"Well, this was a productive week or two," Ruby said, walking into the cockpit of the team's jet. They still hadn't settled on a name for it, though she was campaigning for the Huntingbird,and most of the team liked that. She hadn't won over Weiss yet, who insisted they should call the jet by its model name, which was frankly absurd, if you asked Ruby. What was the point of having a team vehicle if they weren't going to give it a badass name?
Weiss was at the pilot's seat, idly filing her nails since she'd set the jet on autopilot already. Yang was on the other seat, her feet up on the panel and hands behind her head. They had taken off from the northeastern peak of Vacuo a half hour ago, and were now flying over the ocean, back towards Vale.
"You can say that twice," Yang said, stretching her arms over her head. "Gosh, I can't wait to be back home and crash on my bed. I'm gonna sleep forever."
"If you can find a path through all the boxes still littering your bedroom floor, that is" Weiss said, shooting her a mild glare.
"Hey, there's a lot of stuff to unpack, okay? Plus, I've been busy kicking ass," Yang said. "I'll get to it soon. Tomorrow, pinky swear."
"If you say so," Weiss said. "You know, I wouldhelp if you asked."
"That's so sweet of you, Weiss," Yang said. "Your bedroom's in tip-top shape, so I guess I can sleep there tonight, since you're offering. Your bed's big enough for two, right?"
Weiss's cheeks crimson. "That's not remotely what I-" She pursed her lips. "Help with the unpacking, Yang. Why do you have to be like this?"
"Uh, it was just an innocent statement, I don't know why you're making such a big fuss about it," Yang said. "What's so wrong about two close friends sharing a bed overnight? I did that all the time with my girlfriends back in high school."
Weiss turned away, suddenly very concerned with making sure everything was going smoothly with their flight. Yang turned to Ruby and smiled cheekily, daring her to reproach her, but Ruby knew better. That would just embolden Yang even more, and nobody needed that, especially not Weiss.
"I can't wait to see Zwei again. I hope he wasn't too lonely without us," Ruby said.
"Let's hope he didn't break his automatic feeder again. Remember how fat he got last time?" Yang said.
"There was no visible damage either," Ruby said, tapping her chin. "Smart boy. I bet he's been getting hacker tips from Jaune."
"I don't think he's that smart," Yang said. "It'll be hard for him to get that fat again. He's got a lot more space to run around now."
Ruby nodded. It had been a joy to watch Zwei run around the outskirts of their new base, at least until he discovered he could eat grass straight off the earth and it would virtually never run out. Now he was only allowed outside under strict supervision.
"Hey Weiss, how much longer until we get home?" Ruby said.
Weiss jumped and cleared her throat. She checked the panel. "Eight hours and twenty minutes, give or take."
"I guess we won't make it to Ozpin's hearing after all, then." Ruby sighed. "I know it's going to be boring and all, but I kinda wanted to be there for Pyrrha."
"Yeah. She'll be okay, though. She's tough, and she's got Jaune. I wouldn't worry too much about her," Yang said.
"We might be able to attend if the hearing continues into tomorrow, which seems likely to me," Weiss said. "Regardless of how that turns out, we will at least finally get to meet our potential new teammates face-to-face. That should be an experience."
"Potential?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "I thought Nora and Ren were a sure thing."
"Well, from what we know of them, they don't sound like the most well-adjusted people." Weiss paused. "Oh, who am I kidding. They'll fit right in."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm, like, super well-adjusted," Ruby said.
"Ruby, you go to sleep every night hugging your big-ass gun-scythe. You know, the one you use to kill monsters, which is a thing you've been doing for a living since you were fifteen," Yang said. "You're a little weird."
Ruby gasped. "Well, your face is a little weird, how about that?"
Yang blinked and looked at Weiss, who just shrugged and started filing her nails again.
A yell came from the back of the jet – Blake calling Ruby's name. Ruby stared smugly at Yang for a moment more, before she turned and walked away, but not without leaving a quick little 'got 'em' in her wake.
Blake was sitting in the back, a tablet in her hands. She got up as Ruby approached and turned the device towards her.
"What's up, Blake?" Ruby asked, taking the tablet.
"I thought you should take a look at this," Blake said, a frown on her forehead. "Started a few minutes ago. I thought it might be a glitch, but better not to take chances with this kind of thing."
Ruby nodded and looked at the screen. It only took a few seconds for her to understand what had Blake so disturbed.
Beacon's satellites had picked up a great number of Grimm in the northern reaches of Atlas. And yet there had been no records of a Breach opening there anytime recently. Ruby would know if there had been – it was her job to pay attention to these things so she could plan out the team's movements.
"That's so weird," Ruby said, tilting her head. "I mean, I could understand it if it was just a few Grimm, but that's like, a lot."
"Yeah. And unless we've got some seriously wrong information, there are no towns or villages anywhere in the vicinity," Blake said. "The Grimm aren't moving outwards from there either. They're all gathered in that one spot. We can't be sure just from the readings, of course, but-"
"No, I see what you mean." Ruby bit her lip. "Man. I don't like this one bit."
She stared at the screen, hoping to catch something that they hadn't yet seen. Sure, they didn't understand Grimm behavior completely yet, and Ruby doubted they ever would, but something about this felt extra weird to her.
"I'm guessing we're not sleeping in our beds tonight?" Blake said.
"Yeah, this sounds like an us job," Ruby said. "Sorry."
"That's alright," Blake said. "Want me to go tell Weiss our new destination?"
"Yes, thank you," Ruby said. "I'm gonna tell the Atlas guys about this and make sure they don't send any people there, then I'll join you guys."
Blake nodded and walked to the cockpit. Ruby continued to stare at the screen, an uneasy feeling blossoming in the pit of her stomach.
She really hoped she was just being paranoid.
Jaune entered the back of the cab. He closed the door, and the driver took off to their destination. Nora squirmed in the backseat, though she had plenty of room between him and Ren. She was nervous more than anything, and Jaune couldn't blame her for that.
"So, we won't have to go up and speak about Kuroyuri and how Ozpin sucks in front of a thousand people, right?" she asked. "Right?"
"I don't think there'll be that many people in attendance. And anyway, you two already gave your testimonies to the Council in private, so you won't have to do anything like that today," Jaune said. "At least I don't think you'll have to. I could be wrong."
He looked at Pyrrha in the passenger seat up front. She hadn't spoken much all morning, but she caught his eyes now and nodded.
"Jaune's right. People might try and talk to you, but that'd be outside the official proceedings, and you could just turn them away," Pyrrha said. "You don't even have to attend the hearing, if you don't want to."
