A.N: Here we are again. It's time for some more fun times in Wild Hunt, where nothing bad ever happens...ever.
But, a couple quick announcements. So, I've received a couple messages about my current posting schedule. I've given it some thought, and I realized: you're right, a month is a long wait. And I do tend to finish some of this stuff before the month is done and then I'm just sitting on it.
So, I'm going to try something new. When I finish something, I will post it as soon as I've reviewed it and I'm done with it. The goal will still be to try and post one thing for each story once every month. But, I will no longer wait until the first of the month. I might also, on a weekly basis, update the progress on the chapters on my profile.
So, enjoy the next chapter. We're mainly focused on world-building and building things up for the conflict. Oh, and introducing a character I've been particularly looking forward to all of you meeting.
Chapter 26: Long Morning
Hansel Kobalt calmly laid out five files atop Winter Schnee's desk. Each file had a particular name placed atop each file as a label. Winter had procured these files at his request. Each file was on the five Atlesian scientists who had clearance to work on Atlas' secret military projects. Hansel went through each name and their occupations, one by one. "Dr. Glen White," Hansel began, seeing the wrinkly face of a bald-headed man with dark eyes and a kind smile, "Head of the military's department of research and development. He has worked for the military for 20 years."
Winter nodded. "Dr. White would be the person you speak to first, considering he runs the whole department."
"You're right," Hansel acknowledged, "and even if he doesn't turn out to be the one I'm looking for, speaking with this Dr. White would give me some insight into who's showing an...interest in any secret projects."
Hansel moved over to the next file, an older, dark-skinned man with a smile comparable to White's. "Dr. Pietro Polendina, head of the Atlas Military's robotics department. Let me guess, he was the one in charge of designing that girl from the Vytal Festival?"
Winter looked away in slight shame. "If you don't mind," she said, "please don't bring up Penny to him."
Hansel nodded in understanding. Now, the next file. This one was a significantly younger, bespectacled man with dark blue hair. "Dr. Trypan Moon, a high-ranking member of Atlas' weapons development division. I can already tell you, him being responsible makes no sense. He would've just gone after more dangerous weapons from within his own department."
"Dr. Moon, however, was a part of the development of that wristband, along with the next one on that list." Winter explained
Hansel looked at the fourth file. It was a woman with a lighter shade of rose-colored hair and magenta colored eyes. She seemed to have a permanent frown on her face. "Dr. Misty Le Fay, a member of Atlas'...chemical weapons department?"
Hansel looked at Winter in disbelief. Winter shook her head. "It's not what you think," she promised, "we're trying to develop weapons we can deploy against the Grimm without having to use actual soldiers."
"I don't think I need to tell you how ethically grey and dangerous it is to be developing chemical weapons even without a mole who could be planning to steal your projects." Hansel told her. "I do believe that chemical warfare was among the many things outlawed after the Great War."
"That may be true, but we're striving to design weapons that only hurt the Grimm." Winter explained. "I can assure you, we're taking all the necessary precautions and not breaking any sort of laws that had been implemented after the Great War. General Ironwood would never outright go against treaty and international laws, professor. We've been very careful about this. We don't want the horrors of the Great War to ever happen again either."
"So you found a loophole." Hansel bluntly noted before sighing. "Look, I won't report this, I've got bigger fish to fry than deliberately causing problems for the headmasters. But make sure General Ironwood knows that he's walking on seriously thin ice making weapons like these."
"But enough about that. This Dr. Le Fay, you said she was one of the people working on the wristband, along with Dr. Moon?"
Winter nodded. "If you don't mind me giving you a recommendation though, you should probably save your interview with Dr. Le Fay for last." She admitted. "She can be…"
"What?" Hansel raised an eyebrow at Winter's words. "Difficult?"
Winter bit her lip before responding. "A bitch." She corrected, nearly making Hansel fall out of his chair in surprise at Winter using such harsh language for someone.
"Okay," Hansel regained his composure and went to the last file, a man who seemed to be somewhere between Dr. Moon and Dr. White's ages. He had shoulder length dark hair and a well-trimmed goatee, with piercing brown eyes. "Dr. Agravain Mahogany, a member of Atlas' Dust Research & Application Department."
Winter briefly looked uncomfortable at the mention of the Dust Research & Application Department. Hansel failed to notice this due to his own fixation on the phrase. Winter regained her composure and spoke up. "Dr. Mahogany can be...rather difficult to deal with as well. I advise you to take...everything that man says with a grain of salt."
"Have you forgotten who you're speaking with, Specialist?" Hansel frowned slightly at Winter's statement. "I've been 'taking people's words with a grain of salt' ever since I started living and training at Beacon."
"Right...that was foolish of me, sorry." Winter sighed. "But either way, I do recommend you interview Dr. White first. He's extremely approachable and helpful. He'll at least give you a decent idea of how to deal with the more difficult scientists with clearance into our vault of secret projects."
"How much do they know?" Hansel asked. "About me being here, I mean."
"They knew as much as the general knew before you fully explained the situation to him." Winter replied. "I can imagine they'll be in for quite a surprise when you tell them what brought you to Atlas, especially Dr. Moon and Dr. Le Fay, considering that wristband was their project."
"They shouldn't be," Hansel shook his head, "they should've known that a secret project found on a guy's corpse would be traced back to them."
