Chapter 3: New Changes

It has now been two days since the Vytal Invasion, as it was now called. With the Grimm having unexpectedly retreated, Vale's residents were quick to return to what was left of their homes and subsequently try to rebuild what was lost.

Beacon Academy was left mostly untouched, due to the perpetrator of the incident, Cinder Fall, wanting something from Beacon, and as such needed the school. So, the faculty would be allowed to return to work quickly.

Furthermore, after some time off, students would be allowed to return if they wished. Of course, they needed to heal their wounds first. The injured members of Team RWBY and JNPR: Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren, were all able to pull through in spite of their various injuries and were currently recovering in a hospital on Patch Island.

Here, we see a meeting in the home of the Xiao Long-Rose family, between three individuals in particular. The Blue Demon, Hansel Kobalt; the Headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin; and finally, the dusty old crow and uncle to both Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long: Qrow Branwen.

"So, you're not the owner of this place, right, Qrow?" Hansel asked, having just entered the house.

Qrow shook his head. "Nah, my…brother-in-law owns the place. I told him I needed it for a private meeting. He didn't seem happy about it, but it did give him the opportunity to visit the girls in the hospital."

Ozpin looked at Hansel, sipping some hot chocolate. "Speaking of hospitals, how are you feeling, Hansel? You received some bad injuries yourself."

Hansel shrugged, gesturing to his less-covered body, having discarded his blue poncho in favor of a plain blue shirt and black pants. There were no visible injuries on his body. "I've always been a quick healer, Professor." Hansel reminded him.

Ozpin nodded. Qrow then decided to get down to business. "So, what's the current status?" He asked.

"Well, the good news is that rebuilding the city is coming along nicely, at least that's what Glynda has told me in her report." Ozpin said, pulling out his Scroll and reading through the reports recently sent to him. "Also, the CCT and the Academy were both left undamaged, which means we can continue communicating with our fellow kingdoms and our allies."

"And the bad news?" Qrow asked grimly.

Ozpin sighed. "It's a PR nightmare on all accounts." He admitted. "Footage of Atlesian mechs attacking innocent civilians has already been leaked to both the press and the internet, seemingly provided by an 'anonymous whistleblower.'"

"Oh, is that what Cinder Fall is calling herself these days?" dryly commented Hansel. "I think number one cheerleader and lapdog for the 'Queen' suits her more."

Nodding in acknowledgement of Hansel's commentary, Ozpin continued, "And then of course, there's the feed of Ms. Nikos eviscerating that poor girl."

Qrow growled in anger. "That damn tin man." He said, referring to Atlas' General James Ironwood. "We warned him about this kind of stuff, but of course he didn't listen. And what does Jimmy have to say about this disaster?"

"James has not been in contact with us." Ozpin admitted.

"Asshole." Hansel spat.

"Hansel," Ozpin sharply rebuked his apprentice, "James is probably dealing with these issues at Atlas on his own right now."

"And I'm sure he's also feeling tremendously guilty over what happened as well." Ozpin continued.

"You're far too lenient with that heartless bastard, Professor." Hansel shook his head. "If he's feeling guilty, then he deserves to. If he doesn't, I'll give him a reason."

Ozpin gave Hansel a warning glare. "That rhetoric does not help us right now, Hansel." Ozpin told him. "Right now, we need to be united. The Queen's actions, even if many of her objectives failed that night, have also had the desired effect of dividing us further."

"Divide us?" Qrow snorted. "If she's been around for as long as you claim, she should know that we humans already do a damn good job at dividing ourselves."

"Even so, we need to come together now, more than ever." Ozpin said before adding. "Thankfully, that might be a bit easier than you both would think."

"And why do you say that, Oz?" Qrow asked.

"There were also videos of students from all the Huntsmen Academies bravely defending the city. Right now, support for the academies are at an all time high, in spite of the incidents during the Vytal Festival." Ozpin admitted.

"No kidding?" Qrow asked. "Well, at least some good came out of this."

"The people need something to rally behind." Ozpin reminded his two close associates. "And it appears they've chosen to rally behind the brave students who risked their lives for others. Unfortunately, this has the added effect of generating more pressure for our students."

"They knew what they all signed up for." Hansel brushed that matter off. "If they can't handle the pressure, they shouldn't be here."

Ozpin sighed at Hansel's harsh opinion. "That maybe true, but it's important to remember that they are still children. It's up to us to guide them into these roles, as quickly and correctly as possible."

"What's the status on our new Fall Maiden?" Qrow asked, changing the subject.

"Ms. Nikos does not wish to discuss the matter with me just yet." Ozpin admitted. "Not until her teammates, Ms. Valkyrie and Mr. Ren are both out of the hospital. It appears she also wants them, along with Mr. Arc, their leader, to know the truth."

"How much are you going to tell them?" Qrow asked.

"Only that Ms. Nikos will now be a target of some very dangerous individuals. I will give them the option of leaving Team JNPR for their safety." Ozpin replied. "However, I will consider telling Ms. Nikos the whole truth, about what our true enemy is."

"And our false Maiden and her cohorts?" Hansel asked.

Ozpin went to a new section on his scroll. "Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, and Neo Politan, those were the four members of that team from Haven." Ozpin said. "Their records all check out, which worries me. Unfortunately, we have none of them to be brought in for questioning. All four are missing."