"Okay. Good." Nora let out a big sigh. "I'm asking for Ren's sake, ya know? Because he's been doing a lot of growth and introspection lately – I'm very proud of him – and he's figured out he can get kinda… volatile around authority figures. Poor boy."
"It's true," Ren said, unphased. "Unfortunately I haven't gotten past my issues with projecting my insecurities onto other people just yet. It's a hurdle."
Nora scowled at him. "You shush, you. Keep smartassing me like that and I'll fold you in half. I can do that, you know, I've got muscles."
"I know."
"I'll do it in front of them!"
"No doubt. I'm waiting."
Nora held her scowl for a moment, then finally backed off with a quick peck to his cheek. Ren didn't give much of a reaction, though Jaune didn't miss the smug twinkle in his eyes. A few months ago he would surely have lost to Nora in such a contest. It was crazy how relationships changed people.
The morning traffic was light, so it didn't take long for them to arrive at the Valean World Council office. They got out as Pyrrha paid the driver, and gathered before the steps that led up to the entrance.
"Should we go in?" Jaune said.
"The hearing doesn't start for another hour, but I suppose there's no harm in waiting inside," Pyrrha said, though not without some pause. Probably wary of who she might meet in there.
"I think waiting outside is just fine," Jaune said. "Right, guys?"
"Sure! Ren could use a little sun," Nora said.
Ren tilted his head her way. "That is accurate."
A great number of officials were coming in and out of the building at this hour, though none that Jaune recognized just yet. He wondered how many of these people, if any, knew about what he and the others were here for. The Council was keeping everything regarding Ozpin and Beacon on the down low. Jaune had to wonder how much longer that was going to last. For sure the media would hear of it after today, and then the whole world would know. That was going to be something.
They talked for a while before someone approached them. He was a large man approaching old age, with a mop of gray hair atop his head, his mouth hidden behind a rather impressive moustache of the same color. Jaune thought he recognized him from somewhere, but he couldn't remember. Pyrrha definitely knew him, though, judging by the face she made – respect, with some healthy apprehension mixed in.
"Miss Nikos! What a pleasure to see you! It's been too long, my girl!" the man bellowed.
"Councilman." Pyrrha shook his hand, smiling politely. "It's good to see you too. How have you been?"
"Quite well, quite well – as well as can be under the circumstances, that is. And you? Still giving the Grimm a name to fear, eh?"
"In a way. I've got help in that department these days," Pyrrha said. "Jaune, this is Councilman Port. He's Vale's representative in the Council. Councilman, this is Jaune."
"Jaune Arc! Ah yes, I've heard tale of this one," Port said.
Jaune blinked. "You have? Really?"
"Oh yes. Though I must say…" Port leaned in, examining Jaune with a critical eye. "You are not exactly what I expected. Lanky. Not a lot of muscle, eh? Not the build to wrestle with a Grimm, I'll say that much."
"Uh, I usually stab them with my sword."
"A sword? Bah! I much prefer an axe. Or my bare hands! Pyrrha, did I ever tell you about the time I strangled an Ursa Major to death?"
"Once or twice, yes."
"Ah, those were my glory days!"
Jaune had killed a Grimm with his bare hands before. The whole team had. In fact, that was pretty much the default for Yang. But he guessed Port had no Aura, and in that case that was actually a pretty impressive feat for him.
"And I see you are here as well," Port said, bowing his head to Nora and Ren, a kind smile on his face. "Do tell if you need anything. Vale is proud of its hospitality, unlike those frigid Atlesians!"
"Thank you, Mister Port," Nora said. She leaned towards Jaune. "He was there for the deposition stuff. He's got some really fun stories."
"I assume you are all here for the, ahem, you know." Port looked at each of them and gave what might have been History's least subtle wink. "Dreadful, quite dreadful. That Ozpin… But I suppose that will all be over soon enough, so no reason to fret." He straightened up. "Now, if you'll excuse me! I must find Councilman Lionheart and badger him about our last poker game. He owes me, that Mistralian swindler!"
He went up the steps and entered the building in a huff. Jaune turned to Pyrrha.
"So am I confused, or did that guy use to be a Beacon agent?"
"He did. He used to be one of the agency's best, actually, as he'll be very proud to tell you," Pyrrha said. "He retired shortly after I joined Beacon, though I still saw him a lot over the years. He held office in Vale for a while before he became Councilman."
"But then… It sounds like he worked close with Ozpin," Jaune said, "and now he's on the Council that is supposed to hold him in check."
Pyrrha looked away. "He'll be objective," she said, but she didn't seem so sure. "Oh. And here comes Councilman Theodore."
She gestured towards another man who looked a tad younger than Port, dressed in vibrant colors with a long cape billowing behind him. Jaune had to pinch himself to make sure he was seeing things right. He would have never expected a Councilman to dress like that.
"He's the Vacuo representative," Pyrrha said. "Vacuo's governed by a council of eight, and he's currently one of them."
"So he's like a double Councilman," Nora said. "Is he buddy-buddies with Ozpin as well?"
"He's a more temperate individual," Pyrrha said, which Jaune thought didn't answer the question very well.
Theodore acknowledged them with a nod and kept going up the steps towards the building, a grave expression on his face.
"What's he in a hurry for?" Jaune asked.
"I think he may have a score to settle with Councilman Lionheart as well," Pyrrha said.
"Are you serious? That can't be a thing."
"I'm afraid it is. The Council's poker games are famously-"
A shrill scream cut Pyrrha off. Jaune saw her eyes open wide for a split second before something collided against him. A pair of arms wrapped around him and stopped him from falling, and the next thing he knew his feet were lifted off the floor.
Jaune jerked forward instinctually, but the arms around him were too strong. Damn, why hadn't he brought his sword? He started drawing on his Aura, intending to push off his attacker with it, until he noticed Pyrrha wasn't doing a thing to help him. She looked surprised, as did Nora and Ren, but that was as far as it went.
Jaune stopped trashing.
"Salutations!" a cheery voice declared behind him. "It is so good to see you again, Jaune!"
"P-Penny? Hello?"
The arms dropped him. He spun around, and there indeed stood Penny Polendina, smiling widely at him and Pyrrha. She looked - well, she didn't look any different than every other time Jaune had seen her. He was pretty sure even her clothes were the same.
"Hello!" Penny waved at him, then at Pyrrha. When her eyes returned to him, she paused, her smile faltering. "Are you feeling unwell, Jaune? Do you require medical attention?"
"No, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting to be tackled out of the blue like that," Jaune said, catching his breath.
"Oh no! I didn't mean to startle you," Penny said. "I didn't think twice about it. That's typically how I greet Ruby, but I realize now this is not the same. We're not friends like Ruby and I are friends. I apologize."