"They're definitely not going to like that they're suspects." Winter sighed. "Well, Dr. White and Dr. Polendina will be understanding. But the others…"
"Like I care," Hansel countered, "all they have to do is answer my questions and cooperate with my investigation. From there, it's my job to prove who's guilty and take appropriate action. Seriously, if anyone should be stressed about this matter, it's me. I'm the one with the burden of proof after all."
"Fair enough," Winter acknowledged, "but still, I must advise you not to get too confrontational. It may make them less cooperative."
"This isn't the first time I've had to ask people questions about shady going-ons, Specialist." Hansel told her. "I know how to handle these kinds of situations. Just as long as they cooperate, this whole thing should go over smoothly."
"Now then, would you mind taking me to where the workspace of these scientists is?" Hansel requested. "I'd like to get started as soon as possible, considering I only have a week to investigate this matter."
Winter nodded, rising from her seat. "Follow me," she gestured to Hansel.
Hansel got up from his own chair and followed Winter. With classes now in session, Hansel could not help but notice the increased activity in the hallways. "I'm surprised that the general is willing to keep academy students and military projects in the same building." Hansel admitted.
"The general can't be in two places at once." Winter explained. "Since he has two seats on the council, he has to be. So, we try to keep anything that might require his attention in short proximity."
As the two made their way down the hallways, they were suddenly stopped in place by a sharp voice. "Schnee!" That voice made Winter roll her eyes.
Hansel noticed this and sighed. Great, another person she doesn't like.
Hansel looked over his shoulder and watched as a man dressed in a military uniform similar to Winter's marched towards her. He had a youthful face and shoulder length light green hair with purple eyes. When he saw Hansel's face, his own face contorted into a frown. "How may I assist you, Specialist Kay?" Winter inquired in an overly polite tone of voice.
The man known as Kay folded his arms. "I was hoping I could speak with you before you started babysitting our so-called honored guest." He said, clearly not caring that the honored guest was right in front of him.
"Oh? And what did you want to speak with me, regarding our honored guest?" Winter raised an eyebrow at Kay's tone of voice.
"Well, I was hoping you'd tell him to get the fuck out of here, and that Atlas can solve its own damn problems without his help." Kay continued. "But, it looks like I'm too late for that."
"Right fucking here." Hansel muttered.
Kay got right in Hansel's face. "Something you'd like to say to me?"
Hansel remained surprisingly calm at Kay's behavior. "I'm afraid you'd only waste your time." He explained. "Even if you somehow convinced Specialist Schnee to ask me to leave, I have no intention of doing so. For starters, I already flew all the way out here with my students. And since this trip is just as much for their sake as it is for my own, I can't just turn back."
Kay glared at Hansel. "You are not welcome here, and you will never be welcome here." He spat. "Those who suffered for your family's sins will never forgive you."
"I don't remember asking for forgiveness." Hansel calmly retorted.
"Enough, both of you." Winter said in a calm but stern tone. "Specialist Kay, please do not start any unnecessary arguments with Professor Kobalt. He has a mission outside of his students' welfare, and impeding it will result in a direct reprimand from General Ironwood himself."
Kay scoffed before shoving past Hansel. Hansel allowed himself to be moved, which surprised Winter. Why is he letting Kay push him around like that? She wondered.
"Whether you want forgiveness or not, you'll never get it." Kay vowed. "One day, you'll burn, just like everyone else in that Tragedy."
Hansel heaved a sigh as Kay stormed off. "Pleasant guy." He remarked with biting sarcasm. "Just marches right up, doesn't even say hello, and he just starts bitching."
Winter sighed. "It looks like I'm going to have to warn the general about his behavior." She groaned. "Does he not realize this is meant to fix relations between Vale and Atlas?"
"Who was that guy, anyway?" Hansel asked.
"Specialist Kelly Kay," Winter responded, "as you can tell, he's not exactly the most pleasant fellow to be around. I went to school with him. He was basically that one bully who always tested the drill sergeant's patience in how he treated his fellow cadets. The bullying eventually stopped, but Kay still has a bad habit of getting confrontational with people he really dislikes. The only reason he hasn't been punished is...well, you can't exactly discharge an effective soldier for being an asshole. Only if his attitude leads to discriminatory acts. And several Atlesian Specialists, like myself, do often work alone, with the exception of a few well-known teams, like the Ace-Ops."
"Once again, you with the harsh language." Hansel shook his head.
Winter coughed a bit, blushing slightly. "Just because I know my manners, doesn't mean I don't know when to be blunt." She responded. "Now then, let us continue."
Hansel and Winter continued to walk through the halls of the Academy. As they began to enter an area not many students frequented, Hansel noticed more and more individuals wearing white lab coats. However, in his distracted state, he found himself being stopped once more as a large mass bumped right into him.
"Yow!" Came the voice of a young man.
Hansel did not even flinch from the collision, which allowed Winter to confirm that he actually did allow Kay to just shove him out of the way earlier. Hansel and Winter then got a look at the one responsible. He was a young man, probably a year younger than Hansel. He had disheveled cream-colored hair that betrayed the very nice way he was dressed. He was frantically crawling around looking for something while his pale-purple eyes squinted. "My...my glasses!" He said frantically. "Oh no, where are my glasses? I can't see a thing without them!"