"Leo's got nothing to say about them?" Qrow asked in surprise.

"Leonardo seems to have gone dark." Ozpin admitted.

"You don't think he's betrayed us?" Qrow suggested.

The headmaster shook his head. "I will continue giving him the benefit of doubt for the time being."

"I take responsibility, sir." Hansel said grimly. "I shouldn't have let that damn woman out of my sights."

Ozpin shook his head. "You did your best, and that's all you can do." Ozpin gently told him. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"How did you find Cinder Fall?" Ozpin inquired curiously. "From what I've gathered from my own experiences, she's quite high up in her inner circle."

Hansel could not help but shiver. "That woman is seriously dangerous." He admitted. "I should've gotten her when I had anonymity on my side. Now that she knows about me, if we fought again, I have no doubt that she'd win."

"I see," Ozpin said, "to think that someone with half the Fall Maiden's power could pose such a threat. We need to make sure she never gets to Ms. Nikos."

"And what about the White Fang?" Qrow asked curiously, wanting to know about the other perpetrators of the recent incident.

"Well, Adam Taurus is now missing an arm, but that bastard got away too." Hansel told Qrow.

Qrow raised an eyebrow at Hansel's statement. "You're not one for half-measures, huh kid?" He noted.

"The White Fang released a statement recently that the soldiers attacking were a rogue faction led by Adam Taurus. Other than that, no word on the capture of any of the faunus who participated in the attack." Ozpin explained. "It appears they are not as united as we originally perceived. I'm thinking of opening dialogue with the Menagerie Chieftain. An alliance between Beacon Academy and Menagerie could go a long way in fostering better relationships between humans and faunus."

"If the White Fang did not specifically condemn those guys, I wouldn't hold my breath." Hansel pointed out. "It's one thing to disregard them as a rogue faction, but outright condemning them is another."

"That is why we'll be speaking with Menagerie, and not the White Fang." Ozpin told Hansel. "I would love to build trust with Sienna Khan as well."

"But we all know she wouldn't take too kindly to a meeting with you." Qrow noted. "Or any human for that matter."

Ozpin sighed. "Sadly, you're correct. It'll be awhile before we can have an honest, peaceful dialogue with the White Fang."

"But enough about last night," Ozpin said, "Hansel, would you like to share with us your recent findings? My apologies, but we did not have much of an opportunity to review the information you had sent us."

Hansel nodded. "No worries," he said, "it's a lot to take in."

Hansel brought out his own scroll. "For the past year, I've been investigating activities from a shadowy terrorist organization, motives still unknown."

"They currently like to use a lot of proxies to operate, mostly in the criminal underworld from Vacuo, Mistral and Atlas." Hansel said. "Hence the reason why I've recently been sending you information regarding Corleone, the most powerful crime boss in said underworld."

"They must have a lot of capital and influence to get someone like him on their side." Ozpin noted.

Hansel nodded. "Yeah, and that's when things get a bit disturbing." He said. "The Organization is currently stockpiling weapons and Dust, for reasons I don't know yet. They're preparing for something big."

The two older men in the room let that sink in. This was not what they needed to hear, after what had just happened. "And their leadership?" Qrow asked after a brief silence.

"Unknown at the moment," Hansel admitted, "they definitely covered all their bases in operating in secret."

"However, I did manage to figure out the Organization's structure." Hansel added. "This is where things get even more disturbing, because of the implications of just how far their influence spreads."

"They seem fond of codenames named for the suits in a deck of cards." Hansel explained. "First, they have nine powerful executive officers, all codenamed two through ten. And while on the job, they wear masks with their designated numbers on their foreheads."

"Second, there are the four bosses of the Organization: the Jack of Clubs, the Queen of Hearts, the King of Diamonds, and the Ace of Spades." Hansel continued. "Real names are currently unknown. Each of them are in charge of a particular division that has a role."

"The Clubs Division is their research and development unit. They're probably the ones weaponizing all of the research I've shown you in the past, Professor." Hansel addressed Ozpin. "Then there's the Hearts Division, that's their PR division."

"PR division?" Qrow was confused. "Why would a terrorist organization need public relations?"

"From what I could gather," Hansel replied, "is that their job is to build support and capital among others. If I had to guess, I'd say the Queen of Hearts is someone who's pretty chummy with the politicians and nobility of Remnant."

"So we could have traitors amongst our leaders." Ozpin realized the implications. "That is disturbing."

"Only if you're shocked by it." Hansel shrugged. "Me? I hate politicians, and the nobility. If there are a bunch of scumbags among them, I'm not surprised."

"Next, there is Diamond Division, they're the combat division." Hansel got back on track. "If the Organization does decide to go out in the open, we're likely going to be seeing a lot of their guys first."

"Finally, there is the Spades Division," Hansel's face took on a grim expression, "their speciality is assassinations."

"Geez, you were right." Qrow's eyes widened. "A well-balanced terrorist organization with the ability to perform R&D, politics, combat, and assassinations. Just how large is this group?"

