A/N: Hey guys. Long time, no see. I've been made aware of a sister project to this story, some really talented people putting together an audio drama. I've given it my blessing, and the project lead has kept in good contact with me. I'll post some links to it once progress has been released, but please give it a look. Classy and ABCreative are some cool guys and they definitely have the chops to put some voice actors and music together to portray Luck Takes A Turn. I can't wait to see what they accomplish.
Chapter 31
The storm whipped up quickly, and Arthur looked up at the sky with interest. From what Qrow had told him, sudden storms were the telltale sign of a Maiden getting into a fight. But he also said that Maidens didn't normally whip out the supernatural powers on run-of-the-mill Grimm, so the onset of wind and thunder was a bad sign. His keen eyes picked out the dark shape of Qrow's bird form flitting overhead, scanning around for any signs of their quarry. There wasn't really a way for the Huntsman to communicate with him, but watching the bird dive off toward the storm told Arthur all he needed to know. The outlaw stood up from the campsite he had been investigating and dusted his hands off on his pants, storming toward where Famine had been grazing contentedly. The horse chuffed with annoyance as Arthur went to his right side, drawing out his bolt-action rifle and checking the chamber. He'd learned to hand load the rounds for his rifle to flatten out the trajectory, though that sometimes cost him penetration on harder targets. He still would rather hit the target than miss it with a heavy round, but he kept some standard loads in his pockets and along the bandolier on the sling. He had maybe thirty shots total, but hopefully the fight would be over by the time he ran out of hand loads.
Content with his armament, Arthur climbed into the saddle and started looking for a path to take. As he scanned, he noticed a sizable hill to the north of where all the clouds were darkening. Qrow was already intervening in the fight, so why shouldn't he take full advantage of his surroundings.
"C'mon, boy." He growled as he patted Famine's neck. "Let's go ruin someone's day."
While Arthur got into position, Qrow was diving down toward the fight in progress. From the looks of it, Amber was getting her clock cleaned. Three assailants waylaid the traveling Maiden, and her atmospheric powers were only delaying the inevitable. Had Arthur not helped him track her, who knows what the outcome might have been? As he swept downward toward the fight, beating wings were traded for pounding feet as he sprinted toward the fight, Harbinger already extending out into its scythe form. Of the three assailants, one was a young male clad in tones of black and gray, and he appeared to fight unarmed and used a style that focused on kicking. He and the fair female in a red dress made hit and run attacks on Amber, each one giving a full assault before retreating and allowing the other to catch her off guard. The third, a young woman with mint green hair and darker skin, stood in the back and fired when she had an opening. Judging by how strained her posture was, she may have been using a Semblance of some kind.
The fair-skinned woman in red dropped back and drew back three arrows, their glowing tips indicating a nefarious purpose. The young man engaged in close combat with Amber to distract her, and Qrow made his move. He swung Harbinger in a downward angle, looking to either interrupt Red's shot or take her hands off. A molten yellow eye cut toward him at the last moment and she dove backward, releasing her weapons entirely in favor of avoiding his attack. Qrow flowed into a horizontal swipe, causing her to duck, then drove his boot into her nose with a nasty crack. Red flew backward with a frustrated cry, and Qrow turned to focus on the boy. He clearly hadn't expected to have to distract Amber for so long, and the Maiden delivered powerful strikes that shattered his guard and forced him backward. Hearing his ally cry out, the boy in gray looked behind him to see what the hold up was. The distraction cost him as Amber drove a boot into his instep and back-flipped off of him, driving her foot into his chin as she created distance. The third assailant turned to focus on Qrow, and her postured weakened as she tried to include him in her Semblance's influence. Qrow's perception of the three's faces and voices were temporarily distorted, but it was wasted effort. He had already seen them.