Winter sighed at this turn of events while Hansel spied the young man's glasses. Thankfully, they looked fine. He leaned down and grabbed the glasses. He then addressed the young, scrambling klutz "Hey," he said, "turn around and face me, I've got your glasses right here."
The frantic boy turned to Hansel and managed to make out his glasses in Hansel's hand. "Oh thank you!" He said giddily. "Thank you! Thank you! I'd be useless without these."
Considering that you bumped into me while wearing them, it looks like you're useless with them. Hansel deadpanned as the young man put his glasses back on.
Winter shook her head. "Charles," she said firmly, "do I really have to remind you to watch where you're going again?"
The young man named Charles sputtered at this. "S-sorry Winter...er...Specialist Schnee. I was...a little too excited, I guess."
"Well, at least you're finally remembering protocol." Winter face-palmed. "Here, it's Specialist Schnee. In private, it is still Winter to you."
Hansel raised an eyebrow. "You know this kid?"
Winter nodded. "Allow me to introduce Charles Magnolia, Dr. White's personal assistant. I've known him since he was a little boy."
"But, you can call me Charlie." Charlie Magnolia said politely, waving at Hansel. "Charles just sounds way too formal for my taste. I get down and dirty designing weapons and equipment way too much to be called something super formal like Charles."
"Magnolia? As in the Magnolia Family?" Hansel inquired curiously. "As in the owners of the Magnolia Weapons Company?"
"The very same." Winter nodded. "Charles here is the third son of the Magnolia Family."
"Well, that explains how you would know him." Hansel acknowledged. "The Magnolia Weapons Company and the Schnee Dust Company collaborate quite often in testing new forms of Dust and weaponry."
"Correct," Winter nodded once more, "I've known Charles for years. He was actually a good friend of Weiss' back in the day."
"Ah, yes!" Winter realized something she should tell Charlie. "Charles, you should know that Weiss and her team from Beacon Academy are here this week. You should make some time to say hi if you can."
"Weiss is here?" Charlie's eyes widened behind his glasses. Hansel could see a faint tinge of red on his cheeks. "Oh man! I'm so not prepared for this!"
"You never needed any preparation, Charles." Winter told him.
"I haven't seen Weiss in years!" Charlie frantically noted, ignoring Winter's words. "What am I gonna say to her after all this time?"
"How about 'hello' and 'How have you been?'" Hansel deadpanned.
"Hey, that is perfect!" Charlie cheered. "Thanks a lot, nice guy!"
Charlie then remembered something. "Oh man! I've gotta get back to Dr. White and the other doctors, I promised I'd show them the test results on the latest designs!"
Charlie ran off before Hansel and Winter could say anything else to him. Hansel sweat-dropped at Charlie's behavior. "That kid...marches to the beat of his own drum, huh?" Hansel noted in a matter of fact tone.
"He's always been that way." Winter sighed. "Because he was the third son of the family, Charles never had any chance at inheriting anything of note. His eldest brother, Phillip stands to inherit the company. Meanwhile his other siblings, Johnathan and Zelda are climbing the ranks in the army. So, he's always been focused on his own endeavors."
Hansel shrugged. "Seems like a nice enough kid at least." He acknowledged. "Pretty neurotic though."
"You have no idea." Winter shook her head in exhaustion, remembering all the times she's had to bail Charlie out of situations caused by his own neurotic behavior. "But, he's incredibly intelligent for his age. Some people would actually call him a genius. At least, that's what Dr. White says whenever he talks about Charles as an assistant."
"...Probably should've just had him take us to Dr. White." Hansel sighed, face-palming.
"Just come on, we'll catch up to him." Winter gestured for Hansel to follow him.
The two soon arrived at a large room, where they were greeted by the sight of Charlie speaking with Dr. Glen White, whom Hansel recognized from the file. They were surrounded by three of the other four scientists from the files. The only one absent was…
"Dr. Polendina doesn't seem to be here." Hansel noted.
"Ah, he must be down at his clinic in Mantle." Winter responded. "He...takes time off to help the people there at times."
Hansel shrugged. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter." He conceded. "I'll speak with him eventually, yeah?"
"Of course," Winter nodded, "Dr. Polendina is rather eccentric, but as long as General Ironwood is contacting him directly, he'll come back to Atlas."
Hansel nodded, accepting that answer. Winter then stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Attention, doctors, can I have your attention for a moment?"
All four doctors and Charlie all looked at Winter. Charlie raised a confused eyebrow at the people he had bumped into earlier following him to the research room. "Ah, Specialist Schnee." Dr. White gave Winter a friendly smile before his face contorted into a concerned look. "Oh dear, what's the bad news?"
"I'm...not sure what you mean, Dr. White." Winter frowned.
"Oh, well, usually we don't get a visit from General Ironwood's personal assistant unless there's bad news." Dr. White pointed out before turning to Charlie. "Charlie, why don't you take the day off? Something tells me we won't be getting much work done."
"Eh? Are you sure, Doctor?" Charlie was surprised.
Dr. White gave Charlie a reassuring smile. "It's just as I said, if Specialist Schnee is here, something tells me our plans for today just changed."
"...Very well, Doctor, I'll...take a load off." Charlie sighed before brightening up. "Ooh, this gives me a chance to test one of my new designs! I'll let you know how it goes, Dr. White!"
Charlie sped off, past Hansel and Winter. He stumbled over his own feet, but managed to make it out of the room.
