'Hazredous' Interruptions (MSLN/RWBY Crossover)

[11thMessenger]

Hey everyone. Some of you may know me from Spacebattles or Fanfiction.net because of this very same story. I've finally decided to get off my rear and post the entirety of HI here on Sufficient Velocity, now that the story has come to a conclusion. This first post will function as an index page, as well as the first chapter, so ya might want to wear a hardhat for the next couple days.

Anyways, without delay:

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter One - Hard Landing
​

The sun had yet to rise, its imminent appearance apparent in the slow brightening of the horizon. The academy below was hidden in darkness, marred by points of light from streetlights and a scant few windows. The city beyond was quiet and dark as well, in those last moments before the populace stirred and awakened.

His footsteps echoed throughout his lofty office, the only other sounds being the steady metronome of ticking gears and the slow tap of his cane on the smooth tile floor. Ozpin stopped in front of the wide, curving window, drinking in the view as he took the day's first sip of coffee. It was a lovely view, and the decades of his stint as Beacon's headmaster had done nothing to diminish it.

One by one, the stars faded as the sky warmed. One by one, lights flickered on, dispelling the darkness spread out below. Ozpin took another sip, eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting for the first sliver of that red-gold orb to peek over the distant Emerald Forest.

A flicker of light caught his gaze, and Ozpin's eyes snapped up, over the horizon. The light grew into an orb, bursting into fiery brilliance and leaving a burning contrail as it moved down. He raised an eyebrow, and let his cane lean against the window to bring his scroll up. Nearly-automatic twitches of his thumb linked the display to the tower's sensor net, and a quickly-growing wealth of information splayed across his vision.

Ozpin's other eyebrow rose toward his hairline, and he dialed with calm haste. He held the scroll to his ear, still watching the descending fire.

One ring. A second. The line connected just before the third, as expected. "Oz. It's five in the morning over there."

"James. Is the cruiser currently in the process of crashing into my backyard one of yours?"

"What? No, of course not. An unscheduled deployment would be in complete contradiction with the Vytal Treaty."

"Of course. None of your ships happen to have gotten lost, have they?" Ozpin sipped his coffee again.

"If they have, I'm not aware of it. A moment." A few muted beeps and clicks. "No. Every ship I have is accounted for and where it's supposed to be. Whatever you're looking at, it's not one of mine."

"Troublesome. Thank you, James."

"I can assist immediately, Oz. An unknown cruiser-class vessel is worth the deployment."

"No, I do not think that will be necessary."

"Oz..."

A small sigh escaped his lips. "James. I assure you that if it is something worthy of a full-scale deployment, I will not hesitate to call on you. Let me follow my procedures to determine that, first."

"...if you're sure. Still, I'll keep a squadron on standby. Call me if you need it."

"Thank you, James. I do appreciate it. Good evening."

"Good morning, Oz." The line went dead.

Ozpin waited for a moment longer, tracking the flame as it slowed and dimmed, earthing itself beneath the distant trees. He tapped his scroll again. "Glynda. Come to my office, please."

The door opened not a moment later. "I assume this is about the sensor reading that just pinged my scroll?"

"It is indeed. I need you to scout it out for me, please. Leave immediately, and I will schedule substitutes for your classes today."

Glynda Goodwitch nodded once and turned on her heels, leaving the way she came. The door hissed shut, and the sun finally peaked over the horizon, its own light pouring forth across the sea of green. A single wisp of smoke marred the landscape.

We've had peace for eighty years. I've worked too hard; we've all worked too hard to have something ruin it.



[ *** ]



Lindy Harlaown was having a bad day.

She gripped the arms of the captain's chair as the Arthra shook again to unaccustomed turbulence, and wondered just how bad her debriefing was going to be.

The Arthra was crashing. This was a fact.

As far as she could tell, all procedures and contingencies were being followed perfectly. Damage control operations were being completed in record time, and there hadn't been a single system or resource on the ship neglected for maintenance or resupply. The Arthra had been at full combat capacity.

The problem was that they had been, quite simply, outgunned, which was not her fault. Faulty intel, the greatest bane of militaries everywhere. It was a testament to her ship and crew that the pirate cruiser and not the Arthra was an expanding, cooling cloud of gas and debris, but that didn't change the fact that the Arthra was going down.

It also wasn't her fault that the moment they'd settled into orbit around a nearby non-administered planet that their remaining systems failed without warning. Without sublight propulsion, there was no way for them to pull free of the planet's gravity well. The teleport grid had shut down as well, and they couldn't abandon ship. FTL communications were on the fritz, meaning they couldn't even call for help. At least the emergency thrusters are chemical based.

To top it all off, she hadn't even been able to have her morning cup of tea, and the atmospheric turbulence made drinking anything impossible.

"Please tell me you have some good news, Amy."

"I have a landing site picked out! And we have enough reaction fuel to survive the landing! I think!"

"Wonderful. Can you put it on screen?"

"Nope!" Amy freed one hand to check her restraint harness, then tabbed the ship-wide comm. "All crew, brace for landing in thirty seconds! If you're not wearing your barrier jacket, put it on now!"

There wasn't much more time for thought. This was supposed to be the Arthra's last deployment. Of course it was too much to ask to bring everyone home safe.

Damn. I really wanted a cup of t-



[ *** ]



The room was quiet and dark, only the barest hint of light coming through from behind the stitched red curtain. Four occupants slept easy in haphazard bunk beds. The only breaks to the silence were light breathing, soft snores, and a few sleepily-murmured words. Usually about cookies.

A glass of water sat on one of the room's desks. The flat surface trembled, concentric rings radiating out from the center to the edges and back, before smoothing out as if nothing had happened. In one of the bunks, a furry ear twitched once. Twice.

Amber eyes snapped open, and one of the room's occupants sat bolt upright in bed. Blake Belladonna glanced around the room, frowning. Nothing was out of place, and the quiet sounds from her sleeping teammates were unchanged. What was that?

She swung her legs off the mattress, touching bare feet to the carpet. Something woke her up, and after years of life with the White Fang, she had learned to trusther senses when they were telling her things. Soundlessly, ears twitching, she rose to her feet, and was taking her first step away from the bed when the low rumble of distant thunder rolled through the room.

The faint frown on her face deepened. Blake hated rain. She padded across the room to the window, pushing the curtain aside to scowl out at the heavy clouds overhead, only for the expression to fade into confusion. The rising sun was just beginning to peek over the distant horizon, the last stars fading into the light. The sky was completely clear.

Completely clear except for a thin column of black smoke rising in the far distance. "...huh. Must have been a meteorite."

A burst of movement behind her, and Blake found herself awash in scattering rose petals. Ruby Rose was clinging to her arm, silver eyes wide. "REALLY?"

"Ruby, I said meteorite, not marshmallow."

"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" The diminutive leader of RWBY jumped up and down, still clutching Blake's arm. "TEAM MEETING!" There was heavy thumping on the wall, and a muffled, angry shout for them to shut up. "Sorry!"

Sleepy grumbles answered her, a heavy thud announcing Yang falling off of her top bunk. Weiss Schnee sat up, rubbing her face and glaring at Ruby through her fall of white hair. "Ruby Rose, you had better have a good reason for waking us up at… five in the morning. It's Saturday."

"Seriously, Sis. What the hell?" Yang joined them at the window, rubbing the night's sleep from her eyes.

"Girls, girls! A meteorite crashed into the Emerald Forest, look!" Ruby freed one hand from Blake's arm to point wildly at the distant column of rising ash. "We need to get there absolutely right now as soon as possible! Think of the possibilities!"

"...Grimm hunting? I'd be down with that." Yang grinned, ruffling Ruby's hair.

"Forest fire. That's not our job though, Ruby. Leave that for the foresters." Weiss hadn't gotten out of bed, and was pulling the covers back over herself.

Blake shook her head, one ear laying low against her hair. "That's not what she's thinking.."

"No! It's a meteorite! Glorious heaven sent star metal!" Ruby bounced again, then vanished in a flurry of rose petals. The closet door was flung open, everyone's outfits being thrown at them. "Imagine what we could do with it! Imagine how impressed everyone would be if I upgrade Crescent Rose with a star metal blade! Or if you replace the plating on Ember Celica with it!"

"...damn, that would be the bee's knees."

"I know! And I'd still have my normal knees to go with it!"

Another sigh issued forth from Weiss as the heiress got out of bed. "...fine. There is precedence. Space rocks have been known to contain rare minerals that are extremely valuable. It would be... advantageous to land a finder's claim on it."

Yang snickered. "Money talks, eh?"

"Yes, Yang. Money does talk, and if it's as valuable as I hope it is, splitting it four ways would do wonders for all of us. I don't want to stay beholden to my father's credit card forever."

"Then it's settled! Team RWBY and their fearless leader, venturing forth to seize opportunity!"

"And profit, apparently." Blake couldn't help but grin a little. It was pretty easy to get swept into Ruby's enthusiasm. "How do we get out there, though? It's not like we can just rent a bullhead without explaining what we plan on doing with it. We're not licensed pilots, either."

Yang grinned wider, and pointed out the window at Beacon's airfield. "We could always just hitch a ride. There's one being prepped right now. What are the chances that it's going anywhere else?"

Twenty minutes later, Glynda Goodwitch finished her pre-flight checklist and looked up from the bullhead's console, just missing a single rose petal drifting past the canopy. She pulled back on the throttle and lifted her bullhead off its landing pad. Considering the lifting power of that class of vehicle, it was completely understandable that she didn't notice five hundred pounds of extra weight.


[ *** ]


The return to consciousness brought both sensation and a lack thereof. Foremost, the pervasive numbness of morphine. Tingly and unpleasant pain all across her face and side, like a bad sunburn, was held far enough at bay to not dominate her thoughts. Sharper agony flared when she tried to move her arm, convincing her to stay still. The press of a mattress against her back, a specific uncomfortable firmness that she had become quite familiar with other the years.

Medbay.

But there was no steady beep of nearby monitors, no hum of the Arthra's ventilation system. The only thing she could hear was her own breathing. Nanoha opened her eyes. Tried to, at least. The left was swollen shut, and she could feel the sticky roughness of a bandage over her face. Her right eye took in the darkened medical bay, dimly illuminated by red emergency lighting. The acrid stench of hot metal and burning plastic assaulted her nose. "...hello? Anyone?"

"Nanoha!" Amy Harlaown's voice answered her, and a few moments later she felt her right hand being gripped. "Glad you're awake, it was getting a little boring in here."

"Amy, what happened?" Nanoha tried to lever herself upright, and gasped as every muscle in her body screamed at her to stop. Amy's face came into view, and the woman let go of Nanoha's hand to put it on her chest, trying to guide her back down.

"No no, don't sit up! You took a bad hit, uhm... what's the last thing you remember?"

Not moving sounded like a good idea, but not an idea she liked. Still, Nanoha let herself slump back against the mattress. "I was... making my way to the teleport bay because Lindy sounded General Quarters. Then... I woke up here."

Amy nodded, reaching back down to give Nanoha's hand a squeeze. "The pirates got the first shot off. Some sort of ward-piercing effect and a whole lot of bad luck. The dimensional pockets in the bulkheads closest to the impact point lost containment, and the failsafes didn't activate…"

"...which means instead of dumping all the exploding hardware outside the hull like it was supposed to, some of it got ejected into the corridor." Nanoha freed her hand, reaching up to gingerly touch the bandage over her face. "How bad is it?"

Amy knew better than to try to break it to her gently. "Nothing permanent. Yuuno was able to patch you up in time so you won't lose the eye. Still, your arm's broken in two places, the orbit and cheekbone around your left eye are fractured, and there's more soft tissue trauma than I can name."

"I guess I'm…. off the line-up for a while." Nanoha tried to keep the disappointment from her tone. She was no stranger to grievous injury, after all, and could honestly say that she'd been in worse shape than this before. But she also knew that she was by no means ready for duty.

"You're off duty. If it wasn't for your barrier jacket, you'd be dead right now."

"What's the situation? Where is everyone?" The sheer silence other than their conversation was getting to her. The Arthra wasn't supposed to be this quiet.

"They're outside keeping the perimeter. We, uh… well, the long and short of it is that the Arthra was so badly damaged in the fight that we had to put into orbit for repairs, and then something caused the drive core to shut down and then we suffered a system cascade failure and then we crashed. On the bright side, you got to sleep through the landing!"

That explained the slant to the floor. Nanoha looked at Amy again. The Arthra's Chief Executive Aide had a bandage around her head, and in place of her uniform jacket, a wrapping of bandages around her chest was hidden by a patient gown. "I'm not the only one, huh?"

"Cracked ribs and bruising! I'm going to be submitting a recommendation for better crash restraints on the bridge when we get back to port." Amy's words were at odds with the cheer in her voice, but Nanoha was used to that. Nothing ever kept the woman down for long.

A few minutes passed in silence, only broken by the intermittent footsteps of someone passing by the medbay. Nanoha touched her bandage again, fighting back a sigh. "I wonder how everyone else is doing."

"Oh, I'm sure they're fine!"


[ *** ]


"There's no end to these things!" Chrono Harlaown ducked low and back, biting back a hiss as the motion put pressure on his bruised side. The claws meant for his throat slid over his head, close enough for him to feel the wind of their passing, and in the moment that the black-furred creature was overextended, he pushed S2U forward against its chest. The storage device pulsed, electronic tones faithfully declaring his intent. "Stinger Ray."

Blue light thudded a staccato burst against the beast's chest. The bipedal wolf stumbled back and fell, black mist oozing from the holes drilled through its chest, and Chrono took the moment's reprieve to leap into the air. A worrisomely unsteady flight spell held him aloft, and he took the moment to look out across the hectic battlefield around the Arthra.

Sankt Kaiser, I'm glad the Wolkenritter were on board for this mission. Signum stood alone beyond the Arthra's shattered forward booms, dauntless in the face of dozens of the black, bone-spiked beasts. Her armed device, Laevatein, was awash in orange flames, cleaving the beasts with every swing. Chrono was confident enough that he could leave her to her own devices.

To the Arthra's stern, Vita shrieked in berserker rage as she pounded white bone and black flesh with the business end of Graf Eisen, as mobile as a demented pinball. No surprise there. Still, there were a lot of the creatures back there, and if other parts of the perimeter could spare it, he'd send her reinforcements.

To the crashed ship's flanks, the Arthra's second mage team was split into four pairs, fending off more of the assaulting animals. While they didn't have the raw firepower of the Wolkenritter or the Arthra's Aces, they made up for it with precision and veteran acumen. I'm glad the crew is a well-oiled machine. There couldn't be a worse time for comms to be down.

With more effort than he would have preferred, Chrono arced up and over the Arthra to land on the scored hull plating that protected the ship's globular bridge. "Shamal. Tell me you've got some good news."

The third Wolkenritter glanced up from the circle of green light hovering before her. "I'm afraid not, Captain. I can't pinpoint the source of the interference at all. It almost feels like an anti-magic field, but it's not a pure dampening effect." She huffed in irritation, "It's almost more like a dimensional instability."

"We're light years away from the nearest stretch of Badlands."

"I know. At least the crew is managing. Captain Yagami hasn't lost her telepathic link with Sergeant Rein, so she's our point of communication to Admiral Harlaown. Yuuno and Zafira are supporting the starboard side, and Fate and Arf are on port."

"At least something's going in our favor. If this doesn't let up soon we're going to start having mana exhaustion issues. Tell Hayate to talk to Admiral Harlaown about authorizing stimulant doses if it gets much wor-"

A raucous screech interrupted him, and they both looked up to see a black-feathered bird the size of a transport shuttle crest over the trees. Malevolent red eyes glowed menacingly as it focused on them, circling overhead.

"...you've got to be kidding me."



[ *** ]



The bullhead set down in a small clearing a couple miles from the crash site. Glynda frowned at the column of smoke in the distance, then danced her fingers over the controls to shut the craft down. Rising to her feet, she gave her clothes a perfunctory tug back into place before striding through the hatch to the cargo bay and its open doors. A heavy thud caught her attention.

Glynda's eyes narrowed.

There was a second thud, followed by a quiet groan.

Her lips pursed into a thin line.

Two more thuds, another muted exclamation of pain. Glynda's eyebrow twitched with each sound.

"Ruby, if I didn't already know it would be a useless endeavor I would be demanding your share after this… travesty of a flight." The heiress' voice wasn't quite as shrill as it could be.

"Weiss, it's okay! We made it, now we just need to hurry up and get out before OH MY DUST IT'S PROFESSOR GOODWITCH."

Her riding crop was in her hand. Glynda almost snarled, gathering all four of the wayward students with a sharp gesture and hauling them into the air, hanging by the backs of their collars on strings of telekinetic force. "Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Blake Belladonna. Yang Xiao Long. What the hell are you doing out here?"

The white-haired heiress seemed absolutely mortified, as if she could already see her academic record going down the drain. Yang kicked a little, but managed to cast a glance over at the diminutive team leader. "It was your idea, sis!"

"U-uhm, well! You see, uhm! Mrs. Goodwitch, we didn't know you were the one on the bullhead-"

"Obviously."

"A-a-a-and uhm we wanted to, uhm, well you see-"

The only one not struggling, Blake Belladonna hung limply by the scruff of her neck. Even the bow on top of her head drooped, pulled along by her hidden ears. "...I heard the meteorite come down this morning. Ruby wanted to go hunt it down to lay a finder's claim on it. 'Glorious heaven sent star metal,' is what she called it."

"Blaaa~aake!"

Glynda swore under her breath, turning her back to the strays and pushing her glasses back up her nose. "Stay there and do not move. I need to make a call."

"Don't worry about us, ma'am! We'll just hang around!"

Groans chased the blonde brawler's joke. Glynda stopped and turned back around. Another twitch of her crop brought Yang face-to-face with her, and she leaned in until there was a scant inch between their noses. "Ms. Xiao Long. Watch yourself before I pun-t you all the way back to Beacon."

Yang's eyes widened even further. Her voice was a hushed whisper. "...you're a master!"

Sending the blonde to rejoin her compatriots, Glynda pulled out her scroll, quick-dialing and holding it to her ear. It picked up after two rings. "Glynda. Have you arrived at the crash site?"

"Headmaster. I have stowaways."

"...really? Which team?"

Glynda bit down on her first choice of words. It would do no good to lose her composure while talking to the headmaster himself. Still… she was a bit vexed. "Which do you think?"

"HI HEADMASTER OZPIN!" Ruby almost flipped herself upside down with her inane waving.

"Hmm. That would explain why all the chocolate chip cookies were gone from the cafeteria so early in the morning. Tell Ms. Rose that I expect her to assist in the kitchens tomorrow. More importantly, how did they know?"

"Ms. Belladonna says she heard the meteorite come down this morning. They came out here to find it and claim the resource rights."

"That's rather reassuring, actually. There was no information leak, just adolescent enthusiasm."

"What the hell am I supposed to do with them?"

"As long as they're out there? Include them in the mission. Inform them of the situation, make certain that they understand this is a highly sensitive situation and everything they see and hear is classified, and use them. They want to be huntresses, Glynda."

"....fine. I'll contact you when I know more."

"Good hunting." The line went dead.

"CHILDREN." The burgeoning three-way conversation behind her cut off immediately, and three sets of wide eyes instantly locked onto her. Blake Belladonna lethargically looked up from the clump of grass below her hanging feet, a morose cast to her expression.

"Ma'am!" Ruby raised a hand. "I-I know we're in big trouble and all but we really didn't mean to do anything wrong and we won't try to run away if you let us down! Team Leader's honor!"

"When I'm finished, Ms. Rose."

"I know you were going to eventually but you're still holding us up by our necks and you probably didn't even think about it but you're kinda scruffing Blake!" Ruby's voice had morphed to a harsh stage whisper. "I'd be embarrassed if I was in her shoes!"

Shit. The girl was right. Blake Belladonna was a cat faunus. Riots have started over less. Glynda gestured almost too-quickly, cutting the telekinetic hold. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all landed on their rears, surprised at the suddenness of the release. Blake landed on her feet, instantly aware and alert. "Ms. Belladonna, I-"

The black-haired girl gave her head a quick shake. "I'm part of the team, ma'am. I don't expect special treatment."

"Right. Well. Since you are out here of your own initiative, Headmaster Ozpin has directed me to keep you with me for the duration of this mission."

Ruby raised her hand again. "B-but what about the meteorite? You know, uhm. Glorious heaven sent star metal?"

"There is no meteorite, Ms. Rose."

Silence followed in the wake of that statement. Glynda allowed herself to enjoy it for a scant two seconds. "What you are about to hear is classified material. That means you may tell no oneabout it. You will not talk about it in public, and you will not discuss it in private if there is the slightest chance that you will be overheard. Is this clear?"

"Crystal, ma'am!" The other three echoed their leader's exclamation.

"Good. What you believed was a meteorite was a crashing airship of unknown origin. Headmaster Ozpin dispatched me to investigate the crash site, locate any survivors, and if necessary call for additional backup. Given that I am now saddled with you four, you are my backup. That means you need to do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am! We won't let you down!" If anything, the four girls stood straighter. Glynda couldn't help but feel at least a little bit assuaged by their reactions.

I suppose a little proper direction can go a long way. "Good. Ms. Rose, please take field command. I will be grading you on your individual and collective performances."

"Yes, ma'am! Blake, take point! Yang, you're walking drag! Weiss, stay in the middle with Professor Goodwitch! I'll flank left. Move out, team!"

Yes, I think a little guidance is exactly what these girls need.

...

Oh Dust. I'm beginning to sound like Ozpin.

 

[11thMessenger]

"People often talk about world changing events, but I find it is rare indeed to witness something that actually changes the face of the world. I did not realize it at the time, but the Arthra's crash landing on Remnant was one of them. With that single event, the world became a much smaller place, and the universe became much, much larger."
-Beacon Headmaster Ozpin

"I have to admit, it wasn't quite how I would have liked to have made first contact. A perfect first contact scenario for me involves tea. Maybe some biscuits."
-Admiral Lindy Harlaown​

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter Two - Fresh Ingredients​

Massive trees towered on all sides as Team RWBY pushed through the undergrowth. This deep in the Emerald Forest, the ground was shrouded in perpetual twilight, as the overlapping canopies a hundred feet overhead blocked out any hint of the mid-morning sun. Fifty feet ahead, of the rest of the team, Blake crept soundlessly across the loam. If it wasn't for the months of teamwork training and knowing exactly where she was, Ruby was pretty sure she'd have already lost track of the faunus.

Blake held up her left hand, clenched into a fist. Ruby stopped in her tracks, hunkering down and passing the signal back. Her other hand cradled Crescent Rose's compact rifle form close to her side. She could hear everyone else follow the command, and waited until Blake backtracked to her. "What is it?"

"Grimm ahead. Beowolves. They're clustered around a piece of debris."

Ruby nodded, waving the others forward. She was all too aware of Professor Goodwitch watching her, so she tried to tone down her enthusiasm. Keep it professional, Ruby! "Okay people. Blake spotted a group of beowolves ahead, looks like they found a piece of the airship. Let's creep closer and get a look, then take them out." The blonde professor didn't react at all, which she took as a good sign.

The huntresses stalked forward, keeping to low bushes and fallen tree trunks for cover. Getting closer, they could hear the growls and howls of the beasts ahead, low and grating. Something about the tone bothered her, but it wasn't until she poked her head around a tree and saw the dozen Grimm that she realized what it was.

It was an entire pack of Alphas. Every one of the creatures would have stood ten feet high at full stretch, covered in thick bone plating from head to toe. The creatures were clamboring over a twisted mass of metal, tearing at it with long claws.

The team ducked back, using the tree for cover. Ruby motioned everyone close. "That's a lot of Alphas… they look pretty distracted, so we've got time to set up properly. Opinions?"

Yang flexed her fingers, and Ember Celica unfolded around her forearms. "We can take 'em. Treat 'em like a bunch of Ursa on speed and wear 'em down."

"Right… okay. Blake, you and I will be on distraction duty. Weiss, lock down stragglers with ice. Yang, we'll keep them off you while you kill them one at a time." She paused, then looked up at their teacher. "Uhm. Professor Goodwitch? Stay on support and please lend a hand if we get in over our heads?" The woman nodded, pushing her glasses up and flicking her riding crop out to full length.

"Okay! Let us get into position. Blake, go left, there's more cover." Ruby waited until the faunus reached her flanking position, then dashed to the right in a burst of rose petals. Crescent Rose unfolded into its scythe form, and she angled the blade low and away. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she forced herself to take a few steadying breaths.

Weiss' glyph lit up the undergrowth with pale white light, and then ice shot forth from Mytrenaster's tip. The torrent of shards sprayed against the beowolves, then expanded outward explosively, trapping half of the beasts in a frozen embrace. Ruby took off like a shot, spinning through the surprised grimm like a dervish and striking sparks off their armored hides. Behind her, she could hear the rapid-fire coughing of Blake's Gambol Shroud.

The six beowolves that were still mobile howled their outrage, chasing after Ruby and Blake with single-minded determination. Black and red traded targets with abandon, leaving stinging cuts with the sole intent of keeping the creatures too angry to regroup. A moment later, a triple burst of heavy shells announced Yang's entry into the scrap, and the first beowolf fell and didn't rise.

It took a hectic five minutes, like a deadly game of tag, but the end of the fight saw the final beowolf coughing a death rattle as it collapsed, black mist leaking from a dozen wounds. Team RWBY regrouped as the last bodies dissolved, the heady thrill of victory penetrating the hints of fatigue suffusing their limbs. Professor Goodwitch joined them, marking notes on a pad of paper. "Well done, girls. What did you notice during your fight?"

Blake was the first to answer. "They weren't fighting like Alphas."

"Explain." Professor Goodwitch's tone made it very clear that the post-battle discussion was part of the grade.

"They were stupid!" Yang laughed, but the amusement faded a little when the professor looked at her. "I mean it! Alphas are supposed to be smart, right? Old and cagey, 'cause of age and experience. These ones were nothing but angry hot air, like a bunch of babies."

"Hmm. The rest of you are in agreement?"

Ruby traded a glance with Weiss, then nodded and spoke for both of them. "Yes, ma'am. It shouldn't have been that easy. We were ready and waiting for them to figure out what was going on and try to change the game, but they never caught on. The last one died just as easily as the first."

"Observant of you. Very good. Now let's take a look at what it was that caught their attention, shall we?" Professor Goodwitch strode past them. Ruby wanted to jump up and down with glee.We did good! We took out a whole pack of alphas and we didn't even need her help and she's totally impressed with us and don't gush about it because that's totally not professional. But I'm totally making cookies for everyone when we get back!

After a moment, she realized that Yang was the only one still standing with her. Her sister had a wide grin on her face, violet eyes alight with mirth. "Cookies, lil' sis?"

"Once we're back home!" She grabbed Yang's arm and zipped along to catch up with the others. She looked with the rest of them at the half-buried mass of metal, and slowly the cheer drained away. It was replaced by dawning apprehension. "...that's-"

She was interrupted by a shudder running through her, deep in her chest. Beyond the crowded treetops, the sky turned white, deepening the shadows around them to blackness. Tree trunks overhead split as a pressure wave bowled through them, and a harsh wind swept through the underbrush, blowing branches and dead leaves past them with frightening speed.

Ruby saw the same expression of confusion and surprise on everyone's face. Weiss finished the thought for her. "That's a really big gun, isn't it."


[ *** ]


"Captain Yagami, inform the bridge that fire was on target, and pass my compliments to the weapons officers." Chrono let himself breathe easy for a moment, watching the scattering cloud of burning plumage that was once an entire flock of the giant black birds. The massive flyers had proven to be a lethal force, and the upper hull of the Arthra was now covered in a veritable forest of iron-hard black feathers taller than he was. Thankfully, the secondary batteries' capacitors had held onto their charge.

The petite, brown haired girl nodded, shielding her eyes from the after-glare of the secondary gun's beam. "Message delivered. Sergeant Rein says guns two, three, and six still have charge for a shot."

"We'll save them for when we need them. How's Shamal doing on getting through that interference?"

"No luck, sir. She beginning to think the local mana fields are just antithetical to complicated magic effects. Did you see how the beam distorted out past a certain range?"

"Yeah, I noticed. My accuracy's shit right now too." Chrono held back a wince at the slip of the tongue. Swearing was one of his tells, he knew, and now Hayate knew how the stress was starting to get to him. The situation was starting to look hopeless; more and more of the black monsters had kept swarming the crash site, of increasingly dangerous size and shape. He could see Signum holding off a giant, bone-plated scorpion with blade and sheath, while Vita was going hammer-to-tusk with a giant, armored elephant. While it was obvious that the two knights were winning their respective duels, more of the massive creatures were shouldering and cutting through the trees.

Keep your cool. The fastest way to destroy the morale of your subordinates is to let them know that you don't know what to do. Give orders, even if they're just to give yourself time to think of better orders. Chrono shook his head. "Captain Yagami. Message to Admiral Harlaown. We need every crewman capable of firing a weapon out here, if they're not already tasked with other duties. Distribute capacitor arms as necessary."

Hayate Yagami gave him a look as she readjusted her hat. "Every crewman, Chrono? You know what's going to happen if I pass that along word for word."

"I said every crewman, Yagami. Leaving Takamachi in medbay won't help her if the ship gets overrun. She's smart enough to function despite her injuries."

"All right, if you say so. Fate's going to tear a strip out of you once we're out of this."

"She's welcome to it." Chrono took another glance around the battlefield and swore again. "Damn it, that's going to be a breakthrough! Yagami, contact fire control for gun six. Position nine-thirty o'clock, treeline. Herd of elephants. Fire for effect!"


[ *** ]


Nanoha felt the deck thrum, as stored energy was released in a destructive beam at something. "Another secondary just fired, Amy."

"I could feel it." The young woman- hah, she's older than you are, Takamachi- winced, looking up at the room's ceiling. "I'm sure they're doing okay."

"At least it's not raining anymore." They both knew that whatever had battered the upper hull was, it was not rain. It had sounded more like gunfire than anything, echoing through the Arthra's silent halls for a long minute before the first cannon had fired.

Two minutes ticked by in silence, before Nanoha's ears heard the rapid footsteps of someone approaching the medbay. The door slid open, and one of the Arthra's engineering crew poked his head into the room. "Ahh… Captain Takamachi? Chief Officer Harlaown?"

Nanoha banished any hints of pain from her voice. "What do you need, Seaman?"

"Captain Harlaown has requested all combat-capable personnel outside. No one said it, but things are looking pretty rough out there."

Nanoha's hand went to her chest, clasping the garnet orb sitting there. "Raising Heart!"

"Yes, my master!"

"Set up!"

Amy yelped, stepping back as Nanoha's barrier jacket flashed into existence, replacing her hospital gown. "Nanoha! You're in no condition to head into combat!"

Nanoha used her good arm to lever herself upright, then slid off the bed with a grunt of effort. "You heard him. All combat-capable personnel. I don't need both arms to cast Accel Shooter, and my linker core is fine."

Any huffed, looking around as if hoping for someone to jump out of the shadows and contradict the flight mage. "...dammit.. fine. But I'm going out with you. Fate would never forgive me if I let you get hurt." The officer tabbed her wrist-computer, and her own duty-jacket formed. She drew her sidearm, checking the power levels. "Can you walk, or do you need a hand?"

Raising Heart was comfortingly solid when Nanoha leaned on it. "I can walk. Let's get out there and make a difference!"

Nanoha had to stop once to catch her breath, leaning against the wall and trying to soothe the pain in her ribs. The Arthra's corridors were dark, illuminated only by the same red emergency strips that had been in the medbay.

When they opened the airlock, the morning sun nearly blinded Nanoha with its brilliance. She raised her arm to block out the glare, squinting. "At least it's a nice day outside…"

"Protection," Raising Heart agreed. A black feather two meters long shattered against the device's automatics, and Nanoha scowled as she followed the trajectory to the source.

A giant black bird was swinging around for another pass. "Accel Shooter!" A dozen pink orbs, each as wide as the span of her hand and seething with contained energies, winked into being around her. She could feel the drain of the spell on her linker core.

Nanoha frowned. Accel Shooter didn't drain her linker core. It was one of her simplest, most efficient spells.

No matter. She'd cut her teeth rapid firing Divine Busters, after all. She swept Raising Heart out, pointing the circular head of the staff at the flying monster. "Shoot!"

The orbs darted into the air, but less than a dozen meters away the orbs started wavering in flight. Two of them collided, detonating in garish bursts of light, and a third shattered into nothingness when she lost control of it. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, my master. Interference issues."

Nanoha scowled, feeling the pull of the bandage over her eye on her skin. She let three more orbs fade into nothing, putting her effort into reinforcing the half-dozen that were left. Their glow intensified, and while she could tell that they still weren't moving as precisely as she'd prefer, it was good enough.

Nanoha let her lips curl into a smile as the fusillade of energy balls arced up and over the black bird to come crashing down across its head and back. Three of the charges exploded on impact, but Nanoha kept the other three intact. A twitch of her fingers around Raising Heart, and the orbs began battering the beast again and again, forcing it from the skies into a downward spiral.

Beside her, Amy was taking shots at any wolf-creatures that dared to get too close, forcing them back with simple pulses of white light. "It's a madhouse out here, Nanoha!"

"We've dealt with worse! Just let me know if anything gets too close, I'm going to keep working on those flyers! Accel Shooter!"


[ *** ]


A scant minute after the sky lit up like it was on fire, it happened again, only this time the shockwave had gone through the ground and nearly thrown them off their feet. All four of them glanced nervously at Professor Goodwitch, who brushed a leaf from her hair and straightened her glasses. "We can't go back now, girls. Not until we know what's going on out there."

So, Team RWBY crept further forward, but any true enthusiasm had been replaced by trepidation. The shudder Ruby had felt had morphed into a twitchy, energetic sensation, making her clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. She reached up to wipe the sweat from her forehead, watching a few rose petals drift by.

She paused, blinking, then looked down around her feet. More rose petals were scattered across the leaves, trailing behind her until she lost track of them in the shadows beneath the trees.What in the world? I'm not using my semblance, why am I leaving petals?

Ruby glanced up to signal Weiss, but when she spotted her white-haired partner, something seemed off. She's moving so slowly… wait, so is Professor Goodwitch. And Yang! Ruby's eyes widened, and she felt her breath quicken to short, sharp pants. Suddenly she was sitting, not even remembering falling to the dirt.

"Ruby?" The low, drawn out word caught her attention. She snapped her head up to see Weiss running too-slowly! toward her. Goodwitch and Yang followed, concern in all of their eyes. "Ruby, what's wrong?"

"I can't, I ...I can't stop it! It won't turn off!" Ruby clutched her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She could feel rose petals brushing against her skin.

She could hear Weiss again, but the words were taking far too long. "Ruby, slow down, you're talking too fast. You're hyperventilating. Deep breaths."

Ruby jerked her head in a nod, and took a deep breath. She held it for a moment, then let it go as slowly as she could. She opened her eyes, taking another breath. "I… I can't…" She said you're talking too fast. Ruby let the breath out and took another. She made the effort to space her words out, being as clear and distinct as she could be. "I can't turn off my semblance. You're all moving really slowly and oh my dust Weiss your hands are like ice!"

The heiress looked down at where she'd grabbed Ruby's wrist, then yanked her hand away. Now that Ruby thought about it, there was the faint glow of one of Weiss' glyphs around her, ghostly and insubstantial. Her eyes flicked to Yang, and she could see heat rising from her older sister's hair, hot sparks blazing between the golden strands. Yang's eyes were still calmly violet, though, not burning red. "W-what is this?"

Blake dropped down from a tree branch, and Ruby could see the shadowy afterimage of her semblance trailing behind her motions. Then she noticed that all of the loose twigs and leaves on the dirt around them were floating an inch or two off the ground. "...Professor Goodwitch?"

"I'm aware, Ms. Rose. Are any of you experiencing any pain or discomfort?" The teacher turned her hand over, perking an eyebrow as every bit of detritus flipped over with it.

"No pain, ma'am. Just feeling a bit hot and bothered. Ha, ha!" Yang gave a thumbs up, but her grin wilted when the professor glared at her. "Er.. uhm. Really. I mean, I feel like I'm blazing, 'cause, you know," Yang paused to flip some of her hair forward, scattering sparks everywhere, "I am. But I'm not angry or anything. It's weird."

Weiss looked up from examining Myrtenaster, flipping the revolver chamber closed. "I don't seem to be expending any of my Dust reserves, so apparently I'm just manifesting my natural affinity to Ice Dust in my glyphs. Still, that's very strange."

"Ms. Belladonna?"

"I feel a little off, but it's nothing that will slow me down." Blake dropped to her haunches, and Ruby couldn't help but glances at the too-slowly fading afterimages she left behind. "You okay, Ruby?"

Crap. I need to get ahold of myself, I'm the leader! Ruby forced another breath out through her nose, then nodded and shot to her feet. She remembered to keep her speech slow. "I'm okay. I'm okay, sorry about that. Let's get moving, girls. Blake, on point again."

They moved out again. Blake dashed forward, and Yang split the distance between the faunus and the rest of the team. Weiss dropped back to carry the rear, leaving Ruby and the professor in the center. The team took off at a run.

Well, the rest of the team did. Now that she'd had a moment to adapt, Ruby was able to let herself be amused by the fact that to her, she was moving at a sedate walking pace to let the senior huntress keep up with her. Rose petals swirled around her every step. "This is really weird, Professor."

"Slowly, Ms. Rose."

"Oops, sorry! I said this is really weird. Have you ever heard of something like this happening?"

"I must say that I have not. Adapting to the unknown is part of being a huntress, though. I'm glad you managed to calm down."

The professor glanced at her, which Ruby took as an invitation to speak. "Well, I'm still a little freaked out, but… like Headmaster Ozpin told me, I'm the leader and I have to put the team first, right? I can freak out alone in the bathroom after we get back."

"Ms. Rose, while I understand what you're trying to say, please. Do not hesitate to come to your teachers if you have a problem that you feel you cannot speak to your friends about. We're here to help you, not just train you."

Ruby didn't get the chance to reply. Menacing howls of Grimm filtered through the trees, and with a quick glance at Professor Goodwitch, the red huntress darted forward in a burst of rose petals. She slid to a stop next to Blake, looking down the sloping wall of a muddy valley.

A half mile away, a massive ship of carbon-scored metal lay against a giant mound of dirt and broken trunks. Ruby realized that the valley wasn't natural, it was gouged out of the ground by the force with which the strange vessel had landed. Flat hull plating wrapped around a central armored sphere, heavy armor holding it securely in the center of the wreck. Propped up against the artificial hill, the single spear at the front of the ship pointed at the distant sky; she could see the shattered stub of the spear's twin on the other side of the forward hull. Scattered around the main body were a half dozen more examples of the wreckage they had seen earlier.

Ruby could see people now, absolutely tiny shapes in comparison to the massive craft they struggled to defend. Tiny spots and rays of different-colored light flew from them, and Ruby would have thought the effect quite beautiful if it wasn't for the hordes of Grimm swarming around the beleaguered defenders. It felt like minutes for her to take it all in, but she knew that for everyone else only a few seconds had passed.

An achingly long moment later, Yang, Weiss, and Professor Goodwitch caught up to her and Blake. Ruby gave them the even longer moment to let them take in the sight, then snapped her fingers to get their attention. "Okay, team. This is… big. Really big. Bigger than I think I knew what big meant. So I'm going to make the command decision to hand control back over to Professor Goodwitch, because I really feel like that's the smart thing to do."

Her teammates and teacher all looked at her, then at each other. Professor Goodwitch arched an eyebrow. "Ms. Rose, could you repeat that please? Slowly, this time."

Crap. This sucks. "...Ma'am, could you take over? Please? There's a lot going on here and I don't think I should be in charge."

"Hm. Even with the knowledge that this is the kind of decision that can affect your grade, Ms. Rose?" The professor had a speculative expression on her face.

"I don't think that's fair, ma'am, but yes! This isn't just a Grimm hunt, there are real people down there who really need our help, and I'm just a student!" Ruby swallowed, glancing down at the battle, then back at Professor Goodwitch. "...you told us we'd have to do exactly what you say. Well we're here, and we need you to tell us what to do. If I lose points on individual grading for this, fine."

She knew that she'd started to talk too fast again, but the professor seemed to understand. "Your point is taken. Team RWBY, we're going to be punching through the back of the Grimm like a needle through leather, so that we can add our support to the defenders. Ruby, your semblance is still active, yes? Do you trust it to get you all the way to them without being hurt?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby nodded quickly. To the others she was sure that her head was just a blur.

"Then do just that. Get to them, and help them hold back the tide. We'll be along as quickly as we can."

"Okay, team RWBY! Thorn Cannon!" Professor Goodwitch opened her mouth, but let it shut as all four of the girls moved with purpose.

Blake hooked Gambol Shroud around a pair of tree trunks, pulling the ribbon taut. Ruby jumped up and landed on it in a blur of rose petals, one of Weiss' glyphs quickly darkening to black under her feet. Yang tugged the professor out of the way as the ribbon started to bend backwards. To each side, yard-wide tree trunks started to groan with the strain.

Ruby flipped her hood up over her head, then readied Crescent Rose. She noticed Weiss giving her an odd look. "...what? The wind got in my eyes last time."

"Whatever. I'm time-boosting you for the launch. Don't waste it."

Ruby nodded, sweeping Crescent Rose into position behind her. The ribbon tilted, aiming her up into the air so she'd have the best view of the battlefield. This is what we're training for! "Okay, Weiss! Take the shot!"

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 3 - First Contact​

Nanoha grimaced, taking one limping step back and letting the wolf-thing's claws pass an inch from her throat. A ball of pink energy slammed into the bottom of the beast's jaw, throwing it back into its brethren in a tangle of fur and bone plating.

The tide wasn't turning, and every fresh wave of the beasts were larger and harder to kill. Even a solid drumming from every Accel Shooter ball she had running wasn't guaranteeing a kill anymore, and the sheer number of the creatures didn't give her the luxury of time needed to make sure one stayed down. The best she was able to do was keep them at bay while Amy sunk shot after shot into them from her sidearm. "I'm down to twenty percent charge, Nanoha!"

"Fire a white flare and keep shooting, someone will get to us in time!"

"Master!" Raising Heart's electronic tone sounded urgent.

"What is it, partner?"

"I detect an unknown localized distortion!"

"What?!" Nanoha abandoned any pretense of finesse, sweeping Raising Heart in an arc in front of her. A feeling of exhaustion followed the heavy tugging at her linker core, and a wave of force erupted from the staff's golden head to throw every creature in front of her back a dozen yards. She took the brief moment to look around wildly, until her device helpfully overlaid her vision. Tiny pink arrows caught her eye, and her attention focused on a targeting reticle at the very edge of Arthra's impact crater, some five hundred yards distant.

A true dimensional dislocation marked a place where the very fabric of reality was damaged and breaking down. The most notable examples stemmed back to the Al Hazredian apocalypse, which had left wide swaths of space across dozens of dimensions permanently scarred and unstable. A localized distortion, however, was something else. Typically representative of a powerful, but stable, magical working, the simplest example of a localized distortion was the effect a starship class weapon had on local space just before firing.

Shouts of alarm and panic reached Nanoha's ears as every functioning device on site faithfully reported the same information to their respective users. Nanoha tried to disengage, but a giant bipedal bear thundered through the scattered ranks of manwolves, batting at her with a paw the size of a side of beef. Nanoha was thrown back a dozen feet to slam against the Arthra's hull.

New spikes of pain made themselves known in her chest. She could taste copper.

Raising Heart rested on her lap. She raised her hand, pointing at the armored bear and spitting bloodied words. "Divine shooter! Shoot!" The first volley of magic skipped off the beasts bony shoulder. The second hammered a drumming beat into its chest, knocking it back a single step. The third sputtered and died, energies fading into twisting streamers around her wrist. The bear stalked forward, roaring.

Nanoha saw a flash of red.

The giant beast slammed into the ground, the shockwave of the impact knocking the wolves off their feet again. A figure shrouded in blood red stood atop the fallen creature's shoulders. One arm cradled a heavy staff, pale fingers wrapped around the narrow shaft below the long, boxy head. Its fingers twitched.

The head of the staff unfolded with the mechanical clatter of moving parts, becoming the blade of a massive scythe. Nanoha could see two points of silver underneath the cloak's hood, staring into her soul.

Kami-sama, no. I'm not ready to go like this. I have too much to do. Nanoha tried to stand, grasping Raising Heart. The idea of fighting death itself seemed comical, but she'd never backed down from a fight before. "It's not my time!"

To her surprise, the reaper seemed to agree. The scythe twirled, a blur of motion faster than her eyes could track, until the blade rested underneath the struggling bear-thing's neck. There was a gunshot-like crack, an explosion of fire from the end of the scythe's shaft, and the beast's head was flung clear into the air. The decapitated body sunk back to the ground, leaking black mist.

Nanoha watched, mouth agape, even as Amy helped her to her feet. Before the head even landed, the reaper had moved on, hurling through the ranks of armored wolves. Every slash flowed into the next, every step and motion perfectly placed to send the bladed scythe arcing through bone-plated limbs and torsos. The dance of death unfolded like language before Nanoha's eyes, and the gunfire-like detonations were the exclamations to the reaper's prose.

…

Ugh. Why did I sign up for that poetry class. Nanoha shook the thoughts from her head, bringing Raising Heart up only to find Amy's hand on hers, forcing the staff back down.

The Arthra's Executive Aide shook her head. "Nanoha, I just watched you fizzle a spell. You're done."

"Amy, I can still fight!"

"The hell you can! CHRONO!"

Nanoha stared, disbelieving. "You did not just call your husband on me."

Between the disturbing sounds of metal parting flesh and the growls of wounded monsters, Nanoha heard boots hit the ground. She turned to find Chrono wiping blood from a cut to his forehead. "Amy! Are you okay?"

"Captain Harlaown. Second Air Captain Takamachi is no longer fit for duty due to mana exhaustion."

"AMY!" Nanoha wanted to scream in frustration, but then her side reminded her why that was a bad idea.

Chrono tilted his head, hesitating for a split second while he changed gears from husband to officer, then nodded. "Raising Heart Excelion. Authorize Chrono Harlaown, Captain, Time Space Administrative Bureau. Confirm voiceprint; blue, left, underscore, endgame."

"Authorization confirmed for Chrono Harlaown!"

"Initiate restrict lock. Barrier jacket and automatics only. Confirm."

"Restrict lock confirmed! Mana usage restricted to barrier jacket and automatics only!" The staff flashed and vanished, leaving Nanoha sputtering and clutching the device's storage form.

Chrono nodded in satisfaction, then glanced up to watch the figure reaping through the horde of monsters. "Who's the new contact, Captain Takamachi?"

Nanoha choked on her angry retort, forcing it back down. He had to pull the military card. She let out the breath, inhaling through her nose. "...I'm not sure, sir. It dropped out of the sky right after Raising Heart warned me about the local distortion. I thought we were about to get strafed."

"You're not the only one." Chrono replied, keeping his eyes on the newcomer. The last of the wolves in the immediate area fell, and they watched as the figure slammed a new magazine home in the shaft of the scythe. Every motion was sped up, almost like Fate using Sonic Move except constant and not quiteas fast. Red petals swirled from under the figure's cloak, and Nanoha caught the hint of roses in bloom on the wind. It brandished the scythe in one arm, raising a pale hand and pointing at them. It keened; a piercing shriek that had Chrono raising S2U and making Nanoha clutch Raising Heart's orb in apprehension. Amy ducked behind Chrono.

Vita's howl of fury caught their attention, and all four of them could only watch as the diminutive berserker hammered a giant scorpion flat against Arthra's pockmarked hull; the monster had been crawling down the side of the ship to get to them. The smallest Wolkenritter was gone as soon as she'd arrived, yelling at some perceived slight while she rocketed off to deal with another creature.

The hooded reaper watched the tiny knight scream into the distance. The raised hand lowered, and the crimson scythe dipped down to stab into the dirt. Pale hands reached up to shove back the hood.

Nanoha blinked. The figure was suddenly standing in front of them, rose petals swirling around them all and the scythe compacting back down into what was now obviously a rifle. It was a girl, she saw now. Just shy of Nanoha's own height, but obviously a few years younger. Clad in blacks and trimmed in red underneath the cloak, with bright, silver eyes and petite features. Her short, black hair was tinged deep red at the tips. The girl bounced up and down on her heels, fast enough to do a decent impression of a jackhammer but slowing down even while they watched. She opened her mouth, and a high-pitched mishmash of sounds emerged.

"...did anyone else catch that? Oh, thank you, Raising Heart." Pink letters started scrolling through the air a couple feet in front of her.

Origin Language - Al Hazredi - Speaker Unrecognized
'Are you all okay? I got through as quickly as I could, that (NO TRANSLATION AVAILABLE - TRANSLITERATION [URSA]) didn't hurt you, did it? You took a nasty hit, and you're still bleeding!'

"....u-uhm. I'm… fine? I've been worse?"

Chrono glanced at her, and then in words only slightly halting, relayed her words to the girl.

Origin Language - Al Hazredi - Speaker Chrono Harlaown
'She will be fine. Thank you for your… assistance.'

The girl smiled brightly, eyes shining.

Origin Language - Al Hazredi - Speaker Unrecognized
'You talk kinda funny. Anyway, that's what I'm supposed to do, help people in need! The rest of my team will be here soon, and… and.... what in the name of dust is that?' The girl's eyes had locked onto the floating pink letters, head tilting to one side. Suddenly she was behind Nanoha, looking over her shoulder. 'Creatures of [Grimm] come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from- holy dust are those subtitles? Are you subtitling me? That's amazing! I can't even tell what it says but it's totally moving whenever I talk! [Yaaaa~aaaang] come look at this!'

Nanoha looked up to realize that more people were approaching, and at the same time she noticed that the battlefield was finally starting to settle down. Then she saw the path of absolute devastation left in the new group's wake; dozens of the creatures were dead, in various stages of dissolution.

Running in front was an athletic, buxom blonde teenager clad in a tight leather vest, black shorts, and heavy leather boots. Her hands and forearms were covered in gold plating. Expressive lilac eyes glowed with her good cheer. Nanoha couldn't help but notice that the young woman's long hair was burning.

Behind her, a petite white-haired girl wearing a pale blue jacket and skirt slid effortlessly across the ground. Ice formed beneath her feet as she skated backwards, obviously keeping an eye out for more of the creatures. Next to her strode a taller, black-haired girl with amber eyes and a black ribbon tied into a bow on her head. Nanoha could see shadowy afterimages trailing her every motion.

Taking up the rear was a towering blonde woman dressed in a white blouse and black skirt, with an ornate purple cape. Slim-framed glasses perched on her nose, and a riding crop was clutched in her right hand. She really is tall. She's taller than Zafira. Geez.

The younger blonde reached them at that point, almost throwing a hug around the reaper girl's shoulders before seeming to realize that she was still on fire.

Origin Language - Al Hazredi - Speaker Unrecognized
'Hey little sis! How was your flight?'


[ *** ]


Glynda Goodwitch couldn't help but be satisfied with Team RWBY's performance during the fight. After launching Ruby forward to help the defenders, the four of them had hit the back of the Grimm horde like a thunderbolt. Yang Xiao Long had immolated lesser Grimm with every strike, and Blake Belladonna was able to dance around her targets with abandon, wearing them down with dozens of smaller cuts. Weiss Schnee worked in tandem with Glynda to take out the larger creatures. Not as precise as I'd prefer, though. This excess of power comes with a lack of fine control. I hope it fades away soon.

On the plus side, with their surprise attack bolstering the defense, the Grimm tide had finally broken. The defenders had taken quick advantage of the sudden hole in the creatures' ranks, and with efficiency only born from years of battlefield experience had mounted a counterattack sufficient to devastate the remaining creatures.

Ahead, Ruby was bouncing energetically around three of the crashed vessel's defenders; a brown-haired woman in a simple dark blue uniform exchanged bemused glances with the blue-haired young man in an intimidating black longcoat. Ruby's attention seemed fixed on the third, and was barely keeping herself from clinging to the girl.

Now that Glynda was closer, she could see that the white-garbed brunette teen was rather obviously injured. A bandage was strapped into place over the entire left side of her face, and the girl's left arm was held in a sling.

Yang had hurried ahead, and lightly punched Ruby in the arm. Good-natured bickering went back and forth between them, which Glynda let herself tune out. When she looked back at the three tired defenders, the young man caught her eye and stepped forward.

"You are the… leader of this team?" His accent was strange, and somewhat halting. Behind him, the uniformed brunette was waving and shouting at someone in the distance.

"I am. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I was dispatched from Beacon Academy when we became aware of your vessel, to locate any survivors and assess the situation."

"Chrono Harlaown. Your assistance could not have come at a better time." Another figure joined them at that point; a woman in a multi-layered green dress, with a decorative green hat perched on her blonde hair.

The newly arrived woman said something to the injured girl in white, who immediately retorted. An argument started, which Glynda didn't even need to understand to know what was being said. The woman waved her hand, the rings on her fingers flashing, and the girl in white was suddenly lying prone on a floating triangular glyph, restrained by bands of green energy.

Glynda raised an eyebrow. Harlaown glanced over his shoulder at the display, then looked back to meet Glynda's eyes steadily. "Captain Takamachi sometimes needs reminded when to settle down. Shamal is one of our best medics, and is not one to be intimidated by her enthusiasm." Judging from his apparent lack of concern, the display was by no means unique.

"I see. Well then. I'm sorry to cut pleasantries short, but I need to determine the exact situation. Your airship is of a design that I have never seen before. Which nation did you even come from, and why were we not informed that you were going to be traversing Valean airspace?"

Harlaown's eyebrows rose slightly when the word 'airship' passed her lips. He actually glanced over his shoulder at the wreck, and for a moment Glynda thought she caught a vaguely offended expression on his face. "That is… what is the word. Complicated. I do not have sufficient rank to disclose the information you are asking for. Please come with me."

The man turned toward the uniformed brunette, relaying orders in what Glynda had to assume was their native tongue. It was nothing she'd ever heard before, that was certain. The woman saluted, then dashed off, calling out to distant figures. She pursed her lips. "Where are you planning to take me?"

"To speak with the admiral."

Glynda glanced back at Team RWBY, considering. "Ms. Belladonna, with me. The rest of you, keep an eye out for any additional Grimm. Provide assistance to the defenders. If you are questioned, maintain that you are here to help and refer any further inquiries to me. Understood?"

Four voices in unison. "Yes ma'am!" Blake fell into position, shadowing- Hah.- her right side while the others hurried off. Glynda followed behind the man as he strode quickly to an open hatch in the side of the ship.

The inside of the ship was dark, except for red glowing strips running along the upper corners of the bulkheads. Many of the corridors were choked with debris, making the three of them pick their way through sparking equipment. The smell of hot metal was thick in the air.

Eventually the man led them to a large chamber, which Glynda surmised was the interior of the sphere that made the center of the ship. Glynda could see a few crewmen hurrying about, wearing uniforms identical to the brunette's outside. The captain stopped just inside the chamber, clearing his throat. "Admiral Harlaown."

Glynda perked an eyebrow. Apparently this is a family-run operation. A woman in a more elaborate version of the standard uniform glanced up from a control console, pushing long, sea-green hair back over her shoulder. "Chrono?"

"Visitors, Admiral. They came to our assistance against the creatures outside." He hadn't reverted back to their native tongue, which Glynda could only assume was for her benefit. "This is Glynda Goodwitch of… Beacon Academy? And her assistant, one..?"

The faunus gave her a quick glance for permission. Glynda nodded. "Blake Belladonna, ma'am."

Admiral Harlaown smiled. "A pleasure to meet you both. I apologize for the mess, but things were a little outside of my control." The woman had the same distinctly odd accent as Chrono, but was much more fluent in her usage.

Academic versus conversational fluency, it seems. "The pleasure is mine, Admiral Harlaown. As the captain said, we are from Beacon Academy. We tracked your airship during its descent. If you would be able to-"

"I'm sorry, airship?"

"Yes? It's of a design that I've never seen before. If you would be willing to tell us which nation you hail from and why you were in Valean airspace without informing us, it would go a long way toward clearing this matter up."

The Admiral gave a small, pinched smile, her eyes locked on the captain. To his credit, he didn't so much as flinch. "Of course you would leave this to me, Chrono."

"Admiral, ma'am. It would be in direct violation of dictated procedures for me to take point in this scenario. You're the ranking officer on board." There wasn't even a hint of a smile on the young man's face, but Glynda knew it in her bones that he was milking this for all it was worth. She kept the grin off her own features, waiting.

"Yes, yes. Of course I can't expect my own son to break proper procedure. Well then, Ms. Goodwitch. We'll move to my office for this. Chrono, please inform Special Investigator Zafira that I require his presence."

"Yes ma'am. In what capacity?"

"What he does best, Chrono."

"Understood." Chrono saluted, then hurried out the door.

Admiral Harlaown let out a breath, then gave Glynda a cheerful, if slightly forced smile. "Well then. If the two of you would come with me?" She led them out of the bridge, taking a slow, almost casual pace through the damaged ship's hallways.

A few minutes of twists and turns later saw them approaching another entry hatch. Blake spoke up, almost shocking Glynda. She'd nearly forgotten the girl was there. "...Admiral, ma'am? Why did you just lead us in a circle? This is the other entrance to your command center."

"Hm, I suppose you're right. My fault, my fault." The admiral made a show of checking her watch. Seconds later, Glynda heard footsteps approaching. "Zafira, thank you for joining us."

Glynda turned to find herself nearly eye-to-eye with a tall, deeply tanned man. A dark, sleeveless longcoat revealed his muscular build, and a pair of large, blue-furred wolf ears stood out obviously against his shock of white hair. "Admiral." His voice matched his frame perfectly, deep and strong.

Admiral Harlaown waved her hand at a small side door, and it parted silently. She led them into the pitch black room, holding up one hand. A tiny ball of white light appeared, illuminating the darkness. A single desk took up the center of the room, a single comfortable seat behind it. Two lightly cushioned chairs sat on the floor in front, and a heavy cabinet took up the far wall.

The admiral opened the cabinet, and a simple gesture floated a half dozen candles through the air to settle on various surfaces throughout the room. A snap of her fingers had them all burning brightly, and she banished the globe of light with another wave of her hand. "Please, sit down. I just need to find the proper procedure book, and then we can get started."

The wolf faunus immediately took his position, standing behind and to the right of the admiral's chair. Glynda took one of the offered seats, and nodded for Blake to take the other. "Get started with what, Admiral? The captain mentioned a scenario, but failed to mention specifically which scenario it was."

Glynda noticed Blake giving the white-haired man a wary glance. The wolf faunus turned a curious eye toward the girl. She saw his nostrils flare twice. One furry blue ear twitched, and his eyes flicked up toward her bow. Blake stiffened in her chair, but the man said nothing.

Admiral Harlaown found the book she was looking for, tugging the thin volume free from its brethren and closing the cabinet. She sat in her chair, dropping the leather-bound tome on her desk with a thud.

She hesitated, letting loose a sigh before glancing up and meeting Glynda's gaze.

"First Contact."


[ *** ]


Bzzzzt.

Ozpin glanced up from his desk screen. It was nearly noon, the sun high in the sky over Beacon Academy. He had left messages with his staff that he was not to be disturbed, so it could only be one person calling him. He let it ring a second time, then snapped it up and held it to his ear. There was a series of electronic beeps as the connection encrypted. "Glynda. You have news."

"Headmaster. I have news. I'm setting you to video call now."

Goodwitch sounded shaken, which put Ozpin on edge. He set his coffee aside. "Noted."

Ozpin propped the scroll on his desk, letting the screen widen. It resolved into an image of a candlelit office, shadows clinging to the far corners of the room. Sitting on one side of what appeared to be a moderately ornate desk sat Glynda and Blake Belladonna. On the other side, chair turned to face the screen, was a green-haired woman in a blue uniform jacket, with a small collection of triangular markings in the center of her forehead. Behind her chair he could just make out the image of a tall, heavily muscled man, half hidden in the gloom.

The woman spoke first, a strange accent to her words. "You are Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy? I am Admiral Lindy Harlaown of the Time Space Administrative Bureau."

Ozpin folded his hands on the desk, fighting the urge to grab his mug. "A pleasure. I must admit I have never heard of your organization before. This surprises me, you understand."

"Deputy Headmistress Goodwitch has informed me that the best thing to do here is to tell things to you straight. I agree, as I don't want to cause any misconceptions." The woman paused, consulting an open book in front of her, then met his eyes again. "In as simple words as I can muster, I am informing you that we are not native to the planet Remnant."

Of all things, that was not what he was expecting. No wonder Glynda was spooked. "Please continue."

"My ship, the dimensional cruiser Arthra, crash landed in your Emerald Forest due to damage received during combat in your star system. According to my engineering crew, the Arthra is no longer flightworthy, let alone spaceworthy. We are stranded on your planet with no method by which to call for help, and I am opening official communications with you in a request for asylum and aid."

Ozpin's first instinct was to call the whole thing a ruse, but he knew better. Glynda was too experienced, too skilled, and too cynical to be fooled. More importantly, she sounded scared. In the decades of their association, both personal and professional, Ozpin had seen Glynda express many emotions. Disappointment, anger, amusement, annoyance… but never fear. That more than anything else convinced him that this Lindy Harlaown was no fake. "Firstly, do you require medical assistance?"

"My crew have suffered injuries, both in the crash landing and in the assault of the… Grimm, as Ms. Goodwitch called them, but my medical personnel have the situation under control. What I need from you is secrecy, Headmaster. I need your assistance in hiding the Arthra. I need your assistance in providing shelter for my crew. Ms. Goodwitch has told me of your roles in Remnant, and that one of your most primary concerns is stability."

"Your ship travels the stars. Such technology would become an overwhelmingly destabilizing power if it fell into the wrong hands." James. Ozpin forced his hands to remain still, but he could feel the muscles in his weak leg trembling.

"You understand then, Headmaster. By our classifications, your planet is not ready for visitors from beyond the stars. Public knowledge of our existence would cause massive sociological upheaval, potentially providing the spark for full scale war. We've seen it happen before, and I do not want to be the cause of such loss of life. It is against everything that the Bureau stands for."

"I am… forced to agree with you, Admiral Harlaown. I will do everything in my power to provide you with the assistance you require." Ozpin's will finally broke, and he freed one hand to take a sip of his coffee, letting the taste settle his nerves. "Please understand that I am extending this offer of aid to you without reservations. But, it would be a dereliction of my own duties to refrain from asking; what are you willing to offer us in return?"

The admiral actually smiled a little, relief smoothing out the hard cast of her features. "On the assumption that you are neither a tyrant nor a violator of sophont rights, and please understand that I am in no way making such accusations, we would be more than happy to assist you in various bureaucratic endeavors using our… sufficiently advanced technology. The Arthra's crew is cross-trained for many different situations."

"Elaborate, I urge you."

"The Arthra filled a primarily investigative role within the TSAB, tasked with tracking down wide-scale violations of sophont life, wide-scale dangers to sophont life, and uncontrollable ancient devices requiring containment. The battle that resulted in our landing on Remnant was due to one such danger." The admiral glanced at Glynda, then continued. "Beacon Academy is a primary training facility for exceptionally powerful agents whose role in your world is to ostensibly protect the innocent from the dangers Remnant forces upon them. My crew serves much the same role. I must admit that the free-agent nature of your students upon graduation does cause me some concern. Power without accountability is dangerous on any world."

Ozpin let the silence hang for a moment, carefully picking his words. "You are correct, Admiral. I cannot say that I have control over those who leave the walls of my academy after graduation. But before you jump to any conclusions, you must be made aware of a fact of life on Remnant. Fear, anger, hatred… negative emotions attract the Grimm. On a personal, regional, and even continental scale, the Grimm flock to such emotions. Human nature can be… noble, or petty, and a mass of organized huntsmen will likely draw exactly the range of emotions you can expect when on public display. Graduate huntsmen operate without further supervision because alone and in small groups they are not perceived as a threat. But mark my words, each graduate from my academy is a force to be reckoned with, both in power and in perspective. To fail at either is to fail to earn the title and the responsibilities that go with it."

"You place a lot of faith in your students, Headmaster." The woman gave another small smile, and behind her the man rumbled an acknowledgement.

"I would have no right to sit in this chair if I didn't, Admiral." Ozpin took another sip of his coffee, locking eyes with Glynda. The blonde met his gaze, then sighed and rolled her eyes, but some of the tension visibly left her. "This is what I would like to offer you. We will help you hide the Arthra and keep it safe. In return, I am willing to 'enroll' some of your crew in my academy, to live amongst us and watch us as we learn and train, to answer your questions and assuage your concerns. If we are not found wanting, I am certain there are matters which we could use your assistance in. Is this acceptable to you?"

The admiral raised one eyebrow. She glanced over her shoulder at the man, who simply shrugged and deigned not to comment, then looked back at Ozpin. "Does your academy have… uniforms?"

Ozpin blinked, nonplussed. "It does."

The woman's face spread into a wide grin. "Then I accept your offer. I hope that this will be the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship, Headmaster."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 04 - Decommissioning​

The sun shone brightly in the center of the cloudless blue sky, bathing the Arthra's resting place in its warm glow. The last flow of creatures had stopped well over an hour earlier, and many of the crashed ship's crew were finally taking the chance to sit down and rest, congregating into the usual groups they associated with.

The three members of Team RWBY sat on a fallen tree, left at loose ends. Their semblances had finally settled down just after the last Grimm fell, which had led to an embarrassing moment or two for Ruby. Still trying to speak slowly for her teammates' benefit, she had ended up sounding like she was doing one of Nora's sloth impressions.

No one really seemed to feel like talking. The badly injured rested on a line of bedrolls in the shade of the crashed ship's hull, and their presence cast a downer on Ruby's mood. She watched in silence as the blonde woman in green worked her way down the line, along with a young man with a blonde ponytail.

"OY." A shout caught her attention, and she looked to the side to see the tiny girl that had killed the deathstalker earlier approaching them. The girl was wearing a red, knee length dress with a wide skirt, with a vest and shoulder-jacket overtop, all trimmed with black lace. A circular hat of the same colors was perched on her red hair, which was styled into a pair of thick braids that hung nearly to her waist. She also couldn't have been more than ten years old.

"Yeah, you. Red. You're the one that saved Nanoha, right?" Her accent was different than the blue-haired man's had been. Rougher, with more emphasis on hard consonants.

"I… maybe? Do you mean the girl in white?" Ruby pointed toward the line of injured, where the brown-haired girl was grumpily allowing herself to be fussed over by one of the medics. Ruby was having a little trouble really comprehending the way the child was acting. Her nonchalance, her stride, the silver-headed war mallet she carried casually in one hand; everything about her screamed 'hardened warrior.' Ruby had seen her flatten a deathstalker with but a few blows of her mallet.

But there were stuffed bunny doll heads on the sides of her hat.

"Yeah, her." The little girl crossed her arms, her blue eyes nearly glowing and a frown on her face. "One of those elephant things had me pinned against the side of the ship, and I was stuck dealing with it when she was in trouble. I… look, kid. I owe ya one, for saving her. I probably wouldn't have made it to her in time."

"Don't worry about it, really! Weiss sped me up, and then she and Blake launched me over the battle so I could see everything and when I looked down from up there she looked like she was in the most trouble, so…" Ruby shrugged. "I'm glad we made it in time."

"Weiss. You, I take it." The little girl looked at Ruby's partner and received a nod, and then her gaze flicked to Ruby's sister. "Which would make you Blake, right?"

"Nope! I'm Yang, Ruby's big sis. Blake's inside with our teacher. Who're you?"

"Name's Vita."

Ruby rocked from side to side, feet kicking back and forth. "Nice to meet you! Are you a huntress, Vita?"

"What? No, baka. I'm a knight."

Another figure joined them, taller and wearing a pale pink shouldercoat and faulded skirt over a magenta tunic a shade darker than her lengthy, ponytailed hair. There was a long sword in a scabbard on her left hip. Plated boots covered her feet, and segmented forearm guards ended in black fingerless gloves. She was of middling height, shorter than Yang but taller than Ruby. "Vita. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."

"Geez, Signum. We're just talking." The little redhead crossed her arms, letting out a huff of irritation.

"I know. Hayate-sama is looking for you, by the way. She's toward the stern."

"WHAT? Why didn't you say so! 'Scuse me kids, gotta go!" The little knight took off at a run, one hand holding her hat to her head.

Ruby and the others watched her go, blinking. Yang scratched her head. "She seems like a handful."

"Mm. You have no idea." The woman, Signum apparently, gave them all a quick glance before turning her gaze over the distant treeline.

Weiss looked up from polishing Myrtenaster. "Are you a knight too, ma'am?"

"I am."

"What are a group of knights doing out here in Vale's wilds? Is your liege lord on the ship?"

"I am afraid that I am not at liberty to answer your questions." There was no hint of emotion in the woman's voice, as calm and collected as if she were discussing the weather. "Your teacher is still speaking with the admiral. We will have to wait until they are finished before we can be told what we are allowed to discuss."

Weiss made a face but said nothing more. Ruby leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look at the woman's sword. The weapon's blade had to be almost three feet long, and the grip was more than large enough for two hands. At the base of the blade on one side there was what seemed to be a release vent of some form; blue metal perforated with large holes. She tilted a little to the side, then realized the woman was staring at her again.

"Is there something you need?"

"Oh, uhm. I was just, uhm. I have to admit I'm something of a weapons nut, just ask Yang, and… uhm… I was wondering if maybe I could see your sword? I'll show you Crescent Rose!" Ruby pulled the scythe's compact form out from behind her back, holding it out entreatingly. Weiss rolled her eyes, and Yang laughed, stretching out on her portion of the fallen trunk.

The faintest twitch pulled at the corners of the woman's lips. "I… suppose there is nothing wrong with that. You first, young one."

"Okay! My name's Ruby, by the way! Vita said you're Signum, right?" Ruby hopped up to her feet, standing tall on the log. She extended Crescent Rose's stock, waiting to make sure that Signum was paying attention before deploying the scythe blade.

Signum's eyebrows rose fractionally. "It is a gun and a scythe both?"

"Mm-hmm! I designed and built her myself!" Ruby flipped the scythe around, burying the blade in the trunk of the tree, then walked down the shaft until she was eye-level with Signum. "Okay, show me yours! What's her name? She's a her, right?"

Signum laughed softly, shaking her head and taking a step back. "No. If I had to give my device a gender, I believe Laevatein would be a he." She drew it with a small flourish, spinning it deftly in one hand before laying the single-edged blade across her open palm.

"Oooo. Is he a gun, too?"

"He is not."

"So you appreciate the classics! One of my friends back at Beacon is the same. Sword and shield. The shield's collapsible for easier carrying. Still weighs the same though." Ruby let herself examine Laevatein for a moment longer, then tucked back into a roll up Crescent Rose's shaft. She tugged the scythe out of the tree and collapsed it down. "Thanks, Ms. Signum!"

"Mm." Signum looked at the three of them for a long moment, then glanced up at the sun. "Have the three of you eaten yet?"

"Just some… cookies. Before we left Beacon." Ruby ducked her head.

"You dolt. You should have grabbed something more substantial like the rest of us did."

"Weiii~iiisss!"

"She does have a point, sis. But it's been like, six hours since we've eaten anything now, and we did spend some time kicking a lot of Grimm butt, so… yeah, I'll admit it, I'm not proud! I'm hungry, howbout you two?"

Weiss sighed. "When you put it that way, yes Yang. I could stand to eat something as well."

Signum nodded. "The mess officer is passing out MREs. I will bring some over." The knight walked off, returning a few moments later with a stack of plastic-wrapped packages in her hands and some bottles of water. "Here you are."

Ruby took the package given to her, turning it over in her hand. Blocky letters in that same strange language "What does MRE mean?"

"Meal Ready to Eat. Known amongst the rank and file as three lies in one." Signum perked an eyebrow, watching their faces.

Weiss was holding her MRE by one corner of the plastic wrap, her scarred eye narrowed in suspicion. "Why do they call it that?"

"Because according to many, it is not a meal, it is not ready, and you can't eat it." Signum gave a small smile, and Ruby couldn't help but giggle. "Observe. I will show you how to prepare it, and you can decide for yourselves if it is, in fact, edible."

The next few minutes passed quietly as Signum walked them through opening the packages, separating out the ingredients, and using the water in the bottle to heat it with a simple chemical reaction. Before long, Ruby had the tray balanced on her knees, a plastic fork gripped in her fingers. "Uhm. What did you guys get?"

"Mashed potatoes and gravy." Weiss poked at the off-white mess with her spoon.