"-, kill him! He's a witness!" Red dress' words were distorted, but he was able to catch the last part pretty clearly. The young man swept in with three rapid kicks, driving Qrow's guarding blade upward with each strike before attempting a sweep. It might have worked on someone with his experience, like Amber. Qrow just let his blade fly upward languidly before he caught the boy's boot with his own, as much kicking him in the face as he was stepping forward. There was a grunt of annoyance as mister Gray and Mysterious rolled away, then feinted to the right before throwing a roundhouse towards his true target: Amber. The girl, initially startled by Qrow's sudden interference, gritted her teeth and swept her arm out in a wide arc. The motion brought with it a fierce gust of air, and both Qrow and the young assassin were sent flying as a result. While the senior Huntsman figured that Amber would be less than excited to see him, the attack from behind seemed a little much. He flipped through the air and landed on one knee, cast outward and away from his opponent as Amber began to float in the sky.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Qrow? Leave. Me. ALONE!" She followed her outrage with an barrage of lightning, sending her attackers and Qrow scrambling. The senior Huntsman shifted Harbinger back into its sword form and dug it into the ground, using it to anchor him against the Maiden's powers while also taking shots at the woman in red. Surrendering stability in favor of evasion, the woman twisted through the air and dodge, avoiding his rounds.
"Is now really the time to be choosy about your friends, Amber?" Qrow shouted over the gale, an exasperated expression on his face. He tore Harbinger free from the ground and leaned into the wind as the gray kid came flying in with a kick, the loud clang of metal on metal telling Qrow that the boy had some sort of weapon built into his boots. Rather than engage in a test of strength, Qrow just stopped fighting the wind and rolled back, tossing the boy over him and kicking him in the gut for good measure. By the time he regained his footing, the boy had been hurled some distance. With the other already at a distance as well, the squall calmed, and Amber's eyes lost a bit of their glow. The look she was giving Qrow was entirely scornful.
"I've told you and the old man that I don't need protection! Much less confinement in his school while villages and town get torn to pieces!" She snarled, and Qrow held up a hand in defense.
"Easy there, killer. You know as well as I do that Oz does what he can for the outlying settlements, same as I do. In fact, I'd probably be patrolling them more if I wasn't constantly looking out for a certain Maiden that can't seem to stay out of trouble!" He gestured toward their attackers to reinforce his point, just as the mint-haired one cried out in pain. All involved looked over to see her shoulder blossoming with blood, a sizable bullet wound just inside from her armpit. Mostly muscle, but judging by the tears running down her face and the shaking hand that she covered the wound with, it was agonizing. Speaking of faces, whatever Semblance she had been using fell, revealing the sneering visage of Mercury Black and the woman in red. Apparently the leader, the archer gritted her teeth in irritation and looked around for where the shot might have come from. Mercury, however, stared at his comrade's bullet wound before making a slow turn toward the hill to the north, already working out the trajectory of the bullet.
Up on the hill, Arthur racked the bolt on his rifle, ejecting the round and sending another forward from the magazine. Sienna had taught him how to shoot trained Aura users from afar. Apparently, the supernatural manifestation of the soul could detect malicious intent, at least from afar. To shoot someone who had unlocked their Aura, it was very similar to fighting Grimm. Instead of focusing on rage or satisfaction, the trick was to simply deaden the emotions, and fire without hatred or spite. It was a method Arthur was no stranger to, having ended quite a few lives through a scope. As he took a deep breath and focused on the young man, Arthur gently let his finger rest on the trigger.
"Morgan." The boy snarled as the next round drove into his chest, the impact lessened by his Aura but still incredibly painful. Mercury winced at the injury and he took off in a dead sprint toward the hill. The woman in red covered for her wounded ally, but she cursed as she saw Mercury take off.
"Damn it, Mercury, retreat!" She shouted, but the boy was already too far to hear her. She sent one last baleful glare toward Qrow and Amber, her golden eyes glowing with whatever Semblance she possessed. But ultimately, she decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Throwing one last withering glare in the direction of her disobedient subordinate, Cinder Fall grabbed her fallen ally and ran, tossing a handful of crude explosives behind her to deter any pursuit. The explosives landed at Qrow and Amber's feet, and both were forced to jump back as they glowed ominously. The resulting explosion washed the two of them with dirt and heat, but very little shrapnel.
