It was early in the morning and Roman Torchwick was already busy.
He was a people watcher and had gotten quite good at noticing little details about the people he watched, it was part of the reason why he was so good at his job. The best thieves weren't the quickest or the stealthiest or even the smartest, the best thieves were always the most charismatic and the most observant and it was easy to understand why if you put a little thought into it. You didn't have to pick a lock if you could convince someone to open the door for you, but it wasn't that simple, people in general weren't stupid. It is often said that there is a sucker born every minute but that didn't help you unless you knew how to spot a sucker and even then you always had to keep an eye open lest one day you discover that you were the real sucker.
That was a long-winded way just to say that Torchwick was good at his job but his job, especially now that he was working with the White Fang, wasn't limited to just heists. He wasn't just sitting around doing nothing while everyone else in Mount Glenn worked their asses off, he was spying. To be specific, he was spying on a certain White Fang member who wasn't quite as sneaky as they liked to imagine they were, and right now that person, in particular, had a little habit of sneaking into places that they weren't supposed to be.
The person in question was named Corporal Joshua Greenstone, they were a relatively short but stocky man with a glorious gray braided beard and an impressive set of ram horns that was surpassed only by his work ethic. The man was popular, both among the officers for his commitment to the cause and by recruits for his jovial and welcoming attitude that reassured them that they made the right choice by joining. Furthermore, the man had been a member of the Vale Branch for years having joined shortly after Adam had been given command of the Branch, in short, Joshua was a man that was above reproach or suspicion. If he did something then it was for a good reason and if he went somewhere then it meant he had legitimate business there, and that made him the perfect spy.
Or a least that was what Torchwick suspected, truth be told he didn't really have any solid proof other than personal testimony of the Corporal entering some restricted areas of the base; Places that required Adam's permission to enter, such as a tunnel that led outside or the loaded back cars of the train they were putting together. On top of that, he had spotted the Corporal taking his weapon and a case containing who knows what into those areas… a case that was designed to carry and protect some very sensitive equipment.
Every bone in Torchwick's body was telling him that Greenstone was a rat, the problem was that all he had was a feeling and that wasn't nearly enough. If he wanted anything more solid than a mere suspicion then he'd have to follow the man which was normally child's play for the thief. However this was much more difficult to do in the dim lighting of Mount Glenn which was a point in Greenstone's favor, he was a Faunus with perfect night vision and Torchwick as a human was basically blind if it got dark enough. But that just made the whole thing a nice challenge for the master thief, a puzzle to sharpen his keen mind on.
The first thing he had to do was try and figure out how to follow Greenstone without being spotted. "If I were a dumb animal trying not to be spotted, where would be the last place I would look… well, no one ever looks up." Torchwick then tilted his head upwards and shined a flashlight into the dark.
The Mount Glenn base was established underneath the ruins of a city that bore the same name as the mountain it was built on, specifically, the entrance of the base was an old subway station whose tracks still led back to Vale. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to build an efficient base of operation inside the cramp tunnels of a subway but this place came with a rather unique feature that made it all possible and even desirable; Mount Glenn was home to a massive and naturally formed system of caverns and tunnels that the original designers of the former city made great use of. For example, the tracks of the subway ran through those tunnels which saved on construction costs back then and now as the White Fang utilized what had been left behind when the city fell all those years ago.
However Torchwick didn't care about that, his interests were in the recesses in the wall of the caverns, places where someone could easily hide and observe as long as they could reach up there.
"Let's see," Torchwick pointed the hook of his cane, Melodic Cudgel, at one such recess and tried to aim. It was difficult due to the low lighting but his hand was steady and his eyes were keen, after a few seconds he pressed a button on the cane, and the hook detached and flew forward while still being connected to the shaft of the cane via a strong metal cable. When the hook hit the recess it made a small metallic sound that would have gone unnoticed by anyone who wasn't waiting for it.
*clink*
Torchwick then gave the line a few solid tugs to make sure that the hook was secure before pressing a different button on his cane to pull himself up there. Once inside the recess, he looked around to see how much space he had to work with, "This place is cramped but I think I can make it work. But first let's check out the most important thing, the view!"