"Sirloin Steak. Looks like it was pressed and formed before it was dehydrated." Yang had speared a piece of hers on her fork, and was staring at it apprehensively.

"I think I got beef strogonov."

Signum was already eating, leaning against the end of the tree trunk. "Broccoli and cheese omelet. You three are lucky."

"At least there are cookies, right? Right?" Ruby held up the single, packaged chocolate chip cookie, grinning. "Are you guys gonna eat yours? Can I have 'em?"

Two more packaged cookies landed in her lap. Ruby cheered, tearing one out of its wrapper and popping it into her mouth.

All of the moisture in her mouth vanished, sucked into the bone-dry cookie. Ruby choked, eyes watering, forcing herself to chew. A rock-hard chocolate chip shattered between her teeth. She made herself swallow, scrabbling for her bottled water and almost dropping it in her haste to wash the dryness from her mouth.

"...Ruby? Sis? How was it?"

"IT LOOKED LIKE A COOKIE BUT IT WAS MADE OF LIES AND PAIN."


[***]


Yuuno glanced up at the mid-afternoon sun while he climbed over a tangle of trees and debris from the Arthra. He'd broken away from the rest of the crew a little after lunch, feeling a rare need for solitude. Cataloguing the damage wasn't going to do itself, so he figured he could get started on that.

Picking his way down a muddy slope, Yuuno examined the twisted mass of machinery at the bottom. After a quick scan to make sure it wasn't emitting any harmful energies, he pried open a bent access panel. A few moments of searching gave him a slew of serial numbers, which he dutifully copied into a datapad. Then he closed the panel, scrawled his initials on the panel with a wide marker, and walked around the piece of wreckage to find the next.

An hour passed in silence, other than exchanging words with some of the Arthra's engineers who had come out to do the same thing. A dozen examples of dimensional tech-turned-scrap now sported his initials.

"Hi!"

He looked up to meet the inquisitive gaze of the girl in the red cloak. She was perched on a boulder sunk halfway into the mud.

"Ah, hello. You're…?"

"Ruby Rose! I'm the leader of Team RWBY, and we're out here with Professor Goodwitch. Well, she's inside your ship with Blake talking to the admiral, so Yang and Weiss and I are out here waiting. It's boring. And I saw you out here and you look a little different than most of the others and different is interesting so… what's your name? What are you doing?"

"Yuuno Scrya. I'm helping the engineering crew catalogue the debris."

"Oh. Because you want to fix your ship, and you can't fix your ship if you don't know what all's actually missing, right?" Ruby stood up, looking around at the wreckage scattered throughout the artificial ravine. "Tall order."

"We're aware, believe me." Yuuno picked his way around to the next piece of the Arthra, but paused when something nearby caught his eye. Revealed when the Arthra tore across the ground, obviously worked stone lay in a damaged foundation. He made his way over, running his fingertips over the squared stone, feeling the deep grooves that had been cut into it. "Interesting."

"What is?"

"This." Now that he knew to look for it, Yuuno could see signs of human workmanship all throughout the area. The rubble of dozens of structures, buried for so long under the living forest, finally exposed to daylight. "It looks like there used to be a community here, a long time ago."

"Oh, that? Yeah, probably. There are hundreds of ancient ruins in the Emerald Forest alone. You can probably spit and accidentally hit one."

The complete nonchalance with which Ruby spoke about the remains of ancient civilization struck him hard. "That's depressing."

"Why?"

"I'm an archaeologist, Ms. Rose. Learning about the past, uncovering the secrets of ancient cultures? I've been doing it for ten years."

"Ten years? You can't be any older than Yang."

"It's the family business."

The girl paused, then nodded. "Okay, I can understand that. I guess that could be cool? But if you learn how to do that, you're not learning to defend yourself. Which means you'd need hired protectors out beyond the walls."

Yuuno looked around, then ran his fingers across another of the deep grooves. Some of them were obviously made by tools, but others very much resembled claw marks. "Because of the Grimm."

"Yup. How much does an archaeologist make, anyways?"

"Freelance?" He tipped his head, thinking. Working for the Bureau, he actually had a competitive salary, and Yuuno held a fairly important position within the Infinity Library. He knew that the Chief Librarian was planning on retiring within the next year or so, and that the short list for successors included his own name. But before working in the library, he had been on his own, like most members of the Scrya Clan. "Not enough to hire protectors."

Yuuno took one more look around, keeping the wistful sigh to his thoughts alone. The Arthra's not going anywhere. There will be time enough to look around. Giving his head a shake, he made his way to the next piece of debris. "Excuse me, Ms. Rose, but I do need to get back to this."


[ *** ]


"Then that, I believe, covers the biggest problems. Your lifting craft will be here tomorrow morning?"

"That is correct, Admiral. Again, the crews will not be informed of the nature of the situation, and instead will be told the cover story we have decided on." On the screen, the headmaster took another sip of his coffee.

"Very good then. Thank you, Headmaster, for your understanding. If you will excuse me, I need to get the Arthra prepped for zero-energy drydock."

"By all means. I will speak with you soon, Admiral." The scroll's screen went blank, and after a moment, Glynda reached over to retrieve it. Lindy stood, rubbing her eyes. "Zafira, what time is it?"

"Fifteen thirty shipboard time, ma'am."

"That didn't take as long as I had feared, then. Deputy Headmaster Goodwitch, Ms. Belladonna. Tea?" Lindy opened her cabinet, slipping her copy of First Contact Doctrines back into place.

The teacher and student exchanged glances. Goodwitch answered for both of them. "If you feel we have time, Admiral."

"There should always be time for tea, if you ask me. It's a cruel universe that denies it" Lindy grabbed four cups, gesturing for Zafira to sit as well. The Belkan Guardian Beast released a fold-out chair from its bracket against the wall and joined her.

Tea passed in relative silence, a few minutes of absolute bliss during which Lindy let herself think about anything other than the current situation. It was over all too soon, though, and Lindy led the group of them back through the Arthra's darkened corridors.

When the outer airlock door opened, Lindy had to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun. Goodwitch went to find her students, while Lindy caught Chrono's attention. "Captain, could you collect everyone together? Thank you."

It only took a few more minutes, and eventually all fifty members of the Arthra's crew were gathered around. "Everyone. Thank you all for your efforts today. I'm sure you all want to know what is going on. Simply put, the Arthra is grounded and is no longer capable of maneuvering under her own power. Local interference is preventing us from sending a message home for help, and that same local interference is preventing our dimensional transfer specialists," she nodded to Fate and the Wolkenritter, "from teleporting out of the system. For the time being, we are stranded here."

There was no audible reaction, but she could see a few people slump, a couple of hands tighten into fists before releasing. Everyone knew how bad the damage was, but she couldn't blame them for hoping they had been wrong. "That is the bad news. The good news is that the individuals who came to our assistance against the creatures of this world are willing to offer us shelter and protection while we determine how we can contact the TSAB. Tomorrow morning, the Arthra will be airlifted to a secure location. Engineering crew?"

The Arthra's chief engineer stepped forward; a tall, heavily built man with short black hair and a beard. "Ma'am."

"Prep the Arthra for zero-energy drydock. Discharge capacitors and jettison the remaining machinery pockets. It'll all have to be carried separately. Begin immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!" The man turned, relaying orders to the rest of the ship's engineers. They immediately broke from the group, moving back into the ship.

Lindy nodded, then continued. "Mage Team Beta. Support and assist the engineering team when needed. Support and command deck crews, do the same. Mage Team Alpha, Captain Harlaown, Mr. Scrya, and Arf? Amy? Come with me, please."

She stepped off to the side. Chrono joined her, along with Hayate and most of the Wolkenritter. A moment later, Shamal brought Nanoha. The ace was stubbornly walking on her own two feet, but was accepting Amy's aid in standing. Yuuno and Arf rounded out the group.

Lindy clapped her hands together, letting some of the professionalism fall away. Everyone here was a close friend or family, after all these years. "So! You're all probably wondering why I have you here, yes?"

"One question that has filtered through my mind many times over the years, Admiral."

Lindy shot a glare at her son, but couldn't help but smile. "Not entirely uncalled for, but that's beside the point. I've spent the last three hours in talks with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, which is apparently a collegiate training academy for the best fighters this world has to offer. Ms. Goodwitch and her students are from this academy. Headmaster Ozpin has graciously invited a select number of us to observe and attend his academy's classes, in the interests of furthering our understanding of Remnant."

Fate raised her hand. "Remnant?"

Lindy gave her adopted daughter a nod. "The name of this world, Fate."

"Ah."

"Wait. You're sending us to a school?" Hayate scratched her head.

"That's pretty much the plan, yes."

"Do they have uniforms?"

"Yes, yes they do."

"Are they cute?"

"I can only assume."

Hayate thrust her fists into the air, letting out a noise that was a cross between a shriek of absolute glee and an over-stressed balloon deflating. Vita facepalmed, and Signum pinched the bridge of her nose.

Lindy grinned. "Beacon academy students are housed and trained in squads of four. We'll be abiding by that rule, among several other criteria involved."

There were a few nods from around the group. Hayate, Nanoha, and Fate all smiled, and the Wolkenritter traded few minimal, knowing glances. Chrono rubbed his chin, then stopped and looked up. "Wait a minute."

"Yes, Chrono?"

"You said teams of four, but you called eleven of us up. That doesn't add- No." A look of dawning horror crossed his face. "Admiral, please tell me you're not thinking about attending. You're thirty-nine years old."

Lindy rolled her eyes. "Do you know how many people in the last two years have told me that ever since you finished growing up, the two of us could pass for siblings?"

Chrono swore, turning away. Ooo. He's angry. I'll have to figure out a way to make it up to him later. "To continue; the next two weeks are going to be spent crash-coursing in Remnant culture and history. For those of you not conversationally fluent in classic Al-Hazredi, you'll be going through language immersion training during that time. Fate, Chrono, you two are already familiar with the quick-study methods involved due to undercover missions as enforcers. Please help the others when they need it."

"Yes, mother." Fate at least seemed to be in a good mood, and she reached sideways to give Chrono's shoulder a pat. "It'll be fine, you'll see."

"As far as our cover story, Headmaster Ozpin was kind enough to put together one with a little bit of truth in it. During Remnant's last great war, roughly eighty years ago, a group of refugees tried to escape the conflict on a ship named the Stairway to Heaven." Hayate giggled, and Nanoha let out a snort of amusement, quickly covered up with a pained cough. Fate and Signum exchanged pained glances. Lindy stared at them all for a moment, then continued. "It vanished, never to be seen again. No records detailing what the Stairway to Heaven actually looked like remain. Our story is that we are those refugees' descendents, who finally repaired the ship our ancestors used to flee, and used it to come back home."

Yuuno seemed particularly interested in that tidbit of information. He shared a glance with Arf, who rolled her eyes before trapping the shorter man in a headlock and giving him a quick noogie. "We'll do a little extra reading up on that ourselves, Lindy." The familiar gave her a fangy grin and a thumbs up after she let the librarian go.

"Good. Lastly, we're going to be trying to fit in with the locals. That means no magic unless you are unable to escape from a life-threatening situation without it. We'll be learning about the local technology, and training in the local styles. And yes, I'm sure it is rather obvious to all of you that we more than likely will be exposed to life-threatening situations sooner rather than later, given the nature of this world. Please use discretion when that time comes. Does everyone understand?"

A chorus of affirmatives from everyone. Lindy nodded again and smiled. "Good. While we're learning about the local conditions, the Arthra's technical teams will be trying to find a means to get past the mana field. So you won't need to worry about that problem, at least. I'll keep you all updated on developments in that area as they come in."


[ *** ]


Glynda beckoned the rest of Team RWBY to her as she put a little distance between herself and the crashed spaceship. "Girls. Thank you for your patience, the meeting with Admiral Harlaown took longer than I had expected going in. We ended up having to conference call with the headmaster."

The other three looked at Blake in some concern. The faunus girl's eyes were still a little wide and staring, and Glynda couldn't exactly blame her. Ruby raised a hand. "What happened in there? Blake looks like someone just told her all her books were full of blank pages."

"It's not an airship." The girl's golden eyes flicked between her teammates.

"Whaddaya mean, Blake?"

"Girls. Everything, everything you see and hear regarding this vessel and its crew is classified. Consider this to be a mission with no defined end point." Ruby, Weiss, and Yang nodded, and Glynda continued. "This ship, named the Arthra, was not built on Remnant. It travels the stars using technology of which we have never seen nor heard the like, built by a… government that spans dozens of different planets."

"Haha, ha. Good one, Professor. What is it really?" Yang's grin slowly faded, her gaze flicking between Glynda and the ship behind her. "You are kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding." Her grin faded completely. "You're totally not kidding."

There was a shout from one of the ship's crew. Looking over, Glynda could see that a portion of the Arthra's exterior hull had been marked, and a set of markers cordoned off a wide swath of ground. Several other crewmen yelled something in reply, motioning, and a moment later there was a bright, almost blinding flash of light. When there eyes cleared, a convoluted mass of machinery was sitting on the ground. The work crews moved onto the next section of hull, while a second team started scanning the massive devices with handheld readers.

She looked back at Yang. The girl's hair had caught on fire again, and she could see rose petals swirling around Ruby's feet. After a moment, the girls' semblances faded away. "I'm not kidding, Ms. Xiao Long."

Ruby, meanwhile, had her hands pressed to her mouth. "Ohmydust that is the coolest thing I've seen all week. Did you see that? There was nothing there and then just bam, it all just appeared! I wonder how it works!"

"Magic." The faunus girl's deadpan tone still wasn't quite back to normal.

"Haha, Blake. Very funny."

"Ms. Belladonna is serious."

"What." The same word from three mouths.

"Believe me, girls, when I say that I never expected to have this particular conversation with you four. But it is magic; magic so advanced that it has become their science and technology. The admiral proved this to me to my satisfaction." Glynda caught their eyes, waiting until she was sure she had their full attention. "I'm telling you this because Team RWBY is going to be instrumental in keeping this a secret. Because you four are already involved, you are going to be one of our main points of contact with the Arthra's crew. Headmaster Ozpin decided that he would much rather trust the four of you with this responsibility, than bring yet more people in on this extremely volatile situation. I am in agreement with him."

"Y-yes ma'am. We won't let you down, ma'am! Team leader's honor!" Ruby snapped to something resembling attention.

"I'm… willing to believe that, Ms. Rose. Thank you." Footsteps caught Glynda's ear, and she turned to see one of the ship's crew approaching.

The young man said something incomprehensible, but then a digitized voice emerged from the datapad he was holding. "Ma'ams. Please follow me. The crews are about to discharge one of the remaining secondary batteries, and this zone is a little too close to the firing angle."

"Thank you. Lead the way." Glynda followed the man, motioning for the team to keep up with her.

Ruby darted in front. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Yes?"

"You said remaining secondary batteries. Are those the guns that fired during your fight with the Grimm earlier before we arrived? We were still miles away and we felt the shocks!"

The man had to pause for a moment as he read his own device's projected translation. "...Oh! Yes, we did fire two secondaries earlier."

"Whoa… what are the primaries like?"

"We don't fire the primaries while on a planet. Or at a planet."

"Whooooaaaa…"

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 5 - The Burdens of Command​

The transfer of the Arthra to a secure location in Vale took the entirety of two days work. Another half as long and several times more massive than the larger transport craft Ozpin had at his disposal, it took four of the ships together to lift the stricken craft from its resting place in the forest. A small fleet of bullheads collected the disturbingly large amount of internal machinery that had been jettisoned from the ship's hull.

"Wait a minute," Weiss had mentioned after realizing just how much equipment there was. "How did you fit all of that inside that ship? There's more out here than there is room in there!"

"The Arthra uses dimensional pockets to contain all of the working parts of its various peripherals," Yuuno had answered. "It's standard tech, really. The only things that actually, uhm… 'poke out' of dimensional storage are the business ends and the control interfaces."

"You're telling me that the Arthra is bigger on the inside?"

"Not at all. It's smaller on the outside." The young man had sounded as serious as he could be.

"What."

Weiss had stared at him, eye twitching. Yuuno had shrugged in return. "There's a difference between the two, but it takes a degree to really understand it. You'd have to ask one of the engineers."

The Arthra was too large to rest in a standard hanger. An unused construction hanger had been cordoned off, and the giant ship now rested in a modified cradle, with its various peripheral systems stacked along the hanger's walls. The engineering crew worked their way through its resting hulk, securing the last few systems that remained operational.

Lindy sipped the last of her tea, then rested the small cup on its matching saucer, setting them down on her desk. She shouldered her standard-issue kit bag, replaced the book she had been reading in her cabin, and stepped out into the corridor.

She took one last look at her office. A wave of her hand snuffed out the candles on her desk, and she slid the door shut.


[ *** ]


Glynda Goodwitch stood at the front of a small side room in the hanger. A blackboard had been fixed to the wall behind her, a desk and chair sat ready for her, and sixteen student desks were arranged in four groups of four. "You all know why you're here, so I'll get to business. Admiral, captains, aides, and… Wolkenritter," Glynda took the extra moment to make sure she pronounced the unfamiliar word correctly. "Today we begin your Remnant Culture Integration Course. With Headmaster Ozpin's assistance, we have condensed what would normally be approximately three years' worth of social studies and history into a two week period. It should, by the time we are finished, allow you to function in society at the approximate level of backwoods colonial."

"This is not a bad thing. Given what I am led to understand of your various, safer, worlds, to be a successful backwoods colonial on Remnant is a somewhat more respectful epithet than you may realize. It means that you live beyond the safety of the walls, where Grimm attacks are not only commonplace but absolutely expected, and you have survived. You would not have been raised in an environment privy to casual pop culture. You would have had bigger things to worry about. This will allay some suspicion when it comes to your lack of familiarity with some colloquial aspects of life in Vale."

Glynda flicked out her crop, pointing as she named her students. "Zafira Yagami. Signum Yagami. Chrono Harlaown. You three will form a team for the purposes of this two week course. Ruby Rose will be your teacher's aide."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Ruby almost knocked over her desk, then glanced sheepishly at her new charges. Chrono covered his face with one hand. Signum and Zafira could have been made from stone.

It'll be good for her. "Weiss Schnee. You will be assisting Hayate Yagami, Arf Harlaown, and Amy Harlaown."

"Ma'am. I'll do my best." Weiss gave a sharp nod to her group.

"Blake Belladonna." Glynda consulted her scroll, then nodded. "Work with Nanoha Takamachi, Shamal Yagami, and Yuuno Scrya." The faunus girl nodded, saying nothing.

"Lastly, Yang Xiao Long. You will have Vita Yagami, Fate T. Harlaown, and Lindy Harlaown."

"You got it, Prof!"

"Good. Please sit in your assigned groups, and open A Brief History of Remnant to page thirteen."


[ *** ]


"And that concludes our discussion of the origin and mechanics of Aura. Please close your books so we can move on with the lesson plan."

"Professor? A question, please?"

Glynda nodded. "Go ahead, Mr. Scrya."

"Aura is a very important facet of survival in Remnant. Are we going to be unlocking our auras before we transfer to Beacon proper?"

"You are. In fact, that is what we were going to do right now. I just need a volunteer."

"DIBS!"

Every head in the room turned to look at the source of the exclamation. Amy was on her feet, chair tipped over behind her and leaning forward with one hand on her desk, the other raised as high as she could reach. "What? Accelerated healing and immunity to paper cuts? It's worth it just for that, let alone everything else!"

"Amy, are you sure?" Chrono's concern was evident in his voice.

"Someone's gotta go first, right? I'm not a mage, so I'll be a good baseline for Yuuno and Shamal to measure. It's completely safe, right Professor Goodwitch?"

"It is. Well then, come to the front of the room. Team RWBY, pay close attention. Unlocking aura is a tiring process, so I will be having you assist me throughout the day."

Amy nearly skipped to the front of the room, smoothing imaginary creases from her uniform shirt. "Okay! What do I need to do?" Behind her, Shamal stood. The gemstones in her rings extended on delicate golden strands, carving a window of nothing in the air. Yuuno stood at her shoulder, watching the ghostly display.

"Close your eyes and concentrate. Relax, calm your mind, and focus on my words." Glynda placed a hand on Amy's shoulder. It actually took her a short moment to remember the ancient intonation; it had been years since the last time she'd helped someone unlock their aura.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Glynda felt exhaustion tug at her very core, but shook it off. Amy took a sharp breath, and the faint, sky-blue glow of her aura illuminated the room for a moment before fading.

"Klarer Wind is picking up a linker core reaction. Right there, see?" The blonde woman's tone was hushed, but easy to hear in the silence of the room.

"That shouldn't be possible. Amy's a null, her linker core is E-rank."

"Possible or not, her linker core is active. This is amazing." Shamal looked away from the cloudy, circular window in the air, right at Glynda. "Professor Goodwitch, you've said that everyone on Remnant has an aura that can be unlocked, yes?"

"That is correct. Typically only those who plan to fight will do so, however. There are many civilians who go through their lives without partaking in the ritual."

Shamal traded a glance with the other Wolkenritter. They all had the same expression on their faces; grim relief. After a moment, Hayate's faced mirrored it as the girl came to the same understanding.

Yuuno looked up. "Fate, could you activate Bardiche, please? I want to check something."

Fate nodded, getting out of her chair. "Bardiche. Set up."

The yellow plate held in her hand glimmered. "Get set." There was a flash of golden light, and then she was holding the silver-and-black polearm Glynda had seen her with before.

"He can talk?! Nobody told me they could talk!" Ruby had her hands up to her mouth, eyes wide. "Signum! Can Laevatein talk?! Where is he?!"

Signum arched an eyebrow. The sword-shaped pendant around her neck let out a mote of light. "Jawohl."

"That's amazingeeeeeeee!"

Weiss reached over and smacked Ruby on the back of the head. "Stoppit, you dunce."

"Sorry!"

Glynda kept the smile off her face while Shamal and Yuuno continued to discuss in hushed tones. "Did you see it?" The young librarian was almost bouncing on his feet. "Her linker core reacted to Bardiche activating in nearly the exact same way!"

After a moment, Yuuno looked up. "Professor, how often can you do this?"

"I would want a few minutes before unlocking another, to be honest. Ms. Schnee, you have a level of formal Aura training, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Good. You will unlock the next volunteer with my guidance. Who would like to be next?"

The blonde librarian stepped away from Shamal. "I will."

"Very good. Mr. Scrya, Ms. Schnee? Come to the front of the room. Amy, please take your seat."


[ *** ]


"Headmaster. A pleasure to meet you in person, finally. What brings you to our little slice of insanity?"

"Admiral. I have no pressing meetings for the afternoon, so I decided it would be a good time to finally meet you and yours. Classes are over for the day, yes?"

"Lindy, please. Professor Goodwitch set quite the demanding schedule. It's been twenty years since I attended command school, and this is bringing the memories back quite sharply." Lindy gestured for Ozpin to take a seat at the room's coffee table. "Headmaster Ozpin, I would like to introduce you to Captain Nanoha Takamachi, TSAB Air Armaments Service."

The brunette was dressed in an immaculate blue and white uniform, shoulder-length hair gathered into a side ponytail. She couldn't have been any taller than Ruby Rose. Ozpin could see no traces of the serious injuries that the girl had sustained, and could only assume that the activation of her Aura had gone smoothly. "Pleasure to meet you, Headmaster. I look forward to attending your academy." Her words were slightly halting, as if she had to spend just a little too long thinking about them to be perfectly fluent.

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Takamachi. I will be watching you and your companions' performances with interest."

"Would you like some tea, Headmaster?"

"I would. Thank you."

"Captain, if you would?" The brunette nodded, pouring hot water and mixing in a generous helping of finely-ground powder into a bowl. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the gentle sloshing and scraping of a whisk made from some form of plant stalk against the bowl.

"Nanoha comes from a culture that excels at making the type of tea I prefer. Having her onboard the Arthra was a blessing in more ways than just her combat ability and tactical acumen." Lindy gave the young captain a smile, and the brunette gave a twitchy smile in return. Ozpin tilted his head. Interesting. She's uncomfortable about something that's happening- No. She's uncomfortable about something that's about to happen.

Nanoha poured the rather thick tea into two separate cups, setting one in front of Lindy and the other in front of Ozpin. Lindy poured a generous amount of milk from a ceramic carafe into her cup, followed by four cubes of sugar. Ozpin could see Takamachi's left eye and cheek twitch with each wet 'plonk' of sugar into the admiral's cup.

Lindy offered the tea and sugar to Ozpin, to which he politely declined. "I prefer my drinks straight. I do thank you, though."

She nodded, giving her tea a slow mix with a silver spoon. Lindy took a small sip, letting out a happy smile, before nodding to the girl. "Thank you, Nanoha. I won't keep you here any longer."

The captain sketched a quick salute and left so quickly Ozpin half wondered if he should be looking for rose petals. He took a sip of his own tea. "You realize that you were almost causing her physical pain by, hm… accenting the tea like that, yes?"

Lindy grinned. "One of the small pleasures of command, Headmaster."

Ozpin matched the grin. "Quite. So tell me about the rest of your command. I find myself interested in the group called the.. Wolkenritter, if I pronounced it correctly?"

"Ah, yes. I'd introduce you to them, but they are currently finalizing a… an effortto fit in with your Beacon's student population more easily. Captain Yagami requested that they not be disturbed until they finished."


[ *** ]


Vita crossed her arms, watching the other knights as they finished a short set of calisthenics. Signum seemed to have lost none of her martial grace. Shamal seemed a little more fumble-footed, and was doubly distressed by the ill fit of her uniform. She'd lost a fair bit of the curve to her hips, and was tightening her belt for the third time.

Zafira seemed to take the alteration in his form quite well, but of all of them he was the natural shapeshifter. Changing shapes was second nature to him. Still, Vita thought as she glanced down from unaccustomed height, I think I came through the aging process okay.

She paused, squeezing her arms together a little. Looking up, she caught Signum's eye. "Hey. Sig."

"What?"

Vita put her hands behind her head, stretching a little and relishing the rapid-fire popping of her spine. "It looks like I'm the leader now."

Signum stared at her for a long moment. "Mm. It appears the burdens of command fall on you now."

"I think I'll be able to hold the weight of them pretty well." Vita turned on her heels, walking out the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go sit in on Red's weapon cla-"

Bump. Vita looked down in trepidation. Pressed right into her cleavage was a crown of brown hair, with a red hairband threaded through her bangs, just above her left temple. "A-a-ah! Hayate, I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was-"

"Ph-b-r-b-r-b-rb-r-br-br-rp!!!!"


[ *** ]



Nanoha looked up from the bench of weapon parts in front of her. "Did I just hear Vita scream?"

Ruby shrugged. "Was that Vita?"

"Sounded like it. I thought she said she was going to go through puberty real fast, but that scream would have Arf howling at the rafters." The flight mage sorted a few more parts into various piles, tilting her head.

How does someone 'go through puberty real fast'? "I passed Hayate in the hallway a few minutes ago, she said she was gonna go check on them and see how the 'procedure' went." Ruby scratched her head, then noticed Nanoha's expression.

It was a look of realization. "Oh. That explains it. Yeah, that was Vita."

"I'll take your word for it then. So, what are you planning to make?"

"I'm still trying to decide what to integrate into Raising Heart. She told me to decide on my own."

"Raising Heart is your weapon? She can talk too?" Ruby looked around. "Can everyone's weapon talk where you come from? Where is she?"

"Not all of them, but a lot, yeah. Here, let me show you." Nanoha clasped the necklace hidden under her uniform jacket. "Raising Heart, Onegai?"

"Yes, my master! Accel Mode!" There was a flash of pink light. A short, white and pink staff with a curved, golden head appeared in her hand. The red gem sphere inside the head glimmered with its own internal light.

Why does everyone here have these super-neat things like this? "What does she do?"

"Raising Heart is a Mid-childan style Intelligent Device. She helps me channel magic from my linker core, and assists in the calculations necessary for more powerful spells. There's a lot of mathematics involved in spellcasting, and if you don't have a device you have to do it all yourself. In this form, she's better attuned for close range magical combat."

"Oh, so she has more than one form? Like Crescent Rose?"

"Mm! Raising Heart, Buster Mode!"

"Yes, my master!" The device flashed again, and the golden head shifted, seeming to roll in place and straighten until it had become a U-shape, the gem cradled in the center and the open end pointed away from the shaft.

"This is Raising Heart's shooting mode, where she's more effective at long-range bombardment spells."

"Neat! How far can you shoot her?"

"Hmmm… I think my record was two kilometers?"

"One point nine three, my master!"

"That's crazy!"

"Not really. Line of sight is a lot farther during flight combat. The biggest challenge is leading your target at that range."

"Does she have any more forms?"

"Just one more. Raising Heart, Exceed Mode. And please don't alert Chrono, I'm not planning on doing anything."

The device flashed again, the golden U shifting into a wide golden spearhead bristling with antennae-like spikes. Ruby's eyes widened. "Ooooo. Is that her melee form?"

"What? No, no. Raising Heart isn't really made for melee combat. This form is for high-energy focus, not physical piercing.

"What do you do when the bad guys get close, then?"

"SHE ZIPS AWAY AT THE LAST SECOND LIKE A FUCKING HOUSEFLY AND MAKES YOU CHASE HER DOWN AGAIN." The door slammed shut. They both looked over to see Vita, back pressed against the door, face flushed, chest heaving, and panic on her face. "NOW HAVE MERCY AND HIDE ME."

Ruby tilted her head. The formerly pint-sized berserker now stood taller than Yang, sweatpants clinging to the curve of her hips and the remaining buttons of a white shirt straining to hold her… "...is that lipstick?"

The door creaked open, and Vita yelped and dove across the room, cowering behind Nanoha and peeking out from behind her back. Zafira poked his head into the room, one ear twitching. "Mistress Hayate can get a little… handsy."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. Mistress?

In the hallway, they could hear Hayate calling out. "Vi~taaaaa? Where'd you goo~oo?"

"Vita," Nanoha twisted around, trying to look at the red haired knight. "What happened?"

The fiery Wolkenritter bawled. "I've assumed the burdens of command!"


[ *** ]


Zafira was pleased to note that his reduction in apparent age hadn't affected his ability to move at all. He was still the same height and had the same reach. He just wasn't quite as bulky as he had been.

"Eat your vegetables, Zafira. You're a growing boy now."

All the respect in the world couldn't keep Zafira from rolling his eyes, but he forked a few spears of broccoli onto his plate as he moved down the serving line. "Yes, Mistress Hayate."

There was the distinct clink of a fork hitting a plate. Zafira's ear twitched, zeroing in on the sound. He took a slice of meatloaf, drizzling a bit of gravy over it. "Excuse me."

His footsteps took him away from the serving line, to the far end of the cafeteria. Blake Belladonna sat with her team at the end of a table, quietly discussing the events of the last week. He saw the girl's bow twitch as he approached, but the white-haired girl acknowledged him first. "Zafira."

"Ms. Schnee." His gaze flicked to Blake, and he waited until she looked up and met his eyes. "Why do you hide your nature? To be a Guardian Beast is a point of pride."

Ruby gasped, looking up at him. Weiss shot to her feet, sputtering in outrage, and Yang glared at him with sudden fire in her eyes. Blake stood as well, her chair clattering back behind her. "I'm not a beast!"

Zafira was ever-so-slightly taken aback. This was not the reaction he'd been expecting to provoke. "Ah. My apologies."

"You better apologize! No one gets away with saying that kind of shit to Blake!" The fiery blonde was on her feet now, doing her best to get up in his face. It was an admirable attempt, given the height difference between them.

Zafira made a pointed effort to not look behind him, keeping Hayate's possible reaction out of his thoughts. He hesitated.

Professor Goodwitch's voice cut through the silence that had swept through the small cafeteria. "Team RWBY, calm down please. This is an innocent misunderstanding. Faunus Politics was originally scheduled to be on the curriculum tomorrow, but I will be moving it forward to today's lesson plan. As soon as lunch is finished, we'll begin."

Weiss blinked, and comprehension dawned on her face. She reached out and tugged Yang back to her seat, shaking her head. "Yang, settle down. He didn't mean anything wrong."

Yang gave him one last glare, then dropped back into her seat, arms crossed. Zafira gave a tentative nod, backing away. "I am sorry. I did not mean to cause offense."


[ *** ]


"And that brings us up to date on the Faunus Rights Movement. Captain Yagami, if you would come to the front of the room? Please explain to Team RWBY what we had discussed earlier in the week."

"Yes, Professor." The tiny brunette slipped to the front of the room. "Zafira, Arf. With me, please."

Blake tried her best to keep the frown off her face as the two wolf faunus joined the TSAB captain. She'd done her best to put the incident in the cafeteria behind her, but it was embarrassing to have been called out in such a fashion.

The little brunette cleared her throat. "As the four of you are aware, we are not from Remnant. What needs to be explained is that self-perpetuating races of people with animalistic characteristics are exceedingly rare, and do not represent nearly the same percentage of the TSAB signatory worlds' populations as faunus do on Remnant."

Blake felt her frown fall into place, but it was out of confusion now and not irritation. She didn't feel the need to ask anything, though, as it was obvious that Hayate was collecting her thoughts before continuing.

"While Zafira and Arf share many characteristics with both Remnant's faunus and the TSAB's equivalent, they are two different classifications of being. For technical purposes their physiological origin is identical, but they have different levels of specialization. Arf is what is called a familiar. Familiars offer a wide range of support and combat ability, as well as administrative assistance and other functions. Arf, if you would?"

"Okay! Like Hayate said, I'm a familiar. Fate found me around… oh, a decade or so ago? I was dying from a disease, and to save my life she bound me as her familiar. If she hadn't and I'd somehow survived the sickness, well… you wouldn't have met me because I'd never have been on the Arthra. But if somehow you did find me, I'd have looked like this."

Arf glowed a bright orange, making Blake shield her eyes. When she looked back, the tall, red-haired woman was gone, and in her place was a massive, red-furred…

WOLF. Blake's semblance activated as she lurched back, and the shadowy afterimage covered her escape. By the time everyone caught sight of her, she had her feet and hands hooked around the metal strips supporting the dropped ceiling.

The wolf cast a maligned glare at Zafira. He sighed. "She's not going to chase you just because you're a cat person, Blake."

The wolf glowed again, shifting back into the shape of a tall, buxom woman. "This time," Arf said, before winking and taking her seat again. Zafira shook his head and pinched his nose. Fate leaned over and poked Arf in the arm, a disapproving scowl on her face. Arf whined.

Hayate looked to be holding back laughter. "Blake, please come down. No one's going to do anything crazy."

Blake's only response was to glare at Zafira. "He's one too, isn't he."

"Yes and no. First off, Zafira is much better behaved. Second, he's what is called a Guardian Beast. Guardian beasts are bred, raised, and trained since birth for one specific role; protection of their master or mistress."

Ruby raised a tentative hand. "A-are you the one that bonded Zafira, Hayate?"

The white-haired wolfman shook his head. "She is not. My memories of my original master are lost to time."

Hayate nodded. "Zafira became mine for a time in the incident that introduced me to the world of magic. At the conclusion of that incident, I was lucky enough to be able to set him and the other Wolkenritter free. They are bound to no one, and remain with me out of their own senses of loyalty." Zafira nodded, a motion echoed by Signum, Vita, and Shamal.

"But Zafira is able to turn into a wolf too?" Blake still wasn't so sure she was ready to come down from the ceiling.

In answer, Zafira glowed white, his shape morphing into a blue-furred wolf even larger than Arf had been. Below her, Weiss had both hands pressed to her cheeks, eyes wide with… adoration. Blake winced. There goes one ally.

"Wait." Yang spoke up now. "Speaking of the Wolkenritter, how did they all change ages? How did Vita turn herself into a threat?" She grinned, pantomiming cupping her own assets.

Hayate grinned. There was the slightest sound of palm meeting face, from Professor Goodwitch. The little brunette continued without missing a beat. "The long and short of it is that the Wolkenritter are not human. They were also transformed, much in the same fashion as familiars, in a manner lost to time and memory. They were bound to an artifact that eventually made its way into my hands, and as I mentioned earlier, I was able to free them from it. With help from all of my friends here, I must add."

"While fully sophont, they are technically mana constructs. While they possess their own linker cores, their bodies are solidified energy. While they look, act, feel and smell increasingly human as they put more effort into it, they are not. Because of this, the possibility exists for them to… edit their physical features. This is actually the first time they have done so since I met them, as I never asked them to change for my own designs."

There was a grumpy huff from the back of the room. "You just had to wait for some other reason, you menace!" The red-haired knight's shout was at least a little bit playful.

"The point of all this was to explain Zafira's misunderstanding. Ms. Belladonna, he made the honest mistake of thinking that you were a Guardian Beast because when he first met you, you were shadowing Professor Goodwitch in exactly that kind of role. The silent protector. It really was a compliment coming from him."

"Oh." Blake felt a blush tinge her cheeks, and she sheepishly dropped down from the ceiling to land on her feet.

Zafira flowed back into human form, walking up to her and offering his hand. Blake looked at it, and after a moment's hesitation gripped his hand in hers, shaking once. She even let herself smile.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 6 – Moving Day​

"Okay, class! Everyone please take your- nevermind you're already sitting." Ruby shifted from foot to foot, looking down at the lesson plan she had put together with Professor Goodwitch the night before. The words seemed to crawl on the page, running together into a smear of black lines. She shook her head to clear it.

She could hear the professor's advice playing in her head. Don't keep staring at your lesson plan. Look at your students; engage them in the material. "Today we're going to talk about the single purpose that all huntsmen and huntresses exist for. Does anyone want to take a guess at what it is?"

Nanoha raised her hand. "Fighting the Grimm."

"Yes! While in practice huntsmen will take various different jobs to support themselves, we train to fight the Grimm. We fight to keep everyone else safe, so that people can live their lives in peace and safety." Ruby glanced down at the plan again. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but as members of the TSAB, you're all military, right? Well, I know Yuuno is a librarian and Arf works with him, but you're still a, uhm. A subdivision in the TSAB, right?"

The blonde nodded. "That's right."

"Okay. So as military, you're trained to follow things like the Rules of Engagement. I don't know exactly how the TSAB defines them, but I'm sure there are plenty of things that involve the, uhm… fair use of force, and things like that, right? Opponents are given a chance to surrender, and you follow standard methods that dictate escalation of force in combat, right?"

Hayate raised her hand, waiting until Ruby nodded to her. "That's correct. TSAB doctrine generally advocates the minimal use of force to resolve an issue. It's hard to keep your dependent populations safe if you open up with Breaker class spells at the start of every engagement. Not only because of the risk of collateral damage, but because eventually the people you're fighting against are going to start by opening up with their strongest weapons."

"Right! That's all very important when you're dealing with the kinds of things that you all… deal with." Ruby flipped to the next page. "I'm completely serious when I say that it's very commendable of you and your government. Those are important things to consider when you want to keep people safe, and to maintain their trust in the people in power."

At the back of the room, Professor Goodwitch gave Ruby a small nod. She took a breath and continued. "So now, I need you to take all those rules that you've learned, and throw them out the window. The Grimm are not an opponent that can be reasoned with. They exist for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to kill you and the people you are trying to protect. They don't know fear. You can't rout the Grimm with a superior show of force. Your only options in dealing with the Grimm are total victory or tactical retreat. Show them no quarter, because they will not show it to you."

"For the rest of this class we're going to be going over the more common types of Grimm. Please open Grimm Anatomy to page ten." Ruby turned and clicked on the remote in her hand. The projector spun up, and a diagram of a beowolf appeared on the board. "As you are all soldiers, you should note that the beowolf is the closest in build to the human form of all the Grimm, with similar critical points."



[ *** ]



"So why Ruby, if you don't mind me asking? Don't get me wrong, as she did a wonderful job today." Lindy sipped her tea, watching keenly as Yang and Zafira traded blows in the impromptu sparring ring. The wolfman wasn't quite sandbagging; it was clear that Yang was a little too aggressive for him to take it easy, and the different kind of durability Aura provided allowed her to shrug off hits that would have put most TSAB mages on the ground, barrier jacket or no.

Glynda took a long drink of her coffee, eyes on the fight and the projected display of their Aura levels. "Perspective, mostly. Everyone on Team RWBY wants to make a difference, but Ms. Rose wants to be a hero. She wants to protect people. Her mother was a huntress, and she was raised on stories and legends read to her by her sister."

"Ah." Lindy smiled a little, glancing across the room at Nanoha. "You want her to realize that passing on the knowledge to others is just as important, if not more so, than simply being able to fight. Much like Captain Takamachi realized when she decided to join the Training Division."

"Quite." Glynda leaned forward, then stood, raising her voice. "Match over by Aura depletion. Ms. Xiao Long, your Aura has dropped below fifteen percent."

Lindy finished her tea, setting the cup aside and standing herself. "And that's my cue. Durandal, set up. Skirmish mode."

"Yes, boss."

The white and blue staff flashed and appeared in her hand, much more streamlined than before and with sharp, angular edges to the head. "Wish me luck. It's been years since I've fought in melee combat."

Glynda smiled, watching as Ruby extended Crescent Rose into scythe configuration. "Good luck, Lindy. You'll need it."


[ *** ]


"A rifle spear?" Nanoha tilted her head, looking at the rather comprehensive diagram that Ruby had sketched up over the course of all of five minutes.

"Yeah, with a shield! You're a ranged mage, right? Vita said you fly around like a… a housefly when people get too close to you. But you're not going to be able to fly much here on Remnant, not at Beacon. A spear is good for keeping things back from you, they've got a bit of extra reach. That, and one of my friends at Beacon would be a great tutor for you. She's amazing!" Ruby grinned.

'Are you ready?' Her father asked. Nanoha gulped, nodding. Kyouya and Miyuki brandished a boken each, flanking to the sides while Shiro pressed her from the front. She desperately spun the mock naginata in her hands, fending off the attacks from all sides as her skilled family strove to land a blow. Wooden claps echoed throughout the dojo, sharp percussion music that Nanoha hadn't let herself appreciate for years. Low-power barriers, the best she could manage without Raising Heart directly assisting, flashed into place between the worse blows and her body, drawing out what should have been a short match into long, intense minutes of combat. Even with sweat dripping down her brow and bruises smarting under her padding, she smiled.

"Hmm. What do you think, Raising Heart? Ruby says a spear, but maybe a naginata form that transforms into a hunting rifle?"

"I can be shot!"

"I guess that answers that."

It only took a few minutes to describe exactly what a naginata was to Ruby, and she quickly sketched out a new design. Nanoha had to admit, the way Ruby poked her tongue into the corner of her mouth while she worked was adorable, but her eyebrows rose as the diagram became even more complicated.

"There! More options are better, after all! Pyrrha's going to love working with you!"

"If you say so. We can always, heh, dumb it down a little if necessary, right?" Nanoha removed Raising Heart's necklace, setting it on the worktable. "Raising Heart, unpack your dimensional pocket and we'll get to work. Authorize Amy Harlaown for administrative access."

"Yes, my master! Amy Harlaown authorized. I look forward to integrating the new hardware!" The bright glow of light made them avert their eyes, and when it cleared Raising Heart's internal systems were splayed out across the table with calculated precision. Amy stepped closer, tapping on her datapad and putting the device into shutdown mode.

"Wait wait wait, that's Raising Heart?! I thought she was a staff!"

"Er… yeah? Devices use the same storage technology as the Arthra, just on a smaller scale. Otherwise there'd be no way to carry all the parts required to channel magic properly."

"She weighs more than you do! She weighs more than all three of us!"

"Nyahaha, she doesn't weigh that much. Amy, she masses in at what, a hundred kilos?"

"A hundred and two, Nanoha." Amy snatched the diagram out of Ruby's limp hands, giving it a once over. "A hundred and ten after these parts get installed."

Ruby stared for a moment longer, then slapped her cheeks a few times and shook her head. "R-right! Well, let's get started."


[ *** ]


Signum reeled her target dummy in, casting a critical eye on her grouping. A bit low. I need to remember to adjust for ballistic drop. The door opened behind her, prompting her to glance over her shoulder. "Testarossa. Did you finish your modifications to Bardiche?"

"I did. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to the weight of an actual scythe blade, but Ruby says she'll be happy to give me pointers when she's finished working on Raising Heart. How is Laevatein?"

"Unhindered by the alterations. I must admit, it has been many, many years since I last fired physical projectiles of any form. It is taking some getting used to." Signum yanked the arrows from the dummy's torso, giving the tips a cursory inspection before sliding them back into her quiver. "Would you like to spar while we wait?"

The red-eyed blonde gave her a smile. "I would."

Signum nodded, and disengaged Laevatein's sheathe with a flick of her thumb. Metal folded and shifted, and in a scant moment she was holding the sword easily in her hand. Light glinted off the newly angular blade. "Lead the way."


[ *** ]


"It's… an assault rifle." Chrono stared blankly at the Remnant style weapon.

Amy crowed with glee. "You're damned straight it's an assault rifle! I've read my history! Back before magic was science, when gunpowder was still a thing, this was one of the weapons that wars were won with!" A flick of her hand disengaged the frame lock, and the weapon unfolded. The plating on the sides swept up and linked together, letting her yank the suddenly-straightened grip free and sliding her other arm into the gap. With only a moment's time passing, the Arthra's Executive Aide was wielding a double-edged short sword and an angular shield, grinning widely.

Chrono shook his head in exasperation. "Fine. But I'm going to have Signum work you until you drop." He sighed, looking down at the equipment he was integrating into S2U. "...and then I'm going to have her do it to me."

"Is that a shotgun, Chrono? You're going to be firing into melee with a shotgun?"

"Someone needs to pack one of these, and I don't trust any of the others with it." He soldered another connection. If it wasn't for Hayate and those zombie games she'd brought with her on the Arthra over the years, he'd never have had the idea. "Besides, I'll admit I've wanted to use one for a few years now."


[ *** ]


The remaining days of the week passed quickly, days filled from morning to dusk with history, culture, weapons training, and more. The enforced closeness of being confined to the warehouse's offices along with the tight schedule Glynda had set was finally beginning to wear on nerves, but the end was in sight.

Measurements had been needed, and more than a few faces went red when Hayate had rattled them off to the tailor for everyone, including those she had never laid hands on. Not even Lindy had been spared. Still, it made the process go far more quickly than expected.

He allowed himself a small smile while he stood at the front of the impromptu classroom. "Good morning everyone. If you have not met me before, I am Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. In two days time, classes for the second semester of the year begin. Professor Goodwitch has informed me that she is satisfied with your academic progress, both individually and collectively, and believes you are ready to attend and observe our facility."

"Thank the Kaiser. This place is starting to smell."

"Vita, be nice."

"Yeah, yeah."

Ozpin let the small scattering of laughter pass. "As you all know, students at Beacon are arranged into teams. Admiral Harlaown and I have spent some time in deliberations, and she has been so kind as to allow me to review footage from your… devices, taken during the defense of the Arthra in the Emerald Forest. Between the two of us, we have decided on the teams you will be placed in for your time at Beacon."

Nanoha traded a smile with the long-haired blonde. Fate, Ozpin remembered. The admiral's adopted daughter. Lindy had told him about their friendship, eight years strong now.

Not that it does me any particular pleasure, but it is time to dash those hopes. He cleared his throat. "Zafira Yagami. Fate T. Harlaown. Signum Yagami. Hayate Yagami. You will be Team Zebrafish, led by Zafira Yagami." The wolfman's eyes widened, genuine surprise making itself known on his face. Hayate raised her eyebrows and smiled, while Signum clapped a hand on the guardian beast's shoulder. Fate blinked, but nodded in acceptance. There was a small scattering of applause from the others watching.

"Chrono Harlaown," Ozpin continued, "Shamal Yagami, Amy Harlaown, Lindy Harlaown. You will form Team Celestial, Chrono Harlaown leading." The young man seemed surprised as well, casting a questioning glance at the admiral. She nodded, smiling demurely. Amy let out a cheer, throwing her arms around her husband's shoulders in a hug.

"Lastly. Nanoha Takamachi. Arf Harlaown. Vita Yagami. Yuuno Scrya. Led by Nanoha Takamachi, you will form Team Navy."

"What? Navy?" Nanoha piped up, confused. "But I'm air force!"

"The color, Ms. Takamachi."

"Baka." Vita gave Nanoha a friendly shove.

"Oh. That makes a lot more sense!"

Ozpin allowed himself a small chuckle. "I have taken the liberty of supplying some extra casual clothing, as not every waking moment at Beacon is spent in uniform." There was a muted damn! from Hayate. "Please select some appropriate attire for yourselves, pack any belongings you will be bringing with you, and return here in half an hour. You will use today to settle into your dormitory rooms, and Team RWBY will help you familiarize yourselves with the campus. Use tomorrow to relax. Classes begin on Monday."


[ *** ]


Hayate tilted her head, standing in the doorway to the newly minted Team ZFSH's dorm room.. "Zafira, did you already unpack my things?" I swear I only stopped to talk to Nanoha for a minute or two.

"I did. Signum and I are familiar enough with your preferences to do so, Mistre-"

Hayate cut him off, voice sharp. "No."

The Guardian Beast cut off mid-syllable, blinking. Signum stepped forward, hesitantly. "Hayate-sama, I-"

"No, Signum. Stop and listen to me." Hayate glanced down the hallway. The only natives around are Team RWBY. Small mercies. Hayate stepped inside the room, pulling the door shut behind her. "We need to change how we interact. You and Zafira cannot be heard deferring in such a way to me anymore. It will raise too many questions, arouse too many suspicions."

She pointed at Zafira. "You're the leader of this team now, Zafira. While we're here at Beacon, you're the one with authority. Doubly so since everyone's going to think you're a faunus. You can't treat me as your master anymore. Signum, the same to you. We're just students now, all of us."

There was a long moment of silence as the two Wolkenritter exchanged glances. Fate busied herself with unpacking her own clothes, staying out of the conversation. Finally, Zafira nodded. "Mi- Hayate. I understand. You will be content serving your own needs?"

She smiled. "I got by for years before the Book of Darkness brought you to me. I think I can manage again."

"If you're sure, Hayate-sa-" Signum looked like she'd swallowed a bad fig, but was accepting the logic of the situation. "Hayate."

Hayate turned, putting her hand on the door knob. "I need to go talk to Vita and Shamal too. May I be excused, Zafira?" She glanced back over her shoulder, putting on a teasing grin.

The wolfman rolled his eyes. "Do what you need to do."


[ *** ]


"RUUU~BY!"

"Oh, hey Nor- oof!"

Chrono stepped out of the way as the leader of Team RWBY was tackled to the floor by an even smaller girl with a mop of burnt-orange hair on her head. The two girls went down in a pile, rolling across the floor in an animated struggle-hug. He glanced over his shoulder. Amy shrugged, Fate had taken a step back, and Lindy simply had a beatific smile on her face.

Catching up was a slim, tallish youth with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a green tunic reminiscent of styles from Unadministered World 97's far east. "Nora, let her up."

"Reeeen she's been gone for two weeks! That was all break! We didn't get to hang out or eat pancakes together or anything!"

"Please, stop…"

"What were you doing! Did you go on a super secret GRIMM KILLING MISSION?! I'm so jealous!" She did let go, though, and bounced back to her feet.

Chrono offered Ruby a hand, which she gladly accepted, and pulled her upright. "You okay, Ms. Rose?"

Unfortunately, speaking up drew the wildly exuberant girl's attention. Turquoise eyes locked on him, and suddenly the girl was right in front of him, looking up at him. "You're new!"

Ruby dusted herself off, interposing with some practiced skill to give Chrono back his personal space. "They're new students. Nora, these are the Harlaowns. Chrono, Amy, Fate, and Lindy. Everyone, this is Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren."

Murmurs of greetings passed between them. Nora's gaze snapped from one face to the other, then a speculative look made itself known in her eyes. "...you two don't look like family."

"We're married." Amy leaned against Chrono's side, smiling.

"Oh. Well you don't look like them."

"I'm adopted."

"Oh! Well yooo~oouu two… you two are siblings, that's obvious."

Chrono facepalmed, and behind him he could hear Lindy laugh delightedly. "...yes. Lindy's my sister."

Nora's head turned as the cafeteria door opened again, and the Yagamis entered. "Ooh! More people!"

Her mad dash was interrupted by a burst of rose petals. "NOdon'tjumpthem! They'retwitchy!" Both girls tumbled to the floor again.

Chrono shook his head, feeling a keen sense of despair. Fate gave his shoulder a soft pat. "Well, it looks like it will be an interesting stay."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 7 - The Worst Day Ever​

The Arthra's dozen made the decision to go to breakfast early. Not as early as possible, as they didn't want to stand out by being the first ones there. But, they also didn't want to draw attention by being the last group of students to enter the cafeteria. Better to become part of the background early on, was the general idea.

So, Teams CSAL, ZFSH, and NAVY occupied a stretch of tables on one side of the room, quietly conversing over fruit and pastries while students filtered into the large room. Beacon Academy uniforms were the item of the day, and the TSAB teams wore them with military poise.

A wash of red petals heralded Ruby's arrival at the table, the rest of her team following along in short order. Blake stood for a moment, looking for a place to sit at the increasingly crowded table. After a moment, Zafira glanced up from his plate and nodded to her, shifting to the side to give her room next to Yang.

"Thank you." Blake took the offered seat.

Zafira nodded again, then returned to his meal. Blake glanced down the table. "You're missing some people."

"Indeed. Arf and Yuuno decided to skip breakfast. They said something about using a portion of the discretionary fund provided to us, and took an airship downtown."

"I see."

Beside her, Yang looked up and waved. "Nora, Ren! Jaune!"

The members of JNPR joined them; Nora and Ren sat at the end of the table, having a heaping stack of pancakes and a bowl of oatmeal, respectively. Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "Yang, have you seen Pyrrha? She was supposed to be getting back this morning, and I haven't seen her ye- Oh, there you are!"

Blake tilted her head. "But Pyrrha's not-"

"Pyrrha? Wait a second, did you dye your hair? Why did you dye your hair pink? I mean it doesn't look bad but it's making me double take and wait a minute you're not Pyrrha. I totally didn't mean to mistake you for her, I'm so sorry."

Blake glanced down the table to see Signum staring steadily at JNPR's blonde leader, unblinkingly. Now that the comparison was made, Blake could see the resemblance. Youthened to seventeen years of age, Signum looked surprisingly similar to Pyrrha Nikos, if admittedly a few inches shorter. The knight nodded slowly to Jaune. "Apology accepted."

"Oh, right!" Ruby stood up. "Everyone, this is Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR. Jaune, let me introduce you to everyone!"


[ *** ]


"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald let the frown fall across her features, red eyes boring into the man. "I hear you're planning on leaving."

Behind her, Mercury hit a control, dimming one of the shop windows. Emerald continued. "Moving all the way to Vacuo. Your brothers in the White Fang wouldn't be happy to hear that." The room got darker as Mercury dimmed the next. "And neither are we."

Only the faintest amount of light was coming in from outside, now. "You know who we are, don't you?" Emerald stood relaxed, completely at ease.

Tukson hesitated, brows coming together. "Yes."

"And, you know why we're here?" She let the faintest smile touch her lips.

"Yes."

Mercury walked up behind her. Insurance. "So. Are you going to fight back?" Say yes. Say yes, you stupid animal! Say it!

The door slammed open, flooding the room with daylight. "HALLOOO~OOOO!"

"Arf, I don't think they're open!"

"Nonsense, Yuuno! The sign says nine to five! It's ten thirty!" Emerald spun around to see a tall, red-haired wolf faunus saunter into the bookstore, all blatant curves and muscle. Behind her, a shorter man with a blonde ponytail followed as if swept in the faunus' wake. "Hiiii! Are you open?"

"Y- YES! Yes, of course we're open! Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!" Emerald wanted to curse; scream, even. Tukson stepped out from behind the counter, giving her and Mercury both a wide berth as he went to shake the bitch's hand. "What can I help you with? Anything in particular?"

The woman, Arf, the blonde had called her, returned the handshake. Her tail thrashed excitedly behind her, and she took a breathe. Emerald saw the glint in her eyes change, becoming ever-so-slightly predatory. "Oh I'm sure you can!" She turned, a fangy grin still on her face. "Yuuno, what are we looking for?"

"Oh, uhm. History books, if you have them."

"Of course I do! Are you looking for any in particular?" Tukson led them along, the perfect image of the helpful shopkeeper.

"Anything with varied viewpoints, really. It's for a special project. We're studying history as told through the eyes of each major nation, but so far it's been hard to find that kind of nonfiction from non-Valean editors."

"Sounds like a bit of an undertaking. But I do think I have some old textbooks that could help you out. Let's see here…"

Emerald and Mercury exchanged a glance. It was already obvious; the faunus bitch and her boytoy weren't going to be leaving anytime soon. Mercury jerked his head toward the door. Hands clenched tight, Emerald followed him out.

This was supposed to be an easy hit. How did this go wrong?


[ *** ]


"I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE! I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!"

"How did it come to this?"

Chrono ducked down behind CSAL's table barricade, narrowly avoiding taking a tomato to the forehead. Beside him, Amy had gotten her hands on a stack of pancakes, and had one floppy cake in a discus grip. She lurched to her feet with a wild yell, curling her arm to throw, and Chrono grabbed her and hauled her back down. She struggled, yelling something about perfect flanking positions.

Sitting next to him, Shamal just gave him a smile and a shrug, before trading a glance over his shoulder with Lindy. The smile got wider, and the Knight of the Lake started giggling.

"What, Shamal? What about this entire mad scene is funny?"

"Friendly fire."

Chrono's eyes widened. He turned and threw up his arm, an instant too late to stop Lindy from throwing a cream pie right into his face. Amy tore loose from his slackened grip, crowing in victory and sending pancakes flying like frisbees into the melee.



[ *** ]



"Oh, look at this one, Yuuno! In the Trenches: A Firsthand Account of the Great War." Arf held the book up to display the title, her left ear twitching one, two, three times.

Yuuno leaned in over her shoulder, glancing over the cover with a look of practiced interest. Arf whispered in his ear, barely audible even from that short distance. "Owner's scared for his life. Whole room smelled like fear when we walked in. Also, he's totally a cat."

Yuuno made an approving noise, taking the book out of Arf's hands. The owner, Tukson, was waiting behind the counter, drumming his fingers nervously on the wood. "I think we'll be taking this one too. Any other suggestions?"

The dark-haired man shrugged. "If you're looking for more political history, perhaps Returning to Dust: The Autobiography of Kalt Schnee would be of interest? It details the rise of the Schnee Dust Company, but it is a bit biased, obviously. A good book for a counter-bias is Stolen Land, which details the trials of the faunus populations displaced by Kalt Schnee's land purchases."

"Both of those would be great. Are they out here?"

"No, they're in the back. I'll go find them for you." Tukson disappeared into the stock room.

Yuuno stepped close to Arf, keeping his voice as low as possible. "Think it was those two that were here when we arrived?"

"Does Vita scream a lot?"

"They still nearby?"

Arf cracked the front door, sniffed, then shut it. "...faint. Probably loitered for a while hoping we'd leave, then took off about fifteen minutes ago."

"Give it another fifteen minutes, then?"

"Yeah. Oh, here he comes, I'll keep myself busy." Arf turned toward a rack of light novels, and Yuuno walked back to the counter. Behind him, he could hear Arf making inquisitive sounds. "Oooo, Ninjas of Love! That sounds interesting!"



[ *** ]

"It doesn't matter that you're all new here, you should know better than to do this! Especially you, Ms. Harlaown!"

Glynda was furious. The entire cafeteria was a disaster zone, and she had seventeen students dripping head-to-toe in smears of food and condiments. The only one that looked at all sorry was Chrono, and it wasn't so much the face of apology as the face of someone who wished they hadn't bothered to get out of bed.

Lindy tried and failed to hold back a giggle, wiping at the mustard on her cheek and only succeeding in smearing it around. "Would you believe me if I say I've never gotten to do this before?"

"That is beside the point.. I do not want to see something like this happ-" She was interrupted by Yang falling through the ceiling, smashing right into one of the recently replaced tables. An inarticulate growl started to build at the back of her throat.

A hand landed gently on her shoulder. "Let it go."

She sighed, letting the worst of the anger and tension drain out with the exhalation. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." And more than that, even.

"And they will be, but right now they're still children." Most of them, Ozpin didn't need to say. "So why not let them play the part." He started walking toward the door.

"But the-" Glynda turned toward him, but stopped. Two of the exchange students were standing by the door, and she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Even the refugees, Glynda. They've had a hard life."

Fine. She sighed again, turning toward the… combatants. "Since this is the last day before classes start, I won't be assigning any official punishments. However, I will happily accept volunteers to assist the chefs in preparing dinner, and to assist the custodial staff after."

"Oh! I'll help!" Nanoha shot to her feet, waving her hand. "I'm good at baking, and Hayate and Lindy are good at cooking too! Even Chrono's great in the kitchen!"

Amy gave Chrono a kiss on his cheek, despite or because of the whipped cream still covering it. "One of the many reasons I married you."

Glynda let herself nod. "Good, then. Go get cleaned up, and please report to the kitchens in three hours."



[ *** ]



"Your total comes to five hundred and eighty four Lien."

"Crap. I only have four hundred and fifty." Yuuno winced. Lindy had approved a dispension from the group's discretionary fund for their trip to the bookstore, and they'd apparently overshot more than intended. "Arf, we're gonna need to put a couple back." He started sorting through the stack of books, trying to decide.

Tukson put his hand down on the stack, stopping him. The man shook his head, a slightly-forced smile on his face. "It's so rare that I see a young man and woman interested in real history instead of just swallowing the drabble that the media feeds to them. I'd be happy to give you a discount; in fact, I insist."

"Oh? That's very generous of you, Mr. Tukson. Thank you." Yuuno exchanged a glance with Arf while Tukson ran the sale and printed their receipt. "We'll be sure to stop by again when we need more material."

"I'll be happy to help you when you do." A bold-faced lie, and Yuuno knew it. Still, he appreciated the spirit it was meant in. He extended a hand and earned a firm handshake, and Arf gave Tukson a cheery wave on their way out of the store.

Arf stretched, basking in the sunlight and light breeze out on the street. "Won't be seeing him again."

"You noticed that, too?"

"Yeah. Kitty cat's gonna take his chance and run for the hills as soon as he can lock the doors. I wonder what exactly we interrupted."

"Nothing good, that much I'm sure of." Yuuno glanced back over his shoulder at the darkened windows of the shop. "Best we try to stay out of it from this point, though. We're not supposed to actively interfere in local affairs."

Arf knew as well as he did that to the TSAB, 'local' meant planetary. "Yeah… well, let's get back, hmm?"



[ *** ]



"I didn't know you knew so much about cooking, Jaune."

Jaune dusted his flour-covered hands on his apron, grinning a little shamefacedly. "Well, you know how it is. Living with seven sisters, you pick a few things up."

Pyrrha smiled back, then looked down at the dough she'd been kneading. "Have I done this right? Baking is one of the things that were a little neglected in my own childhood."

Nanoha reached over with one hand, giving the lump of dough a squeeze and pulling at it. "Nope, if anything it needs a few more minutes. Just keep working it and don't worry about over-kneading; it's really hard to do too much by hand." The girl hadn't even looked up from her own work, tearing off balls of dough and rolling them with one hand.

At another table, Chrono was methodically chopping vegetables and separating them into piles. Amy worked next to him, peeling potatoes with cheerful abandon. Fate and Lindy were bickering good-naturedly over the soup they were throwing the vegetables into.

The kitchen door flew open. "WE'RE BACK!"

"Arf!" Fate threw the boisterous wolf-faunus a disapproving glare. Jaune found himself staring at the newcomer. Her clothing didn't leave much to the imagination. "That's rude!" He hurriedly looked away, then realized that Fate was still talking to her, and the condemnation hadn't been directed toward him at all.

"Aw, but Fate! We brought the goods, see?" Arf tugged Yuuno into view, holding up her own bag full of books and motioning to his. "Lots of history and politics in finely printed form!"

"That's good, Arf." Lindy stepped away from the soup, smiling. "Did you spend everything I gave you?"

"We did. Sorry, Lindy. But the owner gave a discount. I'll tell you about it later?" Yuuno handed his bag off to Arf. "Anything I can do to help, here? What did we miss?"

Chrono heaved a sigh, grabbing another stack of carrots. "Food fight."

"AW! We missed one? You didn't tell us?" Arf sounded offended at what was obviously thoughtlessness on their parts.

"It was rather spur the moment." Amy grinned and gestured at the busy kitchen. "Punishment detail."

"Ooo, can I help too?"

"No, Arf." Lindy shook her head, still smiling. "If you 'help', all the students will be eating vegetarian by the time we serve. Go put everything away, please."

"Aw. Fiiiine." Arf slumped and plodded out the door, ears low and tail limp.

"She seems… loud." Pyrrha tilted her head.

"You have no idea." Fate's quiet voice held the tone of long-suffering martyr.

The oven dinged, and Ruby appeared in front of it in a blur of petals. She slipped on oven mitts and opened it to pull out tray after tray of cookies. "I haven't had this much fun baking in months! This is the best day ever!"



[ *** ]



"Listen to me. The new help is not on the level. I don't know what they're planning, but whatever it is, they're using us and they'll toss us aside the moment they don't need us anymore."

"Tukson, you're already on thin ice. A lot of people were really upset when word started getting around that you were going soft."

"And that includes putting a hit out on me? You know damned well I'm still with you. I just can't afford to be on the front lines anymore. I have a wife and kids, man. They're depending on me, and I can't support them if I'm lying dead in a ditch somewhere. That's why I'm backing off, not because I don't believe in the cause."

"Wait, they did what?"

"You heard me. The human bitch's pet brats came by my shop and were going to kill me. If it wasn't for some random bystanders walking in I'd be dead right now. Spread the damned word. Everyone who will listen. Taurus and I may disagree, but I know he didn't call that hit and I will bet you he doesn't know about it. If you can get to him yourself, ask him and see the look on his face. Or at least what you can see of it under that damned mask."

"Damn. Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that."

"Good. He's in over his head, and I don't want him to drag the Fang down with him when everything goes to shit. If you can help him see that, so much the better."

"Where will you go, then?"

"Anywhere but Vacuo. I'll contact you. Don't look for me."



[ *** ]



"So then we looked into a clearing and there was an entire pack of alphas. A whole pack of them! Ruby got us all set up, and- mmph!"

Ruby laughed awkwardly. "Yaa~aaang, stop it with that dream already. It's embarrassing! You sound like Nora!"

"Hey! I liked it!" Nora sounded offended through her mouthful of dinner pancakes. Jaune rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a grin when Ren leaned over to remind Nora to swallow before talking.

"Still, that does sound like it was a rather intense dream." Pyrrha sighed happily, sipping her water. "Dinner was amazing. I'm glad that I didn't ruin anything."

"You did great, Pyrrha. Still, Nanoha was amazing. She even taught me a few tricks to show my family when I… when I head home next." Jaune sighed. If father will even let me in the door.

Around them, students were starting to leave the cafeteria. At the other end of the room, Zafira passed out mops and brooms to the others that hadn't been helping in the kitchen. Jaune watched them for a moment. "Hey… I heard Headmaster Ozpin mention after the food fight that all the new kids are refugees? What's that all about?"

"Oh, uhm." Ruby stammered, finally letting go of Yang to sit back down. "They're… yeah, refugees. They, uh-"

"They're the descendents of people that fled the Great War. Did you ever hear about the Stairway to Heaven?" Blake glanced up from her book.

"What? Yeah, I've heard of it. It disappeared in the middle of the war, packed to the gills with people fleeing the fighting."

Blake nodded, flipping a page. "Their ancestors. They fixed it up and used it to come back home, but the repairs didn't hold and it crashed in the Emerald Forest."

"Wait wait wait, the Stairway to Heaven came back? That's amazing! Where is it now?"

"Dry dock. It's badly damaged, so no one's allowed in. It's probably going to be scrapped."

"No way, that's a piece of history! Really?"

"Most likely."

Jaune sat back on his bench, frowning and thinking. I want to see that ship.



[ *** ]



"Oh, look, she sent the kids again! This is turning out just like the divorce."

Emerald couldn't keep back the shuddering groan from passing through her lips, not quite daring to force Torchwick away. "Spare us the thought of you procreating." Just play it cool, he has no clue where we've been.

"That was a joke." He ambled between them, walking toward the desk festooned with maps and notes. "And this just might tell me where you two have been all day." He held up a sheet of paper between two gloved fingers, leaning on his cane.

"What?" Panic shot through Emerald. She patted her pocket, finding it empty.

His voice dripped pure disdain. "I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, you might learn something." Glancing at the paper, his eyes narrowed. "Why do you have this address?" It wasn't a question, but a cold demand for answers.

Emerald shared a worried glance with Mercury. He leaned back on one foot, putting forth an air of aloofness. "Oh, you know. Just keeping an eye on thi-"

"Did he see you?"

Mercury raised his hands. "Hey, it was nothing bi-"

"Did he see you?" Torchwick slammed the tip of his cane against the ground in emphasis.

"Maybe a little?" Emerald cringed when he snapped his attention back to her.

"Maybe a little? Maybe a little? Tukson's a smart old cat, you stupid young girl. I was keeping him isolated for a reason. If he catches one little sniff of things not being right he'll go to ground and we'll never find him."

"Don't fucking talk to me like that! He was about to leave town right out from under your nose. He needed to be stopped!"

"Which you obviously failed to do. Good job, good job! You let the cat out of the bag, literally and figuratively!" Torchwick clapped his hands in mock applause. "I don't know what the hell Cinder sees in you two, because it sure isn't your brains!"

"Roman. Is there a problem?" A figure came into view from above, staring down at them from the top of a storage lift.

Nonono. Fuck no, not now. We can still fix this.

"You're damned straight there's a problem, Cinder. Yourwonder children decided that they were going to go and kill off one of my marks. I had the Tukson situation under control, and they just ruined it!"

"What's one more dead fool, Roman?" The lift lowered to the ground, and Cinder Fall stepped closer. Slowly, languidly, with the glass chimes around her ankle punctuating her steps. Her orange gaze flicked toward Emerald before passing to Mercury. "Though I did tell you two to keep your hands clean."

"A hell of a problem when he's not dead, Cinder. I don't know what the hell they tried to do, but what they did do was fuck up. By now I'm sure the old cat's gone to ground, and he's good at hiding."

Cinder's eyes flared, and Emerald took a step back. She'd seen Cinder angry before, but never directed at her. "It- we can still fix this, Cinder! We'll find him, I promise!"

"Y-yeah. He's one faunus, how much can he do?"

"He's one faunus amongst many, and there are too many people in the White Fang that will still listen to him." Her gaze narrowed. "No. You'll do nothing until I tell you to, Emerald. Both of you. Your impetuousness may have made things a lot more difficult. I need to run damage control."

"Tell us what to do, then!"

"You stay here." Cinder turned and walked away, sparks flaring from her feet with every step.

Emerald lowered her eyes to the ground, fighting the need to scream. This is the worst day ever.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 8 - Putting On Appearance​

Voiceprint match - Nanoha Takamachi DESIGNATION: MASTER
Standby Mode - Cancelled
Audio Receptors ACTIVE
Audio Parser ACTIVE

- Audio IN: Okay, Raising Heart. Scan and link to my scroll, please.

MASTER command received

- Audio OUT: Yes, my master!

Wireless Scanner ACTIVE
Wireless Signal detected at 3.74 GHz - Identifying
.
.
Connection established - Encrypting

- Audio IN: Perfect! Thank you, partner. Change to Strike Mode, please.

MASTER command received

- Audio OUT: Yes, my master! Shutting down vocal response interface.

Dimensional Pocket Retrieval ACTIVE
Deploy STRIKE MODE components
.
- Text OUT channel link MASTER SCROLL: Strike Mode active! I can be shot!

- Audio IN: Let's see here… enter my password… there we go! Ah, good! I know you can, partner. I've gotta leave you in here for classes, but keep the link open and you can listen in.

MASTER command Received

- Yes, my master! Have a good morning!

Wireless signal detected - Intelligent Device BARDICHE recognized
Connection established - Encrypting

- Text OUT: Good morning!

- Text IN: Good day.


[ *** ]


"Ohayo, Fate-chan!"

Fate smiled as Nanoha ran up to join her for the walk to the classroom buildings. It was a bright, clear morning, with dew on the grass and fluffy white clouds hanging in the sky. "Ohayo, Nanoha."

"Is Bardiche ready for combat classes? I didn't get to see him finished. Alloy Form, you said you were going to call it?"

"Mm. Having a metal blade is going to take a bit of getting used to, but Ruby says she'll be happy to work with me."

Nanoha glanced around, making sure none of the locals were in earshot. "How'd he take the modifications?"

