36

 165Chapter 36

Glynda was considering whether or not she should take a fourth coffee.

Dealing with the mess left by her students really made her wish that she could simply suspend all of them for a month and be done with it.

Unfortunately, two of the participants weren't even her students and while Leo did tell her to throw Wukong under house arrest in case he keeps causing troubles, she really didn't want to argue with James over his charge's involvement. All things considered, he might have actually approved or even said that they were too soft.

She also had to excuse Nikos and Amitola, they were simply following orders of their less than responsible team leaders and didn't do anything outrageous on their own.

Xiao Long should face some consequences for bringing an unregistered weapon but Glynda was sure that both Ozpin and the girl herself would ignore all of it.

Belladonna already received a lecture from Oz but as if that would help. Knowing him, he might have actually emboldened her to do it again, only better.

Rose took the whole responsibility for their improvised mission and a small part of her was actually quite impressed with her thinking and a decent after-action report. She was sure that neither Tai or Qrow taught her that Tai could barely make one on a good day and Qrow hadn't written one down in almost a decade.

The main concern was Schnee, especially her conduct and general disregard for the values that huntsmen stand for. She had half a mind to expel her from Beacon and send her back to Atlas.

Like that would ever go down unnoticed… Ozpin already had to go through a lot of troubles to keep the incident low-key but if they punished a Schnee heiress for fighting against a terrorist organizantion people would be on her side even without her father pulling oh his propaganda machine. And nobody would care about the excessive brutality. Even worse, her own team was strangely okay with what she had done. Nikos was the only one who showed some concern but the two sisters barely cared, Ruby only checking that she didn't kill or permanently cripple any of them.

-BBW-

The last week of school before the break started out quite hectically. Everyone except Nora and Ren were emotionally and physically exhausted, combat class was being substituted by a fourth-year student due to Goodwitch having a call of duty and plenty of rumors were going around the school about some sort of a gang battle at the docks.

They knew that Goodwitch was most likely away because of them and was now dealing with the aftermath. Although Blake was slightly insulted that their intervention was buried under a bunch of rumors.

The dynamic between teams had also become rather strained, mostly due to Weiss avoiding both her and Ilia. Ruby, who missed Weiss' attempted homicide, didn't really know what was happening but tried to bring them all together nonetheless even if she was being called by the Vale's police or Goodwitch to clear up some details of their operation.

"Blake." A clipped voice called out from behind her as she was walking down the hallway.

"Weiss." She demurely answered, trying to sound as apologetic as she could.

"I want to talk." She was looking into her eyes with conviction. She took a look around before continuing. "Somewhere else."

Blake curtly nodded and followed the shorter girl.

They ended up on the roof of the cafeteria. Normally the students wouldn't have access here but with the general disregard for rules unless they were actively enforced neither of them gave it any mind. The air was slightly chilly but it was a small price to pay for privacy.

Blake had expected something like this to happen sooner or later. She was ready for a slew of accusations, a verbal or even physical beating or even Weiss trying to arrest her and bring it up with the headmaster. Who was definitely more informed about her past than she would have liked… What she didn't expect was Weiss to look so uncomfortable and to lowly mumble out:

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"What?" Blake asked, wide-eyed. "But why? You had every right to be angry! What White fa- what we did was-"

"You misunderstand." Weiss interrupted her. Her eyes grew much colder in an instant. "I'm not apologizing for the things I said about the White Fang nor my treatment of them. I apologize for how I reacted to you and Ilia coming out with the truth. I should have given you a chance to explain yourself before resulting to violence." Her expression turned more somber. "I…with all the fighters that were there. It brought up some memories and when you said that you were once a member I… I'm sorry."

"No don't… I didn't handle it better myself." It wasn't fair for Weiss to take all of the blame. "Wait a second. You were angry over me being in a Fang and not about me hiding being a faunus?"

"Oh that? I already knew."

Blake's shoulders slumped as she took a deep calming breath. "Is there any person left who didn't figure it out?"

"Eh, I don't know." Weiss shot her a small smile. "Pyrrha seemed quite surprised. As for me… you weren't exactly in control of your body when Ruby was having her way with you. Your bow kept twitching and I just connected the dots."

