When the others had returned, Chief and the group had remained to listen to Doctor Halsey's sudden decision to tell the tale of who and what they were going to be fighting under Ozpin's tutelage and command. To put it bluntly, Chief felt like he'd just been hit by a brick to the face. No, not quite. The brick was the revival of their dead comrades and friends to this world at large and the fact they all managed to reunify here.
This was him hitting terminal velocity and impacting the ground from orbit like a Sabot round fired from a MAC gun. Insane and making way too much sense at the same time, he thought to himself while Cortana beside him tightened her grip on his arm. The AI had wanted to ask anything that could disprove this insanity, but doctor Halsey's explanation had been so terrifyingly thorough, even she was stumped.
Johnson seemed to agree as he took a long, drawn-out drag of his cigar and whispered, "Sweet Mary, mother of Jesus, this is nuts..."
Jenkins was the comedic breaker of the ice, murmuring, "Least it ain't the Flood," Which got a few short but mirthful laughs from his comrades. Chief sighed, looking over to the Marine, who raised his hands defensively and added, "Honestly, ma'am, we've seen one world-ending scenario, I think we've seen'em all at this rate... I'm just glad I'm alive and walking without something burrowing in my chest."
Halsey nodded, "An agreeable sentiment, Private. I must admit, however, you are all taking this extremely well..."
"I mean, most of us weren't 'till Jenkins decided to speak," Cortana replied, rubbing her face, "Honest-to-God magic to add upon the soul shields and other such crap we have to deal with and here I am, just a robot girl like Penny... Thank the lord Sam took Ruby out of the room before we got this Briefing, else I fear what the hell she was gonna react like to the news..."
The good Doctor nodded once again, "While I agree that this is a rather daunting prospect, ladies and gentlemen, need I remind you that Ozpin, a man of a thousand years and faces, one who keeps his cards close to his chest, decided to trust us and reveal this information to us. I'm certain he would've preferred to keep things quiet, but..." she smirked, "We played the card we had closest to our own chests:Our honesty about everything. ONI be damned, honesty genuinely paid off and got us actual information."
"It was a big gambit, doctor," Chief replied warily, "If it backfired..."
"Yet it did not, John," The woman replied, smiling. She was confident, the Spartan thought. He had to give her that.
"You talked to Oz, ma'am. He trust us to kick in doors and start making our own moves?" Daisy inquired, smirking, "Because I'm ninety-seven percent sure our foes are already making moves. Considering the fact we had to send Johnson, Fred and the Marines out, those must've been some of Miss Witch's troops. Who knows, maybe they're even cultists or some shit like that."
"A foul-mouthed yet fairly deductive observation, Daisy," Halsey quipped, then nodded as the blonde let out a short laugh. She told them, "Indeed, the Headmaster trusts us to operate as his army in the shadows now. We will get any intel his assets on the ground can give and engage the enemy. Take the necessary steps to win this war, one battle, one minute detail and one inch at a time... Else? It will mean the end of mankind here."
"Count on us, Doctor," Cal added from beside Daisy, her beautiful face ever remaining a mask of stoicism, "We'll have heads rolling by lunchtime tomorrow."
"I will hopefully have a target... However, I must say, we will be operating under Vale's orders," She offered, then continued, "Ozpin still wants to keep the world unaware of the Shadow War. And thus, he wants to keep the world unaware of us as a whole. Our people, our equipment, our everything, will not be UNSC to anyone but those we trust. We are still considering an Acronym or name to go by..."
Linda quipped, "We're going Native, then."
"In a way," Halsey replied. She arranged her glasses on her nose, "We will be receiving supplies and money from the Council for our work. Call it Defense incentivization. They don't want Ozpin to wield the Big Stick without supervision. My bet is they think it will give him too much power over the Kingdom. With the loyalty of most everyone in Beacon, you can imagine how that would look to them."
"Strength and muscle and Jungle Work, eh?" Johnson grinned, "Hell, ma'am, if we were gonna be Mercs, I'd've put on a different outfit."
"Not Mercenaries, Sergeant-Major," Halsey corrected him, "A well-paid professional military. One with a Research and Development base and many, many new Recruits incoming as per Cortana's reports," and Johnson's grin grew at that. Indeed, the UNSC was still not done fully regrouping on Remnant. Run of the mill work was still yet to start, though.