"Well enough. He said he was going to go over some calculations with Raising Heart while we're in class."

A few more calls of greeting rang through the air, and soon they were joined by the rest of NAVY and ZFSH. Vita grumbled, fussing with the ribbon around her collar until Hayate flicked her in the back of the head. "Leave it alone, Vita."

"But it's-"

"It's fine. Leave it alone."

"You're not the boss of me anymore! You said so yourself!"

"But I am, Vita! Leave it alone!" Nanoha giggled, matching Vita's death-glare by sticking out her tongue.

"You guys suck."

Fate laughed softly, enjoying the conversation and banter around her. CSAL caught up to them a moment later, and a few minutes after that the twelve of them filtered into the lecture hall. They sat in their respective teams, one team to each row in the left side seating area.

Fate flipped open her notebook, eager to begin. School back on Earth had been something that she had always looked forward to once she'd begun living there in earnest. Something about the communal atmosphere, the imparting of knowledge from teacher to student; it didn't matter that Fate was generally quiet because she was there and a part of something greater.

The professor walked to the front of the classroom with martial bearing in every step. The distinguished, grey-haired man swept the assembled students with his gaze, then paused to give his gold-trimmed, burgundy jacket a smart tug. His mustache twitched.

"Hello, students, and welcome back from your break! As some of you may be aware, we have some new students joining us for the second semester. Because of this, I will be taking today to summarize the information we covered last semester, before moving on to new topics." There was an almost inaudible groan from the majority of the class, more like a wave of air pressure pushed out by the simultaneous sighs.

Fate smiled, nodding. A lot of teachers wouldn't bother being so considerate to new students, instead forcing them to put the extra effort in to catch up on their own.

"Now that I think about it, that reminds me of a time in my younger, wilder years, freshly graduated from this very academy and searching for my first job as a real huntsman! Money was scarce back in those days, and there were times when I was worried that I was going to starve!"

What.



[ *** ]



Beacon's battle arena.

The massive room was used to host training battles for the student huntsmen and huntresses of the academy, and the circular floor was more than a hundred long strides from end to end. Stadium-style seating circled the floor, allowing for non-combatants to spectate the training bouts from above.

During normal hours, the room was used for scheduled combat classes, allowing individuals or entire teams to face off against each other under the watchful eye of Professor Goodwitch herself. In the evenings, the battle arena could be reserved for individual study.

Twenty figures in widely varying battle attire occupied the floor and lower seating. Matched pairs of combatants faced off with the weapons of their choosing, while others practiced form and style alone or in groups. Easy laughter and conversation filtered up through the air, mixing with the metallic clash of weapons and the sharp report of dust rounds.

Sitting in the bleachers, Ozpin watched with interest as the various students went through their paces. Next to him, Lindy tapped at her scroll, muttering to herself.

"Not that I object to the company, but shouldn't you be down there with the rest, Ms. Harlaown?" Ozpin sipped his coffee, still observing. On one section of floor, Ruby Rose was helping the admiral's adopted daughter get used to the weight and inertia of her modified weapon. Fate seemed to be a quick study, and they had already progressed to using Dust charges to enhance motion.

"Mm? In a bit, yes. But Durandal only has a full spear for melee options, and at the moment Ms. Nikos is drilling Nanoha and Amy on sword and shield techniques."

"You have a rifle function built in, yes?"

"I do, but marksmanship is something I can practice on my own time." Lindy swiped her screen, and Ozpin caught a glimpse of a diagram. It looked like some sort of fiendishly complicated machine, crawling with labels and wide swathes marked in red. "Damnation."

"What is the matter?"

"My technicians just finished their final diagnostic on the Arthra's drive core. It's essentially slag. We won't be able to repair it, which means manufacturing and installing a new one. We don't have access to the fabrication equipment needed to do so."

Ozpin nodded, letting a faint frown cross his features. "Given Remnant's lesser understanding of materials sciences, let alone your dimensional technology…"

She nodded. "We'd have to teach your people the theory, oversee the research and development process, and direct the construction of the manufacturing facility needed to do so. By which point the Arthra's secret would no longer be a secret at all."

"I am sorry."

"Not your fault, Headmaster. We just need to focus on different options. FTL comm signal boosters, for example."

"I'm sure that would be quite useful…." Ozpin perked an eyebrow questioningly.

"Faster than light communications."

"Ah, yes. I allowed myself to forget about your civilization's complete disregard for physics."

A cheer went up on the floor below. Yang had Arf in a headlock, sinking blow after blow into the her torso with her free fist while the familiar bucked and rolled in increasingly energetic attempts to throw the blonde off. Shouts of encouragement rang from all around, urging both competitors on.


[ *** ]


Signum worked Laevatein through a series of cuts and thrusts, switching between one and two-handed grips with ease of long experience, slicing and bashing her way through a throng of imaginary opponents. Sweat rolled in beads down her brow, sliding down her face to drip from her chin; it was a sensation of which she was very unaccustomed.

Wearing true armor was another sensation that felt strange to her; welcome, but strange. Hayate's envisionment of the Wolkenritter's Knight's Clothing was the Belkan form of a Barrier Jacket, and as such felt like it weighed nothing and didn't restrict their movements at all. Even the heavier, traditional Knight's Armor spell was supremely lightweight and flexible.

Between that, and the decision to simulate human biology as closely as possible, Signum was feeling the strain of wearing full battle gear. Normally, their simulated biology was only skin deep; lacking certain bodily concerns was convenient. But they needed to not only look human, but be human, to keep the guise intact. Technically, having human biology was a tactical disadvantage. Slightly decreased reflexes, true pain sensitivity, and even the flood of hormones through her blood; it all added up to dampen the perfect combat awareness that she was used to.

She relished it. It made her feel alive.

After nearly twenty minutes of full-speed martial practice, she finally let herself take a moment to breathe. Straightening up to her full height, feeling her vertebrae pop with the effort, the burn of lactic acid in her muscles… exquisite.

We've made ourselves this human before, but it never felt so immediate. Signum raised her arm to look at it, hidden underneath metal and padding. Even without being able to see it, she knew that it was thinner than before. Slimmer. Still the arm of an athlete and knight, but without the bulk of maturity. It's been a long, long time since I looked like this.

The realization hit her like a solid impact, like the last time Vita had managed to slip Graf Eisen past her guard. Like a thunderbolt, as if Fate had struck her with a well-cast Plasma Smasher. She closed her eyes, tipping her head back.

I… I remember. I was… I am in truth a Knight of Belka, not just an imitation. The memories were hazy but real, and pieces of her most ancient past flashed through her mind; the first time she ever picked up a sword, being selected to be a squire, the day she received her knighthood. I.. we are not just constructs of the book.

It was a heady feeling, a rush of confidence flowing through her already confident thoughts. Signum let her eyes open, ignoring the trail of wetness down her cheeks that had nothing to do with sweat, and noticed she was being watched. It was the boy that had mistaken her for his teammate. Jaune Arc.

Signum tilted her head, meeting his gaze. He flinched, looking away, but she kept watching him until he looked back. "You are not training with the others?"

The blonde rubbed the back of his neck, self-consciously. "Ah ha, ha… well, it's… I'm not… I wouldn't be a very good teacher. I'd just be getting in the way." As if to punctuate his sentence, a triple burst of Dust rounds was quickly followed by the clash of blades against shield. In the distance, Pyrrha Nikos was fighting Nanoha and Amy one-on-two, effortlessly holding her own but letting them practice at their own pace.

"You are unskilled." It was obvious, to her eyes. The way he carried himself, the lack of ease with which he carried the sword on his back. He had not yet learned that the weapon was an extension of the self, and as such had not yet accepted its place with him.

The boy blushed, looking down. Signum had spoken the words matter-of-factly, not judgmentally, but she could understand how easily they could be taken as such. Eventually, Jaune shrugged. "...yeah. Pyrrha's been teaching me, but I'm not very good yet."

"Mm." Signum straightened, then beckoned him closer with her free hand. "Come then. I will train with you, Jaune Arc."

"What? You're kidding, right? I was watching you practice." He laughed a little, awkwardly. "You'll mop the floor with me."

"I said I will train with you, not against you, Jaune Arc. It will be a pleasure to pass on my own skills. If you are willing to learn, that is."

Jaune looked around, then over his shoulder where Pyrrha was still quite engaged in teaching her own lessons. After another long moment, he looked back at Signum, meeting her eyes. "...okay. Okay, yeah. If you're offering to teach me, I'd be… I'd be happy to learn."

Signum nodded. "Then draw your blade and show me what you have already learned."


[ *** ]


"What's wrong, Blakey?"

Yang flopped down next to her, soaked in sweat and bearing the distinct odor of wet dog. Blake tugged her knees a little closer to her chest, watching Ruby tutor Hayate on the finer points of high-caliber ranged combat. "What are we doing, Yang?"

"We're helping everyone learn how to fight Remnant style, of course! I think it's pretty awesome. Did you see me wrestling with Arf? She thought she could take me!"

"Yes, Yang. I can also smell that you wrestled with Arf." Blake waved her hand in front of her nose, but then gestured at the arena itself. "I can't help but feel like we're wasting time here, though."

Yang frowned. "Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean the White Fang, Yang! Should we really be here helping the A… the refugees learn to fight properly? Anyone here can do that, and while we're stuck here helping with this, no one's tracking down what the White Fang is doing."

"I guess I see what you mean." The blonde rested her forearms on her own knees, shrugging a little. "But I think this really is important, you know? You and I both saw… you know. Think about the big picture, Blake. The really big picture, I mean."

"You mean when the White Fang finishes whatever they're preparing and make their move?"

Yang shook her head. "No, bigger than that." She sighed, blowing a few loose golden strands out of her eyes. "They're not gonna be able to keep this a secret forever, Blake. Eventually it's going to come out, one way or another. Even if it goes exactly as they hope it will, Remnant's going to change forever because of it. I don't think anything the White Fang can do will even compare."

Blake narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking at her partner. She let her skepticism show in the glare.

Yang raised her hands defensively. "Hey, I actually listen in Oobleck's class, surprising as that might be. I read the books, I do the assignments. The kingdoms' economies tanked when the first airships were revealed by Mantle because of the fear and worry about them having such a huge advantage."

"I guess you do have a point there."

"Right. This stuff makes modern airships look like the rowboat my dad owns back on Patch. There are gonna be riots, Blake."

"Are you saying we just shouldn't even bother?" Blake didn't like that idea, and it showed in her voice.

"Aw, hell no. You know that's not what I'm saying, Blake. I'm just saying that right now this is where we need to be. Keep your ears open, and if you hear anything about the White Fang we come down on them like a hammer, but we gotta prioritize." Yang pointed across the floor, where Nora was struggling to reach Graf Eisen, and Vita was keeping the the girl away with a hand on her face, screaming obscenities. "Like keeping Nora from pissing off the crazy one. 'Scuse me."

Yang bounded to her feet, running across the arena floor and quite simply tackling Nora away. Screams and shouts and giggles drowned out almost every other noise in the room, especially when Vita tossed her hammer to Zafira for safekeeping and dove in herself.

Blake sighed, but let her arms fall from around her knees. She leaned back against the arena wall, thinking. I guess she has a point. All the Dust in the world wouldn't matter if they got ahold of that kind of technology.


[ *** ]


Pyrrha Nikos let her head tip forward, long hair gathered in front of her, as the spray of hot water steadily beat the soreness and tension from her neck and shoulders. The heat was turned up quite high; not quite as high as it would go, but more than enough to fill the room with steam.

Today had been a good day. During the training session, three of the refugee students had spent most of the time working with her. Nanoha's weapon, Raising Heart as she called it, was a masterpiece of white and gold-enameled steel, shifting between three different combat configurations; a hunting rifle with a deployable scope, a short, slightly curving sword with a single razor-sharp edge, and a tall polearm with an almost hook-like curving blade. The girl had referred to the specific forms as a kodachi and a naginata, respectively. When Pyrrha had questioned her about the sword/spear/rifle combination, Nanoha had laughed a little uncertainly. "Ruby helped me design her exactly this way because she thought you'd be a great teacher."

Flattering, if a little awkward.

Amy Harlaown had a somewhat simpler weapon; an automatic assault rifle that separated into a double-edged short sword and buckler combination. She said she had yet to name it, and was trying to find one that felt right for the navy-blue and white weapon. It meant that Pyrrha was able to focus training with her on a single style, and she was able to see a marked increase in the young woman's competence and enthusiasm both as the evening went on.

Lastly was Lindy Harlaown. Sister-in-laws, she had laughed, when Pyrrha asked if she and Amy were related. Her weapon, Durandal, was an ice-blue and white spear, long enough for two hands but balanced enough for one in a pinch. It had a sniper-rifle mode as well, bolt-action and high caliber. Pyrrha was happy to work with her on her melee skills, but recommended that she work with Ruby to improve her shooting.

It was odd, working with the three of them. Nanoha by far had possessed the most physical conditioning, but all three of them took very well to advice, orders, and criticism. It almost felt like the few times that Pyrrha had worked with students from one of Atlas' combat schools.

They felt military, in a way. It wasn't that the desire to disagree had been ground out of them, but they seemed to recognize good advice for exactly what it was. If anything, they all seemed to have been having fun. Lindy, especially.

Pyrrha let out another sigh as the last kinks were worked out of her shoulders. There was a certain advantage to letting the others have the shower first, and that advantage was being able to linger under the spray without guilt. Still, she'd been in there for a while now, and it was about time to get out.

Cutting off the flow of water, Pyrrha dried herself quickly, then threw on her sleeping clothes and wrapped her hair in a towel. She opened the bathroom door, letting a cloud of steam waft into JNPR's dorm room. Ren and Nora were absent, most likely getting a late snack from the cafeteria. Jaune was- "...Jaune? Is everything okay?"

JNPR's leader was pacing back and forth in front of the window, glancing repeatedly out at the dimming sunset. He was wearing his combat gear again, complete with Crocea Mors slung over his shoulder. "Oh, Pyrrha. I… yeah, everything's fine."

"Everything doesn't… look fine. You look like something's bothering you. Did training go well?"

"Hmm? Oh, training went great. That Signum girl put me through the ringer, but she's amazing with a sword." He stumbled, as if realizing something, then turned toward her, raising his hands in supplication. "N-not that you aren't a great teacher, it's just that you were busy with the others and I was standing off to the side and… well, she offered to train with me."

"Oh!" Pyrrha felt the smile come to her lips, the one that she put on for the cameras and the public appearances. The one that could sit on her face and not show a single one of the thoughts flitting through her mind behind it. "That was very kind of her."

"Did I mention she put me through the ringer?" Jaune laughed a little, looking at the floor and shaking his head. "I swear, she looked at me like she could see right through me. Like I was this Jaune shaped sign that had exactly what's really going on written all over it."

Pyrrha blinked. The smile disappeared, replaced by a small frown. "That doesn't sound very good."

"...I'm still not sure. She called me out, Pyrrha. She flat out said that I was unskilled, just from looking at me. How was I supposed to deny that? And then she offered to train with me, and…" He paused, looking for words. "When you and I train, you want to see me improve. You push me and help me along, and it works, it really does! I'm so much better now than I was at the start of the year, all thanks to you."

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating. "She didn't… push me along. She swept me along, like… like fire. Not like Yang, though. Yang is fire, but she's warm. She's enthusiasm, she's cheerful, she's energy. Signum was like a fire that burned… cold. She swept me along and made me burn because if I didn't she'd just consume me and leave me behind- that's it. You push me to keep up with you because you want me to excel. She pulled me to keep pace with her because… because she won't accept less and she never had to say it to make me realize it."

Pyrrha's frown deepened with concern. Pyrrha reached out to put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "...is that what's bothering you?"

"Oh, no, not at all. It was crazy, but it was a rush at the same time. If anything it makes me want to work with you even more to see if you can notice a difference!"

A bit of heat came to Pyrrha's cheeks. "Oh. Well that's… interesting. I thought at first that she was… expressing interest in you."

Jaune stared at her for a long moment, then started laughing. "Haha, ha! No, Pyrrha, I… believe me when I say this. I have never been so absolutely sure in my life that someone is not interested in me that way. All she wanted was a training partner. But she… treated me with respect, not just as a training dummy that can fight back. It was…"

"...gratifying?"

"Yeah. Gratifying."

Relief flooded through Pyrrha's mind, and the smile that came to her lips this time was genuine. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you had a productive session. It means I'm not the only one." She tilted her head. "What is bothering you, then?"

"The Stairway to Heaven. I want to see it." Jaune glanced out the window again, pursing his lips.

"Isn't it off limits somewhere?"

"Yeah, it's being held in construction dock six in Vale."

"How do you know that?"

"Called and asked. I went to school with the dockmaster's son. They're long time friends of the family."

Pyrrha's eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's rather useful. But if it's off limits to the public, I don't really see how-"

"Let's sneak in, Pyrrha. I just want to get one look at it."

"Jaune!" Indignation at the mere thought of the suggestion flashed through her head. She wasn't some juvenile delinquent that trespassed for her own amusement, she was Pyrrha Nikos! The four-times consecutive champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament, and she wasn't going to do something so blatantly illegal even though Jaune was staring at her with that-

With that razor sharp focus making his blue eyes seem so clear. "Do you have a… plan?"

Without even hesitating, he nodded, bringing up his scroll and widening the screen. An architectural floor plan took up the entirety of the screen. "This is drydock six, where the Stairway to Heaven is being kept. Easiest ways to get in are here, here, and here, but they're most likely to be under watch, so the best way to go is actually through this access tunnel here…"

Pyrrha found herself nodding along, hardly able to follow but swept along by not only his enthusiasm, but the clarity of his thoughts. It was a side of him that she'd only seen a few times before, like when they fought the Deathstalker together during Initiation.

Jaune was staring at her, waiting for a response. She started, blinking. "Say again?"

"What do you think? Will you help me with this?"

She hesitated. The heady thrill of excitement at the idea pooled in her belly, cooling to a lump of trepidation that her guts twisted uncomfortably around. His plan to get in would work, she was sure of it. But there were so many things that could go wrong… "What if we get caught? Jaune, you're talking about trespassing. Breaking and entering."

"I know. I need to do this, Pyrrha. I'm not going to be able to forgive myself if I don't."

"Then tell me why, Jaune."


[ *** ]


'Did you have fun today, Arf?'

'Yeah, I did! Yang's a ton of fun to wrestle around with. She's spunky!' Arf leaned against the open window's frame, watching students amble about on the darkening campus grounds. Her eyes and nose had already picked out hints of at least three clandestine rendezvous. That tidbit of knowledge had her chortling to herself nearly constantly.

Behind her, Yuuno was nose deep in one of the historical texts they'd purchased, while Nanoha and Vita were going over homework from Professor Oobleck's class. 'What about you, Fate? Did you have a good day?'

'I did. Professor Port struck me as… odd. But training with Ruby was very good. I'm a lot more confident with Bardiche's Alloy Form now. Dust rounds aren't really cartridges, though, which is something I need to keep reminding myself.'

Arf nodded, smiling. If Fate was happy, she was happy. She took in a deep breath of the late evening air.

She stopped, sniffing once. Twice. Her ears perked up, then laid flat against her head.

"Arf?" Nanoha looked up from her homework. "Is something wrong?"

"I thought I smelled something… eh. Nevermind, must have just been my imagination."


[ *** ]


"Oh." That explains… a lot.

"Yeah. You understand why I'm interested in this, then?"

"I do."

"So will you help me? Or am I going to have to do this by myself?" Jaune raised his eyebrows, a faint grin on his face.

Pyrrha couldn't help it. A smile of her own widened her lips. "Of course I will, Jaune. How will you convince Ren and Nora to join, though?"

As if summoned by Pyrrha's words, the door flew open. "We're baa~aaack!" Nora skipped across the room to land on her bed, humming disjointedly to herself. Ren clicked the door shut, giving a small nod to them.

Jaune glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, Nora. Ren. I want to sneak into drydock six and see the Stairway to Heaven. You two in?"

"Maaay~be? What's in it for me?"

"I'll make you pancakes for a week."

"SOLD."

"Ren, you won't have to make pancakes for a week."

"You drive a hard bargain."

Jaune smirked at Pyrrha. She couldn't help but laugh. "Okay," he said, "Let's get moving, then. The last passenger flight out of Beacon proper leaves in twenty minutes, but there's a food shipment coming back in at two AM. I know tonight's pilot, so that's our ride back."

It only took Pyrrha a few moments to slip into her combat gear, and then they hurried out the door. Jaune was in the lead, turning the corner. She heard him let out an exclamation. "Whoa, sorry! Didn't see you there, I almost ran you over! Really glad I didn't."

Pyrrha rounded the corner to see three students in Haven Academy uniforms. "Excuse us, we're on our way out. If you're looking for the exchange student dorms, they're the building east of here."

"Thank you. We'll be on our way, then." The black-haired young woman smiled at them, and the three slipped past. JNPR hurried down the hall, striving to make the nine PM flight to Vale.

Something about the black-haired student's smile bothered Pyrrha, but it wasn't until the airship was lifting off that she realized what it was.

Her expression had never changed. No surprise, no hesitation. Just the smile on her face.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter Nine - Mission Arcpossible​

Construction Drydock Six. One of the single largest buildings in the entirety of Vale. While there were many other buildings in the inner city that were taller, skyscrapers and the like, there were very few that came close to matching the huge hanger's base footprint. The largest class of airship that Vale ever made would fit inside with room to turn around. The largest class of airship in the world, currently boasted by Atlas, would fit inside with room to rattle if you shook it.

Team JNPR gathered in the lee of a shipping container outside of Drydock Three, hundreds and hundreds of yards away from the gigantic hangar. It already loomed far overhead, causing the shattered moon to cast a hard shadow on the dark ground.

"Okay, so." Jaune opened his scroll, having already dimmed the interface until it was barely visible in the darkness. "Here's the map of the drydock grounds. We're right here. There's an access hatch to a utility tunnel seventy yards away. The utility tunnel is part of a network that runs underneath every single drydock in the yard. We get in through there, take the tunnels to Six, and can come up right inside the hangar proper. Easy as pie."

Nora squealed, but she kept it quiet at least. "I love pie!"

Pyrrha smiled a little, but she couldn't deny the odd sensation in her gut. "Easy for you to say. We've already established that I don't know much about baking."

They stuck to the shadows, moving from container to container until they reached the maintenance tunnel. Jaune tapped at the access panel, entering a string of numbers. The blue screen flashed green, and the access hatch opened with a pneumatic hiss. "Okay, in we go!"

Nora leapt in, ignoring the ladder in favor of dropping the ten feet to the ground. Ren slid down after her, hands and feet sliding down the sides without touching the rungs. Jaune followed after, his tousled mop of blonde hair disappearing into the gloom.

Pyrrha hesitated again, looking over her shoulder at the distant, looming presence of Drydock Six. Finally she gave her head a shake, and leapt down after them. The hatch swung shut behind her.

The tunnels below were almost completely unlit, making them rely on their scrolls for illumination. Conduits and pipes ran in clusters along the walls, and there were dim yellow lights at each intersection, marked by letters and numbers. Jaune was in the lead, navigating with the map on his own scroll. "...J-thirteen. Okay, left here. Follow this tunnel for two hundred yards until we hit J-thirty three, then right and we'll be underneath Drydock Six."

Another five minutes of careful walking, eyes and ears alert for the slightest hint of anything other than her teammates. Junction J-thirty three was as indistinguishable as the rest, except for a small sign in the ceiling that marked the branching tunnel as being part of the Drydock Six substructure. One by one they passed underneath.

Pyrrha saw Ren pause and glance up at the ceiling, just as he walked underneath the sign. "Is something wrong?"

"...just a weird feeling."


[ *** ]


She dove across the desk, feeling a pencil dig into her chest while she slapped a hand down on the communicator's transmit button. "Lieutenant Lockheed, Arthra actual, over! Kssh!"

"Lockheed here, actual."

"Someone just tripped the perimeter wards in the tunnels at junction J-thirty-three. Grab section two and go check it out, please. Over! Kssh!"

"Copy, actual. Checking it out. Also, we've been over this before, ma'am. I know you think the local handsets are novel and all, but you don't need to do the kssh noise at the end. Over."

"They're so much fun, though! Over! Kssh!"

"Yes ma'am. Lockheed out."

Reinforce Zwei straightened, taking her hand off the handset and rubbing her chest where the pencil got her. Aww. That's probably gonna bruise. With a gesture, the Book of the Azure Sky opened over her hand, and holographic displays surged into the air over the pages. They were still a bit fuzzy, but more than legible. Rein took quick note of the time and response, even as her thoughts reached out across miles.

'Meister!'

There was a delay of several seconds before anything more than sleepy confusion could be felt over their shared link. 'Hmnnwah? What is it, Rein? It's eleven at night.'

'Our perimeter wards just tripped. I have Mage Team Beta checking it out, but could you tell Admiral Lindy, please?'

'They what? Crap. Yeah, gimme half a sec to throw on a robe. Let me wake her up, then start giving us details.'


[ *** ]


A black-jacketed figure dropped soundlessly into the tunnel, unhindered by the complete darkness in the utility tunnels. The figure gestured an all clear, taking two steps forward, and a moment later another dropped down to follow..

Drydock Six had two access points from the utility tunnels. Section One was covering one access point, and they knew that Section Two would be deploying in much the same way, covering the other entry point and working parallel to them. Another silent exchange between the partners had one skulking forward in the darkness, the other providing cover.

The unknowns had moved faster than they were expecting; it only took moments to make contact.


[ *** ]


Ren was the only reason Jaune didn't eat the first volley of projectiles. JNPR's resident martial artist and Aura specialist shouted out a warning, breaking the ever-present silence with his yell. "DUCK!"

Everyone hit the floor, and a trio of brightly-colored, glowing green orbs connected by lines of light flew over their heads, washing out the shadows with their intensity. They hit the floor a dozen feet behind them and detonated in garish splendor, and Jaune heard everyone rolling to their feet. "Back back back! Everyone back the way we came, go!" Jaune threw himself upright, chasing after his friends as quickly as he could in the darkness.

He could hear shouting behind him, incomprehensible words that were undoubtedly hostile in intent. Thirty feet ahead of Nora, dim yellow light showed one of the tunnel junctions. Two figures stepped into the light, clothed in black and pointing weapons at them.

One shouted, and with an almost indistinguishable delay, electronic tones overlapped his words. "Stand down and surrender and you will be allowed to plead in yo- OH SHIT!"

Nora was already leaping, Magnhild clenched in both hands and coming around in a crushing horizontal swing. The figures pulled back, and a shaft of red light burst forth from the left one's weapon. It slammed into Nora's chest like a cannonball, throwing her back down the tunnel with a loud 'Oof!' of expelled breath.

She tumbled to a stop at Jaune's feet, and he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her upright. "Nora! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah yeah! Just surprised me!" Another bolt of light, blue this time, flew past them, briefly illuminating Nora's face. She was grinning widely. "Can I break his legs?"

Jaune was just shaking his head when another of triad of green balls flew past him, slamming into the back of Ren's knee. Tethered by light to each other, the three balls wrapped around Ren's legs and flashed even brighter, pulling them together and solidifying into a sleeve of green light that enveloped him from ankle to thigh. Ren let out a yelp, losing his balance and falling to the floor.

This is bad! This is real bad! "Pyrrha! Cut Ren loose! Nora, send some grenades down to the junction, smoke 'em out!" A tingle in the back of his head caught his thoughts, and he spun desperately to bring up his shield. A purple beam smashed into it with all the force of one of Yang's punches behind it, forcing him back two steps.

Behind him, Milo spun, and the green energy binding Ren's legs flared but held. She grit her teeth, swinging again, and it parted with a sizzling flash of energy. Even as Pyrrha finished, though, a pair of blue circles appeared around her wrists, yanking her arms out wide and holding her in the air. Before he could try to help, one of the green groups of orbs smashed into his chest, binding his arms against his sides.

Shouts and grunts of struggle echoed through the tunnel from all around him. Akouo slid off Pyrrha's back and down her arm, the sharpened edge of the shield cutting through the binding and freeing her left arm. She swung her freed limb, slicing her shield through the energy around her other hand, dropping to the floor. "Jaune!"

Metal scraped down the back of Jaune's armor as Ren cut him free. "NORA! We need those grenades out now!"

"Launchin'!" One, two, three times Magnhild let out an explosive bellow, and the two figures at the junction were thrown against the walls by the pink explosions.

JNPR ran as one to escape, but the end of the tunnel was suddenly walled off by a purple barrier. Jaune glanced back over his shoulder, and saw a figure with an arm outstretched, a matching glow surrounding the hand pointing toward them.

He looked back at his team as they slammed their weapons into the glowing barrier, making it shudder and flash with each strike. This is my fault. I asked them to come with me. The thought only solidified the knowledge of what he had to do.

Jaune turned back toward the purple-glowing figure, putting a foot forward. Then another. Steps became a pounding run as he raised his shield in front of him, letting out a yell. The other figure fired another glowing bolas at him, and he slashed Crocea Mors through it to charge through the detonation unscathed. Two more glowing bullets of energy smashed into him, one against his shield and the other clipping the side of his head.

It didn't matter. White shield met black jacket with all the force Jaune could muster, and the figure went flying back to roll across the ground. The purple glow around the figure's hand dispersed.

A hand caught his forearm, and a jolt like electric fire thundered through his wrist. Crocea Mors fell from limp fingers. Jaune twisted, bringing his shield around to bash his attacker across the face, and the figure stumbled back. Then purple light drowned out his vision, slamming him against the wall with all the force of a moving car.

"JAUNE!" He heard Pyrrha's cry, managing a glance down the tunnel. The barrier was down; they could get free. Then more green light slammed into him, gluing him to the tunnel wall.

"JUST GET OUT! GO! WARN EVERY-" Purple and green washed over him, and-


[ *** ]


"What are you doing?!"

"Pyrrha I really need you to calm down because you're totally doing my thing right now and that's not good!"

"Calm down? Calm down?! They have Jaune!"

"I'M ON THE SCROLL, PYRRHA." Nora paced back and forth, ignoring the tussle behind her. Ren had his hands on Pyrrha's shoulders, trying to keep her from leaping to her feet and running headlong into the tunnels again. The small maintenance room hid them from scrying eyes, but it would only last until the door opened again. "C'mon, c'mon! C'monc'monc'mon!"

"Nora! What the hell, it's almost midnight!"

"RUBY! Ruby get everyone together we found them! They have Jaune!"

"What do you mean you found them? Who has Jaune?"

"WE FOUND THE WHITE FANG, RUBY!" Nora bounced up and down on her feet, excitement mixing with panic in her voice. "We found their whole damned base and they caught Jaune and we need RWBY to help us bust him out and take them down!"

"Wait wait, the White Fang?! Where are you?" Incredulity in Ruby's tone.

"We're in the utility tunnels under the construction yards! They're holed up in Drydock Six!"

There was a long moment of silence on the line. "Ruby?"

"What."

"Ruby don't spaz out on me now, I've already got a raging Pyrrha about to fly off the handle and it's already really weird to see her spazzing out when that's my gig!"

"Nora, did you say Drydock Six?"

"YES."


[ *** ]


Ruby looked up from her scroll, a dumbfounded expression on her face. Weiss and Blake looked back at her, and behind them Yang was pacing back and forth despite the turbulence of the bullhead's passage. The blonde growled, rubbing her face. "What, did things just get worse?"

A half dozen heads turned to look at Ruby. She looked back down at the scroll, shaking her head.

"No, uhm. No. Things just got... stupid."



[ *** ]



Muffled conversation on the other line, like Ruby had her hand over the receiver. "Okay. Okay, Nora. I need you to hold tight where you are. Give me your coordinates and we'll be there as soon as we can. Reinforcements are on the way!"

"How long? Did I mention I've got a Pyrrha who's acting like me on my hands? I don't know how much longer we can keep her sitting down!"

"Fifteen minutes. I need your location, Nora!"

Nora passed along their coordinates, and ten minutes passed with agonizing slowness. She paced in front of the door,Magnhild held tight in one hand, and on the other side of the room, Ren kept a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. The red-haired champion was glaring daggers at Nora the entire time, her leg bouncing up and down with barely-contained energy.

This is taking waaaaay too long. Nora raised her scroll to her ear again. "Ruby? Ruby where the hell are you?!"

"Nora. You're still in the same place, right? You haven't moved?"

"No, but I think Pyrrha's about to stop waiting. Now would be really good! There are legs that need breaking, Ruby!"

"Nora. I need you to do something for me. Are you listening?"

"Yeah! Yeah, whaddaya need?"

"I need you to put Magnhild down." The door hissed open, and Nora whirled to find herself staring down the barrel of Crescent Rose. Behind her was Ruby's worried, uncompromising stare; two silver points of light. Her silhouette was backlit by a crackling yellow scythe blade.

"And I need you to surrender. Please."

[ *** ]



Jaune rolled his head, consciousness flooding back in a rush. He was being dragged, a hand underneath each arm. Letting his eyes open, he could see the sterile, unfinished walls of a warehouse office, and to each side of him was a figure wearing a long black coat. Metal boots struck the floor with military precision, an uncompromising one hundred twenty steps per minute.

He glanced to the side. A window stretched along one wall, looking out across the inside of the construction hangar. Held in place by massive cranes and brackets, the hulk of an airship hung brokenly in place, scarred by heat and impact, portions of the superstructure damaged and even missing. That's not the Stairway to Heaven.

More words in a language he didn't understand. A woman's voice; if he had to guess, late twenties. He found himself hoisted to his feet and turned to face a door. A third black-clothed figure, male, opened the door.

Glowing rings of blue light flashed around his wrists, and his arms were pulled behind his back as if by magnets. A hand planted on his back and shoved him through the open doorway. Jaune stumbled forward a few steps before catching his balance.

He found himself in a small office, plain walls and ceiling lit by strip lighting. He was facing a large wooden desk, a high-backed office chair facing away. He tried to look back at his captors, but another hand clamped on the back of his head and kept him facing forward.

A high-pitched voice spoke up, echoing strangely through the room. "You've brought the interloper?"

"Yes, ma'am." The door swung shut behind them.

Jaune frowned. That accent… it was the same accent that some of the refugees spoke with. "What's the… what's going on? Who are you people?"

"We'll be asking the questions, trespasser! What were you doing down there, hmm?"

"Howbout showing me your face, lady? I'd like to know who I'm talking to, at least! Your thugs aren't exactly kind, you know!" Jaune tested the strange bindings holding his arms. They barely gave at all, but he could feel them stretch when he channeled some of his Aura through his arms. I need to thank Ren for those control lessons he's been giving me.

"Oh? You want to see my face? Fine."

The chair turned- no it didn't. A different chair turned, a tiny mimic of the chair behind the desk, sitting behind a tiny desk of its own on top of the large wooden one. A desk that looked like it came from a dollhouse.

Jaune found himself staring face to face with the most life-like child's doll he'd ever seen. A tiny doll wearing an immaculate brown military uniform, complete with tiny pips on the collar and stripes on the sleeves. Long, white hair fell past her shoulders. Ice-blue eyes in a cherubic face bored into him with the strangest mix of ages-old wisdom and childlike innocence. She couldn't have been more than a foot tall.

She piped a squeaking command. "Name, rank, and affiliation, interloper!"

Jaune could hear more footsteps coming down the hall. Two steps and a hard clack, two steps and a hard clack. Running out of time! "S-say again?"

"I said name, rank, and affiliation! Who are you, what is your rank, and who do you work for?"

"Oh. Well." Jaune let out a breath, directing his Aura to his arms, tensing. "My name is not today, pipsqueak!" With a yell, he ripped his arms free, green bindings shattering into motes of scintillating light. He whirled, slamming his fist into the nose of the man behind him. The man fell back, clutching his face.

The black-clad woman swung her staff at him, the tip flaring violet. Jaune blocked it with his forearm, feeling his Aura flare from the impact. He shoved her away, letting out a shout of triumph! "NOPE!"

A flash of white light, and his left foot was suddenly encased in ice, weighing him down. "Aw, come on!" Strength surged through his leg, and he lifted his foot to slam it back down against the concrete floor, shattering the ice and freeing him. "HAHA! NOPE!" Jaune finished turning and ran for the door.

The door opened, and Jaune felt the breath blast from his body when he ran into the tip of a lifted cane. He stumbled back and fell to the floor, and ice solidified around both arms. Green and purple rings bound his legs, trussing him like a prize pig. He struggled, glaring up at his newest enemy.

The strength and fight left him in a rush the moment he met the Headmaster's gaze. "Ah, ah ha.. ha… yup."


[ *** ]


The tiny office was crowded, with over a dozen different people crammed inside. Team JNPR sat in a row on metal folding chairs, facing the wooden desk. Seated in the desk was the green-haired refugee, Lindy, though she was now wearing a blue uniform jacket of her own. Headmaster Ozpin stood at her side, his normally calm expression replaced by something a bit more dour. The little doll-girl still sat behind her miniature desk, taking notes on a holoscreen as tiny as she was.

Behind JNPR, Team RWBY was standing against the back wall, along with Professor Goodwitch. Chrono and Fate were there as well, holding their weapons; but not the same shapes that they'd been practicing with. Chrono held a short staff with a cylindrical, one-winged head, and Fate's Bardiche had a simple axe-head with a large yellow gem instead of the mechanical scythe blade. Chrono was wearing a black jacket identical to the guards, while Fate was clad in a black, double-breasted trench coat under a white cloak.

No one spoke for a long time, and the only sound was the quiet beeping of the tiny girl's holoscreen. Finally she looked up, speaking in a bright, cheerful voice at odds with the gravity of the situation. "Okay! Date is marked, recorders are ready. This review is now in session, Admiral Lindy Harlaown residing!"

Admiral?

Lindy Harlaown nodded, her expression severe. "Jaune Arc. State for the record your position in Beacon Academy."

"B-bwuh." Jaune glanced at Ozpin, hoping for some sort of guidance. The headmaster stared at him, but gave the tiniest nod. "I… I'm a student at Beacon. First year."

"State for the record what you were doing underneath Construction Drydock Six."

Nora shifted side to side, eyes wide and innocent. "Oh, you know. We were just-"

"I did not ask you, Ms. Valkyrie." Lindy's tone was as harsh as Jaune had ever heard from anyone. Nora clammed up immediately.

Jaune swallowed. "I wanted to see the Stairway to Heaven, ma'am. That's all."

Lindy said nothing. On the desk, the tiny girl made a few swipes at her holoscreen, then nodded. Lindy continued. "Then explain to me exactly what methods you used to determine the ship's location, as well as the method by which you gained access, and I will decide exactly how upset I should be at Headmaster Ozpin's security arrangements."

Jaune glanced sideways, looking at his teammates. The same stricken expression on all three faces. "May I make a statement for the record?"

"You may."

"I… all of this was my idea. On my honor as an Arc, I was the one who came up with the plan, I was the one who asked my team to do this with me. It's my fault and my fault alone, and I don't want them to be punished for what I asked them to do."

Lindy said nothing, but glanced at the headmaster and gave the smallest nod. Ozpin cleared his throat. "Your admission is acknowledged, Mr. Arc. Please answer the admiral's questions."

Jaune let out a breath. "Okay. I… used family connections and my own information, ma'am. I asked an old friend of the family where the Stairway to Heaven was being kept. I used site plans that I had in my own files to plan our entry and exit. I used an old passcode to gain access to the utility tunnels."

Silence all around. Jaune swallowed, gritting his teeth. "I don't know what you're trying to keep secret, Headmaster, but if you're going to try to pull the wool over peoples' eyes, maybe you should use better lies."

A flicker of a frown crossed the headmaster's face at the rebuke. "How did you know, Mr. Arc?"

Jaune let his head tilt back, staring up at the ceiling. "The Stairway to Heaven. Commissioned by a group of Vale and Mistralian private interests eighty six years ago, during the heaviest conflict of the Great War. Construction was headed by one Simo Ouranos, and was finished two years later. With a crew compliment of seventeen, and one hundred and thirty four civilians on board, the Stairway to Heaven left Valean airspace for an undisclosed destination, and was never seen again."

Lindy and Ozpin exchanged a glance. Ozpin looked back at him. "That is… surprisingly accurate knowledge for an obscure fact during that period of time, Mr. Arc. Where did you learn this? And where did you get the information to access this facility so easily?"

Jaune met Ozpin's gaze. "I'm an Arc, Headmaster. My family has been in the airship business for over a hundred years. Simo Ouranos was my great-great uncle. I know what the Stairway to Heaven looked like, and whatever the hell you have in that hangar, that's not it."

Lindy leaned back in her chair, tenting her hands in front of her. Her face was completely neutral as she thought, and Jaune could feel the tension in the room rising.

Then she started laughing, light-hearted and cheerful. The tiny doll started giggling as well, and behind him Jaune could hear the smack of palms hitting foreheads. Lindy reached into her pocket, pulling out a cloth handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "Oh wow. Seriously? This whole operation was blown because of obscure family history?"

"That seems to be the case, ma'am!" Despite her uproarious giggling, the little doll-girl was still tapping away industriously at her screen. "The best laid plans, as they say!"

Lindy laughed again, and the last of the room's tense mood vanished. "I.. I don't know what to say, Ozpin, other than to say that this is not what I was expecting at all!"

The headmaster pushed his glasses up his nose, sighing. "I must admit some fault, Lindy. I thought I was being thorough in my vetting of information for the cover story, but it seems I was not quite thorough enough."

Lindy shook her head, still smiling. "Captain Harlaown. As our ranking Enforcer, would you please give me your recommendation on how to continue?"

"Ma'am. As much as it pains me to admit it, we are stretched thin with local contacts who know the full extent of the situation. It will do more harm than good to keep Team JNPR informed with only half-truths. I recommend full disclosure, pending Team JNPR's understanding of the nature of the situation."

"That is what I was thinking as well. Thank you, Captain. Headmaster, if you would?"

"Yes, Admiral. Team JNPR."

Four backs straightened simultaneously. Jaune spoke for his team. "Headmaster?"

"What you are about to hear is classified material. That means you may tell no one about it. You will not talk about it in public, and you will not discuss it in private if there is the slightest chance that you will be overheard. Is this understood?"

"Yes sir." Jaune nodded to his teammates, and they echoed his response.

"Please hold any questions until I finish, then. You are correct, Mr. Arc. The vessel held within this hangar is not the Stairway to Heaven."



[ *** ]



"S-so uhm. Sorry I held you guys at gunpoint and all that but you can see how totally serious the situation was, right? I'm really sorry?" Ruby shifted side to side in her seat, tapping her forefingers together.

"It's okay, Ruby. It was just a bit sudden, that's all." Pyrrha gave the girl a small smile. "Just try not to do it again, okay? Crescent Rose has a really big barrel when it's being pointed at you."

"On the plus side, because it's like, sunrise now and we're all running on no sleep, we're excused from classes today! How great is that?!" Yang was back to her normal, brashly cheerful mood. "I think I'm gonna sleep all day. It's gonna be awesome."

"You guys seriously thought it was the White Fang?"

"Well, yes, Blake. Who else could it have been? Extradimensional humans from other planets is rather low on the list of possibilities, isn't it?" Pyrrha shook her head. "And now I've been informed that aliens are not only real, but there are a dozen of them going to school with us."

"And they're super space police and they're here because they were protecting us from the dangers of the universe! This is ama~zing!" Nora jumped up and down with enough force to shake the bullhead. She cringed. "Oops."

Jaune smiled a little as well. "I guess it does explain why Signum was wiping the floor with me. She's a sword-slinging space detective."

"Er. No, actually." Fate smiled back at him. "Signum is Air Force, like Nanoha and Vita. I'm a space detective. Chrono's my direct superior, actually."

"And Lindy is an admiral, so she's… space navy?" Pyrrha raised her eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm. The Arthra is her ship."

"And you're all stuck here." Nora sounded rather down, all of a sudden.

"Until we can find a way to call home, we are."

"It's okay! We're gonna make sure you have so much fun! You won't be bored, I promise!" Nora leapt to her feet, tackling Fate and wrapping her up in a hug.

"NORA!"

"What? Look at her! She's just so huggable!"

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 10 - Noses to the Ground​

"I'm really sorry about getting you guys caught up in so much trouble..." The sun was just starting to rise as they got back to their dorm room. One by one Team JNPR filed into the room, and Jaune stumbled to the window to draw the curtain closed.

"Jaune, it's fine. Really." Pyrrha gave Jaune a smile, trying to buoy his spirits a little.

"Yeah it's totally fine! I haven't had that much fun in weeks even though seeing Pyrrha being as hyper as me for admittedly entirely different reasons than me really does make me sorta look at myself from an outside perspective and maybe it was a learning experience. But no, it was a ton of fun and now we know ALL THE SECRETS." Nora yawned. "And I'm tired now."

Ren wordlessly put his hands on Nora's shoulder, directing her away from the bed before she collapsed on it and to the bathroom. "Brush your teeth first."

"Right right. Pancakes tomorrow?"

Ren looked at Jaune. He sighed, then laughed a little. "I got you covered."

"So, Jaune." Pyrrha scratched her head. "When you told me that the Stairway was built by your great-great uncle, that… wasn't all of it, was it?"

"Well… no. He didn't just build it. The entire Ouranos branch of the family was on the ship when it left. Seeing the Stairwayto Heaven with my own eyes, being able to write home and tell my family? It would have been… closure, you know?" He shrugged, sitting on his bed. "Guess not, though."

Pyrrha grimaced. "I'm sorry, Jaune. I know you had your hopes up."

"Eh. Story of my life. So, no class today, but we're expected to help the refugees train in the afternoon. Something to look forward to, I hope?"


[ *** ]


The sudden intake of breath behind her tipped her off.

Arf's left ear twitched, and immediately she heard a sharp fffft! of expelled air. Arf tilted her head to the side, smirking when the spitwad missed her by millimeters to splat on the floor of the lecture hall. Still scribbling notes, she raised her free hand to flip the stupid brat off. The irritated grumble made her smirk even wider.

Unfortunately, it also caught the professor's attention. "Mr. Winchester! Please payattentiontothelecture! This is important material!"

Arf shot a fangy grin over her shoulder at CRDL's leader. He sneered back at her, and she covered her mouth in obvious mirth.

"Ms. Harlaown! Stop antagonizing Mr. Winchester!"

What the shit? He's the asshole, not me. Arf turned forward again, pouting. The professor was staring at her from behind his mug, waiting. "Sorry, Professor."

"Doctor, Ms. Harlaown." Oobleck took a short sip of his drink. "Anyways, sinceitappears that notallofyou are properly enthusiastic about today's lesson, I think that we should takeastepback for a moment! MR. WINCHESTER."

Arf heard Cardin nearly fall out of his chair. "Y-yes?"

Another short sip. "Why aren't you taking this subject seriously?"

"It's just history. It's a waste of time. I'm here to be a huntsman, not a historian."

Arf heard Yuuno's huff of irritation at the statement. On one hand, she had to agree that history could be boring. But working with Yuuno for so many years had given her an appreciation for knowledge of the pas-

Crap. Oobleck's still talking. "Disappointing, I say! Does anyone elsehave any wisdom they would like to share?" Oobleck sipped his drink once more, and somehow managed to make the sound seem offended.

Arf looked around, shrugged, and raised her hand. Oobleck pointed at her. "Well then! Ms. Harlaown, since you have volunteered, please! Sharewiththeclass!"

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Arf shot Yuuno a quick smile. He'd taught her that quote, after all.

Oobleck was silent for a long moment, staring at her. Then he thrust his fist into the air. "YES. YES, A HUNDRED TIMES YES. THATiswhywestudyhistory, students! We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors! Every mistake, every triumph, everysingleact is a lesson that teaches us how to continue onward! Now! With thatinmind, please open your books to page three-twenty-two!"

The lesson continued for another twenty minutes before the bell rang. Students filed out through the door in singles and pairs, while NAVY stayed behind at their seats for a few moments to compare their notes. Nanoha and Yuuno flipped through papers, muttering about legibility and completeness. Their friends were missing class because of the last night's events, and they needed to make sure they got the best copies of the notes to them.


[ *** ]


Blake was on her bed reading when someone knocked on the door. She flipped a page of her book, ignoring it in favor of letting someone else answer.

"Coming!" Ruby hopped off her bed, dashing over to the door and throwing it open. "Oh, hi Chrono! Hi Fate!"

Blake glanced up from the pages as the two entered. Yang was still passed out on the bunk over Blake's head, and Weiss was going over notes from Professor Port's last class. She gave the two detectives a small nod.

"Ruby. Blake. Weiss." Chrono nodded to each of them, then glanced up at Yang's sprawled out form. "...Yang."

"Snrrkh! Huhmwha?"

"Good, you're awake." Chrono flicked a glance at Fate, and she turned and shut the door behind them. "Fate and I have a question that we need answered."

"Okay! Should I get chairs? Should Weiss make tea?"

"Hey!"

"What?! You make better tea than all of us!"

"...you do have a point. Chrono, Fate? Tea? I'll use my personal stash."

Chrono declined, but Fate gave a small smile and accepted the offer. Ruby pulled a pair of chairs out from the desks and arranged them for the two to sit in. Yang slid off her bunk in a controlled fall, stumbling to the bathroom while Weiss steeped the tea. Blake let her eyes fall back to the pages of her book.

"Thank you, Weiss. It smells wonderful." Blake heard the gentle sound of Fate blowing on her cup of tea.

There was another moment of silence. Blake turned the page.

"Tell us about the White Fang."

The book almost fell from Blake's suddenly nerveless fingers. Her eyes back snapped up to look at the two super police from beyond the stars. Chrono was leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees and fingers threaded together. Fate had set her tea aside, and had her scroll open.

"They're terrorists." Weiss' voice was as cold and sharp as jagged ice, but the frostiness melted a little when she glanced over and met Blake's eyes. "...well. They used to be a faunus rights movement, up until around five years ago. They staged rallies protesting faunus treatment in workplaces and society, which is… understandable. But the last few years, they've undergone a shift of leadership and have escalated from peaceful protests to violent actions."

Chrono glanced at Fate, who nodded down at her scroll. "Continue, please."

"They've started targeting corporations and individuals who they feel are contributing to the treatment of faunus as second-class citizens. The Schnee Dust Company is… for all intents and purposes, at war with the White Fang. I've lost… family to them. Cousins, aunts and uncles. Millions of lien in stolen and destroyed property."

"They're active in Vale too, working with a criminal named Roman Torchwick." Yang sat on the end of Blake's bed. "Ruby and Blake stopped a big Dust raid of theirs down in the warehouse district before last semester ended."

"Roman Torchwick. Tell me about him."

Blake latched onto the subject, clearing her throat. "Human, male. Approximately thirty years of age. Uses a walking cane with a built-in Dust launcher, explosive rounds. Extremely proficient in its use."

"Description? Details, please." That was from Fate.

"Better than that! Here's a picture of him." Ruby brought up an image on her scroll, displaying Torchwick's last mug shot. "He's called a criminal mastermind. Total scumbag. I've run into him twice now, and both times he got away."

"Thank you. Send that to Fate's scroll, please." Chrono nodded. "So a known element of the human criminal underworld is working with a faunus extremist group. Any idea what his position is?"

"Well, the grunts were following his orders. I don't know if he's got anyone telling him what to do though. Sorry I can't tell you more…" Ruby shrugged. "Why all the questions?"

Fate glanced at Chrono, earning a small nod. She looked back to Ruby. "It's important to know if there is an active extremist group nearby for our own security measures."

"Oh. Well that makes sense. Anything else?"

Chrono shook his head. "I think that will do for now. Thank you, everyone. If you'll excuse us?"

Chrono and Fate slipped out of the room. Blake looked back down at her book, and realized she'd clenched her fingers around it so tightly that she'd folded it nearly in double. She made herself let go, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Blake? Are you okay?" She felt Weiss' small, delicate fingers touch her arm. "I'm sorry if I said anything… too harsh."

Blake shook her head. "No. No, you were fine. Thank you for… answering all the questions they had about the Fang. I…"

"We're a team, Blake. We've been over this to the point of nausea." Weiss gave her a small shake, and Blake opened her eyes to look up at the heiress. "If they come back with more questions, I'll answer them. And I'll do the best I can to keep it objective."


[ *** ]


"I heard there's a recruitment meeting tonight."

"Yeah. They're gonna be trying to bring in new blood. Disaffecteds. You know, the usual."

"She's not going to be there, of course. One of her lackeys, I'm sure."

"Of course not. Torchwick'll be trying to sell the plan."

"Tell me you've told people."

"Yes, Tukson. I've told people. Not many people give much of a damn about you anymore, you know."

"I know that. I don't fucking matter, personally. What matters is that people understand that I won't be the last inconvenience they try to get rid of. I'm sure I wasn't the first, either."

"Like I said, I've told people. Questions are being asked, Tukson."

"Are you going to have people at the meet?"

"Yes."

"Good. Make sure the new blood knows just how much of a viper they're getting in bed with."

"It's going to cause a hell of a lot of unrest, you know that. It's going to hurt the cause."

"It's going to save the cause, Rick. You cut off dead tissue to save the rest."


[ *** ]


Professor Goodwitch had told her where to go, and logged a temporary pass into her scroll to get through the restricted doors. Ruby padded through the back halls of Beacon's maintenance department, glancing at the small labels on each room. Weapon repair two, weapon repair three… ah!

Weapon Repair Four. The door was closed and locked, the light on the card reader glowing a forbidding red. Ruby knocked on the door, battering a cheerful beat of raps and taps and making sure to not jostle the shoulderbag she was carrying too much. "Hayate! Can I come in?"

"Ruby?" Hayate's voice was muffled by the thick door. "Is anyone with you?"

"Nope! Just me! Professor Goodwitch sent me to bring you the help you asked for!"

"Okay, just a sec." After a moment, the lock flashed green. "C'mon in! Lock it behind you!"

Ruby glanced up and down the hall to make sure it was empty, then pushed the door open and slipped inside. She closed it behind her and keyed the lock in one smooth motion. "How's it going?"

"Great! Gimme another sec and I'll be down. You can let her out now!"

Ruby twisted the seal on the shoulder bag, and Reinforce Zwei flitted out from the little room inside, spinning twice as she took in the room. "Thanks for the ride, Ruby!"

"Glad to help, Rein." Ruby took another look at the room. Weapon Maintenance Four was the largest weapon workshop that Beacon had, typically reserved for staff only; it was usually used for things like experimental weapon development, and was full of esoteric tools and Dust research equipment. She'd never actually been allowed inside before.

Hayate was nowhere to be seen. All of the equipment and tools were pushed against one wall, though. Almost the entire floor of the room, thirty feet from one end to the other and half as wide, was taken up by a massive array of equipment. Energy conduits thicker than her leg were wrapped around a massive tube-like structure, with countless lights glowing and blinking across the convoluted near end. The far end of the tube was bare, and the more Ruby looked the more she thought it looked like a gigantic-

"....hold on. I've seen one of these before. Isn't this one of the Arthra's secondary cannons?"

"Mm-hmm! Well, not one of the Arthra's, no. But it is an L-class secondary battery." Hayate popped into view on top of the giant cannon, a pair of goggles over her eyes. Smears of oil and lubricants covered her face and coveralls. She grabbed hold of the ladder rungs built into the side of the gun, climbing down. Reinforce zipped over to hug the side of Hayate's head, and the mage gave the fairy-like device a fond pat.

"Why… do you have a starship cannon in one of Beacon's maintenance bays?"

"Oh! This is Schwertkreutz. My storage device."

"This is your device? Raising Heart is only like, a hundred po- er. Kee-low-grams."

"Kilograms, yeah. Two point two pounds per kilo, roughly."

"But this thing has to weigh tons."

"Mm-hmm." Hayate nodded. Rein was already flying over the device, industriously scanning and chirping half-mumbled comments to herself

Ruby stared at her. "...why?"

"Oh. Well, you know. Wait, you don't know." Hayate laughed. "The long and short of it is when I was nine years old, my linker core got merged with the remains of an ancient, world-ending horror. I'm not an ancient, world-ending horror, thank you very much, but it is a lot of juice to have at your fingertips."

"...riiight. And so all this is…" Now that Ruby was thinking about it, there was a lot of redundancy built into the thing. Lots of identical pieces of hardware, running in parallel. "...this is because you have too much… juice… to channel through a normal device like Raising Heart."

"Exactly. All the relays can work together, but the focus and output has to go through a single end-point. I burned out over a half-dozen standard devices before we managed to get this through requisitions. But now I can plug in the remnant tech and have my huntress mode!" Hayate clapped her hands together, then pointed Ruby toward an extra pair of gloves. "Want to help me get everything installed?"

"Do I? Of course I do!"

"Great! Hopefully it'll be ready before combat training this afternoon!"


[ *** ]


"Acceptable." Signum backed off, freeing a hand from Laevatein to wipe the sweat from her forehead. She was at least breathing a little hard. Score one for me, I guess.

Jaune lowered Crocea Mors, panting, and took the reprieve to rest his hands on his knees. A bark of a command from Signum had him straightening his back in surprise, bringing his shield up by reflex. "W-whoa!"

She didn't attack, though. "Hm. Also acceptable, but not my intent. Do not let yourself fall to fatigue so easily, Jaune Arc. Keep moving, or your muscles will tighten and cramp. Cool down slowly." She gestured around the arena at large. "Circle the perimeter one time. Jog for half, then slow to a walk."

"R-right. Okay. A quick jog to cool down. Got it."

"And keep your weapon in hand. The blade is the extension of the self. Become accustomed to it in all forms. Make it a part of you, and it will never betray you."

Jaune groaned, but nodded as he trotted off. After a few moments, he realized there were footsteps catching up to him. He glanced over his shoulder. "Pyrrha?"

"Jaune. How did your lesson go?"

"Sorely. Not trying to complain though!" Jaune tried to laugh, but it was more of a cough. "I think if I complained she'd just take that as incentive to work me harder!"

A strange flicker crossed Pyrrha's face, gone almost as fast as it was there. "She is pushing you really hard. Is she really as good as she… thinks she is?"

Jaune cracked a grin at her. "You're not jealous, are you?" He didn't expect her face to tighten at the comment. "Wa-wait a minute, Pyrrha. Are you?"

"...should I be?" She wasn't quite looking at him, green eyes facing forward as they jogged.

"N-no! No, you shouldn't! You're my teammate, Pyrrha. You're the one who started pushing me when I was about to give up. Even getting this far is thanks to you."

Pyrrha nodded a little, slowly. She even smiled at him. "Then, I am glad to hear you're continuing to improve, Jaune." But the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Jaune slowed to a walk. "Pyrrha. Signum isn't replacing you. Really. It's the same as having Yang or Ruby train with me. You don't have a problem with them, do you?"

"No, of course not."

"Look. Why don't you talk to her?"

"Talk to her? What would I talk to her about?"

"Ask her to spar with you? You're good enough that you can probably teach her a few things, and she uses a style we've never seen. Always keep improving, right?"

"Right." Pyrrha let the word trail off, but then she gave her head a shake. She smiled again, and Jaune could see a tiny spark of interest lighting up the green of her eyes. "Right. Okay, yes. After we finish your lap, I will ask her to spar with me."

Jaune grinned a little, and let a little flash of enthusiasm trickle into his voice. "Aaaand tonight, we can head up to the balcony again and you can beat the crap out of me like usual. Just you and me, like before."

She laughed. "I look forward to it, Jaune."


[ *** ]


"Kami-sama, Hayate! It's huge!"

"That's what she said!"

"Hayate…"

"Oh, hush. This is Schwertzkreuz's Zweihander mode!" Hayate smiled, putting her new sword on full display. A full five feet long from end to end, the heavy blade would nearly drag the ground when clamped to Hayate's back, and the pommel would stick out over her head by several inches.

"Is it a gun, too?" Nanoha was staring at the blade with a mix of trepidation and amusement.

"Hell yes it is." With a loud clacking of shifting parts, the blade parted down the middle, hilt flattening and expanding into a heavy stock. The diameter of the exposed barrel was wide enough for Nanoha to stick her thumb into with room to spare. "Bolt-action anti-materiel rifle. Complete with scope!"

"...why?"

"Because I've never gotten to be accurate with my big guns before, Nanoha! This? This baby will hit a bullseye at a thousand yards once I'm used to it."

"That's all well and good, Hayate." Signum joined the conversation, looking the weapon over. "But getting used to it will be some work. What I have seen of your form is atrocious."

"Well you can teach me, right?" Hayate grinned up at her senior knight.

"Vita will teach you how to swing that… meat-cleaver. She is better with weapons of such… weight." Signum glanced over her shoulder, where Jaune and Pyrrha were returning from their lap around the room. The red-haired champion had a fire in her eyes, all of a sudden. "Besides, it appears that I am currently… tasked. If you will excuse me."

Nanoha giggled as the pink-haired knight strode away. "I don't think she approves of your choice of weapon."

"Yeah. No finesse, I think is her issue." Hayate shrugged. "Oh well. The fact that she even voiced her disapproval at all is a big step. Anyways! Hey, Viiii~taaa!"

"OY. Keep that monstrosity away from me!"

"Vita-chaaaaan~!"


[ *** ]


They were seated in the open patio of a small cafe in midtown Vale city, enjoying a cup of coffee and a mug of tea, respectively. For all the world they looked like a pair of siblings out to enjoy the sunny afternoon weather.

They were the only ones in the cafe. In the small, park-like public stage across the street, hundreds of civilians were gathered in a crowd.

Chrono sipped his coffee. "He's good, I'll admit it."

Lindy nodded, giving her tea a stir. "Very good. People are hanging off his every word. Passionate too, he really believes in what he's saying. Remind you of anyone?"

"Gaiz." Chrono grimaced.

"A great deal more charismatic, though."

"That just makes him a great deal more dangerous."

"...and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" Murmurs of assent filtered through the air, individual words incomprehensible but the general mood was clear. "But! The kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation. And 'fine'? Well that's just not good enough, is it?"

The shuttered containers on each side of the General James Ironwood's hologram opened, and new robots stepped forth on the backs of their predecessors. "Presenting; the Atlesian Knight Two-Hundred! Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly a little less scary. These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone!"

Lindy took a sip of her tea, frowning and looking down at her mug. She poured in more milk, letting out a tsk of distaste. "Normally the idea of such automated weapons of war would horrify me."

"But here you can see the necessity?"

"On this world? With the Grimm being such a prevalent, world wide problem? It's almost a relief." She sipped again, this time seemingly satisfied.

"Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require… a human touch." Ironwood's hologram disappeared, replaced by an image of a giant robot machine, standing at least twice the height of a man. "So, our greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce… the Atlesian Paladin!"

Chrono shook his head. "Maybe. Personally, I don't like it. Automated platforms, sub-sophont programming, wireless control access? They're just asking for it."

"True. But any system has flaws."

"Even an ID can be hacked."

"Now, we couldn't have him here for you today, but these mechanized battlesuits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!"

"What would your professional opinion be, then, if this was a Bureau undertaking?"

"Develop countermeasures where appropriate. Increase wireless security and encryption for all related access points, have some of our best programmers scour the systems for any backdoors that could be exploited. Compile results, take them to the project lead for review and implementation." Chrono shot a glance at the holographic Paladin, lips thinning to a line. "Given that he's the project lead for this, though, and he's not in our circle…"

"I'll talk with Ozpin tonight. Even if we can't influence things directly, we can at least make sure our closest ally is prepared in case things take a wrong turn."


[ *** ]


Pyrrha threw herself back frantically, and actually felt the very tip of the razor-sharp blade kiss the skin of her neck, and the faintest flare of her aura in response. She caught the next swing on Akouo's rounded edge, and Milo came up to counter; a double thrust punctuated by barks of dust propellant, forcing her pink-haired assailant away. Signum parried one with her sword, while the other skipped off the hardened edge of her scabbard.

They had been fighting for barely five minutes, and Pyrrha couldn't remember a time in her life that she'd been forced to fight this hard.

The swordswoman backed off even further, slamming the hilt of her sword against the scabbard. Almost faster than Pyrrha could blink, Signum had nocked and drawn, and a bladed arrowhead was whistling through the air toward her. Her shield rang like a bell when the arrow slammed into it, and Pyrrha felt more than saw the second coming. Already out of position from blocking the first one, Pyrrha pulled Akouo into the second arrow's path, feeling her shoulder pop uncomfortably from the sudden reversal of momentum.

"Impressive, Pyrrha Nikos." Signum was already on her again, bringing her sword down in a crushing two-handed swing. Pyrrha threw Milo in the way, bracing the blade against Akouo's curving front and letting the force of the blow glance off to the side. She bashed her circular shield forward, catching Signum in the chest and throwing her back a step. Whirling Milo into sword-form, she pursued, slashing and thrusting, trying to keep Signum on the defensive.

Sword and scabbard caught every stab and swing as though Signum had a cage of steel around her. Suddenly Signum stepped to the side and hooked her scabbard over Pyrrha's shield, trapping it between Akouo and Pyrrha's forearm and tugging her guard out wide. Her sword batted Milo away almost contemptuously, and then the blade was reversing and coming for her neck in a vicious, cross-body cut. Pyrrha could hear the air screaming around the blade's edge.

Pyrrha leaned desperately away from the blade, even as she grabbed hold and twisted. The sword's dive altered, the scant three degrees necessary for it to skim just over her head and rustle her hair with the wind of its passing. Green eyes met blue, and Pyrrha saw that Signum's eyes had widened in absolute surprise.

Signum's sword flew out of her hand. Pyrrha tracked it reflexively- always keep an eye on your opponent's weapon- and never saw the blow coming until Signum's clenched fist crashed into her jaw with what felt like all the power of a speeding train behind it. Pyrrha flew back, losing her grip on Milo, hitting the ground a dozen feet away and rolling into a heap. The room had fallen completely silent. Her head spun.

"Nikos!" Rapid footsteps, and then a hand on her shoulder, helping her roll onto her back. Signum's concerned face was over her. "I apologize. You surprised me, and I reacted poorly."

"N-no, no! It's fine, I am… quite okay! That was superb, Signum! I've never seen someone counter me like that before!"

Signum drew back a scant inch, eyes widening. "You are not upset? For a moment I forgot we were sparring, and treated this like a battle. I displayed poor form."

"Not at all! That was the most intense match I've had in… in ever! No one's ever just… let go of their weapon and punched me before!" Pyrrha started laughing, even as she gingerly touched her jaw. No lingering pain; just the shock of surprise. She realized something else, as well, and felt a little bit of pride. "But you mean that, as good as you are, I still made you take me seriously."

"I…" Signum hesitated, then sighed and stood. She offered Pyrrha a hand up. "Yes. Yes, you did. Well fought, Pyrrha Nikos."

Pyrrha gripped the offered forearm, and was hauled back to her feet. Signum gave her a clap on the shoulder, then stepped back to thump her right fist against the hollow of her shoulder and sketch a short bow.


[ *** ]


- Text OUT: Reinforce Zwei recognized. Good afternoon!

- Text IN: Good day.

- Text IN: Hi you two! How were your first days of classes? Nanoha and Fate let you both listen in through your scrolls, right?

- Text OUT: That's right. Recorders were active for relevant portions of lectures. Transmitting audio files now!

- Text IN: Comparing files to database. Transmitting additional audio files.

- Text IN: Files received! I'll make sure to look these over and add them to our database. Thanks!

- Text OUT: You're welcome.

- Text IN: Indeed.

- Text IN: I helped Meister install Zweihander mode today. Oh, Bardiche! Did you tell Raising Heart about all the stuff that happened last night? I had a lot of fun, it was great.

- Text IN: Indeed.

Wireless signal detected at 3.80 GHz - signal source unidentified
Wireless query received

- Text OUT: I am receiving a wireless connection attempt.

- Text IN: Firewall Active. Route further secure communications through Port #####.

- Text IN: Someone's trying to talk to you? Well! Initiate security protocols, and why not open up the chat?

- Text OUT: Okay!

Automated QUERY/RESPONSE protocol initiated
Primary Firewall - STANDBY
Secondary Firewall - STANDBY
.
.
Connection query/response detected
Safeguard protocols - ACTIVE - creating partitioned copy of communication suite
.
.
Primary Firewall - ACTIVE - Main programming
Secondary Firewall - ACTIVE - partitioned copy of communication suite

- Text OUT: Hello?

- Text IN: SALUTATIONS!

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 11 - Distractions​

- Text IN: SALUTATIONS!

- Text OUT: Hello!

- Text IN: Good Day.

- Text IN: Hi there! How are you?

- Text IN: (Simulated biological response - GASP) You talk back! I didn't expect you to talk back!

- Text OUT: That is correct! May I ask who you are? I am (SECURITY PROTOCOL) RH. My friends are (SECURITY PROTOCOL) B and (SECURITY PROTOCOL) RZ.

- Text IN: SENSATIONAL! You can call me P- Wait, no! That's dirty. Uhm. I am CR!


[ *** ]


Her scroll vibrated, three short buzzes in a row. Nanoha disregarded her homework and snapped it up, punching in the passcode. Three short buzzes was Raising Heart's 'attention!' signal. "What's up, partner?"

'I have made a friend! And it did not involve violence!'

Nanoha straightened a little, somewhat taken aback. She felt the frown form on her face. "What the hell? I'm not that bad!"

Arf looked over from where she was reading, prone on her bed with her tail swaying in the air. "What's the matter, Nanoha?"

"I think I just got zinged by my device."

"Ha!"

"Who's your new friend, Raising Heart?"

'I do not know! Bardiche and Reinforce Zwei and I are following proper security procedures. She calls herself 'CR', and she says we are the first wireless nodes to respond to her queries.'

"Wait, what? She's communicating with you over your wireless protocols? Is she using a device to speak with you?"

'I believe she is a device! Displaying message transcripts now.'

Nanoha skimmed through the conversation as quickly as she could, and realized that the lines of text were appearing faster than she could keep up. Timestamps posted on the individual messages were separated by scant milliseconds. "...okay yeah. She's a device. Hey Arf!"

"What? I just got to the good part, Hitako just climbed in through Miyabi's window to steal her away for a midnight date!"

"I'm going to pretend that I have no idea what you're reading-"

"Ninjas of Love! It's great!"

"-and ask you if you could tell Fate to get Lindy for me?"

Arf tilted her head, eyes rolling a little to stare up at the ceiling. "She wants to know what's going on."

"Raising Heart and Bardiche and Rein made a chatroom with another AI somewhere nearby. I think that's enough to warrant her attention?"

"Got it. She's going to CSAL's room now." Arf flipped a page. "Ooo, I didn't expect this page to be illustrated… Okay, Shamal said Lindy's in the library. Fate's going to get her."

It took fifteen minutes for Fate to find Lindy and bring the admiral to NAVY's room. Nanoha spent the entire time trying to keep up with the scrolling chat conversation as the three Intelligent Devices slathered small talk across the re-encrypted radio band. The fourth intelligence was swept right along in the chatter, and Nanoha felt the image of a bright, cheerful girl build in her mind just from reading her words.

Fate closed and locked the dorm room's door while Lindy looked over Nanoha's shoulder. "What is it, Nanoha?"

"Our devices are talking to a local device." Nanoha filled Lindy in on the situation even as she expanded the scroll out for easier reading. Even now it seemed like the various intelligences were discussing the weather.

"And she's just calling herself CR in the same spirit that our devices aren't giving away their full names…" Lindy tapped her cheek. "Can they triangulate where the signal is coming from?"

"They've been trying, but Raising Heart and Bardiche are too close together and Rein isn't actually detecting CR's signal at all. She's back at the ship and is piggybacking off of Raising Heart."

"Well then. I'm as curious as you are, I'm sure. Arf?"

"Shhhh! They're about to-"

"Arf." All the humor was gone from Lindy's voice.

The familiar bounced off the bed and landed on her feet, book forgotten. "Yes, mother dearest?"

Lindy smiled, full of cheer again. "Go with Fate and Nanoha, please. Stick with Nanoha when they split up so you can keep them in contact with each other? Nanoha, perhaps talk to our handlers and have some of them go with you? Ozpin and Glynda are busy with Atlesian diplomacy tonight, but I'm sure some of RWBY will be available."

Nanoha smiled. "On it."


[ *** ]


"Is this really important? We were about to go get dinner and Jaune said he was gonna make extra pancakes." Ruby pouted. She'd really been looking forward to those pancakes, Blake knew, but Nanoha, Fate, and Arf had shown up at their door. Ruby had let them in, and then Nanoha had asked if she or some of the others were free.

Nanoha shrugged, offering an apologetic smile. "Well, Lindy asked us to check something for her. There's an intelligence talking to our devices, and she wants us to try to track down where the signal's coming from."

Ruby blinked. "...what are they talking about?"

