything to tell me about Adam?"
Her entire body stiffened, "Why do you want to know?"
"Well he's the leader of the Vale Branch or at least that is how he introduced himself in the video so I figured that it was important to understand how he thinks."
She shifted uncomfortably in the chair and glanced towards the door, "I'm, sorry but this… isn't a subject I want to talk about, may I go?"
Ozpin got up from his seat and opened the door for her, "Of course you may, and don't worry about Ironwood, I'll make sure that he leaves you alone." She was in such a rush to leave that when she placed her cup back on the table it nearly fell over without her even noticing, she didn't even say anything to the headmaster as she brushed past him to get to the door.
However he wasn't upset, he'd lived too long to let unintentional rudeness bother him. Instead, he became concerned for the young lady, The way she acted when I brought up Adam… she probably knows him on a personal level. In his mind, he recalled their entire conversation to the best of his ability paying close attention to her body language, what she spoke, how she spoke, and what she had said… there was only one conclusion that he could draw, She must have left the White Fang to get away from him.
She was too far away to hear him but he felt like he had to say it anyway just in case he was wrong, "I can't imagine what you have been through Miss Belladonna, I just hope that you don't let the past blind you to what you have gained in the present. As for the future… only you get to decide that."
The stolen rifle hit the ground with a dull thud. As tempting as it was to keep it, Iris knew that people would be looking for it and that made it an unnecessary risk however she couldn't just leave it laying around anywhere. That being said, the Emerald Forest was far from just, "Anywhere," it was an ancient place that encompassed miles of dense woods, ruins, even mountainous terrain and that was before the Grimm were taken into account. Any search party that came here to look for the gun was wasting their time and risking their lives on a fool's errand.
The Forest was an ally to those strong enough to take advantage of it and she could proudly say that she was one of those people who could not only survive this place but, also utilize it to the fullest. But paradoxically it was also the one place in the entire kingdom that made her feel small, weak, and helpless but there was no better place to hide the rifle. So for the sake of her freedom, she would bear with the knots in her stomach and the throbbing phantom pain reminding her of the moment when the claws cut into her like a hot knife, I think I'm going to be sick. Shockingly she was able to make it out of the forest without encountering any Grimm though perhaps the chaos of the Raid was to thank for that, either way, her Semblance made it easy to sneak back into the kingdom and within a few minutes she was walking through the outskirts of Vale as though this was just another day despite the lingering stress, Nothing a little treat won't solve.
One taxi ride later she arrived back at her apartment and began to get comfortable until she noticed a package on the table that hadn't been there when she had left for the Raid. "Someone broke into my apartment, again!?" With caution, she examined the package and found a note attached to it.
"How are you holding up, kid? I can't imagine that you're feeling down for pleasantries so I'll get to the point, we stole your drugs."
"WHAT!?," She dropped the note and ran over to her safe to check her supplies and found to her horror that the note had told the truth, her supplies were gone with only a paltry sum remaining almost as if it was there to mock her and alongside it was a photograph. Leaving it alone for now she got up, walked inside her soundproof closet, and screamed for five minutes straight, when she was done she returned to the safe and calmly examined the picture.
It showed her an image of a large steel drum barrel whose lid had been removed to show the contents, Rage in its purest most raw form and enough to last a lifetime. This was proof that at the very least, the payment Roman had promised her hadn't been something he made up so with the photo still in her hands she walked back to the note and picked it up from the ground.
"I'm going to assume that you checked your safe and that you found the photo but if you haven't then please go back and look again because that is what's waiting for you at the end of this job. As for taking your stash, it was my boss's idea to help you with some motivation but I doubt you'd believe me and I don't blame you so instead of pointing fingers, let's get down to business. Inside the package you will find everything you need as well as a photograph and file of your target along with brief dossiers on some people of interest, we'll know if and when you complete the job. Do it and you get the drugs delivered straight to you with no strings attached and the promise that you will never hear from us again. Sincerely yours Roman Torchwick."