Two more shots rang out, one a few moments after the other, and it drew Qrow's attention toward the hill. Mercury, if the dark-haired woman was to be believed, was darting between trees and working upward toward where Arthur was presumably hiding. The drunkard looked back toward the others, and they had made themselves scarce with a purpose. Besides the rogue Mercury Black, the threat was effectively over. For now, at least.
"Hey, get back here!" Amber wiped some dirt from her cheek and took a few steps after to two women, but Qrow languidly grasped her wrist as she went by. The Fall Maiden ran to the end of her reach and was abruptly halted. "Qrow, what the hell? They are getting away, damn it!" Her hand glowed orange, likely some form of fire that she was summoning with her special powers. Qrow didn't answer right away, but just gave her a sidelong look and let the silence make his point for him. Well, mostly silent. Gunfire in the distance signaled that the teenager had found Arthur's sniper's nest. Things weren't going diplomatically. Amber's expression just grew more furious, but the extra time let her stop and think for a moment. It worked on his students at Signal all the time.
"We chase them and wind up in another ambush?" Qrow asked in an almost bored tone. "Or we waste our energy chasing them and draw the Grimm? Is that what you want to do, wear yourself out until they have the advantage again? You know as well as I do who their boss is, and I'm not ready to be distracted by monsters in a fight with 'em." Amber blinked at the points he raised, put off like so many others by the drunkard persona he played into and not expecting him to actually make sense. It make her frustrating rise even further, but it all turned to ash as she sighed heavily. She still wrenched her wrist from his grasp, though he didn't put much resistance into it.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again; I don't need your help." She bit out, dusting herself off from her ambush and looking around for scattered equipment. That gray-haired kid had been impressive, and a few of his blows had sent some of her belt pouches flying away.
"Not what I saw. Oz told you that you rely on those powers of yours too much, and it almost cost you out here. You traded tactics for magic tricks." Qrow lectured, returning Harbinger to its place on the small of his back and drawing his flask. More gunfire rang out, causing him to keep an eye on their periphery, but Amber had to see that she was being foolish by roaming the wilderness. "I know it's not my place to teach graduated students, but I know Glynda taught you better than that mess I just saw. Greenie's Semblance was a wildcard, sure, but you fell right into the trap that Oz predicted. You're using that power like a crutch." He sipped from it as she simmered, almost literally as her powers fluctuated with her temper. To the average passerby, Amber was kind and generous, hardly one to offer a cross word and always willing to help mediate disputes. But the relationship she'd had with Ozpin, Glynda, and the rest of their secret alliance had been spoiled by Ozpin's constant attempts to keep her penned up in the gilded cage of Beacon, when she had the power and ability to help people. The matter had deteriorated over the course of months, and ended with a broken window and a note next to her scroll that clearly stated, 'Don't follow me.'
"How many times have I told you that I don't need your help?!" The Fall Maiden demanded, sweeping flames between them and forcing Qrow to abandon his casual demeanor and step back faster than a shiftless drunk would. His eyes darkened as she raised a hand, fire coalescing around it. "Whether they work for her or not, I'm not letting you use this as an excuse to drag me back. I'm doing good out here, for Brothers' sake!"
The gunfire on the hill was sporadic, but Arthur's weapons took a bit to reload. The fight was still going. Qrow could reasonably assume that one of Amber's assailants was out of the picture, likely tired from Aura exhaustion. But that left the hot head and the woman in red, the leader if he had to guess. She could be watching him have a showdown with this brat of a Maiden, or she could be backing up her impulsive lackey and ganging up on Arthur. In either scenario, he'd have to end this little tiff quickly. But he'd try reason one more time, just so he could tell Oz he did.
"Amber, they're out here after you now. You know as well as I do that means she's planning something massive. Whether she wants the Relics or she's trying to take you out first, it still ends with a lot of dead people. Help us protect them, that's all I'm asking. I know Oz can be a stiff sometimes, but we're just trying to look out for the ones that will get caught in the middle." She gritted her teeth at that and sent another lash of flames toward him, forcing Qrow to duck and spin, drawing Harbinger as he settled into his swordsman stance.
"If you really meant that, then every one of you would be in the Grimmlands right now, taking the Queen's head." The Fall Maiden snarled, and Qrow could only sigh heavily. No luck there.