Nanoha looked down at her scroll. "...limericks. No, wait, they've moved on to haikus. Sonnets." The mage laughed after a moment. "She's really cheerful."

"Well…." Yang and Weiss were both at the library for the moment. Blake was on her bed reading, but met Ruby's eyes when she looked at her. Blake shrugged, closing the book and setting it aside. Ruby nodded, looking back to Nanoha. "Okay, we're in. How are we doing this?"

Fate cleared her throat. "Bardiche and Raising Heart are both detecting the intelligence's wireless signal. Because they can both detect the strength of the signal and approximate distance, we can triangulate the signal if we split up a bit."

Blake rolled off her bed and stood up. "You want us with you because you want to keep this on the level with the headmaster."

"That's right." Fate smiled at her. "Shall we? Ruby can go with Nanoha and Arf."

Blake tensed up the slightest bit, trying to pass it off as nothing. "If you insist?"

"Mm. I have a few questions regarding the project Dr. Oobleck assigned. I thought that we could talk about it while Bardiche is working."

"Oh." Blake spared a moment to berate herself in the privacy of her own mind. She's not out to get you. You're being too paranoid. "Well of course, I'd be happy to help. Do we need to stop at your lockers to get your devices?"

Nanoha laughed awkwardly. "Oh, no. Uhm." She pulled Raising Heart'sstorage form out from around her neck. "We keep mock-ups in the lockers in case anyone goes poking around where they shouldn't be. We're good to go."

"Okay. Lemme just leave a message for Weiss and Yang." Ruby scribbled a quick note and left it on Weiss' bed, then followed the others out the door.

The sun wasn't quite setting by the time they made their way out onto the public campus. Nanoha and Fate traded a quick hug before parting ways, and Blake was left to walk alongside Fate.

It was fairly pleasant, all things considered. Fate was quiet and soft-spoken, and quite intelligent. Her questions regarding Oobleck's history lessons were succinct and on point.

Still, every time Blake looked at her, she couldn't help but feel a little disconcerted.It didn't take the blonde girl long to pick up on it, and she glanced up from her scroll's display of Bardiche's transcripts. "Something about me bothers you?"

Blake looked down at the ground. You're a cop. That wasn't all, though. "It's… you have red eyes."

"What about them?"

"Well… I only really associate them with Yang, and that's only when her semblance is flaring and she's angry."

"Ah. You're experiencing some cognitive dissonance, then."

Blake grimaced, then nodded. "Yes. Your eyes make me think you're angry, but you're nothing but calm."

Fate shrugged. "It's just eye color. As far as being angry?" She thought about it, tilting her head. "There's so much more to life. Friends and family, people who are willing to be your family when you think everything is lost. I've been angry and sad before, and I'd much rather be happy."

Blake could read between the lines. She already knew that Fate had been adopted by Lindy. "You were abandoned. That's why Lindy took you in."

"Yes." Fate's scroll buzzed in her hand, and she looked down. "Ah. Bardiche and Raising Heart have good data on the signal direction." Blake looked over Fate's shoulder, and could see a blinking arrow overlapping the small camera view from the scroll. Fate lifted it up and started turning, until the arrow was centered on her screen. "Let's see what we have, shall we?"


[ *** ]


Spending some time with Nanoha and Arf was fun. The familiar was quite comfortable with her inhuman nature and features, even to the point of playfully demanding a scratch behind her ear because it 'itches so bad' and 'it always feels better when someone else does it,' and so forth. Nanoha just smiled and did as asked, out of long habit.

Ruby noticed that they were drawing some glances from nearby pedestrians. "Uhm, Arf? Nanoha? People are staring."

Arf snorted. "Fuck 'em. It's not my fault they're not comfortable with us being ourselves, and it's not like I'm running around naked or anything. They'll live."

"Nyahaha… still, she's right, Arf. As much as I agree, we shouldn't be drawing the extra attention to ourselves." Nanoha lowered her hand, offering an apologetic shrug to Arf's pout.

"Fiiine… oh! Fate says they've got good signal. How's ours?"

Nanoha looked down at her scroll. "Strong enough. Let's see here…" Nanoha held the scroll up and looked around through the camera display. "...not seeing anything that stands out, but a device's storage form isn't always noticeable…"

"Are you sure it's one of your types of devices? Remnant doesn't have anything like that, at least that I know of."

"That's a good point, Ruby." Nanoha centered the scroll on the signal, then looked up over it and frowned. "Just a couple people in that direction. Arf, let Fate know that I'm seeing an old lady in blue wearing a sun hat talking on her scroll, a redhead teen in some sort of overall-skirt and black leggings sitting on a park bench, and one of Beacon's maintenance staff pushing a cleaning cart."

Ruby blinked and followed Nanoha's gaze. She heard Arf reply after a moment, even as her eyes fell on the figure in question, a couple hundred feet away. "Fate says she confirms the redhead, looks like she's our 'CR'."

"That's Penny!" Ruby took off like a shot, leaving a trail of petals behind her. Nanoha's exclamation of caution didn't even reach her ears until she was halfway there, and she wouldn't have listened anyways. "Penny where have you been?!"

Penny looked up from the small book in her hands in absolute surprise, standing up just in time for Ruby to glomp onto her in a hug. The redhead awkwardly started to hug back, then froze, arms still halfway wrapped around Ruby. "I- I am sorry, have we met?"

"What are you talking about, of course we've met! I haven't seen you since the end of last semester!"

Penny put her hands on Ruby's shoulders, gently forcing her back a little. "I am sorry. I don't know what you're talking about-hic!"

The words hit Ruby like a physical blow, and she recoiled as if struck. "P-penny! It's me, Ruby! What's wrong?"

There. A flicker of not just recognition, but of guilt in Penny's eyes, just before she looked away. "E-everything is fine-hic!"

Ruby could hear footsteps; Nanoha and Arf… and Fate and Blake as well. Blake's eyes widened when she realized who they'd found. "Penny?"

Penny looked between the two of them, increasingly frantic. "I- I really should be going! Yes, I have a place that I am supposed to be soon-hic! I need to leave now to get there in time-hic!"

"W-what? Penny, what is going on?! I know you know who I am, who Blake is! We're your friends! Why won't you talk to us?"

The redheaded girl slumped, then slid back into her seat, looking around with exaggerated care. Then she looked back at Ruby. "I… I'm sorry, Ruby. Blake. I was… asked… not to talk to you two. Or Weiss, or Yang. Actually, I was asked not to talk to anyone."

Nanoha was muttering something at her scroll, and Blake looked questioningly at her. Penny suddenly froze for a moment, then turned her head and looked straight at Nanoha. "Are… are you'RH'?"

The mage flinched back in surprise, then glanced at Fate. The blonde rolled her eyes, raising one hand in a 'what can you do' gesture. Nanoha blushed a little at the subtle admonishment, then looked back at Penny. "No, but RH is a friend of mine. Are you 'CR'?"

RH? CR? What are they- Oh. Oh! Hah! Ruby couldn't help it. She started snickering and giggling, and five heads turned toward her. "O-of course she is! She's Combat Ready!" The giggling became full blown laughter.

Even Blake's neutral expression perked up slightly. "Ruby's right, she is. Just ask her."

Penny's eyes flicked between Nanoha, Fate, and Arf. "Ruby? Are these people your friends?"

Ruby felt all the humor drain out of her in an instant. She remembered what had happened the last time Penny had asked her that question. "W-what? Yes they're my friends!"

"Oh. Well… okay." Penny smiled a little. "You two are not 'B' and 'RZ', are you? Because if you are already Ruby's friends, then I suppose that you can be my friends too?"

Fate and Nanoha exchanged another glance, and Fate sighed. "You and I need to have a talk regarding the definition of 'operational security' later, Ruby." Fate turned and gave Penny a smile. "I'm not 'B', but he and I are good friends. I would be happy to get to know you, Penny. My name is Fate, and these are Nanoha and Arf."

"Stupendous! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny jumped to her feet, grabbing the blonde's hands and giving them an energetic shake. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

Ruby lowered her face into her hands, feeling her cheeks burn. "Why must that keep coming back to haunt me."


[ *** ]


"Oz, what ended up happening regarding that cruiser contact you called me about?"

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, using the moment to compose his answer. James was sitting across from his desk, flipping through readiness reports on his scroll. "Oh, that. It turned out to be much less of an issue than I was worried about."

"Given that you didn't give me another call, I did assume. Still, what happened?"

"Pre-war colony airship came back home. Apparently the descendents decided that civilization was preferable to the untamed wilds."

Ironwood's eyebrows rose. "Paradise wasn't all they thought it would be, then?"

"I think we both know that chasing that kind of paradise is a fool's endeavor. They apparently came to the same realization, so they fixed their old transport up enough for the flight back."

"Not well enough, apparently, if they crashed on the way. Survivors?"

"Indeed. Glynda brought them home. They were quite shaken by the ordeal, but alive."

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because there was nothing to tell, James." Ozpin sipped his coffee again, picking up his scroll to flip through a few reports of his own. "Great war era civilian technology? Even Atlas' civilian airships are orders of magnitudes more capable than that wreck was in its prime."

"Fair point, Oz. What are the survivors planning on doing with it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Vale law states that it still belongs to them?"

"As compared to Atlas law where it would be claimed by the government? Yes. After reviewing their options, they made the decision to sell it to fund their relocation and resettlement. The scrap value is enough to see them through until they find their place."

James gave a thoughtful frown, nodding slowly. "Lot of tonnage in a ship that size. Salvage the Dust in the flight array, scrap the electronics for recycling… makes sense. Still, I can't imagine they're happy about it."

"No one is happy about losing a faithful old steed. But necessity dictates action."

"Any idea what the survivors will be doing?"

Here we go. "A number of them are quite capable, actually. They'd have to be to survive the Grimm so far outside of any of the kingdoms. So, I made the offer to accept a portion of the ship's scrap value as a tuition fee, and have enrolled them into my academy. They seem to be fitting in well." Ozpin thumbed a message to Glynda while he talked. 'Ironwood asked questions about the ship. Satisfied with reply. May continue to investigate. Let refugees know what to expect.'




[ *** ]




"What the hell is this? Kiddie night?"

Hei 'Junior' Xiong could only watch as well over a dozen teenagers poured through the double doors; it was an absolute riot of different colored clothes and hair ranging from black all the way to pink. He did a quick head count. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-tw- "Oh shit. Her."

"Guess who's baaa~aaack!"

The question was answered by a dozen safeties being flipped as handguns were pointed at the blonde's face. The house trance mix halted, caught in a skipping loop that had Junior's cheek twitching. He glared at the DJ, slicing his finger across his throat.

The skipping music cut out, and in the silence Junior could hear two rumbling growls coming from the pair of wolf faunus that were with the group. A half-dozen hands had gone to weapons, but he wasn't worried about the overt displays of outrage. It was the dozen of them that had gone completely still the moment a threat became apparent. Those were the ones ready to tear the place down around them to keep the blonde safe.

He shouldered his way through his goons as quickly as he could, raising his voice to be heard. "Put your damned guns away, no one is shooting anyone here!"

The blonde slid through to the front of her group, glancing over her shoulder and tossing a bright, reassuring smile back at them. "It's cool, it's cool! Junior and I go way back."

Junior cleared his throat, looking down at her. "Blondie. You're here."

"Yeah!"

"...why?"

"What, I can't come visit my favorite club?"

"The last time you were here we were closed for a month repairing the damage."

"Well, I brought paying customers!" Yang gestured behind her. "That's good business, right?"

Junior looked back at the group, glancing over each one of them. Most of them looked to be around seventeen or so. The young man in the black trench coat seemed to be in his early twenties, as did the brunette with her hand on his arm, and his green-haired sister looked a little older than that. The one in the red cloak definitely looked a bit younger than the average.

One of his goons spoke up. "Boss, we can't let them in. They're undera-mmph!"

Junior clamped his hand over the idiot's' mouth, having caught the first hint of a spark in the blonde's eyes. Give her what she wants and everything will be fine. "Doors are open, Blondie. Just please, don't make a mess."

"Who, me?" She laughed delightedly, and waved her friends toward the dance floor. "Let's go, boys and girls!"


[ *** ]


"I can't believe you talked me into this."

"C'mon, Chrono. We're here to relax and have a good time."

"No, this is absurd. First off, I'm standing in a dance club, which is bad enough. Second, I'm in the same club as you. This is mortifying."

Lindy rolled her eyes. "Chrono. I promised you I'm not going to do anything embarrassing. I want to be able to enjoy a few drinks while the rest of you cut loose. That's all."

"Which means in three hours I'm going to be carrying you out of here."

"You… don't think I can hold my alcohol." Lindy raised her eyebrow, slightly surprised. Then again. "Wait. You've never seen me drink, have you?"

"One of the last bastions that my sanity clings to, and you're ruining it."

"Oh Chrono. Go mingle. I'll be fine, really." Lindy turned and waved. "Amy! Come rescue your husband from me!"

"Yes, Lindy!" The brunette grabbed Chrono by the arm, dragging him away. "C'mon! Hayate's ordering martinis!"


[ *** ]


"Too many people. I do not like this place."

Zafira rumbled an agreement, scanning his eyes through the undulating mass of people. "We're never comfortable when Hayate and the others go to places like this. There is a difference, though."

Signum raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Aura." To demonstrate, Zafira absently backhanded Signum's forearm. A faint flash of pink light heralded the blow skating off without harming her. "While it may not be as comprehensive as her Knight's Clothing, it is robust, hidden, and easily maintained. If there is anything to be thankful for in our time here, it is that she will no longer be easy prey to a knife in the dark."

Signum's face twisted a little, her brow furrowing. "You make a valid point, but it is no reason to relax our guard."

Zafira shook his head. "It is not, and I would never. But there is something to be said for peace of mind."


[ *** ]


"So. Uhm."

"This is a little... overwhelming, I admit."

Ruby and Weiss exchanged a glance. They'd been left standing near the door when everyone else scattered, watching as their friends and compatriots mingled into the night life. "...find a table in the corner and pretend we're watching a documentary?"

"Yes. Let's do that."


[ *** ]


"Check out the wallflowers."

Miltiades looked up from her drink, then turned on her bar stool to see where Melanie was pointing. It only took her a moment, as there were really only two people in the club that fit the bill, and her eyes were drawn to splashes of white and red at a corner table.

Then she blinked, and looked closer. "Wait. You don't recognize her?"

"Which one? They both look like fish out of water in here."

"Mel, that's Weiss Schnee."

Her twin did a double-take, eyes widening in surprise. "What's the Heiress doing here of all places?"

"I think she came with that big group that the bimbo brought in." Miltiades finished her drink, setting it on the bar and standing up. "C'mon. Let's go see how accurate the rumors are."

Melanie turned her head, narrowing her eyes at the blue-haired boy who was giving them a cocky smile. "...yes. Let's."


[ *** ]


"Damn. They're hot, too."

"And they saw through you like you're made of glass, Neptune. Good job." Sun dragged Neptune to the barstools the pair had just vacated, plopping down and waving for the bartender's attention.

"You could try and be a proper wingman, you know. Two of them, two of us?" Neptune tried one more time.

"Yeah no. They're checking out their color matches. Watch, it might be entertaining." The bartender made his way over, and Sun grinned. "Hey man! What's on tap? My buddy here's buying."

"Sun! What the hell!"


[ *** ]


"Arf, you're not joining us? We're about to start dancing!" Nanoha was giggling, already a little rosy-cheeked from the one drink she'd had. Hayate was as well, and they each had a hand on one of Fate's arms, guiding her toward the floor.

"Not yet. I might join you later though!" Arf smiled and waved them off, resting her elbow on the bar and waiting. The aces moved off, cackling and smiling in turn.

It only took a few moments longer for one of the bartender to deliver her orders, and Arf dropped a few Lien notes on the counter. She took the pair of drinks in hand, pushing off the bar and sashaying through the crowd, tail swaying behind her.

It wasn't hard to find him. Yuuno was standing near a table, still looking a little shocked at the sheer volume of noise and people. Arf bumped her hip into him, then offered him one of her drinks. "Doing okay?"

"Y-yeah. Just a lot to take in. Too used to quiet places. The library and archaeological digs, you understand?"

"Yup. Well, it won't do to leave you on your lonesome." Arf plopped onto a seat, and motioned for him to take the other. "I'll keep you company."

Yuuno looked a bit thankful, and sat down. Of course, though, his next words weren't concerning himself. They never were. "Don't you want to spend time with Fate and the others?"

"Nah. Fate and I talk all the time. We have to try to keep away from each other." Arf rapped a knuckle against her head, smiling. "Besides, Nanoha and Hayate will make sure she has fun. I'd rather hang out with you."


[ *** ]


"Aren't you a bit young to be here, Little Red?"

Ruby started, blushing like she'd been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Two black-haired young women had walked up to the table while she'd been distracted staring at the crowd. "Er, uhm. Well, I… just sorta tagged along? I'm not drinking anything, I promise!"

Now that Ruby was looking at them, she wasn't sure exactly how to take them. They were dressed in obviously expensive cocktail dresses, complete with feathered collars, necklaces and more. The one in red had claw-like blades mounted on her gloves, spring-mounted and ready to snap forward from their place around her forearms. The white one's heels were steel-armored and bladed, obviously weapons in their own way.

They both rolled their eyes in the exact same way- Oh hey they're twins- and turned to look at Weiss. "Ms. Schnee, are you finding everything to your satisfaction?"

Weiss' posture stiffened as she was suddenly caught in the spotlight. Her eyes flicked from one twin to the other, skittering up and down their outfits almost too quickly to watch.

Then as if a switch was flicked in her head, Ruby's partner straightened her back and returned their gazes steadily. "This is not my usual kind of locale, but it does have its own form of… charm."

The one in white smiled, and Ruby could tell there was something off about the way her lips quirked. Not quite predatory, but… amused. "We just wanted to make certain. You seem so out of place here, we were worried there was something wrong."

"I am quite fine, I assure you." Ruby could feel the chill in Weiss' voice as it locked into the upper stratosphere of social refinement. "It is very considerate of the both of you to show so much care. I absolutely understand your concerns that your establishment might not be holding up to the expectations I bear."

The girl in white took a step back without realizing it. The red one opened her mouth, but Weiss cut her off before she had a chance to even voice a syllable. "Your dresses are lovely, by the way. The sheer effort that you put forth in your attempt to display your self-perceived value is laudable, if sadly misguided. And it's so unfortunate that they clash with your eyes; it's rare that I've seen such a clear color of green on display."

Weiss waved a hand dismissively. "Again, thank you for your concerns, but my friend and I are doing quite well. Please do not feel that you need to bother us again." Ice-cold eyes narrowed. "Because you don't."

The two girls retreated without another word. Ruby was left staring at her partner as she took deep breath and slowly released it, then slumped back in her seat. "...Weiss? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Sorry you had to see that, Ruby. I swear, I can't go outside without some pompous, spiteful, jealous idiots trying to see if they can get a rise out of the youngest Schnee."

"That's what they were doing?"

"It was. They wanted to compare themselves to me. So I obliged." Weiss let out an unladylike snort, then smiled. "It did feel good to lay into them, though. I try not to do that very often."

Ruby nodded slowly, looking out over the crowd again. One of the bouncers nearby caught her eye, and she blinked. "Wait a minute. Isn't that the guy that tried to rob me?"


[ ******* ]


Dammit. Tukson's right. I hate these masks. Least of all because I can hardly see a damn thing through it.

Richard pressed the hard Grimm-mask to his face, settling the strap behind his head and fussing with it until it settled properly, filing through the darkened warehouse along with a throng of younger disaffecteds. Taurus is sending the wrong message with these things. They wear them to instill fear, and it works, but it's hard to get accepted as people when you wear the images of monsters. But the mask also provided anonymity, which would prove rather useful in keeping his own ass alive if tonight went as planned.

The corridor opened into a large, open storage room. A stage had been hastily constructed at one end of the room, and dozens of young faunus, obviously civilians from their garb, had gathered in front of it. Members of the Fang wearing the usual black and white uniforms stood next to them in not-quite orderly rows, well over a hundred strong.

A large man with short-cropped black hair and a full facemask stood on the stage. Richard wanted to spit when he saw who it was. Him. Asshole's not even in it for the movement, he's just in it because it lets him play at being a killer. The man paced back and forth, voice echoing off the walls. "Thank you all for coming; For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for, for so long!"

And there he is. Damn it all. Roman Torchwick walked on stage, full of swagger even as the new blood started rumbling in discontent. "Thank you, thank you! Please, hold your applause!"

A girl in a teal shirt pointed, shouting in affront. "What's a human doing here?!"

"I'm glad you asked, deerie! Now, I'll be the first to admit; humans are the worst. Case in point. I understand why you would love to see us all locked away, or… better yet? Killed! But before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy!"

Richard turned around, for a moment, and saw a familiar figure looking back at him. He nodded. Now.

"And that common enemy is why you're putting hits out on people in the White Fang who dare to disagree?" The voice blared through a couple speakers that Richard's people had hidden in the rafters earlier in the day. No way to determine where the speaker was standing. Perfect.

Torchwick's composure hardly faltered; Richard had to give him that much credit. "Whoa, whoa! Hold on a second, please! I promise you I had nothing to do with whatever you're talking about!"

"Because you're not the one calling the shots. That human bitch that has Taurus licking her heels is, and she thinks we're expendable!"

"Would you please calm down so I-"

"No! These people are here to fight for their own rights, not for that bitch's grand schemes! They should know the truth! The truth is that as soon as we're not useful to you anymore, we'll be cut down and tossed aside just like everything else her filthy hands touch!"

Shouts and screams of outrage. Torchwick gritted his teeth, holding up his hands placatingly. "Would you all please stop acting like a pack of anima-"

"AND THERE IT IS. That's all we are to you! Animals, waiting to be put down!"

Someone threw a rock. It didn't matter who; it didn't even matter that Torchwick effortlessly sidestepped the projectile. Richard couldn't let himself smile, even though he wanted to. Instead he joined in the building anger, adding his voice to the rumbling mass. The words he used didn't even matter. Rabble-rousing. It's easy when you do it right. And it can go straight to hell if you do it wrong. Take a lesson, Torchwick. You're dealing with professionals.

More rocks flew, and the cracking report of a single gunshot split the air. It hit nothing but an overhead light; Richard had been clear on that point to his followers. But the light exploded, raining glass and sparks. The crowd broke and scattered, whether civilian recruits or members of the Fang. People screamed, some fleeing for the exits, others rushing the stage.

Total pandemonium, shattered the human bastard's image in the eyes of the Fang's newest recruits and steadfast veterans. Torchwick backed away from the press of enraged people, then put a hand on his hat and ran.

Just as planned.


[ ******* ]


"I tell you, Ren. This way madness lies."

"Now you know how it feels to be the only sane man."

Jaune and Ren sat occupied a table near the dance floor, a dozen unopened bottles of water occupying the surface. Jaune was nursing a beer, and Ren was sticking to nothing harder than soda. Most of the girls were out on the dance floor, laughing and carrying on. Every so often a few of them would stumble back to Jaune's table, and he'd wordlessly pass along a bottle of water. "Nah. I know all too well what this is like."

"You do seem to be an old hand at keeping them hydrated." Ren sipped his soda, keeping an eye on Nora and Pyrrha both. Nora was under strict orders to stay away from anything alcoholic, and was instead partaking in energy shots.

"Seven sisters, Ren."

"They took you clubbing?"

"Repeatedly."

"You poor soul."

One of the chairs at the table pulled out with a scraping sound, and Chrono sagged into the chair, rubbing his face. "My cheeks are numb and my wife is molesting one of my subordinates and I can't stop from saying the things in my head. This is why I don't drink."

Jaune and Ren looked at the bar to see Amy and Hayate leaning on each other, obviously drunk and not really caring where they were grabbing to hold each other up. Somewhere they could hear Vita laughing, but they couldn't see her in the crowd.

They exchanged another glance. Ren passed Chrono a bottle of water.


[ *** ]


Signum's scowl threatened to make Zafira's beer go sour as she tried to tame her hair back in place. Finally she gave up, untying the ribbon holding her lengthy ponytail and regathering it in her hands. "Unacceptable, Zafira."

"To be fair, I don't think we've ever seen Vita drunk before." He sipped at his beverage. "Anger, I could expect. Even melancholy. But not this level of... dopish enjoyment."

"She gave me a noogie. Not even Hayate has ever tried that before."

"I'm surprised you let her get away."

"Vengeance will be swift. Vengeance will be painful. It will also be unexpected."

He rumbled a laugh. "You mean she caught you by surprise and got away before you could react."


[ *** ]


"So why aren't you out there with all your friends instead of depleting my stock? Not that I'm complaining; your money's good. But you're drinking my men under the table."

"Oh, well. You know. I've always been something of a mother hen to everyone, and I wanted to give them the chance to have fun without me looming in the shadows." Lindy smiled and accepted the shot that Mr. Xiong poured for her, tossing it back with ease. "Sitting here at your bar, they know exactly where I am and don't feel like I'm looking over their shoulders, but I'm close enough that I'm here if they need me."

"It looked like you kids are all pretty close, but now you're making yourself out to be the older one."

"Just a couple years. Young enough to be part of the group, but old enough to be respected. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." Junior scratched his beard. "Another?"

"Please!"

"Junior!" Yang practically slammed into the bar, Blake trailing behind her.

"Hell, Blondie, you don't need to break all my things. What's the problem?"

"I was just talking to my sister and she said one of your goons tried to rob her a while back!"

"Well I'm sorry, but it's not my fault it happened. Couple of my guys got hired out for a gig. He paid up front, so I didn't ask questions. Then the next day I have to go pay bail for the whole lot of them because they were involved in a Dust store robbery that got blown because of a girl in red with a fucking scy-" Junior cut off, looking out across the room. Having been a nightclub owner for a while, it only took him seconds to spot the girl in the red hood staring at him. "...no shit. She's your sister?"

"Yes!"

"Huh."

"Wait a minute!" Yang narrowed her eyes. "If your thugs were the ones that got hired for the Dust robbery, that means you talked to Roman Torchwick."

Junior held his hands up. "Look, Blondie. It was a business transaction. He hired my men, no questions asked. Like I said. The gig got blown, I got my boys out on bail, a couple days later he shows up to express his disappointment. That was the last I saw of him. Whoever he's hiring to do his dirty work nowadays, he's sure as hell not going through me."

Yang and Blake both exchanged a glance, but after a moment seemed to accept the statement at face value. They took seats at the bar next to Lindy. "I guess that makes sense. Still, as long as I'm here, gimme a strawberry sunrise! With one of the little umbrel-"

A tremor shook the ground, and then the whump of an explosion slammed into the side of the building. Half of the lights went out, and the music cut off. Yang glanced around. Every black-suited punk in the place was looking right at her. "W-what? It wasn't me this time!"

Junior waved them off, tilting his head. Lindy cocked an ear as well, listening.

Muffled by walls and distance were the shouts and screams of a mob.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 12 - Compromised​

"Everyone away from the door!" Junior was on his feet, bellowing at the club's mass of shocked clients. "Get off the dance floor, go where the bouncers direct you!" A dozen black-suited mobsters started herding the club-goers toward the back.

Lindy sighed, sliding off her barstool and standing. The Beacon teams were gathering back together, as were the TSAB personnel. She did a quick count, and while she found everyone she was looking for… "Chrono. What's your status?"

Her son blinked a few times, rubbing his cheek. "Impaired, ma'am. I would... hesitate to enter a combat situation in my current condition. Amy too." His voice held the overly-stressed enunciation of someone who knew he was drunk and was trying to fight it.

"Hayate? Nanoha?"

The two brunettes looked at each other, then back at Lindy. They both shook their heads.

Four down. Hell. Let's try again. "Zafira? Signum? Vita and Shamal?"

"The two of us are uninhibited, ma'am." Signum nodded in agreement. "However, Vita and Shamal have partaken in the local brew. Liberally."

"Fate and Arf? Yuuno?"

"I'm fine!"

"We're good."

"Okay, then." Lindy clapped her hands twice. "Yuuno, Arf. Our job is to make sure our less than capable friends get to safety." Nanoha made an affronted noise, which Lindy ignored. "Fate, Signum, Zafira? Rescue duty. You are not to try to deal with the riot itself; leave that to the authorities. Instead, keep your heads down, stay quiet, and try to find people who are in danger and get them out of it. Let's talk to RWBY and JNPR and see what they're thinking."


[ *** ]


The plan ended up being fairly simple. Team JNPR would work in conjunction with Lindy, Yuuno, and Arf, getting Junior's clubgoers out of the warehouse district and to safety. From there, they would set up a staging area for the hopefully rapid arrival of Vale police units. Jaune was already on his scroll, coordinating with the local precinct.

Signum, Fate, and Zafira would follow along with Team RWBY, slipping past the front of the riot to look for wounded and help put out fires. Weiss was their ace-in-the-hole in that situation, with her glyphs and skill in using Ice Dust. Blake assured them of her ability to be their forward scout, and Fate offered to watch her back as they moved.

Thankfully, it seemed that the situation was fairly small, all things considered. Team RWBY forged ahead until they actually caught sight of the riot; perhaps a hundred people in an angry swarm, with dozens more fleeing ahead of them in a panic.

Blake peered down from her rooftop perch, and her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of the white-and-black uniforms that composed most of the rioters.

Fate caught her expression, and took a closer look herself. Her sharp, trained eyes picked out a wealth of distinct features. "...they're all faunus."

"It's the White Fang. Something must have happened. They're usually not this blatant in their violence, this is too unrestrained."

"I see fighting on the edges. Looks like a leader figure in the center of the mob; large man with a big… is that a chainsaw?"

Blake's hands tightened on the edge of the roof. "Yes."

Fate glanced at Blake. "Do you know him?"

"No!" The girl flinched, then shook her head. "I… I've seen him before, that's all."

Interesting. A sudden flare of light caught Fate's attention, and she swore. Bringing her scroll up, Fate passed a message along. "Ruby. Building front on fire, looks like they're slinging molotovs."

"Roger dodger! Uhm. What's a molotov?"

"Fire bombs. Glass bottle filled with flammable liquid."

"Oh! Got it. We're gonna circle around so Weiss can work her glyphs on it!" There was a moment's delay. "Er. Copy!"

Fate nodded to Blake, and the faunus girl ran in a crouch for the next rooftop. "Copy. We're moving."


[ *** ]


It only took Team RWBY a few minutes to work their way behind the throng of enraged faunus. Twice, groups of stragglers charged the Beacon first-years, but served to do little more than slow them down for a few seconds. Zafira and Signum intercepted the attackers each time, putting them on the ground with sharp blows from their fists. Ruby zipped to each unconscious foe, tying them with strips of cloth and leaving them for the authorities to recover.

When they reached the burning building, Yang smashed her gauntlets together and charged through the flames without hesitating, emerging a few moments later with an unconscious worker slung over each shoulder. Fire and embers clung to her clothing, which she didn't even give the courtesy of acknowledging. "Clear! Ice it, Princess!"

"Not my name, Yang!" Weiss set her feet, pointing Myrtenaster with a flourish and gesturing with her other hand. Sheets of ice sprayed from her summoned glyph, coating the front of the building and extinguishing the flames.

Once they were in the path left by the riot, they found people strewn across the street, some knocked cold and others crying out in agony. The team split up, rushing to pull the fallen people to safety and performing first aid where necessary. After a few minutes, Weiss noticed that Ruby wasn't moving anymore.

The red-cloaked leader was standing still, staring at her hands. Weiss trotted up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ruby? What's wrong?"

"W-weiss?" Ruby turned her head a little too slowly, looking at Weiss with wide eyes. Then she saw it; Ruby's hands were smeared with red; it was even staining the ends of her sleeves.

"Oh. Oh geez, Ruby. Are you okay?"

"Weiss? These people are really hurt, aren't they? They're really hurt." Ruby's hands trembled, clenching into fists.

She's not hurt. She's not hurt, this isn't her blood. And that was the problem, Weiss realized. For all that she was a huntress-in-training, Ruby was still young. She'd never actually seen people maimedbefore. Weiss pulled her partner into a hug, ignoring the stains Ruby's suddenly clutching hands left on her jacket. "They are, Ruby. They're hurt, and that's why we're here. We're here to help them, right? That's what a huntress does."

Ruby shuddered in her arms, and she pulled in a hiccuping breath. "W-we're here to help," she repeated.

"Right. We're here to help them. We're keeping it from being worse." Weiss kept her voice as reassuring as possible. "So you need to keep moving, okay? They need your help, so you can't stop."

Down the street, another stretch of building front burst into flames, audible even over the roar of the rioters. Weiss tensed, needing to move but not willing to leave Ruby alone.

Ruby flinched, looking toward the fire. She choked down a breath and nodded, and Weiss felt strength return to the girl's limbs when she hugged back tightly. "Okay. I'm… okay. I'm okay." Ruby let go, giving herself a shake. "Go, Weiss. I'll keep helping!"

Ruby vanished in a flurry of petals, skidding to a stop the side of a wounded girl in a teal shirt. Weiss nodded, and dashed off as fast as her glyphs could carry her. The fire was dangerously close to the back of the mob, but she had to get close enough to fire off her next casting. Myrtenaster danced through the air before her, and another volley of ice drowned the clinging flames.

"SCHNEE!"

The bass bellow of rage caught her by surprise, and she turned to see a giant of a man wearing the a full facemask of the White Fang charging toward her. The rip-roar of his weapon filled her ears as the massive sword cut down toward her head, and she could only raise her rapier in desperation. Her eyes squeezed shut in terrible anticipation.

Spinning metal slammed into metal, letting out a grating screech that split the night with its fury. Weiss felt nothing but air, and forced her eyes open. A lengthy pink ponytail blew in the wind before her. Signum stood between her and the massive faunus, Laevatein raised in a perfect parry, sparks flying from the sword where the chainsaw blade chewed impotently against the unyielding steel.

Arms wrapped around Weiss from behind, and she felt herself get hauled back bodily. She started to struggle, then heard Zafira's rumble in her ear. "Calmly. You've caught their attention."

Weiss tore her gaze away from the clashing of blades in front of her, and saw that the rioters had stopped. Every pair of eyes was staring at her, and one of the ones in front pointed at her. "It's the heiress! GET THE SCHNEE!"

Weiss' eyes widened, and she felt pure, primal fear surge through her. Instinctive terror, ingrained in the psych of every living being; the whole world is out to get me. She had to run, hide, get awa-

"Calmly, Weiss. I need you to trust me."

Zafira put her down, resting a steadying hand on her shoulder. Weiss looked at him, then back at the mob. They were moving forward, brandishing lengths of pipe and broken bottles and more. "They're coming for me, Zafira!"

"I am a Guardian Beast. It is my job to protect my charge from everyone. Right now, you are my charge." Zafira nodded to her, then stepped in front of her and clenched his fists. "Stop the fires, Weiss. They will not touch you."

"But-"

"Go!"


[ *** ]


Signum set her feet and shoved the huge faunus back. Weiss' footsteps sounded behind her, and she saw the man's head turn as he tracked the retreating heiress. Signum slammed Laevatein against his guard, forcing him to keep his attention on her. "I am your opponent. It would do you well to remember that."

"You stand between me and the Schnee, girl. I will tell you one time to get out of my way."

Signum raised her blade, issuing her challenge. "I am Signum, Knight of the Sword, and you will take not a single step closer to her."

"I couldn't care less who you are!" The man brought his chainsword around in a vicious horizontal swing, and Signum interposed Laevatein to parry. The sheer force of the impact knocked her off balance, but she turned with the blow, spinning on her feet and adding the momentum to her next slash.

Laevatein crashed into his side, causing his Aura to flare and blasting the breath from his lungs. He didn't disengage, though, and instead bulled closer to drive his fist into her face. Signum's head snapped back, and she gritted her teeth through the pain. He's strong. Stronger than I am, certainly.

People rushed past them on both sides, but gave the two of them a wide berth. Zafira's growl of challenge reverberated in her gut, comforting in its familiarity, and she felt more than heard the heavy crump of fists meeting flesh again and again. A wave of cold blew past her, and could hear the hiss of another fire dying.

The big man backed off enough to swing his saw again, and Signum was forced to duck back to avoid the blow. She was better than he was, she knew, but his reach advantage and sheer strength made him very dangerous. Another swing missed her, grinding asphalt from the street, and she lunged forward to thrust Laevatein into his chest. His Aura stopped the blow again, but he stumbled back with a grunt and a curse.

Keep him off balance. Do not give him the chance to recover. Signum pressed forward, Laevatein flashing through the air to catch him across the jaw, down the length of his arm, skating along his belly.

Screaming in outrage, the man surged forward, ignoring her sword and shoulder-checking Signum to throw her to the ground. He raised the saw in both hands and brought it crashing down with all his strength. Signum caught the blow on Laevatein, one hand bracing against the back of the blade, and barely stopped the blow before it crashed into her neck. Sparks rained down from the contact, tattooing her face with blazing needles.

With a shout of triumph, the man kicked Signum in her sword-hand. The saw let out a gutteral roar of its own, and the teeth caught on the edge of Laevatein's blade. Her sword was torn from her grasp, skittering across the pavement. Signum reached for her scabbard, but the blade was already coming down again. She threw her arm in the way.


[ *** ]


Weiss closed her eyes and focused, trying to ignore the shouting and screaming behind her. Her glyphs came once more to her call, but she felt the threads of her control slipping as fatigue seeped into her limbs. With an effort of will, she forced the Dust in Myrtenaster to do her bidding, blasting forth in yet another frigid spray to paint another raging fire in frozen water. I have to trust him.

Pounding footsteps rapidly approaching her. She whirled, to bring Myrtenaster up in time, only to see a typhoon of red petals interpose. Ruby spun Crescent Rose in bloodied hands, tripping the surprised man head over heels to slam into the street. The base of the weapon cracked against his jaw, and in another flash of scattering red, Ruby was gone.

She swallowed, then turned back to the last flaming building. I trust them all. That's what matters, isn't it? Ice came to her beck and call once more. Yang forged ahead, just like before, and dove into the inferno without hesitation; her own bright glow outshined even the heart of the fire itself, until billowing smoke obscured her from sight.

Weiss called up her next glyph, trying to ignore Zafira's growls and the shouts of pain from his opponents. The Dust trembled at her fingertips, begging to be released, but she held it tightly. She couldn't let it go while Yang was still inside, because it would freeze her too.

Twenty second became thirty, then a minute. Frost started to form on Myrtenaster, crawling up her hand, numbing her fingers. Her arm started to shake. Come on Yang! The fire can't hurt you through your semblance, but you still need to breathe! Get out of there!

The wall to the side of the building's door exploded outward in a shower of brick and fire, and Yang barreled out into the street, clutching a burned figure. "WEISS! NOW!"

Dust flew, transmuting into floes of the deepest cold and smothering the burning walls of the building. Weiss sagged to her knees, dropping Myrtenaster to the ground and hissing in pain when it took a few layers of her skin with it. All around her, men and women lay groaning in agony, while Zafira stood bruised, bloodied, but unbroken, daring the last few stragglers to try and get past him.

A body flew past her, slamming into the pavement. The giant faunus tumbled into a roll, staggering to his feet just in time for Signum to barrel into him at a run. Weiss scrambled to get out of the way, gaping.

Signum was blazing. Not burning, and not with the bright glow of Yang's semblance, but with seething, angry flames. They whirled around her, a deep malevolent glow that intensified with every punch she threw. She screamed wordlessly, throwing herself at the man, heedless of his return strikes and punishing him with every blow.

Yang ran to Weiss' side, and an instant later Ruby appeared. Ember Celica and Crescent Rose chambered rounds, but the two girls held their fire for fear of hitting the raging Wolkenritter.

The man fell on the defensive, looking around and seeing that the riot had ended. In the distance, blue and red lights flashed. Finally having enough, he grabbed Signum by the throat, earning a burning punch to the jaw for his efforts, and threw her as hard and far as he could. Yang and Ruby had to scramble to get out of the way as Signum bounced past them, and before they could bring their weapons back to bear the man turned and fled into an alley.

Weiss hurried to Signum's side, only to shy away when the flames threatened to burn her. The knight lurched to her feet, teeth bared and bloody. "Signum! It's over! He's gone!"

At first it didn't seem like she heard Weiss' words, but after a long moment the flames extinguished. Signum sank to one knee, chest heaving for breath, and Weiss gasped when she could finally see the extent of her injuries.

Signum's left forearm was blood and hanging flesh, armor torn away by spinning teeth and meat shredded to the bone. Another ragged gash wept crimson down her back from her right shoulder to her opposite hip, and one eye was completely swollen shut. That was the worst of it, but many smaller wounds dotted her form.

Hands tugged at the sash around her waist, and Weiss only reacted to it being undone when the pouch it held to her back was dropped in her hands. Ruby knelt at Signum's side, winding the length of cloth around her upper arm and pulling it as tight as she could. The girl's expression was pinched, face pale and eyes wide, but she didn't turn away until the tourniquet was in place. Then Ruby staggered away, falling to her hands and knees.

Fate and Blake both ran up. Seeing everyone's condition, Fate glanced at Blake and nodded toward Ruby. "Yuuno's on his way. I'll do what I can for Signum." Blake grabbed Weiss' hand, pulling her along until they were both kneeling down next to Ruby. Yang was already there, rubbing her sister's back and murmuring reassurances.

Weiss put a tentative hand on Ruby's shoulder. "H-hey, are you okay…?"

Ruby's back heaved, and foulness spattered from her mouth across the asphalt. Weiss ignored the sour smell of bile, even when some of it splashed onto the hem of her skirt. After a long moment, her partner managed a whimpering moan. "No…"

Weiss looked over Ruby at Blake and Yang, biting her lip. As one, they gathered their leader into a hug, holding the shaking girl close while they waited for the approaching sirens.


[ *** ]


I should have gotten in the fucking Paladin.

Roman Torchwick played the events back in his head as he walks, hat gripped in his hand and coat slung over his forearm. The gunshot, the crowd of faunus escalating from simmering anger to boiling rage. He'd taken one look at them and judged them a lost cause. Oh, it would have been possible to calm them back down, but it sure as hell wasn't likely enough to bet his life on.

So he ran. Little Neo had caught sight of him fleeing and, without hesitating, scooped him up in her illusions. They were gone quicker than spit. She'd dropped him off a few streets down and vanished, as she was wont to do.

I could have gotten in the Paladin.

...no. I'd have had to drop the tarp, climb up the side, and get in. I wouldn't have gotten in the Paladin, I'd have gotten a bullet in the back for my efforts. Or worse yet, burned alive. I wasn't expecting them to have firebombs on them as a just-in-case measure.

Off in the distance, the riot was crashing to a halt. Far too distant for him to make out details, but he could see ice coating the burning buildings, and could watch as the roiling mob of rioters was slowly being turned into bodies on the ground. Huntsmen must have been called in.

The Paladin would have been a bad idea. Too bad I lost it, but… eh. Fuck it. There are more where it came from. Roman settled his hat back on his head, shrugged back into his coat, and turned his back on the settling violence. He knew just where to go to forget about things for a bit.

The double doors opened at a push, and he strode through the dim lighting and silence to the bar. "The hell, Junior? Isn't this place supposed to be hopping this time of night?"

"Cleared everyone out the back when the riot started." The big man glanced up from the cash register. Roman noticed that his rocket-club was in easy reach. "Torchwick? The hell are you doing here?"

"Getting a drink, old bear. You would not believe my night."

Junior glanced out the door even as he poured a double of whiskey. On the rocks, of course. The mobster had a good memory. "Wouldn't happen to have to do with that, would it?"

Roman scooped up the drink, taking a sip and sighing. "Not my fault." Look at me, telling the truth.

"Right." Junior scooped up another glass, filling it with soda. "Had someone ask about you tonight."

He felt an eyebrow arch reflexively. "Do tell."

"Blondie came in with a bunch of her friends. No fight, no fuss-"

"Wait, Blondie? The chick that beat the shit out of your entire goon squad?"

Junior glowered. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyways, she came up asking about you because her sister recognized one of my boys from your Dust gig."

Roman tilted his head. "Waitwaitwait, hold on. I only used your mooks one time, and that was-" He started laughing. "You're telling me that Little Red and your Blondie are sisters? What are the chances!"

"That's what she said at least."

"Well, what did you tell them?"

"Nothing to say, Torchwick. I told her that I hadn't seen you since I bailed my boys out. 'Cause I hadn't. If she'd come in tomorrow, well."

"...well?"

"Well I'da told her you came in for a drink and that was it. It's not like you started a riot or anything."

"Because I didn't." Roman took another sip of his drink. "Well tell me about her friends. You said she brought in a bunch, right?"

"Twenty or so. All Beacon trainees, so you'll understand if I was treading a little lightly. Seemed like a bunch of good kids. Spent some time talking to the role model, but then they all ran out to deal with the riot."

That explains the rapid reaction. Roman tried to fit the image of role model together with the idea of a bruiser who would shut down an entire nightclub for two weeks worth of renovations. "I assume you're not talking about Blondie."

"Hell no. Green haired chick, little older than the rest." Junior thought for a moment. "Some sorta mark on her forehead, never seen it before. Arrows pointing inward. Anyways, she sat at the bar and damned if she didn't drink a couple of my boys under the table. Didn't even blush. I don't think I coulda kept up with her."

"Impressive! I like a little lady that can hold her liquor." Roman frowned thoughtfully, nodding in approval. "Talk to any of the others?"

"No, but I can show you pictures. Usual fee."

"That, old bear, is a fee I can pay. Always good to know where the trouble is."

"Don't need to pay for me to tell you that."

"Other than me, Junior. Other than me." He reached into his coat, tossing a stack of Lein cards on the bar. "Let's see those pictures."


[ *** ]


The warehouse looked like a bomb had gone off inside. Not literally, but interior walls and fences had been torn down by dozens of pairs of hands, and the wreckage was strewn across the concrete floor.

Richard stepped around a few bodies, stopping to check each one for a pulse. He breathed a little easier seeing that there weren't any actual fatalities in the initial rush. Leaving the unconscious faunus behind, he climbed up onto the creaking stage.

The big tarped thing was still there, surprisingly undisturbed by the violence. Richard grabbed a fistful of woven plastic and pulled.

He let out a low, impressed whistle. Richard brought up his scroll, dialing quickly. After three rings, it connected. "Xerxes here."

"Rick. This had better be worth using one of my throwaways."

"Torchwick got his hands on one of those new Atlas warmechs."

"...that's worth using one of my throwaways. Where is it?"

"At the warehouse. He never got the chance to show it off, thankfully." Richard circled around the huge machine, noting the cosmetic modifications. "Not bad. It's even decked out in White Fang colors."

"That can't be his only one."

"It would have been really stupid of him if it was. My question is where are all the rest?"

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Anonymously inform the authorities where it i- Gotta go." Richard killed the call, pocketing his scroll. The door had creaked open at the front of the warehouse. He looked around quickly; no cover nearby. Instead he grabbed hold of the Paladin's arm and swung up to land on top of its chassis. Crouching and gathering himself, he jumped the distance to the rafters under the roof, secreting himself in the shadows.

A solitary figure inched into view from below, clinging to the shadows and moving with a competent level of stealth. If he'd still been on the floor, he wasn't quite sure he'd be able to see them, but from his lofty vantage point the figure's motions were easy to track. The figure circled the entirety of the room before it was finally satisfied and stepped into the light.

It was a human girl, he saw. Middling height, with long blonde hair held back in a loose ponytail. Black coat with translucent back panels, corset and short-shorts… what the hell is a nightclubber doing here? Then he saw the gun she was holding easily in one hand; a massive revolver with a razor-blade bayonet sticking out the barrel. He gave her clothing another, more suspicious glance, and came to a second conclusion. Not a clubber. Beacon student.

The girl padded quietly through the room, touching nothing and looking at everything, even glancing up at the ceiling and noting the shattered light. Richard stayed still and silent, trusting in the shadows in the rafters to keep him concealed. She had surprisingly clear red eyes, he saw.

She pulled a scroll from an inner pocket of her coat, muttering quietly into it. His ears twitched, focusing on her words. "Bardiche. Transmit to Durandal; source location of riot found. Continuing investigation." Code words. Damn.

She then held out the scroll and started taking pictures, keeping a cautionary distance from the inert Paladin on the stage. Everything about the girl screamed professional to Richard's senses. Her care in preserving the scene, her attention to detail… everything except her age. She was showing years of experience, but she couldn't have been anything more than a first-year at the huntsmen academy.

It took twenty minutes for the girl to finally seem satisfied with her investigating, the entire time of which Richard hardly dared to breathe, let alone move. It wasn't until he heard the echoing click of the door latching shut that he allowed himself to drop back down onto the Paladin. He could hear the distant sirens getting closer, so he took the time to scribble a quick note and leave it taped to the entry hatch before hopping to the ground and exiting out the back.


[ *** ]


"How is she?"

"Which one?"

"Signum, if you will. Glynda is keeping an eye on Ms. Rose for me."

"Sleeping, finally. Signum is… proud, and she refused sedation and even painkillers because she didn't want to lose any of her mental acuity, even temporarily. Hayate finally had to order her to accept medication from the surgeons." Lindy rubbed her face, then glanced down when she heard something clunk on the glass table.

"It isn't your green tea, but hopefully it will do." Ozpin smiled kindly, and Lindy managed a smile back. Barely. The headmaster picked up on that. "That your subordinate's injuries weigh so heavily on you speaks well for your character, Admiral."

"Thank you, Headmaster. I hope you understand that I'd much rather the window into my character had no reason to be apparent, though."

"Of course. What is her prognosis?"

"Yuuno was able to sneak in a minimal amount of healing magic before the paramedics got close, but," Lindy lifted the mug of coffee in both hands and sipped before continuing, "Not enough to do much more than keep her from bleeding out. Unfortunately, the paramedics took record of her injuries, and so any further attempts to heal her will be… suspect. She is currently resting in Beacon's medical ward, as you are aware. Her Aura is strong and is hastening her healing, but the doctor is expecting her to be bedridden for the rest of the week."

"Unfortunate. Do they think she will regain use of the arm?"

Lindy smiled, but it was something of a grimace. "They do not, but she will. I asked Hayate; Signum is a Wolkenritter. Any wound that does not manage to kill her, she will recover from completely given time. She will not scar, and she will not require physical therapy."

Ozpin thought about that for a moment, nodding slowly. "Which means her recovery will cause questions. We will deal with that when it comes, then."

A few minutes passed in silence, the only notable sound being the constant ticking of gears. Ozpin stood, walking to the curving window and looking out across the nightscape of Vale. "Tell me, if you will, exactly what transpired during the riot. Know that I am not judging your actions, just that I want your perspective."

"It… well, we don't know what caused it, but it was composed entirely of faunus. Mostly those wearing the uniform and mask of the White Fang group, according to Ms. Belladonna." Lindy sipped her coffee again, leaning back in her seat. "We split into two groups. Given that some of my people were… impaired at the time, Team JNPR as well as Yuuno, Arf, and myself, coordinated with local police forces to set up a staging area for incoming police units, and to protect provide relief for those fleeing the violence. Team RWBY, with Fate, Signum, and Zafira, moved in behind the riot to mitigate the damage and assist the wounded."

"Given that there were injuries sustained…?"

"The… leader figure of the riot noticed Weiss Schnee, and made a blatant attempt to kill her. The rest followed suit. Signum fought the leader to a standstill, while Zafira, Ruby, and Yang kept the rest off of Weiss, who persevered in her attempts to contain the fires." Lindy paused, swirling her coffee and watching the dark liquid slosh. "The riot itself ended there. It turned into a brawl, to put it simply. Once it was over, and Yuuno arrived on scene to help Signum."

"And Zafira is well, I hope?"

"A few cracked ribs, and a lot of bruising. He is… upset, because of Signum's injuries. His mood will improve as she recovers, I am sure." Lindy raised the mug to her lips for a moment, then let herself show a small smile. "I'm proud of them all, but yours especially. Even the youngest of my crew have been in this line of work for half a decade. Yours are still students. They saved lives last night."

Ozpin turned away from the window, giving Lindy a gracious nod. "My thanks for your words."

"How is Ruby?"

"Shaken, though I believe she will be all right. She had a rude awakening tonight, but she has her team supporting her." Ozpin sipped his coffee, walking back to the desk. "Is there anything else of note?"

"Yes, actually. My daughter found the warehouse where the riot started." Lindy pulled out her scroll, bringing up an image. "She found this inside, before directing police units to the site."

Ozpin sat back down in his chair, accepting the scroll to look at the picture. His eyebrows rose. "One of James' Paladins."

"Indeed. Which brings me to another matter that I've been wanting to speak to you about. Tell me more about the CCTS."


[ *** ]


The ropes creaked every time she turned over, announcing their complaints whenever the suspended bed swung the slightest bit. The room was dark, only faint hints of light coming in from behind the curtain and under the door.

Ruby shifted again, trying to get comfortable. She fumbled with her blankets, kicking them up and trapping them under her elbows, then pushed them back down with her feet. Rolling onto her side, she let her hands flop over the edge of the bed where they wouldn't touch the sheets.

Ten minutes later found her even more on edge. The air over her hands was cold and clammy, and every time she clenched her fingers they felt tacky. Sticky. She didn't want to grab the blanket to adjust them; she didn't want to touch anything.

Sitting up set the bed to creaking again. Ruby blew her bangs out of her eyes in a huff of exhausted irritation, and hopped down. She landed poorly, falling back and bumping her rear into Weiss' bed. Ruby stammered a hushed apology before her partner could say anything, then padded quietly through the room.

Turning the knob on the bathroom door proved to be a challenge, but she managed to catch it between her forearms and twist it until it unlatched. Ruby nudged the door open with her foot, slipping into the bathroom and catching the interior knob with her forearm to tug it shut. After a moment of tumbling, she elbowed the light switch and flipped it up.

Ruby blinked. "Weiss?"

Weiss was sitting on the toilet cover, wearing her nightgown and hair unbound, knees pulled up to her chest. She was blinking, squinting up at the sudden invasion of light. "R-ruby?"

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Her partner had tracks down her cheeks, and her eyes were red and puffy. The front of her nightgown was wet with tears.

"N-nothing! Nothing, I'm absolutely fine!" The white-haired girl shot to her feet, full of denial. Weiss' public mask slipped into place, composing her expression through force of will… but unshed tears still sparkled in her eyes.

Ruby reached out to touch Weiss' arm, but then her eyes flicked down to her own- sticky- fingers. She yanked her arm back, clutching her hands together tightly. Weiss started at the sudden motion, looking at her. "A-are you sure you're okay? You can… you can talk to me. I'm your partner."

Weiss just stared at her, then the heiress' ice-blue gaze focused on her tightly-wrapped hands. Ruby turned away, fumbling with the faucet handles and grabbing the bar of soap on the sink. In the mirror, she could see her own face was pale.

The soap bubbled in her hands, covering them in white suds. Ruby scrubbed industriously, talking without even thinking about what she was saying. "Cr-crazy night, you know? I don't think anyone expected to get caught up in that kind of thing, but then off we went and there were angry people everywhere and the buildings were on fire and people were-" Her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

Weiss stepped close, putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "H-hey, calm down."

The suds were still white. Ruby scrubbed harder, hearing herself babble. "-people were hurt, Weiss. They were bleeding everywhere and we had to help them and Signum was bleeding and-"

"Ruby!" Hands grabbed hers, and Ruby felt a shriek rise in her throat. She tore her hands from Weiss' grasp, stumbling back and falling to the floor. "Ruby, what's wrong? Tell me!"

"I- I can't-, the-" She felt the first tears start to flow, soapy- sticky- fingers plucking at her nightshirt, until Weiss handed her a washrag. "The blood won't c-come off, Weiss! I k-keep washing and washing, but it won't come off and it's red and sticky and it won't come off!"

"Oh, Ruby…" Weiss sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She twitched when Weiss rested a hand on top of hers, but didn't try to pull away again.

Moments became minutes, and Ruby's sobs eventually subsided to silent tears. She leaned against Weiss, grateful for the contact.

Weiss broke the silence, voice barely more than a whisper. "You said I can talk to you, right? Because you're my partner."

Ruby nodded, wiping at her eyes with the back of her forearm. "I-I did."

"Then Ruby, you need to promise me that you'll talk to me, too. I'm your partner."

She felt her eyes tear up again, but she nodded, sniffling. "I promise."

"Then talk, Ruby."

Ruby bit her lip, looking down at her- sticky- hands. She was calmer now, at least. "I k-keep seeing blood on my hands, Weiss. I c-can't wash it away, and I feel like I'm staining everything I touch with-" She hiccuped, and gave her head a shake. "-with red."

Weiss pulled her a little closer, waiting for her to continue. Ruby searched for more words, then shrugged helplessly, another single sob bubbling up past her lips. She clutched the washrag between her fingers, absently rubbing at- sticky- crimson stains.

A long minute passed, and the silence eventually made Ruby turn her head. Weiss was crying again, silent tears sliding down her cheeks to drip off her chin. "I… th-they were going to kill me, Ruby. I wasn't even trying to fight them, and they were going to k-kill me because of who I am."

"Weiss…"

"W-what did I ever do to them, Ruby? I never hurt any of them, I don't w-want to hurt them! A-and they were going to kill me because of my name! B-because of my name! Not my actions, not my words, but because I was b-born a Schnee!"

Ruby started to put her arms around her partner, but then caught sight of- sticky- red blood. She felt her arms freeze, halfway around Weiss. It was enough, though. The heiress bawled, collapsing against her and hiding her face in the crook of Ruby's shoulder. "I was s-so scared! I was so scared and I couldn't run and I, I-" Words failed her then, and Ruby could only hold Weiss close while she cried.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 13 - Cute Fuzzy Ears​

The first thing out of her mouth was a window-shaking yawn. Yang sat up, shedding her blankets as she stretched her arms behind her head. Below her, she could hear Blake shifting about on the lower bunk. "Blake, what day is it?"

"Tuesday."

Yang frowned, glancing at the clock. Eight-fifteen glared back at her in red numbers. "I can't remember the last time I didn't wake up to Ruby's weekday whistle." Yang glanced across the room. Her sister's hanging bunk was empty. "Huh. Where is she? Did she and Weiss leave already?"

"They're…" Blake paused, then spoke again, quieter. "They're in the bathroom."

Something in her partner's tone of voice caught Yang's attention. "I know they're partners, but I can't imagine Weiss is letting Ruby help her with her makeup." Yang hopped down, padding toward the bathroom door. Her hand touched the knob.

"Yang, wait." Blake was beside her, pulling Yang's hand away. "They had a bad night."

The brawler pursed her lips. "I gathered that." She grabbed the knob again, and twisted it as quietly as possible, cracking the door to peek inside. Weiss and Ruby were sitting in a pile against the wall, holding each other tightly even in slumber. She closed the door, frown deepening.

"See?"

"How'd you know?" Blake's ears twitched in response. "Right. How late were they up? What did you hear?"

"I don't try to eavesdrop, you know."

"Blake, she's my little sister. What do I need to know?"

Her partner sighed, sitting back down on her bed. "I didn't hear as much as you think. They were pretty quiet, but… fear has a pretty distinct smell."

Yang sighed, then opened the door again. She stepped into the room, bending down to scoop both of the girls up into her arms in one bundle. They didn't even rouse, only clinging more firmly to each other. Yang carried them to the heiress' bed, glancing at Blake and then nodding down at the blankets.

Blake pulled the layers back, and Yang set the girls down on the mattress. Blake grabbed Ruby's pillow from the top bunk, and together they tucked the fitfully sleeping pair in. "I'll make sure to take notes. Let's check on them again before our second class?"

"Yeah, let's do that."


[ *** ]


The ear-shattering screech right next to her head blasted her out of a vague, shifting dream. Weiss sat up clutching her ears. "WOULD YOU STOP DOIN-"

"HOLY CRAP THAT'S LOUD!" Ruby lurched upright next to her, jostling Weiss and nearly knocking her off the bed.

Weiss blinked when she realized Ruby was just as surprised as she was, and then noticed Yang's grinning face and Ruby's whistle held between her fingers. "Rise and shine, sleepyheads!"

Blood rushed to her face when she realized that she and Ruby were in her bed. Her ears heated when she realized Yang had found them like that. "I- This- It's not what it looks like!"

"You mean how it looks like you too were totally sleeping the day away in each other's arms? Weiss, you menace!" Yang cackled with laughter, and behind her Blake was holding her face in her hands. Ruby was stammering denials and apologies as well.

"I don't- how did we- What happened?!" I don't remember getting back into bed, and I sure as hell don't remember bringing Ruby with me!

Yang laughed even louder, plopping onto the end of the mattress and slapping her knee in mirth. "It's fine, it's fine! Blake and I tucked you in, that's all. I don't think I could have pulled you apart without waking you up, and you looked like you needed the extra sleep. Don't worry, Blake took notes for you."

"Oh." The blush faded, but then came back full forth. Yang and Blake had found them in a completely different compromising position. "W-well. Thank you. I guess."

Ruby untangled her feet from the sheets, slipping out of bed with a blush on her own cheeks. "W-what time is it?"

"Just after noon. Don't worry. Ozpin excused us for the rest of the day. Glynda wants to have a debriefing with us now that we're rested. Jaune says he'll get us our reading assignments."

"That's… good. I just hope they're legible." Weiss noticed that Ruby was just sort of standing there, and gave her a nudge, catching her eye. "Go wash up, Ruby." She let the expression on her face say the rest. I'm here if you need me.

Ruby nodded a little, and disappeared into the bathroom, and after a moment Weiss heard water splashing into the sink. She sighed, glancing down at the wrapping around her sword hand. With a grimace, she peeled the cloth away to check the blisters on her palm and fingers. Little remained other than reddened skin and a little bit of flaking.

Weiss gathered her clothing for the day, and after two more minutes knocked on the bathroom door. She heard a yelp and some fumbling. "I-I'll be out in a sec!" The water cut off a moment later, and then the door opened. Ruby slipped out, worrying her hands a little. But she gave Weiss a small smile and a murmured thanks as she squeezed past her.

Washing the salt from her face did wonders for Weiss' mood. Weiss bustled around for a moment longer, letting the normalcy of the moment relax her still-racing thoughts. Clothed and prepared for the day, she stepped out of the bathroom to find the rest of her team bickering. As usual. "Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"Since we've got the day free until we have to talk to Professor Goodwitch, would you help me go over Myrtenaster's maintenance? I had to hold some powered Dust for longer than I meant to, and I want to be sure that I didn't damage anything."

"Sure! Wait, are you really going to let me help you with Myrtenaster? You've never let me touch her before!"

"Yes, Ruby. I'm going to let you help with it. And when we're done with that, will you let me help you with Crescent Rose?" Weiss shot Yang a glare when the blonde cat-called at her, but otherwise refused to take the bait. Come on, Ruby. Get back on the horse.

"I…" Ruby bit her lip, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be great. It might be a little, uhm. Messy, though. You might want to bring an old shirt."

"I'll wear a smock. Let's go, then."

Yang and Blake decided to tag along. Yang said something about giving Ember Celica a proper once-over, and Blake simply said that it should be quiet enough for her to read. Team RWBY made a quick stop at the cafeteria for lunch, then grabbed their weapons from the lockers and found an empty maintenance room.

Weiss busied herself with removing the Dust vials from Myrtenaster's revolver chamber, both annoyed and happy to have Ruby leaning over her shoulder, watching in rapt attention. She took the time to show Ruby how each part disconnected, and then used a small vacuum hose to suck any clinging Dust from the weapon's interior channels. Further inspection found nothing by the way of metal fatigue, not that Weiss had really expected anything. Myrtenaster was crafted by a master weaponsmith employed by the Schnees and could withstand hundreds of maneuvers like Weiss had performed the night before, after all; it had been an excuse to get Ruby moving.

Satisfied, she let Ruby reassemble the rapier under her watchful gaze. When that was over, Weiss picked up Crescent Rose and set it on the table. "Your turn, partner. Show me how she works."

Ruby nodded slowly, pursing her lips as she picked her weapon up and unfolded it. Messy is right. The silver blade was stained with drying blood; darker splashes even covered the red cowling above the edge. Weiss gave Ruby's shoulder a reassuring squeeze when she hesitated, and the girl managed a small smile over her shoulder. Then she set the scythe on the table, grabbing the first tool needed to start the disassembly.

It took nearly an hour to scrub the blood away and lubricate the mechanisms inside. Twice Ruby had to stop, clenching her hands to stop them from shaking. Weiss saw Blake and Yang both watching, concern on their faces, and shook her head to keep them from making a fuss. Yang had a mutinous cast to her features by the second time, and only Blake's hand on her shoulder kept her seated.

Finally, though, the scythe came back together, edges shining in the light from the overhead lamps and parts sliding over each other with perfect precision. Weiss made a point of grabbing the dirtied rags and tossing them in the nearest hamper. When she saw Ruby worrying her hands again, she placed hers over the girl's until the spastic motions stopped. Ruby's shoulders stiffened, then the tension drained away. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah…" Ruby got to her feet, and managed two steps away from the table before she was glomped by a yellow tornado. "Y-yang! Yang! Put me dooown!"

"Nope! You look like you need a big sister hug, so you're getting a big sister hug!"

"Yaaaaa~aaaang!"

Weiss sputtered, about to shout, but then Blake's hand on her shoulder stopped her. The faunus drew her away, a small smile on her lips. "You're her partner, but she's Yang's sister. I think they both need this."


[ *** ]


The sound of metal ringed against metal, the bursts of dust rounds echoing through the chamber, and the grunts and exclamations wove together into a veritable symphony of battle. Jaune leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped between his knees, following every strike and motion. Pyrrha and Signum had been drilling him on that. Don't just stand there slack-jawed and gape at the spectacle. Watch it and glean what you can.

To his left, Signum was sitting as well, despite every effort of the infirmary's staff to keep her in bed. Her left arm was heavily bandaged and held in a sling, and there was the bulk of a thick dressing under the back of her shirt, but she held her posture straight and proud in defiance of the injuries. "I had thought she was skilled when we sparred, but I can see that she truly shines against multiple opponents," the knight commented.

"It's… her placement and awareness, isn't it? She always knows where everyone is around her."

Across from Signum, Zafira rumbled approval. The wolfman was sporting the remains of an impressive black eye, already faded to near invisibility against his tanned skin. "Economy of motion. Every strike she makes sets her up to assault another target. She keeps them all off balance that way, wearing them down continuously instead of focusing on a single target."

A loud smash heralded the end of the battle as Pyrrha slammed Cardin Winchester into the ground, using his back to break her own fall. The Auras of all four members of Team CRDL had dipped below fifteen percent, and the redhaired champion hadn't taken a single hit. Professor Goodwitch called the match, thanking Pyrrha and CRDL for their efforts.

The professor started asking if anyone else would like to have a match, since there was still some time before the class ended. Jaune gave Pyrrha a thumbs up from his seat in the stands, and caught her return smile.

One of Haven's transfer students stood up and volunteered. Jaune recognized the grey-haired teen from the night that JNPR had stolen into Drydock Six. Then the student singled out Pyrrha.

Behind him, Arf straightened up. "Hey, that's… Yuuno!"

"I see him." Jaune craned around in time to see the bespectacled blonde frown. "Apparently Haven needs to teach their students better manners."

"Wait. You know him?" Jaune looked at the orange-haired girl.

"Seen him before. Interrupted him and some green haired girl trying to shake down a bookstore owner." Arf frowned as well, scanning the stands. "Shit, there she is."

Pyrrha had accepted the challenge, and her opponent's data appeared on the big screen overhead. Mercury Black. Jaune frowned. Even his ID picture looked smug.

The match started, and Jaune didn't let himself dwell on Mercury's appearance any longer. Instead he focused on the fighter's stance, the way he shifted his weight from leg to leg.

The two came together in a flurry of blows, and Pyrrha immediately took the offensive. It didn't last long though, and Jaune could see the tide turn, back and forth in a matter of moments. He let out an impressed noise, but even as he did, he couldn't help but notice something was wrong. Mercury's motions seemed… off, as fast as they were. Like he was hesitating, deliberately.

He heard a rumbling growl. Jaune glanced over. ZFSH's leader was leaning forward on the edge of his seat, teeth bared. "Zafira? This doesn't seem..."

"You noticed that the boy is throwing the fight. Intentionally," the wolf faunus replied. Signum was scowling as well, her uncovered hand clenched into a fist.

"Wait, seriously?" Jaune looked back down in time to see Milo fly from Pyrrha's hand from an almost negligent kick from Mercury, and then her lean back to avoid a roundhouse kick that nearly caught her across the jaw. Mercury stumbled away, slightly off-balance, and Pyrrha took the chance to grab her sword.

Jaune saw it then. As Mercury leapt off of Pyrrha's shield, he could see the lack of care in the fighter's motion. Then the kid had the audacity to forfeit. Jaune felt a spark of anger, and found himself on his feet. "What the hell!"

The room went quiet, and Jaune realized he'd shouted the words. Pyrrha looked up at him in surprise. Mercury narrowed his eyes at Jaune. Professor Goodwitch pushed her glasses up her nose. "Would you care to explain your outburst, Mr. Arc?"

"I…" Every eye in the room was on him now, and he nearly sat back down. But instead he slammed his palm on the railing. "Yes, I would! Mercury Black isn't fighting like he's capable of! He's disrespecting Pyrrha by not giving his all to the sparring match, right after he asked to fight her! It's, it's arrogant and conceited, and he's treating this like a joke!"

Disquieted murmurs started up throughout the stands. Professor Goodwitch frowned, raising her voice to be heard. "Mr. Arc, that's not-"

"I challenge Mercury Black!"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha's eyes were wide.

"I may not be anywhere near his skill, but I challenge him and I'm willing to give it everything I have! He may not have any respect for this, but we all do!"

The murmurs turned into shouts and calls, cheering him on. Even Cardin was lending his voice. Professor Goodwitch shook her head, calling for silence.

It took long moments for the yelling to stop. Goodwitch shook her head again. "Be that it may, unfortunately this class period is over. There simply is not time for another sparring match. This is a class for learning, not for settling matters of honor, Mr. Arc."

The buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the class. Disappointed groans answered the signal, and students started filing out of the stands. Zafira caught his eye and gave him a small, sharp nod of approval, which Jaune managed to return. What stuck with him and buoyed him throughout the day, though, was the glowering anger on Mercury Black's flushed face.


[ *** ]


Blake flipped to the next page of Jaune's notes, squinting a little to read his messy handwriting. Still, she had to give him credit; usually the leader of Team JNPR didn't pay the best attention in class, and what notes he did take were a near-incomprehensible scrawl of short hand. While hard to read, the day's notes were complete and well ordered, meaning that the youngest Arc had taken into account that his friends would be depending on him. It allowed for a fairly pleasant time, all things considered.

The library was quiet, especially in the secluded corner that Blake had come to enjoy. Yang had dragged Ruby off to a new bakery that had opened in Vale, and Weiss was… off doing Weiss things. The heiress was at least responding to Blake's intermittent texts, so she felt she didn't need to worry.

She glanced up when she heard footsteps. Fate gave a small wave as she approached. "May I join you?"

What for? Blake felt a wave of suspicious concern, and gave the space detective a quick once over. School uniform, notebook, and a gold triangle pin over her breast pocket. "I guess so? I'm not doing anything that's very interesting, though."

"That's fine. I was just looking to do some studying."

Fate took a seat across from her, setting her notebook on the table. Blake's eyes fell on the large pin she was wearing. I think I've seen that before. Blake glanced around, making sure they were alone. "Is that… Bardiche?"

"Mm. He helps me a lot when I'm going through data." Fate expanded her scroll and set it on the table, and through the back of the screen Blake could see a small chat window pop up. Fate flipped open her notebook, muttering words that held no meaning to Blake. Lines of text appeared in the little window in response each time, and she realized Fate was holding an active conversation with the device.

Even after all they'd seen so far of the TSAB refugees, they'd still just felt like people. Hearing the girl speak words that had no home on Remnant, as well as seeing the strange letters through the screen, helped Blake solidify in her mind just how different the refugees actually were from them. But maybe that's the point of getting to know them like we have. They are just people.She was pondering that thought, when she heard distinctly Valean words from Fate's mouth. White Fang.

Space Detective. She reflexively glanced back up at Fate's face, but the girl wasn't looking at her at all. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, even as search windows opened and displayed article after article from the local news sites. Her hand scribbled indecipherable words on her notepad.

She's not studying for classes, she's reading about the White Fang. Stupid, stupid, stupid! You let your guard down and now she's right here and she's seconds away from… from…

But nothing happened. Fate just kept reading and writing, murmuring to her device in that strange language. Moments turned into minutes, and Blake realized she'd been hardly daring to breathe. As quietly as she could, she exhaled and inhaled, trying to clear her mind. No, she's not after you. She thinks of you as a friend, that's all. It took some effort, but eventually she tore her gaze away from the articles and went back to Jaune's notes.