"It's alright, Penny, I'm not hurt or anything. And we totally are friends," Jaune said. "Just, uh, maybe not on that level, yeah."
Penny nodded, though she didn't seem very comforted. Pyrrha acted before Jaune could, walking over to Penny and patting her shoulder.
"It's good to see you too, Penny," she said. "Are you here with General Ironwood?"
"Yes. I will be providing security for him and the rest of the Council today," Penny said. "Will you be participating in the procedures?"
"We'll only be attending," Pyrrha said. "Have you met Nora and Ren?"
Nora waved. "Hello! We're the people whose town Ozpin blew up. Nice to meet you!" She nudged Ren with her elbow. "You too, Ren."
Ren gave her a look and shook his head. "It's nice to meet you, Penny. You're friends with Jaune and Pyrrha?"
"Through Ruby, yes," Penny said. Her eyes narrowed on Ren. "Apologies in advance. I know it's rude to intrude, but are you aware that your heart has beat a total of only twenty-three times in the last minute? That is drastically lower than the average human heart rate. Perhaps you require medical attention?"
"That actually sounds a little higher than my normal," Ren said.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. That's just how Ren is. He's kinda dead," Nora said. "How did you figure that out, though? Is it like your Semblance or something?"
"Not her Semblance. Penny is a – a…" Jaune trailed off.
"It's alright, you don't have to skirt around it," Penny said. "I am not a regular person. I am a synthetic lifeform. An artificial intelligence. A robot." She blinked. "Whatever label makes you most comfortable."
"Oooh. That's neat," Nora said. "We probably shouldn't hug or shake hands, then. I don't wanna fry you by accident with my Semblance."
"Actually, I am protected against most electric surges. Unless you can match the potency of a lightning bolt, us touching shouldn't be a problem," Penny said.
"Wait," Jaune said. "Nora, you hug me all the time. Often against my will. Why was this never a concern before?"
Nora shrugged.
"So, Ruby isn't here?" Penny asked, a sad look on her face as she looked around. "I've been scanning for her signature for the last four minutes and twenty-three seconds, but I have not found her. The logical conclusion is that she didn't come with you. And that is… disappointing."
"There's a huge crowd here," Nora said. "Couldn't you have missed her?"
"I do miss her," Penny said. She blinked. "That is to say, I find your hypothesis highly improbable."
"Sorry, Penny. Ruby's out on mission with the rest of the team, but they should be back home tonight," Pyrrha said. "We were actually going to take Nora and Ren to meet them after the hearing. Would you like to come with us?"
"Are you sure?" Penny looked at her feet, her irises slowly spinning. "The hearing might finish much earlier than nightfall. Maybe once Ruby arrives I could drop by? I don't want to be a bother to you until then."
"No way," Jaune said. "You can hang out with us while we wait for them. It'll be fun."
"I imagine it would be, yes," Penny said. "I would have to ask General Ironwood, though, and he likely won't allow it."
"So? What's he gonna do, stop you from going where you want to go?" Jaune said. "Unless you've got something important to do, I don't see the harm."
Penny raised her head, a hesitant smile on her lips. "I suppose I could try asking him. I would very much like to hang out with you all!"
"If he tells you no, we'll break his legs!" Nora exclaimed.
"We won't be doing that," Ren said.
"Yes, I highly advise you don't bring any harm to the General. There would be severe consequences," Penny said. She turned her head up and to the side, as if listening to something only she could hear. "Excuse me, I have to go to the General now. I'll see you later, friends!"
She walked away.
"She's sweet," Nora said.
"Yeah." Jaune rubbed his arms. "And she's got a killer grip!"
They waited outside, chatting the time away, until five minutes were left until the hearing. Pyrrha took the lead as they went inside, and though she seemed fine, Jaune kept an eye on her regardless.
They found their room and entered it. It was an auditorium-like chamber, like some Jaune had seen politicians use on the TV, with rows of seats set before a half-moon table in the center of the room. The Council was sat there already – Jaune recognized Ironwood right away, and Port and Theodore. The last guy with the mane of hair must be Councilman Lionheart, he guessed.
Penny stood towards the back of the room, her hands behind her back as she scanned the place for any possible danger. She saw them when they came in and waved enthusiastically, before she caught herself and took a more serious posture again. A slight smile remained on her lips.
The room wasn't filled to capacity, but there were plenty of people already seated, a mixture of high-ranking Beacon and World Council officials. One of them caught Jaune's eye – a guy in his forties with spiky black hair and a slight stubble. He was leaning back on his chair, almost lying down on it, with his feet propped up on the seat in front of him, as if he didn't care to be here at all. But the way his red eyes scanned everyone around him betrayed that notion.
"Hey, isn't that…" Jaune snapped his fingers, trying to place where he knew the man from.
"I'm fairly sure that's Qrow Branwen," Pyrrha said. "Ruby and Yang's uncle?"
"Ahah! I totally could have figured that out if you'd given me five more minutes," Jaune said. "He's super close with Ozpin, right? That must be why he's here."
"I suppose. It is odd, though," Pyrrha said. "From what I've heard, Qrow Branwen doesn't really do politics. He's a field agent through and through. I can only guess he was asked to be here, rather than-"
She stopped with a sharp intake of air. Jaune followed her line of sight and saw Glynda Goodwitch standing beside a lone chair before the Council's panel – and in that chair, sat Ozpin.
"There's the bastard," Nora grunted. "Someone find me a stone. I wanna see if I hit his head from up here."
"Nora," Ren chided quietly.
Nora looked at Pyrrha, and her shoulders dropped. "Sorry. Not the time."
Jaune took Pyrrha's hand and tugged her away. "Hey, Pyr. Let's find a place to sit down, okay?"
"What?" Pyrrha blinked. "Yes, I – sorry, I just completely froze, didn't I? That was… pathetic."
"Nothing pathetic about it. This whole thing is a mess," Jaune said. "Should I go looking for a window?"
Pyrrha's lips curled with the tiniest smile. "I think I'll be fine."
They sat down near the front just as people stopped coming in and the doors closed. Goodwitch shared a word with Ozpin, then nodded and moved to sit with the rest of the gallery.
For a moment there was silence, and then Ironwood stood up to speak.
The Huntingbird touched ground in Atlas some four hours later. A freezing wind blew in as the back of the jet opened to the outside. Yang watched Ruby rub her arms for warmth as she squinted into the blizzard, and even felt a bit of shiver herself.
"Jeez," Yang said, switching her weight between her feet to build some energy. "No wonder people don't live around here. Good thing I'm exceptionally hot, or else I'd be an ice Yang right now."