Sometimes, I really hate my Semblance. Qrow thought to himself as he dashed in toward the Maiden, blade backward so that he could pummel some sense into her.
While Qrow employed his phenomenal diplomacy skills, Arthur was working on pinning down the frustratingly elusive Mercury Black as the black and gray blur moved toward him, using the trees and Arthur's pauses to reload and cycle his rifle to gain ground quickly. The boy tossed off several Dust projectiles from his kicks to keep Arthur pinned down, but the outlaw wasn't fazed by the wild shots. As an experienced shooter, he knew that putting rounds on target were more important than ducking non-lethal shots. Mercury – though Arthur hadn't confirmed that was his name yet – had clearly been taught how to avoid fire from a shooter with superior positioning, but his experience was another thing entirely. Arthur had fought seasoned gunfighters when he was killing O'Driscolls and fighting soldiers during the Wapiti insurrection, and the boy was not exhibiting behavior that came with actually facing shooters. He would duck, but not low enough. He would sprint, but prioritize stride over cover. These mistakes of the untested gave Arthur ample opportunity to punish him as he climbed the hill, though he didn't land every shot. His bolt-action rifle only had room for five shots, and reloading took time. He had no measure of the boy's total aura, so his only indicator of the effect of his shots was physical damage.
By the time Mercury got within fifty yards of Arthur, the youth abandoned cover entirely in favor of speed. Arthur fired the last round in his rifle and ducked behind a log, his hat still visible. The boy charged the log, disintegrating it with a brutal kick that carried forward into...nothing. Arthur's empty hat flew up in the air from the force of the kick, but the outlaw himself was nowhere to be found. Another tree nearby suddenly barked with gunfire, and three rounds slammed into Mercury's back and forced him to retreat. Arthur gave chase, snatching his hat out of the air as he did his best to minimize the effect of Mercury's desperate cover. The boy's Aura flickered after tanking a fourth shot, and he dived as much as fell into a hollow that was covered by a fallen tree. Knowing better than to close with a melee-focused fighter, Arthur held off and reloaded the Peacemaker, slinging his rifle as well.
"Not that I mind an easy target, but what's your problem, kid?" Arthur barked. "I'd rather just get out of here and let bygones be bygones." Three shots rang out in response, the strange air projectiles curving over the fallen log and zipping toward the outlaw. Though targeted, the shots were still wild, so Arthur only had to step to one side to avoid them. Mercury tried to use it as a distraction, and all it got for his trouble was another shot to his side. Mercury let a grunt of pain escape, and his rapid footfalls acquired a stutter as he raced to get better ground.
"Ngh...you bastard! You killed my father!" The boy snarled. Arthur backed off and used the dead time to load a few rounds into the bolt-action, though he doubted he would have the opportunity.
"Killed a lot of fathers, kid. Doesn't exactly narrow it down much." Granted, he hadn't done as much killing in Remnant as he had in the states, but there were still quite a few bodies in the ground between the White Fang uprising and his bounty hunting career. Though that did stir his memory. There had been murmurs of a young kid inquiring after him in bounty stations, demanding to know the man that had killed a certain mark. What had that name been again?
Before he could put any more effort into solving that riddle, footsteps to his right caused Arthur to spin, one hand bracing the Peacemaker while the other rested on its hammer. The boy closed in quickly, kicking the pistol off target and landing a second into Arthur's gut. The outlaw grunted and fell backward, rolling away from the youth that tried to follow up with a vicious axe kick that shattered the ground. Mercury was relentless, doing his best to run Arthur down as the outlaw scrambled to get some distance. This wasn't like his fights with Yang or Sienna, melee fighters they may have been. There was hate behind those kicks, a contempt that was tangible in every swing of his fist and thrust of his feet. After the initial strike, however, Arthur was able to dive and dodge out of the way of his strikes. A particularly vicious thrust kick sent a clump of dirt and rocks into Arthur's face as he turned to fire. The man cursed and tried to clear his eyes as Mercury tackled him, sending them both sliding through the grass and dirt. Mercury tried to throw a few punches, but Arthur had a better chance in a grapple than he did in a standing fist fight. He managed to lock the boy into a half of a grapple, turning him on his side and pinning one arm behind his back with the other trapped under the teen's body.