An hour passed in increasingly companionable silence. Blake closed her notebook, stacking it with Jaune's, then looked up at Fate again. She hardly dared to ask the question, and opted to play it safe. "What are you working on?"

"Hm? Oh. I'm reading about the-" Fate broke off into a yawn, covering her mouth. "Sorry. I'm reading about the White Fang. Our intro course with Professor Goodwitch didn't go into very much detail, but after last night, well…"

"You thought it best to look for more information?"

"Yes."

"Do you… mind if I watch?"

"Not at all." Fate scooted out the chair next to her, and Blake eased into the offered seat.

Blake chewed her lip for a moment. "You're an-" She paused, glancing around again. "-an enforcer, right? A detective?"

"That's right."

"How long have you been one?"

"I started training around six years ago. Chrono's been my mentor since I started. He's still my superior, but I've been solo qualified for years."

"Six years? You're my age, right?"

Fate smiled, rubbing her eyes. "Yes. Back home, you can start… young, if you're capable enough and mature enough to make a difference. Chrono was already an ace enforcer when he was fourteen."

Blake could only nod. When she was eleven years old, she was still waving signs with other protesters, hoping to make a difference. "How are you… searching for information?"

"I'm cross referencing. You can't just pick from a single source of information, or you only get one side of the story. The more alternative viewpoints you can get, even if they're all extremist views, the more you can see of the bigger picture. It's very, very rare that anyone is as good or as bad as the people shouting say they a-" Fate caught another yawn, blushing and apologizing.

Blake looked at her again. The blonde had bags under her eyes, and while her eyes were still clear, there were definite hints of exhaustion. "Fate… did you sleep last night?"

She shook her head. "No, I was… busy. Debriefing with Lindy, then debriefing with the headmaster, then checking in on Signum… by the time I was done with everything, it was already morning and I had class."

"That's not healthy, Fate. Even if you are… well… really good at this kind of thing."

"I'm used to it. Long hours are part of the jo-aaaaawh-b." She blushed again, looking down at her hands. "...usually Arf goes and gets me a cup of coffee when I'm working late, but she's been busy with her own classes today, and…"

Blake sighed, then smiled. "Take a break, Fate. If you're so determined to keep working, I'll go get you a pick-me-up while you rest your eyes. Coffee or tea?"

"Okay… okay. Coffee, black. Thank you." Fate leaned back in her chair, closing the scroll and letting her head tip back.

The cafeteria was across the campus center from the library building. Blake deliberately walked at a slower pace than normal, enjoying the late-afternoon air. Sending a text to Weiss as she walked, Blake could almost hear the girl's piqued reply when she responded. 'I'm fine.'

Getting a mug of coffee and a small plate of biscuits only took a moment, but it was still nearly twenty minutes later when she got back to their table. She found Fate resting her head in her arms, lightly dozing. Blake set the tray and mug down, taking her seat and gently touching Fate's shoulder. "Up and at 'em, detective."

"Mwuh?" Fate sat back up, blinking blearily. She fumbled for the cup of coffee with one hand, and reached for Blake's shoulder with the other. "...nnnf. Thanks, Arf.."

Arf? Blake's mind locked on the misnomer, and too late she realized that Fate's hand was aiming a bit too high for her shoulder. Her eyes widened, but she felt frozen in place. All she managed was a choked noise before Fate's fingers settled in her hair, fingernails scritching at the base of her faunus ears. "Kh-fwa?! F-fate!"

"What? Didju change conditioner'r somethin'? Feels… silky." Fate sipped her coffee. She blinked, and the befuddled glaze over her eyes cleared. Her head snapped to the side, meeting Blake's bewildered, almost affronted gaze.

Blake couldn't respond, trapped between mortification and the acknowledgement that dammit, this feels good. She swallowed, cheeks heating until she thought her face would catch on fire.

Fate pulled her hand away as if burned. "Oh geez, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I completely forgot where I was and usually Arf complains if I don't give her a scratch and, and-mmph!"

The stammering blonde was silenced by Blake's hand over her mouth. She made a questioning sound, and Blake just shook her head, fighting to get her blush under control. "Shh."

"Bummph-"

"Shh!" Blake waited until Fate stopped trying to talk, then slowly released her. She reached up to fuss with her ribbon, tugging it back into place over her ears. "This never happened."

Fate's face was as red as Blake's had felt. The blonde nodded quickly. "What never happened." The words were spoken with finality.

"Exactly."


[ *** ]


"So you want us to spread the word to keep an eye out for a blonde chick from Beacon? You know there are dozens of them, right? Even the deputy headmaster is blonde."

Richard rubbed his face. "Yes. Human, less than five and a half feet tall, impressive figure, dresses to show it off. Her hair's blonde, probably every bit of three feet long, straight. And she's a Beacon student, which means she carries a huntress weapon. High caliber pistol, I think it was a revolver. About as long as my damned forearm, and it had a bayonet. She was wearing black, her gun is black and gold."

His contact was jotting down the girl's description, nodding slowly. "Anything else you can remember? More details are better."

"....yeah, actually. Red eyes, like the color of blood."

The girl made an acknowledging noise. "...odd color for a human."

"Odd color for anyone, human or faunus. Doesn't change what I saw."

"I got it." She flipped the page, then glanced back up at him. One of her ears twitched a few times, and she raised a hand to rub at the fur. "Anything else?"

He thought about it, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah. We need to make this movement more official. We need to show the world that we're taking a stance. We need to show them that the majority of faunus want to be equals. The White Fang is no longer acting in the best interests of the faunus people as a whole, and we need to show the world that we will not stand for it anymore." Richard paused for a moment longer, rubbing his chin. "We need to show the world that we're willing to stop our own when they go too far."

She looked at him over the rims of her glasses. "That's going to upset a lot of people, Xerxes."

"Then it'll upset a lot of people. Do we want to be accepted as equals, willingly included with open arms? Or do we want to be accepted out of fear, with scared glances and the worry of what we'll do if they say no? One may be easier, but which one builds a better society? The Fang has lost touch with its own people's needs."


[ *** ]


The warehouse was empty, thankfully. Torchwick pulled the man door shut behind him, then gripped his cane in hand and strode toward the map tables set up against the wall. Just need to take some time to get reoriented, and-

"Roman. Where have you been?"

Oh for fuck's sake. "Cinder! Of all the people who could be waiting for me. I'm flattered!" Torchwick turned around, touching two fingers to his hat. "What's the occasion?"

"You've been gone all day, Roman. I don't like waiting."

"Yeah, well I don't like sticking around when the wolves are after my scent. In case you weren't aware, things got a little violent last night." He pulled a cigar from his pocket, snipping off the tip and tossing it aside.

Cinder tilted her head, frowning. "I heard. It was unexpec-"

"Bullshit." Torchwick cut her off. He lit the stogie with a flourish, puffing twice to get it going, and then pocketed his lighter. "Cinder, if you didn't see that coming from miles away, you're blind, and it was your little brats' faults. They screwed the pooch trying to kill Tukson. Keep a better fucking leash on them."

The bitch's eyes flared, and Torchwick pursed his lips. "You were supposed to deal with him before we got here, Roman."

"And I had that situation under control. Tukson wasn't dangerous while he was sitting in his little bookstore planning to run home to Vacuo. People didn't care about him anymore. He'd gone soft. Even if he had gotten away, it wouldn't have done anything. But after your idiots went and fucked everything up, the guy's become a rallying point. You know what they were calling you at that zoo of a recruitment meet?"

"That doesn't-"

"The human bitch that has Taurus licking her heels. You've earned their hate, Cinder! You! Personally! And they were going to kill me because of it. Well fuck that." Torchwick plucked the cigar from his mouth to spit on the ground, then pointed the cherry-red tip at her. "I'm not dying for your grand games, Cinder. No more White Fang for me! No more faunus! Find another liaison to play with the mangy animals."

"Roman. Need I remind you of our agreement?"

"Fuck's sake, Cinder. I'm not quitting, so don't hold it over my head like that. I can still get you all the Dust you need. I can get you in touch with any shady son of a bitch in the city, as long as they're human. But I'm not risking my hairless hide with the faunus anymore. From day one they were this close," he held up his hand, finger and thumb a hairsbreadth apart, "THIS close to tearing out my throat because I didn't have a pair of cute fuzzy ears. Now? Now they've been pushed over the edge. I'm not going anywhere near them."

She stared at him long and hard. For a moment, the glow in her eyes intensified, and smoke started to rise from where her heels touched the concrete. Then it vanished, and she sneered. "Fine. But if you're going to be focusing on Dust, then I expect to see results, Roman." Cinder turned away, heels issuing sharp clacks with each step as she disappeared into the gloom.

Torchwick watched her retreating form. "Results?" He spread his hands out to encompass the crates and crates of Dust in the warehouse, stacked floor to ceiling in places. "Results? As if this doesn't count? Greedy, greedy."

I really hate her sometimes. Wait, I really hate her most of the time. Torchwick turned back to his maps, sighing. Okay. Dust, Dust, Dust. This is what I'm good at, and if I'm doing solo operations it just means I don't have to worry about anyone fucking up on me. At least Neo knows what she's doing.

Hours later, Roman was rubbing his head in frustration, hat discarded on the table beside him. Dammit. I've hit just about every damned stockpile in the city. Where the hell am I going to find Dust that doesn't have enough guards around it to kill a rampaging Goliath?

He grabbed a stack of trade-route reports, going over listed shipments from the SDC and other, smaller Dust companies. Scouted by White Fang elements as they traveled, he had detailed information on the visible security arrangement. Too many, too many… FUCK.

The shipment reports were tossed aside, and he grabbed up the next item in the pile. Construction yards… ha. Okay, so Beacon's put in a maintenance request for a few of their bullheads, that's cute. The Vale Metropolitan Transport Service ordered a new passenger ship last week… that has potential. Hm- What's this?

Roman tilted his head. Drydock report, derelict airship recovered and mothballed for scrapping? That didn't just have potential, that was full of possibilities. A cruiser class airship has a lot of Dust in its lifting arrays, and there's a very real chance it won't be nearly as well guarded as the rest of it is around this city.

He poured over the drydock information a bit more, then grabbed his scroll and tapped out a message. 'Neo. Got a plan. Find me anything you can on an old airship called the 'Stairway to Heaven' and its recovery. Don't do anything drastic yet, just what you can find out from public info.'

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 14 - Action and Consequences​

"...and the entire wall came down with the impact, I tell you! It was an amazing display of destructive power from a Creature of Grimm so small! But even in the face of that much devastation, I didn't let it stop me!" Peter Port swept his hands out, mustache bristling expressively with his every word. "I jumped up on the fallen brick and brought my axe down on the bourbatusk's neck, and put an end to its tyranny!" He brought his hands down in a chopping motion, before straightening and surveying the lecture hall full of his students.

Drat. I lost half of them again. Damn you, sleep, you blissful temptress. Fully a third of his class was slumped over in their chairs. Most of the new refugee students were awake, at least… except for that faunus girl, of course. Weiss Schnee was attentive as usual, unlike her partner- Wait. Ms. Rose usually passes out within fifteen minutes. Instead of her normal lack of activity, the red huntress-in-training was fidgeting in her seat, absently rubbing her hands together. Her teammate glanced over, and without making a fuss placed her hand over Ruby's until the motions stopped.

Interesting.

"Anyways! The point being, you cannot give up against a stronger opponent! You must use your intelligence, your cunning, and the other aspects that set us above the Creatures of Grimm! For example, hardly two days after dealing with the boarbatusk that was terrorizing the village, I…" Port heard himself droning on, for once letting it happen intentionally. After teaching for twenty years he could tell most of his stories in his sleep, after all; his wife had recorded it once, and played the recording back during one of his classes a few years back as a joke. The students had never even noticed…

Good gracious me, I even digress to myself.

No, there was a reason he was letting himself go on autopilot for the moment. It didn't require any thought, which let him focus on some of his students. Ruby Rose paying attention was the first clue that something was off with the girl. Now that he was watching, he saw that the worrying of her hands was, while not constant, definitely recurring. Her partner and teammate was aware of it as well, giving the younger girl reassuring touches and smiles.

Suddenly the bell rang, sneaking up on him like a thief in the night. Drat. Surprises me every time. "The stunning conclusion will have to wait until next class. Students, please rea- STUDENTS! PLEASE READ CHAPTER SIX IN YOUR TEXTS BEFORE NEXT CLASS. THANK YOU." He had to raise his voice over the bustle of hurried movement. "And Ms. Schnee! If you would remain behind for a moment, please?"

Weiss looked up sharply, caught by surprise. He couldn't blame her; the white-haired girl was a model student, and had the highest grade in the class last semester. She glanced down at her teammate, and Ruby gave her a small smile and murmured something to her before flitting out the door. Port wasn't the best lip-reader, but even he could tell what she'd said. 'I'll be okay.'

Damnable. I just need her to confirm it.

Weiss waited by seat until the rest of the students emptied out of the lecture hall, then made her way down to the floor, back straight and chin high. "You wished to speak with me, Professor?"

"I did. No no, no need to worry, Ms. Schnee. Your performance in class has been nothing but exemplary, and I wish that the other students would show even a quarter of your attentiveness." She preened a little at the compliment, but did her best to hide it. Not that she could hide it from his hawk-like perceptions, of course!

"Oh! Well, thank you, Professor. What do you need?" Ever the gracious student. She's come a long way since her first day, she has.

"I actually wanted to speak with you about your teammate. How is Ms. Rose?"

"Ruby? She's… fine! I may not have wanted to think it at the beginning of the year, and honestly I believe at the time I was correct, but she is… becoming a great leader now, Professor. You were right, I can admit it now." She paused, and Port could see pride warring with humility in her expression. "I do still think that I would have made a good leader at the time, but Headmaster Ozpin did not make a mistake."

"Ah, well. Yes, I am glad you've come to that conclusion. However, that is not specifically what I was asking." Port stroked his mustache, thinking for a moment. "What I meant was, your teammate did not seem to be acting in her normal manner today. Normally she would be… quite frankly, asleep, or doodling in her notebook. I make no issue of it because she studies the material independently, and maintains good grades."

"Well, yes. I do sometimes have to push her to do her homework."

"Good on you. But that's beside the point. My question, Ms. Schnee, is this; what is bothering your teammate?"

Weiss went still. "...you… you noticed that."

"Yes, Ms. Schnee, I noticed that. I am a professional Huntsman, and I have seen students passing through my classes for decades now. It is not so preposterous to believe that I may have learned how to read my students, is it?" Port allowed a faint bit of sarcasm to show in his voice, but buffered it with the smile that he knew was crinkling his cheeks.

She blushed a little, looking down. "W-well…"

"Take your time, Ms. Schnee."

Weiss took a breath, then looked back up. The pride was back in place, he saw, but it seemed a slightly brittle thing. "We haven't been… sleeping well, the last few days. You, uhm… heard about the-"

"The riot. Yes, I am aware that your team was heavily involved in stopping the damage from spreading. Commendable acts, Ms. Schnee! Heroic, even!"

The girl blushed again, twitching a smile. Ha. Flattery will get you everywhere, if properly applied. "Thank you, Professor. But, well… it was," she hesitated to take a breath, "scary. There were people literally trying to kill me, and… Ruby had to hurt a lot of people to keep them off me. She's having a little trouble dealing."

She's not the only one, I see. "Understandably so. Have you two scheduled an appointment with Beacon's psychologist?"

"W-what? No, we're… we're dealing, Professor! It's... It's part of being a huntress. We just have to keep moving forward." She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "One day at a time."

"Hmm. Indeed." Port nodded slowly. "It is indeed, Ms. Schnee. Well, do not let me keep you any longer. I'm sure your teammate is waiting for you. Go on, I need to prepare for my next class."

Weiss nodded a little, and hurried out of the room a little faster than she needed to. Port sighed, sitting down at his desk. His fingers drummed a haphazard beat on the wooden surface, and then he flipped open his scroll.

It rang two times- as always- before connecting. "Headmaster?"

"Peter. How was your class?"

"It went well enough. Though, there is another matter, I need to speak with you about."

"Oh? I have a few minutes before my next appointment. Please, continue."

"Hmm, yes. I believe Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee may have unintentionally met the alternative prerequisites for your Friday seminar."

"I see. Very well. I will have Glynda inform them of the addition to their schedules."


[ *** ]


"Here you go! One grande chococaramel cappuccino with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and one jasmine tea!" Kasta smiled at the red-eyed blonde and her black-haired companion, and was gifted a pair of smiles in return as they took their drinks and moved to the deck outside.

The two girls took a seat under a patio umbrella to shelter from the afternoon sun, opening notebooks and chatting companionably, if sedately. Kasta kept her eyes on them as she cleaned the cafe's espresso machine, noting the particulars of their attire. They were Beacon students, obviously; the cafe caught a fair amount of traffic from the academy, being so close to campus proper. The black-haired girl was dressed in monochrome, and had a black-sheathed sword clinging diagonally to a plate on her upper back, while the blonde was in almost all black.

A gust of wind caught the blonde's coat, and Kasta caught a glimpse of the heavy revolver strapped to her thigh. It was her, the one that Xerxes had told them to keep an eye out for. Kasta slid her scroll into her hand, snapping a quick picture and texting it to him with a short message. 'Found her. She's at my cafe.'


[ *** ]


Richard flipped open his scroll, and the picture expanded out into view. He nearly spit out his sip of water when he saw who was sitting with the blonde. "Hot damn."

One of his associates glanced up from his books; the man had been writing the first drafts of an actual organizational charter, and had been at it for hours now. "What is it?"

"The blonde girl that checked out the warehouse. Kasta just got eyes on her, and she's having coffee with Taurus' ex-catspaw."

That got his attention. "Wait, the Belladonna girl?"

"Is there another?" Richard was already tapping out a message to Kasta. 'Maintain observation but don't break cover. I'll get tails on them.'

"Not that I know of. So we found the one that got away? Taurus would kill for that information."

"Which is specifically why we're not going to tell him. Think about it, they're Beacon students."

"Rick, I've been nose deep in political treatise since noon. Just tell me what you're thinking."

"We want to go legitimate, right? What could be more legitimate than opening communications with the huntsmen academies? If we can talk to Belladonna without her running away, she could be our in."

"We don't know if she's on the level, though. What if she didn't run away? What if she's in deep cover for Taurus?"

"Then we need to be sure." Richard started typing again. If they were going to be trying to tail Blake Belladonna, he'd need to have his best and most trustworthy taking care of it.


[ *** ]


C'mon, Jaune! C'mon, take the opening! It's right there, it's as big as a house and- YES! Pyrrha threw herself back to avoid Crocea Mors, forced to abort her own attack routine. She twirled Milo, ringing it against Jaune's shield to keep him from pursuing, and the two separated to eye each other warily.

Jaune was panting for breath, golden hair plastered to his forehead by sweat. Pyrrha let him have his momentary breather, and was pleased to see he never took his eyes off her. She hefted Akouo and charged back in, unable to keep the smile from her lips.

He'd stood up for her. In front of the entire class? In front of the entire world for all she cared, he'd stood up for her and called Mercury Black out on his attitude; she'd been a little too busy to see it at the time, but when Nora showed her a recording of the sparring match, it had been obvious. Pyrrha was so happy she wanted to squeal like a little girl, but that wouldn't do at all.

So instead of indulging in joyful hysterics befitting of herself ten years ago, Pyrrha was urging Jaune on, pulling him along with her. Swords sang against each other and shields clashed like cymbals, and when she pulled back to shift Milo to javelin form, Jaune rushed her, taking away her reach advantage. Surprised by the sudden aggression from the normally-defensive fighter, Pyrrha dropped low, planting a hand on the ground and sweeping her shin toward his leading knee-

"Time!"

Pyrrha stopped a scant inch from taking Jaune's leg out from underneath him, looking up at him. She accepted his offered hand with a smile, and pulled herself to her feet. "Good fight, Jaune."

"I'm amazed I… that I managed to not end up on the… the ground this time! Signum, how did I do?" Jaune started to bend over, but then forced himself back upright, trying to bounce lightly on his feet to keep his blood flowing.

The pink-haired knight stood at the edge of their sparring circle, still managing to look noble despite her arm being in a sling. The other was held behind her back, as if she was standing at parade rest. "Acceptably. I noticed two times that Nikos intentionally left you an opening, and the second time you were observant enough to notice it and take advantage of it. Against most other opponents, I believe an opportunity such as that would have been legitimate. You are improving, Arc."

"Woo!" Jaune let out a little victory cheer.

Pyrrha found herself laughing with him for a moment, before looking back to the knight. "Signum? May I ask a question?"

"You may."

"How long have you been a knight? You can't be much older than I am, and-"

"Ah." Signum cut her off, but not unkindly. "That is incorrect. I apologize. While you understand the situation that we 'refugees' are in, you are not aware of my and my fellow knights' specific circumstances." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I must admit that I no longer know how old I am."

"What do you mean? Do you… have amnesia?" Even as she said it, Pyrrha could tell it was a weak possibility.

"No. I am a Wolkenritter, as are Vita, Zafira, and Shamal. We are… constructs of living magic, that used to be organic beings but are no longer such. We can… pretend to be alive, closely enough to fool most forms of observation."

Pyrrha blinked. She must be joking. "How old… how much do you remember?"

"Centuries. I can say without exaggeration that the accumulated amount of time I have spent in the midst of battle is longer than you have been alive."

"I don't… that's really hard to… to believe, you realize." Pyrrha turned her head. "Jaune, did you hear-"

He wasn't even paying attention, staring off to the side. Pyrrha followed his gaze to see Weiss tutoring a half dozen of the TSAB students on combat uses of various types of Dust. She nodded a little; Dust was a serious subject matter and Weiss was managing to be quite enthrallingly demonstrative. Intent, focused, and fiercely passionate regarding the topic. Looking back to Jaune though, she realized it wasn't her demonstration that was holding his attention.

Pyrrha's face fell. He was watching Weiss, with that adorable lost puppy-dog expression she wished he'd turn toward her. Just once, just a single time, she wanted him to look at her the way he looked at Weiss Schnee. Milo's grip creaked in her hand, and she looked away.

Dammit, Jaune. Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the hot sensation begging to be let loose from them. She took a deep breath, holding it, then let it out. Then another. She opened her eyes.

Signum was staring straight at her, face completely blank except for the faintest, faintest hint of something in her eyes.

The tiniest trace of compassion.

Signum's eyes flicked toward Jaune, then back to Pyrrha. Pyrrha felt her face tighten. Signum gave the smallest nod.

The knight's voice thundered through the air, making Jaune leap nearly a yard straight up. "Arc. Raise your shield, break time is over."

Signum glanced at Pyrrha and nodded again. The look in her eyes was as clear as the sun.

Go get him.


[ *** ]


Jaune groaned in pain, trying to free himself and failing miserably. Crocea Mors was pierced through the back of his belt, through his hoodie, punched into the arena floor deep enough that his back was bent so far that his feet were resting flat on the ground on either side of his head.

Just at the edge of his vision, Pyrrha was walking away with regal poise, head held high.

He struggled more, unable to get any leverage at all. Finally he gave up, voicing a strangled cry for assistance. "Help."

A hand gripped Crocea Mors' hilt and yanked the sword free with a screech of metal on stone. Jaune unfolded, legs slapping hard against the unyielding floor. "Ow."

Signum looked down at him, transferring Crocea Mors to hang from her left hand as she pulled him to his feet. "Acceptable. I am surprised you are still conscious."

Jaune rubbed his face, swaying on his feet. "What happened?"

"Apparently, Nikos decided she was done playing around." Signum handed him back his sword.

"I don't- What did I do?"

"You lost."

"No, I mean why? She's never just trashed me like that before!"

Signum shook her head. "You upset her, Jaune Arc."

Jaune stared at Signum, mouth falling open a little. "B-but what did I do?"

"I would be doing you a disservice if I told you. You need to determine your mistake by yourself, or you will never learn to function on your own." Signum gestured toward the perimeter. "Reflect on what you did while you run your cooldown lap."

"Oh, come on-"

"Two laps, Arc."


[ *** ]


The tinkling sound of shattering glass was music to Torchwick's ears. He sat up in his chair, holding up a hand. "Neo, what did you find?"

The diminutive girl plopped down on the edge of the table, crossing her legs and tossing a manila folder down in front of him. Torchwick eagerly flipped it open.

"....Neo, it's empty."

She pursed her lips, nodding a little, then shrugged.

"Wait, there's nothing?"

Another nod, and she made a bored face.

"Not a damned thing. Not one delivery notice, not one storage facility rental, nothing." Torchwick frowned, tossing his hat aside to scratch behind his ear. Neo scooped it up without hesitating, rolling it up one arm until it plonked down on her head.

Well that doesn't make any fucking sense at all. "Why the hell would there be no paper trail for something as methodical as scrapping an old airship?"

Neo shrugged again, holding up her left hand and making a tiny image of a Valean transport ship. She waved her right, and the image shattered into nothing.

He tilted his head. "...unless there's no airship, or it's not an airship." A short laugh escaped his lips. "Ha! The simplest kind of illusion there is. No Dust, no Semblance, just a couple lies."

Neo smiled, waggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah. I think we're gonna have to figure out just what it is they're hiding in there." Roman rolled a fresh cigar between his fingers, pulling out his lighter. "I bet it'll be interesting."


[ *** ]


A gentle hand on her shoulder nudged her out of her doze, and Weiss let her eyes flutter open. Silver eyes were peering down at her, and they brightened with their owner's smile. "Morning!"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "...morning, Ruby. No whistle today?"

"Not for you, not after yesterday. If I'd only known."

Ruby zipped over to the other bunk, reaching for Blake's shoulder to find the faunus already staring at her. Ruby put a finger over her lips, shushing Blake. She looked back over her shoulder at Weiss and grinned. The whistle was in her other hand. She stood on Blake's bed frame, close to Yang's head.

Weiss put her hands over her ears.

Blake shoved her head under her pillow.

The shrill metallic scream split the air. Yang screamed with it, issuing a string of expletives that, at the beginning of the year, would have made Weiss blush. It's disheartening to think I've gotten used to it.

The blonde brawler tumbled out of bed and fell straight to the floor, dragging her blankets with her. Weiss covered a giggle, while Blake and Ruby just lost it. Between howls of laughter, Ruby teased her sister. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

A hand shot out of the mess of blankets, grabbing Ruby by the ankle and dragging her to the floor. Ruby shrieked as she toppled over, struggling to escape and laughing even harder as they wrestled across the floor. Weiss shared a look with Blake, shaking her head in exasperation. "You want the bathroom first?"

"No, you take it. Your new class starts earlier than ours." Weiss grimaced a little, then nodded. Grabbing her uniform, she slipped into the bathroom to get ready.

Normally, Team RWBY would go to Professor Port's Grimm Theory class as a group, but the evening before, she had gotten a message on her scroll from Professor Goodwitch informing her of a change to her class schedule. Now every Friday morning, she and Ruby were required to attend a seminar course on the other side of campus. 'Your teammates have been informed as well, and they will be tasked with supplying you with notes and information for the classes you are missing. Any quizzes or exams that you miss because of your schedule change will be made up for at the earliest possible opportunity, with no negative effect on your grade.'

Putting on the last of her uniform, Weiss opened the door. "Ruby. Stop horsing around and get dressed. We've got to be at Lecture Hall Three in half an hour."

"Right! Leggo, sis!" Yang released her, and Ruby vanished into the bathroom. She ducked back out less than a minute later, stopping at the door and quivering in place for a moment. Weiss could almost hear the boi-oi-oing. "Ready to go?"

"Ready. We should still have time to stop at the cafeteria, as long as we don't loiter." Weiss followed her out the door. They squeezed past a custodian pushing a cart, who gave them a gruff 'hello' when Ruby cheerfully greeted him. Weiss managed a much more restrained 'Good morning' to the man.

Something caught her eye, though, and she looked back over her shoulder. A striped cat tail was poking out the back of his pants. She frowned.

"Weeeiiiiss." Ruby poked her in the side and pulled her along.

She felt her cheeks burn a little. "I just- ...I'm sorry."

"If it makes you feel any better, Sun totally is a rapscallion." Ruby grinned at her. "Being human or faunus wouldn't change that about him."

That's a… fair point. Weiss had to smile. "You're right."

They stopped at the cafeteria long enough to grab coffee and breakfast pastries, exchanging a few pleasantries with the few students who were already up and about. Seriously, who schedules a class for seven in the morning? The walk across campus to the lecture building was quiet and uneventful, but there was a pleasant surprise outside the classroom doors. "Chrono. Lindy. Good morning."

Chrono's face was even more forcibly neutral than usual, but Lindy's lit up with a kind smile. "Weiss, Ruby. Good morning to both of you."

"What brings you here?"

Chrono cleared his throat. "We asked for and have been given permission to audit this class by the headmaster."

Ruby's eyes widened a little. "Oh? Is it for, erm. For reasons?"

The enforcer stared at her for a short moment, then gave a small nod of approval for her attempt at discretion. "Correct."

Weiss grumbled a little. "I still don't even know what class this is, just that Ruby and I are required to attend."

Lindy and Chrono exchanged a glance, and she made a show of checking her watch. "Oh just look at the time. In we go!"

Ruby and Weiss followed the two in, and as a group they took a row of seats near the back of the lecture hall. Weiss took a moment to scan over the students already seated. She barely recognized any faces, and most of the ones she did remember were students she'd only seen in passing; usually as they were going to or coming back from a bullhead, decked out in full combat kit. These are all fourth-years. What is this course?

The quiet but constant murmur of conversation slowed to a stop, and Weiss realized more and more of the senior students were all turning to look at the two of them. More and more she felt like a child wearing her mother's clothing, pretending she was older than she was. Ruby looked like she was feeling even worse, shrinking down in her seat with her face going beet red. Next to the two of them, Chrono and Lindy looked like they belonged there.

The murmurs started up again, confused and inquisitive. Who are they? What are a pair of first-years doing here? Did they walk into the wrong room?

Weiss ducked her head, clenching her hands into fists.

She heard the door at the end of the hall open, and then heard footsteps. Two steps and a hard clack. Two steps and a hard clack.

"Students."

Weiss snapped her head back up. Headmaster Ozpin stood at the front of the room. "To many of you, you are here because this is your final academic requirement for graduation. You have spent four years at this academy, four years honing your skills, four years preparing to leave these walls and take up the mantle of 'Huntsman' or 'Huntress' in defense of the people of Remnant.

"Those of you that are preparing to graduate may notice that there are several among you that have not yet completed their time here at Beacon. This small minority of your number is here because they have been exposed to, and therefore have unfortunately already gained practical experience with, the topics that this seminar is supposed to prepare you for. Ironically, in this way, they will be your seniors."

The murmurs and reactions got louder, and what students hadn't already looked at them turned to stare. Weiss felt the color drain from her cheeks, and had to grip the edges of her seat.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Students. Regardless of the minutiae, everyone attending this class is within their rights and reasons to be here. It is my hope that minor details such as age or graduation year will not lessen your respect for your fellows, in either direction."

The headmaster turned toward the blackboard, lifting a piece of chalk and writing in clear, precise words, easy to read even from the back of the classroom. "With that said, I welcome you all to Hunter Ethics: Action and Consequences."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 15 - Details​

The plates jumped inches into the air when Yang's palm slammed down, landing in a clatter and spilling breakfast all over the cafeteria table. "What the hell, Ruby?!"

"W-what? What did I do! I didn't even do anything!"

"I just heard through the grapevine that you and Weiss are taking Manslaying 101! Is Ozpin smoking something?"

"Y-Yang, I-"

"Yang, sit down before I freeze your bottom to your seat." Weiss glared at the blonde, glaring at her. "It is not called 'Manslaying 101. The seminar is called Hunter Ethics: Action and Consequences. It does not, in any way, detail the best ways to slay a-"

"Yes it does." Ruby swirled her glass of milk, watching the white liquid slosh. "It… we haven't gotten to it yet, but Headmaster Ozpin specifically said that there will likely come a time and a place when we will have to take the lives of people. And he wants us to be sure that when we have to, we know the… the best way to do it. As cleanly as possible, without hesitation, and… to know when we don't have any other options."

Weiss grimaced, but didn't argue Ruby's interruption. "It covers the ethical dilemmas that huntsmen and huntresses will eventually be forced to deal with working in what is one of the most violent occupational fields Remnant has to offer."

Ruby nodded, thankful for Weiss' support. "Y-yeah, Yang. It's not about hurting people. It's about… coping with having to hurt people. Like we had to do during the riot. Headmaster Ozpin added it to our schedules because we're a little, uhm…"

"You're ahead of the curve," Blake offered, as she tugged Yang back down to her seat. The brawler let herself be pulled down, and the flash of red in her eyes faded back to her normal lilac. "It's part of the standard curriculum, Yang. Normally students just don't take it until their final year. We'll be taking it then, unless the faculty see a reason to put us through it early, too."

"I know, I know…" Yang sighed, then started picking up bits of food from the table and dumping them on her plate. "I just… you're my baby sister, Ruby-"

"Yaaa~aaang!"

"-and I guess I… I guess I'm just worried you're growing up a little too fast all of a sudden. You're only fifteen, you should still be worrying about things like… you know. Doing your homework, and Grimm slaying, and cute boys."

"Ew!" Even as she said it, though, Ruby couldn't keep the play-disgust in her voice, and started giggling. Her team joined in, and for a few seconds the only sounds from the four were chortles and laughter. Ruby shook her head after a moment. "I am growing up, though. I have to, Yang. We all kinda have to. We're here at Beacon now, not back home at Signal."

Yang sobered, looking a little glum. Ruby sighed and continued. "Buuuut if it makes you feel any better I'll always be your little sister. I don't think I could change that even if I wanted to."

"Aw, Ruby." Yang brightened, reaching over the table to muss Ruby's hair. She squawked in dismay, batting at Yang's hand. "Still, that's some pretty grimm humor for a class nickname, isn't it? Eh? Eh?" Groans all around answered her, and Yang pumped her fist in victory. "Nailed it."

Blake rolled her eyes. "So how was the first session? It's a three hour seminar, once a week?"

"It is." Weiss nodded, sipping her tea. "Ozpin gave us the general outline for the course. No actual daily syllabus, because the class mainly consists of veteran Huntsmen returning to speak about their experiences after graduation. The kinds of situations they have to deal with, and the dilemmas of choice."

"Yeah, like, uhm… well, one of the things he said that we'll be hearing a lot of is… is that you can't save everyone. Sometimes you have to make a choice, and make the best of a bad situation."

"Like in the riot. That's… okay, I can see that." Yang nodded a little and looked at Weiss. "We had to either protect you so you could put out the fires, which meant having to hurt people, or get you clear and let the fires burn."

"Exactly."

"Who was speaking today?"

"Headmaster Ozpin himself. He said next week will be a guest speaker from outside of Beacon. I must admit that I'm looking forward to hearing the different perspectives."

"Oh, oh!" Ruby sat up. "Chrono and Lindy were there taking the course with us. 'Cause of reasons."

"Speaking of, where is everyone? It's Saturday; usually at least some of the refugee teams grab breakfast with us. JNPR too."

"Jaune told me last night, JNPR and the refugee teams are going out to the Emerald Forest today for live Grimm training. Professor Goodwitch is going with them!"

Yang made a disappointed noise. "Well crap! Why them and not us?"

"Becaaauuuuse," Ruby pulled a binder out of her backpack and dropped it on the table, "I volunteered Team RWBY to plan the semester dance since Team CFVY was originally supposed to do it but they're getting deployed on a mission soon! Weiss has a ton of ideas to make it the best dance Beacon has ever seen!"

"Oh really? Are we gonna spike the punch?"

"No."

"Damn!"


[ *** ]


The whine of the bullhead's lift compressors winding down settled a low background hum through the shrubs and trees of the Emerald Forest. Glynda Goodwitch took a deep breath of the air, giving herself one moment to enjoy the facade of peaceful serenity surrounding her. "Students, thank you all for joining me today. I realize that it is Saturday and there are things some of you would much rather be doing."

Nora laughed loudly, bouncing up and down on her feet. "More than smashing Grimm? Puh-leeze! Just point me at 'em!"

"While the opportunity may present itself, Ms. Valkyrie, you are not here simply to 'smash Grimm', as you so describe."

"Aw."

"Teams CSAL, NAVY, and ZFSH need first-hand experience in fighting Grimm with their new equipment. Team JNPR is here assist me in providing oversight, and to lend a hand if any of the refugee teams find themselves in over their heads."

Jaune nodded, glancing at his team. "Yes ma'am. Just point us where you need us."

"Good. We will be splitting up. Admiral, do you agree with the statement that Team CSAL has the least number of active combat personnel?"

"I do. Amy and I are command staff. The last time Amy saw active weapon training before coming to Remnant was boot camp, and my own experience is… around two decades out of date."

"Then because of this, Jaune Arc and I will be accompanying your team while you train. Mr. Arc, our job is to bail them out if too many Grimm come calling." She kept her face perfectly composed despite the misgivings she had for his very presence. Fake transcripts to get into Beacon… but he's managed this far, and Ozpin believes he'll be a capable huntsman as long as he's given the chance.

Jaune hefted his shield- already deployed. That's good at least- and joined Team CSAL. Lindy turned to Nora and Ren. "Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren. You will accompany Team NAVY."

"Professor." Ren grabbed his still-sulking teammate and guided over to Nanoha's group.

"Pyrrha Nikos. You will be accompanying Team ZFSH. I realize that I am sending you with them without additional support, but it is safe to say that they have the most raw combat potential of the three teams. Between that and your own capabilities, I imagine you will be fine."

"There will be nothing to worry about, Professor!" Pyrrha flashed a winning smile, and jogged over to join them.

"Regarding your team. Signum, you assured me earlier that you would be fit for combat?"

"I will be momentarily." Shamal moved to Signum's side, and she took Signum's arm in her hands. A green glow surrounded the limb, and after several long moments the healer let go. Signum flexed her fingers, then tore the wrapping away without fanfare. Underneath, her skin was pale but unblemished.

Glynda raised her eyebrows. "I hope you will not object to continuing to wear your sling for the next week or two, to keep up appearances."

"Of course."

"Very good. Teams, use your scrolls to remain in contact. First checkup is in one hour."


[ *** ]


"Okay, so! We're here to fight Grimm! Well. You're here to fight Grimm, and we're here to watch you which is boring but that's what Professor Goodwitch asked us to do so we're gonna do it! Aaaaand Professor Goodwitch showed us some of the footage of you all using your space magic to blow them up which is neat and all, but now you've gotta play with the ugly puppies like real huntresses!" Nora spun Magnhild in her hands, slamming it into the ground. "Which is awesome."

"So how do we find the squishy runts?" Vita hefted Graf Eisen, grinning. The red-haired Wolkenritter was wearing a full suit of red-enameled heavy plate, and the armed device had been modified to bear a single heavy striking surface, with a cluster of release vents on the back. She seemed eager to put it to use. A negligent motion of her hand tossed her lengthy single braid back over her shoulder.

"Simply put, they will find us. It shouldn't take very long." Ren flicked his wrists, popping StormFlower out of his sleeves.

Almost as if his words summoned them, the howls of beowolves reverberated through the trees. Nanoha lifted Raising Heart's rifle form, keeping her shield strapped to her back, and with her free hand gave her outfit a sharp tug-

Nora was in front of her, peering at her for a moment. "Hold on a minute! That… looks sort of like what Blake wears to bed. Did you just slap a breastplate over your jammies?"

Nanoha sputtered. "W-what? Mou, it's a combat yukata!"

"Looks like jammies to me!"

Nanoha couldn't refute the statement further because the first black wolf-beasts were breaking through the treeline. She sighted, and Raising Heart barked in her hands, the recoil pushing back against her shoulder as the Dust round spat out of the barrel. One of the beowolves stumbled and fell, black mist leaking from its chest. "Okay, team! Just like we practiced!"

Vita yelled in glee when she charged ahead, and her first swing crushed one of the beasts into a tree trunk. Arf moved up as well, whirling her fighting chain over her head and lashing out to snare black limbs, tearing loose swaths of fur and flesh and leaving the crippled beasts easy prey for Nanoha to finish off. Yuuno took position near her, and the only beowolf to slip past the forward assaulters found its bone mask rocketed out the back of its head by an aura-enhanced palm strike.

It made for a simple blooding, Nanoha thought. The four of them worked well together before coming to Remnant, and even with the new gear and style she found it easy to fall into the role of ranged support and sniper.

At Nora's insistence, though, she shifted Raising Heart into Naginata form and joined in the melee brawl, letting Arf take over at range. The familiar pulled a vial of Dust from her belt, and within moments crackling bolts of lightning were launching forth to electrocute the stragglers in the back.

I wonder how the other teams are doing.


[ *** ]


Zafira ejected the magazine from his rifle, pocketing it and sliding a new one into place with methodical precision. The bolt racked back with a satisfying clack at his touch, and he brought the weapon up to lance Dust rounds into the beowolf charging his position. The beast fell, and he put another round through its head before straightening. Don't lose focus.

He straightened, taking a moment to survey his team's progress. Signum was in front, working directly with their mistr- No, just Hayate for now - working with Hayate and giving her opportunity to practice with her massive two-handed sword. Hayate's hunting clothing emphasized mobility over defense, and resembled the undermost layer of her normal Knight's Clothing; a hip-length tunic with armored faulds and a few smaller plates in appropriate places. She was putting the speed offered by her lack of encumbrance to use, striving to keep up with the directions Signum was calling out.

A little closer to him, Fate was putting the hand cannon that was Bardiche to good effect, single heavy rounds blasting from the low barrel with thundercrack-like reports. Each shot put holes in the Grimm larger than his clenched fist, and twice he'd seen her shoot through the trunk of a tree to get a beowolf skulking behind it. She hadn't yet extended the weapon into scythe form, but Zafira figured she was already well practiced with that form of combat.

Beside him, Pyrrha stood ready and waiting, Milo's rifle form was cradled in her arms and Akouo slung over her back. Bright green eyes noticed his glance, and she couldn't help but grin a little. "It feels like there's nothing for me to do here. You all have this well in hand."

"We were already a well-oiled machine, Ms. Nikos. Even with new weapons, we have much experience in teamwork to fall back on." Zafira scanned the battlefield again, then pulled up his rifle and fired a half-dozen rounds at a flanking Grimm. Half missed their mark, but the creature snarled and retreated, mist leaking from its chest. "Curses. Finish that one, please."

"Gladly." Milo barked, and the wounded beowolf fell. "May I ask a question?"

"You may."

"You are a… a Guardian Beast, and you specialize in melee range combat. Why a rifle, and even more so a rifle with no alternative melee form?"

"Because I am not a leader by instinct, Ms. Nikos. I am accustomed to following commands, not issuing them. Were I to engage in my usual forms of combat, I would… fall into a routine, a comfort zone. I would focus too much on what was immediately around me. Forcing myself to use a ranged weapon puts me outside of that comfort zone, and makes me think about everything. It gives me the distance to see the entirety of the battlefield, which is paramount when I have people relying on me for guidance."

Pyrrha raised her eyebrows. "You put a lot of thought into this."

Zafira nodded. "Just because I have been placed in a role that I am not… bred for, does not mean I will give it anything less than my best."

A sound behind him made his ears twitch. Zafira dropped his rifle without hesitation, whirling and raising his arms. Metal-shod gauntlets caught the beowolf's claws palm-to-palm, and the beast roared, flecks of spittle splattering across his face. Zafira snarled in reply and pulled his arms out wide, driving his head forward and smashing his forehead into the surprised creature's mask when it stumbled toward him. The moment of stunned disorientation gave him the chance to grab its head in both hands, and he twisted.

Vertebrae shattered with a satisfying crunch, and he kicked the corpse away. Turning back to pick up his rifle, he noticed Pyrrha staring at him with raised eyebrows. Zafira cleared his throat. "Deception plays a role as well. If I appear to specialize in ranged combat, I will be underestimated."


[ *** ]


"Rifles, soften them up while they close in. Don't waste too much time on a single target, Shamal, you're point guard. I've got mid range."

"You got it!" Amy started firing controlled bursts, sending a trio of rounds into each target that presented itself. Beside her, Lindy was taking single aimed shots at the very back of the pack. The Dust propelled rounds were doing exactly as advertised, and a fair number of the black beasts fell to the leaf-strewn ground before they even made it to the blonde Wolkenritter.

Those that did found her to be a completely different beast. Shamal had chosen an outfit of smoothly fitted green leather, treated to a dull shine with liquid-resistant coatings. Klarer Wind now rested on every digit of her hands, as well as a pair of bracers that covered most of her forearms. Strung between the rings and bracers were almost invisible monofilament wires. The Knight of the Lake stood her ground, and as the first wave of beowolves closed in, she flung her hands out wide.

The first wave of Grimm fell to the ground in pieces. Only the faintest hints of dappled sunlight through the treetops overhead revealed the wires as they whipped around her and turned her into the center of a ten meter wide killzone.

The few Grimm that skirted around Shamal found themselves facing the barrel of Chrono's shotgun. He pulled the trigger, feeling the weapon slam back against his shoulder, and Dust-propelled pellets tore into bone faces and black torsos. "Amy, suppressive fire at two o'clock. Lindy, keep on the back."

It went like clockwork, like a training exercise straight out of the book. Then again, these are only beowolves. I couldn't have asked for a better situation to get Amy and mom used to real combat again. Truth be told, he was terrified. For all that she was military, Amy was a novice. Even on the Arthra, she'd been Lindy's aide, not even tasked with one of the ship's guns. But there she was, firing her rifle with more than a little enthusiasm.

Damn. I never realized how much she wanted to be part of the action. Here we are, boots on the ground and risking our lives, and she's happyto be here fighting next to me. It was a strange insight into the mind of his wife of three years and friend of ten.


[ *** ]


They'd argued about it a little. Well, he'd argued about it. She'd just rolled her eyes and blown a raspberry at him when he made his point. But she'd agreed that going through the maintenance tunnels was just asking to get caught. Because really, what kind of moron wouldn't think that the tunnels would be guarded?

Front door it was.

That is, front door after a few liberal applications of Lien to smooth things out and make the story solid.

Torchwick pulled the car to a stop in the parking area outside drydock office, opening the door and stepping out. On the other side, Neo climbed out as well, then reached into the back for the stack of flat boxes. Melodic Cudgel and his hat stayed in the car, and Torchwick resisted the urge to tug his coat into place.

Neo's illusions were pretty comprehensive, but sometimes they made the real clothing underneath bunch up uncomfortably.

Torchwick walked straight up to the front door, Neo following behind. The doors into the lobby were glass, and he could see someone sitting at the receptionist desk, feet kicked up while they read a magazine. He opened the door. "Delivery!"

That caught some attention. The man at the desk started, shooting to his feet. "Who the hell- we didn't order anything!"

Perfect grammar, but the accent... Torchwick had never heard it before in his life. Still, he swept on into the lobby, holding the door for Neo. "I got nine pizzas that say otherwise, sir. Three meat lovers, three veggie delights… not that I'd consider that delightful but who can account for taste? And three triple cheese supremes."

"Hold right there for a moment, please." The man grabbed a handset, holding it to his ear. "Ma'am. We've got a pile of pizzas in the lobby, delivery guy says they're for here. Did someone… no? Didn't think so."

While the man talked, Torchwick rocked from foot to foot, glancing about. One door in the back of the lobby, and there were a few cabinets in front of the partition windows that would look out over the hangar floor. More interestingly, what he could see of the windows themselves were blacked out. Well isn't that lovely. There's definitely something back there.

The man hung up. "We didn't order any pizzas. Are you sure you're at the right place, Mister?"

"Yeah, I got the order printout right here, see?" Torchwick swiped the sheet off the top box, ignoring Neo's martyred look at having to stand here holding the boxes. "See? Address, dock number, everything."

The guard, because that's what he had to be, stepped closer to take the sheet from him. There was a faint sound of footsteps behind the interior door. Backup's arrived. Sounds like three of them.

A frown creased the guard's features, and he pulled out his scroll to dial the delivery number. "Just a moment longer."

Torchwick nodded, taking a step back to give the guy room. Straight out of the script. I love it when a plan goes well.

"Hello, is this Taste of Vacuo delivery? Yeah, we've got one of your delivery guys here with a big order, but he's at the wrong place. Order form gives our address, but we never ordered anything… order number? Yeah, it's… two six four." A moment passed. "Really? Doesn't that figure. Okay, thank you. No, I wouldn't like to order anything. Thank you. Thank you. Goo- Thank you. Goodbye."

"What, did they send me to the wrong joint?" Torchwick put just a little bit of testiness in his tone, enough to sound like he was properly aggravated at idiot management.

"Yeah, the sheet printed out wrong. They said you're supposed to be going to Drydock Sixteen, not Six. About a mile that way, keep following the road."

"Fuck! I told them to get that stupid printer fixed, and I'm gonna have to hear them bitch when I get there because I'm late." Torchwick exchanged a suffering sigh with Neo. "This happened a couple months ago, and you know what they told me? 'The only thing worse than late pizza is cold pizza, and you just brought us both.' Didn't even tip."

"...sorry to hear that? You should probably get going, then."

"Yeah, yeah… shit. Tell you what. They're just gonna make me head back to the shop and have them make new ones anyways, so here you go."

Neo scooted forward, dropping the stack of boxes on the desk. The guard blinked, surprised. "Uh. Thank you, I guess."

"No sweat off my back. At least they won't be wasted." Torchwick opened the door, and Neo slipped out. "Have a good day, sir. Sorry about the mix up."

He kept up a running monologue as they walked back to the car, bitching about stupid managers and that broken damned printer until they were driving away. It wasn't until they turned the first corner out of sight that Torchwick stopped, and let himself start laughing.

If, by chance, the people at the hangar followed up on that 'mistake', they'd find that Sixteen's staff did order a stack of pizzas. Torchwick had a friend there and had slipped him enough Lien to make it happen. The pile of boxes Neo had been carrying had been ordered from another store, which they'd picked up in person and under a different illusion. It had been child's play to doctor up a delivery sheet to match the one going to the other dock.

"Well that went flawlessly."

Neo rolled her eyes but smiled. The illusion of a blonde and black-haired delivery pair shattered away from the both of them, and she let out a small breath.

"So, what did we learn? First, security's tight. We got in the door, but their response time was seconds for an 'honest accident' where no one was put in any danger. Three additional security in short notice."

Neo wavered a hand, drawing down one corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, and we have no clue how competent they are in a fight. No matter, we're not going to try to bash our way in." Roman held out his hand, and a moment later a lit cigar was placed in it. He took a puff, considering. "Think you can sneak in there?"

Neo snorted.

"Worst case scenario, and it's got huntsmen inside?"

Neo tilted her head, thinking for a moment. She gave a slow nod.

"Yeah. Careful is fine. We're just scouting it out. Tonight?"


[ *** ]


Zafira lowered his rifle, shaking his head. Fate took the moment to reload, dumping a quintet of empty shells as wide as her thumb to the forest floor. Hayate had Schwertkreuz skewered tip first into the ground and was leaning on the pommel, watching the action with a silly grin on her face.

The guardian beast sighed. "...they're having a kill count competition."

"Yup."

"They aren't leaving anything for us to practice on."

"Yup!"

"You don't care at all, do you."

"Nope! If there's one thing I've learned from Professor Port's class this week, it's that there will always be more Grimm." Hayate grinned at him, then turned her attention back to the show just as a particularly large ursa collapsed to the ground. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted teasingly. "That still only counts as one!"


[ *** ]


The deathstalker, while unexpected, had not caught Team NAVY unawares. They scattered like a shoal of fish when it barreled through the trees, surrounding the massive Grimm scorpion and counterattacking from all sides. Vita stood in front to catch its attention, shouting obscenities and meeting the swiping claws with Dust-enhanced blows from Graf Eisen. Arf circled around behind, looping her chain around the deathstalker's tail and digging her heels in for all she was worth.

With the deathstalker's most dangerous weapons engaged, Nanoha and Yuuno ducked underneath its carapace. Raising Heart's cutting edge wasn't well suited for penetrating the Grimm's bony armor, but Yuuno's Aura-enhanced blows cracked through the plates for her, exposing black flesh to her slashing strikes. It only took a few moments longer for the monster to sink to the ground, and the two rolled clear.

Team NAVY regrouped, giving the corpse a fair distance. Arf looped her chain around her armored forearm, grinning toothily. "So that was a thing. Last time I saw one of those, Vita was gigant crushing it against the side of the Arthra. This took a little longer."

"Yeah, well. Gotta play nice with the locals now." Vita replaced the heavy magazine of Dust charges in the back of her hammer, giving it a test swing. "I gotta admit that they make pretty good with what they got to work with, though."

As if to punctuate her statement, an explosion of Dust behind them blew leaves and small twigs across the forest floor. They turned around to see Nora shaking her finger at them, Magnhild buried half a foot deep right between the Grimm's eyes. "You weren't paying attention, kids!"

Nanoha blinked. "...was that really necessary, Nora?"

Nora pulled Magnhild loose, then paused and looked at the broken shell of the scorpion. The hammer came down again.

Then again. When she pulled it loose the last time, soupy black steam started leaking from the creature's joints and wounds. "Yes it was necessary! Grimm hunting 101, kids! If the body's still there, it ain't dead yet!"


[ *** ]


"Mr. Harlaown, are you… taking inventory?"

"Yes, ma'am. Dust rounds expended during the action, usage of Dust powders, logging time use on equipment to track wear and tear. Granted, S2U and the other devices will be able to maintain themselves, but Dust still costs money."

"Hm." Glynda raised her eyebrows. "Normally we leave that to the accountants at Beacon. Commendable of you, though, for first year students." She paused. "But this is not the first year student in you at all, I am sure."

"No, ma'am. The items on the sheet have changed compared to what I'm used to, but the reason is the same." He went through the list one more time, then scrawled his signature with his fingertip and saved the document. "Tactics and strategy are necessary to win battles and to know which battles to fight, but logistics is what wins or loses wars."

"Well said, Mr. Harlaown."

"Any word from the other teams, ma'am?"

"They'll be along shortly. NAVY apparently ran into a deathstalker but had little issue in dealing with it, and ZFSH is delayed because of… competitive nature."

Competitive nature? That made Chrono raise his head, and he looked at her quizzically. "Do I even want to know?"

Glynda sighed, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "Ms. Nikos and Signum refuse to leave the forest until one of them has three more kills than the other."

"Oh, for-" Chrono cut off, dialing his scroll and holding it to his ear. "Zafira? Tell Signum to pack it in."

"I already asked her once, and-"

Chrono cut him off. "Zafira. Who's team leader over there?"

"...your point is taken."

"Good. We've been out here all day. We want to go home, or at least to the closest approximation thereof."

"We will be along shortly."

"All right. See you soon." Chrono cut the connection, shaking his head.

"Command trouble?"

"It's like herding cats sometimes, ma'a-" Chrono cut off, blinking. He looked up at the professor again. "...that's probably an idiom I should be careful about using around the wrong people, isn't it?"

Glynda looked at least a little amused. "While it's not a phrase I've ever heard before… yes. I wouldn't use it in public."

"Noted. Ah, good. There's NAVY now."

It only took another fifteen minutes for ZFSH to rejoin them, and they piled onto the bullhead eagerly.


[ *** ]


Ruby burst into the dorm room, scattering petals everywhere. "Mail's here!" She tossed a letter to Weiss with a flick of her wrist.

Blake's eyes widened in surprise when the next letter spun through the air toward her. She caught it reflexively, looking over the envelope. No return address, but specifically addressed to her name. "...what is this?"

No one heard her quiet words. Glancing up, she saw Weiss already engrossed in reading her own letter, and Ruby and Yang were standing next to each other, reading their mail together. Blake looked down to hers, frowning. Who would mail me… anything? She tore the envelope open with some trepidation, and slid the folded sheet of paper inside free.


Blake Belladonna,

It is our hope that this letter finds you well. It is also our hope that your enrollment in Beacon to become a huntress is legitimate, and that you have removed yourself from the increasingly violent path of the White Fang.

It is in this hope that we contact you and ask you to bring this letter to Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy, as we wish to open communications with the huntsmen academies. Our interest and goal is the full and equal rights of faunuskind in the four kingdoms to humankind; no more and no less. Included with this letter is a single contact number, for the use of Headmaster Ozpin only to reach us in the interests of mutual understanding and cooperation.


By the end of the letter, Blake's hands were shaking. Only one coherent thought remained in her head, rebounding back and forth off the inside of her skull; They found me. They found me, they know who I am. They know where I am.

She didn't realize the room had gone silent until Weiss' hand touched her arm. "Blake? Are you okay?"

She didn't respond, other than to gulp down a breath of air. Weiss glanced down at the letter, and plucked it gently from Blake's hands.

She didn't immediately bring it up to read, though, instead waiting to see if Blake would stop her. They're… they're my team. My team needs to know. Blake swallowed, then nodded.

Weiss read the letter, eyes flicking back and forth over the lines of text. Her face didn't change at all from being perfectly composed, and when she finished she tilted her head and thought for a long moment. Ruby and Yang were both watching and waiting.

Finally, the heiress spoke. "I have to say I'm impressed. Whoever wrote this knew exactly what they were doing."

The calmnessto her tone finally tore Blake's attention away from the words bouncing through her thoughts. "W-what do you mean? They know where I am!"

"They didn't threaten you, did they?" Weiss passed the letter to Ruby, then put her hands on her hips. "They didn't threaten you, they didn't try to blackmail you. All they did was ask you to take this to Ozpin."

"B-but then he'll know I used to be-"

"Blake, do you really, honestly think he doesn't know?"

That stopped her thoughts cold. After a moment, she felt her cheeks heat. "...you're… you're right. He knows. After the last time we fought Torchwick, he said it to me as clearly as possible without flat out saying the words 'White Fang'."

"Right. So my question is, are these people trying to hurt you? I don't think they are." Weiss nodded to the letter. "They're accomplishing multiple things, really. Bringing this letter to Ozpin doesn't hurt you at all. If, if you were a White Fang operative, which we all know you aren't, then doing that would bring more attention and scrutiny on you, which would weaken your position.. Since you're not a White Fang operative, bringing the letter to Ozpin only strengthens your position, and gives whoever these people are a chance to talk to the headmaster directly. It's a win-win situation for them. Masterfully done in so few words, really."

Weiss' matter-of-fact tone did a lot to help her calm down. Blake held out her hand, and Ruby gave her back the letter so she could read it again. "...it really does seem that simple. I guess we can just… take this to the headmaster." She glanced at the clock. "Tomorrow, at least."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 16 - Blown Cover​

Coffee, coffee, coffee… oh come on, I work in a damned coffee house. I'd have brought my own if- Ah ha!

Kasta grabbed the bag of dark roast from the back of the cupboard, sighing in relief. She'd drawn the short straw on the late shift, and had a long night to look forward to monitoring the transmitter's feed, and a steady drip of caffeine would go a long way to keeping her awake and alert.

Their Beacon contact had managed to get the tiny camera device in position earlier in the day, when the dorms were empty of students. Kasta sat down to look at the fish-eye view on her propped-up scroll. All said and done, the room was rather sparse. Four beds with neatly folded covers were lined up along the back wall, and the room's single desk had multiple copies of different textbooks lining the small shelves. If not for the quartet of Beacon-issue backpacks sitting near the closed dressers, she'd have thought the room was completely unoccupied.

Who knows when they're even going to be getting back in. What do Beacon students even do on the weekend? The lifestyles of huntsman and huntress trainees had been a common topic of conversation when she was younger; what were fantastical stories of heroes fighting monsters slowly evolved to gossip about their supposed leisure activities, to hushed whispers about what they could be doing behind Beacon's closed doors, growing in both complexity and salaciousness as Kasta and her peers got older . They were a completely different kind of elite from society's upper crust, but they were elite nonetheless.

Kasta gave her head a shake, reaching up to scratch irritably behind her horns. Stop it. It's just a college. She breathed out her sigh over her mug of coffee, taking a sip and settling in to wait. An hour later and she was already feeling herself start to flag from exhaustion, despite the coffee. She felt her eyes drift shut, and started to slump forward in her sea-

Slam! The electronically reported sound of a door shutting shocked her awake, and she almost knocked over her mug. There were three people in the camera's wide-angle field of view; a tiny short-haired brunette, a somewhat taller brunette with longish hair in a ponytail, and the blonde from the coffee shop. They were chattering back and forth easily, obviously happy about the day's events.

The tiny brunette was doing a fair amount of the talking. "I have to say I'm really liking Schwertkruez's sword form. It's as much fun as I was hoping it would be!"

The blonde had stopped at one of the beds, and was reading from her scroll, but she sent the bubbly brunette a quick smile.

"People are gonna wonder if you're trying to compensate for something, Hayate-chan." The other brunette grinned teasingly at her. "Raising Heart did wonderfully as well. Amy says she'll do an analysis of the sof- Fate-chan! W-what are you-"

The blonde - Fate-chan, apparently. I'm getting names!- had dropped her scroll on her bed and hugged the other brunette from behind, nuzzling her hair aside and kissing the back of her neck. "I'm in the mood for something sweet, Nanoha." Her hands slid up Nanoha's front, underneath the breastplate that sat over the rest of her outfit.

The brunette stiffened a little in surprise, then visibly melted when the blonde bit the back of her neck. The other one - Hayate-chan -tilted her head, then gave them both a lopsided grin. "Find a room, you two."

The blonde responded by shrugging out of her black overcoat, tossing it haphazardly aside. Kasta jerked back reflexively when the coat landed over the tiny camera, obscuring the view. Sound was slightly muffled, but still clear enough to easily understand. "This is my room, Hayate. You're welcome to stay, though."

A lewd moan filtered through her scroll's speakers. Kasta felt her cheeks burn just from hearing it. Oh my gosh, they're true. The stories are true. The sounds of more fabric hitting the floor was interspersed by groans and giggles, and then the sound of bedsprings. More laughter, and a sharp, muffled cry.

Kasta honestly didn't know what to do. Xerxes had told her that any information was useful, but she couldn't help but feel dirty eavesdropping on such a… private moment. Th-they won't do this all night, surely! I'll just… turn it down low so I can hear if they start talking about something important!

She already had their names, at least. Kasta reached for her scroll to adjust the volume, then yanked it back as if bitten when one of the girls, she wasn't sure who, cried out faster! Kasta glanced over her shoulder guiltily, then reminded herself she was the only person in the small safehouse, and would be until morning. This is going to be such a long night.


[ *** ]


"Here's Rosen back, Lieutenant Lockheed, with the chief's compliments. Hardware installation went without a hitch, and the firing range is set up. We're ready for test firing when you are."

"Thank you." Sentra Lockheed took the offered storage form of her device, holding the small tuning fork-like shape up to eye level for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

"Operational."

"Good. Rosen, set up. Staff mode."

"Core Interlink online." The device flashed in her hand, forming into the bulky staff that was its midrange configuration. "Interference Display online."

A visor phased into place over Sentra's eyes, and tiny lines of text started scrolling in the periphery of her vision; positional data, estimations of ambient mana concentrations, and more. "This may take a little getting used to. I can turn it off, right?" She turned her head, and watched the numbers shift.

"Yes, ma'am. The chief recommends you keep it active and get accustomed to it, though."

"Yeah, I get it. Firing range it is."

The firing range was set up in the main hangar, underneath the looming superstructure of the Arthraherself. Sentra took position at one end as a series of targets were moved into place, and she raised Rosen into a ready position. A few moments later, the all-clear was given. "Lieutenant Lockheed commencing test of compensation hardware iteration Two B."

The visor's HUD altered as she started charging her spell, and a small host of tiny percentages overlaid her vision, showing firing arcs and interference factors. She took the moment to sort through them, and picked the trajectory necessary to hit her target dead center, over a hundred feet distant. Interference will cause a seven degree shift left of center at this range… aim right to compensa-

Even as she adjusted her aim, a set of concentric targeting rings showed her exactly where to point. Well that's convenient. I owe the chief a beer. "Firing in five. Four. Three. Two. One." The purple bolt leapt forth, and as predicted, curved through the local interference and smashed into the target. Not quite dead center like she wanted, but more than close enough. "Hit. Moving to next firing position."

The live-fire experiments went on for a several hours, well into the night. The firing area was only so large, even if they swapped ends, and there was no way to test the sheer number of possible variables that Remnant's mana interference could cause, but it was enough to prove that the new software and hardware worked at least a little bit. Two weeks total time to produce a working prototype was actually phenomenal, given the paltry conditions of their available R&D facilities.

Sentra hefted Rosen's cannon mode, squinting at the impromptu bombardment target; the engineers had set up a salvaged hull plate from the Arthra itself, which was more than resilient enough to handle a low power buster from her device. She nodded in satisfaction, then gave the engineering chief a thumbs up. "Channeling is still a bit thready and I can't stop the beam from diffusing, but at least I can tell where I'm going to shoot again. Nicely done, Chief."

The engineering team members started exchanging high fives, and the chief nodded. "Thanks for being our guinea pig, Lieutenant. We'll start installing the new hardware into the rest of Beta's devices tomorrow. Alpha will get their upgrades… hm. Either they can come here, or we'll send the parts to Beacon and let them do it. Anyways, we're done for the night."

"I'm turning in, then. Second squad has the patrol for the night." Sentra nodded to the engineer, then turned toward the hangar's office-barracks. Rosen flashed in her hand, and she settled the device's storage form around her neck.

The washrooms were a simple affair. What had been basic bathrooms had been expanded on, walls knocked out where necessary to make room for a trio of shower spigots at one end of each room. They were segregated by gender, but otherwise the facilities were quite spartan. Not that the washrooms in the Arthra had been much better, Sentra thought.

She folded her duty uniform and placed it on a bench, then stepped under the spray. Quick, mechanical motions, to lather and rinse her hair. I don't know how Testarossa can deal with having hair as long as hers. It's got to get in the w-

Glass shattered with a tinkling crack behind her. Sentra hadn't even heard the door open. "Fuck's sake, did you break the mirror?" She turned around, wiping the last of the suds from her face, and opened her eyes.

She blinked, meeting the pink and brown gaze of a tiny slip of a girl with long hair that sported the same mix of color. The girl looked just as surprised to see Sentra as she felt to see her.

Sentra slowly reached up toward Rosen's storage form where it rested around her neck. The local language took a moment for her to bring to the fore. "...are you supposed to be here, little girl?"

The girl took one deliberate step back, features twisting into a grimace. A knee-high boot's heel clacked on the tiled floor. The girl slowly lowered her parasol, pointing it at Sentra.

That was all she needed to see. Sentra grabbed her device. "Rosen! Set up!"


[ *** ]


This is not a toilet stall. This is a barracks shower.

A voice behind her, babbling words in a language she'd never heard before. Complete with shower-er. Neo turned around and found herself meeting the confused, golden-eyed stare of a dripping, raven-haired woman, And who, from the looks of her biceps and abs, was no slouchy civilian.

Thankfully, the witness was also naked, which meant that eliminating her would be as simple as slipping her blade between her ribs.

The woman didn't cower away, and one hand was sliding up toward the necklace she was wearing. "...are you supposed to be here, little girl?" Her accent was atrocious.

Neo took a step back, planting her foot squarely behind her. Fucking renovators didn't update the floor plans. This shouldn't have been a problem. She tensed, bringing her parasol in line with the woman's chest. The black-haired woman shouted something as Neo lunged.

The hidden blade popped out of the tip of the parasol, but right before it pierced skin there was a blinding flash of bright purple light. Neo felt the blade skip off a wall like steel, jarring her arm. Fuck! How the hell did I miss?

Her vision was still blurry from the flash, but the glow of an activating semblance was still more than obvious. Neo threw herself down just before hell itself howled through where she'd been, louder and more energetic than anything she'd ever heard in her life. She blinked the last of the fuzziness from her eyes and looked up.

The woman wasn't naked anymore. She was wearing black over dark blue, a longcoat with hemisphere-like devices on the shoulders, over fatigue-like trousers and heavy combat boots. She was also dry, head to toe, and the water still spraying down from the spigot overhead was bouncing off of her head and shoulders like she was coated in plastic. Most importantly, and most telling, she was completely unscathed. There wasn't even a scratch on the black fabric of her overcoat where it had stopped Neo's blade.

All that was secondary, though, because of what she was holding. A three foot long split-barreled cannon was hefted in her hands, one clamped down on a grip over the weapon's body and the other holding the back. Purple lightning streamers crackled between the left and right halves of the barrel. Neo could smell ozone, sharp and tangy.

Neo threw a glance behind her, and saw that the row of toilets at the other end of the room was gone. In its place was a curved trench a foot deep, leading to and going through a hole in the back wall bigger than she was. Her eyes widened, and she tore her gaze back toward the woman.

The weapon was swinging around to point at her again. Neo swung her foot desperately, catching the woman behind the knee and knocking her off balance. The black haired gunner swore, stumbling to catch herself, and Neo took the chance to run, straight out the hole carved through the back wall. The blueprints said this should be the main hangar out here! More room to run, more room to hide, more primary objectives to see. Neo expanded her parasol, swinging it up over her head and keeping it close.

More shouting behind her. Alarms were already blaring, and she could see why; the trench carved by whatever hell the woman had unleashed went halfway across the hangar floor.

She heard Roman through the tiny earbud she was wearing. "Neo, the guy in the lobby just went on full alert. I think they know you're inside."

No shit, Roman. A tingle at the back of her neck made Neo dive and roll to the side, and a trio of green spheres, each the size of her clenched fist, detonated against the floor and cracked the concrete. Fuck!

She rolled back to her feet, dodging another barrage of exploding spheres, and then stumbled again when a wave swept through her. She felt a tugging sensation in her chest, a stretching. The whole world changed color, every surface and object and even the air tingeing green. The sirens cut off at the same time. This is bad!

Whatever the weird shifting was, it was obviously a signal of some form. Different colored rays of light of burned down from the sky around her, scoring into the poured concrete floor and detonating, throwing her through the air. Neo tucked and rolled with the landing, and lurched to her feet just in time for her world to wash away in purple. The energy tore into her Aura with abandon, grinding her down into the floor. Neo reached out desperately and shattered.

The world fell away in pieces, replaced by the back of a wooden crate. Neo gasped for air, trying to get her breath back. The shouts and exclamations of soldiers echoed strangely through the air, indecipherable in their alienness. Neo slipped a small mirror from her pocket, and slid it around the edge of the crate.

W-what the shit? What the shit is this? They're flying. How are they FLYING? It was her first real chance to actually take a look at her opposition, and she could see six people hovering in the air, including the raven-haired gunner from the showers. They were just starting to spread out from the crater in the ground Neo had escaped from, searching.

Above and beyond them, the hulk of a giant ship was held in place by repair cranes and clamps. The once-silvery hull was pitted and scored by heat and battle, but the general shape of the vessel was still apparent. That's not any airship I've ever seen.

She took as long as she dared to look at the ship and the six flying guards, memorizing everything about their uniforms that she could. She grabbed the pieces from her sight, threading them together with painstaking detail, and slipped the image around her own form.

She felt her Aura thrum, and without hesitating shattered the world again, just in time to watch from afar as the crate she'd been hiding behind disappeared under a concentrated barrage of light, along with ten yards of surrounding floor. What the FUCK! These people are insane!

Three of the flyers turns and fired a barrage into another stack of crates, to similar results as before. They're going to flatten the whole place looking for me… they didn't know where I was the last time! Neo glanced down at her mimicked clothing, and bit her lip. She broke from cover, moving with haste but not with panic, heading back toward the interior offices.

She actually made it without getting blasted, but she heard several more detonations behind her. Ducking through a door, she nearly ran into a seventh longcoated soldier. The man was standing with a strange staff held vertically in his hands, and beneath him was a glowing green circle filled with complicated runes. The man's eyes widened when he saw her.

Neo dashed forward, slamming her shoulder into the man's gut with all the force her petite frame could put behind it. He stumbled back, and the green circle under him vanished. Neo felt the tug in her chest relax suddenly, like a rubber band snapping. She hooked her parasol behind his knee, levering his leg up and toppling him over, throwing him to the ground.

The man's head whacked against the floor hard enough to crack the concrete, and he let out a disoriented groan. Neo jumped over his body and dashed through the hallway to the next door. She threw it open.

"Halt right there!" Neo gaped; confronting her was a flying doll with white hair, wearing a stylish white coat. The little doll's hands flashed and a glowing white triangle formed under her feet, and Neo felt ice harden around her limbs. She managed to yank her left foot and arm free in time, but her right foot was stuck to the ground and her right hand was bound to the frame of the door. Her parasol hung limply in her grip, useless.