He then pulled out his scroll, switched it to camera mode, and then made some adjustments. Soon he was able to use the device as a kind of night vision goggle, "And this is why you always buy top shelf." Granted it also helps to have contacts who are good at installing less-than-legal programs and features but that's beside the point. He chuckled to himself as he tested the camera and found to his great pleasure that it worked perfectly; He now had a clear view of the tunnel that Greenstone was taking to the outside. More importantly, was that he'd be invisible to Greenstone unless the man looked up and directly at him but, no one ever looks up.
"Now to the next spot," he said to himself as he carefully used his grappling hook to lower himself down. Once his feet were securely on the ground he took his scroll and checked the time, 6:46, which means that Greenstone is going to be busy overseeing the tunnel clearance project for a while. That means I should have time to scout out a couple more places… I'm onto you Greenstone, but what should I do when it's time for us to have a little talk?
It was just past noon and organized chaos was a good way to describe the current state of Team JNPR's dorm room. The bed sheets were on the floor along with the pillows, furniture had been moved, and there was even food on the ground. In short, the whole place was a mess but it was a predicted controlled mess, Jaune knew that was going to happen even before he invited Ruby and Yang over in order to have a long overdue conversation; The same conversation he had with his own team at the Hungry Ursa and so he prepared accordingly with the belief that the sister would be good guests.
"So that's it, that's the truth about me," Jaune said to both Yang and Ruby who were currently sitting on some pillows
"Wow… that explains a lot, like a lot," Ruby said with shockingly little hesitation as she ate some popcorn while taking great care to make sure that the crumbs fell back into the bowl.
"Does it really answer all that much?" Jaune asked just a little confused and incredibly relieved by how well it went. Seriously? What was I so afraid of?
Ruby gave him a look before answering, "Did you forget initiation? Pyrrha nailed you in the chest with her javelin and she along with Weiss and I had to protect you from Grimm while you healed! And don't even get me started on how paranoid Weiss was the entire time."
Yang chuckled, "The entire thing was so ridiculous that I thought Ruby had just imagined the whole thing out of nervousness… and then Weiss told me that she was telling the truth." Her face and tone became more serious, "So how are you going to handle her?"
Jaune plopped backward onto his bed and groaned, "I have no idea! Seriously, I'm still a little upset by how she treated me back then but at the same time, I really can't blame her. I'd also jump to the worst conclusion if I found out that one classmate stabbed another and the one who got stabbed started mutating before my eyes!" It was still the most terrifying thing I ever went through and the way Weiss and the others looked at me… that's it, that's why I was so scared. Geez, I don't even want to imagine how all of this would have played out if Beacon didn't have a psychologist on staff.
"This whole thing sounds like a weird horror story, like something Blake might read," Yang said bemused in an attempt to lighten the tone.
Ruby giggled, "I'm almost sure I've heard her talking about a book just like that with Velvet! If I remember correctly she was complaining that the author spent so much time on everything but the horror that there were times she'd forget that it was supposed to be one!"
She along with everyone else laughed in unison before she remembered a question that had been on the back of her mind ever since Jaune started his story. "By the way, how come you never told us that you knew Qrow?"
"Would you believe it if I told you that I had no idea that you two were the nieces he mentioned?" Jaune asked back.
"Really?" Yang said with complete disbelief. " I mean I can understand why you wouldn't think that I was his niece since we don't look anything alike. But have you seen Ruby!? She's got his hair, aesthetic and she even has a scythe just like him!"
Jaune shrugged, "There's a Mistral team called ABRN that's led by a blond martial artist powerhouse named Arslan whose weapon is her fists, is she related to you?"
"Fair point, but you still have to admit that there is an uncanny resemblance."
"Sure but that could have just as easily been her mom, does Qrow have a sister?"
"Yeah, but that's my egg donor. Ruby's mom was a different woman and she was a mother to me as well."
Jaune got up, "Wait, what?" Why would she refer to her birth mom as an egg donor and why was it that Ruby's mom was the one to raise her? Holy shit, Yang's egg donor must be a bitch!