Dr. White laughed. "Ah, the energy and eagerness of youth." He said fondly. "He truly is the finest assistant an old man like myself could ask for."
Dr. White then addressed Winter and Hansel once more. "Now then, since Charlie is no longer in earshot, why don't we all speak candidly of why you are here, Specialist Schnee?" He suggested. "And I take it that this young man is one of the 'guests' from Beacon Academy?"
"That is correct." Hansel said in a polite tone that surprised Winter. "I'm...sure my reputation doesn't leave much mystery to my identity, but if you don't know me, my name is Hansel Kobalt, Beacon Academy's Combat Professor."
Agravain Mahogany shook his head in disbelief. "And here I thought the media had actually been hallucinating when they reported your hire as a teacher." He mused. "Honestly, what is that old man thinking?"
Hansel tensed up at Dr. Mahogany's rudeness towards him and his mentor. Winter sighed at the prickly man's behavior. "Dr. Mahogany," she said, "please do not be so unpleasant to our guest. Professor Kobalt is here with his students to try and repair the damaged relationship between our schools and our kingdoms."
"Che, and we somehow have to be involved?" Misty Le Fay scoffed rudely. "We're actually busy, accomplishing things of note here, you know. We can't exactly take a day off to chat with Professor Kobalt."
"Well, I'm on official Huntsman business. Don't talk to me as a professor, talk to me as a professional Huntsman." Hansel added. "I've come here to investigate a thievery of your secret projects a few weeks ago."
All four present scientists tensed at this. Hansel narrowed his eyes. "Sound familiar?" He asked in an almost taunting manner. "I found your little prisoner wristband on Anthonio Corleone. The necrotoxin that you guys put into it killed the bastard."
"I...see…" Trypan Moon was surprised at this.
Dr. Le Fay scowled. "What exactly do you want to know?" She demanded. "I mean, I'm sure General Ironwood has already told you everything about that prototype. You've got no reason to waste our time."
"I have plenty of reasons." Hansel countered. "You four, Dr. Polendina, and the general, at the moment, are prime suspects of the theft. As of now, you're all suspected of stealing secret military technology for your own ends."
All four scientists gazed at Hansel in shock. Winter did the same, not expecting him to come forward so bluntly. "Outrageous!" Dr. Mahogany yelled. "Damn brat! You can't just accuse us of…"
"I'm not accusing you of anything." Hansel folded his arms. "You're only suspects right now, because you all are the ones with access to that vault. That means, the burden of proof is on my shoulders, not yours. All I want to do right now is to ask each of you some questions about the night the wristband was stolen, why any of you would want to take it for yourself, that kind of stuff. I know it may not seem like it, but I take this kind of stuff seriously."
"I'm not the type to actually accuse someone unless I'm one hundred percent confident." Hansel revealed. "But make no mistake, I will treat you like a suspect until I've either proven you innocent or guilty. And I can do such because I have General Ironwood's express permission to find the one responsible for this."
"And does General Ironwood know he's a suspect as well?" Dr. Moon asked curiously.
"I'll be speaking with him on the matter after I'm done with all of you." Hansel promised. "But, since you all are the closest involved with Atlas's secret projects, I'll be focusing on clearing your names...or condemning you first."
As Hansel confronted four of the six important people in his investigation, Team RWBY went about their first morning at Atlas Academy. Their first class had been military history, under the direction of a retired general from Mistral who had emigrated to Atlas by the name of Jin Tzu.
Ruby could not help but gaze at Professor Tzu's chalkboard in awe as it said four simple words: The Art of Battle. "The Art of Battle," Tzu began, "is quite simple."
"Professor Tzu, we learned this at the start of the year." One Atlesian student pointed out.
"Perhaps, but we have four new students joining us for the week." Tzu replied. "So, I feel it appropriate to have a brief moment of review for the sake of our comrades from Beacon Academy."
"So, then what is the Art of Battle, Professor?" Ruby asked curiously. "I think our Combat Professor might have told something quite similar."
"The Art of Battle Ms...Rose, was it? Yes, Ms. Rose, the Art of Battle can be boiled down to two simple statements. The first is: 'force your enemy to submit.' The second is: 'steel yourself to never submit.'" Tzu explained.
Weiss then politely raised her hand. "Professor Kobalt is trying to instill such an attitude into our minds." She acknowledged. "To him, the most important thing a Huntsman can achieve is results. Would you say that is similar to your 'Art of Battle' philosophy?"
"Your professor truly understands battle if that is what he is telling you." Tzu acknowledged. "Results equal victory. However, here is where it gets complicated, students. Grimm cannot be forced to submit. The first statement of the Art of Battle is now meaningless."
"So what then?" Yang wondered.
"Simple, you must focus entirely on the second part: 'steel yourself to never submit.'" Tzu replied. "If the Grimm will not submit, you cannot either. And this goes for any kind of battle you fight. Regardless of the opponent you face, you need to enter a battle with the mental fortitude to say to yourself: 'I will not give up, no matter the circumstances.'"
"But what if it becomes strategically wise to retreat?" Blake asked curiously.
"Then you accept defeat, reflect on your failures and try again once more." Tzu replied. "But know this. Quite often, you won't get a second chance. The kind of world we live in doesn't often provide second chances. More often than not, we only get one chance to do it right. How many generals from the Great War wished they had a second chance?"