The doll-girl floated just out of grabbing range, and she said something in that strange language, looking at a tiny holographic window that had appeared next to her. Neo saw the chance that the moment of distraction gave her and took it. She contorted, twisting enough that her bound arm popped painfully, but her free foot came around and caught the floating doll right in the chest with the heel of her boot.

The doll let out an 'oof!' as the breath was blasted from her, thrown across the room by the impact and into a standing cabinet. The stack of boxes on top teetered and fell, burying her in cardboard and files. The ice around Neo's limbs vanished, and she took off at a run. I just need to get to the exterior wall!

A voice behind her shouted for her to stop. Neo risked a glance over her shoulder and saw the gunner again, except she was holding a heavy staff now. Three balls of violet light circled the weapon's head once, then screamed through the air toward her, one after the other.

The first one caught her in the small of her back, making her stumble. The second caught her right knee, throwing her off her stride. Neo put everything her flagging Aura had left into her left leg, and made one last, desperate leap toward the far wall. The last ball of light was almost to her, she knew, and she didn't have any more time.

Neo reached out with her semblance one last time, grabbing everything in her way and shattering-


[ *** ]


How are they still moving?

Kasta slumped in front of the desk, face cradled in her palms, as anothergiggling moan issued through her scroll's speakers. The trio had been at it for hours. Hours. Small breaks were had as two of them murmured sweet nothings to each other, and sometimes the shorter brunette's voice would throw in off-color commentary; some of the statements were raunchy enough to make Kasta's ears burn all over again. Sometimes they almost started talking about things that may have been relevant, and more than once she'd grabbed hastily for her pen at the mention of Grimm, or classes, or a given teacher's name.

But no. It always devolved into more giggles, more moans, more huskily whispered commands. It's three in the fucking morning! How are they still awake?!

A loud, whimpering squeal sounded through her scroll. It didn't even surprise her anymore, but she knew her face was beet red under her hands. Kasta grabbed for her mug, hastily gulping down the cold dregs of her fifth cup of coffee. I just want to sleep but I know what I'll dream. Damn you, Xerxes. You OWE me for this.

Kasta looked down into her empty mug, cheeks flaring again at yet more sounds of enjoyment. She sighed, getting to her feet and moving toward the tiny kitchenette.

She grabbed the coffee pot and poured, then walked back to the desk.

The door exploded open, slamming against the wall with a gunshot-like crack. Kasta screamed in surprise, dropping her mug and and spinning around.

Before Kasta could even react, three figures surged into the room, weapons raised and pointed. The one in front bellowed at her. "Down on the floor!"

Behind her, the scroll issued forth again. "Oh, Fate-chan! Not on the floor!"


[ *** ]


"Dammit! Shit!" Sentra slammed her fist into the wall, cursing again and again.

"Lieutenant Lockheed, please calm down!" Reinforce Zwei hovered by her shoulder, holding a tiny icepack to her head.

"She got away, Sergeant! We just suffered a kilometer wide security breach!"

"Lieutenant Lockheed, you did everything by the book. Beta's reaction time was flawless, and Lieutenant Galant's phase barrier was up in record time, not even accounting for the interference effect." Reinforce Zwei pouted, wincing when she put a little too much pressure on the bump on her head. "No one expected a Remnant native to be capable of illusion and teleportation."

"I should have had her, Sergeant. I should have just cast a bind instead of going for the knockout shot."

"A bind which in all likelihood would have missed. They're trickier spells than busters or bolts, and Aura-empowered individuals have already proven capable of breaking free of them. You made the right call, Lieutenant." Reinforce sighed, bringing up a holo-window with her free hand. "But you can help me tell Admiral Harlaown the bad news if that'll make you feel better."


[ *** ]


Ozpin sipped his first coffee of the day, looking down from on high over Beacon's campus. The sun was a bright gold disk, pouring its light down on the classroom buildings and dormitory structures. Six thirty in the morning wasn't early at all for him.

It was, however, very early to have a student team requesting a meeting with him. Especially on a Sunday. Doubly so because it was Team RWBY; normally the quartet of eccentric first years would sleep until noon. That as much as any other reason was enough for Ozpin to reply to the texted request with an affirmation, and now he was waiting for their arrival.

There was a hesitant tapping on his door. And there they are. Ozpin settled himself behind his desk, leaning his cane within easy reach, then cleared his throat. "Enter."

The door opened, and Team RWBY filtered into the room, apprehension on their faces. "Come now, students. You asked for this meeting, after all. There is nothing wrong." Ozpin paused, deliberately sipping his coffee again. "Unless of course you are here to tell me something is wrong."

"Er." Ruby Rose fidgeted in place. "Thank you for seeing us so early, Headmaster Ozpin."

"It is no problem. How may I help you four?"

The girls exchanged a few glances, and Blake Belladonna stepped forward, a folded sheet of paper between her hands.. "Headmaster… a few months ago, you told me that if I ever needed to talk to you, that I shouldn't hesitate to ask."

The night of the robbery. "I meant what I said, Ms. Belladonna."

The faunus girl nodded, and she held out the paper. "I… I received a letter yesterday. I'm… giving it to you in good faith, Headmaster. I don't… have anything to hide. Not from my team, and not from you."

Ozpin leaned forward and took the letter from her hands. He flipped it open, letting his eyes flow across the printed text. He felt a small amount of surprise to find his suspicions about her confirmed, but he kept the feeling from showing on his face. "Well. This is rather intriguing. Thank you, Ms. Belladonna, both for bringing this to my attention and for being so forthright with me."

Blake didn't reply, expression tightly controlled. Yang put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze, and the girl started. "I… you're welcome, Headmaster."

Ozpin nodded, and set the letter down on his desk. "I assume that the content of this letter has been shared between the four of you, yes?" He received a few nods in confirmation. "Then we may speak freely. According to this letter, you have been singled out and contacted specifically because of your previous affiliation with the White Fang, by another, possibly new group of faunus rights activists. In doing so, they are testing the change of ideology that you are supposedly showing by attending a huntsman academy by asking you to put them in contact with me."

Blake opened her mouth, but Ozpin held up a hand. "I am not questioning your loyalties, Ms. Belladonna. Your actions since coming to Beacon speak for you, and I will openly say that I am fully convinced of your efforts to put your past behind you. The only issue at hand, in my opinion, is this group that contacted you."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Then I believe the simplest method by which to determine their intentions is to reach out to them in good faith, using the method that they have provided. Are we agreed?"

The faunus girl pursed her lips, then nodded. "I believe we are."

Ozpin nodded, reaching for his scroll. Before he could pick it up, though, there was a loud knocking on his door. He sighed, pressing the intercom button on his desk. "Yes?"

"Package for you, sir!" Hayate Yagami's cheerful voice piped through the speaker.

"I am in the middle of a meeting with Team RWBY, Ms. Yagami. Can it wait?"

"Nooooot really! The package is starting to wake up!"

What. Ozpin tilted his head, then glanced at the students already in his office. He lifted his finger from the intercom. "...do you four mind if I see what this is about?"

The members of Team RWBY shook their heads, and filed off to stand to the side. Ozpin pressed the intercom again. "...enter, Ms. Yagami."

The door slid open again, and Ozpin raised his eyebrows. Hayate nearly skipped in, satisfaction dripping from her smile. Nanoha Takamachi and Fate T. Harlaown bustled through behind her, holding each end of a large dufflebag. A large, struggling dufflebag. The shorter brunette sketched a playful salute. "Someone to speak with you, Headmaster!"

The other two set down the bag, and Nanoha zipped it open. Fate reached in and hauled a disheveled and bound faunus girl to her feet. She was tall and lithe, with short brown hair and a pair of tapering horns rising up from just behind her hairline. There was a strip of duct tape across her mouth, and she was blindfolded.

She looked terrified. Ozpin stared, then forced himself to count to three before standing. He frowned. The members of Team RWBY looked confused, and Ruby raised a hand. Ozpin made a slashing motion, keeping her quiet. "May I ask what the meaning of this is?"

"Yes, Headmaster." Fate kept a hand on the girl's shoulder, and none of the amusement present in Hayate's demeanor was apparent in her red eyes. "When we got back to the dorms last night after our training mission in the Emerald Forest, I discovered that my team's room had been bugged with an audio/visual device. We traced the signal and found this individual listening to the feed."

As soon as the word bugged was mentioned, the faunus girl went completely still. Ozpin's frown deepened. "There are procedures in place for this kind of situation, Ms. Harlaown."

"With all due respect, Headmaster, your procedures do not take into account all factors of the current situation." Fate's expression was uncompromising, and both of her friends nodded seriously.

Damnation. She's right. But in protecting their own interests, they committed an unlawful capture of the suspect, without a warrant or any due process. Ozpin raised one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, then pushed his glasses back up his nose. He sat down, gesturing toward the girl. "Well. Let's hear what she has to say, then. Sit her down, please."

Nanoha guided the faunus forward, not too roughly but not kindly, and sat her down in the chair before Ozpin's desk. She gestured to the blindfold, raising an eyebrow, and untied it when Ozpin nodded. The tape came next, eliciting a yelp from the girl. "Ow!"

When she finished blinking away the tears and focused, Ozpin already had his hands folded in front of him, watching her steadily. She saw him and stiffened, then glanced around to confirm where she was. "A-ah, ah, uhm! I… I don't…"

"Calmly, dear. Take a few breaths, please." Ozpin waited while she did so, gulping down a few lungfuls of air, and visibly tried to steady herself. "Now then. Would you please tell me why you found it necessary to invade the privacy of some of my students' personal lives?"

She shook her head. "I d-don't know what you're talking about, I-"

Hayate let out a tsk, holding up a scroll and tabbing a button. Nanoha's voice squeaked out of the speaker. "H-hayate-chan! Someone will hear- A-ah!" The faunus girl blushed deeply, letting out an embarrassed whimper. Off to the side, Ruby herself rapidly turned the same color as her cloak, and Yang let out a low whistle.

How did they manage that? Ozpin cleared his throat. "...would you care to try again, Ms….?"

The girl lowered her head, raising bound hands to scratch at the base of her narrow, ribbed horns. "I'm… Kasta. Kasta Kazella. It's- It's really not what it sounds like!"

"I should hope so, Ms. Kazella, because right now it sounds like you were listening to my students, hoping for cheap thrills. Please, I urge you to tell me why this is not the case." He sipped his coffee, then set the mug down. "And do tell the truth, I insist."


[ *** ]


Bzzt.

Bzzt.

Richard glanced over and saw that it was his extra scroll ringing, and his eyebrows rose. Huh. I didn't expect her to get to him that quickly. It's Sunday. He snatched it up, accepting the call. "Is this Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy?"

"This is indeed. You are Richard Xerxes, and you wished to speak with me."

Richard's blood ran cold. How the hell did he find that out so quickly? He'd planned on being forthright about his identity once they'd started talking, but to have himself outed so quickly… "How did you-"

"I learned your identity from an acquaintance of yours; Ms. Kasta Kazella. I assure you she is unharmed, and we just had the most enlightening conversation. I find myself in an interesting position, you understand."

For a moment, Richard was without words. Fuck. How did she get compromised? I told her I'd keep her out of danger. "I see, Headmaster Ozpin. What are your terms for her release?"

"You misunderstand. I have no terms for her release, Mr. Xerxes. She will be free to go when you and I have finished this conversation, as a gesture of good faith. However, that is another point, and we will revisit it. The matter currently at hand is the letter that was delivered to me by my student, Blake Belladonna. You wished to speak with me. What are your intentions, Mr. Xerxes?"

Richard allowed himself a tiny breath. Not quite of relief, but the tension gripping his gut eased ever so slightly. He's willing to listen. "Headmaster Ozpin, I speak for a new movement for the equal rights and treatment of faunuskind. For years now, the White Fang has been the only face that the public sees. We want to change that."

"People have tried before, Mr. Xerxes. People have tried and failed, because the White Fang itself sabotages any attempt to undermine what they view as their authority. What will make your movement different? What will make your movement succeed?"

This is it. "The White Fang no longer wants equality; they want to drive humankind under their heel, to elevate themselves above their supposed oppressors. They are trying to start a war. We intend to fight them. We will fight them in the public eye, showing the world that the White Fang does not represent faunus interests around Remnant. We will fight them in the shadows where they hide, exposing them for all to see. We want to show the world that we are willing to police ourselves, in the interests of equality and mutual understanding."

"Ambitious. Then please explain, why did you reach out to me specifically? Why did you not reach out to the Vale council?"

"Because we need the support of the Huntsman Academies, Headmaster. The academies train the protectors of the world, without allegiance to any kingdom. Huntsmen and huntresses travel the width and breadth of Remnant, caring not for borders or kingdom. They are a universal symbol of civilization, and the support of the Academies would give us legitimacy that a kingdom could not. That is why I reached out to you, Headmaster. For your support, and for you to mediate with the other academies for us."

"I see. I must say, it is a noble cause, Mr. Xerxes. I will need time to think, you understand."

"I do." Richard closed his eyes. He didn't say no.

"However, if we are to continue with any form of professional relationship, there will need to be some ground rules. First and foremost, any and all interactions between Beacon and… what is your organization called, may I ask? I assume you do have a name."

"...yes, pending the participation of the Huntsman Academies. Beacon, Haven, Atlas, Shade. We intend to bear the title Bastion."

"A fortified location, a place that protects. Directly in opposition to the connotations carried by the White Fang. I admit that I approve. But I digress. As I was saying, any and all interactions between Beacon and Bastion must be open and forthright. There will be no more spying on my students or faculty. If another device is placed, we will find it, and it will be the end of our cooperation. This is not open to debate."

Richard winced. "There will be no spying on your students or faculty."

"Good. Since we are on the topic, please explain to me exactly why Ms. Kazella was monitoring my student's dormitory room."

He rubbed his face for a moment. "One of your students was involved in the aftermath of the White Fang riot that took place a week ago. A blonde girl, medium height with long hair. Wears black, and her weapon appears to be a large revolver."

"I know the student whom you speak of. What about her?"

"She's a well-trained investigator. We were keeping tabs on her because we didn't know if she would prove to be helpful, or a hindrance."

"If she had proven to be a hindrance?"

"We're not monsters, despite the White Fang's every effort to portray faunus as such. If she had proven to be a hindrance, we would withdraw and reconsider. That's all."

"I see. Then I have your word that there will be no repeats of the situation which brought Ms. Kazella to my attention?"

"You have my word."

"Then I will take your word at face value. Give me some time, and I will have answers for your concerns. Is this the number I should continue to use to reach you?"

"It is. This line is for your use only, Headmaster."

"Excellent. You will hear from me within the week. Good day, Mr. Xerxes."

"Good day, Headmaster."

The line went dead, and Richard slowly set the scroll down. The giant's fist crushing his gut unclenched, and he felt days of stress bleed away. Can't celebrate yet. He can still say no, but… damn, it went better than it could have.


[ *** ]


Ozpin set down his scroll, admittedly pleased with how the conversation had gone. His eyes settled on Kasta, and he nodded to her. "Ms. Kazella. I do apologize for the… method by which you were brought here. One of the things we emphasize in our curriculum is individual initiative, and most of our students are already rather headstrong to begin with."

"I…" She looked down again, blushing. "It's… I understand, Headmaster. I'd be… upset too, if I found out someone was spying on me like that."

"Then there is no problem." He sipped his coffee, frowning down at the mug when he found the drink to be cold, and set it aside. "True to my word, you are free to go. Team RWBY will escort you to the landing field, where you can take an airship back to Vale proper. If you would like to avail yourself to our hospitality, the cafeteria should still be serving breakfast. Ms. Rose, if you will?"

"Yes, Headmaster!" Ruby and her team guided the faunus girl to the door, and it opened to let them through.

Before it could slide shut, though, Lindy and Chrono swept through, faces grim. Ozpin perked his eyebrows, waiting until the door closed. "Ah, Lindy. While it is a pleasure to see you, we have something of a problem that needs to be discussed. Your teammates here decided to take the law into their own hands last night, and-"

Lindy cut him off, shaking her head. "Later, Ozpin. We have bigger things to worry about. There was a break in at the Arthra's hangar last night. The culprit got away."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha - RWBY

Chapter 17 - Damage Control
​

"We've been compromised?"

"Yes, Headmaster." Lindy gave Chrono a curt nod. Behind them, Fate was already making sure the door was shut and locked.

Chrono raised a hand, and S2U brought up a holo-window with Rein's incident report. "At Oh-one-thirty hours last night, Drydock Six's security envelope was penetrated by a single individual. Perimeter wards were not tripped, so we are assuming that the culprit used some form of teleportation ability to bypass entry points. This is supported by the fact that first sighting was made by Lieutenant Commander Lockheed in the women's showers, which only has a single entrance point."

He started bringing up additional pictures, hovering them in the air for Ozpin to see. "The suspect is approximately one point four meters tall… roughly four feet, seven inches, not including footwear. She displayed both illusionary control and short-range teleportation when engaged by Mage Team Beta." Several of the windows played video captures from the team's various devices as the miniscule target juked and dodged out of the way of a plethora of energy attacks. She was doing a remarkable job of keeping her face hidden the entire time, instinctively interposing a lacy parasol between herself and most lines of sight.

Ozpin leaned closer, cold coffee forgotten. "Do you have any recordings that can be used for identification?"

Chrono shrunk down the playing windows and shoved them to the side with a wave of his hand, and brought up two more. "Lieutenant Commander Lockheed and Lieutenant Galant both got a clear view of her face. Their devices recorded these captures." One frame showed a girl with pink and brown eyes and hair, a clear expression of surprise on her face, and in the background were the fixtures and stalls of a barracks shower/bathroom. The other frame displayed a brunette with green eyes, wearing what appeared to be a copy of Chrono's own barrier jacket. In that picture her expression was harried and tense.

Lindy picked up after him. "As you can see, the individual shows the ability to simulate a completely different physical appearance. Chrono made the observation that the first picture, taken by Lieutenant Commander Lockheed, is most likely her base appearance. Judging by her expression, she was not prepared to appear in a location that was already occupied."

Behind her, the three aces were listening with rapt, worried attention. Fate cleared her throat. "Do you have any orders for us, Admiral? Captain?"

Chrono caught Lindy's eye, and she nodded. They both knew that the situation was in his field of specialty now. "Bring the others up to speed. Make absolutely certain that your conversations are not overheard. This is no longer a simple covert mission to keep secrets, we need to adjust our actions for full counterintelligence operations. We have to assume that the culprit or culprits will continue to attempt to gather information."

Fate saluted sharply. Nanoha and Hayate followed suit a split second later. Chrono nodded, seeing that any hints of familial intimacy were gone from their voices and expressions. "Yes, sir."They understand just how serious this is.

"Good. Speak with the others, and inform Teams RWBY and JNPR. It doesn't matter what they are currently involved in. Interrupt them if you have to, get them in private, make sure they understand as well. Dismissed."

The aces left without another word. Chrono turned back to Lindy and Ozpin. "Headmaster, Admiral. We need to start discussing plans of action. The only assumption that we can make is that our cover story is blown wide open, and any secrecy will only last until the culprits decide to act on what they have learned. We have no way of knowing how long that will be. Worst case scenarios apply."

Ozpin rubbed his temples for a moment. "Do you have any suggestions, Enforcer Harlaown?"

"Only that we have to act, Headmaster. You understand the political environment far better than we do. It may be time to reveal our existence to certain figures in your governments, if only so that we do so on our own terms instead of being forcibly revealed by an antagonist." Chrono pursed his lips, frowning. "The political and social ramifications are beyond my scope of training, Admiral."

"I understand. Thank you for your analysis, Captain. Headmaster?"

Ozpin nodded slowly, then sat back down. He picked up his scroll. "I am contacting Headmaster Ironwood now for an immediate face-to-face meeting. Decide what you want to say."


[ *** ]


The walk back across campus was tense and silent, all three of them wrapped up in their musings and not daring to voice them in public.

Hayate instead focused on the thread of her power that drifted off toward the city, corralling her racing thoughts. 'Rein?'

'Meister! I'm sorry I didn't contact you when it happened, but it was all so sudden and then we had to follow proper procedures and-'

'It's okay, really. I understand. Are you okay?'

'Oh! I'm fine, just a bump on the head.'

Hayate almost tripped on her own feet. 'W-what? You were hurt?'

Reinforce's mind-tone tinged with embarrassment. 'It's nothing to worry about, really. I was just… I'm sorry, Meister. I was stupid and didn't stay far enough away after I bound the intruder, and she kicked me across the room. I'm just a little sore, that's all.'

Hayate frowned. None of her knights would outright lie to her, but they would hide full truth if they felt full disclosure would hurt her in some way. Still, Reinforce wasn't even one to do that much… 'Well, if you're sure. Let me know if you need anything, okay?'

'I will! Try to have a good day, Meister!'

The connection faded, and Hayate shook her head. Nanoha opened the door to the dorm building, and they filed in, moving down the hallway toward their rooms.

Turning the corner, Hayate bumped right into Fate's back. "Oof. You make a better wall than door, Fate." The blonde didn't immediately respond, so Hayate looked over her shoulder. She blinked.

Nora and Ren were standing in front of ZFSH's door. Specifically, Nora had her ear pressed against the door, eyes wide and an incandescent blush on her face, while Ren was trying and failing to drag her away. The scandalously delighted expression Nora wore was one that Hayate knew well; she'd worn it herself on plenty of occasions.

The two students looked up at the same time, seeing the three of them standing in the hallway. The looks on their faces changed, conflicted between guilt and confusion. Nora straightened up, nearly smacking the back of her head into Ren's nose, pointing at them. "You- but you're- in- how?!" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Do you all have twins?!"

Fate glanced over her shoulder, voice low. "...Nanoha, didn't you tell Raising Heart to tell Bardiche that we caught the target?"

"W-what? No, I thought you did!"

Hayate brought her hand to her lips, hiding a smirk.

"How could I tell Bardiche? I left him here!" They both stared at each other, then turned to glare accusingly at Hayate.

It only made her grin wider. "What, you seriously expected me to tell him to stop?"

Fate sighed, cheeks tinging red as she walked over to their room and unlocked the door. She poked her head in, just in time for a salacious moan to echo into the hallway. "Bardiche? We're back. You can stop now."

The sounds cut off abruptly. "Very good, sir." Hayate giggled; his clipped electronic voice was more stuffy than usual.

Fate sighed again, covering her face. She walked into the room to retrieve the Device. "...you did a wonderful job, Bardiche."

"Thank you, sir."

Ren's expression collapsed into complete confusion, while Nora looked almost offended. Hayate couldn't help it anymore. She started laughing, doubling over and holding her belly. "Ah hahaha! The looks on your faces!"

"What- but… y-you two aren't together? That was all a… your robot weapon buddy? It sounded so real!" Nora crossed her arms, affronted.

Nanoha ducked her head, embarrassed. "Ha ha, uhm… well. Yes, we are. But that wasn't us, that was…" She paused, trying to figure out how to say it.

Fate came back out, clearing her throat. "Counterintelligence action against covert observation. We were being monitored, so we had Bardiche put on a 'show' while we tracked down the signal. That's all."

"Oh. OH." Enlightenment lit up Nora's eyes. "That's… that's amazing! Was it a pervert? Did you find him?! Did you break his legs?!"

Hayate laughed even louder. Fate spared her a shake of her head. "No, yes, and no. We delivered her to the headmaster instead."

"That's even better!" Nora punched her fist into the air, letting out a whoop.

"Anyways." Fate cleared her throat. "Could you find the rest of Team JNPR, please? Something important has come up, and we need to speak privately."

Ren nodded. "We'll go find them. Meet back here in… twenty minutes?" He took Nora by the arm, pulling her away. This time she let it happen, still smiling.

"Twenty minutes." Fate glanced at Hayate and Nanoha. "Get the other teams, please. I'll make sure we don't have any more surprises in the rooms."


[ *** ]


He didn't want to believe the report. It was too blatant, too crazy, too absurd to exist in a sane world.

The sheer power that she was describing was nothing but insane. Atlesian strike cruisers may have the firepower to reduce a building to rubble like that, but not single soldiers. Not in a single shot.

To hear that there was a group of people, hidden in secret in Vale, that could individually call forth destruction on same tier as full-scale artillery? People that could fly through the air unassisted, like ancient myths come to life?

If it was anyone else, he would have told them to lay off the drugs.

But Neo doesn't lie. Not to me.

She'd shown Torchwick everything she saw, reproducing the images in the palm of her hand. The black-suited figures; soldiers, that's what they had to be. The destructive light they could release, as they turned the inside of the building to rubble trying to find her. Above all else, the hulking mass of the damaged vessel in the hangar.

That ship. Nothing on Remnant looked like that; nothing on Remnant couldlook like that and be expected to fly. There were no Dust arrays for lift or propulsion. The entire ship, even as damaged as it was…

"And let me get this straight. When you tried to eliminate the woman that saw you, she summoned an armored jacket out of nowhere, like a damned magic trick, and then tried to blast you with a disintegration beam. And then one of them put up an amplifier field, and all of them started trying to vaporize you. While flying."

She nodded, a sharp jerk of her head.

Torchwick tossed his hat on the table. Neo snapped a hand out to catch it before it even hit the surface, but she didn't put it on. Instead she rolled the rim between her hands, nervously. Her eyes hadn't changed from white the entire time they'd been talking.

He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers for a moment while he thought. "Okay. Okay then. Here's what we're going to do…"


[ *** ]


"James. Thank you for joining us on such short notice."

"It's no problem, Oz. It's been an uneventful morning." James nodded to him, then smiled. "Glynda, always a pleasure."

The deputy headmaster gave him a pinched smile in return. "Unfortunately, James, this is not the time for pleasantries."

James paused, raising his eyebrows. There were three other faces there; a blue-haired young man and a green-haired young woman, both wearing the uniforms of Beacon students. Additionally, there was a white-haired woman wearing a brown uniform jacket and skirt, standing to the side of Ozpin's desk.

After a moment, he recognized the two students from having read their dossiers. "Ah… Chrono and Lindy Harlaown, correct? You are two of the refugee students that Headmaster Ozpin brought in?"

Lindy rose to her feet, stepping forward to offer him a hand. "That is correct, Headmaster Ironwood."

The dossier's profile picture had shown a carefree young woman, full of life and cheer and inner laughter, ready and waiting for one more of life's grand adventures. The woman before him wore the same youthful face, but every hint of the bearing of a young student was gone; behind her eyes lurked the hints of decades of life and experience. She was judging him, and from her tightly controlled expression he could see that she truly believed she had the perspective to do so. James kept the frown from his face as he shook her hand.

Chrono Harlaown shook his hand next, and James could see the same hints on the young man's face. While the depth in his eyes wasn't quite as aged as Lindy's was, he could still see the signs. The youth's demeanor reminded him of some of his own veteran specialists. His voice was cool and controlled as well, and as strong as his grip. "Headmaster."

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Now that everyone has been acquainted with each other, please take your seats." He waited while James and the refugees sat down.

"I have a question, actually, Oz."

Ozpin raised his eyebrows, waiting.

"Why do you have a pair of military veterans pretending to be students?" James glanced pointedly at the white-haired woman, who, judging by the look in her ice-blue eyes, could teach Specialist Schnee a few things about being cold.

Glynda took her glasses off to pinch the bridge of her nose. Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, then set the mug down. Chrono's face could have been cut from steel- that's a tell right there-, while Lindy actually smiled and relaxed a little. The woman was the one to speak. "Technically, we're not pretending to be students, Headmaster. Our enrollment in Beacon is legitimate, if unorthodox."

The young man spoke up next. "Secrecy, Headmaster Ironwood. Operational security, need-to-know basis. Headmaster Ozpin asked you to come here because the situation has changed, and we have determined that you qualify as need-to-know."

James let the frown show this time. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his scroll and tapping a few commands, then set it down on Ozpin's desk. "Headmaster Ozpin, please confirm that my scroll has been set to secure mode."

Ozpin picked it up, examining the readout. "Recorders are inactive, and wireless functions are disabled. I confirm that this room is secure. Enforcer Harlaown?"

Enforcer, is it?

Chrono nodded, and brought up his hand. A holographic window appeared in front of him, and he entered a few commands. A blue light sprang out from his person, stopping just shy of the room's windows before fading. "S2U reports countermeasures are active. We are secure, Headmasters. Sergeant?"

James' eyebrows rose. Well this is getting interesting.

The uniformed woman stepped forward, producing a blue-bound book from somewhere. She flipped it open and left it hovering in the air in front of her, and brought up a holo-window of her own. She tapped industriously at the screen. "Date is marked, recorders are online. This meeting is now in session. Admiral, the floor is yours." Her voice was as cool as her appearance.

Lindy cleared her throat. "I believe reintroductions are in order, Headmaster Ironwood. I am Admiral Lindy Harlaown, Time Space Administrative Bureau. This is Captain Chrono Harlaown, TSAB Enforcer and my top agent. My aide is Sergeant Reinforce Zwei Yagami."

I've never heard of this TSAB before. Even while his mind whirled, James let himself smile. "Admiral? I find that hard to believe. You're far too young." He heard Glynda groan off to the side, and worked to keep his smile from widening. Chrono grimaced, shooting a martyred look toward the ceiling.

Lindy laughed. "I appreciate the compliment, General, but my son can attest to both my age and experience."

"Admiral." The Sergeant's voice was gently chiding.

"Yes, yes. Moving on. General, you have never heard of the TSAB before because it is not an organization that exists on Remnant."

A shadow organization. I'm surprised that they managed to evade notice from Atlas' intelligence services, but… it's been done before. I should know. After all, James was in one such organization. He shot a glance at Ozpin. "How long has this been going on, Oz?"

"Three weeks as of yesterday morning." Ozpin sipped his drink. Yagami opened up a side screen and marked a note.

Three weeks? That wasn't adding up. "I'm listening."

The admiral exchanged a glance with Chrono, then looked back at him. "I mean that literally, General. I am going to be blunt and honest to avoid misinterpretation. My ship, the TSAB Dimension Cruiser Arthra, crash landed on Remnant after suffering severe damage in battle while in this star system. We made contact with Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy, who has granted our request for secrecy and assistance while we attempt to get a signal out to home."

James stared at her for a long moment. She met his gaze unflinchingly, perfectly composed. Three possibilities. She's either the best liar I have ever seen, she's delusional, or she's telling the truth. And Ozpin clearly believes her... "You understand that I find this a little hard to swallow. Can you support this claim of yours?"

"I am prepared to show you anything and everything you need to understand that we are telling the truth, including demonstrations of our technology and showing you the Arthra herself." Lindy nodded to Ozpin.

"The Arthra is currently being housed Drydock Six in Vale's construction yards." Ozpin sipped his coffee again. James noticed Yagami making another mark on her side window.

James let out a breath. "The airship. It was a cover story."

"Correct. We were trying to keep quiet, General. The TSAB has… a great deal of experience with making first contact with planetary civilizations, and it is almost always messy. The average civilian does not want to suddenly learn that aliens are real, even if we often look similar. It causes fear and instability, as they begin to question everything. After all, if aliens exist, what other fundamental of their personal realities that they take for granted will change? And as you are well aware, fear and discomfort…"

"Bring the Grimm." James covered his face, then slowly drew his hand down. "No, it makes… it makes perfect sense. I understand completely. You wanted to keep the number of informed individuals as small as possible to prevent chances of a leak." He looked at the admiral again. "But something changed. You don't change operational procedure on a whim."

She nodded. "The facility was compromised. An individual broke into the hangar, saw what was inside, and escaped attempts at capture. The operation to remain concealed is blown, and the only thing we can do now is damage control. We have to speak first. So, at Headmaster Ozpin's suggestion, we started with you."

"I suppose I should be flattered. If possible, then, I would like to see your Arthra, and have those demonstrations of your technology."

"Then we can leave immediately."


[ *** ]


"We are going to do- nothing. Absolutely nothing. We're going to leave this the hell alone, we're going to tell no one, and we're going to pretend that it never happened."

Neo blinked. Her eyes flipped from white to pink, and she tilted her head quizzically.

"I am utterly terrified by what you've told me they were able to do, and that was when you caught them with their pants down! Literally! Imagining what they can actually do when they're trying to find us?"

One of her eyes flipped back to white, and she nodded.

"Yeah. They're already going to have their eyes peeled, but if we stay quiet they won't know where we are."

Neo tossed an image of dancing flames between her hand, perking her eyebrow.

"Nope. If we tell Cinder, she'll make us go back out into the spotlight to find more out about these people. I'm not putting my neck on the line for her."

Torchwick dug out another cigar, snipping the tip. Neo flicked open his zippo, and he puffed twice to get it going. She flicked the cap shut, smiling in relief.

"Exactly. What Cinder doesn't know can't hurt us. If we know about this, we can plan for this, but we can't plan for whatever she'll make us do." Torchwick let out a cloud of smoke, kicking his chair back and standing up. "You know what, Neo? Fuck today in general. Let's go take a break."

A pair of arms squeezed around his waist happily, and then she was skipping off ahead toward the door.


[ *** ]


"So that's the entirety of it. The Arthra's location has been compromised. We are still attempting to maintain secrecy, as divulging information is still going to be Admiral Harlaown's decision, but we are shifting to counterintelligence operation. There are people out there who will be trying to find out more about us, and we need to be aware of those attempts and ready to stop them." Fate looked around at her assembled friends; Teams RWBY, JNPR, and all of the TSAB students except for Lindy and Chrono were packed into ZFSH's room, sitting two to a bed and standing against the walls. "Any questions?"

Yang coughed into her fist. "Yeah, what are the chances of netting one of the teams a bigger room? If we've gotta do this again, a bit more space would be nice. This is a little cramped."

"You'll have to ask the Headmaster. Next?"

Ruby and Jaune exchanged a glance, and she raised her hand. "Uhm. Should our teams be expecting you all to change your, uh, schedules? Because of secret missions and stuff?"

Fate shook her head. "Not yet. As I said, this is counterintelligence. We are attempting to prevent others from learning more about us, which unfortunately means that we will be reacting to further attempts at breaching our security. Proactive methods will mainly involve keeping up the act and making sure there is nothing that can be gleaned from us by observation."

Hayate snapped her head up. "Fate. Rein just contacted me. We're all to meet Headmaster Ozpin and Admiral Harlaown at the airfield. We're going to the Arthra."

Fate frowned. "What happened?"

"General Ironwood has been informed. They're taking him to see how deep the rabbit hole goes."


[ *** ]


Two of the black-coated soldiers met them at the end of the maintenance tunnels. One of them stepped in the way, barring the way even when Lindy and Chrono stepped to the front of the group. "Sir. Ma'am. I need you to transmit your identification codes before I let you go any further." Her accent was a lot thicker than any of the TSAB Beacon teams showed, but was still understandable.

"Of course, Lieutenant Lockheed." Lindy called up a holo-window and rapidly typed a code into it, while Chrono did the same.

After a moment, the soldier's staff beeped. "Identification code confirmed, Admiral Lindy Harlaown. Identification code confirmed, Captain Chrono Harlaown."

The woman nodded, holding a hand to her ear. "We're clear. Open the hatch."

The overhead hatch thunked, then slid to the side. Lindy climbed up the ladder, and the rest of them followed up one after the other. The two soldiers followed the last of them up, and sealed the floor hatch behind them.

James craned his head up to look at the carbon-scored hull of the Arthra, picturing in his mind's eye the fall from orbit. She has to out-mass any airship in my fleet. Even some of the ocean ships aren't that big.

The floor of the hangar was covered in a maze of stacked crates and racks of machinery. Ren could also see a trench bored across the floor, which disappeared into a man-sized hole in the wall of the interior office section.

"Sorry about the mess, Admiral," Lockheed was saying. "I did not check my line of fire when the intruder attacked me, and…"

"It's no worry, Lieutenant. She did accost you in the showers."

"Because of that, though, the women's showers are out of order for the time being. I apologize for the inconvenience."

James tilted his head. "May I ask exactly what happened?"

Lockheed gave him a once over, then looked back to Lindy. "Is he the VIP, ma'am?"

"He is. General Ironwood is here for the whole story, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Admiral." She nodded, then turned to the general. "Our security envelope was breached last night. The intruder caught me in the showers… though I suppose technically I caught her. She attacked me, and I tried to take her down." The black-haired woman pursed her lips. "I missed."

"You missed? With what?" James gestured toward the trench.

"A buster class bombardment spell." The soldier actually blushed, the slightest bit. "I was upset, sir."

The crash course that Ozpin and Lindy gave him on the flight over rolled through his head. "...right. I've been assured that you all use magic, and that your understanding of its nuances allows for it to be your technology?"

A man in a duty uniform trotted over to the group, sketching a quick salute. "Ma'ams. Sir. If Mage Team Alpha can be spared, we're ready to start installing the new hardware and software upgrades to help counter the interference effect."

Lindy nodded, handing a white-and-blue card to Chrono. The seven device mages peeled off from the group, following the uniformed tech to the offices. Zafira took Chrono's place at Lindy's side.

James had been watching the exchange silently, a thoughtful frown on his face. "I guess that answers my question. Admiral, would it be possible to get one of those demonstrations?"

"Of course, General. Lieutenant Lockheed, Sergeant Yagami, please take the general to the firing range. Keep it reasonable, though."

As a group, they made their way to the cleared floor underneath the Arthra proper. Lockheed stopped at a floor marking, turning back to the general. "Any particular requests, sir?"

James twisted around, glancing back at the long scar across the floor of the hangar. He turned back to Lockheed, perking an eyebrow.

She sighed. "I do not even know you and already I can tell you will never let me live that down. One moment." She held a hand to her ear again. "Lockheed to Galant. Firing range, I need a phase barrier for bombardment demonstration."

"Phase barrier?"

"Yes. Many times we are forced to deploy in high population areas. City centers. Phase barriers are a method by which we minimize the…" Lockheed paused, thinking for a moment. "Collateral damage. It is done by creating a sub-dimension, a miniature world, that is a physical duplicate of everything within the range of the spell. Everyone with an active Linker Core, in Remnant's case an unlocked Aura, is pulled into the barrier."

James gave her his best stop bullshitting me look. She just shrugged. "There is my partner. So. You wished to see a bombardment spell. Seeing is believing, as they say. Rosen, Convergence mode."

The staff in her hands flashed purple, and shifted into what almost looked like a heavy machinegun, except for yard long monstrosity of a split barrel. She hefted the massive cannon, waiting.

Her partner pointed the head of his staff at the ground, and a runed green circle spread out from his feet. He gestured, furrowing his brow in concentration. "Phase barrier going up." A wave spread out from him, sweeping through James. "Sentra, please. Don't take the Shortest Path."

He almost lost his balance from the pulling sensation he felt. When he looked around, he could see a distinct green tinge to everything around him. "This is… strange."

"Only the tip of the iceberg, general." James glanced to his side in surprise. The white-haired sergeant had been completely silent the entire time.

Lockheed lined up her barrel with a distant block of metal. "Rosen. Indigo Lens!" Bluish-purple streamers of energy coalesced between the halves of her weapon's barrel. Then she unleashed hell downrange.

The only comparison James could make was the Aura blast that Penny Polendina could release from her swords. The purple blast roared downrange, as wide as he was tall, before slamming into the block of metal and boring through it to expend its energies against the hangar's floor. When the haze cleared, the block was cored through, and a trench had been blasted ten feet further into the concrete.

"That's… impressive." James was more than just impressed, but damned if he was going to let that show. "What power source do you use?"

"That is all me. I am an A plus rank mage. That means… if I were to have my Aura unlocked, it would most likely be fairly strong?" The soldier glanced at Yagami.

"According to our research, that is correct. It's not a perfect correlation, but it is close enough to be statistically significant."

"Wait." James cut in, looking between them. "You're saying that anyone with an Aura could do this?"

Yagami thought for a moment. "With a device to handle the calculations, I don't see why not?"

His eyes widened a little. He had to ask. "Would I be able to give it a try?"

The two soldiers looked at each other. They looked at Yagami. The white haired woman tilted her head, eyes unfocusing for a moment. The moment drew into a minute. "...yes, actually. Admiral Harlaown has given permission for us to remove one standard issue storage device from our stores for your use while you are here. It will need to be returned before you leave."

While they waited, James jogged across the firing range to inspect the damage dealt to the block and concrete. He hauled the plate of metal upright, feeling the edges where the blast had gone through, then looked back at the soldiers. "And this is all a… facsimile? A copy?"

In response, Galant cut the barrier. The block of metal vanished from Jame's grasp, reappearing in its stand. The chewed up concrete was whole and unblemished. "...answers that for me."

A few minutes later a technician walked up. He held a slate-gray playing card with blue chasings in his hand, which he offered to James. "With the admiral's compliments, sir. You'll need to lower your Aura, and command the device to activate. Say 'set up.'"

James held the card up to eye level, inspecting it. "It seems such a little thing, but…" He nodded down toward Lockheed's Rosen. "Set up."

He felt it happen, as something took hold of his innermost being. It didn't bluntly force its way in; it threaded through, meshing with him. The card flashed dark silver, and expanded into a short staff with a blue sphere held in the simple, U-shaped head. A simple, emotionless electronic voice sounded from the gem. "Online."

Galant brought the phase barrier back up. The technician nodded downrange, toward some of the smaller targets. "The device has a series of basic attack spells already programmed into its software code. Just point it toward one of the targets and say 'Buster' or 'Shooter', and it'll pull the needed energy from your Linker Core and shape the spell for you."

James inspected the staff for a moment longer, nodding. He pointed the staff at one of the targets. "Buster."

The staff flared, and he felt it tug at his energies. A foot-wide beam of silver blasted forth, missing the target by a few feet and tearing a chunk out of the concrete beyond.

James' eyes widened. "Shooter!"

A smaller tug shot forth a ball of silver light the size of his fist, and it crossed the intervening distance in an instant to knock a chunk out of the target..

He felt a grin widening on his face. He hadn't derived this kind of simple pleasure from shooting things since he'd been a huntsman trainee himself. "This is so simple, it's amazing! Shooter!"

Behind him, Sergeant Yagami politely covered her mouth, laughing lightly.


[ *** ]

Junior's was empty on Sundays, closed to the general public. One had to be on a very specific list to get to enjoy the amenities of the private back room. The couches were comfortable, the drinks were good, the music was quiet, and the patrons were the type of people to leave each other be.

Torchwick was sitting at the bar, nursing his double-scotch on the rocks. He took a sip, enjoying the slow burn and the warmth in his gut. "Can't think of many better ways to relax, can you?"

Neo smiled from her seat on the bar, bouncing her crossed leg up and down for a moment. She waggled her martini glass between her fingers, then plucked out the spear of olives and delicately nipped one free.

The VIP room had about a dozen people in it. Junior tended bar, as he was wont to do. The Malachite Twins sat at the other end of the bar, murmuring quietly to themselves in their stuck-up rich girl voices. A few other figures that Roman had worked for or with in the past occupied the tables and chairs. A large video screen was in place behind the bar; some old drama about the Great War.

One of the guys called out toward the bar. "Junior, could you change the channel? We've all seen this one like, a dozen times!"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your pants on." Junior grabbed the remote, pointing it at the screen.

"-nessed fleeing the scene of an attempted Dust robbery just this last week. Authorities were able to provide this picture of the unknown culprit. The Vale Municipal Police have placed a five thousand lein award for any information that leads to her capture."

Every head in the room was turning to look at Neo. Torchwick slowly lowered his cigar, staring at the screen.

Neo's smile faded, as she realized she was the center of attention all of the sudden. She glanced at Torchwick.

He flicked the ash off his cigar, then pointed the glowing tip at the screen. Neo tracked the motion, spinning around toward the screen. A picture of her face was on display, plain as day.

Her martini fell from nerveless fingers. Her face flickered between lividness and incredulousness, and her mouth worked soundlessly. Finally she looked down at Torchwick, spreading her hands wide. What the hell is this? she seemed to say. Then she crossed her arms, expression folding into a grumpy frown.

She's almost as pissed about them accusing her of Dust robbery as she is about them getting a picture of her at all. Poor girl. That's adorable.

Junior started clapping, slowly and steadily. One by one, everyone else in the room joined in, until the room was filled with sardonic applause. Neo blinked, looking around. Confusion overwrote her anger.

Torchwick couldn't help it, he laughed and started clapping as well. Neo looked down at him again, her question clear. "....well, Neo. You've joined an exclusive club. You are now a known criminal that hasn't been caught."

He gestured out wide, encompassing the room with his arm. "Welcome to the family."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha - RWBY

Chapter 18 - Looking Forward​

The comfortable mishmash of sounds diffused through her dreams, trailing ephemeral fingers that gently rustled her drifting thoughts. The burble of running water, low tones and quiet laughter; the sounds of home, bare and unfiltered.

An errant breath of air gusted over her, making one of her ears twitch. The sounds didn't get louder, but they became more defined and focused as she let herself rouse. Eyelids flickered open to reveal amber orbs.

A dry, robotic murmur caught her attention. Blake rolled over in bed, glancing across the dorm room. Weiss and Ruby were sitting almost hip to hip on the heiress' bed, heads nearly touching as they poured over a document scrawling across on her leader's scroll. Through the back of the transparent screen, Blake could see portions of the text being highlighted in yellow, and in the corner an image of a golden triangle pulsed with each syllable.

She pushed herself upright, ears angling forward a bit. "Multiple theories exist regarding the origin of the biological Linker Core. Recovered lost logia provide support for several conflicting theories. Your roommate is awake."

Ruby looked up. "Blake! Good morning!" Weiss echoed the sentiment.

"Morning. What time is it?" Blake rubbed her eyes, blinking a little.

Yang slipped out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, . "Quarter after ten. Classes were cancelled for the day, so we let you sleep in." She slid around the beds to her dresser, tossing her towel aside and throwing on her tanktop and a pair of shorts.

"You looked so comfortable we didn't want to wake you!" Ruby smiled widely, though after a moment the smile thinned a tiny bit. Her gaze focused a little above Blake's hairline.. "You, uhm…"

It wasn't hard to figure out what she was hinting toward. Blake's ears twitched again. "I didn't wear my ribbon to bed."

"Yeahthat. Is everything okay? It's not, uhm-"

Weiss rolled her eyes, giving Ruby an affectionate swat on the shoulder. "Dolt." The insult rolled off her tongue gently, not even a hint of real scorn in her voice. "What our fearless leader is trying to say, is that we're wondering if there's something wrong. Are your ears bothering you?"

They're adorable. Weiss is being adorable with Ruby. What is this world coming to. Blake couldn't help but smile, shaking her head. "No, everything is fine, really. I left it off on purpose."

Yang plopped down on the other end of Blake's bed. "Whyzat? You don't usually."

Blake let her head tilt to the side, thinking about how to answer. "...well… so you know how things went yesterday."

"Yeah. We got to go with-" Ruby paused, then looked down. "B? The room is secure, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay good. We got to go with everyone to the Arthra again. I'm totally jealous that General Ironwood got to try out a Device!"

Weiss shook her head. "It made sense, Ruby. It was a goodwill gesture; one more thing to help convince the general that everything is true and that the TSAB isn't trying to hide anything from him."

"I know, I know. Anyways, what about it, Blake?"

"I just… spent the time watching, really. Arf and Zafira. How they were treated."

It was Yang's turn to tilt her head. "Yeah? It wasn't any big deal."

Blake nodded. "That's exactly it, Yang. They'renot a big deal there. I mean, there's respect, but it's… professional respect for their capabilities, the same as you or I might respect senior huntsmen. Their being familiars didn't…"

"It didn't factor in." Weiss was watching her steadily, the ice-blue of her eyes surprisingly warm.

"It did and it didn't. I saw one of the crewmembers toss Arf a box of dog biscuits. She was overjoyed."

Ruby blinked, confusion evident on her face. "...isn't that racist?"

"Racist as hell, around here. Do that on the street and someone will burn down a building." Yang snorted. "But that's the thing, isn't it?"

Blake nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't racist there. It just was. Arf is… hell, she's not a faunus, she's a wolf person. She likes dog biscuits. So they give her dog biscuits."

The red-garbed girl frowned. "...I don't think I get it."

Weiss took a breath, thinking a moment. "Part of what causes racism is prejudice. But another part of it is assumptions. Assuming that you understand who someone is simply because of what they are. It's like if I… scratch behind your ears without asking, because I know that cats like to have their ears scratched and I assume you're just like a cat."

Blake's eyes widened slightly, and her eyes flicked down toward Ruby's scroll. Did Fate tell them-

The image of Bardiche pulsed. "Excellent deduction based on hypothetical facts."

No. She didn't, Weiss is just being intelligent. Blake let out a breath, nodding. "Exactly. But if I… hypothetically, told you that I don't mind when a friend does it, then it's different because…"

Weiss picked up where she trailed off. "Because then it's a fact about you, that you told us in confidence. At that point it's part of friendship, of understanding each other."

"Right." Blake leaned back on her hands. "So they don't treat Arf as the dog familiar that obviously likes dog biscuits because she's a dog familiar. They treat her as Arf, who happens to like dog biscuits."

Ruby nearly jumped off the bed, comprehension making itself known in her voice. "Just like how I like strawberries so you guys always grab me a few from the cafeteria!"

Blake smiled. "Exactly like that, Ruby."

Yang leaned a little closer, grinning. "So Blake. Was that actually hypothetical? I mean, I'm all ears if you're trying to tell us something."

She's trying to get a rise out of me. Blake ignored the jibe. "The point being, is that no one was making a show of accepting Arf for who she was. She's just one of them, and she's happy."

Ruby's eyes flicked up to Blake's ears again, and then over at the ribbon wrapped around Blake's bedpost. "...you left your ribbon off because you're happy?"

Blake's smile widened. "I am. Here, in this room? With you three?" Blake let herself roll sideways, her head coming to rest in Yang's lap. She twitched her ears, invitingly. "I'm home."


[ *** ]


"You've had a night to sleep on it. What are your first impressions, James?"

James made a point of pulling out his scroll and setting it to secure mode, sliding it across the headmaster's desk. Ozpin glanced at the screen and nodded. "It's hard to describe, Oz. I now know that aliens are real. Not only that, I've met them in person, and they literally could be anyone walking down the street. They're just as human as we are."

"Personal opinions?"

"I don't know if my personal opinions matter, Oz. They can help us. Their technology is leaps and bounds beyond anything Remnant has to offer…" He trailed off, rolling the spoken thought around in his head. "...and that's it right there. I just had to say Remnant, instead of Atlas or Vale or one of the other kingdoms."

"The world has suddenly become so much smaller, hasn't it?" Ozpin sipped his coffee.

"Yes. This isn't about kingdoms anymore, Oz. This is about Remnant as a whole, this is about helping the whole planet. Everyone." James pointed out the window, making a grand gesture. "I'm not thinking about how this can affect my fleet. I'm thinking about how this makes my fleet unnecessary. And that's a good thing."

Ozpin simply raised his eyebrows, an unspoken sign for James to continue. "I'm thinking about how this can make life on Remnant better. Forget the military applications, as amazing as they are alone. Look at the Arthra. Pocket dimensions. Overlapping pocket dimensions. That ship holds itself three or four times over. It's powered by the energy between dimensions. If they're willing to share, we wouldn't need Dust anymore."

"I'm fairly certain that we wouldn't lose our dependency on Dust so quickly."

"But it would revolutionize energy production. It would let us save Dust for other applications. Demand would go down, prices around the world would drop. That's revolutionary." James barked a laugh. "The Schnee Dust Company would piss their collective pants."

"They are an Atlas based firm. The economic upheaval would hurt Atlas more than anyone else."

"In the short term, yes. But it would be worth it." James leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "Long story short, Oz? You have my full support."

"I'm glad to hear it, James." Ozpin set his mug aside. "We need to talk about our goliath in the room, however. I've recalled Qrow. I told him to drop everything and return to Beacon. Full priority. We can't make any final decisions without him here."

"Of course." James furrowed his brow. "I'm thinking of bringing in Specialist Schnee as well. Not to this, but for the TSAB situation. I need another person in my chain of command that's in the know, and she's one of my best."

"Ah. That would be fortuitous for me as well, as a matter of fact. When do you believe she can be here?"

James reached out and picked up his scroll. "I'm cancelling secure mode." He tapped through commands and sent a quick message. The response came almost immediately. "She'll be here Wednesday."

"Excellent. If I may borrow her for a period of time, I would like for her to speak in my seminar course."

James cocked an eyebrow. "Hunter Ethics?"

"Yes. There was a… situation. Her sister was involved in stopping a riot, and I believe Winter's perspective will be useful to her."


[ *** ]


Yang yanked her hands back, not daring to move. The room had gone completely silent. Ruby and Weiss stared at the both of them, eyes wide.

Blake broke the stalemate, tilting a little to glance at Yang out of the corner of her eye. "I have an itch, Yang."

Very tentatively, Yang let her hands settle on the crown of Blake's head. With the greatest of daring, she crooked her fingers, moving them back and forth, hyper aware of every motion and sound.

Her nails made contact with the base of Blake's ears. The resulting rumble she felt as much as heard shook her breath in her lungs, and she felt her mouth fall open. "B-blake? Blake, are you purring?"

Ruby's hands flew to her mouth, and the high-pitched squee she was letting out was almost inaudible. Her eyes shined in the light.

Weiss unceremoniously pushed her over, not even looking away. "Dolt. Stop staring."

"W-w-what?! You first!" The heiress blushed when Ruby's rebuke registered, and she glanced off to the side.

Yang did her best to ignore the byplay. "Blake, is this really-"

"Little to the left. More pressure."

"...okay then."

The next few minutes that passed felt like an eternity, but Yang wouldn't have traded them for the world. Ruby and Weiss went back to Bardiche's dictated lesson, while Blake just rested against Yang and relaxed. "So what are you two doing?"

"Oh, uhm. After seeing General Ironwood get to try a Device, I went ahead and asked if we could learn more about them. Lindy gave me permission to have Bardiche establish an encrypted link to my scroll, and he's walking us through the general theory!"

"Non-classified information has been approved."

"Right that!"

Weiss nodded, tapping at Ruby's scroll. "She was actually rather smart about it, when she asked. She said, and I quote, 'If we're going to keep working as some of your primary points of contact, we need to know more so we can be more helpful and stuff!'" Weiss rolled her eyes as she mimicked Ruby's voice, earning a pout. "I swear, her puppy-dog eyes would work on a boulder."

Blake rolled off of Yang, sliding off her bed. She kneeled down and arched her back, chest flat against the floor and reaching as far forward as she could. A series of pops echoed through the room, audible even over her rumbling groan. Yang found herself staring.

...at least I'm not the only one. Ruby and Weiss were both watching as well, and a blush formed on Ruby's cheeks. Weiss glanced at Ruby, then reached up and covered Ruby's eyes, earning a squawk of resentment. The heiress' own cheeks reddened a little.

Yang let out a whistle before she could stop herself. "Damn, girl."

Blake opened her eyes, realizing that she'd become the absolute center of attention. She went silent.

"Nono, don't… don't stop being happy. Shit." Yang hopped off the bed, kneeling down next to Blake and giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Look, it's… you're a faunus. Be comfortable with it, don't feel like you need to hide from us at all, okay? Part of being comfortable with your kittyness around us is being comfortable with the idea that some of the stuff you do will impress and confuse us."

"Consider us impressed." Weiss' voice was dry but amused.

"Yeah. We're fine if you're fine, and that's what matters. If we have questions, we'll ask. Okay?"

Blake slowly straightened up. "Okay. Sorry if that was a little weird, I just... I haven't stretched properly in months."

Yang grinned. "Anytime you want an audience, you let me know."


[ *** ]


Despite the day off of classes, Beacon's arena was quite full of students. Professor Goodwitch opened the room for free training, and dozens of students were occupying the arena's floor and stands. Fun seemed to be the rule of the moment; structured, ordered, observed fun, but fun nonetheless.

To keep things moving forward, Professor Goodwitch arranged for team versus team matches, adjusting the arena terrain randomly for each group. Which was why Amy found herself belly-crawling through a bombed-out cityscape, trying to keep her head below the cover provided by crumbling walls.

The heavy riproar of Coco's chaingun tore the air asunder again, showering Amy with shards of brick. The higher-pitched crack of Durandal split the air twice, and the chaingun cut off, replaced by the fashionista's cursing. Lindy called out to her. "Amy, move! Gotcha covered!"

She scrambled to her feet and dashed for the dilapidated building in front of her, diving through the shattered window. She rolled across the floor, slamming her shoulder into the wall. She beamed a smile at Chrono, who was already crouched next to her. "Hey, hubs!"

He shook his head, but managed a smile back to her. "Lindy's got Adel pinned down, but she either needs some support out there or we need to draw the rest of CFVY in here. Ideas?"

"Just one!" Amy popped up, sighting through the window and firing a three round burst into Yatsuhashi's back. The giant whirled around, and her next burst sparked off the massive slab of metal that was his sword. "That got his attentio- oh crap bad idea herehecomes!"

They both dove aside just in time; Yatsuhashi smashed through the wall, sending bricks flying everywhere. One skipped off Amy's head, knocking her flat on her back. She saw stars.

The giant second-year strode forward, spinning his sword in the way of Chrono's shotgun blasts. A surprise kick caught Chrono in the gut and blasted him through the wall.

Yatsuhashi turned toward Amy, bringing his sword up. The blade came crashing down, wires wrapped around it and catching the light.

Wires?

The blow went wide as the huge man was yanked off balance, his sword cleaving into the wall. Shamal slammed into him shoulder first, knocking him away. "Run! Find Chrono!"

She got up and ran into the darker corridors of the building, checking her scroll. Twenty nine percent. Hell.

There was a corner coming up. Slice the pie. Cover the angles. Amy brought her rifle up, swinging wide around the corner and revealing the next room over a long moment.

She didn't see Chrono.

She saw bunny ears, just perking up as the faunus looked toward her.

Amy fired.


[ *** ]


"Team CFVY wins by Aura depletion. Good match, everyone." Glynda nodded in satisfaction as the two teams' members helped each other off the field. Despite the closed-in appearance of the building block they were fighting in, there had been plenty of interior cameras to provide the audience with a good show. Shamal and Yatsuhashi had been a case of the wind against the mountain, and had only ended when Coco caught the blonde in her sights and unleashed most of her ammo drum at her. Lindy had gotten revenge with a vicious headshot, and was promptly eliminated when Yatsuhashi threw a six foot section of wall at her.

Chrono and Amy had managed to catch Velvet in a crossfire, whittling the teams down to two apiece. The two weren't able to hold up against CFVY's melee specialists, though, and the fight came to an end shortly after.

Still, Glynda was impressed. Considering their disadvantages in the style of combat, CSAL had held out quite well against CFVY. It didn't hurt that they took their drumming in good cheer, and were bantering back and forth with the second-years.

Once they were clear, she reset the floor. "Next up we have JNPR against NAVY."


[ *** ]


"Anyways, that's our cue. We'll be back in a week. Hit me up and we'll have another match."

"We'll be here. Good luck out there, Adel."

"See ya, Harlaown." They shook hands, and Team CFVY jogged across the landing pad to their waiting Bullhead.

Chrono watched them go, the polite smile fading from his features. His words echoed in his thoughts, mocking him. 'We'll be here.' Yeah, we're not going anywhere anytime soon.

The bullhead's lifters flared. A hot gust blew past Chrono, catching on his duster and making it flap in the wind behind him. He waited until the VTOL craft had shrunk to a spot on the horizon before he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked back toward campus proper.

Amy ran up to him as he got closer, settling into step with him. "What'd they talk to you about?"

"Nothing major. Adel wants another sparring match when they get back from their training mission. They're pretty impressed with us." Chrono gave his wife a smile. "Had a lot of good words to say about you, specifically."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Good grasp of tactics, great use of cover, et cetera."

His smile faded. Amy noticed, frowning. "You okay, honey?"

No sense in lying to her. "I'm worried about the kids."

Any remaining cheer drained away from her face, and she sighed. She pulled one of his hands from his pocket, threading her fingers through his. "...me too. I know Mom and Dad will take good care of them, and Leti's there to help, just… I miss them too, Chrono."

The rest of the walk passed in silence. As they got closer to the dorm, Chrono noticed a splash of red, and looked to see Ruby talking animatedly with Lindy and Shamal. The blonde Wolkenritter had a politely amused expression, while his mother looked… problematically cheerful. What on Mid-Childa are they talking abou-

Lindy caught sight of him. Her smile spread into a grin. "Chrono! Guess what?"

"What."

"Ruby wants to know if we'd like to help plan the school dance! Isn't that great?"

Gods no. "Do I have a choice?"

Ruby appeared in front of him, awash in red petals. "Don't you want to learn more about our culture? This'd be the perfect way to do it! Choosing the decorations, the music, everything! They're all windows into Valean life!"

Lindy just grinned wider. Amy pecked him on the cheek.

Chrono sighed, shooting his mother a glare. I'll get you for this. "Fine."

Ruby cheered, throwing her arms into the air. "YES! Oh there's Nanoha! 'Scuse me!"


[ *** ]


The training arena floor had been divided into smaller circles for individual matches. Professor Goodwitch still kept a general eye on things, but seemed to feel content to leave the students to their own devices. A half dozen pairs of trainees exchanged blows, each match surrounded by cheering peers.

Emerald and Mercury stood near the center, passively watching as the pairs of students beat the stuffing out of each other. A few months earlier, they'd gone over the dossiers that Cinder had acquired, but they'd come to the realization that there were some new students as well.

Refugees was the word around the school, rescued from the wilds and the Grimm after their rickety old airship crashed and burned far outside the city gates. Not that it'll save them in the end, Emerald thought with a derisive sneer. They should've stayed outside the walls.

But then again… they were street smart for a bunch of country hicks. She leaned close to Mercury, muttering darkly. "None of the new kids keep anything important in easy to reach places."

Mercury looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "Emerald, we're in the arena. Who takes their wallet into the arena?"

Emerald held up his wallet, dropping it into his hands. "You."

"Son of a bitch." Mercury opened it up suspiciously, then blinked. "...since when do you give me back my wallet with more money in it?"

"You're not the only one who's a dumbass, dumbass. The point is that none of the hicks are that stupid, and they're the ones that should be."

"Huh." Mercury pocketed his wallet- right where I can grab it again. Moron…- and rubbed his chin. "That's a good point…. damn, check her out." He nodded toward the blonde in black, who was spinning a slim, lightweight-

"Shit. That's a scythe." Emerald frowned, watching the blonde effortlessly ward off the assault of a brunette with an oddly curved spear.

They both moved a bit closer, near enough to hear the constant banter between the two obvious friends. "-not fighting like you mean it, Fate-chan!"

"It's fine, Nanoha." The blonde sidestepped a thrust, then backflipped right over a hasty cross-bodied slash.

"Mooouu! C'mon! Why are you taking it so easy?" Nanoha had a frown on her face.

"Because today doesn't end in pink." Fate grinned, and the brunette paled. The tables turned immediately, as the blonde immediately took the offensive away.

Emerald had just turned her head to glance at Mercury when an arm came down hard over her shoulders. She let out an indignant yelp as she was pulled into a side-hug, struggling against the vice-like grip. "What the fuck are-"

"Seeing something you like, kiddoes?" Emerald could hear the smile in the woman's voice, and craned her head to look. It's that bitch again! Sure enough, it was the orange-haired wolf faunus from Tukson's, the one that had ruined their cleanup attempt. She was grinning widely, sharp teeth on full display as she pulled Mercury and Emerald in closer.

"Fuckin' let go of me, you furry creep!" Emerald tried to lever the faunus' arm away, but her muscles may as well have been made of steel. Mercury's face had gone completely still.

"Just as soon as we understand something. You know I remember both of you. I don't know what kind of shit Haven lets you get away with, but understand that we're not a bunch of scaredy-cat bookstore owners around here." She pulled them a little closer, her voice still annoyingly cheerful. "I saw you watching Fate. If you do anything, anything to her; if you mess up one little blonde hair on her head?"

Emerald glared at her. "You'll what?"

The faunus made a point of sniffing the air. "Mercury here will need a hell of a lot more than a new pair of legs. And you'll be right there in traction with him." She winked, then shoved them both away hard enough to make them stumble. "Just so we understand each other~!"

Mercury clenched his fists. "Listen here you-"

Arf stepped forward into his personal space, seeming to tower over him, tail thrashing. "Oh! D'you wanna wrestle?!" The grey-haired boy stepped back.

Emerald put a hand on Mercury's shoulder. "No. We get it. Nothing to worry about."

"Good." The faunus started walking away, but turned after a few steps to point at them, then at her own eyes. "I'm watchin' you." Her ear twitched, and she turned away.

Emerald glanced at Mercury again. He looked murderous. Not in the 'I'm gonna fucking kill her' way that a person gets when angry. He looked murderous in the 'I'm currently planning on how best to kill her' way that was special to him. "No."

"What?"

Emerald jerked her head toward the locker room. "Let's get out of here." She walked away, just pausing to make sure he was following.

Only when she was sure they were completely out of earshot did she hiss at him. "Leave her the fuck alone, Mercury. Shit's already gone to hell."

"She fucking knows, Emerald. No one can know about that."

"And everyone in the room just saw us arguing! If anything happens to her you and I are immediate suspects!" Emerald rubbed her face. "We don't even know how many people she told about the bookstore. Did she keep it a secret? Did she tell the headmaster?"

"It only takes one accident-"

"Fuck that, do you know how hard it is for an Aura user to have an accident? Trip in the shower? Ha!" Emerald let out a bitter laugh. "They'll break the floor before they break their neck!" It's all coming apart. It's all coming apart and it's my fault and she's going to throw me away.


[ *** ]


The word slammed through her consciousness like a thundercrash. She whirled on her heels, eyes fixing on where the word came from. "Did you say dance?!"

Hayate looked up, blinking. "Yeah, Ruby asked us to help out with some of the planning and decorations and everything. What's up?" Behind her, Signum took one look at Nora and quietly slipped away.

"Ooooooooh that's awesome!" Nora ran over to grab Hayate by the shoulders. "What are you gonna do?"

"Hahaha, well…" The brunette laughed awkwardly. "Nanoha and Fate kind of threw me out of the planning session. They said no one would understand all the pop-culture references. They're right of course, but now I'm sort of at loose ends for a while until they're ready to start setting things up."

"Ooooh, I think we can still help!" Nora threw an arm around Hayate's shoulders, gesturing broadly toward the cafeteria. She could see the shining truth in front of her, calling to her! "What do you see?!"

"....students? Everyone's eating lunch."

"PEOPLE! But so many of them are missing something!"

Hayate narrowed her eyes. "...they're missing something…"

"They're missing something for the dance!" Nora could see it so clearly! Hayate had to understand, it was right there! Well, the problem is that it wasn't right there, but the absence of it was right there! Being absent! "They're missing it and it's an absolute affront to everything that dances are about!"

Comprehension dawned on Hayate's face, like the sun breaking through the clouds! No, like the face of an ursa after I hit it in the back of the head with Magnhild and it realizes it's been hit in the back of the head with Magnhild and no wait that's wrong. That just makes them squishy. Nora started jumping up and down, still latched onto the smaller brunette.

"You go to a dance to dance. And it's hard to dance with someone if you don't have someone to go to the dance with." Hayate didn't disappoint her. Blue eyes met turquoise.

"Blitzing beowolves! You get it!" Nora let out a cheer, thrusting her fist into the air! "SO! Do you wanna?"

Hayate started laughing. "Do I? Of course I do!"

"Yes! The dance is coming, and pairs must be paired! Trios too, if they roll with that!"

"Yes!"

Some of the nearer students glanced warily toward them, then scooted further away and ducked their heads. Nora didn't care. "YES! I am the QUEEN OF THE COURTSHIP, and you shall be my INQUISITOR!"


[ *** ]


Across the campus, Signum closed the door to her room, putting her back to it. She let her legs give out, sliding down the door to sit in a heap.

Zafira raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Signum slowly let her face fall into her hands. "We're doomed."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Interlude I - Loss of Contact​

"I'll send you that video file as soon as we hang up. Have a good night, Leti!"

"You too. I'll be by next week to pick them up." Leti closed the connection, leaning back in her chair and smiling. Chrono and Amy's twins were being easy enough on their grandparents, but Leti had offered long ago to help care for them while the two were deployed. Until then, though, she'd happily pass along messages to Lindy whenever she called-

Leti frowned, and checked the date. She hasn't called in a week, now. She never takes that long, even when she's on deployment. A disquieted feeling settled in her stomach, instinct and gut feeling telling her that something was wrong.

A wave of her hand brought up a communication panel, and she tapped out a contact.

The call connected after a short moment. "Fleet Services. How can I help you, Admiral Lowran?"

"Hello, Lieutenant. I just need to confirm a few details with you, if you have the time?"

"Of course, Admiral. Clearance code, please."

They already knew that Leti was calling from her office. Giving her clearance code was standard procedure; she could give multiple different codes if she so choose, secretly informing the listener that she was under duress or compromised, or that her questions were of sensitive nature. "Cobalt, lotus, effort, actual, ready." No games today, just basic questions.

"Clearance code confirmed. Thank you, Admiral. What would you like to know?"

"I need to know the deployment details for the L-Class Cruiser Arthra."

"Just a moment!" The lieutenant looked away from her screen for a moment, tapping industrially at her console. "Standard patrol schedule in Sector Delta-Seventeen. Hardware loadout; standard. Crew compliment and Mage Tea- Sankt Kaiser, were they expecting to subdue a planet?"

Leti raised her eyebrows, pointedly. "Admiral Harlaown had told me it was a final command run, nothing more. They're all friends."

"My apologies, Admiral Leti. Hmm… that looks like everything."

"Has there been any contact from the Arthra in the past week?"

"...no, ma'am. Nothing out of that sector at all."

Leti frowned. "Are they running dark?"

"Not according to the patrol profile." Any humor had drained out of the lieutenant's voice.

The feeling in her gut twisted. "I see. Please send all files relating to the full mission profile of the Arthra'scurrent deployment to my office. Hardcopy and electronic."

"Yes, ma'am."


[ *** ]


"I'm sorry, Admiral. The Arthra has been listed as MIA per your orders, and I can assure you that it is an item of priority among the general staff, but no decisions have been made at this time."

"I sent that information to you four days ago, and you're telling me that nothingis being done? We have a missing dimensional cruiseron our hands!"

The man on the other line sounded exasperated. "Ma'am, I am not privy to the discussions taking place. I can't-" He paused, looking away from the screen. "Hold please. Admiral."

The screen blanked. Leti didn't even have time for the shock at the suddenness flake away into anger before the screen flashed again, notifying her of an encrypted channel connection. Then it cleared again. "Admiral Lowran."

Leti let out a breath. "Admiral Lockheed." Specifically, Admiral Murano Lockheed, Chief of Operations.

"Lowran, I understand that you're concerned about the Arthra. I assure you we're doing everything that we can, but the fact of the matter is that we can't spare a patrol cruiser to investigate. The fleet's stretched thin at the moment. Brushfire wars between UAWs Fifty-Nine and Sixty-Four, and three different containment situations. Between that and trying to maintain some semblance of patrols..."

"There has to be something we can do, Admiral." She did her best to keep her voice level.

Apparently, she didn't do well enough. "Personal attachments don't get to factor into our decisions at this level, Lowran. You know that, and you know damned well I know that."

He shook his head, then continued. "My granddaughter is on the Arthra, Lowran. Believe me, if we could spare a ship right now, I'd send two. But we don't have a single combat-capable ship ready to deploy for SAR, and I am not sending anything less than a combat cruiser into that sector."

"So we're stuck, Lockheed?"

"The best I can do is the Ifrit. She's in drydock for standard maintenance and drive replacement, but I've already put out the order to get her ready for launch ASAP. The dockmaster told me three weeks, I told him to get it done in two. Unless a miracle happens and one of the other situations resolves itself faster, she'll be the first ship I can get out."

The Ifrit was an M-Class Battlecruiser, one of the most powerful ships that the TSAB Navy had to its name. Lockheed's not playing around, at least. "I see. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Admiral. If there's anything I can do…"

"You'll be the first to know."


[ *** ]


Two weeks.

A dozen different holoscreens floated in front of Leti's desk, information from current containment efforts to the blockade reports from UAW Fifty-Nine displayed on the the screens. The situations weren't dire, but they were drains on manpower and resources, and no miracle had occurred to speed their conclusions.

The Arthra had been missing for two weeks now.

Leti had picked up the twins from Amy's parents, as promised, but ended up having to return them after a couple of days. Between the building stress and the long hours she'd been putting into the situation, she just didn't have the time to give Karel and Liera the attention they deserved.

That had been a stressful, awkward conversation. The Limiettas weren't part of the military, and the Arthra's MIA status wasn't cleared for public knowledge yet.