Ruby pulled out her scroll, moved next to Jaune, and showed him a picture of four people standing under a tree; Jaune instantly recognized one of the four people as a younger Qrow. "This is a picture of our uncle and our parents that they took shortly after they graduated from Beacon."
Jaune examined the other three people in the picture, the one standing right next to Qrow was a beautiful but mean-looking swordswoman with red eyes and long black hair that bore a remarkable similarity to both Qrow and Yang. "The woman next to Qrow, I want to assume that she is the sister you mentioned and…," He looked over to Yang.
Yang nodded, "Yeah, that's Raven, my bio mom. She looks like a real bitch, doesn't she?"
"You took the words out of my mouth." Literally in this case, still I can't help but wonder what a person has to do to be called an egg donor and does it have anything to do with why Raven looks like a tryhard edgelord? Even her name sounds like a childish attempt at being cool… Either way, this is a hornet's nest that I won't be kicking. Jaune then returned his attention to the photo and noticed that there was a confident-looking well built blond man next to Raven. "And the blond guy next to Raven, that's your dad?"
Both Ruby and Yang nodded, "Yup."
Yang then added, "His name is Taiyang Xiao Long."
He then pointed to the last person in the picture, a cute red-headed woman with silver eyes and wearing a white hooded cloak that covered most of her body, "So I'm guessing that this is Ruby's mom."
"That's right, her name was Summer Rose," Ruby answered.
A new question quickly popped into Jaune's head, "Hold on." He pointed at Ruby, "How come your last name is Rose like your mother." He then pointed at Yang, "But you have your father's last name?"
Ruby shrugged, "It's a Patch thing, it's tradition for children back home to choose their last name from either parent. In my case, I chose Summer's last name in order to honor her memory."
Yang followed up, "And I chose my dad's last name because as you probably guessed, my birth mom was a bitch. Also Yang Xiao Long sounds much better than Yang Branwen and that right there is the most common reason." She lightly chuckled, "Not everything is deep, most people just say the names out loud a few times and pick whichever one sounds better."
Jaune laughed, "Ain't that the truth, take a look at my weapon Corcea Mors, its name means Yellow Death in old Mistralin! I have no idea what kind of person my ancestor was but anyone who names their sword Yellow Death is not a serious person, they had to have been either joking or just full of themselves!"
Yang also laughed, "I'm guilty of that too! You know how my gauntlets are named Ember Celica? Well, Celica means Heavenly which makes the name of my gauntlets; Heavenly Embers since there are two of them!"
Ruby then added, "Well I named my scythe Crescent Rose because of the shape of the blade and because it's my baby!"
They all shared one more laugh before they all got up to rejoin their teams but before they could do so, they had a mess that they needed to clean up together. And that was perfect for Yang since it gave her time to ask one last question as she put the pillows away. "So Jaune, are you going to ask Pyrrha out to the dance?"
"What Dance?" he answered while grabbing a broom to sweep the floors.
"What do you mean what Dance?"
"I mean; What Dance? I've had a lot on my plate lately, it's hard enough keeping up with homework even after Ozpin cut it down due to these missions my team and I have been on. I'm a bit out of the loop."
Yang nodded understandably, "That makes sense, I almost forgot about Dance myself. Actually, I did forget, I only remembered because Coco asked me out."
Ruby then asked with an impish smile as she put the food and drinks away, "Oh, a second date? Tell me sis, when can we expect the wedding invitations?"
"I actually turned her down."
A confused look appeared on both Ruby and Jaune's faces as they continued to clean but it was Ruby who asked the question on both their minds. "But I thought your date with her went pretty well, did something happen?"
"It did even though we spent most of the time doing volunteer work and spying on possible White Fang agents but that's not the reason. The reason is that she's looking for something casual and I'm looking for something far more serious. I don't mind the occasional date but I see them as a way to get to know the other person better to decide if you want to take it further or not. But Coco is like Qrow, neither has any interest in settling down which is fine, especially in this career." There was a weight to her words that carried a heartbreaking implication that was impossible to miss.