"They didn't get it." Tzu reminded them. "Their troops were slaughtered because of poor planning and the fact that their opponent's will had been stronger than theirs."
"And that is why you must remember to force your enemy to submit, and make sure you do not do the same." Tzu concluded. "Use your weapon with the intent to win and protect. You fight with that mindset, then you have already given yourself an advantage in battle."
"But what if two foes are equal in that will, Professor Tzu?" Ruby asked curiously. "If the Grimm don't give up because they lack the mind to submit, how do we win?"
"We win by not losing, Ms. Rose." Tzu replied.
"But...doesn't that just put us in an endless conflict?" Ruby wondered, making the Atlesian students murmur in annoyance at her questions.
"Ms. Rose, it's not wrong to wish to put an end to this cycle of war with the creatures of darkness." Tzu shook his head. "But you must look at this situation one piece at a time. You cannot expect to save the world if you cannot even survive. And you cannot even survive if you are not looking at battle with the correct mindset. Tell me, do you climb a ladder by leaping right to the top rung? Of course not. You climb one rung at a time, starting at the bottom."
"When the Great War started each kingdom had foolishly believed it would be a short war. Consequently, the first battles were disastrous on both sides. The highest casualties were in those battles. Simply because all parties had failed to understand the Art of Battle."
"I...see…" Ruby murmured.
Tzu gave Ruby an empathetic gaze. "As I have told you, Ms. Rose, it's not wrong to want to put an end to this never ending war of ours." He promised. "But having a goal is one thing. It's another to actually have a plan. If you don't have a plan, you can't reach that goal. So instead, focus on what you can do for now."
"Win by not losing...until you find a way to win by winning. And to not lose...means to steel yourself to never submit. The Art of Battle, Ms. Rose."
Ruby knew that Professor Tzu brought up valid points. But she still had a problem with the mindset itself. That mindset...was why people like her mom still kept dying out there.
Meanwhile, Hansel took a seat across Dr. White. Winter quickly sad down next to the Beacon Professor. Hansel quickly laid his scroll out on the table in front of him. "Okay, and we are now recording." Hansel announced. "I am speaking with Dr. Glen White, high-ranking Atlesian scientist and leader of the classified projects team, put together by...yourself and General Ironwood. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct." Dr. White replied.
"Now, to begin, Dr. White, how often do you enter the vault to work on these classified projects?" Hansel inquired curiously.
"As often as the rest of my team does." Dr. White replied. "And the five of us, and General Ironwood are the only ones with the clearance to enter. I don't even allow Charlie to enter, and he's my assistant."
"Good, I didn't want to have to name him a suspect." Hansel nodded
"How many hours a week do you work on classified projects?" He continued.
"Let's see. Usually we spend about two or three hours a day. The total weekly hours vary, but I'd say between 10-15 hours." Dr. White replied. "However, those numbers tend to go up when we hit a breakthrough on one of these projects."
"Like the wristband?" Hansel raised an eyebrow. "How many hours did you put into that thing after your 'breakthrough?'"
"Well, after we were able to safely design a compartment that could hold and then inject necrotoxin. We spent about...four to five hours a day developing it."
"And during that time, did anyone in your team express any particular interest in the status of the wristband?" Hansel asked curiously. "I mean, there's water cooler talk, isn't there?"
"Ah, you mean like in your average office. Well, Dr. Moon and Dr. Le Fay were of course very interested, since it was their design in the first place." Dr. White said cooperatively. "Though, I will say, Pietro often spoke with me in private about discontinuing the wristband's development."
"Pietro Polendina?"
"Yes," Dr. White nodded, "Pietro warned me constantly that creating these wristbands to corral prisoners was a dangerous precedent to set. I guess he was right in the end."
Hansel hummed at this. Winter looked at Hansel in surprise. "You don't think this makes Dr. Polendina seem more suspicious, do you?" She asked incredulously.
Hansel sighed. "I'm sure Dr. Polendina is a swell guy." He promised. "However, I will say this, the ones who are typically guilty are the ones who project the most. Perhaps Dr. Polendina constantly tried to get the project discontinued because he wanted to deflect any future suspicion."
"That's purely circumstantial." Winter reminded him.
"That it is," Hansel acknowledged, "but to do this right...I need to consider every kind of possibility."
"Anyway, what about yours and Dr. Mahogany's views on the project?" Hansel asked.
"I simply follow orders, Professor Kobalt." Dr. White replied. "I'll admit, I was rather uncertain about the project myself. But when General Ironwood and the rest of the higher-ups saw its 'worth', I had no choice but to relent. But, I kept a close eye on development in my own way. I needed to make sure it was designed in a way that could not be replicated too easily."
"So you micromanaged the shit out of Dr. Le Fay and Dr. Moon." Hansel deadpanned.
Dr. White laughed. "Yes, yes I did." He acknowledged. "I had no choice. Dr. Moon is young, and wants to prove himself. Dr. Le Fay is also young, but she can also be rather...ruthless at times."
"How so?" Hansel asked curiously.
"Dr. Le Fay strongly believes in using any means necessary to accomplish the greater good." Dr. White acknowledged. "In spite of her difficulties to be around, that drive is why I find it hard to believe she's responsible. Same with Dr. Moon."
"And Dr. Mahogany?"