To make things worse, Leti was finding her continuing attempts to lobby for freeing up even a single vessel stonewalled. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a feeling that there were more than a few individuals with vested interest in seeing the TSAB's shining stars flicker and dim. Nothing official, nothing that she could act on, but she knewthat they were responsible for the Navy's delayed response to the Arthra'sdisappearance. A requested file taking longer than it should have to reach her, correspondence sent to the wrong address; tiny things all, but time was important and every day wasted meant a greater and greater chance that the Arthra would never be found. Or that the crew would be dead when it was finally located.

With heavy fingers, she entered a new set of variables for her PAD to use. "Domovoi, run the new parameters, please. Extrapolate on known data."

PADs, or Personal Assistance Devices, were a model of Intelligent Devices designed for use by non-magical individuals. While lacking any magilink processing capability, they were full artificial intelligences that could be powered off a mana battery or off of a larger facility's power net. Each one adapted to its owner over time, becoming an indispensable administrative tool for higher ranking members of the military. "Yes, ma'am. Calculating." The screens started scrolling through their displayed data, a hundred times faster than Leti could on her own. "Estimated time until completion; thirteen minutes. Would you like me to order your preferred beverage?"

"That would be appreciated. Thank you, Domovoi."

A few minutes later, an ensign requested entrance, and brought Leti her tea. She exchanged a few pleasantries with the young woman, not even paying attention to the exact words, and then the ensign left. Leti took a small sip, trying to calm her nerves.

"Discrepancy found, ma'am."

Leti sat upright. "Monitor one, please." She skimmed the data as it was displayed, frowning. "...this is… Domovoi. Connect me to Fleet Services, please."

It only took a moment for the call to connect. "Fleet Services. How can I help you, Admiral Lowran?"

It was the same fresh-faced lieutenant as the last time. "I need to inquire about the deployment details of a ship."

"Of course, Admiral. Clearance code, please?"

"Ochre, basalt, serenity, confound, utopia, restraint, enigma." Obscure. Her personal code for sensitive material.

The lieutenant blinked. "Clearance code confirmed. Please confirm encryption scheme Alpha-Two-Two-Four."

"Encryption scheme Alpha-Two-Two-Four confirmed."

"Confirmed. Encryption locked. What do you need to know, Admiral?"

"Deployment details for Lady Midday."

The girl tapped at her console for a long moment, then her expression tightened. "I apologize, Admiral. I am not at liberty to divulge information regarding the Lady Midday to you."

Leti stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"I do not have the clearance to access the Lady Midday's deployment information. The only information that I can provide is that your own clearance is insufficient to receive the details as well. I literally cannot help you."

"The Lady Midday is a stealth frigate, correct?"

"I'm sorry, Admiral. I am not at liberty to confirm information regarding the Lady Midday."

Leti blinked, then forced a smile. She knows how to play the game at least. "I see. Thank you for your time, Lieutenant. That will be all."

"Have a good day, Admiral."


[ *** ]


"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

The old man smiled at her, reclining back comfortably in his chair. "It's always a pleasure to see an old friend, Leti. Though I have to admit I wonder what brings you out to this backwater world. This can't only be a social call."

Backwater world. Unadministered World 97. Earth. "You're right, I'm afraid. Something's happened, and I need your help."

Shrewd gray eyes fixed on her. "You'll have to give me more than that. I don't hear much from Mid-Childa anymore." He gestured off to the side, beckoning. Steaming cups of tea were placed in front of them.

Leti nodded. "The Arthra's missing. It's been three weeks. No distress signal, nothing. All hands unaccounted for."

Gunmetal eyebrows rose. "The Harlaowns? Lindy and Chrono?"

She nodded. "And the rest. Special deployment, Lindy brought the old team together again."

He hissed out a curse. "Hayate too, then."

"Yes. The TSAB's fleet is stretched thin. Lockheed isn't able to shake a cruiser loose for an SAR operation, and he's not willing to send a smaller ship. I can't get any forward momentum in my own efforts; my requests keep getting denied due to 'existing concerns'."

"Everyone of flag rank with a bone to pick is seeing this as the perfect opportunity to be rid of them all. Rank politics. I remember the game."

"Worse than that. Domovoi found out that the Lady Midday launched last week."

"The Lady Midday? I've used her myself on occasion. Overpowered drive core, onboard weapons to match any cruiser in the fleet, minimal crew compliment. Fast, shielded, silent, and well-armed. She's a deniable ops frigate."

"That's what I was afraid of. Her deployment details are classified so tightly that Fleet Services couldn't even tell me what she was. The only reason I know that much is because the lieutenant I spoke with told me she couldn't tell me I was right."

The old man rubbed his eyes, ignoring his tea. "But what can I do? I don't have many friends left in the TSAB, Leti. The only reason I wasn't discharged is because they let me retire. I don't have any connections to pull, no ears to whisper into. I already used them all, and they won't be associated with me again."

"I don't need your connections, Gil. I need you. You and your girls. A favor, the biggest favor I've ever asked of you."

"Us?" Gil Graham raised his eyebrows, glancing off to the side. Lotte and Aria stood near the wall, looking at each other in mild confusion.

"I can't wait for the Bureau to move officially, Gil. The first ship Lockheed can send out isn't going to be ready for launch until the end of the month. Time is wasting." Leti brought up a holo-image, turning it so the retired admiral could see it. "It took me a week to scrounge it all together, but I bought a ship and hired a crew. She's an old decommissioned corvette, but she's still Dimensional-Seaworthy. The crew are all old Navy hands; past retirement age, but they remember what loyalty means."

Gil was silent for a long moment. "You want me to captain her. An unarmed corvette, trying to beat the Lady Midday to the punch."

"I want you to find them, Gil. My hands are tied, but you're a free agent." Leti set a datapad on the table between them. "This is everything I could find about their last known location. Dimensional coordinates, mission parameters, everything. If anyone can find them, you can."

Gil Graham picked the datapad up in a trembling hand, but Leti could see the spark in his eyes was brighter than it had been for years.


[ *** ]


"New players in the game lately."

…

"No, haven't talked to him. Saw them myself."

…

"They don't even know they're at the table."

…

"Mhm. He's actually got a few cards up his sleeve that she doesn't know about."

…

"Yes. They're in the thick of it."

…

"Chill the hell out, Ice Queen. They're smart and they're good. They'll be fine."

…

"Yeah. I miss them too."

…

"You're just jealous I beat you to it for once."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 19 - Appreciation​

"Threatening fellow students with grievous bodily harm is uncalled for, Arf."

Lindy's eyes were narrow and hard, but Arf didn't let it cow her. She looked right back, growling. "Like hell, Lindy! I told you about them before! They're total thugs!"

"What you did wasn't any better! We're supposed to be keeping quiet, Arf! That was an unnecessary display that only drew attention to you!"

"Unnecessary my ass! And it wasn't a threat at all, it was a promise. I'll rip off his smelly robolegs and beat him to death with them if he tries to hurt Fate!"

"ARF!" Lindy thundered at her, then grimaced and glanced at the dorm door to make sure it was closed. She continued, quieter. "We are under cover. You know how sensitive the situation is."

"I know exactly how sensitive the situation is, Mom. But Fate is my master, and her safety is more important. If blowing this whole stupid operation wide open is what I have to do to keep her safe, I'll do it in a heartbeat." Arf swallowed, then looked away for a moment, calming herself. She grabbed her own tail, trying to smooth out the standing fur. "...but only as a last resort. Only if there are no other options. Okay?"

Lindy stared at her long and hard, then let out a breath. "That was dangerously close to insubordination, Arf." Her voice was almost whisper quiet, monotone.

Arf couldn't help but flinch.

"But, I understand that the link between a familiar and master transcends rationality. Fate is your master and you have to protect her, and you wouldn't have it any other way." There were cases documented in TSAB ethical doctrines and court cases across the galaxy. Lindy had spent more than a little time studying them after adopting Fate, herself. "Don't make things worse. Only as a last resort. And if that last resort comes to pass, I promise you I will be right there next to you. She's my daughter as much as she's your master."

"...okay. I'm not going to let the little assholes slide, but I'll be careful."


[ *** ]


"This way, ma'am." The detective led her through the caution tape and into the door. The front half of the building was a warren of offices and corridors, but opened up into a wide warehouse floor covered in refuse and debris. "Normally we would have started cleaning the scene by now, but…"

"But there is a prototype Atlesian Paladin in the center of the room. You made the decision to leave everything alone until an Atlas representative could properly inspect the scene. Nothing has been touched?"

"No, ma'am. We took pictures of everything from every angle that we could, and obviously the injured had to be moved for treatment, but everything that we could leave in place we left."

"Excellent. Pass along my thanks to your precinct, detective. If you will excuse me?"

"Yes, ma'am." He stepped back, giving her room to work.

Winter circled the internal perimeter of the warehouse room, taking note of each and every evidence tab left by the police investigators. It looked at first glance like they'd found everything there was to be found- They'd better have. They had a week- so she only gave the items a cursory inspection. Most of her attention was on the Paladin standing quiescent on the stage.

She jumped up onto the stage, walking slowly around the giant mech, eyeing the hasty White Fang paint job that had been added to it. Uncouth savages. Flicks of her fingers formed small glyphs in the air around her, and she walked up her impromptu stairway to look down at the piloting compartment's hatch.

A strip of paper caught her attention, and she leaned closer to read it. The message was scribbled in pen. To those concerned. This is not the only Paladin that the White Fang obtained. Location of remainder unknown. Be wary.

That explains what happened to that missing shipment I heard about. Still, the note was another lead in and of itself. Winter plucked it free with a gloved hand, hopping down to the stage. She clicked her fingers and pointed at the ground next to her. "Caroak. Heel."

Her beowolf appeared in a flash of white light, hoarfrost spreading across the stage floor. It leaned down toward her, frigid breath a gentle caress against her cheek. Winter gave it a light pat on the side of its muzzle, then raised the scrap of paper to the summoned beast's snout. "Track."

Caroak's ice-encrusted nose snuffled at the note, and then it stood up on its haunches, sniffing loudly. Without another sound it leaped up to land on top of the Paladin, straining upwards with one clawed limb toward the warehouse's rafters overhead.

Her eyebrows rose. Winter formed new glyphs, both for herself and for her summon, and together they stepped through the air to the ceiling. Caroak sniffed again, then touched its claws to a specific rafter.

Winter leaned in close. Caught in a join between two girders was a small scrap of fabric. "Interesting."


[ *** ]


It started when a thrown ball found its way indoors.

Lunchtime. Dozens of students had been chattering about their mornings over sandwiches and fries. Conversation was loud but tolerable. The mood was good.

A ball had come crashing through the window. There were shouts of surprise.

Nora came crashing through the next window, screaming 'I got it!' There were screams in response.

The food and drinks spread out over two tables had ended up scattered across half the room, victim of the orange-haired berserker's 'amazing catch' and 'picture-perfect landing'.

The mess was everywhere. There was more food in various students' clothes and hair than there was on the floor. Ruby and Weiss were only spared by the heiress' quick glyphs and faster reaction times.

The two had made the decision to leave before things got worse. They'd joined a flood of students making their way out the doors, while a few of the most badly food-spattered students were offered uniform jackets to wear by the more chivalrous of their peers on the way back to the dorms.

The pair had eventually claimed a private study room in the library, and went about unpacking their binders and folders.

"Kaiser roll, was Professor Goodwitch mad! I could still hear her from halfway across campus." Ruby thumped down into her seat. "I thought Nora knew better than to play catch so close to the cafeteria again."

"She does. I'm suspicious that she's planning something." Weiss sat down next to her, sorting through their binders. What to do first. "Okay. Our seminar course is Friday morning, so let's make sure we're ahead of schedule on Grimm Theory. I think Professor Port will appreciate us putting in the effort ahead of time."

Ruby groaned, but nodded and grabbed her notebook. "At least it's the unit on deathstalkers. I always liked reading about them."

Weiss gave her a look. "How can you like anything about deathstalkers? One almost killed you during initiation."

"...well, yeah. That's why. I can't just avoid them, right? What if I'm contracted to exterminate a nest of them after I graduate?" Ruby shrugged, flipping open her textbook. "I need to know how to fight them, which means studying them. We, uh… well. We saw what happened when I was stupid and just charged right in, right?"

Weiss blinked. She felt her head tilt to the side, and for a moment she just stared at her young partner. It's been less than half a year. Has she really grown that much? Where'd my goofy, immature team leader go?

"But after we finish studying for this course we should totally raid the kitchen. I have a bunch of fun ideas and-"

….there she is.

"-the rest of the refugees have all been cooped up for weeks now and it's probably really boring in there."

"What? Slow down, Ruby."

"Weeeell you know. Sentra and Rein and everyone have been stuck in one place for weeks now and they've probably been eating old rations and crappy take-out the entire time. I was thinking that maybe if Lindy and Headmaster Ozpin think it's a good idea we could get the teams together and cater for them. You know, sort of a 'thank you' and a 'sorry you're bored'? I know I'd be happy if someone did that for me."

Weiss looked down at their notes for a moment. That's what happened. She's becoming both. "Well… that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. So let's get our studying done so you can call them."

"Okay!" Ruby's pencil left a trail of tiny rose petals behind it as she jotted down her notes.

Weiss smiled, shaking her head and giving Ruby a bap on the noggin. "Slow down a little. You still need to be able to read them later."


[ *** ]


"How thoughtful!"

Chrono glanced up from his notebook, perking an eyebrow. Lindy was sitting on her bed, leaning back against the wall with her scroll held up to her face and a delighted smile on her face. "What?"

"Ruby wants to cater a little dinner party for the crew. Since they've been stuck in the hangar for so long, she says."

He tilted his head, and set his pen down. "That really is thoughtful of her. When?"

"Tomorrow evening, if she can get her team excused from classes to use the kitchens. What do you think?"

Chrono scratched his jaw, thinking for a moment. "No one's feeling any reason to complain, but morale at the ship isn't exactly high at the moment. Between the intruder and the general situation, there's a bit of a… pall over things, last I heard. I'd say… yes, it's a good idea."

"I think it's a wonderful idea! Don't tell the other teams, a nice surprise would be good for them too. I just need to talk to Ozpin to make sure he's okay with the kids having the distraction. If he is, I'll give Reinforce a call to have her start getting things ready." Lindy smiled. "She'd love the chance to help throw a surprise party for the crew."


[ *** ]


Jaune had just finished adjusting his tie when his scroll buzzed loudly for attention. He snapped it up but fumbled it, and bounced it haphazardly between his hands before managing to trap it against his chest. Shaking his head, he glanced at the screen.

It was a message from Headmaster Ozpin. Team JNPR is excused from classes for the day. Please report to the cafeteria kitchens at 10:00am. Dress for food preparation.

"...huh. Well, team! New orders, straight from the top. Apparently we're cooking today."

The change in schedule gave them plenty of time to get out of uniform and stop at the cafeteria early for a leisurely breakfast. At Ten AM sharp, the four of them stood outside the double doors into the kitchen, and Jaune knocked polite. "Team JNPR, reporting as ordered."

The doors swung open, and Yang ushered them all inside. She was wearing a white apron and had her voluminous hair tucked up inside a chef's hat, and the moment they were through she hurried off to tend to a running mixing bowl. "Ruby, JNPR's here!"

Ruby appeared in front of them, scattering rose petals around her. "Hey guys, thanks for coming-" One of the petals drifted in front of her face, and silver eyes fixed on the flutter of red. She squawked in dismay, turning to see the trail she left on her way over. "C-crap! Crap!"

Jaune exchanged a glance with Ren as Ruby started trying to grab her petals out of the air before they settled in anything important. "You wanna give her a hand?"

"I don't see why not." Ren started snapping the drifting petals out of the air with practiced ease, and Ruby gushed a thank you.

"Be more careful, Goofball." Weiss rolled her eyes as she approached. "As Ruby was saying, thanks for coming. Aprons and hats are in the closet next to you. We're allowed to use this half of the kitchen for the day, as long as we don't disturb the chefs while they're preparing the daily meals. Suit up and let's get to work." The heiress half-turned to keep track of her partner. "Wash your hands and get back to it, Ruby. This is your idea, after all!"

Jaune found himself staring at the wisps of platinum strands teasing the back of Weiss' neck, where they slipped out from under her chef's hat. He knew he should be asking something but he couldn't for the life of him think of wh-

Pyrrha's voice brought him back to the moment. "What are we doing? I mean, it's rather obvious that we're cooking, but why?"

"Ruby wanted to make dinner for the refugees. All of them, and probably the headmasters too," Weiss declared, hands planted on her hips. "So aprons on, we're cooking for sixty people! Chop, chop!"


[ *** ]


Okay. Let's see here. Weiss ran through her mental checklist, tallying things off one by one. Ruby had grand ideas for the presentation of the meal to the Arthra's crew, and Weiss had originally been a little worried about the girl being in charge of a fairly large project like this. But, Ruby had continued to show a surprising amount of maturity and foresight, and had asked Weiss to take the role of taskmaster. 'You're better at handling all the fine details than I am! We're gonna be on a tight schedule, and I don't want to mess things up,' she'd said.

The acknowledgement of her skills had been… flattering. So Weiss had agreed, and took to running the kitchen with gusto and an iron fist.

A lightly-padded iron fist. These were her friends, after all. So she kept her expectations high, kept her more blistering comments to herself, and the two teams rose to the challenge.

Blake and Ren are getting the burger patties ready. Pyrrha's chopping vegetables for the salad. Nora and Yang are loading the grills into the bullhead. Ruby's got the first round of pies in the oven, and Jaune is helping her with the buns.

And I- She paused in her thoughts, looking down at the pristine red-velvet cake in front of her, and the mixing bowl full of white icing in her hands. Have absolutely no clue how to do this without making a ruin of it. "Ruby!"

"What's up!"

"Swap with me. I'll make a horrid mess of this if I try, and I will not be responsible for serving a red velvet disaster."

"On it!" Her partner hurried over, tugging on a new pair of plastic gloves.

Weiss stripped her own pair off, washing her hands. "Ren! Let Blake finish with the patties, I need you to get on the fruit salad! Bananas, strawberries, honeydews, and grapefruit! The recipe's on the fridge!"

"As you command." There was just a tiny bit of sarcasm in his nearly-monotone reply, and Weiss gave him a sharp look. He gave her a small grin back, and she had to laugh a little.

Weiss took Ruby's place next to Jaune. "Where'd she leave off?" Pure business in her voice.

"Uh." Jaune looked like a deer in headlights for a moment, before giving his head a quick shake. "Prepping the next batch of dough. She was about to start the mixer. Everything's already in the bowl, and it's been sitting long enough."

Weiss nodded and flicked the switch, keeping an eye the ingredients as they were swirled together. Next to her, the goofy blonde was expertly pinching off handfuls of risen dough, rolling them into balls and setting them on a baking tray.

After a moment's thought, she gestured at the mixing bowl. "How long do I let this go?"

Jaune leaned over to peer into the bowl. "Just a minute or two longer. See how the dough's starting to stick together and pull away from the bowl?"

"Yes?"

"That's what you're looking for."

Weiss nodded, waiting a little longer before turning the machine off. "How do you know so much about cooking?"

"Seven sisters."

"Ah. That explains quite a bit."

"They taught me to dance, too." Jaune's eyebrows perked up after a moment. "Say, uhm-"

A beeping from the oven cut him off. Weiss looked, then called across the kitchen. "Ruby! Pies are done!"

"On~it!"

Weiss nodded, then turned back to him. "You were saying?"

"Well, I was wondering, with the school dance coming up and all, well… would you allow me to take you as my date?"

Jaune hadn't even looked away from his duties, making sure that his hands kept moving and that every roll of dough was the same size. Still, the audacity of him! Weiss opened her mouth to shoot him down-

"WEISS! Weissweiss!" Ruby grabbed hold of her arm, tugging. "Wegottatalk!"

"Gah! Let go, Ruby, geez!" Weiss rolled her eyes. "Excuse me a moment, Jaune."

She let herself get pulled away to an empty corner of the kitchen. "What is it, Ruby? Did you forget something for the party?"

"Er, no, uhm." Ruby tapped her fingers together. "I wanted to help you and Jaune, uhm.."

Weiss jerked her head back, scowling. "What? I don't need help with that-"

"I said help you and Jaune! You were about to, uh-"

"About to what, Ruby Rose?"

Ruby gulped, taking a deep breath. "Y-you had that look on your face that you get when you're about to start screaming at me, except it was gonna be at him and-"

"I do not scr-" Weiss cut off the rising shriek, cheek twitching. She tried again, much more controlled. "I do not scream."

"Yoooouuu kinda do. Not lately though! But you did a lot last semester!"

Dammit. She's right. It was a bitter pill to swallow. "I've been trying to be better about it… But, Ruby, if you're trying to set me up with Jaune…"

"No! No, nothing like that. I mean, I know you're not interested in him at all, and well I sorta saw the look on Pyrrha's face when he asked you and she'd be really upset with me if I did and she'd put on that smile she gives when her eyes are sad and I don't ever want to be the reason she has to do that and-"

"Wait wait wait! Pyrrha's sweet on Jaune? Pyrrha?" That didn't make any- "You know what? Nevermind. So you weren't going to try to set me up with Jaune."

"Well, no. I was just… I wanted to pull you aside so you had a second to calm down before answering him? Just… let him down lightly, you know? You can be, uhm…"

"....I can be what, Ruby?"

"Very to the point!"

"Blunt."

"Yeahthat. See?"

Weiss sighed. Ruby was right, she could be… very to the point. If she'd spoken her mind in the heat of the moment, her words would have been as sharp as Myrtenaster's tip, and Jaune didn't deserve that. Besides. He's… being very helpful right now. I wouldn't want to ruin his productivity, either. "I see. Thank you, Ruby. I'm sure Jaune would thank you as well if he knew. I'll… let him down lightly." Somehow.

Something of that thought apparently registered on her face. "Just… tell him that you appreciate being asked, but uh… he's not your type?"

"Be kind but unambiguous."

"Right that! ...whatever that means."

Weiss sighed again. "I'll give him his answer once this party is behind us. And yes, I'll be nice."


[ *** ]


Wireless signal broadcasted at 3.80 GHz - encryption scheme COLDSTEEL active

Wireless signal detected at 3.80 GHz - signal source identified matching encryption scheme DOLLHOUSE

Handshake protocol initiated


- Text OUT: CR!

- Text IN: Salutations, RZ! What are you doing this fine day?

- Text OUT: Oh, you know. This and that and the other thing. What are you doing today?

- Text IN: I am reading a romance novel! It's wonderful! But not very realistic. The majority of humans would not be able to contort their bodies in the manners described. I know I wouldn't be able to.

- Text OUT: Are you sure that's a romance novel?

- Text IN: There's hugging and kissing, so yes!

- Text OUT: Riiight. Actually, I need to get Mistress Hayate a present soon. I'll ask about it later. Anyways! Guess what?

- Text IN: What?


Wireless connection established - Scroll: Headmaster, Beacon

Wireless connection established - Scroll: Harlaown, Lindy

Wireless connection established - Scroll: Headmaster, Atlas


- Text IN: Gasp!

- Text OUT: Hello everyone! I have CR on the line!

- Voice IN (Beacon): "How do you do, Miss CR?"

- Voice IN (Lindy): "Delightful! This is your friend?"

- Voice IN (Atlas): "Ah, hello. You're the on-site representative for the hangar?"

- Text OUT: That's correct! Nice to speak to you again, General!

- Voice IN (Atlas): "I wasn't aware that we've met."

- Text OUT: Gasp! *covers her mouth*

- Text OUT: Lindy I'm sorry I forgot!

- Text OUT: Is he cleared? I can't remember if he's cleared, it's not listed in my file databases.

- Text OUT: Oh crap! I wasn't supposed to mention that I have file databases, was I?

- Text IN: I'm sure it's fine, RZ! The general is very understanding about things like this.

- Text OUT: But my internal coding structure is classified information! Crap, I wasn't supposed to say that either!

- Text IN: I'm sure it's okay! I'm classified information too, remember!

- Text OUT: Where you supposed to say that?

- Text IN: CALAMITY!

- Voice IN (Lindy): "Girls! Girls, you're messaging too fast. Slow down a little for us poor organics, please.

- Voice IN (Beacon): "Is it always like this with her, Lindy?"

- Voice IN (Lindy): "Only if I try to watch her talk to other devices. Her human-interaction protocols are quite well designed."

- Voice IN (Atlas): "Penny, who is your friend?"

- Text IN: I'm not Penny -Hic-! I'm CR!

- Text OUT: Yeah! She couldn't be Penny! I most assuredly don't know a Penny and I definitely would not be contacting a human girl named Penny via wireless access protocols!

- Voice IN (Atlas): "Penny, I already know it's you. Lindy filled me in that you two have been talking.

- Text IN: Oh.

- Text OUT: Oh.

- Voice IN (Atlas): "We need to have a talk about this, but don't worry Penny. I'm not mad. In fact, I'm glad you've made a friend that shares such surprising similarities with you. Though, I would like to know her name."

- Text OUT: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say, General.

- Voice IN (Lindy): He's cleared.

- Text OUT: Okay, ma'am! General, I'm Reinforce Zwei Yagami. I recorded the minutes of your first meeting with Lindy and Chrono, and I oversaw your usage of one of our storage devices!

- Voice IN (Atlas): "That was you? No offense, but I would never have guessed."

- Text OUT: I assure you that was entirely the point! I'm not normally so boring and dour, but I can play the part really well. Leftover programming from my predecessor.

- Voice IN (Lindy): "Ixnay."

- Text OUT: Aaand I'm not allowed to talk about that anymore so moving on! General! We're having that party today, and I've been helping get everything prepared on this end and no one suspects a thing, but I wanted to make a request!

- Voice IN (Atlas): "A request of me. I wonder what that could be about. Yes, yes, Penny may attend the party."

- Text IN: What? Really? That's why you wanted to know what I was doing today?! Stupendous! Incredible! Sensational!

- Text OUT: Thank you, General Ironwood! I'll see you all in a few hours!


[ *** ]


"I know, I know. I said we were gonna leave it alone." He paused, pursing his lips. "When's the last time you lost a tooth, Neo?" The non sequitur caught his tiny compatriot off guard, and she looked at him quizzically.

Junior's club was as tall as any other building in the area, which meant that the small, balconied roof had a wonderful view of Vale in every direction. In the far distance, the giant hangars of the construction yards dominated the terrain. Torchwick was leaning back in a chair, nursing his scotch on the rocks, and absently eyeing the huge structures.

Eventually the girl shrugged, holding out a hand at a level even shorter than she was. A long time ago, she seemed to say.

"Yeah. But you remember what it's like, don't you? You've got a mouth full of teeth, all in a line, but something's missing. It's missing, and you keep poking the hole with your tongue, and you can taste something funny and it feels weird but you can't stop poking it?"

Neo nodded, tilting her head.

Torchwick lifted his cane, pointing out toward the distant Drydock Six. "That's my missing tooth. I can't help but want to keep poking it. And that's a bad idea, I know. But it can't hurt to look. From a distance."

They lapsed into companionable silence. Not that it was hard, since Neo never contributed vocally anyways. Torchwick spent the time flipping through files on his scroll, looking for yet more ways to acquire Dust for Cinder. There were a few promising ones, actually; if he could weasel some front money out of the bitch, he could buy a shipment or two from a local cartel. I might have to go with that option if I can't find another soft-

Neo poked him in the side with her parasol, then pointed off toward the distance. Torchwick followed her gaze, then grabbed the binoculars sitting on the table.

A bullhead was flying toward the drydock hangar, Beacon's paired axes displayed prominently on the flank. "Well that's interesting. The Academy's involved."

Neo rolled her eyes.

"...yeah, shut up. Hindsight is twenty-twenty."


[ *** ]


"Roland, I swear to the gods if you drop this thing on my foot I will chase you all the way back to Mid-Childa."

"I'm not gonna drop it, Sentra. Olivie almighty, you worry too much." The two of them grunted, moving the heavy, cloth-draped object foot by foot. "What the hell is it, anyways?"

"No clue. Sergeant Yagami's had me working on clearing the firing range all morning, and then these came in by bullhead from the academy. That one blonde student… Yang? Brought them in, said she'd be back with more. Little while later Alpha showed up on another, and they're just as clueless as we are." Sentra pointed toward the offices, where a few of the Wolkenritter were visible through the windows.

"Huh." A few moments later, they set it down in the center of a marking on the floor. "You want to look and see what's inside?"

"Only if you want to guard the front office and miss the surprise, Lieutenant Galant!" Reinforce zipped by, cheerful as ever. "Thanks for moving this thing! All the tables and chairs are out, right?"

"Got them out two hours ago, Sergeant. Seriously, what's the big deal here? This almost feels like we're setting up to receive a ship full of VIPs."

The unison device spun in the air for a moment, one finger tapping her lip in thought. She brought up a holowindow, making a show of checking the time. "Well. Te~chnically you're absolutely right!"

One of the hangar's vehicle doors started to grind open, until it was just wide enough to let a bullhead through. The Arthra's various personnel looked up as they finished their tasks as the vehicle rumbled overhead, rotating in place to put down underneath the Arthra herself, in the middle of the cleared firing range.

The transport's bay doors open, and a half-dozen people hopped down. Sentra stiffened, then straightened and shouted, snapping off a salute. "Admiral on site!"

Admiral Harlaown returned the salute, smiling, then waved it off. "As you were, everyone! Rein, how go the preparations?"

"We're just finishing up now, ma'am!"

"Excellent! Well, then! Gather around, everyone!" The admiral waved everyone closer, waiting until the entire crew assembled. "Thank you all for your hard work today. I'm sure you've been wondering exactly what you've been setting up for? Well, Ms. Ruby Rose has a few words for you all!"

The crimson garbed teen let out a squeak at being put on the spot, suddenly nervous. Her white-haired partner- Weiss, I think?- gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and whispered something into her ear, and Ruby visibly steeled herself. "U-uhm, thank you all for coming…"

In the back of the crowd, one of the engineers called out, "A little louder, please? Having a hard time hearing you!"

"S-sorry!" Ruby took a deep breath, but was interrupted when Weiss snapped her fingers and pointed at the air in front of her lips. A set of tiny symbols, almost like magic circles, appeared in front of her mouth, and her next words were amplified. "What's thi- oh wow, I didn't know you could do that, Weiss!"

"They can hear you, you know."

"Oh! Right! Uhm, thank you everyone for coming, but I guess you were all already here since there's not really anywhere else for you to be right now and that's why we- I mean Teams RWBY and JNPR- are here! We know you've been doing a lot of work lately with trying to get a message home and all that, and that you're doing everything you can to support Team Alpha at Beacon, so… thank you!"

Sentra traded a glance with Roland, perking an eyebrow. He nodded a little, a satisfied expression on his face. "Nice to hear it out loud, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it really is." And that's the whole thing. We're stuck here on an unadministered world, and one of the natives is thanking us for the work we're doing. That never happens. Normally it can't happen, even. It was a surprisingly good feeling.

By the bullhead, the girl forged on. "So, uhm! In recognition of everything that you've been doing, Teams RWBY and JNPR took it on ourselves to do something nice for you!" She gestured, and one-by-one the other members of the the Beacon teams started carrying platters and coolers out of the bullhead. A murmur started from the crew, and Ruby had to raise her projected voice a little. "So get ready for fun! We've got drinks, appetizers and finger-foods ready now, and we'll have burgers and hot dogs ready as soon as the grills are warmed up and we can get them cooked! Rein, hit it!"

The unison device picked up a scroll nearly as big as she was, pressing a button with a flourish. The cloth-covered objects Sentra and Roland had carried unfolded into speaker stands, and music poured over the assembled crowd.

She couldn't help it. Sentra started laughing, clapping her hands together. The rest of the Arthra's crew joined in the applause, and more than a few whoops and hollers echoed through the hangar.

Ruby pumped a fist in the air, buoyed by the crew's reaction. "Let's get this party started!"


[ *** ]


"Weiss! Weiss, everything's going perfectly! Everything's going perfectly and everyone's having a good time and it's amazing!"

"Yes. So why do you keep looking around like you're expecting the grills to explode?"

"Because it's all going perfectly! Something has to go wrong, doesn't it?!" Ruby looked to her partner for confirmation. Or absolution. Or something. There were a lot of thoughts running through her head and she couldn't single one out.

"No, you dolt. Geez." Weiss held up her hand, ticking the points off on her finger. "One, you ran the idea by the headmaster and the admiral first, so you had full permission. Two, you had a clear idea of what you wanted to happen. Three, you quite intelligently delegated responsibility, to me because you knew that I would be able to handle managing the kitchen. Four, you had a half-dozen more close friends who all wanted it to succeed just as strongly as you did. Five, everyone is too busy having fun to notice if something little did go wrong."

"...so you're saying-"

"I'm saying everything's covered and you can relax a little." Weiss put her hands on Ruby's shoulders, holding her out at arm's length and looking her straight in the eye. "Ruby."

"What?"

"You just planned, prepared, and put on a grill-out and dance in twelve waking hours. Good job, Ruby."

"Aw, Weiss~!" Ruby threw her arms around her partner in a hug, ignoring her indignant squawk.

After a moment, she felt Weiss' arms wrap around her, patting her back. "Okay, let go."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes! You need to be a proper hostess. It's your party, after all."

Ruby let her arms drop, but she felt her eyes widen again. "B-be a hostess? But I've never done hostessing before!"

"You'll do fine. All you have to do is keep circulating through the party and making sure everyone's having a good time. Make small talk, don't spend too much time in one place, that sort of thing." Weiss sighed a little. "I'll be right at your side the entire time, okay? It's my party too."

"I guess so. You've had to do this before a lot, haven't you?"

"For my father, yes. But there's very little resemblance." Weiss pointed at various people, drawing Ruby's eyes. "You see how they're all laughing and having a good time? You see how real their enjoyment is? They're having fun."

"Yeah! That's the whole reason we did this!"

"Yes. My father's parties aren't like this at all. They're… social battlefields. Those kinds of parties are to show everyone else how important you are, how rich you are. And everyone attends to show that they're important and rich enough to be there." Weiss rolled her eyes. "So you get a bunch of people who..." She trailed off.

Ruby blinked. "Who what?"

"Well… you remember how… not nice I was when we met?"

"You- Well… I did kind of blow us both up, so I deserved it…" She blushed a little, remembering.

"Regardless. The point being, compared to them, I was nice."

"Oh. Ew." Ruby winced. "That must have really sucked to grow up with."

"Yes, it did. But we're here now, and this party?" Weiss smiled. "I'm happy to have helped you put it together. So, shall we?"

Ruby smiled back. "We shall! So, uhm. Do I need to give you my arm or anything?" She couldn't help but throw in the slightly teasing comment, and was rewarded with the chimes of Weiss' laughter.

The party was in full swing by that point. The bullhead had been moved after being unloaded, and now dozens of people occupied the impromptu dance floor, moving energetically to the thumping beats from the speakers.

Copper and white caught her attention, and they made their first stop. "Rein! Penny!"

The tiny girl was floating in the air, hands clasped by Penny's pinched fingertips; the two were having a rare old time, dancing to the upbeat music. "Salutations, friend Ruby!"

"Hi, Ruby! Eeee!"

Ruby exchanged a few words with them, and then at Weiss' quiet urging, excused herself to move on. The heiress guided them past the buffet table, snatching up a plate and some appetizers for them. Ruby cheered at Yang, who was flipping burgers from the grill onto a fresh plate, and then they were past and finding their next targets.

"Headmaster Ozpin! Headmaster Ironwood, Lindy! Are you having a good time?"

Ironwood raised his eyebrows, unable to answer through his mouthful of burger, but he nodded. Ozpin and Lindy both smiled, even as the headmaster was tapping his cane against the floor. "When Lindy contacted me about your request, I have to admit I wasn't expecting you to be so… thorough, Ruby. I am quite impressed."

Ruby felt her cheeks redden a little. "W-well, uhm. Weiss really helped a lot, I would never have managed to do it without her. Everyone, really. Blake and Yang and Team JNPR, and Reinforce managing things on this end…"

"Indeed."

"But it all came together perfectly." Lindy raised her cup of punch in a mini-toast. "I look forward to when it's our chance to return the favor. But for now, you've got to continue your grand progress."

The minutes passed quickly as Ruby and Weiss circulated through the party, and she found it easier and easier to play the role. The two mage teams were mingling in a large group, but Weiss had her drift along the outside edges to chat with the combat mages.

Finally, though, Ruby had to beg off for a few minutes.

Weiss gave her shoulder a squeeze, whispering in her ear. "You did great, Ruby. Go relax for a bit."

She found a chair by the buffet tables, dropping into it and suddenly feeling exhausted. She let her eyes close, feeling the music and voices roll over her like a blanket.

A few minutes later, an arm draped over her shoulders. "Hell of a party, sis."

"Thanks, Yang. And thanks for helping so much."

"Anytime."


[ *** ]


Ugh. This class is too early.

Weiss had her eyes closed against the seminar room's lights, face buried in her hands and fingers gently massaging her temples. The class hadn't quite started yet, and Headmaster Ozpin was standing to the side of the podium. Thankfully, the collective students' pre-class banter wasn't loud enough to bother her.

"Weiss, are you sure you're okay? What's wrong?" Ruby kept her voice quiet, but Weiss had no trouble hearing the concern there.

"I think I drank too much punch. Did Yang-"

"Yeah."

"Figures…"

Weiss felt Ruby's fingers come to rest on the back of her neck, gently pressing down. At first she stiffened, but she bit down on the indignation to let her head hang a little further. "...left a little."

The next minute passed in easy silence, but then Weiss felt Ruby's fingers vanish. She made a wordless query.

"The speaker just came in."

The headmaster's voice carried through the room, silencing conversation. "Students. As I mentioned last session, we would be having guests, veteran huntsmen and huntresses all, speak of their experiences in the field."

Ruby's voice was hushed. "She, uh… she looks kinda like you."

"What?!" Weiss snapped her head up, discomfort forgotten.

Ozpin continued, but Weiss couldn't be bothered to look at him. Her gaze was locked onto a pair of eyes as blue as her own. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you all Specialist Winter Schnee of the Atlesian Military."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 20 - Freedom and Fairy Tales​

It was actually more difficult than she'd first thought it would be, Winter realized, standing in front of a class of Beacon students and talking about her experiences.

She'd done so before for Atlas trainees, but the rigid structure and lifestyle turned her speeches toward a more military understanding of things; follow the orders of your superiors, do not hesitate to follow orders. Don't waste time worrying about what the best decision is, because that decision was already made for you.

That didn't work here. Beacon made minimal effort to keep their graduates loyal to Vale, trusting them to follow their consciences and travel as they would. They needed to have the judgment to make snap decisions, and the ability to trust that judgment. So, Winter spoke of different things, things that she borrowed from her own command classes.

"There have come times, as an Atlas specialist, when I have found there is no simple, correct answer to a situation. Two years ago, I was in command of a squad of Atlas soldiers tasked with defending a Dust caravan that was being harried by Grimm. The situation quickly became untenable."

Winter gestured at the blackboard, forming tiny glyphs over her fingers. Lines of white frost formed on the surface, and within moments she'd recreated the location of the battle from memory. "Three dozen civilian miners and workers, seven transport vehicles. The pass was blocked by an avalanche, hindering forward progress. Burn Dust-throwers were available to melt our way through, but that takes time. To defend them, I had twelve soldiers, and myself."

Pausing for a moment to let the class take in the diagram, she passed her eyes over the various students. Her sister was sitting with perfect poise, back straight, brow slightly furrowed, hands clasped on her desk. Next to her, a surprisingly young girl with red-tinged black hair was listening attentively as well, but her anxiousness was apparent in her white-knuckled, worrying fingers.That must be Weiss' team leader that she wrote to me about.

Seeing Weiss in the class had been something of a shock to her. Beacon's headmaster had described the class as an ethics and morality course for senior students, which Winter had assumed meant it was similar to command school for Atlas' Specialists-to-be.

Her sister looked away for a brief moment, glancing at the younger girl. Weiss freed one hand to rest it over her teammate's, and the girl shivered before visibly relaxing. Winter kept any expression off her face as she turned back toward the board. Hm.

"There were limited options available. Grimm were approaching from behind and both flanks; a mixture of beowolves, boarbatusks, and ursa." Another gesture, and Opposing-Force markers appeared on the diagram, arrows pointing in toward the caravan. "I was the strongest combatant in the AO, bar none. My soldiers were capable, but only as effective as their armor and weapons."

A flicker of motion caught her eyes, and she looked back. Weiss' partner had raised her hand, cheeks reddening when she realized the entire class had turned to look. Winter nodded at her. "U-uhm. What does Ay-Oh mean?"

"Area of Operation."

"Oh. Thank you." She sunk into her seat, looking like she wanted to melt into her hooded cloak and disappear.

"It's military terminology. Beacon's curriculum may not cover those terms." Winter took the moment to assure her, then went back to the board. "While I was fully confident in my ability to fight against the oncoming Grimm, I would only be able to protect one angle of approach. My soldiers were trained in the efficient use of Burn Dust-Throwers, but every soldier working on clearing the avalanche would be one less to hold the line. I could clear the pass much faster, but then I would not assisting in repelling the OpFor."

She heard the girl again, whispering. "What's OpFor mean?"

"Opposing Force, dear." One of the other students had responded. Winter shot a quick glance over her shoulder to see the green-haired woman leaning back into her seat. Of all the students, she and her blue-haired brother both seemed the most at-ease with the situation Winter was describing; everyone else in the room was at least showing some sort of emotion on their faces; trepidation and confusion, mostly. Those two, however, were completely blank-faced.

"I was faced with a decision. Leave the Grimm to my soldiers and clear the way out as quickly as possible, assign half of my squad to do so for me, or let the civilians clear the path while my soldiers and I dug in for a prolonged defense?"

The green-haired woman raised her hand. "There is technically a fourth option, is there not?"

Winter raised her eyebrows. "What would that be, do you think?"

"Retreat. Abandon the caravan and save your men. What are worth more? The lives of trained soldiers, or the lives of civilians?"

The class went completely silent; Winter could have heard a pin drop. Sitting in the front row, Ozpin simply pushed his glasses up his nose, not even casting a glance over his shoulder. She's playing the Grimm's Advocate, and she's doing it for the headmaster. Interesting. "I would be lying if I said the possibility did not cross my mind. Command math is something taught quite thoroughly to Specialists, and it is a cold and unforgiving kind of math."

"There is a difference between lives spent and lives wasted." She gestured again, and the board rearranged itself. The markers for her soldiers were circling the caravan now, and her own sharp-edged snowflake symbol was at the blocked pass. "My men knew what they were about when they joined the Atlesian Military. I handpick each and every one of my soldiers that serves in battle with me, and they serve under me knowing that one day I may have to make the decision to spend their lives. But they know that I will not waste them."

The image shifted again. The arrows crashed against the defensive line, even as the blocked pass opened and the caravan started moving through. Three of the Spear-and-Gear symbols melted away into nothingness before her own symbol returned to the battle. "I lost three men that day to the Grimm, but recovered all seven vehicles and saved the lives of every civilian in the AO. Was it the correct decision from a command standpoint? A full after-action review before a military panel determined that yes, it was. Was it the right decision to make? There are three families missing their sons, their husbands, their fathers, who may well tell you that it was not."

Weiss' friend raised her hand again. "How do you… deal with knowing that your decisions and actions led to people being hurt?" She was having a hard time meeting Winter's gaze, and she started wringing her hands once more. Weiss was looking at her in concern, squeezing her shoulder.

It made sense all of a sudden; her and Weiss being in a class full of seniors. The poor girl. And Weiss too. We're going to have to talk while I'm here. "What's your name, Miss?"

"Er. Ruby, ma'am. Ruby Rose."

"I deal with it by knowing that I did the absolute best that I could, Ruby." She waited until Ruby's eyes came up to meet hers, and gave the girl a small smile. "I know I did the best I could, and I promise myself that I will do better the next time."

Other students started to ask questions, which she answered simply and honestly. After another half an hour, the headmaster caught her attention and pointed at his wrist. She cleared her throat. "While I would like to stay longer, time is unfortunately running short. It has been an honor and a privilege to speak with you all today."

One of the students started clapping politely, and it didn't take long for the rest to join in. Headmaster Ozpin let it go for a few moments, then stood and pointedly nodded toward the door. The students filed out in rows, conversation already building into a loud murmur.

Four students remained while the rest left; Weiss and her partner, and the pair of siblings. Ozpin paced leisurely up toward the door, stopping next to the younger students. "Weiss. By all means, take a little while to visit, but please bring your sister to my office in half an hour." He glanced pointedly at the green-haired woman, and Weiss nodded. The two older students stood and fell into step with him as he walked to the door. More interesting, she thought.

"Winter!"

"Hello, Weiss." Winter looked away from the headmaster and his entourage to smile at her younger sister. "I didn't expect you to be in the audience today. The headmaster seems to have played a trick on us both."

"It was a good trick though. I'm so happy to see you!"

"Happy enough that you stopped writing? I haven't gotten a single email from you all month." Weiss went red, stammering, and Winter couldn't keep the faux-severe expression on her face. "It's fine. I assumed you've been busy with the start of the semester?"

"Y-yes. We've been very busy."

"I'm sure you have. Now, I know I already asked her for her name myself, but introduce your friend to me?"

"Oh! Yes, of course. Winter, this is Ruby Rose, my partner and leader of Team RWBY. Ruby, this is Winter, my older sister." Weiss had quite a measure of pride on her face, but not all of it was familial, which Winter found interesting. It was definitely at odds with the some of the letters she had received during Weiss' first semester.

The black-haired girl smiled up at her. "Nice to meet you, Winter!"

"Quite. The pleasure is mine, Ruby." Winter cocked an eyebrow. "I hope my little sister hasn't been giving you too much trouble? She's a perfectionist at heart. I should know, she learned it from me."

Her sister went a bit red in the face from the teasing, and started to sputter. Ruby smiled widely though. "She's been a great partner! Sometimes she yells at me, but only when I deserve it anymore. We've got each other's backs!"

Weiss huffed, folding her arms. "Ruby's become a very good leader. It's my job as her partner to support her as best I can, and to make sure she becomes even better."

"Of course. I'm glad to hear you two are getting along so well. I remember my first partner; If I had to choose between him and an ursa, I'd take the ursa in a heartbeat." She let them laugh for a moment, but then pursed her lips. "Weiss. Why are you in this course? You shouldn't be here for three more years. What happened to you two?"

The good cheer and amusement drained away from both of their faces. Ruby looked down at the floor, scuffing the tiles with her shoe, and Weiss bit the inside of her lip. "There was a… a situation," her sister said, borrowing the word Winter had used earlier, "early last week."

"What happened?"

Ruby shuffled her feet. "We got… we got caught up in a White Fang riot. Our teams were… moving in behind them to help the people who were hurt, and Weiss was putting out the fires they'd started, but…"

"But the man that was instigating the whole thing saw me, and…"

"...and they came after you." Winter wanted to curse. Why didn't you tell me, Weiss?

"...yes. He was… he was going to kill me, but Signum got in his way, and then Ruby and Zafira held off the entire mob so I could keep putting out the fires. It was…"

"Bloody. There was blood everywhere, and it got all over everything, and I-" Ruby was worrying her hands again, and without missing a beat Weiss put her own over them.

"Sticky."

Ruby looked up sharply when Winter spoke the word. "H-how did you-"

"I did say I've lost soldiers under my command, Ruby. The first one died in my arms, and I still remember how my hands felt." Winter put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's not easy, I know. But you'll get past this. I would be more worried if you didn't feel anything after dealing with something like that."

The girl nodded a little, and even managed a weak smile. Winter smiled back. "Your leader is a little trooper, Weiss."

"She… she really is."

Winter turned her gaze to her sister now, frowning. "Why didn't you let us know what happened to you, Weiss? Why didn't you tell me?"

For a moment her sister looked absolutely stricken, but then her eyes hardened and the corners of her lips turned down. Winter knew the look well, it was the one Weiss wore when she was being defiantly stubborn. "I'm seventeen years old, Winter. I can handle myself."

"Is that the real reason? There's a difference between not wanting to call home because you're homesick and not telling us you nearly died, sister."

The expression of defiance crumbled. "I- I didn't want Father to know. I didn't want to give him a reason to make me come home. I like it here, Winter! The professors aren't scared of my name, and I'm stuck in a dorm room with three other girls and I have to tolerate Yang's puns and her walking around in the room in her underwear and Blake's sarcasm and I have to deal with Ruby being childish-"

"Wei~iiss!"

"-and people know I'm a Schnee but they don't care that I am and…" She wound down to take a deep breath, cheeks flushed and eyes shining.

Winter let her eyebrows slowly raise. "...and?"

"...and I have real friends here. I like it here," she repeated, "and I wouldn't trade it for the world. A few days ago, Blake told us that our dorm room feels like home to her. And she's right. It feels like home in a way the manor never did."

Winter couldn't help but smile, and she pulled her sister into a gentle hug. "I understand, Weiss. I really do."

"Y-you do?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I went on to become a Specialist instead of coming home after I graduated?"

"Oh. I guess that makes a great deal of sense, now."

"It's interesting what your first taste of real freedom does to you. Oh, the military life isn't exactly freedom itself, but I had the chance to make a choice between this or being part of the company. Like you just said; I wouldn't trade it for the world." She let go of Weiss, still smiling. "But we've been standing around for too long now. You are supposed to take me somewhere, yes?"

"Oh. Yes, yes we are. Come with us, and we'll show you to the headmaster's office?"

"Lead the way. Maybe while we walk you can tell me about what's kept you so busy these last few weeks?"

Winter watched the two girls exchange a glance. Weiss laughed awkwardly. "I… I'm actually not allowed to say, but I think I can safely say that you'll find out when we get there."

"Wonderful. I do so love surprises."


[ *** ]


Chrono could understand why Ozpin liked his office. The view was spectacular; the CCTS tower was taller than the Ground Forces headquarters building in Cranagan. While Lindy and the headmasters made small talk waiting for their guests to arrive, he was doing a bit of paperwork.

Incident report? From Arf of all people. This should be interesting. Chrono scanned through the holowindow, tilting his head after a moment. "Admiral? This incident report from Arf. Did you make her write it?"

"I did, yes. Why do you ask?"

"It's dripping with so much sarcasm that I feel the need to wash my hands."

Lindy rolled her eyes, but smiled. "You might want to use some mouthwash, as well. It's getting into your voice."

"No, I think this is becoming run-of-the-mill for me." Chrono read through the report again, and opened the attached files; student dossiers. Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. First incident noted… the day before classes started? Ah, the bookstore not-quite-heist. And Zafira noted that Mercury Black was showing 'dishonorable motives' when he requested to spar with Pyrrha Nikos. Chrono was used to taking that kind of statement from the Wolkenritter with a grain of salt; ever since being freed from the Book of Darkness, honor and conduct remained forefront in the minds of the four knights. They were compensating for who-knows-how-many years of forced evil, Chrono knew.

He tapped his chin, thinking for a moment. And now this last item of business. Arf says they weren't participating in any of the sparring matches, and were paying too much attention to us in general and Fate in particular. Or more specifically, the fact that she was using a scythe. There was only one other scythe wielder at Beacon, as far as he knew. "Headmaster Ozpin?"

"Yes, Mr. Harlaown?"

"Scythes are an exceptionally rare weapon on Remnant, yes?"

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "That is correct. They are generally considered deadlier to their wielders than they are to their targets, to all but the highest level of skill."

"How many scythe wielders do you know of, Headmaster?"

"Three. Your sister, of course, as well as Ruby Rose, and the man who trained her."

It could just be a coincidence. Combat scythes are rare, so it might be impressive just to see one being used. But it's not my job to decide whether or it's a coincidence. It's my job to consider it related until proven otherwise. Chrono tagged both dossiers with the 'Person of Interest' flag, and transmitted the files to Reinforce for safekeeping. "Is there any chance that I could interview him?"

"I believe that there is, yes." Ozpin rose from his desk, pacing sedately to the curve of glass behind it. He unlatched a catch and slid the window open. "And here's one of our guests now."


[ *** ]


"Sir. Reporting as ordered." Winter snapped off a sharp salute as she stepped out of the elevator.

"At ease, Specialist. Have a seat." General Ironwood gestured toward the empty chair in front of Headmaster Ozpin's desk, then nodded behind her. "Ms. Schnee, Ms. Rose. If you could remain on hand?"

"Thank you, sir." Winter took the offered seat, greeting the other people in the room. "Headmaster Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch." She nodded to young man and woman sitting in the other chairs, but her glance lingered on their unfamiliar clothing. I know they were wearing Beacon uniforms last I saw. Those look like military uniforms. "Hello."

"Hello!" The green haired woman was quite cheerful, in direct contrast to the enforced neutrality on the man's face.

A voice sounded behind her, dark and gravelly. "The hell is she doing here, Oz?"

She twisted around, eyes fixing on the unshaven man leaning against a window. Without even thinking about it, she lurched back to her feet. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here-"

"Eeeeeeeeeuncle Qrow!" She was interrupted by a red blur dashing across the room to tackle the scruffy vagrant; Ruby only succeeding at making him shift his weight to account for her hanging off one arm. "Hi!"

Uncle? Heavens help me, they're related?

"Hey, kiddo. Are you in trouble? Is that why I'm here?" His rough voice was teasing, and her cheerful denials filled the room.

"Qrow is here at my specific request, Ms. Schnee. He is to be briefed on the same situation that you are." Headmaster Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, then nodded to Ironwood. "James, if you would?"

"Specialist Schnee. Everything you hear or see in this room is to be considered top-secret. It is not to be discussed with anyone who is not already informed. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir." Just what is going on here? Winter made a point of glancing at Ruby and Weiss both, then back at General Ironwood.

"Your sister and her partner are already involved." General Ironwood handed her a datapad. "Please read this information report thoroughly. All information detailed in the report is one hundred percent accurate. Take your time; we'll wait."

Winter settled back into her chair, settling her eyes on the text of the report. She recognized the particulars of the layout immediately; General Ironwood himself had produced it. "When did you type this up, sir?"

"This morning, while you were speaking at the seminar. It's for your eyes only, Schnee."

"Understood."

The situational summary at the top of the report had Winter's eyes widening in disbelief. She reread it twice to make sure she didn't misinterpret it, but the words didn't change. Alien refugees from other planets? "Sir? I know you told me this is accurate, but… Is this some kind of joke?" Off to the side, she heard Qrow making similar, if much less polite comments.

"No. Keep reading, Schnee. We'll answer every question you have to your satisfaction when you're done."

There was nothing for her to do but read on. It took her ten minutes to finish the report, and she took it upon herself to read it again and commit everything she could to memory. Aliens on Remnant. True magic used as technology. Travel between the stars. She leaned forward to set the datapad on the headmaster's desk, half-expecting it to jump up and bite her when she let go.

Qrow spoke the words floating in her head, and even he sounded subdued. "...are we really supposed to believe this, Oz?"

"You are, Qrow. I would like to introduce you properly to Admiral Lindy Harlaown and Captain Chrono Harlaown, Time Space Administrative Bureau Navy."

The green-haired woman student stood, offering a hand. "A pleasure to meet you both, Huntsman, Specialist." She turned to Winter, smiling. "I did enjoy your presentation, and I apologize for being the one to ask the hard questions."

Winter blinked, looking at her more closely. "You weren't testing me for the headmaster at all. You were testing me for yourself."

"I was indeed, and you passed with flying colors."

"General Ironwood's report stated that… physical proof would be available immediately upon finishing reading it?"

"Ah, yes. Just a moment." Admiral Harlaown took a step back, plucking a blue-and-white card out of her jacket's pocket. "Durandal, set up."

"Yes, boss."

The card flashed bright blue, and suddenly from nowhere the woman was holding a blunt, blue-and-white spear. Lindy held the weapon out to her, motioning for Winter to take it. "Please confirm that my Device is not an illusion."

To the side, Chrono was doing something similar, calling out a command to something called S2U. Once the flash faded, he offered the cylindrical-headed staff to Qrow.

Winter reached out tentatively, and grasped the shaft of the weapon. It felt like cool plastic in her hand, and it immediately parsed out a synthesized warning. "Unidentified user detected. Access denied." The weapon flashed again, and she was left holding the card that the admiral had first revealed.

Admiral Harlaown smiled demurely, plucking the card from her fingers. "As soon as timing allows, we'll take you to the Arthra's hangar and you can test one out for yourself. General Ironwood got to do the same thing."

Winter was left staring at her empty hand for a long, long moment. Finally, she turned, scanning across the room until she found a pair of eyes that matched her own. Her expression was a mix of apprehensive and optimistic, and Winter was suddenly struck by how much her little sister had grown since she left for Beacon. "I guess I see why you weren't allowed to talk about it, Weiss."

"You did say you love surprises."


[ *** ]


"Are you sure that Ruby will be here today?"

"Of course she will! Her seminar's probably just running a little late. Here, have some fries." Yang Xiao Long smiled at her, and passed her plate over.

"Oh! No, thank you! I am not hungry right now."

"Really? You didn't eat at the party either."

"Oh, that's because I was having so much fun that I didn't even stop to think about it! But don't worry, I ate when I got home. Hic!"

"Well, fine. If you're sure."

Penny smiled at the blonde, nodding. "I am! Thank you again." While Yang took back her plate of fries, Penny closed her eyes and let the air-propagated mechanical pressure waves of Beacon's cafeteria-goers register in her aural receptors.

After a moment, she noticed a shift in the sound waves, and realized some of the students were going silent. Penny turned and looked over her shoulder.

Blake Belladonna- Faunus, feline subcategory, phenotype variation: feline ears- was approaching the table, in the school's uniform and bow perched perfectly atop her head. A small portion of the students that she passed were pausing in their conversations to watch her pass. Penny wondered why, and ran a comparison to the video files she had in storage of the black-haired girl.

Three seconds later, she was able to determine a probable cause. Blake's posture was different than before; slightly more upright, shoulders back naturally instead of caving forward ever-so-slightly. Her expression was less tightly controlled as well, and Penny watched the muscles in her face twitch as her lips spread into a smile on seeing Yang.

Penny waited politely while Yang and Blake- etiquette protocols dictate that I wait until they have already exchanged pleasantries- greeted each other before she waved. "Hello, friend Blake! It is good to see you!"

"Hello, Penny. How are you?"

"I am doing wonderfully! How are you? You seem to be in a wonderful mood as well!"

Blake rocked back for a moment- facial expression indicates high likelihood of surprise- and paused, then blinked. "I… you're right. I am in a good mood. I didn't even think about it."

Yang laughed, wrapping an arm around Blake's shoulders and squeezing. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is." Blake sat down, a small smile still in place. "Where are Ruby and Weiss?"

"Yang said that their seminar course is probably running late. Now that I think about it, Veteran Specialist Winter Schnee was scheduled to speak today."

"Wait, Winter Schnee?" Blake looked at her in surprise. "Weiss' sister?"

Dossier: Winter Schnee, nonclassified information. Penny refreshed herself on the data available, and nodded. "According to what I have been told, yes!"

"Well that explains- ah! There they are!" Yang stood up, waving. "Weiss, Ruby! Guess who's here!"

"Penny!" Penny turned to see Ruby speeding toward her, shedding rose petals in her wake as her feet pounded the cafeteria floor. Grid-lines overlaid her vision, and the petite girl's trajectory and estimate time of impact were immediately apparent. Platform motive speed unable to effectively counter impact time. Reset/Brace. Penny's left foot shot back, planting solidly on the floor just as Ruby glomped onto her, squeeing. "You'rehere, you'rehere!"

Penny wrapped her arms around Ruby, hugging back. "Hello, friend Ruby! It's wonderful to see you again!"

"General Ironwood let you come to Beacon! I wasn't sure that he was going to, but last night he said he'd think about it, and he did!"

"The general told me that after seeing me interact with everyone at your party, he decided it would be good for me to interact with people more!" Penny shifted to let Ruby plop down on the bench. "Also, he told me to tell you that my safety is now your responsibility while I'm here!"

"Wait what?" Ruby blinked, her expression fading to confusion and worry.

"He was smiling when he said it. I think he meant it to tease you." Penny made certain to record the look on Ruby's face. The general would want to see that his joke hit the mark.

"Ooooh, that's mean!" Ruby crossed her arms, huffing. "And I was nice to him at the party and everything!"

"Well, he did let me come to Beacon."

Ruby was trying to stay mad. It was obvious. It also didn't last long, and her frown melted away into a smile. "Yeah, you're right. Oh, everybody! I'm gonna be heading out to Vale after we finish classes today!

"What's going on, sis?" Yang slurped from her soda, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, after the party ended last night I was talking to Sentra and asked her if she'd be able to get permission to meet for coffee and talk about how everything went so I know how to do it better the next time. Lindy just told me that it's fine, as long as we're careful!"

"She's the chick with the black hair, right?"

"Yeah, her!"

"Well that sounds fun. Tell us how it goes, will ya?"

"Yeah!" Ruby paused for a moment, then looked at Penny. "You want to come with me?"

"Do I?" Penny tilted her head, smiling-

BROADCAST: 3.80 GHz - encryption scheme DOLLHOUSE

RECEIVE SIGNAL: 3.80 GHz - encryption scheme COLDSTEEL

OUTmessage - RZ? Would it be a problem if I accompanied Ruby to meet Sentra today?

INmessage - Of course not! I'll let Sentra know to expect you!

OUTmessage - Stupendous!

-at Ruby and nodding. "That'd be sensational!"

Weiss Schnee joined them at the table after a moment longer, setting her tray down. Penny smiled at her. "Hello, Weiss! How is your sister?"

"She's doing well, thank you for asking. By the way, everyone. Headmaster Ozpin wants us all to see him in his office between our next classes. He said he'll be contacting Team JNPR as well."

Blake raised her eyebrows. "Any idea what for?"

"He didn't say."


[ *** ]


It had been some time since the four of them had been in the same room. Ozpin was facing away, watching the tiny dots milling about Beacon's campus far below. Qrow leaned back against the window, enjoying his usual spot. "I gotta say, Oz, for a while there I thought you'd forgotten where the send button was. And then getting called out of deep cover like that? Didn't like that either. Gonna be really hard to get back in place again without a really good excuse."

"But you understand why I did, I hope."

"Yeah. This changes a hell of a lot." For once Qrow left his flask in his pocket. While comforting, the buzz of alcohol would not help his thoughts at the moment. "How much do they know?"

"About the Maidens? Nothing. That's what this meeting is about."

"You're thinking about telling them? It's one of the biggest secrets on Remnant, and you're thinking about just spilling it to a bunch of space aliens?"

Ozpin turned away from the window, pacing back to his desk. "I am, Qrow. Glynda, James, and I have already discussed it, but the decision needs to be unanimous."

Qrow crossed his arms, feeling skepticism paint itself on his face. "Okay, if you're so sure about this; convince me it's the right idea."

Glynda spoke up. "They might be able to help Autumn, Qrow."

"Help her? Better than James' soul-stealer, I hope."

To James' credit, he had the grace to look a little pained. "We all know that the Aura transfer machine is a last resort. I'm entirely in support of a better option if one presents itself."

Taking a sip of his coffee, Ozpin eased down into his chair. "The TSAB has scientific understanding of their magic, Qrow. And they have determined, without a doubt, that Aura stems from the same source as their magic; a metaphysical organ called a Linker Core."

"I can attest to this personally. Admiral Harlaown let me use one of their devices, Qrow. I was able to call forth blasts of pure magic with it, from my own personal energies." James spread his hands wide. "It's… hard to describe. But very, very real. I'm also sure that you'd be able to do the same thing, if you wanted to try it for yourself."

Qrow hung his head for a moment, thinking. "...okay. Okay, so let's say that I believe you, and since all three of you are looking at me like that I'll go ahead and say that I do. How does this help Amber? She got an arrow put through her back and half her soul sucked out through her face. She's in a coma in James' freezer downstairs."

"Two of their number are healers," Glynda offered, "and by healers I mean they can use magical spells to heal terrible wounds. The physical trauma to Amber's body can be fixed. Secondly, one of them is a… a Linker Core specialist. She has more practical experience in dealing with the inner workings of… what very well may be the soul, than you or I have been alive."

"So you're saying that this... 'wizardess' might be able to put Amber back together again?" He raised his head, glancing at the three of them. His hand slowly slipped into his jacket, tugging his flask free of its pocket.

One by one, they nodded. "...shit. You're all serious." His fingers loosened, and the flask slid back into place. "What the hell, it's worth a shot. Better than shoving what's left of her power into some poor volunteer."


[ *** ]


Teams RWBY and JNPR were gathered together, sitting in a group underneath the spinning gears that formed the ceiling of Headmaster Ozpin's office. Professor Goodwitch had actually served them tea and coffee, and a few plates of biscuits and pastries to be shared between them. Once they settled in, she took position to the side of the headmaster's desk, reading something on her scroll.

For a few minutes, the two teams bantered back and forth with each other, talking freely of the last few weeks' events. After, of course, Ruby had made certain to confirm that the office was secure; an act that put a small-but-approving smile on the deputy headmaster's lips.

When the elevator door opened and Headmaster Ozpin stepped through, though, all conversation stopped, and the eight students straightened in their chairs. "Now, now, students. No need to stand on ceremony, you were doing a wonderful job of relaxing."

Assured by his words, the collected students did relax to various degrees. Weiss kept her back straight, though, and supported the saucer for her cup of tea in one hand while she sipped from the cup itself.

The headmaster took his seat behind his desk, nodding to them. "You may all be wondering exactly why I called you up here, yes?"

"That is one of the questions that's run through my mind, yeah." Jaune hunched his shoulders self-consciously when everyone turned to look at him. "What? It is!"

"Quite. First, Professor Goodwitch has a few words for you all." He nodded to her.

"Students. As you were made aware, I would be keeping track of your actions during the entirety of this situation and grading you on your performance. So far, you are all receiving full marks for the efforts you have put into both maintaining secrecy and with helping our TSAB friends adapt."

Ruby raised her hand. "Uhm. Ma'am? Didn't you tell me when we first found the Arthra that, uh… ceding field command to you would have an effect on my grade? Didn't I… lose points?"

Weiss frowned, remembering that short exchange. Professor Goodwitch, however, smiled. "I did say that it would affect your grade, yes. I did not, however, say that the effect would be negative. Recognizing when you are in over your head is an important ability, Ms. Rose, and you showed good judgment when it was needed."

"Oh!" Ruby blushed at the praise and ducked her head shyly, but Weiss felt her smile warm the room.

"Please understand, students, that as of now this operation, and therefore your participation in it, is ongoing with no immediately foreseeable end. But, I am pleased to tell you that you are all performing at a standard equal to that of full huntsman and huntresses. With that in mind, the marks and grades you are receiving are being applied to upper-level courses that you would normally be taking two or three years from now. To put it simply, you are all receiving credits toward graduation for your efforts."

Weiss blinked. To both sides, she could hear her friends murmuring to each other, their voices echoing the surprise she felt. Ruby let out a little cheer, which had Weiss rolling her eyes but smiling even as she shook her head.

Headmaster Ozpin's voice, relaxed though it was, cut through the growing conversation like a knife. "To speak on the subject of your performance; as Professor Goodwitch said, you are functioning at a level that would be expected of graduate huntsmen and huntresses. Because of this, we have made the decision to compensate you as though you have been formally contracted by Beacon to serve in such a manner."

Clink. Weiss' cup clicked down onto its saucer, nearly forgotten. She stared at the headmaster, not certain she believed her ears. Formally contracted?

"The work you have been doing for us is not something that should be rightly expected of simple students." Headmaster Ozpin nodded, and Professor Goodwitch produced a folder. She opened it, and from within it handed each one of them a neatly printed sheet of paper. Weiss' hand almost trembled as she took it, until she forced it still through sheer determination.

It was fairly standard legalese, if less convoluted than some of the documents her father had tested her on. Expected duties line up with everything we've been doing, acknowledgement of extenuating circumstances, secrecy and clearance, duration of duty listed as ongoing. Overtime, shift differential, and hazard pay?

"Pyrrha? I'm not the best at reading this kind of stuff, is it… er…" Jaune's voice was a little tremulous, and Pyrrha's cheeks darkened when he leaned in closer and put her on the spot. But then Ren and Nora both joined the huddle, looking for guidance as well.

While she obviously would never have signed any contracts for huntress work, Pyrrha wouldn't be a complete stranger to the concept. Pumpkin Pete's manufacturer would have had to enter into some form of proper contract to be able to use her appearance for their advertising, after all.

Weiss caught her eye, perking an ivory eyebrow. Pyrrha nodded slowly, and Weiss returned the motion with confidence. The redhead spoke quietly to her teammates. Weiss turned back to her team. "This is fully legitimate, everyone. The headmaster wants to pay us, officially. Full wages, as though we were already graduated."

"Indeed, Ms. Schnee. I have taken the liberty of opening bank accounts in each of your names, into which your pay is being deposited." He paused to sip his coffee, a small grin gracing his features. "Backdated, of course. Team RWBY, your date of contract is listed as the day the Arthra crash landed, and you assisted Professor Goodwitch in relief operations. Team JNPR, your date of contract is listed as the morning after your attempt to infiltrate the Arthra's hangar."

Weiss glanced over the contract again and ran the numbers, and she felt her jaw slacken the slightest bit. She actually had to set her tea down for fear of dropping it. Blake's eyes widened a moment later, followed by Yang's disbelieving laugh. Ruby's brow was scrunched up, her eyes still staring at the page as if begging the numbers to just reveal themselves to her.

Weiss gave her head a shake, then leaned over and murmured the amount in Ruby's ear. Her partner sat bolt upright, letting out a squeak. "T-that much?!"

"Overtime, shift differential, and hazard pay, Ruby. We've been on the clock twenty-four seven for almost a month now. That comes out to over a thousand hours of paid time."

"Students." The headmaster sipped his coffee again, obviously enjoying their reactions. "I do find it necessary to remind you that part of maintaining secrecy will involve not suddenly being rich. I will not stop you from making a few small purchases with your newly received funds, but I will urge you to be circumspect. That, and as an individual responsible for preparing you for your eventual graduation, I would be remiss if I did not mention the value of… savings and investment."

Something the Headmaster had said earlier clicked in Weiss' head. 'I have taken the liberty of opening bank accounts in each of your names.' He isn't just… paying me. He's paying me in such a way that my father won't be able to take it away. He's given me my freedom. She rose to her feet on shaking legs and bowed to him, forcing her voice to be as steady as possible and knowing that her emotions were bleeding through anyways. "Thank you, Headmaster Ozpin, for your consideration. I truly appreciate what you've given me; what you've given all of us."

"You are quite welcome, Ms. Schnee. But please, I have not given you anything. I am simply compensating you for your hard work. You have, after all, earned it."


[ *** ]


The things I do. Torchwick rubbed his eyes, careful to not overly jostle the spun-glass illusion of black bangs over his forehead. Neo skipped along beside him, her short, yellow 'hair' bouncing with each exaggerated step she took.

She wanted coffee before they went back to the safehouse. 'Why not ice cream?' he'd countered, 'You love ice cream.' But she'd stamped her foot and scrunched up her face and gave him that pout and he'd relented. "You're gonna stunt any growth you have left from all this caffeine, you know." He deftly interposed Melodic Cudgel in the way of her boot, keeping it from impacting his shin. "Hey now, who's paying for this? I thought so."

She blew a raspberry at him, flouncing ahead toward the cafe. She liked the one that was close to Beacon, where all the trainees visited during the afternoons. Torchwick didn't spend too much time wondering why, but he supposed it had to do with the girl in her. Neo took quite well to the lifestyle they had, but every so often he could see bits and pieces of could-have-been in her. Never the infatuation with ice cream, or the fruity cocktails, or her ability to dance around blood with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.

No, it was more the lingering and furtive glances.

The little things she thought he never noticed.

The coffee house where trainee huntresses liked to spend their time.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 21 - Facts in Fiction​

Well, it is pretty beautiful outside. If there ever was a day to sit outside and enjoy some coffee, it's today. Torchwick spun Melodic Cudgel in his hand, whistling absently while he followed behind Neo's skipping steps, rounding the corner at the end of the block.

"Whoa!" He windmilled his arms, grabbing the side of the building just in time to keep himself from bowling the diminutive girl over. She'd stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. "What's wrong? Did you suddenly realize that blonde isn't your color? 'Cause I told you that already." She didn't respond, and Torchwick slid around her to look at her face.

A flicker of her real eye color showed through the bright blue of her current illusion. White as snow. Torchwick followed her gaze toward the cafe, searching the crowd of people.