Jaune and Ruby nodded in understanding, it wasn't unusual for Active Huntsman to have flings with civilians, those sorts of relationships were rather common and even expected. But they rarely went further than that, the demands and risks of the job meant constant travel and excitement which were not fertile grounds for anything more serious than friends-with-benefits and even that was difficult. More often than not Huntsmen would end up with other Huntsmen or people in similar careers since they knew what they were getting into. And it wasn't unheard of for a Huntsman to take an extended break when they started a serious relationship and retire on their wedding day, it was the least they could do for a partner that would otherwise have to wonder if every moment together would be the last.
Yang quickly noticed the more somber atmosphere that had been created with her words and moved to dispel it, "It's alright Jaune, it was a long time ago. Ruby and I are okay, we have been for a while."
Jaune didn't believe Yang, he didn't think she was lying but there was this odd look in her eyes and a tone in her voice that made him think that it wasn't the whole truth. He then glanced over to Ruby and quickly took notice of how she was quietly putting things away. This is definitely a sore subject for both of them, I have no idea what to say or if I should say anything at all… Their team is having sessions with a psychologist due to the Rally, I just have to trust them to take advantage of it. But for now, let's change the subject.
"So Yang, are you planning on asking anyone to the Dance?" He quickly asked before he could talk himself out of it.
"Uh, yeah, there are actually a couple of people that I'm thinking of asking out and I'm having trouble deciding between them. Sun is fun and I know that it will be a blast but I think Velvet might ask him and I don't want to step on her toes. There is also Fox whom I'm told has an amazing sense of humor and is a good kisser but Ruby is against that."
Ruby then confirmed and explained, "The jokes you learned from Dad were bad enough, I speak for everyone when I say that we don't need any more puns."
"Fox tells jokes?" Jaune asked as he searched his memories trying to recall a single time he heard the blind martial artist of Team CFVY crack a joke, he came up empty.
Yang was thankfully quick to explain, "His Sembalace is telepathy and he is using it to send jokes and memes straight into his friend's brains."
Jaune's jaw dropped, "He's a psychic shitposter!?"
Yang and Ruby tried not to laugh too hard, after all, dorm room walls were notoriously thin and they didn't want to bother everyone else. But the sheer ridiculousness of what came out of Jaune's mouth plus the fact that it was an accurate description of what Fox was doing soon proved to be too much to take. What started as a giggle between the three of them soon became a chuckle and that soon turned into a loud barely stifled chortling that could be heard in the neighboring rooms and hallway but for one reason or another, no one complained about the noise.
Yang then ran a hand through her hair as she tried to catch her breath, "By the brothers, don't let Fox hear you say that or… actually, I think he'd agree with you about him being a shitposter."
Jaune stroked his chin, "Then I will tell him next time I see him! So getting back on the subject, is there anyone else you're thinking of inviting to the Dance?"
"There's also Blake."
That immediately caught Jaune and Ruby's attention, "Blake, as in your partner?" Jaune asked to make sure they were all thinking about the same person.
"Yeah, and that's why I'm thinking of doing it. I don't know her as well I probably ought to and the Dance is a good opportunity to fix that… What about you?"
"Ugh…um Pyrrha I guess?" Jaune stammered out not feeling too sure but also not knowing who else to say.
Yang chuckled as she smoothed out the bed sheets, "Sorry for putting you on the spot, especially when you didn't even know that the Dance was a thing. But in all honesty, you should ask her out. I think she'd say yes."
"You do?"
"Jaune, ask her out. Go to the Dance as friends, have a good time, and maybe it will grow into something else. Do it, or forever wish that you did."
"Okay then… okay! I'm going to do this!" Jaune said, pumping his fists in the air to hype himself up. "Next time I see her, I'm going to ask her if wants to go to the Dance!"
Yang laughed, "Go get 'em, tiger!" Her eyes moved towards her younger sister with laser precision, "And what you about sis? Thinking of asking anybody out?"
Ruby groaned, "I already have a date for the Dance."
"You can't take Crescent Rose."
"What!? No! I was talking about Penny!"
"When did this happen!?" Yang nearly shouted.
"Three days ago, it was actually Penny who asked me out since she's not sure how to handle an event like this and wanted… I just thought of something." Ruby looked toward Jaune, "Does Penny know about you?"