She winked at Ruby, but the joke went ignored as her sister kept her eyes firmly on the storm. Unsatisfied, Yang turned to look at Weiss and Blake for a reaction, but had no better results there. Killjoys.
"Visibility's real bad, guys. We're not gonna get a full visual of the Grimm until they get way up close," Ruby said. "They're definitely out there, though, that's for sure."
"A whole lot of 'em," Yang said. She'd been able to feel the Grimm from the moment the jet landed.
"I'm sure we'll do just fine," Weiss said. "We've operated under worse conditions, have we not?"
"True," Ruby said, "but I still want us to be careful. Plan of attack – we let the Grimm come to us. Stick together and watch each other's backs to make sure we don't get surrounded. No fancy stuff. And let's be prepared for anything. I've still got a weird feeling about all this."
"Aye aye, captain," Yang said. She took her first step outside, and cringed with her whole body as she immediately sunk ankle-deep into the snow. "Holy shiiii- help! Help!"
Weiss jumped onto a glyph and floated over to her. She offered a hand, and helped Yang pull herself up to stand on the glyph as well.
"Jeez, that was awful! I thought my toes were going to fall off," Yang said. "Gosh, I'm lucky I'm so exceptionally-"
"Hot, yes, we all heard you the first time," Weiss said. "Be quiet, you're going to alert all the Grimm with your yelling."
"Sorry," Yang said, hoping off. "I'll be able to handle it better once I get my engines going."
"It can't be that bad," Weiss said, though Yang noted she didn't move off her glyph to back-up that statement.
Blake made to step out of the jet, but seemed to think twice about it when she looked at the imprint Yang had left in the snow.
"Ruby, I don't know how useful I can be here," she said. "You'll do fine with your speed. Weiss has her glyphs, and Yang is exceptionally hot-"
"Thank you!"
"-but I'll just be a sitting duck," Blake said. "I'll only be a hindrance if you three have to cover me."
"That's fine," Ruby said. "You can stay inside the Huntingbird-" she looked directly at Weiss- "and we'll stick close to it where you can watch our backs. You can check the Grimm readings too while we're at it. Maybe you'll catch something weird."
"We're not calling the jet that," Weiss muttered.
"That sounds fine to me," Blake said. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could be more help."
"Don't apologize, Blakey," Yang said. "You know we value your safety way more than we value your dignity."
Blake smiled and rolled her eyes, then left to fetch a tablet.
A loud growl cut through the storm. A dark silhouette with blood-red eyes revealed itself in the white, growing closer by the second. More appeared at its sides, converging towards the jet.
"Alright, here comes the party," Ruby said, taking out Crescent Rose. "Let's do this, Huntresses!"
She jumped off the jet, her boots touching the snow for a half-second before she scattered into petals towards the first Grimm. She reformed straight into a spinning motion, swinging her scythe around to cleave the Grimm in half. Weiss darted to Ruby's left on her glyph, conjuring her rapier in preparation.
Yang made to follow, but stopped short as she felt a sharp tingle in the back of her neck.
"Yang?" Blake frowned at her. "Something wrong?"
Yang shook her head and rubbed the tingling spot, but the feeling was gone. "Just the cold, I guess," she said. "I'm going. Don't shoot me in the back by accident, okay?"
Blake's lips curled in a smirk. "I'll make sure to only do it on purpose."
"What a gal. I can always count on you, Blake."
Yang ran out of the jet. The first few steps into the snow were an ordeal, but as she built some speed, she was able to cut a line straight to the action. She took position to Ruby's right, taking on the Grimm that tried to flank her from that direction.
The battle was a bit of a haze after that. The weather was harsh, but at least the Grimm seemed just as affected by it, if not more. And as Yang had told the others, once she took some hits and her Semblance kicked in, the snow and the blizzard started to melt around her.
Ruby and Weiss were doing fine, though Yang did catch Ruby sneezing once or twice between her rose petal bursts. Every so often a Grimm would ignore them and head towards the jet, but Blake took care of them without issue.
All in all, they seemed to have this handled just fine. Still, Yang knew better than to celebrate too soon. If another Egg-on-Legs showed up in front of her, she was going to fucking scream.
"I think that was the last of them!" Blake shouted over the storm.
Yang looked around. She didn't see any more Grimm or their silhouettes in the storm, and she didn't feel their chilling presence anymore either.
"Alright!" Ruby came out of her Semblance and dropped onto the ground. "We're d-d-done here, then. Good work, t-t-t-t-!"
She sneezed hard. Yang hopped over to her and snaked an arm around Ruby's shoulders, pushing her against herself to hopefully warm her up.
"T-thanks, Yang," Ruby mumbled.
Yang patted her on the head. "I told ya to bring a jacket, sweetie-pie."
"Ugh. I don't think that woulda helped."
Weiss hovered over to them and said something, but her words were lost to Yang as once again the back of her neck started to tingle. It was a shorter sensation this time, but ten times sharper, like a firework come and gone. Alright, she definitely hadn't imagined that.
"-oh that's funny." Ruby rolled her eyes at Weiss. "What happened to tough Atlesian Weiss not being bothered by the cold?"
"That was not the same situation. For one, it's way colder this far north," Weiss said, raising her chin to her. "And I never said I don't get cold. I just said you Valeans are way too sensitive."
"Lies and deceits!" Ruby said, crossing her arms. "You're just trying to get Yang to hug you too, and you're not even being subtle about it."
"I so am not!" Weiss balled her fists. "And you wouldn't know subtle if it hit you over the head, Ruby Rose!"
Ruby stuck out her tongue. "If I'm wrong, then why are you getting so defensive?"
Weiss fumed. She turned towards Yang, her cheeks just the tiniest bit flushed. "Well, are you going to say something?"
Yang blinked. "Sorry. You're handing me a gold mine here, but-" She looked around. "I feel something weird. Really, really weird."
Ruby squirmed out of Yang's embrace, looking at her with wide eyes. "Are you hurt? Did a Grimm get you?"
Weiss hovered in a quick circle around Yang, inspecting her up and down. "I don't see any injuries."
"I'm not hurt," Yang said. "It's like… I felt this way a lot around the time I met my mom. There's some kinda magic going on near us."
Ruby took a step back, wonder and concern battling in the silver of her eyes.
"Oh joy, you're bringing up this nonsense again. Magic." Weiss crossed her arms and huffed. "We're done here, then. Shall we get going?"
Ruby rounded on her. "Magic is real, Weiss! Yang's seen it with her own eyes!"
"I'm not casting doubt on Yang's experiences, but there is no such thing as magic," Weiss said.
"Yang shoots fire from her hands! I turn into petals!"