"Dammit boy, sit still already!" Arthur cursed, trying to reach his rope while keeping the boy under enough control to hogtie. It was like trying to wrestle a greased pig, and eventually Mercury scurried out from underneath him, a desperate and blind kick backward catching Arthur in the jaw and stunning him long enough for Mercury to get away. Were this a fresh fight, the teen would have pressed his advantage and followed up with a punch or maybe a knife, but those rounds he caught ascending the hill as well as the previous fight had heavily drained his Aura. He didn't want to get into straight brawl with an older, more experienced Huntsman that had been good enough to kill his father. Though Mercury had loathed the man until his final day, there was no arguing that Marcus Black had been a skilled fighter. A moment later, Arthur's words echoed his thoughts.
"I didn't know the man, but he didn't strike me as a loving father. More of a 'surprised you're still alive' type of parent." Arthur hollered, his words reverberated off of the trees around them. Mercury had lost direct sight of him, but the outlaws words and footfalls were still coming from close by.
"You Huntsmen and your Semblances, always relying on them!" Mercury snarled. He shifted to a hollowed out half of a tree, large enough for him to crouch and hide inside. He ducked into the wooden shelter and stopped moving, his ears perked for any sign of the outlaw. With the damage he'd taken running up the hill, an ambush was his best bet to turn the tide of this fight to his favor. Hopefully, his jab would cause the older Huntsman to speak and giveaway his location. The tense moments that passed after he came to a rest did so in silence, and Mercury mentally cursed himself when it looked like his ploy failed. He was about to start considering another plan when he heard it: the subtle scrape of a boot on coarse earth and fallen leaves. To his credit, none of Arthur's gear made any noise, and only his footfalls were enough to track his rough location. Mercury focused entirely on every minute sound, his body tensed and ready to act at the slightest opportunity.
Just when Mercury was beginning to cramp up, a shadow accompanied the sound of footsteps, and Mercury literally leaped at the opportunity. He thrust himself out of the hollowed stump, tearing out of it and trying to take Arthur in a grapple. A stranglehold, arm bar, anything to remove his disadvantage in lost Aura. He'd jumped at the best opportunity, as Morgan had rounded the stump with his back to it. It was perfect...
Too perfect. When Arthur turned to face him, he moved with a speed that was unnatural. His movements were swift and precise, like Mercury was moving in slow motion, and his eyes were glowing a faint gold. He stepped backward and away to Mercury's right, one hand grabbing Mercury's outstretched wrist while the other got a grip of the back of his head. The outlaw used his grip on both to drive Mercury into the ground, easy to do when the young man gave up his leverage for a desperate lunge. Mercury tried to roll away, but Arthur had done this before. A heavy weight landed on his back, and he felt the abrasive rope scratch his wrist and hands as they were wrenched backward. He tried to kick out and away, but Arthur had tied struggling people for half of his life. Mercury was young and desperate, but he couldn't overcome Arthur's advantage and experience. The young man didn't make it easy, but after a few minutes of struggling and cursing, Arthur had the angry teen trussed up and over his shoulder. Arthur thumbed a healing bruise on his cheek from a lucky elbow, looking for a good place to put the boy down and have a little heart to heart. In the distance, he could hear the fight with the Maiden kicking off again. Whether that meant the assassins had decided to try again or Qrow's disastrous diplomacy had failed was anyone's guess. The squirming package on his shoulder tried to get a few hits in, but Mercury didn't have the strength or the leverage to do much besides annoy him.
"Quit it, ya little shit." Arthur chided, rolling his shoulder and tossing Mercury up enough to drop him back down. "We'll sort this out in a minute." Mercury's efforts to strike him were replaced with an absolutely filthy glare, but at least Arthur was able to survey the area. He approached the firing position he had taken earlier, and from there the gathering storm could be seen. And down below, he could see Qrow dancing around a tired and agitated Amber, the Fall Maiden using her remaining strength to try and incapacitate the older Huntsman and flee. Arthur watched for a few moments to make sure that he didn't need to intervene, but Amber's fatigue and Qrow's skill both worked in their favor. Once he was confident that Qrow had the fight in hand, he tossed Mercury down on the ground and leaned up against the tree.