"Dr. Mahogany focuses almost entirely on his own projects. He's quite distant with the rest of the team if he does not see any worth in his own involvement." Dr. White sighed. "If he wasn't one of the best in Dust science, I wouldn't have him on the team. But, that's politics, you put the best, most popular people in positions of power. And Dr. Mahogany is one of those people...er, maybe take that part out of the recording."
"Now, this is a rather loaded question," Hansel got back on track, "do you have any reason to believe that your fellow scientists could be committing treason by supplying prototype weapons from your 'secret projects' vault to terrorist cells?"
Dr. White sighed. "I don't have any reason to believe that, Professor." He admitted. "Pietro is far too good a man to get involved in something so dastardly. Dr. Le Fay and Dr. Moon are both extremely ambitious people, but they wouldn't ruin their career paths for...whatever it is they'd be compensated with. And Dr. Mahogany openly despises treasonous acts. He actually once told me that an appropriate punishment for someone convicted of treason would be to cover them in fire dust and then light the dust on fire."
Hansel's eyes widened at Agravain Mahogany's dark personality. "Now, is that all you have to ask me?" Dr. White asked.
"At this point, yes." Hansel nodded. "However, I will be asking you more questions as the investigation goes along and I find new clues."
Classes have now changed. Team RWBY was now learning about anatomy of all things from their newest professor. "Now, there are two different applications for learning anatomy on the battlefield. Team RWBY, would you like to tell me about these two applications?" Atlas' anatomy professor, a portly bear Faunus by the name of Winfried Honeydew, inquired.
Blake, being more experienced in matters of life and death, was the one to answer. "Well, healing and killing." She replied.
"That is correct," Honeydew responded, "understanding human anatomy can not only provide you the knowledge you need to heal the injuries of your comrades. However, it can also give you the knowledge of how to effectively incapacitate, and in certain cases, kill your foes."
"For example, the necks of many Grimm tend to be quite vulnerable to a certain killshot." Honeydew continued. "And, in the case of a human being, you want to aim for the largest center of mass before focusing on vitals I know in the movies it looks cool to cut the head off or to shoot guns out of the hands of your foes, but I can assure you, it's a lot harder than it looks."
"First and foremost, aim for the largest center of mass. Once you've stunned them with a blow to the center, incapacitate or kill your foes by going for the vulnerable weak points."
"Now then, we are going to simulate this. I want you all to come down, one at a time, and we will see if you can incapacitate your foe quickly. The one with the best grade for this practical lesson will be the one with the best time."
Meanwhile, Hansel looked at Trypan Moon in surprise. "Dr. Mahogany said all of that?" Hansel wanted Moon to confirm what he had said.
"Yeah, Agravain's pretty blunt, huh? He couldn't stand that we were focusing so much on building better methods to keep the criminal element contained. To him, prisons were already working, especially the maximum security ones that were placed in the coldest areas. To him, our resources, time and effort was better spent on coming up with better ways to fight the Grimm."
"And yet you and Dr. Le Fay continued working on the project, why?" Hansel asked curiously.
"Well, I can't speak for Misty, but I wanted to come up with a way where we could keep our inmate population under control with a minimum amount of manpower." Dr. Moon admitted. "See, prisons are a hotbed for negativity. Our prisons are in constant danger of being attacked because of that."
"The hope was," Dr. Moon continued, "by mass-producing these wristbands, we could transfer our prison population into prisons near the general population, so that the negativity prisons tend to produce would be counterbalanced by the general positivity here in Atlas. And in doing so, we can better protect the people protecting us."
Dr. Moon sighed in frustration. "What we did not expect was the wristband being stolen."
"Do you think Dr. Mahogany could have been motivated by a desire to ruin yours and Dr. Le Fay's credibility? Perhaps by handing certain tech to terrorist cells, he could discredit you and place the focus back on his own inventions."
Dr. Moon shook his head. "It's true that some doctors in Atlas have been motivated by such greed over the years. There was once a doctor from Pietro's early days that was known for being rather...self serving."
"But not Agravain," Dr. Moon continued, "all he wants is to make sure that our efforts actually come up with ways to help the people around us...even if he is rather prickly about it sometimes."
Meanwhile, back with Team RWBY, classes changed once more. "Remember, marksmanship is not about pulling off the cool hipshots!" Atlas Marksmanship professor Kidd Windsor declared to his class. "It's about poise and precision. Take General Ironwood for example. The man has to constantly move around while using that revolver of his, and yet his arm always stays steady."
"That is why in this simulation, when you fire on targets, you receive more points for taking your time and aiming for bullseyes, rather than just firing randomly. Quality over quantity." Windsor continued before addressing Ruby. "Ms. Rose, I couldn't help but notice at the Vytal Festival, you were using a scythe with sniper rifle attachments."
"Er...yes?"
"Good, show the class how you fire with poise and precision." Windsor ordered. "And remember, do not focus on speed in this simulation. Focus on precision. If you cannot bring your opponents down in one shot, there is no point in even having gun attachments. Just fight with melee combat if that's the case."
"In the case of Huntsmen, guns are not meant to be what end the battle. They simply make the real fight easier. Guns are equalizers, but the sword is the problem solver."
Meanwhile, Hansel narrowed his eyes at Dr. Misty Le Fay. "You can glare at me all you want, but you're not leaving until you answer my questions."