"All things with perfectly logical explanations, even if we don't fully understand them yet," Weiss said. "We used to not understand gravity. Was it magic then? Is it still? Hmm, Ruby?"
"You're the worst," Ruby said. "I'm gonna return your album to the music store, meanie, and I'll send you a selfie of me doing it, too."
Yang cleared her throat. "As entertaining as this is… Whether or not this thing I'm sensing is magic – which it definitely is, Weiss – we should probably track it down and figure out what it is, right?"
"Yup. It might be the reason those Grimm showed up in the middle of nowhere," Ruby said. "Weiss, can you go get Blake?"
"Sure," Weiss said. "We wouldn't want to leave her behind while we go hunting for the tooth fairy, after all."
She floated away towards the jet and returned a minute later with Blake. From the look Blake gave Yang and Ruby, Weiss must have filled her in with some colorful remarks.
"Alright, Yang, in which direction did you sense the thingy?" Ruby asked.
Yang sucked on her tooth for a moment, then pointed to the right. "That-a way, I think."
They trekked in that direction, Weiss and Blake hovering smoothly along on a glyph while Yang thawed a path for herself and Ruby. The Huntingbird soon vanished in the storm behind them. Yang hoped they wouldn't have trouble finding it later – it hadn't exactly come with a beeper in case they lost it in the parking lot, and this storm might interfere with their Scrolls.
The back of Yang's neck tingled twice more along the way, one time so strongly she had to take a moment to steady herself. Those moments helped her better pinpoint the magic's origin, and she adjusted their trajectory in accordance.
Yang stopped. "This is it," she said. "Right here."
"Are you sure?" Weiss looked around. "I don't see anything. Only more snow."
"A hundred percent."
"Hey," Blake spoke suddenly. "Take a look at this."
She hopped off Weiss' glyph and dropped to her knees on the ground, and started to part the snow in front of her. It already looked partly displaced, as if something had dug through it not long before. The rest of the team huddled close to look. After a few seconds, Blake pulled back. Underneath the layers of snow, where dirt and grass should have been, was instead a surface of thick black steel.
Yang cocked her head. "The hell?"
"Quick, we gotta get a better look before the blizzard covers it!" Ruby said, and started shoveling away the snow with her hands. The rest of the team joined her, and after a few minutes they had a much larger area uncovered.
They stood back, staring at their discovery. They could see a line running through the middle of the surface, where two halves might part to open the way to something. But what was more startling were the deep claw marks and dents all across the metal.
"Y'all, I'm just gonna say it-" Yang swept back her hair- "I don't think the tooth fairy did that."
"The Grimm," Weiss said. "They were trying to get in."
Ruby sprung to action. "Which means we gotta get in right now. We don't know what's behind this but there might be people trapped down there. Maybe they're hurt. We've gotta help them."
"And then there's whatever Yang sensed," Blake said, eyes narrowed at the ground. "Which might be bad."
"Only one way to find out," Ruby said. "Yang, can you open this?"
Yang cracked her knuckles. "Everybody get clear."
She stood over the slit in the middle, then backstepped until she was on natural soil again. She dropped to her knees at the edge, and wedged her fingers into the opening. Her arms shaking, she pulled in different directions. For a moment she thought her strength wouldn't be enough – shocking! – but then something gave, and the two halves parted.
Yang widened the gap until there was no more room to push, and stood up. A round chasm lay before her, going so deep she could see nothing but darkness below.
The team gathered around the hole. Snow buffeted them and fell inside, disappearing in the depths.
"So," Yang broke the silence, "who wants to go first?"
The hearing went on for impossibly long extremely fast, or so it felt to Pyrrha. Ironwood led the procedures for the most part, delivering the results of the investigation the Council had carried out on Ozpin, occasionally giving the stage for the other members to speak.
Much of what Pyrrha heard was no surprise to her. She had volunteered a lot to the Council herself, after all, and for years she had been privy to a lot of highly confidential information on Beacon and Ozpin over the years. Only now was she starting to understand just how confidential some of that information really was, and that realization was only making her feel more dreadful.
Beacon's oddly complacent relationship with the White Fang even in its most violent years. The number of rogue agents the agency had accumulated over the years – Cinder Fall chief among them. Ozpin's secretive 'inner circle'.
Children groomed to be perfect soldiers.
Kuroyuri.
Ozpin spoke when asked to, either confirming the Council's accounts or providing them with further details. He never outright refuted anything the Council put against him. At the same time, he never spoke himself into an irredeemable light. And through it all, he sounded nothing less than perfectly honest.
That, Pyrrha decided, was the worst part of all of this.
"In conclusion, gentlemen," Ironwood said, "what we have before us is a leadership that, while far from ineffective, has been – in the most generous terms – inscrutable. Actions and directives dictated not by a set of principles and rules, but by the whims and machinations of one man. Director Ozpin, if you would stand before the Council."
Ozpin stood up, leaning lightly on his cane.
"Director Ozpin, you have served as the head of Beacon for nearly four decades," Port said. "During that time, you have protected the people of Remnant from the forces of Grimm and kept the world from falling into chaos. An arduous, often thankless service, for which the world may never be able to repay you."
"And you did it all from the shadows," Theodore said. "But the time for fighting in the shadows is over. The world has changed. The Grimm are a larger threat than ever, but a threat known now to all mankind. And in accordance, the world must adapt to fight them in the light of day."
"You have done your part in this transition," Ironwood said, "but now it is time that Beacon must take the next step."
He paused. The silence lasted for a second, then five, almost a full minute. Ironwood kept his gaze fixed on Ozpin, a vein on his forehead bulging. Beside him, Theodore turned to look at Councilman Lionheart and loudly cleared his throat.
"Y-yes." Lionheart wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "Ozpin must go."
Theodore pinched his nose while Port shook his head at their fellow Council member.
"It is time for you to step down, and for someone else to take your place as Director of Beacon," Ironwood said to Ozpin. "Do you object to the Council's decision?"
A palpable tension filled the room, Lionheart's blunder quickly forgotten in it. Pyrrha felt a tightness between her shoulders, her breath locked inside her chest. This was the make-it-or-break-it moment everything had been leading up to. Whatever Ozpin's next words were, they would shape the world for years to come.
"I do not object."
A cacophony of gasps sounded all across the room. Pyrrha felt Jaune rear back his head beside her, and at the corner of her vision, saw Ren cover Nora's mouth with a hand to stop her from shouting.
"You… don't object?" Port said, his moustache bobbing up and down. The rest of the Council didn't appear nearly as pleasantly surprised.
"Not at all," Ozpin said. "In fact, I've been preparing my resignation for months. I have but one condition."
