Chapter 18
Headmaster's Office
"They were here Ozpin, they were here!" Ironwood said in frustration
Ozpin pressed his fingers to his temples and pondered in silence, trying to make something of the situation.
"Well, we're well aware of that, thank you very much, James." Goodwitch said with sarcasm.
"Fantastic. You're aware. Now, are we going to do something about it, or are we just going to stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?" James replied.
But then, they heard a beeping noise come from Ozpin's desk, signaling the arrival of a visitor. The elevator then opened, with Ruby Rose stepping out.
"Ah! Sorry I took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here…it wasn't me." Ruby added quickly
"Thank you for coming, Ruby. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked
"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy catching record wasn't 0 to 3." Ruby said with a light chuckle, but she noticed the stern faces of the other people in the room, causing her face and voice to falter.
"O-okay, so that's the tone we're going with, got it." She said meekly, her hand scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
"Ruby, I feel it's fair to tell you that what you did last night is exactly what being a huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could." Ironwood said
"Thank you, sir." Ruby said with a smile.
"Now, the commander here has already informed us of the events that transpired last night. But now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add?" Ozpin asked her.
"Well I don't really know. She wore a mask, and she didn't say anything to me, but I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked." Ruby said
Goodwitch's brow rose slightly as she heard Ruby's testimony. "Hmm, glass aside, that sounds like the woman I met the night we met Ruby."
But Ironwood objected. "Weaving dust into clothing is an age-old technique, and it isn't exactly rare. It could've been anyone."
"Wait" Ruby said, raising her hand."Don't you think this girl might be related to Torchwick and the White Fang?"
"It could be possible, but we still lack the evidence to prove a connection between them." Ozpin answered her.
"Actually I think I remembered her saying something about a hideout in the southeast just outside the kingdom." Ruby informed them, remembering the information she and her friends had collected during that investigation.
The group looked at one another, wondering what to make of this new information, and Ozpin smiled
Skeptical, Goodwitch asked Ruby. "Wait, you said the intruder never s-"
But Ozpin quickly cut her off. "Thank you for sharing with us, Ruby. Why don't you head back and spend time with your team?"
"Sounds great!"
Before Ruby turned to leave, Ozpin called out to her one last time. "And Ms. Rose please try to be discrete about this matter."
Ruby then pinched two fingers together and drew them across her lips as if to say "My lips are sealed."
As she left, Ironwood began to speak. "It's decided, then. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast. Find out exactly what they're up to, and eliminate any forces in our way."
Goodwitch growled irately. "Ugh! Why does every move you make require a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation as if it's a contest of measuring di-"
"Glynda!" Ozpin interrupted her before turning to the general.
"She's right. As much as I would love to end this problem once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale, beyond Beacon. And even if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold, nor can we risk the spread of panic."
The general sighed and turned to Ozpin. "I have served you faithfully for years. But if you mean to tell me that your plan is to merely hold the defenses and wait, then you'll doom us all."
Team RWBY's Dorm
Ruby opened her door to find her team right at the door, their faces lined with concern for their leader, as well as the members of Team JKHL.
"What happened?!" Yang asked her hurriedly.
"What did they ask you?" Blake asked.
Ruby stammered awkwardly. "Well...I told them what we found out…sort of"
"That was quite risky." Weiss said.
"Well I think you made the right move." Blake added, supportively.
"I trust that they will know what to do." Sub Zero added.
"I hope so" Ruby replied.
"I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby." Liu Kang assured the girl.
But then, Yang perked up. "Oh! I know what'll cheer you up!"
Ruby then turned to see Yang grab a cylindrical tube from the desk on the side of the room. "What's that?" She asked her sister.
"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together." Yang answered her.
"Ooh! Something from home!" Ruby squealed as she dashed to swipe the tube from Yang's hands.
But then, Yang shook the tube, causing something to fall out. This black thing wiggled on the floor like a worm for a second, before popping up on its feet.
The eight teens leaned in to get a closer look, to find a small corgi in front of them, barking excitedly.
"AAAAHHH! ZWEI!" Ruby squealed, scooping up the dog in her hands as he began licking her face affectionately.
"He sent a dog?!" Blake asked.
"In the mail?!" Weiss continued, both clearly confused as to how this was even physically possible.
"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time." Yang told them, acting as if shipping a dog in an enclosed tube halfway across the kingdom was normal and civil behavior.
"How is that even physically possible?" Liu Kang asked, confused.
"So are you telling me that this mangy…" Weiss leaned in to get a closer look at the dog, but was slowly losing herself to the sheer cuteness.