Cortana sighed and said, "I'll start preparing briefing packages for whoever else we're recovering, doc. Until then, we should probably-" and she paused as their Scrolls pinged. She hummed and said, "Well, I was about to say 'prepare to head out again' before Headmaster Ozpin just sent us a new piece of intel. The Too Long, Didn't Read of the message is that one of his old friends seems to have found something in a village deep in the nearby mountains that might interest us. Doc, if I can make a suggestion, we take Blue and Noble and head on out to check it."
"My thoughts exactly, Cortana," The woman said, arranging her glasses as she read the message. She told them, "We will commandeer Foe Hammer and her Pelican for the flight over and keep her as our departure option. Everyone else will remain within Beacon and gather intelligence, prepare, talk to the local teams and help train them. We are not authorized to reveal our actual mission here to them, but we can at least prepare them."
Cal and Daisy looked to one-another, with Daisy smirking and saying, "I always wanted to be a DI, honestly."
"I dread and worry for whoever you have to train, Daze," Cal shot back as she crossed her arms. Daisy feigned being hurt by her friend's comments, before both of them laughed for a few seconds. Cal turned to the Chief and told him, "We'll all hold down the fort while you guys head on out. About time we got some RnR to be quite honest... Head's still ringing."
Daisy nodded, "I think I'm still pickin' pink shards outta my chest, too, so," before grinning.
John nodded to both of them, stating, "Alright, then. Blues, Nobles, let's start packing for the trip. Make sure we have enough fuel for the road over and back and make sure we're stocked up on ammunition. Jorge, I'm counting on you and Kat to also pack us food. Commander Carter, you're with me. We're planning our routes... Someone also get Sam over here. We're gonna need to-" then he cut himself off as he saw Ruby and Sam in the door... And Blake. And Yang. And Weiss.
And team JNPR.
Yang smirked, "We going on a vay-cay?!"
"... Don't you all have classes?" Fred asked from Chief's left.
Blake shrugged, "We told the Teachers it's a study trip. We're shadowing you folks. Ozpin surprisingly approved."
"Yeah!" Ruby grinned.
"I wish to come, too!" Penny poked her head in.
Chief sighed and pinched the bow of his nose, then said, "This is gonna crowed Foe Hammer's Pelican, but that's fine, I guess... Stay close to us and listen to orders."
"Oh, don't worry 'bout it, Chief," Yang's smirk grew as she crossed her arms. She gently nudged Ruby's arm with her elbow and said, "She's fixin' to stay very close to Sam," which got both the blonde Spartan and his close female friend to blush. Weiss slapped Yang upside the head, causing her to wince and turn toward Weiss with furrowed brows. Weiss rolled her eyes.
"Apologies, Chief," Weiss hummed, then sighed and said, "I feel like I say that far too often for my own good. Honestly..." only to turn toward team JNPR and ask, "Are you four sure you want to come with? It seems like this will be a trip." with a hint of concern. Honestly, she just hoped Jaune would not do anything stupid this trip. He'd stumbled one too many times trying to get her to fall for him. Little scraggly boy wasn't gonna get it that easy.
"Honestly," Jaune shrugged, "Nothing better to do at Beacon, heh." And he smiled awkwardly. Truth be told, Jaune was also going on this trip based on what Yang had told him. Possibly getting alone time with Weiss was worth the shot. His team followed him for what seemed to be the specific reason of ensuring that didn't happen. They all looked to Doctor Halsey next.
The woman breathed a sigh, then said, "I'll give a call to the Headmaster to secure us the extra lodging necessary, then... Until then, you can help pack the Spartans' bags, ladies and gentlemen," before she excused herself and walked out of the room. Noble Six crossed her arms and stared at the kids walking into the house. Penny and Ruby positively bounced with excitement, while Yang's and Blake's was a little more contained. Weiss herself maintained her poise and usual cold attitude well. Team JNPR was...
Well, Nora was packing extra grenades. She and Emile were already grinning about something in a corner, while Ren and Jorge were exchanging small-talk about the benefits of growing plants or something. Linda and Pyrrha also talked about close quarters combat forms and sniping, rather obviously. So, yeah, Noble, Blue, RWBY and JNPR were pretty much set for one of the weirdest trips ever.