Even louder gasps exploded from the gallery until Ironwood leaned forward and all but slammed his hands on the table before him.
"What are you playing at, Ozpin?"
"You say Beacon's leadership must change," Ozpin said. "I assume, then, that the gentlemen of the Council intend to take the reins themselves. Or perhaps you'll decide on a common representative."
"Something along those lines. The Council will make its decision in the coming days," Theodore said. He sounded curious more than anything else. "Though these matters, as I see it, won't be any of your concern soon enough. No offense meant."
"Of course," Ozpin said. "I only wished to put forward a candidate of my own, if you would listen to an old man's counsel one last time. In the world's best interest."
"Even for you, Ozpin, this is ridiculous," Ironwood said. "What would make you think we would even consider placing one of your people in charge of Beacon? A puppet to carry out your wishes in your stead! Either you think us fools, or you've surpassed yourself in your arrogance."
"Now, now." Port raised a hand. "No harm in hearing the man out, eh?"
Theodore tilted his head, eyes sharpened cunningly at Ozpin. "Do go on."
Ozpin looked over his shoulder, a thin smile on his lips. Pyrrha's eyes flew to Commander Goodwitch, expecting her to stand up, but a ragged murmur cut through the silence.
"Son of a bitch, I told you not to-"
A chair scraped against the floor, and Qrow Branwen stood up.
"There. I'm standing now," he said, and uttered under his breath, "Damned theatrics."
"Branwen. Your lapdog," Ironwood said. "Ozpin-"
"Qrow Branwen has served as an exemplary agent of Beacon for longer than you have sat on this Council. I am sure you're familiar with his history," Ozpin said. "His knowledge of Beacon's inner workings is second only to myself and the Sub-Director. If you want a stable transition of power, look no further."
The Council turned to look at Qrow all at once. For a moment, he busied himself with fixing his collar, and when he finally achieved the feat, he raised his head and smiled roguishly at the panel.
"I approve this decision," Port said readily.
"No," Ironwood said. "We are not making a decision yet. And no."
"I wouldn't be so quick to make a judgement either way," Theodore said, leaning his chin on his hands. "We would be wise to consider all available options."
Ironwood gritted his teeth. "Leonardo. What do you have to say?"
Lionheart jumped in his seat. The poor man was practically drenched in sweat.
"Holy crap," Nora whispered. "How much money does he owe these guys?"
"I…" Lionheart scratched his beard and looked away. "I believe it would be, ah, pertinent for us to take a – a break, and collect our thoughts. Yes?"
Ironwood looked too irate to speak, so Theodore cleared his throat and stood up.
"This hearing is adjourned. We shall resume within the hour."
Ozpin bowed his head and turned his back to the Council. He was halfway to the door before anyone else had gotten up from their seats. He joined Qrow and they exited the room together, followed moments later by Goodwitch.
Pyrrha stood up.
"Pyrrha, wait-" Jaune started to say, but she was already going after them.
They decided to all go down the hole at the same time, using an extra-large glyph of Weiss' to steadily float downwards. The light from the surface soon faded into darkness, and Ruby started to feel more than a little uncomfortable about the walls surrounding them. She had expected to reach a bottom quickly, but it felt like they'd been descending for minutes now. Granted, they weren't going very fast…
A faint red light appeared below them. A short time later, a metal floor became visible. After they all got off, Weiss unmade her glyph. They stared at each other, wondering what the hell they had gotten themselves into.
"Looks like some kind of platform," Blake said, tapping her foot on the floor. "An elevator?"
Weiss gestured at an electrical panel on the wall, the lights on it blinking irregularly. "Something tells me it isn't in working condition."
The red light was coming from an open doorway ahead of them. Ruby walked over and stuck her head out into a deserted hallway going straight forward. The walls were all made of sterile gray steel, colored crimson by the dim lighting coming from the ceiling.
"Well this is ominous," Yang whispered.
"Tell me about it." Ruby shuddered. "Do you still feel the magic thingy?"
"Yeah. It's everywhere, though. It's like it's in the air or something," Yang said. "Don't think I'm gonna be useful as a compass anymore."
"What do you guys figure this place is?" Ruby asked.
"A deep underground facility in the remote north of Atlas? I'm honestly clueless," Weiss said. She gazed at the ceiling. "These look like emergency lights to me. Coupled with the defective elevator, and I think we can safely assume something went very wrong here very recently."
Yang shifted her weight between her feet. "I kinda got that impression already from the Grimm trying to claw their way in."
"Fair."
"Well, we're not going to figure out what's going on by standing around," Ruby said.
She walked down the hallway, a hand on Crescent Rose on her belt, the rest of the team behind her. They passed another doorway into a new hallway, this one splitting three ways. Ruby chose a direction at random and went right.
They passed by a number of rooms, most of them unlocked, but there was nothing of interest to be found inside them, just regular stuff like computers and food supplies. The hallways started to feel like a maze with endless splits and turns. Not a soul appeared in their path, and the only noise they heard were their own footsteps and breathing.
After minutes of fruitless searching, Yang opened a door, and a descending staircase was revealed beyond its threshold.
"Welp," she said. "Wish I hadn't done that."
"This place is way too big and we're getting nowhere," Ruby said. She rubbed her temples, taking a moment to think. "We've gotta split up to cover more ground."
"I really don't like that idea," Yang said, looking from her to Weiss to Blake. "Safer together, right?"
"I agree, but we can't afford to waste time when people might need help," Ruby said. "We'll split into pairs. That's a good compromise, I think. Weiss, will you go down the stairs with me?"
Weiss nodded. "You can count on me."
"Cool," Ruby said. "Yang, Blake, you guys explore the rest of this floor. If you don't find anything, meet us down below. Let's check with each other frequently. You don't hear from the other pair in five minutes, you come running to help them. All good?"
They checked to see if their earpieces were still working. There was some static in the comms, but it wasn't bad enough to be a real concern.
"All good, then," Ruby said. "Let's split."
"Good luck, team. Don't get murdered in the dark!" Yang said. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Ruby and Weiss went through the doorway and started down the steps. The red light wasn't present in the stairwell, so they had to strain their eyes to see where they were going.
After a few seconds, Ruby heard Weiss whisper behind her. "Why didn't you choose Yang to come with you?"
"No reason," Ruby said, shrugging. "What, are you scared of what might be down there or something?"
"No." Weiss didn't speak for a moment. "It's just – Yang is your sister."
"So? Stop being weird, Weiss." Ruby looked over her shoulder. "We're sisters too, right?"
"Oh. Yes. Obviously."
Weiss blushed, which in turn made Ruby blush. They continued down the steps in silence.