Hansel shook his head. "I don't have the exact numbers, but I do know that their influence extends all over Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral, especially now that they have Corleone on their payroll. But we can speculate that they could rival a kingdom's army with their power. I'd even go as far as to say they are just as big a threat as the Queen is."

"Unfortunately, unlike the Queen, we still have no idea what their motives are." Hansel continued. "And with all of the weapons they are stockpiling, not knowing their motives is dangerous. If we knew, we'd have a better idea of what their first move will be when they come out of the shadows."

Hansel heaved a sigh. "Unfortunately, Corleone and his men seem to be just as in the dark as we are. But they don't care as long as they get their nice, big, fat paychecks from the Organization."

"And is this all the information you have?" Ozpin asked, leaving a particular part of his question unasked, a part that he knew Hansel would catch onto.

Hansel looked at Ozpin and nodded, knowing what he was getting at. "Yes, I'm afraid that's all I have." He admitted. "I have no other information to offer at the moment."

Ozpin nodded, gazing at Hansel sympathetically. "You offered plenty already."

"If we could just get our hands on Corleone," Qrow spoke up, offering his two cents, "we could force them to operate without him as their proxy and expose themselves. He's the lynchpin of Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo's criminal underworld after all, and who knows how many of them actually like this partnership with this Organization."

"And if we take out Corleone too early, we'll be fighting a war on two fronts." Ozpin reminded Qrow.

"And if we wait too long, we'll be caught off guard by the Organization." Hansel pointed out. "Sir, let me track down Corleone. I'll get him. You know I will."

"I know you will, Hansel." Ozpin told him. "But right now, I need you here. You will get your chance to continue your search, but right now you are not just a Huntsman on assignment. You're a teacher."

Hansel tightened his fists angrily. He hated being away from his mission. There was too much at stake for him, personally. However, he could not bring himself to step out of line with the professor. "As you command, Professor." He said obediently.

Ozpin smiled. "I'll message the other headmasters and alert them to your findings." He promised. "Perhaps James and the others can spare some Huntsmen to investigate Corleone's activities?"

Hansel almost snapped at Ozpin. He did not want anyone muscling in on his mission. Taking down that damn organization was his responsibility. However, he remembered who he was speaking with and regained his composure. "Perhaps," he said simply.

At that moment, Ozpin then reached into a briefcase next to his chair and placed it on the table in front of him. "Speaking of your new job as a teacher, why don't we get that process out of the way?" He inquired, opening the briefcase and revealing some paperwork and a pen. "These need your signature."

Hansel sighed. "I guess there's no way out of this." He muttered as he began to read it.

"Come now, my boy, I think you'd make a great teacher." Ozpin encouraged him.

Qrow snorted, making Ozpin glare at him. "Sorry, Oz," he said, clearly trying not to laugh, "I just can't see it."

"I distinctly remember you showing up to work at Signal drunk a few times, Qrow." Ozpin reminded him. "Were it not for your expertise in combat and weapons, you would've been fired. You're not exactly a model teacher yourself."

"I'm going to have to side with Qrow, on this one." Hansel admitted, reaching the part that required his signature. "I don't see it either."

"Don't sell yourself too short." Ozpin told him. "Personally, I think you have a lot to offer the students. Give it a chance. You might find it to be quite worthwhile."

"I wonder if this is Oz trying to be hip by hiring someone young enough to be a student." Qrow muttered.

"You're not helping, Qrow." Ozpin said exasperatedly.

Hansel heaved a sigh as he signed his name. "We'll have to agree to disagree this time, Professor." He said. "But, as per your orders, I will try to teach those brats. I can't make any promises though."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Qrow narrowed his eyes. "I'll get it." He said calmly and suspiciously.

Making his way to the door, he opened it up and revealed the stern face of one Glynda Goodwitch, having finally been able to leave from Beacon for Patch. Qrow gave the woman a deadpan expression. "You could always greet me with a smile you know," he said, "otherwise, I might think you're an enemy one of these days."

"Shut up, you old drunk." She said, pushing past him.

Glynda then saw Hansel, who's expression softened upon seeing the woman. Then before any of the men could react, Glynda was in front of Hansel.

She yanked him out of the chair and pulled him into a motherly embrace. "I am so sorry, sweetie." She said. "I meant to see you while you were in the hospital, but I was never able to leave during visiting hours."

Qrow snickered at Glynda's affectionate, motherly side, reserved only for Hansel Kobalt. Hansel blushed in embarrassment. "I wouldn't have wanted you to see me in the hospital anyway." He said. "You'd fuss over me way too much if you did."

Glynda broke the embrace to look over the eighteen year old. "How have you been?" She asked. "You've been eating properly this past year? Taking good care of yourself?"

Qrow was trying even harder not to laugh. Glynda was fussing over Hansel like a mother over her child. "Of…of course I have." Hansel said in embarrassment, unable to look Glynda in the eye.

Glynda saw nothing out of the ordinary and nodded in satisfaction. "You definitely look like you have." She said before smiling. "It's good to have you home, Hansel."

Hansel let a small smile curl. "I'm glad to be home, Glynda."

Glynda then turned her attention to Professor Ozpin. "I'm sorry I was late, sir." She said. "I didn't mean to miss our meeting."