Packing didn't take long. Teams RWBY and JNPR had gone back to their dorms, given the letters to their teachers about shadowing Blue and Noble Teams and immediately showed back up at the house in full forest exploration gear. Ruby had actual pants for a change, a tight shirt, still had her cape and Crescent Rose. Yang had picked a long-sleeved jacket, a yellow tank top, long pants and combat boots with that purple scarf wrapped around her ankle and her strange skirt tucked partially into the pants. Blake had gone for more clothes, too, with a shirt, vest and jacket that didn't restrict her movement, cargo pants and boots and Weiss... Still wore a skirt, but at least had boots instead of high heels now.
As they marched toward the Pelican, Chief commented, "I suppose we got that home?"
"Yes," Halsey replied calmly, "We have an entire Inn for all of us. This should be a two-day trip for now," and they boarded the transport. Ruby and the others seemed extremely excited, with Halsey quipping, "They are young... Hope they'll enjoy themselves on this trip for now. This War isn't theirs just yet, John... Hope you understand that..."
"I do, doctor... Does Ozpin?" He asked.
"Yes," She nodded, "Thankfully, he does. It seems he knows what Hypocrisy is..." and she, too, knew what it was. It was why she and Ozpin understood each-other so well. They both made the same mistake, after all. They were both demons with the same mistakes and bodies behind them. Though, considering Ozpin's long life, he must've done more than Halsey... No matter.
Blanchet Village, Vale Mountain Range, North
As the Pelican swung in for landing, the village came into view. A wide, sprawling valley, flanked on two sides by steep mountains and a road down the middle. A river ran parallel to the road and passed both underneath the walls separating the village itself from the rest of the forests and Valley itself. The village went from one end of the valley to the other for several kilometers and its buildings were rustic, cabins made of wood with smoke pouring from stacks.
The valley was beautiful, as was the village. The villagers themselves greeted them with waves as the Pelican landed on a landing pad attached to the Eastern cliff face. As they exited the Pelican, the scent of fresh, cold mountain air filled the lungs of everyone as they descended from the Pelican. Ruby beamed, staring up at the sky. She spoke softly, "Oh, this is nice..."
"Agreed," Sam smiled, too, arms crossed. The group began disgorging supplies onto the landing pad. The group began carrying their gear down, with Halsey at the front. She stopped, however, when a smiling man approached. Scraggly, raggedy, dressed in mismatched suit items with a bowtie and licked-back, oiled hair. Behind him was a redhead that was reading a book and a young man, looking around.
He extended a hand and said, "Hello! You must be Doctor Catherine Halsey! I am doctor John Smith and these are my partners in crime:Amelia and Rory," Pointing to the redhead and the scraggly young man. He continued, "The Headmaster called us here to check up on reports of some sort of strange ancient ruins," to which Halsey gripped and shook. The man had a bubbly personality and the dress sense of a crazy man.
Halsey nodded, "Hello, Doctor. I suppose we can ask you about what we're looking for, then?"
"Indeed, you can!" The man replied happily, "The unknown station is up there. Be forewarned, though, it's buried in a Cave and I and my assistants have had no luck in breaching the wall," and he pointed at the top of the mountain they landed beside. He continued, "I've left my notes in the room you're going to be staying at. It was my room and I told the staff not to really disturb the place beside changing the sheets. I hope my notes will help you and, I have to say, it's been a pleasure to meet you!"
"Likewise...?" Halsey blinked. Genuinely awful bubbly, this one was, Halsey thought to herself. She spoke, "Thank you for leaving notes and telling us the location of our target, I suppose," then she looked back at Blue and Noble unloading the last of their gear. She hummed, turned back, stating, "I wished to inquire-" only to pause as she saw the man had disappeared.
A distant whirr, like heavy, mechanical breathing, echoed, then faded out, causing Halsey to blink. Cortana approached, stating, "Well, they're gone... And yeah, doc, don't worry, I saw them, too. They were fairly weird..." only for Halsey to breathe a sigh, annoyed. Of course, they'd disappear so quickly. The average interaction with xeno-archaeologists, she thought calmly.
"Let's just get to our rooms," She sighed deeply, then walked off to find the Inn they were staying at. 'Okko's Inn', a traditional Mistrali place built by an immigrant, as per the Headmaster's letter. Entering it, the image of a Japanese countryside home played ahead of them, with the wallpapers, the wall paintings and art resembling something straight out of the Edo period.