She ripped the note into several pieces then proceeded to set each piece on fire before flushing the ashes down the toilet after she had used it, afterward she returned to the package and opened it up. Inside she found a device that she at first mistook for a bizarre-looking dagger with a thin edgeless and retractable blade, underneath it was a manual that explained that the dagger was actually an antenna of some kind, I thought my target was supposed to be a person, not a radio. Continuing her search she found a file containing information about the target along with a picture of an annoyingly happy looking redhead, They want me to stab an antenna into her? What a weird way to assassinate someone… Well, let's learn about this preppy ginger.
"Penny Polendina is a droid created by her legal father Dr. Pietro Polendina and is currently enrolled at Atlas Academy as a 1st-year student. Headmaster General Jame Ironwood is aware of her true nature but that information does not extend to her teammates."
She had to reread that first part several times just to make sure that she hadn't imagined everything thanks to some sort of withdrawal based hallucination but after a while, she was forced to accept her new reality… which apparently now included mad scientists who spend their time building robots girls that could pass as humans, for some reason. Feeling a headache coming on, she put down the reading material and went into the kitchen to boil a pot of water, Thumbelina may be a queen bitch but her tea is going to be what I need to read through this crap without dying of this migraine.
After setting the pot, she took a quick shower and changed into more comfortable clothing as she waited for the water to heat and when it was ready she poured it into her favorite mug that already had a bag of tea leaves inside, then she relaxed on her couch and gave the tea a minute to steep. When it was finally ready she took a nice long sip before turning her attention back to the dagger-like device sitting on her table, it made her feel apprehensive in a way that she had never felt before. She had no concrete reason to feel this way but reading through the files before her had only made that feeling grow stronger as it became more apparent that she had been chosen because she was expendable, This is a suicide mission and even if I do make it out alive, Atlas will never stop chasing me... but if Roman is telling me the truth then I really don't have a choice. Sighing in defeat she glanced at the safe and considered using what little Rage she had left but quickly dismissed the idea, I'm going to need that once the withdrawal starts kicking in, I just hope I have the strength to hold on.
"Penny is registered to participate in the Vytal Festival alongside her team, however, she arrived in Vale separate from them and as a guest of Ironwood who has assigned her guards."
Iris began to skim through the document trying to find anything at all that could help her complete the job with her life and freedom intact, Let's see she has a couple of guards but they're members of the regular army, not even Huntsmen-in-training so I could take them both out in a pinch… and then have the rest of army come after me. During all of this, her headache had slowly over time become stronger, it hadn't reached the point where it was distracting but it wasn't something that she could just ignore until it did. So she got up from her seat and took some fast-acting painkillers that she kept on the kitchen counter, after a short respite she returned to her seat with renewed concentration and continued her search.
"Penny possesses a flaw in her programming that causes her to embrace the output of her emotional synthesizers over the far more practical cold calculations that she is capable of. The results of this glitch have resulted in her illogically going behind the backs of her guards and even Ironwood for the sake of acquiring a group of people she considers: Friends."
Included were a series of pictures of the supposed friends who based on their clothes and age seemed to be Huntsmen-in-training furthermore there was a brief dossier on each person as well as a printout of their class schedule, What kind of shady shit is Roman involving me in? A normal person would have gotten scared and at the beginning of this ordeal, fear was Iris was most certainly feeling. But what once looked like an impossible task now had an answer, "So the little tin can likes making friends so much that she'll leave her safety net just to make some new ones? Let's see if she'll still be so stupid after spending a little time with me."
Night had finally fallen on the city of Vale revealing one of the starkest differences between the capital and its many settlements, the nightlife. Frankly, most settlements had none to speak of, even the bigger ones would rarely have more than a single bar. Granted there were towns and even cities within the Kingdom that had plenty to offer those who did not wish to retire with the sun but, none could hold a candle to the quality or sheer variety that could be found behind the safety of the walls. It did not matter how mundane or extreme your interests were because as long as it was within reason, there was an establishment that catered to you.