Well that had been awkward. And sweet. Ruby could almost forget what a spooky situation they were in.
The floor below proved to be just as maze-like and empty as the first one. Ruby found herself walking faster and barely taking a look inside each room before moving on. She didn't have Yang's weird magic sense, but Ruby could just feel it in her bones that something wasn't right here.
A choked yelp sounded behind her.
"Weiss?!"
Ruby turned at once and almost collided into Weiss as she came out of a room. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes staring through her, wide as saucers.
"Weiss?" Ruby shook her, then started towards the doorway. "What's-"
"Don't go in yet!" Weiss slammed her hand on the doorframe to stop Ruby from going in. She took a deep breath, then finally met her eyes. "I just found a body in there."
"This is the worst," Yang muttered under her breath. "The fucking worst."
Blake stared at the back of Yang's neck. She wasn't particularly afraid herself, but Yang was making her feel all kinds of tense with that attitude.
"Yang, calm down," Blake said. "Ruby and Weiss will be fine. They're more than capable, and they've got each other's backs."
"I know that, okay," Yang said. "I know."
"So you know that worrying about them isn't going to help anything," Blake said. "You've gotta focus on your safety first right now." She paused. "And, you know, mine too. That'd be appreciated."
"I know! I'm gonna relax, alright," Yang said, sounding very much like she was not going to be relaxing any time soon. "I just can't believe – don't get murdered in the dark, haha! What a stupid thing to say. Me and my big dumb mouth, always gotta get a joke in."
Blake sighed. She checked another room. Empty like all the others.
If reminding Yang of Ruby and Weiss' capabilities wasn't going to get her to stop worrying, then Blake was going to need to resort to other options.
"If you're so worried about running your mouth," she said, "then you should probably stop flirting with Weiss."
Yang skidded to a halt and turned around. "What?!"
"You heard me," Blake said. "Stop flirting with Weiss."
Yang snorted. "What, are you jealous?"
"No. It's just that I can see where that's going, and it's nowhere good."
Blake checked another room and kept walking. Yang caught up with her moments later.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Do I need to spell it out?" Blake rolled her eyes. "You flirt with Weiss. She doesn't know how to respond to that. It's all fun and games, until one day she either explodes on you, or she finally gets the courage to start reciprocating, in which case you'll freeze up. Either way, you both end up hurt."
"Why the hell would I freeze up?" Yang said. "I'm not a helpless schoolgirl or anything like that. I've got experience, you know."
"I do know," Blake said. "I also know you've got commitment issues. And that's just one thing."
"Commitment issues?" Yang repeated, her voice bouncing off the walls. "Blake, you've got no idea what you're talking about. Besides, it's - it's not like I'm gonna ask Weiss to marry me, holy shit. I just like to flirt with her. That's normal. I flirt with everyone."
"Yeah, sure." Blake sighed. "Just do me a favor and stop playing around with Weiss. Get real with her if that's what you really want, or drop the flirting. She deserves better. So do you."
Blake kept walking. Yang's footsteps echoed loudly behind her.
"Whatever, love guru," Yang grumbled. "Did you get all that from a book? I bet you haven't even kissed a girl before."
"It's true, I haven't." Blake looked over her shoulder and pouted at Yang. "I could really use some practical lessons from an experienced individual." She snapped her fingers. "Oh wait, I forgot you're too chicken. Maybe you could recommend someone?"
"Stop making fun of me!" Yang flustered. "So maybe I do have issues, that doesn't mean-"
She stopped talking all of a sudden, her head snapping up as she looked past Blake. Blake started to call her name, but in the next second Yang was already storming past her. Like a moth drawn to a flame, she stomped down the hallway and took a sharp turn to the right.
Blake struggled to keep up with her. "Yang, stop! What are you doing?"
They turned another corner, and Yang bolted towards an open doorway – but suddenly a brutal gust of wind hit them both, knocking them to the floor. Wind. Underground.
A strange struck Blake's ears like thunderclap, "Stay back!"
She looked up, and in the middle of the hallway stood a cloaked woman with translucent brown eyes, the side of her face marred by a web of scars.
"Director!"
Pyrrha caught up to Ozpin in a hallway away from the conference room. He'd been talking with Commander Goodwitch and Qrow Branwen, though he stopped when he heard her call out to him.
He turned to look at her, and Pyrrha came to a halt under the gravity of his gaze. She heard Jaune stop beside her, Nora and Ren not far behind.
Ozpin acknowledged her with a tilt of his head. "Pyrrha."
Pyrrha drew in a sharp breath. Now that he was standing in front of her, she realized she didn't know what her objective had been in chasing after him like that. To yell at him? To apologize for turning on him? To discuss things, as if everything was normal between them?
"Pyrrha," Jaune whispered in her ear, "are you sure about this?"
Pyrrha closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded.
"Director," she said, and suddenly she knew exactly what she'd been meaning to ask. "You-"
"So this is it, huh?!" Nora cut her off with a yell. "You just get to walk away from all of this like it's no big deal!"
She stepped furiously towards Ozpin. Goodwitch came between them, putting a hand to Nora's sternum and pushing her back a step.
"Miss Valkyrie, I understand emotions are running high at the moment," Goodwitch said. "But I would advise you to think before you do something you'll regret."
"Something I'll regret?" Nora scoffed. "Yeah, I really doubt that! It's not like there's any consequences for anything around here, apparently!"
She took another step, and this time Goodwitch all but shoved her back. Jaune flinched, and Qrow stood just a bit straighter.
Ozpin put his cane before him and rested his hands atop it. "I am sorry for the injustices I did you, Miss Valkyrie."
"You're sorry?" Nora spat. "Screw you and your fake sympathy! If you were really sorry, you'd be checking yourself into a prison cell instead of making more of your stupid power plays!"
"I understand how this looks. And I would gladly face punishment for the pain I caused you," Ozpin said. "But there are more important things at play. I am sorry."
Nora became deathly still. Pyrrha knew then that, if Nora decided to put her hands on Ozpin now, none of them would be able to stop her, not if they all worked together.
"Nora." Ren took her hand. He looked at Ozpin, the same spark of anger in his eyes. "He's not worth it."
Nora released a shuddering breath. She jerked her head away from Ozpin and turned around. "Yeah."
She walked away with Ren, shoulders tense. Goodwitch watched them for a moment, before she nodded discreetly at Ozpin and followed them at a measured pace, as if to make sure Nora wasn't going to change her mind.
"Well, then," Qrow said raspily. "That was a scene."
Jaune glared at him. "Don't make fun of her."
"I'm not making fun, kid." Qrow put his hands in his pockets. "But come on, were all of you under the impression this was a trial? Because it isn't. It never was."