Dr. Le Fay rolled her eyes, lighting a cigarette. "Well, then I guess I'm just going to have to tell the general that you're holding me unfairly."
Hansel was taken aback by how uncooperative Dr. Le Fay was acting. So this was what Winter had warned him about. She was a total bitch. "General Ironwood has given me full permission to investigate this matter as I see fit, Doctor." Hansel told her.
Dr. Le Fay scowled, taking a drag of her cigarette. "Then it seems General Ironwood just doesn't have an appreciation for mine or the rest of my team's talents." She concluded. "What we're developing actually makes a difference in saving lives you know."
Hansel subtly bit his bottom lip to avoid responding to that. He did not agree with that statement at all. However, if he continued arguing with this woman, he would never get anything done. Winter almost spoke up, demanding that Dr. Le Fay cooperated with them. She did not exactly care whether she liked her or not. She did not even like her.
Then she remembered who she was dealing with. An egotistical, narcissistic bitch. She almost gave Hansel a smile before remembering that subtlety was the key here. "I guess that means you're of no use to us." She sighed. "And here I thought you'd have something for us, Dr. Le Fay."
Dr. Le Fay looked insulted at this. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes.
Winter folded her arms. "I just would've thought that you of all people would've noticed something strange. Something that could pin suspicion on someone. But the fact that you're refusing to cooperate...well, that probably means you have nothing for us and you're too proud to admit it."
"Excuse you?!" Dr. Le Fay looked indignant now. "Who are you to assume that, Specialist?"
Hansel looked at Winter in surprise. She was on a role now. "Am I wrong or not? If I'm wrong, please tell me. No, prove it to me."
Dr. Le Fay growled before responding. "That oily bastard, Mahogany, constantly advocated for mine and Moon's wristband to be dismissed completely." She revealed. "If anyone's stealing weapons and giving them to terrorists, it's him. I wouldn't put it past the guy to deliberately sell weapons to discredit his fellow researchers. Though knowing him, it's for some other convoluted reason than just mere treason."
"What do you mean?" Winter asked.
"Mahogany is a true patriot of Atlas," Dr. Le Fay acknowledged, "so if he is the guy you're looking for, he's probably specifically targeting stuff like the wristbands to deliberately sabotage the criminal element."
A good idea in theory, but deliberately giving weapons to terrorists...if such a plan fails, we could have dead civilians. Dr. Mahogany has to know that...Winter noted to herself.
"Has he been making any extra trips to the vault?" Hansel suddenly asked, now seeing that Winter had managed to use reverse psychology to get Dr. Le Fay to talk.
Dr. Le Fay sighed. "Not that I know of. But I will say that he is usually the last man to leave. Probably because he's always trying to get his own little experiments in Dust right."
"What kind of experiments?" Hansel suddenly asked.
"Maybe ask the good doctor himself." Dr. Le Fay responded, returning to her abrasive personality. "They're his projects, not mine."
Team RWBY, meanwhile, watched in awe as the winning team dealt the final blow to their compatriots in combat class. Their teamwork was flawless. Like an actual military unit. And to be fair, the losing team's teamwork was flawless as well.
The Combat Professor of Atlas Academy, a gruff looking instructor by the name of Liver Hartman, quickly declared the winners and immediately shot into questions pertaining to what the winners did right and what the losers did wrong.
Ruby's ears were drawn to the snickering of a certain four-man team sitting near them. "Well, I can tell you one thing they definitely did wrong. They weren't us." A young man who was clearly the leader said derisively. "Now that the flu's passed us over, we're taking back our place as the strongest team in Atlas."
Ruby looked at the snickering cadets. Those four considered themselves the strongest in Atlas? There was no way in hell…
"You're the last one, Dr. Mahogany." Hansel, meanwhile, addressed Agravain Mahogany.
"So it would seem," Dr. Mahogany acknowledged with a nod, "let me guess, do my fellow scientists suspect me out of everyone?"
"And what if they do?" Hansel raised an eyebrow.
"Bah, well Glen definitely didn't say anything. He's far too nice for something like that. But Trypan and Misty...those two have never liked that I've constantly advocated to see their projects shut down. It's no wonder they'd suspect me."
"They also referred to you as a true patriot." Hansel added.
"That's because unlike them, my projects are actually meant to better protect the soldiers who risk their lives for elitist snobs like the Schnees and the Magnolias." Dr. Mahogany claimed.
"Right, your Dust-related projects."
"You of all people should understand, Professor Kobalt." Dr. Mahogany noted.
Hansel narrowed his eyes. "The only thing I understand is that high-end technology means nothing if it's in the wrong hands, Dr. Mahogany. That's why I'm here today."
"Now tell me, is it true that you stay the longest out of all the scientists involved in the military's secret projects?"
"Of course," Dr. Mahogany nodded, "no reason to lie about that. I want to make sure that all my efforts don't go to waste in the testing stage. I outright refuse to test anything unless I'm a hundred percent certain it will succeed."
"Is that all you've done while staying late?" Hansel asked.
"I'm not sure I follow."
"Thieves often case the joints they're going to hit." Hansel pointed out. "Were you perhaps studying the patterns of the guards?"
"It sounds like you've already concluded I'm the guilty party, Professor Kobalt." Dr. Mahogany noted to Hansel.
"I haven't concluded anything, Doctor." Hansel promised.