Blake shot her a glare at the gall to bring it up again. "Whatever… Weiss. You don't need to apologize so much. Not for this. Besides, we knew that you wouldn't go through with it."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. If Ilia told me that she was involved with her former buddies storming my home and trying to kill me and my brother I was fully capable of shooting her." Weiss switched into what Blake and Ilia were jokingly calling 'Ice Queen mode'. "Blake, my immediate family is already a mess and I will not tolerate an angry mob making it even worse. Although if you want some peace of mind, Ilia would probably survive."

"Because Yang would have stopped you." She half stated, half asked.

"I was thinking Ruby. Yang… maybe she would, maybe not. She is actually worse in this regard than me. If it was Ruby who got hurt by fangies then we would have to tell the police to bring a lot of body-bags."

"That sounds… really wrong."

"You tell me! She is my girlfriend and I'm still only in second place. And will probably stay there forever… It's sweet of her to care about Ruby so much but for the love of brothers, she doesn't need a guardian angel with her own slew of issues." Weiss huffed. "The only reason Yang would have stopped me, would be because me killing somebody would make Ruby upset."

-BBW-

"And where do you think you are going?"

Mercury and Emerald begrudgingly stopped and turned around. Roman, even after his colossal failure, was still technically in charge around here so they had to listen to him. Unless Cinder was around, that is.

"We just decided to deal with the problem you've been ignoring." Mercury shot back, a condescending smirk plastered on his face.

"Really?" He smiled back at him, a cigar in the corner of his mouth. "And did your mommy tell you to deal with it or you just decided by yourself?"

Their silence was telling.

"Listen here, brats." He walked up in between them and dropped his arms over their shoulders. "I get it that you want to make a name for yourself but Cindy told me that the two of you should keep your hands clean for now." He began escorting them back into the warehouse. "And remember that the two of you are still too green to think for yourself so just stay put, sit tight and wait when you can actually be useful. And if you put my paycheck into jeopardy I'll-"

"Roman." His boss' voice came from the shadows. "While I appreciate your efforts to keep them out of trouble, that shouldn't be your concern. Especially with your latest…complication." She then looked to her younger pawns. "Where were you going?"

"We-we wanted to take care of the rat in the bookstore." Emerald awkwardly stammered out. "We thought-"

"Don't think. Listen and follow." She switched back to the conman. "I thought you had already dealt with the traitor."

Roman let go of the two teenagers and took a long drag from his cigar. "You worry too much. Didn't you say that I should keep a low profile when it comes to other things than dust? He is already dealt with, he just doesn't know that yet."

/

Tukson was running through Vale's narrow back-alleys, turning corners at random and occasionally backtracking. He was so sure he would be able to get away but when he arrived at the Vale's main port everything changed. They were looking for him and he was sure one of them had noticed him. They were hidden in small venues, dressed as beggars or regular travelers but he spent enough time with the White Fang to recognize them. He helped countless people get away from this kind of treatment but now it was him who was at the receiving end.

"Good evening." A greeting came from the entrance into the alley. "Or this might be a bad time to say that."

Tukson immediately turned around to see who he was against, his claws already prepared for a fight.

Green suit, silver hair, glasses and a cane.

Well…shit.

"How can I help you?" he carefully asked, completely lost as to why one of Vale's most powerful men was paying him a personal visit.

"I understand that you aren't on the clock right now but I would like to buy some literature."

"That… would be problematic."

Ozpin rolled his eyes. He liked when people could figure out what he wanted without him needing to spell it. It trained creativity and fast thinking. "Everything you have on the current state of affairs in White Fang's Vale chapter. As for a price, with the tournament around the corner we are slightly understaffed and the position of the librarian is open right now. I think students would also appreciate the addition of an…easier literature." Simply an offer the man in front of him couldn't refuse.