"Yeah she does, she was the first person to figure it out," Jaune answered. "Though I suppose that shouldn't come as a surprise, she's got all kinds of scanners built into her body and they picked up on my situation really fast."
Ruby and Yang were now finished with their tasks and headed for the door and he joined them to and through the door. Soon they were walking together through a mostly empty hallway, most people had left to do other things, and as they walked they continued to talk.
"So Penny figured it out right away?" Ruby asked.
"Well no, she noticed that something was wrong and asked me to meet her in an empty classroom to get a closer look," He answered.
"So a cute girl asked you to meet her in an empty classroom? That sounds like the setup for a confession," Yang was quick to comment.
Jaune giggled before answering, "It's even better than that because when I got there, she had a makeshift bed ready and asked me to undress!"
Yang pinched herself, "Okay… so this isn't a dream. Why did Penny set up a station straight out of a porno?"
Ruby lightly slapped her own face, "I'm sorry, I think I might have been a bit drowsy and misheard you. Could you repeat that?"
Jaune was more than happy to oblige, "Penny asked me to meet her in an empty classroom, had a makeshift bed ready by the time I got there, and then asked me to undress… don't worry, nothing happened. She just wanted to get a more accurate reading, that's why she asked to meet me and asked me to take off my clothes. As for the bed, it was so I would be comfortable while she scanned me."
Ruby rolled her eyes, "You didn't have to explain what she was going to do, this is Penny that we are talking about. She is the most innocent person any of us knows and it's not even close, I've met toddlers with dirtier minds than hers."
"If you knew then why did you slap yourself and ask me to repeat?"
"Because I expected Penny to know! She's connected to the internet 24/7, who knows the kinds of things that she would have seen. And despite that, this is how she decides to talk to you? Did her dad use parental controls and she never noticed?"
Yang then suggested with an impish smile, "Maybe she did notice but figured that her dad had a good reason to do it and left it alone?"
Ruby shagged her shoulders and sighed, "That does sound like something she'd do."
"I'm sorry but, who's her dad?" Jaune asked while eyeing an approaching fork in the hallway, I told Pyrrha that if my conversation finished early that I'd head to the track to run some laps with her. She should still be there and it would be a good chance to ask her to the Dance. "And I don't want to be rude but my stop is approaching so can I get the short version?"
Ruby was more than happy to oblige, "His name is Pietro Polendina and he is one of the most brilliant minds in Atlas and perhaps all of Remnant. He is a roboticist who creates prosthetics, made massive leap forwards in Aura research, and created true AI."
"And as you can probably guess, Penny is the culmination of his life's work," Yang finished for Ruby.
"But why would he do that?" Jaune asked, now feeling a little tempted to continue walking with the sister to learn more, They probably have things they want to do. Besides, I can just ask Penny directly.
Ruby smiled, "Why do we do what we do? It's because we wanted to help people, it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that."
Jaune smiled, it was such a simple argument that a cynic would have probably laughed and called it naive. But there was undeniable truth to it, if all Huntsmen cared about was making money and getting fame then there were far easier ways to do it, like becoming a league fighter in Mistral or just sports in general. That wasn't to say that there weren't bad apples but the work that was necessary to become a Huntsman did a pretty damn good job of filtering out those would-be villains… I guess sometimes it really is that simple. Which is great! Life would get really exhausting really quickly if everything had to be complicated.
They then arrived at the fork, "Well guys, it was fun but I got someone I need to ask out to the Dance. Wish me luck!"
It was late in the afternoon, Greenstone was checking his equipment one last time, putting it back in its case, closing the case, slinging it on his shoulder, grabbing his trusty halberd, checking his pistol dagger, and stepping out of his tent. Once outside he checked his scroll so he could be certain of the time, "Okay, the patrol should pass through the spot soon. That gives me at least a solid hour before I got to pack up."
The base camp was quiet as most people were asleep at this hour, not because it was late at night but rather because this was when rest was scheduled for most. It was impossible to see the sun while underground which messed up people's biological clock and wore down their psyche. A strict schedule and breaks were necessary to keep everyone's mental health and that gave Greenstone the windows he needed to carry out his work, his real work.