The young teen grunted when he landed, but the stink eye still hadn't left his expression, glaring up at Arthur as the man lit a cigarette.
"Can't really smoke these at home without the lady objecting, hope you don't mind." Arthur apologized, though his tone indicated that he could care less if Mercury had a problem with it. When the teen just glowered, he released a breath of smoke and sighed. "Now what am I gonna do with you?"
"If you want me to talk, you're out of luck. I was hired to do a job. No ties to anyone, and they only told me what I needed to know. Which wasn't much." Mercury sneered. "So let's get this over with already." Even though he was resigned with his fate, a troubling image for such a young man, he was clearly determined to give Arthur trouble at every turn he could. To him, it probably seemed like it was a scornful last stand of sorts. One last chance to spit in the eye of his father's killer before he was sent to meet the man. For Arthur, however, it was like looking in a mirror. Or rather, a mirror from twenty years or so ago. He hadn't been born into the Van der Linde gang, but he'd been picked up like Marston had. His father had been a worthless human being, his mother taken by sickness. Dutch and Hosea had found him and taken him to raise, and did the same with John Marston a few years. Between the dangers of the frontier and the war, orphans weren't rare in the West. When Hosea had spotted him, he'd been feral and downtrodden, eerily similar to the young Mercury before him. He'd been younger, sure, but the image was the same. A young man with a chip on his shoulder, able to go bad or be someone so long as he had guidance. If Dutch hadn't agreed to take him in, would he have been like Mercury? Or would he have been worse, a bandit like the ones that killed Issac and his mother? He was silent as he considered the parallels and his next move, leaving Mercury a bundle of anxiety and impatience.
"The folks at the bounty office say you've been lookin' for me for a while now." Arthur stated. "Word must have gotten around pretty quick after I killed yer pa." The man hadn't exactly demonstrated fatherly traits, but maybe he'd been different at home? He'd clearly taught his boy something, otherwise they wouldn't have been in the situation they were in.
"You killed him before I could do it. He owed me something I can never get back now." Mercury snarled. Yeah, Arthur thought wearily. That sounds more like it. Another similarity Mercury shared with Arthur's younger self. His own words to Sister Margaret echoed in his mind. My momma died when I was a kid. And my Daddy? Well, I watched him die. And it weren't soon enough.
"I do remember him going on about how Huntsmen were always so reliant on their Semblances. I'm guessing he could take them away. Yeah, now that I think about it, he mentioned wanting to take mine. I thought he was full of shit at the time, of course." Arthur shrugged, not all that bothered by it. Others might have felt some special violation in a person being able to steal their Semblance, but those that have them have spent their whole life with the abilities. For Arthur, its been months. Not that he didn't appreciate it, but it didn't have the same impact on him.
"Hell, Qrow down there probably would have wanted him to steal his." Arthur said with a chuckle, but a frustrated yell from Mercury cut him off as the boy fought against the rope Arthur had bound him with. The young man struggled, kicking and wriggling as he tried to create some kind of void to take advantage of. His vocalizations only got louder and more desperate when he didn't succeed.
"You act like this is all one big joke! Killing the old man was the ONE thing I had to look forward to! And like everything else, that was taken from me!" The boy snarled, causing Arthur to look around in weary resignation. As hot under the collar as the kid was getting, on top of the fight down below, a visit from something Grimm was becoming a certainty.
"It ain't all that funny, kid. More sad than anything. But lucky for you," Arthur stood up with a grunt and grabbed Mercury up by the shoulders and bent down to toss him over his own, whistling for Famine when he stood. "You remind me of someone."
"Let go of me, you dumb hick! Untie these ropes and I'll show you a real fight!" Mercury continued to thrash and rail against him, but both Aura depletion and continuous failed escape attempts were starting to tire him out. The gentle thuds of Famine trotting up did little to interrupt the boy's thrashing, and Arthur could feel the growing urge to him him a good strike to the temple. According to Sienna, repeatedly losing consciousness from blows to the head was apparently bad for one's health. The fact that the outlaw had suffered so many instances of the method in the past was both worrisome and amusing to her.