"Woah!" Ruby gasped as she and her friends filed in beside the Doctor and Cortana.
Penny smiled, "Quite a beautiful place..."
"Seems very welcoming, at least," Cortana chuckled, crossing her arms to her chest. She and Halsey walked up to the reception as Nora and Yang made noise in the background, their respective teams sitting themselves down on the beautiful, ornate Japanese-style sofas around them. At the reception desk sat a young Faunus woman of Asian descent, her almond eyes immediately peering up from the computer as her catlike ears twitched.
She smiled brightly, arranging her yukata and stating, "Welcome to Okko's Inn. I am Okko Ao, third in the line of this Inn's owners and proud maintainer of the traditions. You must be Doctor Halsey and her party," only to cock her head to the right, to see the students enjoying themselves, laughing and such, while the Spartans set their luggage aside. The latter were all wearing armors, which caused the woman to furrow her brow and say, "I... Didn't think we'd be getting soldiers and Hunters here, but, then again, this place has seen its fair share of strange people as of late."
"We've just met one," Sighed Halsey.
"Oh, the Doctor," Chuckled Ao. She arranged the Yukata, which was blue as the sea, then said, "Yes, he does tend to appear here every so often. My oka-san and bachan both met the man. He never seems to age, really, but that's not my business..." and turned. She retrieved a series of keys and told the now-confused Doctor and Cortana, "Here you go. Headmaster Ozpin has rented this place fully, so feel free to utilize all amenities we have here, including the buffet and the coffee machine."
"Thanks," Halsey blinked repeatedly, further confused after this interaction and the one with the Doctor from previous. Ao flashed a smile, then showed them to their rooms. Each room had two beds, meaning both floors were occupied by over a dozen people and each room contained two of said people. Usually, it was team-mates. Ruby with Yang, Blake and Weiss, Jaune and Ren, Nora and Pyrrha, so on and so forth.
John and Sam were given the same room, much to Cortana's chagrin, while she and doctor Halsey would be staying together. Doc Halsey herself hummed a tune as she prepared her research items and looked through the notes that Doctor Smith had left, before murmuring to herself, "None of these notes make any sense, but I suppose they all point to the summit, at least..." mildly annoyed. She put the papers aside and set her own items on the desk, laptop, tablet and glasses included.
She looked back toward Cortana as the girl was sat on her bed, preparing her gear, then asked, "I suppose you wished to sleep with John," in a teasing manner. The AI's face suddenly flushed, causing the Doctor to smirk. Oh, were these two so easy to read, she thought to herself. Oh, well, "You two can always interact as soon as we're done preparing our rooms, Cortana. Rather sweet of you two to grow so fond of each-other immediately after you gained full independence."
"What can I say, doc..." Cortana asked awkwardly, "Work with a guy for eight years and you get to like him..."
Halsey snorted, "I know..." her mind wandering back to Jacob and Miranda. A small frown formed on her face, but she quickly squelched the thoughts of the two and turned back to her work. She inquired, "Do you think we will get our answers from the station above us? And do you think it is Forerunner, Cortana?" as she set up a firewall on the place's internet network, so nobody could spy on them.
"From what I've detected, yes and yes, probably," The AI nodded. She then told Halsey, "You left one of the Firewalls open. Here," as her eyes glowed azure. The defenses Halsey had missed were immediately reinforced, unsurprisingly. Cortana's capabilities remained ever-strong, even in a humanoid body. Perhaps they were even more powerful than usual and Halsey just hadn't managed to notice
"Thank you," She replied instead of further wondering about it. Kindness probably went a long way with her robot 'daughter' of a sort, who simply smiled, then sighed and plopped, back-first, onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Honestly, she was glad she and John were becoming as close as they were. At least, it was less likely that Cortana would turn against them. A joking thought for Halsey, but a spine-chilling one nonetheless. She hoped Cortana never had an inkling of a desire to do that, lest she need to deal with her.
Cortana, meanwhile, wasn't even considering pulling a Terminator. No, she was really more concerned with seeing John, maybe taking a walk along the river and down the main road of the place, getting something to eat... Was this place basically a date, not just a mission for the two of them? Her face flushed as she wondered, then sighed deeply, annoyed.
Nah, it was a job.