He moved quickly and quietly past the other tents, the path he took was a twisted one that he carefully planned out to avoid running into any guards and to confuse any who might try to follow him. And if he miscalculated or was just plain unlucky, then he was more than happy to use his rank as Corporal to silence any protests or suspicion. Of course, rank isn't going to help me if I run into Adam but that psycho is too busy fraternizing with that bitch to visit the troops. His lieutenant Banesaw is a different story, that meathead is so bloodthirsty that I'm almost sure that if I took off his mask, I would find a Beringel or maybe a Beowolf staring back at me. And then there is Torchwick… that man is onto me but beyond that, I can't get a read on him and that worries me. But not as much as his partner… that girl, she scares me. And to make things worse, she's scheduled to come here! I need to finish this before she gets here or my work may be for naught!
Greenstone shook his head to refocus on the here and now, everything else could yet until after he was done. There's another turn just up ahead and a patrol that should be passing by in five minutes. He pressed himself against the wall and channeled Aura into his ears and closed his eyes, he could hear the echoing footsteps of about three men in the distance. They're so noisy and careless, it's probably safe to assume that they're still a bunch of greenhorns. He then opened his eyes and continued on his way, if those guards spotted him then it would be an easy matter to pull rank on them and continue on.
In the end, he did not have an encounter with those guards which was for the best. The fewer people who knew that he was out here the better it would be for him and everyone else in the long run. Soon the lights overhead began to flicker, a sign that he was on the right path, soon the earth beneath his feet would start to incline upwards as he drew closer to the surface… and then he felt it. The odd tingling sensation that originated from an old primal part of the brain, the part that somehow knew when something or someone was watching you.
Greenstone's first instincts were to stop and turn around but he kept himself from doing so, if there really were someone watching him then trying to find them would give himself away. Likewise, so would breaking out into a sprint, at that point he might as well loudly proclaim that he was doing something suspicious. Relax, remember your training. Greenstone kept walking and took deep breaths as he did so to calm himself down, Don't dwell on this. Keep moving forward.
Then the feeling was gone, most would have felt some kind of relief but all Greenstone felt was apprehension. Did I imagine it or was there someone really out there? And if so, then who? No! I can't waste time on this, there is too much at stake here! He continued moving forward fully unaware of his quickened pace. After about ten or so minutes, he made it out of the tunnels and into the open air and bright moonlight. Then a shiver went up his spine, a shiver always went up his and everyone else's spines when they came up here and stood in the ruins of Mount Glenn.
This former city was a cursed place and that wasn't some kind of metaphor or a ghost story to scare kids. This mass grave was a cursed place and its nature and the nature of other places like it was something that scientists were still trying to wrap their heads around. The leading theory right now was that some tragedies were so great so profound, that the negativity that they produced somehow lingered in the area, becoming a beacon for the Grimm even when there was no one around. But it didn't just linger, Mount Glenn and other places like it were calling Grimm into existence which made clean-up all but impossible.
Greenstone himself had seen the reality of this place during one of his extrusions outside and it wasn't just him. Scouts in the past had reported coming across pitch-black puddles of unidentified otherworldly liquid, and from that liquid arose Grimm… Funny enough, all of that horror and negativity made this place the perfect base for someone like Adam. The tunnels shielded them from the Grimm and in turn, the Grimm and the well-deserved reputation of the palace shielded Adam and his goons from anyone looking for them. And the negativity in the air was so thick that the Grimm didn't even notice the murderous intentions rising through the ground thanks to Adam, the setup felt like a sick joke but it was undeniably effective.
Greenstone gripped his weapon tightly and moved swiftly through the ruins, out here he had no fear of being spotted by patrols since none came anywhere close to the outside. As for the danger of Grimm, they would only be a problem if they spotted him and even then he could dispatch a few without much problem. The real danger lay in how those things would slow him down and if he couldn't finish this fast enough and return before Adam and Banesaw could realize he was gone… In that situation, it might be better if I had died to the Grimm.