"Alright alright, calm down." Arthur chided as Mercury made a particularly violent wrench at the ropes, more likely to pull something out of socket than he was to break free. And if his mouth wouldn't attract the Grimm, the pain and screaming that came with resetting the shoulder definitely would. Sure enough, he could see a few dark shapes among the leaves of the forest, and it was an even split between the fight between Qrow and Amber and the idiot on top of the hill riding a horse. Arthur unholstered the Peacemaker and rested it in his lap, then Famine's sides to get him moving toward the fight down below. At the very least, the Grimm might pause the fight long enough to try reasoning with the young woman.
Ozpin sat in his office, reviewing some reports from outside of Vale. His position at the top of the CCT allowed him exclusive access to communications that passed through the tower, and settlements out in the wilderness often picked up on things that he could use. While information gathering was Qrow's forte, Oz himself could put things together on his own. The reports were submitted by local Huntsmen and Huntresses, law enforcement, and scouts reporting Grimm activity or suspicious behavior. His eyes roamed over comments on Grimm incursions, a few failed settlements evacuating, and White Fang sightings. The last of which sparked his interest, and he began reading through the reports. A Huntsman had reported seeing several heavy duty trucks to the east of Vale, heading north. White Fang enforcers were seen guarding the convoy and its cargo, but they did not engage the Huntsman. He had reported seeing communication equipment and large steel girders, implying that whatever they were building was meant to last.
Odd, given their recent diversion from civil rights to civil disobedience. Repeaters for the CCT weren't common, and their construction and maintenance was almost entirely managed by Atlas. To see such materials in the hands of admitted terrorists did not bode well. There were some resources that he could use, unofficially. Tabbing the reports over to another screen and redacting the appropriate information, Oz opened up another program.
Given the copious amount of time Ozpin had been alive, he'd learned many lessons the hard way. Several of which involved resource management, both people and materials. He'd once relied entirely on Huntsmen and Huntresses, only to have each death or betrayal throw his plans awry. When he focused on the military, a scant few officers either disappearing or turning on him was enough to cost him a kingdom. As such, Ozpin had learned to keep his portfolio diverse.
A message box appeared after he selected a few contacts, and he waited as the encryption was established. After a few moments and a sip of cocoa, a single character appeared.
?
Ozpin's fingers danced over the keyboard as he typed out a message, as well as transferring the redacted reports about the White Fang transferring supplies.
I need you to look into something on your end. Possibly stolen or purchased equipment.
An ellipsis appeared to show that his agent was typing. The man was quite tech savvy, one of the reasons Ozpin had ensnared him after the man's retirement from the Atlesian military.
Some discrepancies in shipping manifests from Mantle and weigh stations near the port. Pattern suggests WF. Nothing he didn't already suspect, but where Ozpin only had reports and conjecture, his agent had more concrete evidence. He typed out another message.
Are you available? I will offer the usual rate for compensation. This time, the ellipsis was not present. Either his agent was considering his request or the man was reading over the reports Oz had sent over. Content with either a yes or a no, Ozpin calmly sipped from his mug and opened a message from Glynda Goodwitch, who apparently had cleaned up a minor incident between students arriving. How unlike a Schnee to leave their Dust unsecured...
Not much for fighting WF. Will need security. Huntsmen security. His agent had been involved in previous engagements where the scale of violence had grown beyond what a normal soldier could handle. Though they might not look it, the brightly colored and individual Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training at Beacon were capable of far more destruction than even a well-trained soldier could muster.
Of course. I have a WF specialist and a tracking expert in mind. They will be in the city when you arrive. Please be prompt, I fear there is more to this than it appears.
The response was nearly immediate. Understood. Will bring equipment, may need assistance transporting. Before Ozpin could respond, the flashing green light in the corner of the message box went dark, indicating that the other party had disconnected. Ozpin 'hmm'ed to himself and finished his mug before setting it down and turning to survey the tower's surroundings. Down below, the many different students and faculty went about their daily business, completely oblivious to the many threats that Ozpin warded from them. Sometimes the view brought him comfort, knowing how much he had accomplished and what he had preserved. Others, it filled him with anxiety to look out over everything that was at stake. Today, however, he simply enjoyed the view.