"It's no trouble, Glynda, I know you're busy." Ozpin assured her. "I'll give you a quick rundown later on. In the meantime, I think you have a reason to celebrate. Hansel is now officially part of Beacon's faculty. He will be teaching combat while you will be simply training students in Dust application."

Glynda's eyes widened as she uncharacteristically let out a happy squeal. "Oh that is wonderful!" She exclaimed, embarrassing Hansel even more.

Qrow's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Oh, we have to celebrate this, Hansel." Glynda excitedly told him. "I know, why don't I cook you all your favorites tonight? Or even better, we could just go to some of your favorite places in Beacon when you were younger. We'll make a day out of it!"

"You…you think I'd make a good teacher?" Hansel asked, surprised.

"Oh sweetie, you can do anything you set your mind to." Glynda assured him.

"Never in my life, did I think I'd hear the most cliche parenting advice possible come out of Glynda's mouth." Qrow admitted.

Ozpin laughed at the affection Glynda had for the boy. Qrow then decided to excuse himself. "If we're done here, Oz, I'm going to see my nieces." He said.

"Of course, Qrow," Ozpin nodded before coming up with an idea. "Hansel."

"Yes, sir?" The boy in question inquired.

"Why don't you accompany Qrow to the hospital?" Ozpin suggested. "This could be an opportunity for you to get to know some of your new students."

Hansel was admittedly uncomfortable with the idea, having still not gotten used to the idea of being a teacher. He then nodded. "As you command, sir." He said as he exited the Xiao Long-Rose household with Qrow.

At the Patch Island Hospital, a warm fuzziness encompassed Ruby Rose as she slowly regained consciousness. She tried getting up, but only managed to adjust her posture from lying down to sitting up. And was that… a needle in her arm?!

Ruby hated needles.

Despite her growing experience with fighting monsters on a semi-regular basis, she was still young; and some things never changed, including certain childhood fears and superstitions. And needles were on the top of the list of those fears, among other things like the dentist. Ruby shuddered at the very thought of them.

As soon as she attempted to take out the needle, taking note of how weakly she was moving, a hand from a certain someone stopped her.

"Easy there, Ruby, that needle's there for your own good."

Ruby then turned her head and smiled at who was just talking to her. In front of her was Taiyang Xiao Long, in all of his goofy and fatherly glory. "Hi dad, it's so good to see you." She replied, before realizing something urgent she needed to address.

"Oh my goodness, where's Yang and Weiss?! Are they-"

"Thought you might ask about that first," acknowledged Taiyang, smiling proudly at his little girl's selflessness, "Their wounds were serious, but the doctors came in time and said that we can expect full recovery."

Taiyang looked relieved as well. "It was close though. Thankfully, their Aura kept them alive long enough. Thank goodness, I read Yang's report. I know she's tough, but no one should have to take a javelin to the stomach."

Ruby sighed in relief. She didn't know how she ever would cope without having any friends around. "Question number two, dad," Ruby continued, now calmer, "why is there a needle in my arm?"

Taiyang sighed. "I know, baby girl, I know you hate needles. But like I said earlier, they're here for your own good." Taiyang told her.

"That's what they all say." Ruby muttered. "But needles are evil. Everyone knows that."

Taiyang chuckled. "Sweetie, that IV is feeding you all the nutrients you need right now. Trust me, you need it inside of you. You've been out for two days."

Ruby gasped. "Seriously? Two days?"

Taiyang nodded. "What about everyone else?" Ruby asked. "How's the school?"

Taiyang looked uncomfortable for a brief moment before speaking. "The school's fine, Ruby. So is the city." He revealed. "The Grimm…they retreated."

"Retreated?" Ruby repeated. "They can do that?"

"Yeah…apparently," replied Taiyang. "It's not unheard of. There have been stories of Grimm that were thought to be…intelligent that could retreat when it became clear they could not win in a fight. Bunch of hogwash if you ask me. The Grimm are just beasts of pure hate and malice. I hope we get some answers on this soon. Until then, let's just be happy things didn't get worse."

Ruby pondered this matter for a bit longer, before having her focus broken by a very familiar scent. She tilted her head a bit and was very pleased by what she saw. "Chocolate chip cookies?" She forgot her exhaustion and her fear of needles at the sight of her favorite thing in existence.

Taiyang chuckled. "Conveniently fresh out of the oven."

Looking at the thermos next to the cookie basket, Ruby continued, "And milk, too?! You're the best, dad! Thank you-"

But before she decided to grab a first bite, an important thought suddenly occurred to Ruby. "Wait a minute, doesn't the hospital frown upon outside food?"

"Nothing that a little Xiao Long charm towards the nurses couldn't solve," answered Taiyang, "It also proved helpful that your assigned doctor was a former classmate of mine who's willing to bend the rules for me."

And before Ruby could reply, Taiyang continued, "Relax, Ruby. You're not in trouble at all. Take all the time you need; you deserve it."

Meanwhile, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos entered the shared room of Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, who were still recovering from their injuries. "It took us awhile, but we managed to find a place that would give us pancakes to go." Jaune smiled at Nora.

"Pancakes!" Nora cheered.

"And we brought you some as well, Ren. I know you said you didn't care what we brought you, but it just made sense to get you breakfast from the same place." Pyrrha told Ren.

