86

Chapter 86Chapter Text

"Well now, that is concerning," Ozpin stated dryly as he sipped at his cocoa, watching General Ironwood's fleet descend on Beacon amidst the tide of incoming student from the other Academies- Shade, Haven, Atlas, even some of the smaller schools around the area that could afford to send their students- even Team CRDL, who had been in the tender mercies of Watchtower Academy, had shown their faces around campus again, if the security cameras strewn about campus were any indication. "That is a much larger fleet than the last time the General came by."

"Quite. Ironwood always did like bringing his work with him," Glynda deadpanned, pushing her glasses up and frowning at her scroll as she reviewed the goings on around Vale- specifically, the amount of criminal reports lately. Dust robberies had dropped off, Roman Torchwick had gone to ground, Qrow's reports from Mountain Glenn stated that there was a large congregation of grimm heading underground of all things, along with a lot of covered vehicles entering from barely cleared wooded routes that hadn't been maintained in literal decades- perhaps even before Glynda was born. There'd been a murder out in the middle of Vale's commercial district, a bookstore owner stabbed in the neck and bled out in his own shop.

Terrible how fast things seemed to deteriorate into chaos, some years… and the Vale PD were refusing to investigate beyond just taping off the shop and contacting what few emergency contacts the man had, all because he was a faunus, though Glynda didn't know what kinda as that wasn't listed in the report. Maybe a big cat, like a puma?

Poor man. 

"He certainly is busy- and I imagine that he received the worst possible interpretation of why we ended up covering up what happened at the docks some months ago. We will no doubt have to deal with quite a few inquiries as to how and why Miss Rose happened to dismember a notorious terrorist like Adam Taurus," Ozpin sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as he turned and pressed the button that would allow access to his office. "Quite an eyesore though. Really, hasn't he heard of subtlety?"

Before Glynda could answer, the door opened and one James Ironwood, General of the Atlesian Military, entered with a cordial wave.

"Ozpin! It's been too long, old friend!" Ironwood smiled, sauntering in quite casually for a man so usually uptight as he was- under the privacy of Ozpin's office, Glynda supposed he felt the ability to be more open, more relaxed. Unfortunately, it also made her like him less because he always felt the need to flirt with her. 

Case in point-

"Good to see you again, General," Ozpin stated dryly as he shook Ironwood's hand, returning the smile with a slightly smaller one of his own and a curt nod. 

"Please, no need for formalities! And Glynda- it really has been too long since we last met," James grinned wider, winking at Glynda… to which she simply rolled her eyes and huffed.

"James. I'll be outside," Glynda shook her head, leaving the two men swiftly behind as she walked out of the office- she had new student orientations to conduct, dorms to unlock, paperwork to file, and Team RWBY, JNPR, and CMNE to hopefully convince not to cause untold amounts of chaos around campus with their antics. Really, how were they the most rowdy of the bunch when there were so many other Teams that were utterly normal with their incidents?

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit," James stated idly, shaking his head before turning back to Ozpin with a slightly more serious expression. "Oz, what the hell is going on in your school? I heard about the docks- I know your students were there. I know one of my students was there and the report I got from her is somehow less barebones than the ones I got off of the police network. What happened . Why or how is Ruby Rose listed as still alive and as a wolf faunus when both of us knew damn well that Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long are both very, very human? And why is it that everything I've found of her on public record states that she has something to do with the grimm?"

"That… is classified," Ozpin stated, grimacing slightly and pouring himself another cup of cocoa. "There are things going on that may help our cause, but I cannot tell you- not without Qrow's explicit approval."

"What does Qrow have to do with this?" James asked, narrowing his eyes as he stepped forward and watched carefully as Ozpin sat down in his chair, standing with his hands behind his back whilst trying to puzzle out a clue from something- anything- that the man had left on his desk. Which… wasn't much. Not even any papers to be signed. Of course Beacon was going semi-paperless. 