Dr. Mahogany sighed. "Well, I'm afraid you won't figure out anything by asking us the usual questions. Like where we were the night that wristband was stolen. I can tell you where we all were. Everyone present had all gone home at their usual time. Pietro, knowing him, had gone to his clinic in Mantle. And I myself had gone home around the time Private Brunswick and Private Eerie had arrived for guard duty. I even saw them enter."
"Brunswick had been the prime suspect until he had been found dead. The coroner's report stated he had died before the theft. What do you make of that?" Hansel asked.
"Hard to say," Dr. Mahogany shrugged, "my expertise lies in the field of Dust, not medicine. A piece of advice though, Professor, if you really want to catch this thief, you need to stop thinking conventionally. Because clearly this case is not by any means conventional."
"Can't argue with that, based on the autopsy report." Hansel acknowledged.
"I heard about what happened to Brunswick. Ghastly business," Dr. Mahogany, in spite of his own ghoulish appearance, shuddered.
"Let me ask you this then," Hansel got back on track, "out of every project you're currently working on, what can you see this mole stealing next?"
Dr. Mahogany thought the matter forward. "There are a couple projects that I'm admittedly concerned about." He admitted. "For starters, we're working on a sort of 'anti-matter gun' that can punch through the flesh of a Grimm more easily. We're trying to use Fire Dust to get it right."
"Furthermore, there are two vastly different prototypes for bullets that Trypan is working on. He's currently putting the final touches on prototypes for Aura-piercing rounds, as well as Aura-disrupting rounds."
"You know," Hansel narrowed his eyes, "the more I hear about these projects you people are working on, the more I can't help but worry what the Altas military plans to use them for."
"Professor, I can assure you, we're just as dedicated to peace as everyone else is. We are all fully aware of the horrors of the Great War thanks to the history books and our own ancestors providing cautionary tales to us." Dr. Mahogany promised. "None of us want that to happen again."
"That being said, I'm sure you're aware of the powder keg the world is sitting on right now." Dr. Mahogany continued. "The Vytal Festival brought that powder keg to light. People are worried, and rightfully so. We need stronger weapons in order to better protect the public."
"I can understand that, but bullets that disrupt and pierce right through Aura?" Hansel raised an eyebrow.
"Call it a bit of paranoia on our part, but something tells me that woman who perpetrated the whole incident wasn't alone." Dr. Mahogany offered. "Now wouldn't that be terrifying?"
Hansel stiffened at this, remembering that horrible voice from his nightmares. He then regained his composure and nodded. "Yes," he said, "that would be...pretty scary."
The questions continued. The accumulation of knowledge continued. And then...it was lunch time. Team RWBY could not help but groan in relief as they made their way to the mess hall for lunch.
"I...cannot believe that the cadets go through all this on a daily basis." Yang admitted, rubbing her temples. "I think I've got a headache from everything we learned today. Like, my head's been stuffed to full capacity.
"Well, on the plus side, I think we're actually learning something." Weiss offered. "It's always great to hear new viewpoints on how to conduct ourselves as Huntresses?"
"What do you think, Ruby?" Yang asked curiously. "I mean, you've been the most excited about this out of all of us."
Ruby thought it over. "To be honest," she said, "it was kind of a hit-or-miss thing for me. I definitely didn't feel like they should have gone back to basics for us. I mean, we already know the basics, right?"
"Ruby, they don't just become Huntsmen though, they become soldiers first, most of the time." Blake reminded her. "They probably have to constantly drill in the basics so that they develop good habits as soldiers."
Ruby frowned. "I guess that makes sense." She conceded. "And considering what the professor's been trying to drill into our heads back at Beacon, I guess I can appreciate some of the lessons they're trying to teach."
"Agreed," Weiss nodded, "the anatomy lessons...while rather morbid, were also quite informative. Same with the marksmanship lessons. We get so wrapped up in how fast paced the fights are, we tend to forget that effective marksmanship comes from steady precision."
"And I can't deny that Professor Tzu's Art of Battle is good to keep in mind for the future." Blake added.
"Yeah, that Art of Battle thing was nice, but why does everyone have to just...accept that we're not going to win for a long time? If we even win at all?" Ruby wondered.
"Ruby, I know why you're bothered by all that, but Professor Tzu was right about one thing," Yang said, "you can't really reach your goal without a plan. And you certainly can't reach your goal if you aren't even able to get past step 1, which in your case is to survive."
Ruby sighed, knowing that her big sister brought up a decent point. "Yeah, I know, but still…"
Ruby was suddenly cut off by the sound of a young man yelping. Team RWBY looked to see a young man falling over in front of them, a pair of glasses sliding in front of their feet. "Gah, not again, my glasses." The young man muttered, trying to reach for his glasses.
"Umm, right here." Ruby said, reaching down to grab the glasses.
She quickly handed the glasses to the young man. "Ah, thank you!" He said, putting his glasses on. "Much better!"
He smiled awkwardly at them. "Umm...hi?" He said nervously.
Weiss let out a small gasp, recognizing the young man. "Charlie?"
A.N: Charlie Magnolia, ladies and gentlemen, the most adorkable and klutzy character I've designed yet. And all the other new characters were a lot of fun to add too. We had characters based on Winnie the Pooh, the Drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket, and even characters from Arthurian Legend.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If you did, you should check out my original work. My novel: Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple, is available on Amazon Kindle.