Ren smiled and nodded. "Of course, thank you, Pyrrha. Thank you, Jaune. I apologize for being a bother to the both of you."

"Ren, you guys are our friends, our teammates." Jaune reminded him. "We're here to help out whenever you need it, never forget that."

"This is wonderful, isn't it?" Pyrrha suddenly asked, silencing everyone. "Any one of us could have died that night, and we're all still here."

Ren and Nora looked uncomfortable at Pyrrha's statement. Jaune patted her on the shoulder, knowing what she was thinking. "Yeah," he said, "and the important thing is, we're all still here."

"I'm not going anywhere, Pyrrha." Jaune promised her.

Pyrrha suddenly embraced Jaune, burying herself in his chest. Jaune blushed slightly but was also very confused as to why she was doing this. Ren sighed in irritation. Jaune still could not figure it out. He leaned in to whisper into Nora's ear. "He just doesn't see what's right in front of him."

Nora glared at him. "Yeah, what is with boys, am I right?" She hissed.

Ren was taken aback by Nora's statement. What was that all about? He wondered.

And before he could process his ironic confusion any further, Nora changed the topic, "Oh by the way, did you remember to prepare your 'get well soon' gift cards for Team RWBY? I sure know I did!"

By then, Nora had already shifted her mood back to her usual hyperactive nature, pulling a bag out from nowhere and placing it on her shoulder.

Eyeing the bag that was on Nora's shoulder, Ren replied, "You do realize that we've already made a Team JNPR card with signatures from you, me, Pyrrha, and Jaune, right? Also, where did you even find the time to get those? I know for a fact you never left the hospital."

"It's all about the customization, silly!" continued Nora, "Why settle for an ordinary "get well soon," when we can go the extra mile with catchy slogans?"

She then unzipped her bag and said, "Here, look!"

Ren read the first card, which was labeled, "Yang in there!"

Well, at least Nora knows how to speak to her intended audience, thought Ren.

The next one was labeled, "An apple a day will keep anyone away, if thrown hard enough. Get well soon."

Wasn't expecting such a violent message, though I suppose it's the thought that counts, thought Ren.

The next one certainly caught Ren's attention. It was a plain card with marker scribblings reading, "Don't you worry; we'll get a chance to break the bad guy's legs next time! Get well soon!"

"Of course you would say that," dryly remarked Ren.

"Uh…Ren, is there any room for us to add to those?" Jaune inquired curiously.

Ren sighed. "No," he said, "Nora wrote in very large letters."

"Go big or go home!" Nora declared.

Meanwhile, Blake Belladonna had earlier woken up to a kindly doctor who promised that he had no issues treating a faunus's injuries. It made her happy, until she remembered Adam's chilling words. "I will make it my personal mission to destroy everything you love."

Blake shivered at the memory of those words. Adam, you've really gone over the edge, haven't you?

Blake sighed. If Adam really is coming after the things and people I love…I can't stay with Ruby and the others. I have to leave…

Before Blake could finish that grim though, the doors opened and Yang Xiao Long stepped inside wearing a hospital gown. "What up, Blakey?" She asked.

"Yang? You ended up in the hospital too?" Blake was shocked.

Yang sighed, gazing at the spot her injury at the hands of Cinder Fall had been. "Yeah," she said, "long story."

"Should you be up and about?" Blake asked.

"Nah," Yang shrugged uncaringly, "but I've always hated hospitals. I needed to move around for a bit, so I tracked down where your room was."

"So, have any doctors or nurses been giving you any trouble, what with your…you know."

Blake shook her head. "The doctor here has promised me I will experience no such trouble." She said. "I've been here for two days now, so if something were to happen, I would imagine it would've happened by now."

Yang and Blake fell silent for a moment before Yang felt like addressing the elephant in the room. Or in this case, the bull. "So, who was that Adam guy?" Yang asked.

Blake's ears drooped. "An…old boyfriend." She admitted.

"WHAT?" Yang was shocked before her eyes turned red. "Oh hell no, no so-called boyfriend is going to treat my best friend like that!"

"Yang, it's fine." Blake said.

"No, it is not fine, Blake!" Yang yelled. "That son of a bitch stabbed you!"

"No, I don't mean it's fine like that. It's just…listen, I need you to stay away from him." Blake told her. "Make sure Ruby and Weiss get that message too."

"Stay away from him?" Yang looked at Blake in confusion.

"Yang, Adam is dangerous, very dangerous." Blake told her. "And…I think he wants to hurt you guys to get to me. He almost did! Yang, Adam was aiming to maim you!"

Yang fell silent for a moment before smiling. "Well, I'd say he's not as dangerous as you think he is." Yang told her. Before Blake could respond, Yang continued. "Since that blue jackass is still alive, I'd say old Adam got a nice serving of cold cuts."

Blake looked at Yang in disbelief. "That was bad even for you." She deadpanned. "What are you even talking about?"

Yang smirked. "We ran into that blue jackass that thought shooting me with a fireball was a good idea. He's still alive, and Adam was nowhere in sight. Either he's dead, or got a nice little reminder not to mess with us."

Blake's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding…that guy…he took down Adam?"

Yang shrugged. "It looks like it." She replied. "Guess you won't have to worry about him for awhile."