Standing in front of a modest but highly recommended bar was a group of four youth who was being accompanied by an older man. To most people, there was no reason to think that this wasn't just a group of teenagers being taken to their first bar by an adult however that would be an incorrect assumption. To start with all four teens were actually Beacon students in casual clothes, all four had been to at least one bar in the past, the adult was a psychologist, and they weren't here for pleasure, or rather that wasn't their main reason to be here.
"Are you sure you wanna do this Jaune? There's no reason why we can't come back tomorrow or whenever you feel most comfortable," Dr. Rivera asked his patient.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, if something goes wrong I'll have four people ready to pull me out of it and if nothing goes wrong, I think we can all appreciate a drink after today," replied Jaune.
Nora was quick to agree, "Tell me about it, you got shot in the face, Ren overused his Semblance, I was worried sick, Pyrrha was a mess, there was that weird awkward moment with Oz and Ironwood, we had a group hug and then we all went to group therapy, and now we're about to go drinking with the therapist!"
"That isn't the main reason we're here," Ren corrected his other half.
"I get that! But it doesn't change the fact that I could use a nice cold one right about five minutes ago!"
"Me too," Pyrrha admitted so casually that it would have given her mother a heart attack had she been there to hear it. "Back in Mistral, I would have been allowed to come here."
"Parents don't want you drinking?" Nora asked.
She shook her head, "The problem isn't the alcohol but rather the class of the establishment," Pyrrha realizing how bad that sounded began to try to explain herself, "not that I'm saying that this place is trashy. It's just that back home I had this image to uphold and a place like this would… um, how to best say this…," She began to rack her brain searching for the right word.
"You don't have to explain yourself, we're all from Mistral even if you're the only one who lived in the capital," Ren pointed out.
"Actually I'm from Vacuo though I have heard a lot about Mistral's rather fascinating culture. Perhaps you can tell me more once we're inside?" Riviera suggested.
"Sounds good to me but, only if you tell me a bit about Vacuo," replied Jaune.
"Well, I think you'll find that I have quite a few mind-blowing stories for you. Now before we go in I want to make sure that you are all prepared, so what are you supposed to do if something goes wrong?" Riviera asked as he stood in front of the entrance of the bar.
"Don't hesitate to let you and others know, then step outside, call Gris and finally call a Bullhead and before you ask, I did remember to put all of them on speed dial," Jaune replied.
Nora then all but leaped forward, "And we're supposed to keep an eye on him and make sure that he feels safe and comfortable. But if you think it's time to go, then it's time to go regardless of what Jaune says!"
"Good," Riviera then opened the door and held it open allowing Team PRAN to enter which they did so while happily thanking him as they passed by. However, when it was Juane's turn he reached out and placed a reassuring hand on the boy who looked at him confused, "I just want to let you know that you should be proud of yourself no matter how this little experiment of yours go."
"Even if I get a panic attack?"
"Yes, because it won't change the fact that you chose to confront a fear of yours and more importantly, you're doing it with people that you trust by your side, that makes a huge difference both during a moment like this and it is also something that many people don't learn until something goes wrong. So, no matter how this plays out, remember that this was a big step forward for you."
"And if I'm wrong? What if my nightmare was just a nightmare and I've just wasted everyone's time."
"In that case, I suppose we'll just have to do our best to responsibly enjoy a few well-earned drinks and pleasant company!" Then with a laugh, the two entered the bar to join their friends inside.
Author's Notes: Finally, a brand new chapter! Wow, that took far longer than I ever thought it would and I still need to finish the rewrite of A Croc Bait Marriage! I don't regret doing this but, I will never do this again. Either way, let's get down to brass tacks, you will notice that I did not show the group therapy session, that is because I felt that it was far more important that you know that they are getting help for their issues rather than showing every single session especially when this is supposed to be a horror story (I got some really nightmarish stuff planned). However for those who care (Thank you), rest assured that the character will occasionally talk about where they are, and when appropriate, we will join them for a session or two.
Finally, I am going to try to keep all future chapters between 6.5K and 7.5K words long. This will allow me to write quicker but at the same time force me to concentrate on what actually matters thus resulting in overall higher quality writing.
Thank you for reading!