A little bit later he arrived at his destination, it was the remains of an old school. He went inside and headed right for the roof without spending any time considering the history of the building or what might have happened to everyone on that terrible day. But despite his desires, it was impossible not to notice the broken windows and doors, the stains on the floors and walls, and of course the remains of the unfortunate souls who perished here. And after a while it became impossible to ignore them, All I can do is offer these lost souls a prayer… With that thought he muttered a short prayer every time he came across another body as he made his way to the roof, "May the Shallow Sea bring your soul home and rest."
By the time he made it to the roof, he lost track of how many times he made that prayer and he had no desire to try and recall. Instead, he took a moment to look around in case there were any Grimm nearby, there were many possible hiding places in the ruins around and below him so he had to be through. Once he was certain that it was safe he put his halberd on the floor and gently set the case down next to it and opened it. Inside was a computer, an assortment of cables, and various other pieces of equipment that didn't seem to really connect together unless you already knew what you were looking at and how to put it together, it had been designed that way on purpose to make it easier to smuggle.
He then began to carefully pull out the parts and cables before arranging them all on the floor. He grabbed some metal rods and connected them together to create a stand of some kind while other different-looking rods were joined together to create one long rod. Cables were being attached to the computer that was still in the case while other cables were attached to boxes and switchboards and others were wrapped or ran through the rods. Occasionally he would check the time on his scroll or start up an app that he would then sync with the computer.
"Okay, it looks like I am getting a signal." Greenstone used his scroll to bring up a map of Mount Glenn and added a mark to it; there were other marks on the map of different colors and shapes. "Now, let's power up the amplifier and see what we can cook."
Suddenly, he felt something hit his horns, "Wh-what?!" he reached out his hands and felt a metal hook-like object was now around his horns, "What is this?" Before he could try and take it off, he found himself knocked off his feet and onto his back by a violent force pulling him backward with a scream and dragging him across the school roof.
Soon his discipline kicked in and Greenstone reached for a pistol dagger that he kept as a backup weapon and plunged it into the ground to try and counter the force of the pull. He succeeded in slowing down but he was still a far cry from stopping, Damn it! I can't use my Semblance without a solid line of sight of my target!
And then suddenly it stopped.
"Huh? Why did it-!?" Greenstone heard the sound of footsteps moving toward him and felt the line go slack even though the hook was still stuck in his horns. Whoever attacked me is trying to cross the remaining distance! I can't afford to stay prone on the ground! He then channeled a little bit of Aura into his legs and kicked himself up before turning around and making a blind shot with his pistol dagger.
There was a grunt of pain as the bullet struck the assailant but their Aura prevented any damage. Worse was that whoever was attacking sped up, crossed what little distance remained, and struck Greenstone's face with a vicious uppercut before pulling on the hook to force Greenstone back in and into another punch.
That last blow rattled Greenstone's head and as he tried to recover, his attacker spoke, "Didn't your mother teach you that it is rude to shoot people trying to say hello?
"That voice, Torchwick!? Is that you?"
"Yes, it is! Do you have any idea how hard it was to follow you?"
Greenstone took advantage of the brief respite to take account of the situation; The hook was still on his horns and he could now see that there was a metal cable connecting that blasted thing to an oddly familiar metal stick in Torchwick's hands, Is that his cane? No matter, I have to take this thing off somehow or I won't be able to escape. At least I can keep his eyes off the case.
"So are you going to tell me what you're doing up here?" Torchwick asked while trying to walk into a position where he could see Greenstone and the case at the same time.
"What? A guy can't have a hobby?" Greenstone answered while using his body to obscure the case. If only I hadn't dropped my halberd… "But what about you? It's getting late, I'd hate for a human like you to get lost wandering in the dark in a place like this." But maybe there is something else I can do…
"Thanks for the concern buddy, but I'd be more worried about you," Torchwick gave the line a playful tug to prove his point. "This roof is very unsteady, it would be a shame if you lost your footing."
Greenstone smiled before grabbing the cable and pulling with all his might, fully confident that he was psychically stronger than the thief, but just in case, he used his Semblance to shift a part of the roof to create a concrete foothold for himself… It was a good plan, he was stronger than Torchwick and if it came down to Aura, the foothold he created would save him plenty in the long run while the thief would be forced to burn through his own reserve just to stay upright. In a war of attrition, Greenstone was proud to say that he had never lost to anyone and this would be another notch on his belt.