"It's not me I'm worried about." Blake admitted.

"Yeah, well you don't have to worry about me, Weiss or Ruby either." Yang said, knowing just what Blake was thinking.

"Yang…"

"Blake, we're a team. We're practically family. Don't you dare think having that psycho after all of us is going to change that." Yang said. "If we did allow that, Team RWBY wouldn't be as awesome as it is."

Blake fell silent at Yang's words. "This is my problem," she then spoke up, "this is my past catching up to me. I can't involve you guys…"

"With all due respect, Blake, that is a load of crap." Yang told her. "Friends get involved in each other's business. That's how friends work."

"So don't you dare try to take this on your own." Yang continued. "Let us try to help you. Come on, give your friends a chance."

Blake could not help but cry a little. How could she leave now? Especially when she knew Weiss and Ruby would say the exact same thing if they were in Yang's position. "If Adam's alive," Blake said, "you're going to be in danger."

"And I say bring him on." Yang smirked. "I owe him a punch to that stupid masked face if he really meant to cut my arm off."

Before Blake could respond to Yang's confidence, the doors suddenly swung open. "There you are Ms. Xiao Long!" The nurse exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be out of bed!"

Blake looked at Yang in disbelief, who just smiled sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Hansel Kobalt and Qrow Branwen casually strode through the hospital. Hansel could not help but look a bit uncomfortable, evidenced by some slight fidgeting. "What's up, kid?" Qrow asked.

I hate hospitals." Hansel admitted.

"Most people do." Qrow shrugged. "What's really got you bothered?"

Hansel frowned. "Why do you think the professor asked me to become a teacher? I've never expressed an interest in the matter. I don't have any experience teaching anything. So why me?"

Sighing for a bit, Qrow replied, "Look, I'm not too fond of that line of work either. Trying to cover so much material in such a short span of time gets rather tiring and tedious; why else would I quit teaching?"

"You didn't exactly answer my question." Hansel deadpanned.

Qrow shrugged again. "I'm pretty much Oz's right hand man, and even I can't tell what he's thinking sometimes." He then gave Hansel a knowing smile. "But, he clearly sees something in you if he's willing to trust you with his students, Hansel. Try to keep that in mind."

"I don't want some run-around answer, Qrow." Hansel frowned. "What do you really think?"

Qrow sighed. "Look at what's happened, Hansel," he said, "even though we got off easy, this still exposed a horrifying reality. Humanity is on the brink of a war for survival. So, we need people who've been in the thick of it to teach the next generation how to fight and survive. And Oz doesn't want just anyone to teach that, he wants someone he trusts."

This seemed to silence Hansel, who was contemplating Qrow's words. "And for the record, that last statement wasn't a run-around answer." Qrow told him with slight irritation. "Like I said, Oz clearly sees something in you. Try to keep that in mind."

Hansel contemplated Qrow's words as well. He almost spoke up to thank Qrow for both pieces of advice, only to be drawn to the sound of two voices arguing inside a hospital room. "Father, I have to stay at Beacon!" A girl exclaimed.

"I think not, I've put up with this rebellious phase of yours long enough." A firm male's voice replied.

Hansel frowned slightly, as did Qrow. "I recognize that voice anywhere." He growled. "So, that icy hearted, holier-than-thou prick has graced this humble hospital with his hallowed presence."

Hansel ignored Qrow and walked forward. Qrow sighed. "Don't beat him up, kid." He said. "I'm going to go see my nieces. Catch up with me when you're done. I'll either be in room 307 or 308."

Inside of the room, Weiss Schnee argued with her father, Jacques Schnee, head of the Schnee Dust Company. "Rebellious phase?" Weiss was in disbelief at what Jacques was calling her time at Beacon. "We had a deal. I passed all your 'tests', so I got to go to Beacon."

"And look where mingling with riff-raff Huntsmen has gotten you, dear daughter." Jacques laughed. "In a hospital, honestly how am I going to explain to everyone when they hear that a Schnee stayed in a raggedy old hospital like this."

"Oh, I'm so sorry that my injuries are ruining your reputation, Father." Weiss could not believe the man's audacity.

"If you're really sorry, then you will come home with me." Jacques insisted. "It's clear you're not cut out for the life of a Huntress."

Weiss shook her head, surprising Jacques. "Father, the school is still standing, and my team is still together. I…I still have a place at the school. I can't just leave when I still have an education to complete."

Jacques was losing his patience with Weiss. She knew she could be braver around him when they were in public like this. And so did he. So he tried a different tactic. "You are a Schnee, you do not waste your time with work meant for cannon fodder like your 'teammates.'" Jacques callously told her. "I knew I should've kept you away from Winter after she joined the military. She's clearly a bad influence on you."

Weiss glared at Jacques without thinking. "Father," she said lowly, "don't you dare call my friends cannon fodder!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me!" Jacques yelled, raising his hand without thinking, causing Weiss to flinch. "I am your father, you foolish girl!"

"Oh, you're her father?" Hansel decided to make his presence known. "Could've fooled me."

Jacques froze. Damn, I let my temper get the best of me. He realized.

Weiss looked at Hansel in disbelief, recognizing the man. That's the blue swordsman from that night, she realized, what's he doing here?