-BBW-

"Tracks are old but maybe there is still something inside." Marrow commented after looking over the soil in front of a reinforced locked door. It took them almost a week to find a single clue. Then they stumbled upon a night-shift dock worker who said that there were once or twice people from the city bringing in some sort of industrial equipment and moving it deeper into the island. They found the tracks that ended in the middle of the forest where said equipment was given to someone else with a lighter vehicle. Which quickly led them to some sort of underground lab. The entrance wasn't large enough for a car to fit in but maybe they have only found a backdoor entrance and not the main one.

"Did they teach you how to crack doors in Atlas?" Tai asked after watching Winter stare at a combination of a password and physical lock.

"We have experts who would hack it but the lock is… I don't know what it is. It's definitely custom made and-"

"Okay, big brain solutions won't work or would take too long. Move over." Tai interrupted and motioned for them to make some space.

"Do you have an idea, sir-I mean Tai!" Marrow stepped back.

Without saying any other word Tai punched the heavy door right in.

"What the hell are you doing!" Winter exploded. "We need the evidence! And now you broke all of it!" Who did she offend that she always had to end up with either drunks, wimps or jocks?

"Don't get your panties in a twist. The room is empty and there is another door." Tai waved her off and let the two specialists take a look.

"It's an air lock." Winter commented. "And a disinfection chamber."

"And that means?" Tai asked.

"Good thing is that you didn't break anything important." She shot him a withering glare. "Whatever is inside should be still in good shape and looks like they were at least somewhat professional." She continued. "Bad news, there might not be much evidence inside. Biological material is usually kept out and I don't see anything here. Marrow, take a better look around. I'll try to get into the next one."

The next door was much easier to get past, mostly because Winter didn't want to risk Tai breaking something and cut it herself. What they found inside was…disappointing.

The place was almost entirely empty, the floor was covered in scratches left by the moving and there were plenty of bolt holes in it.

"Well… Looks like we are a bit too late." Tai joked.

"Go get a truck or something to get the rest out, we will ship it to Atlas to take a look at it. I'll look around here myself."

-BBW-

General Ironwood didn't look happy. Or at least that's what Penny thought. Her father already asked her about it but he was mostly concerned with her putting herself at risk. Her partner who was still only leaving Atlas also called and complained that she was being a hero without him. She would have to make it up somehow. But now she had other concerns.

"Penny."

"Salutations General!" She greeted him over a video-call.

"Please, explain to me, why did you get involved in this…operation? I have read Miss Rose's report but I want to hear it from you."

"Well… It all began when she told me that they were doing a stake out and I wanted to spend some time with my new friend and then things spiraled down."

"Why didn't you call the authorities?"

"I called both VPD and VHC once we made contact with an enemy."

"And why exactly did you continue to participate in the unauthorized mission once it became clear that it was above your clearance?"

"Ruby asked me to provide support."

Ironwood released a sigh. "Penny, You are a student of Atlas. Moreso, you are a bit of a special case when it comes to Atlas military altogether. You can't just jump into the fray because a huntress from a different kingdom told you so, even if she outranks you and is your friend."

"But I thought she was an ally."

"Yes, she is. She has the same goal of protecting humanity but-"

"I meant the fact that her rifle was some sort of a Monster Hunter variant."

General blinked. "Can you repeat that?"

"The weapon she brought with her to the docks and called Crescent Rose mk3 was definitely a heavily customized variant of a Monster Hunter rifle used by frontier units."

"Impossible. All of the rifles that were ever made are accounted for and never left Solitas. Maybe you made a mistake due to the customisation."

Penny stayed silent for a few seconds, running through the Atlesian database and comparing Ruby's weapon to the one's she could find.

"Yes. It would seem I made a mistake. Her weapon appears to be closer to the Queenslayer project. I made the mistake because Monster Hunter is also a descendant of Queenslayer."

"You have access to the Queenslayer files?"

"Affirmative. My father shared all of his access points with me for furthering my education."

"Dammit Pietro… Did Miss Rose tell you how she got it?"

"Negative. It never came up."