With the Vytal Festival this year, I cannot afford to mishandle anything. Ozpin thought grimly. With Alec presumably traveling from the eastern edge of Sanus, he would hopefully arrive before Arthur and Qrow returned. Ozpin wanted the former Atlesian technician to meet and get acquainted with his other asset that he had recently acquired.
"It seems you will be earning your keep sooner than I'd thought." Ozpin murmured to himself as he pulled his scroll from his desk and opened up his contacts once more. This time he chose to call instead of sending messages, and he soon found himself speaking to Sienna Khan.
"Good afternoon, lady Khan. I hope Miss Belladonna's introduction to Beacon went well?" Glynda's report had mentioned Blake's involvement, but only as a mediator.
"Besides an explosive introduction involving Weiss Schnee and Summer Rose's children, she had nothing much to discuss. I assume she is in no trouble?" His icebreaker might have come off as the main reason for the call, as Sienna was nothing if not direct these days.
"I'm glad to hear that she's settling in, thought I admit that was not the purpose of my call. I was wondering if I could borrow your expertise for a few days. In a matter regarding a sensitive topic." Though he had a monopoly on the CCT in this area, Ozpin was not foolish enough to discuss confidential matters except in person or over trusted communications. He heard Sienna click her tongue, but her tone remained neutral.
"Calling in a favor already, Headmaster? Lucky me." Her tone indicated that the last part was sarcasm, though she wasn't against it. "Will this be physical expertise, or do you need my opinion on something?"
"A little of both, though I fear an excursion with you and your partner may be in the near future. I'd like to discuss it more in person, and I'm sure you would appreciate observing Blake's progress in the initiation exam. Would you care to meet me here at the school tomorrow? The test is at 9 in the morning, but we can discuss our more private business prior if you like."
"9 is sufficient. I would hate to observe the test preoccupied, and I'll admit that I've been waiting for Arthur's call. Shall I seek out the Deputy Headmistress, or just let myself in?" Ozpin chuckled as he read between the lines, knowing that the Lady Khan was perfectly capable of infiltrating Beacon unseen. It would save him from having to cover up proof that she hadn't been killed like the White Fang claimed, but the mission he had in mind would render that point moot anyway.
"Glynda will be happy to receive you in the main hall. If I hear from Qrow before you hear from Mister Morgan, I will be sure to contact you promptly." Oz could almost hear her relief when said that, and he had the temerity to ignore it. From his knowledge of her history, such personal care for another was unfamiliar territory for the Khan. Commenting on it would likely irritate her.
"I appreciate that, Headmaster. I will extend the same courtesy." He heard something in the background that sounded suspiciously like someone striking a wooden target. "Not to be impolite, but I must finish my routine, Headmaster Ozpin. I will see you in the morning."
"Of course, Lady Khan. Enjoy the rest of your day." She hung up before he could, the second person in an hour to do so. Were he not so accustomed to dealing with type A personalities, Ozpin might have been offended. Instead, he returned to his chair and began observing the grounds through the cameras. So many new and promising students, and yet he couldn't help that his thoughts were elsewhere. It was easy to get lost in the possibilities and lose track of what was in front of him, so Ozpin spent the remainder of the afternoon familiarizing himself with the oncoming students. Though not all of them would make it through initiation, he felt that he was doing them a disservice if he could not even put faces to names. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc... He reviewed their applications and previous experience as the sun slowly started dropping from the sky.
A/N: It had been far too long since I have done anything with this fic. I apologize profusely, and again I must state that this fic is not dead. I just did not realize how much time I would dump on a bachelor's degree, SWAT, K9, and a wonderful daughter who will be turning 1 any day now. Thankfully, Classy and a few close friends kept this story fresh in my mind, and I finally got the time to translate it to words for you to read. I will continue working on this project, and I hope it will be the first story I actually finish. Fingers crossed, anyway. I hope everyone stays safe and enjoys what comes next.