Jacques looked at Hansel. "And just who in the world are you?" Jacques inquired.

"Oh, I was just passing through," Hansel shrugged, "but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, Mr. Schnee."

Jacques glared at Hansel. He then noticed his katana and figured out his profession. "I know what you want," he said, "how much do you want for silence, boy? Perhaps you could spend it at one of those filthy whorehouses you Huntsmen like to frequent."

Hansel glared back. "What do you take me for?" He demanded. "If I spent any time at one of those disgusting establishments, Glynda would have my ass. Don't you dare insult me with your hush money."

Hansel then looked over at Weiss. "Anyway, I'm surprised you're not considering how good your daughter continuing her studies at Beacon would be for the Schnee Corporation."

Jacques seemed to consider his words. Weiss looked at Hansel in surprise. "Explain," Jacques ordered.

"Oh, don't tell me that the great business tycoon, Jacques Schnee, doesn't know a damn thing about PR?" Hansel couldn't help but taunt the man. "Watch the news, Mr. Schnee. Support for the Huntsmen and Huntresses has been rising ever since the footage of students bravely defending Vale came out on the internet."

Jacques had heard about that. "What's your point?" He asked.

"Think about it, a Schnee on the frontlines with us filthy, raggedy commoners." Hansel noted. "Imagine the PR. Your daughter, doing her best for Remnant. Her involvement will bring a lot of good publicity to the Schnee name."

Jacques' eyes widened. How in the world had he not considered that? "But, if you'd much rather have your daughter home, I suppose that's fine too." Hansel shrugged. "It's your loss, Mr. Schnee."

"No," Jacques said, "I suppose there is an actual benefit to letting Weiss continue this rebellious phase of hers."

Weiss' eyes widened. Did this guy seriously just convince her dad to let her stay at Beacon? By playing on his ego and love of good publicity? Jacques turned to Weiss. "Consider yourself lucky, Weiss. This gentleman is a better debater on your behalf than you are. You can stay at Beacon."

"Fair warning though, you will be under a lot of scrutiny now, since everything you do reflects on the Schnee Family name and my company." Jacques warned her. "So you better conduct yourself in a manner befitting that name."

Jacques turned away from his daughter. He then glared at Hansel and left the room. Hansel could not help but grimace in disgust. "Sheesh," he muttered, "and I thought Ironwood was a piece of work."

"Umm…thank you, sir." Weiss spoke up.

"Hmm?" Hansel turned to her.

"Thank you," Weiss repeated, louder this time, "I…don't think I could've come up with that. So thank you. I…didn't want to leave Beacon. I wanted to stay…stay with my team."

"Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't do it for you." Hansel said. "Beacon Academy needs more manpower now, so you leaving would be a blow."

Weiss looked at Hansel. What a strange man. She thought.

"One more thing, I don't give a damn if that guy is your father." Hansel said as he walked away. "If he's hitting you, hit back. No one's really free until they're rid of their demons."

"You make it sound so simple." Weiss said to him.

Hansel shrugged. "When is anything ever? But no father should strike his children. You want to become a Huntress that bad? Start by standing up to the people that are even worse than the Grimm."

Weiss fell silent at Hansel's advice as he exited the room. "Okay," Hansel muttered, "Qrow said that he would either be in room 307 or 308."

As Hansel left Weiss Schnee's room, Qrow Branwen entered the room of Ruby Rose. Ruby's eyes lit up upon seeing her uncle. "Hey, Uncle Qrow!" She said happily.

Qrow let a smile curl on his lips at the sight of his niece. "Hey there, kiddo," he said. He then noticed his brother-in-law, "Hey, Tai."

Taiyang gave Qrow a curt nod. "Tai, would you mind if I talk to Ruby alone for a moment?" Qrow inquired.

Taiyang glared at Qrow, realizing where this was going. However, he could not bring Ruby into this long argument of their's. She would only start asking questions, and he could not have that. And she certainly did not need the stress of their arguments. "Fine," he said before giving Ruby a small smile, "I'm going to see how Yang's doing, sweetie."

"Okay, dad." Ruby smiled as Taiyang left the room.

Qrow then took a seat in Taiyang's chair. He then adopted a serious expression. "How are you feeling, kiddo?"

"I'm fine, all things considered." Ruby said. "I'm just exhausted."

Ruby then weakly held her hand to her head. "And I've got this killer headache, and I don't know why."

"Ruby," Qrow said, completely serious, "what do you remember from last night?"

Ruby thought it over. What did she remember? "I…remember beating Roman Torchwick and taking him to the evacuation center to be taken into custody. Then, when I heard Weiss was still in the city, Yang and I went to find her. We found Weiss, but when I saw an explosion, I was worried someone might be in trouble, so I had to go and see what happened. Then…we ran into Cinder."

Ruby's eyes widened. "And it all went bad." She said. "That guy we were trying to help. He was a blue swordsman, he got messed up real bad by that dragon. I hope he's okay. And Cinder…she got me…and then she got Weiss and Yang. Oh gods, she was going to deliver Weiss to the White Fang."

"And then what happened?" Qrow asked. "Ruby, I know it's hard to relive all that, but I need you to tell me what happened to the best of your abilities."