"…drooling…" Zwei's eyes bore deeper into her soul, and Weiss could barely resist any longer, feeling herself submitting to the dog's adorability.
"…mutt… IS GONNA LIVE WITH US FOREVER? OH YES, HE IS, YES HE IS!" Weiss finished, finding herself gushing as she played with the corgi.
"Just keep it away from my things." Blake said standing on Ruby's bunk.
"You're afraid of dogs?" Sub Zero asked Blake
"I don't do well with them." Blake answered
But then, the gang heard Goodwitch's voice over the intercom. "Will all first year students please report to the amphitheater?"
"Well, you can't just leave him here while we're gone for a week." Johnny told them, gesturing to Zwei, who seemed preoccupied with Blake, who was hissing and clawing at the dog from Ruby's bunk.
"Hey, there's a letter in there." Yang noted, pointing at a piece of paper sticking out from the tube.
Yang pulled it out and read it. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang."
Yang held out the tube and shook it, causing cans of dog food to spill out into large pile on the floor.
"What is he supposed to do with all that?" Weiss asked.
Yang then shook the tube one more time, a can opener tumbling onto the floor. "Welp, that settles it! C'mon, guys! Zwei will be here when we get back!"
The group then turned to leave, but Ruby looked at Zwei, gears in her head clicking and turning, until a light bulb formed above her head.
Assembly Hall
Ruby entered the massive room with a backpack slung over her back. All around the room, hundreds of students were gathered, each wearing different uniforms signifying their respective academies. Ruby then set down her bag amidst the large pile, hoping nobody was going to notice the slight shaking of the bag.
She then joined her team, standing up with Teams JNPR, TSKK and JKHL along with the rest of the Vale student body.
Ozpin stepped up onstage in front of the massive crowd and began to deliver his speech.
"Together, we stand together, united." Ozpin began.
"Mistral." Ozpin turned his head to the group of students at his far left, dressed in black and white jackets for their uniforms.
"Atlas." Ozpin shifted his gaze to the group to the right of the Haven students. These students wore gray vests over long-sleeved shirts, carrying a more professional look with them, given the fact that the school in Atlas was also a government institution.
"Vacuo." Ozpin turned to his right, gazing over a more casual bunch. The Shade students lacked a uniform, the students wearing mixed T-shirts, sweaters in a diverse collection.
"Vale." Ozpin then turned to his own students, either dressed in black suits and jackets as their uniforms or in their simple combat attire, as Team RWBY was.
After acknowledging the four respective kingdoms, Ozpin continued his speech. "The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself and as a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself; color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only they would refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come, and it is trend is still held to this very day."
"We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, as the rest of the world celebrates peace, huntsmen and huntresses will work together to uphold it." Ozpin finished his speech, before moving on to instructions.
"As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."
Ozpin then left the stage, cueing applause from the crowd, leading Team RWBY to plan out their next course of action.
"This is perfect. Now all we have to do is shadow a huntsman working in the southeast!" Ruby said to her team.
"Yeah! We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip at night!" Yang agreed with her sister.
"Let's check 'Search and Destroy'." Weiss suggested, leading the team of four to one of the monitors lining the amphitheater. The projections detailed situations and missions to be carried out in certain sectors of the kingdom, similar to the system pro huntsmen and huntresses used.
Ruby then pointed at one particular mission marked under "Search and Destroy." "Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!"
Blake smiled. "Well, it's in the southeast."
"Sounds perfect!" Yang agreed.
Ruby then tapped her finger on the mission and entered her team name, but an alert popped up, reading "MISSION UNAVAILABLE TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS".
"Wonderful." Weiss groaned.
"Any other ideas?" Blake asked Ruby.
"Same thing with us." Liu Kang said causing Team RWBY to face him and his team
"We can always mail ourselves there?" Ruby joked, before hearing another voice behind her.
"Well, that is a creative option but unfortunately, we've confirmed that the concentration of Grimm would be too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the eight of you will make your way there no matter which job you choose." Ozpin said, ignoring the awkward gazes Ruby was giving him.
"Whatever makes you say that?" Ruby asked him, not even remotely trying to hide her suspiciousness.
"Well, I'm still curious as to how you found yourselves at the docks last semester, and I'm interested in knowing as to how you found out about a 'hideout' in the southeast. And I certainly would like to know why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club sometime ago." Ozpin recounted, earning awkward stammers from Ruby.
Ozpin then chuckled at her expense. "Well, I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for, so how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?"
Ozpin then took out his scroll, and dialed in some numbers, and a few beeps from the monitor sounded, accepting Team RWBY and JKHL for the mission.
Ruby then smiled at her headmaster. "We won't let you down. Thank you, Professor Ozpin!