Unfortunately for Greenstone, Torchwick had no intention of entering a war of attrition. After only a few seconds of tug-of-war, the thief let go of the cane, and Greenstone found himself tumbling backward while Torchwick quickly crossed the distance to deliver a mighty blow to the Corporal and knocking the man onto the floor.
Greenstone tried to get up but was met with a kick to the face and another kick to the hand gripping the pistol dagger that forced him to drop the only weapon he had left.
"Are you done?" Torchwick asked, before glancing over to the case, "What is that ?"
"I told you that it's just a hobby." Good, the thief doesn't know what it is!
"Oh shut up! Did you really think I wouldn't recognize a portable transmission hub?"
Greenstone's face paled, "How?"
"One of my old bosses made a fortune manufacturing and selling those things. Granted they were bugged but anyone who didn't check deserved to have their dirty laundry out in the open… so, who have been talking to?"
"Why would I tell you?"
"Because if you don't tell me, I'm telling Adam." Said Torchwick as he picked up his cane and called back the hook.
"Adam hates humans and thieves, so why would he believe you when you're both?" Maybe I can rush him… no, it won't work. That cane has a powerful gun built into it, I can take a couple of shots but the third might kill me.
"Because he is still pissed that someone under his nose reported him to Sienna, I'm guessing that was you?"
Greenstone didn't answer.
"Look, you and I both know what they are putting on that train. The only real question is what do you think of that?"
"Why do you care?"
"I care because Adam wants me on that train and the boss lady thinks it's a good idea… I on the other hand enjoy survival and I like knowing what comes next. Do you understand?"
"Are… you asking me to betray the White Fang? Because I'd rather die!"
Torchwick groaned, "Ugh this why I hate you self-righteous types and your convictions! No, I'm not asking to hurt the feelings of your little pack of animals! What I want to know is what you intended to do about that train!"
"And why do you care about it?"
Torchwick sighed, "There is this idea in writing called the Moral Event Horizon, do you know it?"
"What?! What does this have to do with anything?" Maybe I can edge closer to my Halberd…
"I'll take that as a no." Torchwick reached into his coat, pulled out a cigar, lit it with his cane, and took a nice long puff. "Oh, that's the stuff, now back to your question. The Moral Event Horizon is an idea in writing that states that there is a line in the sand between redeemable and irredeemable. That there are actions so heinous that it permanently destroys any chance for the perpetrators to be forgiven… that train is on a crash course with the Moral Event Horizon."
Torchwick took another puff from his cigar and pointed his cane at the case, "Don't think for a second that I don't know a runner when I see one. Now are you going to let me finish or am I going to have to break your toy?"
Greenstone didn't say anything.
"Geez and I had this all planned out too! Like, do you know how many rewrites this little monologue about the Moral Event Ho-"
"Please, just get to the point!"
"So you can talk, good. Shit is going to hit the fan soon and when it does it is going to cover everyone. My reputation will be ruined and the White Fang will be blamed for it and you know what that means."
"War."
"Exactly, now I don't know about you but I would rather not see the sequel to the Faunus Right's Wars. So what happens next is going to depend on you. If I turn a blind eye and let you make that call… who will it be for?"
Greenstone sighed in defeat, "Sienna Khan… I've been trying to contact her about Adam."
Torchwick lowered his cane, "Then it looks like we're about to engage in some jolly cooperation."
"I hate you."
"I hate you too."
Author's Notes: For a while, I wasn't sure if I was going to do the Dance or not, as you can see I decided to do it since it would help expand the different relationships between the characters. In that regard, the talk between Jaune, Yang, and Ruby was the perfect vehicle to set this up while also showing providing a small sneak peek of what to look forward to and providing a little world-building... not bad for what is basically filler.
As for Greenstone, yes, he is a dwarf. Also, his pistol dagger is based on a real weapon; The Norwegian 1846 Postførerverge.
As for his Semblance, he has the ability to shift the ground. It is not a flashy ability but it is a practical one that can create footholds and tripping hazards, and with enough time he can even make trenches and shelters.