That was a problem. The original project was scrapped years ago due to being too ambitious. None of the designs worked properly and those few that were close to being functional were either extremely expensive or prone to failures. Or both. Which raised a question of how a teenager got her hands on it. He pulled up her bio. All of the huntsmen academies shared their student records so it wasn't that hard. His eyes immediately landed on the list of relatives, especially her adoptive uncle. And he remembered a small incident involving him, a lot of alcoholic beverages and a research site that was working on the project in question.

He facepalmed, an action he regretted at the same moment he did it because he used his prosthetic arm to perform it.

"General? Will friend Ruby face punishment for possessing classified information?" Penny asked with concern.

Once we secure the Fall maiden, I'm shooting him. "No. I have an idea as to how she got it and it's not her fault. I assure you that the one responsible will be dealt with. As for Miss Rose… The weapon is not even registered but that's something I will have to discuss with Ozpin. Right now it isn't a concern." He actually wanted to meet the girl, take a look at her work and maybe ask a few questions. He had an idea of her weapon's capabilities from the aftermission report and if he could convince her to work with a proper team…

-BBW-

The first semester finally ended and the winter break began. Which meant that their usual daily routine was broken and Ruby was pestering them about their plans.

"So, where are you guys going over the holiday?" She asked Weiss and Pyrrha.

"I'll be staying here." Weiss answered first. "My sister is on some sort of secret mission and my brother is neck deep in his new hobby so I would get bored there."

"What about your parents?" Ruby prodded further.

"The less time I have to spend with my 'father' the better for my mental health." She paused, Ivory taking over. "And for his physical one."

"Okay then. What about you, Pyrrha?"

"I'll probably stay here as well. Argus is too far away. I would only be able to spend a couple of days there before I would have to go back."

"Well… In that case you can come with us! If you want to, I mean. We would show you around Patch, have fun and maybe get some practice in the live environment without Goodwitch complaining about it!"

"Do you have electricity and warm water?" Weiss asked.

"Hey! Patch may be a remote island but it's still a part of civilization!"

"I wouldn't mind, sounds lovely." Pyrrha added her own thoughts. "If that's okay with you and your family."

"I already called dad and he said that he is away and uncle Qrow… well, if he shows up he will just have to sleep on the couch."

"Seems that it's decided then. I won't let you leave me here all alone." Weiss said with a smile.

"Awesome!" Ruby cheered.

/

"Hey guys." Ilia greeted Ruby and Pyrrha when she saw the two of them walk out of their dorm.

"Hello." Blake also poked her head out of the room.

"Hi. Oh! Blake, what are you guys doing over the holidays?" Ruby inquired with a smile.

"Oh, we are all staying here. No other plans really, maybe we will figure something out later."

"Have fun then." Pyrrha gave her a just slightly smug grin. "We are all coming to Ruby and Yang's home island."

Ilia may have been trying to get over Blake but she really didn't like how Pyrrha was gloating. "Why don't you take Blakie with you, she is the one without any ideas of what to do."

"What?" Both Blake and Pyrrha looked down at her.

"I mean, Nora and Ren would be more than happy if we leave the dorm to them and I DO have some plans of my own."

"Well, if your team is kicking you out then we'll be happy to have you!" Ruby was immediately on board. She would have invited the whole team but if they already had their own stuff then who was she to impose.

Blake and Pyrrha shared a look, neither understanding why the two shorter girls suddenly decided their holidays for them.

/

"And I thought Weiss was the rich kid on your team." Blake commented as she looked over the yacht they were taking to the island. Correction, Yang's yacht.

"It will be better if you don't bother asking where it came from." Weiss told her and boarded the ship, a summoned knight carrying her luggage.

"Ahoy me matey!" Yang greeted them. In an eyepatch and with the stupidest hat they had ever seen.

"I swear if you don't stop you will be sleeping on the couch!"

"Wait a second! You are the guest! How does that even work?"

It works by me not being a dork!" Weiss laughed it off and went inside. "Ruby Rose! Where am I supposed to put my things where you made the entire storage off limits?!"

Pyrrha and Blake could only sigh. The trip was only an hour long but it was already spiraling down. And staying together on a remote island… sounded romantic but something was telling them that it would soon turn into a usual disaster spiral that would cause police to get involved.

At least it would be fun.

/

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