"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck!" Ozpin said, before turning to leave.
Team RWBY and JKHL exited the building. "Well, that wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang commented.
"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it." Ruby replied reassuringly.
"Hey, Team CFVY's back!" They heard a student exclaim, directing their attention to a small crowd in the courtyard.
Walking through the courtyard was a team of second-years, each carrying a confident aura as they walked, dressed in full combat gear. One of the teens in particular looked familiar.
Blake walked up to them to greet her. "Velvet! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." The rabbit faunus replied, gesturing to the tall samurai walking beside her.
"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago! What happened?" Weiss asked her.
"Nothing happened. There was just… so many…" Velvet blankly replied, spacing off slightly.
"But don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing huntsmen, so you should be fine! Stay safe, yeah?" Velvet said, before noticing a certain Spectre
"Hanzo, it's good to see again." Velvet said grabbing her elbow
"Likewise. How was the journey?" Scorpion asked
"A little tiresome." Velvet replied
"You should go and rest." Scorpion said
"Right, I'll do just that. I'll see you later then." Velvet said before leaving with her team.
"Damn, Hanzo the Rizz Lord. Never thought you had it in you." Johnny said placing his arm on Scorpion's shoulder
"Cage, I am this close to setting you on fire." Scorpion said igniting his palm on fire
"Chill dude, I'm just messing with you." Johnny said letting go of the Ninja
"Well Johnny's right though, since when did you guys become close?" Weiss asked
"What is it to you? If I didn't know any better, I would say you sound jealous." Scorpion blankly said
"What…what gave you that idea." Weiss stammered causing Scorpion to raise a brow slightly
"She became friends with him after he helped her with Cardin. Even asked him to help train to become a better fighter." Liu Kang said trying to diffuse the issue
"Oh, that makes sense." Weiss said after a while.
"Now to the issue of our mission." Sub Zero said
Ruby looked amongst her team, their expressions more sullen and doubtful. "Guys, we can do this. We've never backed down, and we're not gonna start now!" Ruby said to her team, attempting to lift their spirits, causing small smiles to form on her teammates' faces.
"Besides, we won't be alone out there. We'll be working alongside a genuine huntsman!" Ruby said, eager to meet this hero who trained his life to fight for the people of Remnant.
Later
"Alright boys and girls! Who's ready to fight for their lives?"
Ruby wasn't expecting this, and judging from the looks on her teammates' and Team JKHL faces, they too were hardly thrilled.
"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss stammered at their green-haired history teacher dressed in safari gear.
"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, seeing as you've opted to shadow a huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance, I can assure you we will not be establishing a base of operations. Rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland, and making camp in any inhabitable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all our essentials myself provided the air course and readied the airship." Oobleck said at incredible speed
"And! It's Dr. Oobleck. I didn't earn a PhD for fun, thank you very much!" Oobleck said as he shot Weiss a frown.
"Uuh" Weiss stammered, only for Oobleck to interrupt her again.
"Come now, children, according to my schedule, we are already 3 minutes behind…schedule!" Oobleck said before dashing off to the Bullhead in a couple of seconds.
"Okay, looks like we're gonna be saving the world with Dr. Oobleck, yeah it sounds worse when you say it out loud." Ruby said awkwardly.
"SAVE THE WORLD?!" They heard a particularly bubbly voice exclaim behind them.
"You're going on world-saving missions without us?!" Nora yelled in outrage as she walked with the rest of Team JNPR.
"I'm hurt! Sad! Maybe a little hungry? The last one's not your fault, though. REN" Nora glared at her partner, who had his arms crossed and his head turned away from her.
"So, where are you guys going?" Jaune asked Team RWBY.
"Oh, just outside the kingdoms!" Ruby answered, not giving away the full details of their mission.
"Oh, so are we!" Nora giddily replied.
Pyrrha giggled at her teammate's antics. "Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village."
"We set off tomorrow." Ren added.
"Then maybe you'll run into us!" They heard another voice call causing them to face the approaching Sun and Neptune
"We're working in the city, shadowing a crime specialist." Sun explained to them.
"All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges." Neptune added, causing Jaune to give starstruck gasps.
"We'd normally go to the city with you guys, but that would mean stuff's always exploding and junk. So we thought it'd be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's… y'know, normal." Sun explained further
"Well-" Ruby began, before Oobleck called out from the Bullhead.
"Four minutes, ladies!"
"Well wish us luck!" Ruby said as the group dispersed into their respective teams. Team RWBY and JKHL then boarded the Bullhead, ready to be shipped off on their first official mission as Hunter's and huntresses.