"Everything, considering it extensively involves his family members and their connections," Ozpin answered, sipping his cocoa as he pulled out a scroll and began tapping away, giving James half his attention before he set the scroll down and projected an image of Ruby Rose into the air- as her student file indicated, faunus traits and all. "I can tell you this much- Ruby Rose is a dedicated student, a remarkably skilled Huntress in training, and is every bit as kind hearted and caring as her mother. No matter what threat you've made up in your mind, trust that I have been keeping an eye on her, and that she is safe ."

"I suppose I can take your word for it for now," James sighed, not quite glaring, but not quite accepting it either as he strode to the side of the room and retrieved a chair, lowering himself into it slowly before turning back to Ozpin. "Now, explain to me again why you decided to hamstring every single one of my attempts to return Penny to Atlas over the last semester? She is an Atlesian Military Asset and for the last five months since she managed to somehow deploy to Beacon an entire semester early you've done nothing but stymie every attempt at bringing her back- why?"

"Because Penny Polendina deserves to be more than a military asset. She is a young girl with a mind, body, and soul of her own, James. I took the initiative to ensure that she could experience school life with friends, trusted companions, a Team that cares for her, and without the rigid, dehumanizing structure that the Atlesian Military so favors," Ozpin shot back, folding his hands in front of his face and staring down the general as if daring him to say something. He stayed silent for a moment, keeping every air of being completely calm despite his eyes flashing with implied emotion. "Military asset she may be, but you decided to design a tool with a mind, a soul, and a voice. Therefore, she should be allowed to be human - or as close as she deigns to be."

"I-... no, you are right. I don't like the lack of control, but… I have had this argument with Pietro before. And… I suppose he was correct too. Penny… is more than just a machine. Even she deserves to be among the people she'll one day protect," James backed down, nodding as he seemingly changed his mind on the spot- knowing that nothing he said would budge Ozpin's opinion, even if he felt that Penny's time was better spent training and preparing her for the role of being the Winter Maiden. Friends and family could come after they'd averted the end of the world that would likely happen within their lifetimes. "I can agree to that much, but why not let her do it in Atlas, in her home?"

"I daresay she views Patch as more of a home than Atlas, now," Ozpin deadpanned, eyes twinkling with amusement as he took another sip of his cocoa with a hidden smirk, leaning back in his chair with a smug aura that spoke volumes.

James sighed, rubbing his temple. "Right. Because she somehow ended up in a relationship with Ruby Rose- who you refuse to tell me about more than the basics. How is she a faunus? I've met Team STRQ. And as much as Tai and Summer were open proponents for faunus rights and equality, I can't imagine that they would have somehow produced a faunus child. And… how did Penny even meet her anyway?"

"From what I recall, they literally bumped into each other in an alleyway and then fought crime together at the docks that same night," Ozpin answered cryptically, continuing to offer bland, unassuming answers to James' questions- until Qrow came back from his mission in Mountain Glenn, neither of them would get further along that line of inquiry. "And please, do stop intercepting Miss Polendina's messages to her father. At least allow her that much privacy over what's intended to be a secure line?"

"I haven't tapped Pietro's messages," James fired back, eye twitching slightly as he scoffed at the idea. "Even I'm not so paranoid as to monitor all messages for classified secrets, not with them. No- Penny found out about social media while she was in Patch and started an account on Cheeper linked with Miss Rose's. There are… more than a few photos of her kissing Miss Rose. And memes."

"... ah. Well. I suppose it's much less morally dubious to follow someone on social media than it is to keep track of her father's communications," Ozpin cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, looking to the side for a moment whilst suppressing a jolt of laughter that had nearly left his lips- not that he needed to seem stoic in front of James whilst in the privacy of his own office, but he'd really rather not choke on his own beverage because someone said something funny while he was drinking. 

"Mhmm."

Ozpin hummed as he spoke next, changing the subject to something all the more ominous as he leaned forward and set his cup down. Shadows seemed to darken the room, as if the mere mention of their opposition to their longtime enemy was enough to call a fragment of her presence down. 

"Now- about the subject of you bringing so much of the Atlesian fleet with you…"

[Idle reminder that both Penny and Ruby posted this]

[I don't remember if I've posted this in any previous chapters so I'm gonna post it now because it's also kind of a serotonin button]