Jaune grit his teeth. "If it's not a trial, then what is it?"
"A negotiation," Qrow said, "one Ozzie here doesn't intend to lose."
Ozpin didn't acknowledge him.
"So what, you're strong arming the Council into putting your candidate in charge of Beacon, or else what? You'll refuse to give up the chair?" Jaune said.
"I think the Council realizes what's in Remnant's best interests," Ozpin said.
Jaune shook his head in disbelief. "You'd fight the Council and put the whole world at risk because you think you know best. How full of yourself can you be?"
"Didn't you kids do just the same thing when Ironwood wanted you to work for them?" Qrow said.
"That was not the same."
Qrow grinned. "Whatever keeps you on that high horse."
"And what about you? You've got no problem working for someone like him, do you?" Jaune said. "Guess it's easy to brush off vaporizing five hundred people when you're not directly responsible. You're just a guy following orders, huh?"
The smile vanished from Qrow's face. "Listen here, kid."
He walked up to Jaune, looking to try to tower over him, but they were the same height, and Jaune refused to back down.
"I understand Valkyrie and her boyfriend talking shit, because this is personal to them," Qrow said. "You don't have that excuse. If I were you I'd realize I don't know half as much as I think I do, and I'd keep my mouth shut. Got it?"
"I know plenty," Jaune said. "And I'm not a kid."
"Right. 'Course you do." Qrow took a step back and looked at the ceiling. "Fucking spare me from the arrogance of youth. I'll be outside if ya need me, Oz."
He took out a flask from under his coat and uncorked it. He sent Jaune one last withering stare, before he spun on his heels and walked away, taking a big gulp.
Jaune looked from Ozpin to Pyrrha. "Sorry," he muttered, and stepped back as if trying to disappear into the wall behind him. His eyes remained sharp, though, like he was ready to intervene at the slightest notice.
The silence seemed to last for minutes before Pyrrha found the strength to speak again.
"Director," she said. "You knew I was going to turn on you, didn't you?"
She met his eyes, and in them saw a profound sadness and, dare she think it, pride.
"I realized it the moment you left my office. Though if I am to be honest, I think I knew long before that," Ozpin said.
"But you still let me go," Pyrrha said. "You let me reunite with Jaune. You must have known we'd go to the Council. I don't understand why you'd let things get to this point."
"Why should I have stopped you when you were doing the right thing?" Ozpin said. "You were right to do as you did, Pyrrha, and the Council is right to remove me from power. I let my fears take hold of me, and for that reason I did unspeakable things. That cannot happen again."
Pyrrha frowned. "All that, and you still want to put Qrow in charge," she said. "You're not planning to step away at all, are you? Not entirely."
"My most important role in this world is, and has always been, to find people better than myself and prepare them to fulfill their destiny," Ozpin said. "I have lost sight of that at times, which is why we are here. But I think you can look at my actions and know that I speak true."
Pyrrha wished she could say he was lying, but all her life she'd watched him take special interest in people and help them on their paths. The Hunt was a living testament to that. As was she.
"Why did you take me in, sir?" Her chest rumbled with the weight of her voice. "I had a Semblance, and my father was an agent once, but that can't be all it was. You treated me like family. What made me so special?"
Ozpin smiled. "What makes anyone special, my child?"
Pyrrha bowed her head. It wasn't enough. She didn't know if any answer would have been enough.
"If you'll excuse me," Ozpin said, "I must have a word with Mr. Branwen before the hearing is resumed." And his footsteps faded away from her.
Pyrrha tried to take a step, but her legs suddenly felt like jelly. She stumbled to the side and braced against the nearest wall, slowly sliding down it until she was sitting on the floor.
Jaune raced to her side and kneeled beside her. "Are you okay?"
"I just don't know anymore," Pyrrha said. "Why does he have to make this so hard? Why does he say the things he does? I wish I could just hate him, but I can't and I don't know why."
"Yeah, that's- that's tough," Jaune said quietly. "Sorry. I don't really know what to say. Do you want to leave?"
"I don't know. I don't think I can walk right now," Pyrrha said. "Can you just sit here with me?"
"Yeah. For sure."
Jaune passed his arm around her shoulders, and Pyrrha rested her head on his chest. A few people walked past them, shooting them odd looks, but she didn't care about them. She was too exhausted. Jaune must have told them off with a look, because no one bothered them.
Pyrrha closed her eyes. After a few minutes, she started to feel better, and she thought she might be able to walk again. Still, she didn't move. She didn't want to go back to attend the rest of the hearing, but she felt she ought to regardless. It was important. She would regret it later if she was weak.
A lot more time must have passed than she realized, because footsteps approached them and, when she opened her eyes, Penny was staring down at her and Jaune.
"Hello," Penny said, a tone of awkwardness in her voice. "Are you two alright, friends?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said, pushing off of Jaune's chest. "I'm sorry, Penny. Did you need something?"
"The hearing is resuming in just a few minutes. I conversed with Nora and Ren and they said they were going to wait for you on the steps outside," Penny said. "You weren't in the room, so I thought I'd come to find you. Will you not be attending the rest of the hearing as well?"
Jaune looked at Pyrrha. "Won't we?"
Pyrrha breathed out. "We will."
She started to get up. Pyrrha gladly took Penny's hand when she offered it, and before she could say thanks, Penny had lifted her up, and in the next second wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. The hug was quick, lasting just a couple seconds before Penny dropped her and backed away.
"I'm sorry." Penny looked down at her feet. "I shouldn't have done that."
"No, that was… That was good. I needed that," Pyrrha said. "Thank you, Penny."
Penny smiled at her. She helped Jaune up and gave him a hug as well, for good measure, and then led them back to the room.
Most everyone was already inside when they entered. The Council sat at their panel, except for Lionheart, who apparently had yet to arrive. Ozpin was standing by his chair, tapping his fingers atop his cane whilst he talked with Goodwitch.
"I have to take position now, friends," Penny said, walking beside them to their previous seats near the front. "I haven't spoken to the General about hanging out with you yet. I don't think he will be agreeable to it – he's been put in a very bad mood, you see – but I will try anyway and-"
She stopped speaking at once, suddenly whipping her head around to look at the panel. Her irises enlarged and spun, then honed in on Councilman Port as he brushed his moustache with a pocket comb.
"Explosive! Mister Councilman"
Penny jumped. Fire flared under her boots as she rocketed towards Port. He looked up frantically, the comb slipping from his grasp as he jumped to his feet.
At the last second, Penny changed trajectory to tackle General Ironwood instead. The next instant, the table in front of Port exploded, and Pyrrha lost sight of him in the erupting flames.