Ruby thought it over. What did happen after that? What the hell? She was suddenly drawing a blank. She just had…patches. Patches of memory were all she had. "I…I remember getting angry." She said. "Really angry. Cinder…that woman is pure evil, Uncle Qrow. I don't know what she wanted, but she thought it justified all of what happened that night."

"It made me so angry." Ruby remembered. "I…I wanted to hurt her so badly for everything that had happened. And…I don't know…I can't remember, did I?"

Qrow remained silent as Ruby wracked her brain to remember what happened. "I remember a sudden burst of power." Ruby continued. "Cinder screaming, but…I just can't remember how it all happened."

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby was now very worried, "what in the world is happening to me?"

"Nothing bad, kiddo," Qrow promised, "but…it looks like Ozpin was right. You were triggered last night."

"Triggered?" Ruby asked. "And what does Professor Ozpin have to do with all of this?"

Qrow looked around to make sure nobody was listening. He leaned in close to his niece. "Listen to me closely, Ruby." He said. "You're special. And I'm not talking about: 'daddy loves his special little angel.' I'm talking special like your mom was."

"Like…Mom?" Ruby was surprised at this.

Qrow heaved a sigh and almost reached for his flask, but decided it was best for him to remain sober here. "Remnant is filled with a lot of old legends. One of them is about Silver Eyed Warriors. Warriors of incredible power who were said to be able to kill Grimm with a single look."

Qrow snorted. "Bunch of hogwash if you ask me, but Oz believes every bit of it. If you want to know more, I'd talk to him about it."

"So what does this all mean?" Ruby asked softly

Qrow took a deep breath. "Well, if you believe all of this," he began, "then a lot's going to have to change. Great power, great responsibility and all that crap."

Ruby fell silent. "Look, kiddo," Qrow continued, "nobody's going to force you into this. I just…figured you should know this because of what happened."

"How can I help?" Ruby asked, silencing Qrow.

Qrow looked at Ruby in slight surprise. "If I'm special…if I'm able to make a difference, then I need to help, right? I have to help. If I'm so special…if I didn't try to do everything in my power to help, I don't think I could forgive myself."

Qrow could not help but smile. Just like her mom. Qrow noted before adopting a grim expression, realizing what she was getting into. Sorry Summer, sorry Tai, your little girl seems to have made up her mind.

"Qrow," the two were suddenly cut from their conversation, turning to see an annoyed Hansel, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Ruby's face brightened up. "Hey! It's the blue swordsman!" She exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Hansel was actually taken aback by Ruby's statement. "Excuse me?"

"How are you feeling?" Ruby asked in concern. "I don't remember much, but I remember you got beat up pretty bad by that dragon."

You've gotta be kidding me. Hansel was shocked. She's the one who's in the hospital and she's worried about me? Who the hell is this girl?

Hansel then coughed, realizing he had to answer Ruby's question. "I'm…fine," he said, "I've always been a pretty quick healer."

Qrow could not help but snicker. Looks like grumpy old Hansel can't take the fact that Ruby's just genuinely sweet and pure. It's like a crucifix to a vampire.

"That's great," Ruby said, "hey, can I see that katana of yours, Mr. Blue Swordsman?"

"You…want to see my sword?" Hansel definitely did not know how to deal with this girl.

"Please, please, please." Ruby pleaded.

Qrow chuckled. "Count yourself lucky, kid." He told Hansel. "If Ruby could get out of bed, she'd be bouncing around you making those requests."

Hansel paled. Annoying things invading his personal space were among his least favorite things in the world. "Please, Mr. Blue Swordsman, just let me see your sword for just a bit." Ruby had stars in her eyes as she stared at Hansel's Wolf Fang.

Hansel was completely taken aback by her requests. Just what in the world was this girl? "Hey," he said, regaining his composure, "stop calling me that. I have a name."

Ruby snapped out of her weapon-fangirl tendencies and gasped. "Oh gosh, that's right!" She exclaimed. "I never did get your name! You helped out my sister and Blake and I don't even know your name!"

"It's not like I would've stopped in the middle of a fight just to give it to you." Hansel muttered.

"I'll start!" Ruby declared. "This way, we won't be strangers anymore! My name's Ruby Rose, it's nice to meet you."

Hansel studied Ruby. So this is her, I really wish the professor had told me this was the Silver Eyed student I was getting. He thought, disappointed.

"It's…nice to meet you, Ruby." Let it be known that Hansel was not the type to forget his manners when the situation demanded it. And even if he was disappointed by the implications of Ruby being the Silver Eyed student Ozpin wanted him here to teach, he would not forget his manners. "My name is Hansel Kobalt."

"Great! Now we're not strangers anymore!" Ruby said happily. "It's nice to meet you too, Hansel."

Qrow coughed, getting Ruby's attention. "I wouldn't address him so casually if I were you, Ruby."

"Huh, why is that, Uncle Qrow?" She asked.

Qrow grinned and gestured to Hansel. "Ruby, I'd like you to meet your new Combat Professor at Beacon Academy. You can call him Professor Kobalt."

Ruby's mouth dropped open. "Eh?" She could only say in shock.

A.N: You know, if I found out that I was being taught by someone only three years older than me…that would be my reaction too.