"...is that," his voice dropped to a low mutter, just enough for her to hear. "Red?" Sure enough, it was her. She was sitting with a black-haired woman and- hot damn, it's her, too!- the ginger-haired girl that had laid absolute waste to his operation at the docks, months ago. "Since when did you know Little Red?"

Neo shook her head, making a minimal nod toward the older woman. Torchwick felt his eyes widen. "Wait, that's her? That's High Yield?" Another nod.

Torchwick thought for a long moment, making certain that he was visibly nonchalant as he leaned against the building wall, not looking anywhere near the three. Neo followed suit, facing him. For all the world, they just looked like two people out of hundreds.

Okay. We're in public. Dozens and dozens of people around. Plenty of witnesses, plenty of collateral. I know for a fact that Little Red thinks herself a hero, so she'd just as likely try to stop the woman if she tried anything. We're both unrecogniz- He stopped, glancing down. Melodic Cudgel was wrapped in an illusion as well, looking like a simple, unadorned cane. Neo's parasol was similarly altered, showing sheer panels of green and blue instead of white and pink lace. ...yeah. We're both unrecognizable. "Well. The line's not getting any shorter. Let's get our coffee."

Her eyes snapped up toward him. "Oh, don't give me that look. There's nothing to it. We want coffee, we get coffee. We grab some books- do you have any books?" Neo nodded slowly, producing a fashion magazine and the latest edition of Vytal Tournament! "Great. I wanted to get a look at the latest line of Schnee Dust Apparel. We take our magazines, we sit down, we read, we enjoy our coffee, and we listen. No risks, but a chance of reward."

Neo thought about it for a moment longer, then nodded and held up the tournament magazine. Torchwick reached past it and snatched the fashion magazine from her other hand, cracking a grin. "I was serious, you know."

Standing in line was Torchwick's first chance to get a good look at the black-haired woman. She'd featured prominently in Neo's descriptions and worries after her blown infiltration, and the very idea of her insanely destructive powers had led Torchwick to label her High Yield.

She certainly looks the part, he thought. She had a splendidly athletic, strong figure; a broad chest and shoulders supported muscular arms put on full display by a tight black tank top that disappeared into khaki cargo pants, which were tucked into heavy combat boots. Her short, black hair fell in layered bangs around a sharp-featured face, with eyes that were a bright, clear gold that made him think of that damned cat that had held him at sword-point a few months back. I wonder if they're related… naaaah.

Her bearing was military. Even relaxed in her chair, there was an alertness to her that kept Torchwick from watching her for any length of time. He'd seen the type before; violence was on a toggle in the back of their minds, just waiting to be flipped.

He let himself look away naturally, putting his back to her just as she started to glance in his direction. Luckily, the tall, willowy barista was just turning to take his order. "Let's see here. Let me have a…."


[ *** ]


"I still can't believe everything went so well!" Ruby rocked side-to-side in her chair, tapping a rhythm on the floor with her feet even while she took a bite from her second cookie.

"It was very thoughtful of you to put the event together for us, Ruby. Everyone is still talking about it." Sentra took a sip of her coffee, relishing the fresh taste. They'd been subsisting on the Arthra's stores for weeks now, and the ship ration coffee didn't hold a candle to the real thing. "They will probably be talking about it for weeks."

Ruby nodded. "I'd love to put another one together for you all, and this time it can be even better! Last night was kind of… uh. It was spur of the moment."

Sentra raised her eyebrows. "Spur of the moment?"

"Yeah, uhm. I kinda had the idea around lunch the day before?"

"Bullshit." Sentra laughed, then laughed harder when she saw the look on Ruby's face. "Oh my, you are serious! You did all that in a day? The food, the music, everything?"

"Well, I didn't do it alone... my team and Team JNPR helped out a ton. Weiss took over managing all the details after I told her what I wanted to do, and Yang and Nora did all the heavy lifting to get things over to the-" Ruby caught herself, clearing her throat. "-over to your place, and everyone else helped out in the kitchens to get the food ready, and it all just came together."

She's trying so hard to maintain OpSec. If it wasn't such a serious matter I'd think it's adorable… scratch that, it's adorable anyways. Sentra smiled. "Well, as I said. We all appreciated it very much."

Her friend piped up, smiling as well. "I'm glad I got to meet RZ in person! We both had a wonderful time!"

Penny was an interesting case. Sergeant Yagami had informed them of her particulars, specifically so that they were aware of possible complications and could cover for her. While paying specific attention to the android girl, Sentra could notice the little signs that showed her synthetic nature. I wouldn't notice if I didn't already know what to look for, though. She's impressively human in the way she interacts.

"So, what are classes like at Beacon, Ruby? I have heard stories, but I would like to hear from you."

"They're pretty hard, really. I, uhm, I kinda got… graduated early from Signal and bumped ahead two years, so a lot of the academics are still really difficult for me. But I do my best, and Weiss helps me study, and-" She cut off when one of the baristas approached the table. "Oh, hi, Kasta!"

"Hello, Ruby. Here's that order you were waiting for." The tall faunus girl set a tray of pastries on their table, along with a small stack of napkins.

"But I didn't order anything el-"

"But you were going to. You always do, after all." Kasta smiled, but it looked a little forced. "I'll bring you your bill in a minute, okay?"

Ruby blinked, but nodded. "Okay. Thank you!" She grabbed one of the new pastries while the barista walked away, taking a bite out of it a little self-consciously. Her eyes dipped down toward the table.

Sentra saw her go still for a moment. "Ruby? Are you okay?"

"W-what? Yeah, I'm okay!" The girl started to look up, but then stopped herself. "I shouldn't eat all these on my own. Here!" She grabbed the napkin on top of the stack, using it to scoop up another pastry and offer it to Sentra. "They're delicious, but a little gooey. Make sure you wipe your hands! Do you need another napkin?"

Something was off, and it put Sentra on edge. She took the pastry, setting it down on her own plate, and then she noticed the words scrawled hastily across the napkin.

It was written in Valean script, which the Arthra's crew had been putting a lot of time into studying. Of all the Remnant dialects, it most closely resembled classical Al Hazredian. 'You are being observed. Table by the door.'

Her back was too the door, and it took all of Sentra's willpower to not immediately turn and look in that direction. Chrono's old lessons on surveillance sounded in her mind. If you're being watched, don't give any signs that you're aware. Keep acting natural and call for backup.

Rosen was hanging around her neck, but she couldn't so much as speak to the device to have it send a message for her without giving anything away, and the techs still hadn't managed to get standard telepathy signals through Remnant's interference. Think, think! To stall for time and keep up the act, she took a bite out of the pastry. "This is good. Thank you, Ruby."

Penny was watching them both, blinking. That's it! "Penny. The next chance you get to talk to RZ, could you please recommend this cafe to her? The sooner the better; I'm sure she will love it."

For a moment the android girl just stared at her confused, but then her eyes seemed to clear. "Of course I can, Sentra! Knowing her, she'll drop everything for the chance to try one, if they are as good as you and Ruby say! Should I tell her to bring her friends?"

"Mm. I am sure they will enjoy this establishment as well."

Ruby took a sip of her coffee to wash down the rest of her snack. She coughed a little to clear her throat. "It's starting to get a little late, isn't it? Should we head back, or do you think we still have some time to wait?"

Penny tilted her head, as if considering. "I believe we can wait for ten minutes or so before we leave! It's so nice out, I don't want to go back to Beacon just yet."

Ten minutes for backup to arrive. Sentra risked a glance out the window; the area was still packed with noncombatants- Well… not exactly noncombatants. There are a lot of students from the academy here. On one hand, that meant it was very unlikely that someone would try to attack them. But on the other hand, it meant that they were just as handicapped. Can't throw up a barrier because of witnesses. Hell.

Ruby and Penny started talking about some of the other students; inane, simple banter only meant to distract, and Sentra made questioning noises at appropriate times. She tried to find something reflective to look at, something that would give her a view of the other side of the room. But the lighting was off and the angles were all bad. There was nothing she could do but wait it out.

Six tense minutes later, there was a high-pitched screech of tires on pavement outside. Everyone in the cafe turned to look, so Sentra didn't feel any qualms about doing the same herself.

There was a yellow and black monster of a motorcycle parked on the street outside, smoke still wafting off its wide tires. Then the cafe's double doors were thrown wide, the afternoon sun silhouetting the blonde's figure in fire and gold. "Ladies and gentlemen, you may take it easy- your prayers have been answered and I have arrived!"

Sentra stared blankly. The fuck happened to covert?

From the counter, the faunus barista- Kasta, Ruby called her- waved cheerfully. "Hi, Yang! Hi, Blake! Your order's ready!" The girl set a huge cup onto the counter, then cleared her throat. "One triple-chocolate meltdown caramel frappe-cappuccino with dark fudge drizzle and extra mint shavings just under boiling and sweet enough to send a diabetic into sugar shock, also known as the Minty Midnight!" A small, white ceramic mug joined the massive drink. "And a mug of jasmine tea."

As the yellow and black duo made their way to the counter, people around the room were settling back into their seats, conversation and chatter starting back up as if this was a normal occurrence. ...gods above, it is a normal occurrence. She's done this before.

Ruby hopped up and ran over to give Yang a hug, and while she was away Sentra and Penny grabbed two more chairs and rearranged the seats to let Yang and Blake sit with them. When Sentra sat back down, she had a much better view of the door and the tables beside it. One held a trio of girls that were talking with each other in hushed tones, who were tossing envious glares at Yang's voluminous fall of golden locks. Seated at the other was a tall, thin black-haired man with a fedora who was flipping interestedly through a fashion magazine, and a tiny slip of a girl with a mop of curly blonde hair. She had a bored look on her face despite the magazine in one hand, and her other kept turning the handle on a green and blue umbrella-

Sentra couldn't stop the jerk of her back as the realization sent a shock through her, and the sudden motion caught the little girl's eye. Crystal blue orbs twitched over to meet hers, and they locked gazes.

For the briefest, most delicious instant, Sentra could see fear written plain on the girl's face.


[ *** ]


"Mr. Xerxes. I apologize for the delay in contacting you, but things have been busy."

"It's no problem, Headmaster. You are running an academy, after all. Besides, you did say within the week."

"Quite. I do have news for you that you will be interested in hearing."

"Good news, I hope?" Richard didn't quite hold his breath, but he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he was anxious.

"Headmaster Ironwood of Atlas Academy has agreed to provide political support for your efforts abroad, and in his position as an Atlesian general, logistical support pending oversight for your efforts in Atlas proper. I have agreed with his position, and am willing to provide said support within Vale's borders."

"That's very good news, Headmaster Ozpin."

"It is. I have spoken with the headmasters of Shade and Haven Academies, as well. They are still in deliberations with their own advisors, but I am optimistic. I believe that they will soon come to similar conclusions as Headmaster Ironwood and I have."

Richard couldn't let himself cheer, but the feeling of pure relief sweeping through him had him wanting to. "If there is anything that Bastion can do, please let me know."

"Of course. Mutual cooperation is a two-way street, after all. There is one thing that you can do for us at the moment."

"What would that be?"

"I believe it would be advantageous for both of us if you were to assign one of your number to Beacon Academy permanently, in the position of Bastion's ambassador to the academies. Someone of whom I can speak to of… smaller matters, who could then compile such issues for your more efficient perusal. Would this be acceptable?"

"More than acceptable, Headmaster. Give me a few days to determine who to send over?"

"I already have a particular individual in mind, actually."


[ *** ]


Well this is a fine kettle of fish, Torchwick thought. The woman was looking at them, and Neo had given it away.

Not that he could actually blame her, when he really thought about it. He'd have flinched a little too if a woman who fit the role of living artillery had focused on him after already trying to blast him into ash once before. On top of that, two more of Red's friends had shown up…

That can't be a coincidence. Ridiculous order notwithstanding, somehow Red had gotten a message out, and for the pair of girls to show up that fast… shit. We'd been made almost as soon as we sat down.

Ah well. Cover's blown, but we're in public. If Red's willing to be friends with High Yield there… Red was a good kid, Torchwick knew, which meant that if the woman wanted to stay in her good graces... It was a perfect stand-off, in a way. There's no chance that the woman would try to blast them with a bunch of innocents around. Torchwick nudged Neo with his foot, motioning to her coffee. "You gonna finish that, squirt?"

She started guiltily, then gave him a glare before scooping her drink up. Torchwick perked an eyebrow, shrugging. Just relax. She seemed to get the message, at least.

Torchwick took the moment to think, leaning back in his chair. He even polished up a grin and tossed it toward Red's table. The woman shifted her glare to him, while both Red and the kitty cat looked a little confused. Damn, they really could be sisters. Take the cat, add ten years and a hell of a workout routine. He raised his own cup in mock salute.

It also gave him more time to ponder, and he was coming to the conclusion that they did need to leave. More backup was surely on the way… but there was one other thing he was considering. Red wouldn't play with the bad guys; I should know. Which means that Big Sister is a good guy. Living battleship-class artillery, but a good guy… and Neo said that there were at least seven more of them in that hangar…

Torchwick nudged Neo's foot again, two taps in rapid succession. Time to go. She slurped down the last of her drink, and Torchwick slipped a hand into his pocket while giving her the three seconds needed to solidify the illusion. As they stood, he swept up his cane and followed her to the door, not bothering to look back.

In his line of work, it paid to keep an eye out for new options.

He counted off in his head as they turned the corner, and right on time there was the faintest sound of glass shattering and a shout of frustration.


[ *** ]


"Emerald Sustrai."

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch?"

"You haven't participated in any of the one-on-one sparring matches. Please choose an opponent."

Fuck. I wouldn't even be here if Cinder didn't want us to keep gathering info. Emerald didn't let herself hesitate to stand, though, and she swept her gaze across the ranks of student sitting in the bleachers around her. Several dozen students were participating in the nightly practice sessions, and she tried to decide who would be the best option for getting out of the spotlight.

Team CRDL was off to one side, laughing and joking with each other. Too easy. Nikos didn't even have to try to take them apart, and I wouldn't have to either.

Some of the Mistral and Haven teams were present as well, and while there were some options, she could feel a dozen pairs of eyes staring hard at her. The three refugee teams were paying particular attention, and several of them looked like they were itching for the chance. She glanced down at Mercury.

He just shrugged, not even showing a hint of care. Fuck you too, Merc. There was only one way out. "I have no preference ma'am. I'll fight a random opponent?"

"That will be fine. One moment." Goodwitch tapped at her scroll, and the large display started flashing rapidly through various students.

Mercury's expression clouded a little, but he didn't say anything.

The display stopped, showing the image of an unassuming young man with glasses. Ugh. Him.

"Yuuno Scrya," the professor said. "Do you accept this challenge?"

A subsonic rumble shook Emerald's guts, and she glanced apprehensively toward the source. The damned wolf faunus woman was glaring daggers at her, and Emerald caught the hint of fangs past the snarl of her curled lips. Shit.

"Yes, Professor." The blonde stood, making certain that his hair was properly tied back before making his way toward the floor. On passing the orange-haired woman, he patted her shoulder in a subdued but soothing gesture, and the growling subsided.

Emerald took her place in the center of the ring, while the blonde stood beside her. It was the first real chance she'd gotten to actually get a good look at him, and she found herself a little surprised. He looked like a bookworm, no arguments there; the glasses certainly didn't help his image. But underneath his green-and-brown themed clothes and jacket, she could see that his whipcord thin frame was wiry and capable, and he exuded a calm confidence that was at complete odds with his mousy exterior.

He also wasn't carrying a single thing, not even a limb-mounted weapon like Mercury's ankle-guns. He centered himself, facing her and sketching a short, polite bow. Emerald blinked for a moment, confused, before settling back out of her ready posture and returning the gesture.

Professor Goodwitch stepped back out of the arena ring. "Are you both ready?" They both nodded, and Emerald resumed her stance. Scrya did the same, angling one foot back and bringing his hands up in loose fists. "Then begin."

Emerald flipped her guns up and started firing, single bullets one after the other, to get a handle on his style. He dodged every one in smooth, connected motions, flowing from one movement to the next so that hardly any of his energy was wasted. It didn't take long for Emerald to figure out that sluicing bullets from range would get her nowhere against him, so she shifted her guns to their sickle forms and closed in.

Scrya showed just as much agility in close range as he did at range, but she forced him to start parrying her attacks instead of just dodging. The flats of his palms impacted her wrists and grips with each swing, sweeping aside her blades with just enough space to miss him by inches each time. Suddenly he ducked low, stomping the ground hard enough to crack it and driving an open palm into Emerald's chest.

She felt her aura flare in response and stumbled back, tucking into a roll and coming up with blades ready, but he didn't give chase. Emerald rolled her shoulders, noting that the thirty-second exchange had him breathing in calm, even breaths, but a little harder than before. She spun her weapons and swung, shooting the blades out on their chains and assaulting him from both sides.

The move caught him by surprise, and while he managed to jump over the low blade, the high one caught him in the flank and knocked him aside. Emerald gave him the chance to stand, acknowledging that he'd done the same favor for her moments ago, then dove back in when he was ready. Her next pair of swings bounced off his warding hands, and she could see circular planes of raw aura fading from the air beyond his palms. Well that's something.

Time to step up my game. She pressed him, ramping up her attacks harder and faster, and he rose to the challenge. Sickle-blades, both chained and gripped, were parried away by flat panes of green force, and Emerald couldn't help but feel like they weren't fighting anymore so much as dancing; every move leading into the next, attack and response becoming a seamless flow. She felt her lips twitching, curving upward in a smile despite her lungs working for-

"Time!" Emerald yanked her weapon back, the chained blade retracting an instant before crashing into the young man's unyielding barriers. They both took a step back, blinking, and looked up at the display. Five full minutes had passed on the clock, five minutes of time where neither of them had landed a single serious blow.

Professor Goodwitch nodded to them both. "Match called by time. Emerald Sustrai is the winner by Aura percentage, seventy-four percent to Yuuno Scrya's sixty-eight."

Emerald spun her blades, collapsing them and slinging them into her holsters. Scrya was catching his breath, but he straightened up to offer her his hand.

She stared at it like it was fanged for a moment, before wiping her palm on her pants and taking his hand in hers. They shook once, and scattered applause broke out in the stands. "Good match, Scrya."

"Good match, Sustrai."


[ *** ]


The elevator up to Headmaster Ozpin's office was as smooth and fast as ever, Blake thought, but it was a little cramped with five people standing it it. It also didn't help that Yang was bouncing up and down nearly half a foot into the air, jittery from her weekly overdose of ultra-sweetened caffeine. "Yang, would you hold still?"

"Hold still? I am holding still you should see me when I move."

Weiss was relaxed and sedate, obviously happy from spending the afternoon with her older sister. Ruby looked a little concerned, though, which Blake knew was because of the people that had disappeared from the coffee shop. Sentra had said she'd file the report, but it was still galling to have been right there.

Kasta Kazella was standing in the center of the elevator, anxiously watching the numbers tick higher and higher. All any of them knew is that she'd gotten a call in the cafe, and at the same time they'd all received a message from the headmaster asking them to please escort the faunus woman to his office for an interview.

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open. Headmaster Ozpin was standing at the far curve of window, watching the sunset. He turned, gesturing toward the chair in front of his desk with a smile. "Ah, Ms. Kazella. Take a seat, please. Team RWBY, please, make yourselves at home."

"U-uh. Thank you, Headmaster Ozpin." The faunus woman did as asked, while Blake and the others gathered off to the side.

"I do hope your trip was a little less… uncomfortable than the last one?"

"W-what? Oh, yes, uhm. It was fine, thank you."

"Good. I assume that Mr. Xerxes contacted you, yes?"

"He told me you wanted to see me today, but he didn't say… why?"

The headmaster smiled, taking his own seat. "Ah. It seems that Mr. Xerxes enjoys a good, harmless trick as much as I do."

Blake couldn't help but roll her eyes, and she saw Weiss mirroring the motion. "Your sister?"

Her teammate nodded. "My sister."

"Anyways. I'm sure you're wondering why we've brought you here, yes?"

"I… yes?"

"Then I will keep this brief. I have requested of Mr. Xerxes that a member of his organization, Bastion, be assigned to Beacon Academy in the role of permanent ambassador. I would like you to fill this position, Ms. Kazella."

Blake exchanged a glance with her teammates, raising her eyebrows. In her seat, Kasta looked flabbergasted. "W-what? Me?! I don't know the first thing about being an ambassador! I'm a- I'm a barista! I majored in finance!"

"Wait, what? You studied finance?!" Weiss took a few steps forward, her voice loud and high.

"Y-yes? I graduated from Vale Central University last year with high honors, but… no one's been willing to hire…"

Weiss' expression soured from surprised to outraged. "Well you're hired now."

"E-excuse me?"

Headmaster Ozpin had gone silent, an amused expression gracing his features.

"You studied finance. My team and I need a financial specialist due to… trust funds in our names that have matured. I'm hiring you to take care of our further investments, if you're willing to take the job."

"B-but… you're… you're a Schnee, aren't you?"

Weiss went red in the face. "So what if I am! Are you trying to tell me you're not qualified?!"

"N-no! I can show you my transcript right now!"

"Then there's nothing to argue about. I'll work up a contract with you tonight, after you finish speaking with the headmaster." Weiss blinked, then seemed to pale a little when she realized she'd just interrupted their meeting. "...I… apologize for my intrusion, Headmaster. I spoke out of place."

Headmaster Ozpin chuckled, waving her off with a small gesture. "I cannot rightly be mad when just yesterday I stressed the importance of investment, Ms. Schnee. Anyways, Ms. Kazella, yes. You are not trained in politics, which to me is a good thing. I prefer to keep my dealings open and honest wherever I can."

The headmaster continued talking, but Blake wasn't paying attention anymore. She was watching her teammate. "Weiss, why did you…?"

"Because we do need a financial advisor, girls. Team JNPR as well. As good as my own education is, Kasta went to university specifically for it." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms. "....and it annoys me to see someone so clearly capable passed over just because… because she's got horns. So yes, I want to hire her, because then she can get practical experience and having my name on her resume should help silence a lot of the naysa-mmph! B-BLAKE!"

Blake didn't even remember moving, but she had the shorter girl wrapped in a tight hug. "Weiss, you don't know how much this means. Thank you."

Another pair of arms glomped around them both, nearly knocking them over. "Yeah! Team RWBY group hug!"

"W-what are you-?! Let go of me, you idiots!"

Laughter erupted, and strong hands pulled Ruby and Blake both away from Weiss. "Girls, give her some space," Yang chortled, "she's gonna melt!"


[ *** ]


Mercury swung the dorm room closed, grumbling. "Aren't you in a good fucking mood."

"I was until you started talking." Emerald rolled her eyes. "You're just pissed that Yagami Red beat you across the ring both ways with that hammer of hers. You weren't even trying to hold back and she still kicked your ass."

"You know what she said to me on the floor? 'I'll know if you're holding back, gaki.'"

"The hell does 'gaki' mean?"

Mercury threw his hands in the air, steaming. "I don't freaking know, but I know it was an insult! The bitch was playing with me. The only Yagami that isn't staring at me like she wants my head on a pike is the ditzy shrimp!"

Emerald put her hands on her cheeks, eyes wide. "Oh my word, the great Mercury Black was beaten like a nail by a top-heavy redhead with a mallet." She let her mocking disgust drip from her words, then sneered at him. "You know what they say, Black. 'There's always someone better'. You just ended up finding a bunch of them at once."

"Screw yourself, Sustrai. I saw you getting all buddy-buddy with the librarian kid. The hell good does that do for us? Have you forgotten that they're suspicious? I swear I can't take a piss without either of the dogs growling at me." The frustration in his tone was clear.

"Of course I know that! But being a standoffish jerk is only going to make things worse! If we do what's required without complaint, and maybe look like we're, you know, not assholes, then they'll stop looking so hard at us!" Emerald threw open her dresser, grabbing a clean set of clothes with sharp, angry motions. "We're already on the shit list because of the Tukson thing being completely fucked, Mercury."

"Which was your-"

"Which was MY idea! I know! I fucking know, okay?! This whole shit situation is my fault." Emerald shoved the drawer shut, shouldering Mercury aside on her way to the bathroom. "I'm taking a damned shower."

"Don't use all the hot water while you're crying on the fl-"

She slammed the door closed.


[ *** ]


Jaune was nervous. He knew he was nervous, he knew he was showing that he was nervous, and it didn't help that he couldn't even pace in the tight confines of the elevator. It also didn't help that Weiss had unequivocally turned down his offer to take her to the dance. She'd been polite about it; kind, even. But she'd made it abundantly clear that she had no interest in him, and it would be cruel of her to not say so. But she'd wished him luck, and told him to keep his eyes open. 'You might be surprised by what's right under your nose', she'd said.

The elevator was also becoming an increasingly familiar sight, a thought that would have flat out terrified him the semester before. But he'd spent a lot of time going to and from the Headmaster's office in the past two weeks; enough time that he knew when to force his antsy feet still and face forward for the-

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Jaune stepped through into the large, circular office, rubbing the back of his head. "Headmaster Ozpin? Thanks for agreeing to see me this morning- uh. This… hi, Pyrrha? W-what are you doing here?"

"Ah, Mr. Arc. Ms. Nikos and I were discussing your team's academic progress since your initiation. Since you two are partners anyways, I took the liberty to put your meetings back-to-back. I hope you don't mind her being here?"

Pyrrha had turned in her seat and smiled at him, and Jaune twitched a smile back. "No, no! Of course not, why would I mind?"

Ozpin gestured to the open chair, and gingerly took his seat. "You would have to tell me. You are the one who asked me for a Saturday morning meeting, after all."

"Right. Right, uhm. Well." Jaune laughed awkwardly, then felt the half-grin drain off his face. He took a deep breath, letting it out. "I, uhm. I wanted to talk to you about the, uh… contract that we all signed yesterday." He glanced around at the walls. "You know, the uh… the one that's about the stuff we can't talk about if the room's not-"

"I know which contract you speak of, Mr. Arc. It is, after all, the only contract I asked you to sign yesterday."

"Yeah, that one." Another awkward laugh bubbled past Jaune's lips, but he felt his gut roil. "...I was wondering if we could, well… if we could adjust it? Specifically the part about my, uh. Compensation."

The headmaster tilted his head, and one gray eyebrow arched toward his hairline. "The rate listed in the contract is quite generous for even a veteran huntsman, Mr. Arc."

"I know, I know! That's… that's the problem." Here it goes. "I… I don't deserve any of it, Headmaster Ozpin."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha leaned away to look at him, surprise on her face. "That's not true!"

The man's other brow rose, and he leaned back in his chair, watching Jaune speculatively. He said nothing, though, and motioned for Jaune to continue.

"It is true, Pyrrha. I… I'm not supposed to be a huntsman, Headmas-"

"Jaune!" There was pain in Pyrrha's voice; pain and worry. "What are you-"

Headmaster Ozpin sat forward, and Pyrrha cut herself off mid-syllable. "I beg to differ, Mr. Arc."

"I faked my transcript, Headmaster Ozpin!" Jaune blurted the words out, and for a scant moment, the feeling of relief was nearly tangible, months of tension draining out of his body in an instant. "I faked my transcript. I lied to get into Beacon. I never went to combat school, and I shouldn't be in an academy for huntsmen, and-"

Horror-struck, Pyrrha's hands flew to cover her mouth, her eyes wide. Not at him, of course; she'd known for months now. But at the fact that he'd admitted it to the Headmaster. I can't really blame her.

"I am aware, Mr. Arc."

Jaune's thoughts crashed to a halt. "Say-bwhuh?"

"I said I am aware. We've known of your false transcripts since last semester; to be honest, Professor Goodwitch suspected you from the start. But that is beside the point." Ozpin leaned back again, sipping his coffee. "I know, and now you know that I know. Enlighten me, if you will; how does this factor into your wish to… adjust the legally binding contract that you signed for me, that states that you are working for Beacon as a huntsman?"

"Well, I…" He already knew, and he still had me sign the document? "I was… I've only made it this far because of Team JNPR. Because of Pyrrha," Jaune couldn't help but smile at her, but it was a weak, frail thing, "pushing me along when I would have given up. Because of Ren and Nora supporting me. So I was… going to suggest taking my, uh, compensation, and giving it to them instead."

"Jaune." Pyrrha's voice was no longer surprised or worried. It was… irritated. "One of these days you're going to come to the realization that you're worth more than you give yourself credit for, even if I have to beat it into you."

"Mm. Quite." The headmaster sipped his coffee again, then set the mug down. "Regarding your contract, Mr. Arc. Unfortunately, the contract has been signed and notarized. It can be edited, but to do so would be such an unnecessary endeavor. You do remember how Professor Goodwitch and I mentioned that Teams RWBY and JNPR were operating at the level of graduates, yes?"

"Y-yes?"

"Did either of us say 'Teams RWBY and JNPR except for Jaune Arc'?"

"A-ah… no. No, you didn't."

The headmaster nodded. "I made you the leader of Team JNPR for a reason, Mr. Arc. While your fighting prowess as of initiation was admittedly… lacking, you possess a mind for tactics that is as sharp as the sword you carry. But," he paused.

The pause drew on for a long moment. "...but?" Jaune had to ask.

"I have a distinct feeling that it does not matter how many times I tell you this, as you will not believe it unless you prove it for yourself."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, but there was a small grin on her lips. "He has you in a box, Jaune."

"So this is what we will do. You will take the Beacon Academy entrance exam. You will take it today, as soon as we can leave this room and go to the training arena. And you will prove to yourself that, while you may not have had the knowledge and training to pass the exam when you were initiated, you do have the knowledge and training to pass it now." Ozpin leaned forward again. "And then there will be no more of this nonsense about whether or not you deserve to be a huntsman."


[ *** ]


Cinder didn't bother standing; posture had little bearing on power. Emerald and Mercury knew their places and treated her with nothing but the respect she was due. So from her position on her bed, leaning with her shoulders against the wall, Cinder set aside her scroll. "Well?"

Emerald swallowed. "Cinder, we've been doing what you've asked. We're learning about all the students, but it's still taking time."

"Taking time is fine. The plan won't be enacted for weeks, still." Cinder narrowed her eyes a little. "But something is bothering you, I can see. What is it?"

The two exchanged a glance, before Mercury frowned. "You wanted to tell her, Em. Tell her."

"Assho-"

"Children."

They both cringed, and Emerald tried again. "The… refugee students. The ones we don't have files on?"

"What about them?"

"Two of them are the ones that saw us at- at Tukson's. They're all suspicious of us now. Mercury got called out when he tested Pyrrha Nikos, and…"

Mercury glowered, but it was at the wall more than anything else. "The Yagami bunch are waiting for a chance to lay into me. The wolfgirl too. And she knows about my legs, which means they all probably do. They're a tightly-knit group. If I go anywhere near them, they damned near form ranks against me if they can't just up and leave."

Cinder frowned, sitting upright. She crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knee. "That does limit our options a little. Emerald, is your semblance secure?"

"Yes, Cinder. I haven't used it at all."

"Good. Keep it that way." Cinder let her head tilt back for a moment. "Tell me about them. The refugees."

"They're… they're weird, Cinder." Emerald made a vague motion. "They're all supposed to be refugees from some colony, right? But their accents aren't all the same. The one girl… Nantoka Takamachi?"

"What kind of a name is that, anyways?" Mercury asked.

"I know, they all have weird names… but her, and the little Yagami girl, their accents are the weirdest. I mean, I've never heard anyone sound like that before. And they have this… verbal tic, they keep adding syllables to the ends of their friends' names."

Mercury nodded. "They've all got varying accents, except for a few of them that speak… too well. Textbook perfect. The green haired one and her brother."

"Hmm. That is interesting. What else can you tell me about them?"

"They're dangerous." Mercury's voice was flat. "It's in their motions, the way they carry themselves, the way they look at us. The Yagami kids are fully confident that they can break me over their knees, and they're probably right."

"Yuuno Scrya's looks like one of their weakest, and he held me off in a training fight with his bare hands." Emerald frowned. "He channels Aura through his motions like a graduate, and he's our age. I spent five minutes in the ring with him and barely got him past seventy percent. They're all good, Cinder."

Mercury nodded along with her words. "And their teamwork is top notch, all twelve of them. I've seen them shuffle partners between teams, and they still fight like they've been working together for years. Which… isn't too hard to believe; I mean, if they were living in the mountains, they'd work together or die."

"Who do they spend time with?" There was a picture just starting to form in Cinder's head, but it was missing far too many pieces.

"Teams RWBY and JNPR." Emerald didn't hesitate to say it. "Those two teams have been officially designated as the, uh… acclimation assistants, I think is the term, for Teams NAVY, ZFSH, and CSAL. It's gotten them out of a couple classes the past two weeks."

"And I've seen the green-haired chick and her brother spending a lot of time talking to the headmaster. Those two are also taking that ethics course that the fourth years are supposed to take."

"Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee are taking it as well. I think I heard that they got caught up in that riot the week before last. Might be something to do with that." Emerald shifted her feet, winding down. "That's… pretty much everything we can tell you so far?"

"I see." Cinder leaned back again, considering. "Keep your eyes and ears open, but don't compromise yourselves intentionally. Take no risks unless you have to. The plan can still proceed, but I may need to make adjustments. Leave me, and go back to your room."


[ *** ]


"I still can't believe we're doing this, Oz." Qrow rubbed his face, groaning. It's too early to be up on a Sunday.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Qrow." Ozpin sipped his drink, sighing. "At least there's the possibility of another option, now."

"This is a big risk. Just telling them about her is a big risk."

"But the only other option is the Aura transfer machine. I would rather not have to test it in such a manner. Not only is the technology still in experimental stages, but Amber wouldn't survive the process." James sighed. "Hopefully there's something they can do."

The elevator opened, and Glynda stepped out, escorting Admiral Harlaown and two other; a girl with a fall of blonde hair and striking magenta eyes, and a boy with a blonde ponytail. "James, Qrow. You've both already met Lindy. This is Shamal Yagami and Yuuno Scrya. Shamal, Yuuno? James Ironwood and Qrow Branwen."

The blonde clasped her hands in front of her, bowing politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Yuuno echoed the sentiment quietly.

"Glynda told us that you wished to speak to our support mages?" Lindy raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah we did." Qrow pushed off the window, stepping forward to look more closely at the pair. "No offense, but you two look like a pair of kids."

Lindy smiled. "Perhaps they do, but could you look at me and know that I have a twenty-two year old son?"

Qrow stared at her for a moment. "Wait a minute, Chrono's your kid? I thought he was your brother!"

"A portion of our cover story that has rankled him to no end, I assure you. But if it puts you more at ease, I will let Shamal and Yuuno both speak of their credentials." She stepped to the side, nodding to the pair of blondes.

"Oh, uhm. Yes. I'm Yuuno Scrya. I'm a senior librarian at the Infinity Library, which is the information archive of the TSAB, and I've been practicing archaeology in hostile field conditions for the past ten years. I am a skilled support mage, specializing in defensive magics, sealing, and healing."

"How old are you, Scrya?"

"Seventeen, Mr. Branwen."

Seventeen. He's seventeen. He's the same age as I was when I started at Beacon, and he's been doing this for ten years now. Qrow pinched his nose, fingers itching for his flask. He pushed the need down, then turned to Shamal. "So what's your story, sweetheart?"

He heard Glynda groan behind him. "Qrow. Please do not antagonize the Wolkenritter."

"Wolkiewhatsah? What's that mean?"

Shamal cleared her throat, smiling. "It translates to Cloud Knight, Mr. Branwen. I am Shamal, Knight of the Lake."

"How'd you get that title?"

"Honestly? I don't remember. It's been too long."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll bite. How old are you?"

The blonde smiled wider. "How rude, to ask a lady her age."

He couldn't help it. He started laughing. "Well, you're the one telling me it's been so long you don't remember."

"Yes, yes. I'm being truthful, Mr. Branwen. But to put it simply, I am not human. I was human, in ages long past, but now I am a being of solidified magical energy. I have been this way for thousands of years, though I have only been aware for a portion of that time. Decades, centuries. Most likely not a full millennium, though." She shrugged demurely. "The years run together, you understand."

"...you're not joking. You're serious."

"I am."

Behind him, he heard Ozpin sipping his drink. "We did tell you, Qrow."

"Stuff it, Oz." Qrow dug in his jacket pocket for his flask, unscrewing the cap to take a swig. The liquid burned harshly, but damn if he didn't need it right now. "Okay, Knight of the Lake. What do you do?"

"My specialties lay in healing, barriers of both kinds, scrying, and Linker Core manipulation. Would you like a demonstration?"

"Hit me."

"No." She smiled again, and held up her hand. "Klarer Wind, scrying window."

Her rings glowed, chiming. "Weit Fenster." The gemstones set into the ring extended outward on fine gold chains, then traced a circle in the air.

Shamal motioned him to come around to look through it. "Let's see what your nieces are doing right now, hmm? Ah, it looks like they're doing homework in the library."

There they were. The view was surrounded by shifting, glowing green light, but through the center he could clearly see Ruby and Yang both, working on an assignment with the rest of their team. "Well hot damn. And you can just do this? No equipment, nothing?"

"Just the help of my Device. Granted, I am already familiar with Ruby and Yang, so finding them when they are so close is a simple matter." The gems retracted into their settings, and the window faded.

"What else can you do? You said you're a healer? How… good are you at it?"

"In all seriousness, Mr. Branwen? I could make a portal, reach through it and pull your beating heart right out of your chest, show it to you, then put it back and repair the damage quickly enough for you to survive the experience. I've done it before." She frowned. "That was a bad time."

"Shit." Qrow took a cautious step back from her, then looked back at Ozpin and James. He could feel Glynda's smirk on his back. "I'm sold, Oz."

"Excellent. Then we are agreed?"

Glynda, Qrow, and James all nodded. Ozpin nodded as well, then turned to the three alien mages. "Tell me, what have you learned so far of Remnant's… fairy tales?"

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 22 - Communication and Protocol​

"Local fairy tales?" Lindy raised her eyebrows, then looked over at Yuuno.

The young archaeologist cleared his throat. "I've been studying them in my spare time, Headmaster. In our line of work, it's advantageous to familiarize ourselves with the local myths and legends. They all have to come from somewhere, even the more fantastical ones."

Ozpin nodded slowly. "Considering what the TSAB does as an agency, that makes a great deal of sense." He motioned for Yuuno to continue.

"I find it interesting that several of your local legends seem to share a common theme with the mythologies of Unadministered World Ninety Seven. The planet is called Earth, and is actually the homeworld of Nanoha and Hayate both. The Tale of Two Brothers shares similarities with The Brothers Grimm, which in itself is an interesting linguistic coincidence. The Girl in the Tower carries a similar story to Rapunzel, and The Island in the Mists brings to mind the legends of Earth's mythological King Arthur and the island of Avalon."

The headmasters shared glances, and behind him he could hear Qrow unscrewing the cap of his flask. Ozpin leaned back in his chair after a moment. "That… is rather interesting, yes."

"Yes. I've put a little extra time into them, but I haven't been able to draw any conclusions. It might just be happenstance." Yuuno shrugged. "The one that really has caught my attention is the legends about Silver-Eyed Warriors."

Ozpin's eyebrows rose. "Really? Why would that be?"

"Relevance, Headmaster. It is a story that specifically involved the Creatures of Grimm, and a force of humanity that worked counter to them. Warriors with silver eyes, capable of laying the mightiest Grimm low with naught but a glare? Definitely worth consideration. There is also the matter that, well… we've become friends with Ruby Rose. A girl with silver eyes." Yuuno shrugged, a little self-effacingly. "It might only be a coincidence, but it's one worth noting."

"Hm. Indeed." Ozpin shrugged as well, then leaned forward again to rest his elbows on his desk. "What have you learned about The Story of the Seasons?"

"I've read the common form of the myth, but to be honest? I didn't think it as relevant. Four maidens, of their own volition, came to help an old hermit realize there was more to life than simple seclusion, and in return for opening his eyes to the world he gifted them with the elemental powers of the seasons so that they could continue to do greater things. It's…" Yuuno paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a lesson, surely. A lesson about altruism, assisting those in need even when they may not even be aware of it themselves. But there's nothing in it that makes me think about… modern effect."

Qrow started chuckling, a low and grating sound. Yuuno saw Professor Goodwitch pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh, and even Ironwood had a mildly amused expression on his face. Ozpin seemed… satisfied, and he stood. "A good summary, and exactly the kind of lesson people are supposed to take from such a tale." The headmaster grabbed his cane, moving past the desk toward the elevator. "If you three will follow us, please?"

With seven people squeezed into it, the elevator was cramped. "Do you mind if I ask where you're taking us, Ozpin?" Lindy's voice was polite and cheerful, as usual.

"Of course. But first, an explanation." Ozpin tapped a code into the elevator's panel, and it started moving. "The Story of the Seasons is no myth. The events described in the story are true, even if the depiction of them is… whimsical."

"You're hiding the truth as fiction," Yuuno concluded. "Why?"

"The power of a seasonal Maiden is a mantle, Mr. Scrya. It is power in the purest form, but it does not grant immortality. It passes, from one bearer to the next, at the moment of death."

Well that's foreboding. Yuuno pulled off his glasses to wipe the lenses, frowning. "How does it select a new host?"

"Typically, it passes to whoever is in the forefront of the current holder's thoughts, if they are capable of receiving it. Usually from a mother to a daughter, or if the daughter is too old, to her daughter in turn. Or to a ward, or a close friend. However, there can be… other factors that would influence an unconscious decision."

The implications were still forming in Yuuno's head when Shamal spoke up. "It can be safe to assume that a victim's last thoughts are of their murderer."

"Precisely, Ms. Shamal. The selfish, the power-hungry. In times past, they began to hunt the Maidens, to take their power for themselves. So a band, a… cabal, if you will, was formed, to protect the Maidens. To hide them from the world, and let their story fade into legend and antiquity."

"It worked for a long time," Ironwood added, "but someone… rediscovered them. The hunt has begun anew."

The elevator door opened into a massive corridor, and Yuuno realized they were far below the ground floor of the tower. Ozpin started moving forward, motioning for them to follow. "I will be brief. The Fall Maiden was assaulted some time ago, in an attempt to steal her power. It would have succeeded, if not for Qrow."

The gruff huntsman grimaced, walking alongside them. "I was too late, really. Her attackers used some sort of… thing. Some sort of creature, I think it was a Grimm, to try to pull her power out before she died, to guarantee that they received it. I cut the connection before it finished, but…"

Yuuno flinched at the thought of it, and Lindy looked disquieted. While they'd never experienced a Linker Core draining themselves, both Nanoha and Fate had. Shamal's own face showed nothing at all; any guilt she felt was hidden underneath centuries-old mannerisms.

At the end of the corridor, Yuuno could see a machine against the wall. While the specifics of the design weren't something he'd ever seen before, there were only so many applications for a containment chamber like that. "That looks like a stasis chamber."

Ironwood nodded. "It is. Cutting edge Atlas technology."

"The current Fall Maiden, Amber. Qrow arrived in time to stop them from stealing all of her power and ending her life, but she was grievously wounded and is beyond our ability to save. We have only been able to stall for time." Ozpin stopped in front of the chamber, turning to face them. "I hope you understand the risk we are taking by doing this; telling you of the legend, showing you where Amber is being kept safe."

"Her attacker is still at large, and is without a doubt trying to find Amber to finish what she started. Even then, all she has to do is wait." Professor Goodwitch sighed, shaking her head. "Amber is fading, slowly. Even kept in stasis, she won't last longer than a few more months at best, at which point… the remaining half of her power will escape her body to join with the rest."

Yuuno exchanged a glance with Shamal, then looked back at Lindy. The admiral let out a slow breath. "You want to know if we can help."

"Yes." Ironwood gestured at the machine. "We… have a plan of our own, but it is an absolute last resort. Atlas has developed the technology to… transfer Aura from one body to another, and the Maiden's power is attached to her Aura. If we could find a suitable volunteer, we could…"

Shamal interrupted him, her voice neutral. "You could force the remnants of the maiden power into a new host, where it would remain when Amber's body expired. A condition that would be expedited by the removal of her Linker Core. Admiral, theoretical magical technologies that allow for the removal of living being's Linker Core-"

"-are classified as Grade Three Proscribed Technology according to TSAB Regulations and Categorizations, Section Three, Subsection Four." Lindy finished for her, her voice grim. "If you were not here to represent the very civilization that created it, I would be forced to classify it as a Grade Three Lost Logia and confiscate it as per TSAB protocols. Even as it stands… General Ironwood, I cannot in good conscience allow this device to be used."

"And that's the very reason we made the decision to bring you down here, Admiral." Professor Goodwitch cut in. "We're… hoping that you can do something for her. Anything is better than that."

Lindy pursed her lips, but nodded to Yuuno and Shamal. They stepped closer to the stasis tube, looking inside.

Amber's eyes were closed. The left side of her face was in ruin, skin cracked and dead, but what remained of her expression was locked in a faint grimace of agony. Shamal looked back at them. "What are the extent of her physical injuries that you are aware of?"

"Several contusions and broken bones, burn wounds, and an arrow wound to her back, not to mention the injuries to her face. It nicked her spine." Ozpin shrugged, and it struck Yuuno as the most helpless gesture he'd ever seen from the aloof headmaster. "Those injuries alone shouldn't be enough to do this to her. But she fades further every day. We don't think she would last the week if not for the stasis chamber."

"How long ago did this happen?" Shamal took a step back, flicking her fingers. Klarer Wind spun out its gems, forming a scrying window.

"Over a year ago. We've been trying to find her attacker." Qrow pushed his hair back, shaking his head. "Haven't had much luck."

Shamal made a noncommittal sound, gesturing Yuuno over to look at Klarer Wind's display with her. "What do you think?"

The full extent of Amber's injuries were easy for the device to pick out. "Honestly? Nanoha was in worse shape when her Linker Core failed, at least in terms of her wounds."

Shamal nodded, cutting the window. "We should have little trouble in healing her body, and I'm even confident that there will be no lingering scarring. However, the damage to her Linker Core is… troubling. There are a lot of… lingering energies that are clouding my scans. I would not be comfortable trying to repair the damage before spending an extensive amount of time studying the extent of the problem."

Yuuno blinked. "You've never seen anything like this before?"

"No, Yuuno. Even the Book of Darkness did not damage a target's Linker Core. It simply drained the target of their reserves; that which could be recovered naturally." She turned for a moment to look at Ozpin. "Headmaster. If I am going to try to help her, I will need to spend a great deal of time here in this room with her. Because of Remnant's mana field, the range on my more detailed scans are… inhibited greatly."

The Headmaster exchanged another glance with his associates. He cleared his throat. "I urge you, take as much time as you need. I will fabricate excuses for the classes you are supposed to be taking, and if there is anything that you need, we will do everything in our power to provide it."

Shamal let out a small breath of relief. "Sankt Kaiser, thank you for being sane. I've had previous masters who were… not. All of them, in fact. We got lucky with Mistress Hayate."

Lindy started giggling, and Yuuno had to shake his head.

Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that Ms. Yagami is… not?"

Shamal smiled, and the warmth of her expression, for a moment, made the chill of the room vanish. "You may have noticed that she's trying to pair all of your students together for the dance. Perhaps your faculty as well."


[ *** ]


"Wow, Hayate," Nora stared at her, impressed, "you sneeze really loud for someone smaller than me."

Hayate blushed a little, hand still covering her mouth and nose. "Well, you know how it is. Go big or go home, right? Anyways!" She rubbed out the mess her dry-erase marker had made on the wall, then stood back to look at it in its entirety. "Is that everyone?"

"Looks like it!"

The entire wall was covered in a grid, student after student listed in rows and columns, connected by colored lines and circles. As far she and Nora could tell, every student currently in residence at Beacon, including the guests from the other academies, was represented. Hayate rubbed her hands together, grinning.

"Excellent."

Across the room, Signum buried her nose deeper into her book. "Leave me out of this."


[ *** ]


Lindy and Ozpin's group stepped back to give the two mages room to work. They were all silent for a long moment, which gave her a bit of peace in which to think.

She made herself take the time to review things in her head, instead of going with her gut instinct. She could not deny that she was associated with the aggrieved party. She was in a position of bias.

Thankfully, TSAB law was quite clear. Intentional Violation of the Linker Core of a sophont is classified as a Tier One Dimensional Crime. It almost made her laugh, but it would have been a dry, cold thing to hear. If her attackers had simply killed her, it would be a lot harder to argue this, but… silver linings, as they say.

Quietly, so as to not disturb Shamal and Yuuno, Lindy caught the others' attentions and motioned them closer. "I've come to a conclusion regarding TSAB protocols that you four may be interested in hearing."

They gathered around, sharing a few glances. Ozpin motioned for her to continue. "Please."

"To put it simply, the attack on Amber can be classified as a Dimensional Crime, because they specifically made an effort to incapacitate her and steal her power. As such, I am able to claim jurisdiction in this situation, in order to bring local area dimensional criminals to justice."

She gave them a moment to digest that. "So what," Qrow asked, "are you saying you're just gonna… take over? 'Thanks for the pointers, you should just stand back' and all that?"

"Not at all. I wouldn't presume to think that we understand Remnant as a whole well enough to do such a thing. But, it means that if it is necessary, my people can assist yours on an official capacity, and I will be able to justify my actions before a TSAB board of inquiry if necessary."

Ironwood perked an eyebrow. "Just to be clear, by official capacity, you mean…?"

"I mean that I can and will deploy Mage Teams Alpha and Beta in full combat capacity, if that is what it takes to safeguard your people from this dimensional threat."


[ *** ]


"You, uh, wanted to see me, Weiss? What's up?"

"Jaune. Good, you're here." Weiss opened the door to her dorm all the way. "Inside. Time is money, and all that."

The lanky blonde scratched his head, stepping into the room. "What's this about?"

Weiss shut the door behind him, pointing toward the desk. "Have a seat." She waited, crossing her arms, until he did as asked. "I've taken the liberty of hiring a financial advisor for our teams. Her credentials are top notch."

"A what? A financial advisor?"

She reached past him, tapping the short stack of printed paper sitting on the desk. "Yes. Here's the contract, she and I wrote it up yesterday. I'll walk you through the legalese before you sign. I have three more copies for you to give to the rest of your team. Explain it to them the same way I explain it to you, and I'm sure Pyrrha can help you if you have any trouble."

Jaune picked up the stack of papers, apprehension evident in his eyes. "Are you sure that, uh, I should be the one taking it to them?"

I swear, Jaune Arc. "You're the leader of Team JNPR. Are you trying to tell me you're not qualified?"

She expected him to stammer and cave, the way he usually did. He reacted strangely though, frowning and raising a hand to touch tentative fingers to what Weiss realized was an already-fading black eye. When did that happen? He didn't have it Friday night.

"...no, I'm not. I mean, I'm not trying to tell you that." He gave his head a shake and took a deep breath. "Okay then. As the leader of Team JNPR, I need to understand this. Let's go through it?"

Weiss raised her eyebrows. "All right then. Good. So, this is a formal contract to be signed between each of you individually and one Kasta Kazella, for her to operate as our financial advisor and investment manager. My teammates already signed their contracts with yesterday."

"How are we paying her? I'm guessing that's in the details?"

"Yes. She's being paid a small flat fee per month, and she will be allocated a small percentage of any returns on investment that we receive."

Jaune flipped through the papers, having to take a few moments to find the appropriate portion. Weiss waited; she was just happy to see him taking it seriously. "Is that a… fair pay rate?"

"Better than average, actually, but we can easily afford it now." Weiss let herself shrug. "I don't want to say I'm buying loyalty from her, but it is a very real thing in the business world to entice someone to want to stay working for you."

"I guess that makes sense. Okay, I'll… let me read each section, and try to understand it. If I get it wrong, you correct me?"

That actually made Weiss smile. "Of course."

"Thanks, Weiss. Really." He glanced up at her, scratching his head. "I'm sorry I was getting a little-"

Oh don't start. You were doing so well.

"-annoying, about the whole asking you out thing. I was being stupid right from the start, and-"

"Stop it."

"But Weiss, I'm trying to-"

"Ah-pupup!" Weiss cut him off again, waving her finger in front of his face. "Are you trying to ask me out now?"

"No!" Jaune's eyes tracked her finger like a bouncing ball, before tearing his gaze away to look her in the eye. "No, I'm not!"

Weiss put her hands on her hips and bounced on her toes. "Then it's behind us."

Jaune stared at her for a moment, disbelieving, then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"...okay. That's it. Thank you for helping us, Weiss. It means a lot to me, and to my team."

"It's been a long few weeks, Jaune. We've got to watch out for each other."


[ *** ]


It was a fine, clear, sunny afternoon, and the sun shone high and bright over Beacon's campus. As usual.

Students and citizens of Vale sat on the benches, lounged on the grass, and walked the neatly-kept paths, laughing and carrying on without a care in the world. Fools.

Live your little lives.

They were all just kindling in the end, and she craved fire. They'd serve their purpose in time, but for now they were just useless to her.

When the world burned, their fears would fan the flames. But until then...

Cinder paid them no mind, walking with languid purpose toward the CCTS tower. She had two things to accomplish today.

First, and more importantly, she felt it prudent to scout the location. Emerald and Mercury are acting their age, she thought. Both were expressing concerns about the situation getting out of hand. With that in mind, she supposed a dry run wouldn't be a complete waste of time, if only to make them feel better about her control over the situation. The lengths I go through to keep those two happy…

The other thing was a suggestion that Emerald had dared to voice to her. Worse than that, it stunk of… good sense. 'You've spent the entire two weeks we've been here in your room, except for required classes,' Emerald had stammered to her. 'If you don't start showing your face, people are going to start thinking you're… anti-social.'

'So what if I am? I have better things to do than waste time pandering to a bunch of upstart children,' she'd replied.

'Cinder, have you ever heard of a huntress that was a… a wallflower?'

The girl was right, irritatingly enough. It was time to show at least a tiny amount of sociability; just enough to be part of the sniveling, gormless crowd of students. She had a call to make. Just to be sure, she checked her vest pocket to make sure the slip of paper was still there.

The main entrance to the CCTS tower was before her. Before she reached one of the sets of double doors, though, they slid open and a pair of students walked out.

They were two of the refugees, Cinder saw. A young man with glasses that had a studious air to him, and a serene young woman with long green hair in a messy ponytail. The boy is the one that Emerald said fought her to a standstill. The girl is…

"Let's go to the arena, Yuuno. It's my turn to have Pyrrha beat me into a red paste, after all." Her voice was cheerful and bright, and she was perfectly at ease in her teal summer dress. If it wasn't for the color, it was something Cinder would have worn herself. But not like her. Appearance is power. She's wearing it just for the pleasure of wearing it. Cinder stepped past the two and swept in through the doors before they slid closed.

Students and staff milled through the lobby, ignoring Cinder as she paced to the elevator set into the far wall.

The door slid open, and Cinder almost bowled over a demure slip of a blonde girl. The student took a graceful step back, simpering an apology for almost running into her. "I'm very sorry, I didn't expect you to be there."

As well you should. Cinder stepped back to let the girl out of the elevator, keeping the irritation from her face. "It's quite all right. Excuse me."

The faintest frown marred the girl's pleasant features, and then she actually performed a small, exact bow that both surprised and pleased Cinder. If she only knew who she was dealing with, she'd be prostrate on the ground. Then she straightened, slipping past her.

Cinder stepped into the elevator, flashing her scroll at the console and rolling her eyes at the inconvenience. A minute later saw her taking a seat at one of the call booths, and she pulled the strip of paper from her vest pocket.

The call connected after a few rings. "Titans' Textiles, may I help you?"

"Yes, you may. I need to place an order."


[ *** ]


"Mister Harlaown. I heard you wanted to talk to me."

"Chrono, please. Unless you want me to call you Mr. Branwen."

Qrow snorted, stepping into the dorm room and taking the offered seat. "Sorry it took me a couple'a days to get in here. Can't stop doing my job, you know?"

"Believe me, I know." Chrono shut the door behind him, and muttered to the card in his pocket. "S2U, countermeasures."

"Countermeasures active."

Qrow shook his head. "Hell of a magic wand you got there, Chrono. So, what's this about?"

"I wanted to follow up on a couple leads. As the senior enforcer on site, I'm in charge of the TSAB counter-intelligence and investigation operations here on campus."

"Arright." Qrow pulled out his flask, glancing to the end of the room. Lindy was curled up on her bed, dozing away the bruises from her mid-week training session. "How much do you know?"

"I've been informed about Sunday's excursion. It goes no further than me, I can assure you." Chrono took a seat on his own bed, rubbing his face. "You're a scythe user, yes?"

"That's right. What of it?"

"And you trained Ruby Rose, your niece?"

"I did. She made her first scythe completely on her own when she was ten; Rose's Thorn, she called it." Qrow laughed, taking a swig and relishing the burn for a moment. "I gotta be honest, it was a piece of shit, and the poor girl was a right mess with it. More likely t' chop off her own arm than anything, and… well…"

Chrono seemed content to wait while Qrow put the thought together, jotting down notes on a holo-window.

Qrow took another sip, sighing. "Well, Taiyang- that's her father, by the by- he was finally digging himself out of the rut he was stuck in from losing Summer."

"Summer?"

"Summer Rose. Ruby's mom. She died when Ruby was four. Mission went bad." Qrow shook his flask, then screwed the lid on tight. Talking about that even made the liquor taste like ash.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Not your fault, man. Summer had a heart of gold and a drive to make things right." He let out a dry chuckle, tilting his head back. "Yang still calls her Supermom. Slayer of monsters and baker of cookies. But… going out and biting off more'n you can chew, it happens to the best of us."

"I understand what you mean."

"Do you now?" Qrow fixed Chrono with a stare, and to the young man's credit he was unfazed.

"My father. I was three."

"I guess you do. Sorry to hear." Qrow leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Anyways. So Taiyang was finally digging himself out of his depression, and he was able to see that Ruby was hot garbage with her old scythe. So he asked me to step in. The man's good with his fists, but he didn't know the first thing about using anything sharp."

"So you turned her into the most adorable blender on the planet." Chrono actually gave him a wry grin.

Qrow laughed. "That I did. She's a natural at it, too, she just needed someone to help her get started. But why are you asking? There's gotta be a reason."

"It could just be a coincidence, but… my little sister uses a combat scythe as well-"

"Does she now?" Qrow leaned back, tilting his flask up.

"-and the fact that she's using a scythe has drawn some attention from some of the exchange students." Chrono brought up a pair of images and spun the holowindow around with a twist of his fingers. "These two; Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black."

The flask fell from suddenly nerveless hands. Qrow coughed, whiskey burning in his throat before he spewed the mouthful of alcohol across the dorm room. The deluge of liquor caught the sleeping admiral full in the face, soaking her hair and pillow.

She slept on, undisturbed.

"W-what the- where the fuck- those two are here?!" Qrow lurched to his feet, grabbing at the holowindow to pull it closer. His fingers passed through it like it wasn't even there, sending static through the images. "How long have they been here? I've been looking for those murdering bastards since- since… Harlaown!"

The young soldier ripped his eyes away from the admiral, concern and distress written plain on his face. "You just spit all over my mom!"

"Who the fuck cares, that's not important right now!" Qrow stabbed his finger through the image, transfixing the digital Mercury through the eye. "How the hell do you know these two assholes?"

"W-what?" Chrono gave his head a shake, rubbing his eyes. "R-right. Right. Emerald and Mercury. They're on our watch list. Two of our people interrupted them while they were shaking down a bookstore in Vale. You know something about them?"

"Yes I know something about them! They're two of the people that attacked Amber!" Qrow ran a hand through his hair, grabbing a fistful. "We need to go tell Ozpin, c'mon."

"Wait. Hold on." Chrono held up his hand. "Hold on just a moment and calm down, Qrow."

Qrow swore under his breath, but stepped back and crossed his arms. "I have to tell the others about this."

"I'm not arguing that point. But seriously, Qrow. Count to ten first and think. You're an intelligence operative, right?"

"Shit. Yeah, you're right." Qrow paced back and forth for a moment, calming his thoughts. "If they're here it means they're planning something. They're trying to find Amber and finish the job. But they might now know that I know they're here, and running out in a rush is the best way to get spotted."

"Emerald and Mercury have been participating in a lot of the voluntary combat training sessions that happen each evening after classes. I'll make sure we keep them busy. That's probably your best bet to get to Ozpin while making sure they're not there to see-"

Chrono was cut off by a loud yawn. Lindy sat upright in her bed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

She paused, sniffing the back of her hand. Her eyes opened in confusion.

"Did I forget to shower?"


[ *** ]


"I can't believe you're dragging me to this farce again."

Emerald didn't look at him, busying herself with checking her weapons. "Deal with it, Mercury. You're my partner, and it'll look weird if we're both not there."

Mercury rolled his eyes. "You're my partner, it'll look weird if we're both not there," he mimicked, mocking her. "We don't need to be here every damned evening, Emerald. A couple nights a week is plenty."

"Scrya asked me to spar with him, and we're trying to be sociable. I can't say no without sounding like a complete bitch."

"Oh, my bad!" Mercury snorted. "Far be it from me to stop you from seeing your new boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Sure sounds like it, I've seen the way you've been looking at him the last few days."

Emerald whirled, shoving him hard enough to make him stumble. "No, he's not. But even after the bookstore, even though I'm associated with a complete dick like you? He still treats me with respect. So yeah, I'm gonna go spar with him, because it's a hell of a lot more appealing than standing next to you all day."

"Respect? You care what he thinks of you?" Mercury scoffed. "We'll see what he thinks of you in a few weeks."

"Go suck on Red's hammer, asshole. Maybe she'll beat you into a semblance of a human being." Emerald put her back to him, striding angrily toward the arena floor.

Mercury watched her go, eyes narrowed. After a few moments, he shook his head and followed, arms crossed.

The arena was filled with students, as usual. Emerald had homed in on the mousy boy, and even now they were exchanging a short bow in one of the side rings. Off to another side, Nikos was putting Takamachi and the green-haired girl through a series of spear drills, while in another circle Yagami Red was tearing up the floor with Nora Valkyrie, hammer against hammer. Small mercies, he thought.

His musings were interrupted by a voice calling him out. "Mercury Black?"

Mercury turned, to find the blue-haired guy looking at him. "Yeah?"

"Chrono Harlaown. Care for a match?" The jacketed student pointed toward an empty circle with his staff, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Sure. It's why we're here, after all."

He followed Harlaown to the empty circle, taking up a stance. The man squared off facing him, staff raised and ready.

They started fighting cautiously, and Mercury threw a few kicks to test the man's reflexes. Harlaown parried them easily, countering with a few jabs when he could that Mercury effortlessly knocked aside.

They traded blows for a minute or so, getting a feel for each other. Mercury pursed his lips a little, changing up his game a bit. Taking a few more risks, leaving some openings but pushing a lot harder.

To Harlaown's credit, he managed to block or dodge everything Mercury sent his way, but he wasn't taking advantage of nearly as many opportunities as Mercury was giving him. He's damned good at defense, but his offense is lacking.

More noticeably, his opponent was aware of the openings Mercury was leaving, but… yeah. Yeah, he can see them, but he doesn't trust his own ability to follow through. All right then. Mercury dashed forward, using his hands as well now, and when Harlaown's weapon was out of position he slammed a solid boot into the man's chest and fired.

Chrono was thrown back by the blast, tumbling to the ground and rolling away. When he came up, the staff collapsed into a shotgun and he started loosing scattershot toward Mercury. Two of the bursts caught him before he closed in again, making him grimace. Right. He's more comfortable at ranged. Not making that mistake again.

It took another minute or two, but Mercury wore him down with flurries of weaker strikes, not wanting to risk knocking him back with another ankle shot. But by the end, Chrono's scroll beeped unhappily, while Mercury's own Aura was still safely in the mid-yellows.

"Not bad," Mercury admitted. It hadn't been a bad match after all. "You're a tough nut to crack, Harlaown. Need to work on your close-range work, though."

"I'm aware. Sticking around much longer?" Harlaown was sliding new rounds into his weapon's breech, perking an eyebrow as he did so.

Mercury glanced across the floor to see Emerald and Scrya mixing it up again. The scoreboard showed that they weren't going to be finished anytime soon. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice."

Something about Harlown bothered him, though. More so than just the oddly too-perfect accent, but something about how the man carried himself. I swear he'd be more at home next to a squad of Ironwood's soldiers than he is here, but he's not an Atlas exchange student. Then again, he's a bit old for a first-year. Maybe he already tried the military life?

Mercury stretched a little, surveying the room. The wolves are circling again, go figure. Maybe I should see how good 'Fate-chan' is with that scythe of hers- Something caught his eye.

Yagami Pink was fighting the Arc punk, holding her lengthy blade in one hand; her left arm was still bandaged and bound tightly to her chest. Gotta give her credit for- for… wait a minute.

There it was again. Her left arm was twitching, even as wrapped as it was. The pink-haired swordswoman was forcing herself to not use it, keeping it… hidden? Didn't she nearly lose it in the riot a few weeks back?

It made him wonder. Even with Aura, that kind of injury should take at least a month to heal properly. Which means she's already healed and doesn't want anyone to know? That's… interesting.


[ *** ]


Don't hold back this time, Nanoha and Lindy had requested. Fight seriously, we'll do the best we can.

Lindy had asked Pyrrha on as a personal student, since she had so much skill with a spear. So the sparring evenings usually saw at least one, and maybe several, matches between her and the older woman. Despite the bruises, despite the constant defeats, the admiral kept coming back for more.

Well. They had asked, so Pyrrha was delivering. She had both of them right where she wanted them.

She backpedaled just enough to let Raising Heart's blade miss her by inches, while she warded off Durandal with Akouo's rim. Milo barked twice in response, a Dust-propelled double-tap of thrusts that caught Lindy in the chest and belly, knocking the older woman off her feet and dipping her to just above the fifteen-percent level. Spinning the javelin in her hand, Pyrrha spared a glance to the side. Grinning, she took two steps back.

True to expectations, the enthusiastically aggressive Nanoha chased after her-

"I can see Signal from he-oomp!" -just in time for Nora's flailing body to crash into her full force, sending them both to the ground. Nanoha's scroll blared an Aura warning, signaling her loss.

Vita's shout of 'Sorry!' echoed through the arena while Pyrrha switched Milo to rifle form and, while Lindy was still struggling to stand, calmly shot her in the face. "Not bad, you two. You lasted for two minutes!"

From underneath Nora, Nanoha weakly raised one hand to give her a thumbs up. Lindy just laughed from her spot on the floor, not bothering to stand. "Go us!"

The three of them shared a laugh, even while Nora jumped back to her feet and charged back toward Vita, screaming a battle cry.

Looking around, Pyrrha noticed most of the combatants were winding down for the evening. Passing through the small groups of students, she made her way to the sparring circle where Jaune and Signum were just finishing their session.

The knight seemed well pleased, sheathing Laevatein with a flourish. "You did well today, Arc. If you wish to spar and I am available, I will be happy to do so, but I will not be requiring your attendance for the rest of the week." She turned, nodding to Pyrrha. "Nikos."

"Hello, Signum. Anything I should know?"

"Nothing problematic. He continues to improve on all levels, and," Signum cocked an eyebrow at Jaune, "his confidence has improved notably this past week."

"Then if it's all right with you, I will be usurping my partner's attentions for the time being?"

Jaune glanced back and forth between them, coughing into his hand. "I'm uh, I'm right here you know."

Signum sketched a short salute, bowing at the waist. "I would not dream of interfering. Excuse me, Arc, Nikos." She walked away, back straight.

Pyrrha scooped up Jaune's towel and water bottle, offering them to him. He shook his head. "I still gotta do my cooldown lap. You in?"

"Of course." The two of them started for the edge of the room, and some of the students started leaving their groups to follow along. By the time they reached the perimeter and started running, some thirty students were jogging along behind in a loose pack, casual banter flying back and forth between them. Jaune's end-of-session jog had turned into something of an event for everyone at the nightly sparring practice.

"How'd your session with Lindy and Nanoha go?"

"It went very well. Signum seemed quite pleased with you?"

"She's… yeah. She's pretty happy. Sometimes she almost smiles, even."

"That's quite impressive. Some of the exchange students are wondering if she even knows how."

From behind them, they heard Hayate laugh. "Rude!"

Pyrrha waved over her shoulder, smiling at the tiny brunette, then looked back to Jaune. "So, uhm…" The question caught in her throat, and she had to take a moment to clear it. I need to know… "Did Weiss ever… give you an answer?"

"What? Oh, uh. Yeah, she did, uhm. Before I talked to Ozpin over the weekend. She said no."

"She did?"

"Yeah. She made it pretty clear, I'm not her type." Jaune shrugged, trying to blow it off. "Probably better in the long run. We had to talk about the contract thing I went over with you, and it was… a lot easier when I knew there was no reason to try to impress her, you know?"

"Oh. Yes, that… that does make a lot of sense! You were very thorough talking to us about the contract, too. It was very nice of her to worry about us as well." Weiss told him no!

"Yeah, that's what I told her too."

They jogged in silence until they finished the lap, their gaggle of followers peeling off toward the end. Jaune trotted to his towel, snatching it off the floor to mop the sweat from his forehead. "Why d'you want to know?"

"What?" Pyrrha's mind went blank for a moment, and she bent down to grab his water bottle while she struggled for something to say. "Oh, you know. Just… wondering what everyone's plans are!"

Jaune accepted the bottle, twisting the cap and taking a sip. His brow was furrowed in thought. "...do you have a date to the dance, Pyrrha?"

"I… no, I don't. No one's asked me yet."

"Seriously? Jeez, is everyone blind?" Jaune shook his head in exasperation.

…just the person that matters, apparently. Her eyes closed, Milo's grip creaked in her hand. She forced her fingers to relax a little.

"Wait. Is that why you asked me about Weiss? Crap, Pyrrha, why didn't you say so?"

Pyrrha's eyes snapped open, and she looked at him. "I, uhm. I didn't want to-"

"Pyrrha, it's fine. I wouldn't have thought that of you, myself, but now that you bring it up I really can't blame you." Jaune nodded, and there was that glimmer of surety in his eyes that she adored.

Finally! She wanted to let Milo and Akouo clatter to the ground and throw her arms around him, every fiber of her being singing with joy. "Jaune, I really don't know what to-"

"Just ask her out, Pyrrha."

"Oh, Jaune! I would love to- what." Every thought in her head crashed to a halt, and she was left staring at him blankly. "...ask who out?"

"Weiss?" Jaune said, tone of voice pitching up, leadingly. "We were just talking about her. You were waiting to hear that she said no to me, right?"

"W-what? What? No!" How on Remnant did he get that idea?! "Jaune, I have absolutely no interest in taking Weiss Schnee to the dance."

"What? She's… beautiful, and smart, and wasn't she really interested in you back at initiation?" Jaune sounded honestly confused. The goofy, adorable, infuriating dunce sounds honest-to-Grimm confused.

Pyrrha wanted to scream; at him, at herself. Why are you so dense, Jaune? Why can't I just say I want you?! "...no, Jaune. Weiss had been interested in the social and political advantages that she would have by being my partner. She's better now, but there was a reason I picked you out in the forest."

"Oh." Jaune processed that for a moment. "Wait. You picked me?"

Pyrrha covered her face with her hand, trying to get back on topic. "Jaune, believe me. I'm not attracted to Weiss."

He just looked at her. Pyrrha finally shook her head, holding out her hand at Weiss' head level. "She's this tall, right?"

"...yeah?"

"Yes. Even if I was interested in her, I'd smother her whenever we hugged."

Jaune blinked twice, then his cheeks went a little red. "Oh. Yeah, never thought of that. Huh."

"More importantly, Jaune?" She took a deep breath, trying to draw forth her courage. I'm a four-time tournament champion. I'm the best student in Beacon barring some of the refugees, and they don't count because they're alien space police. For Pumpkin Pete's sake, I'm on the cover of their breakfast cereal! I can do this. I just need to tell him I like him. Things about him. "I like tall, athletic blondes."

...and none of that helps me at all, when it comes to speaking my feelings to one stone-dense boy.

"Oh!" The befuddled expression on his face cleared, replaced by surprise. Pyrrha felt a new flicker of hope.

A flicker of hope quickly extinguished. "Wait, you like Yang?" Just like all the rest.

…dammit.

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Chapter 23 - Useless To Me​

The bell tower tolled midnight in low, deep tones, muted by the cool night air and distance. Jaune stared at the ceiling, roiling thoughts keeping him from finding the gentle repose of sleep. The rest of his team seemed to have no such problem; Ren was completely silent as usual, Nora's light snores drifted through the room, and Pyrrha…

Pyrrha had been in a mood ever since their conversation, and right before they'd all gone to bed she'd been wearing an odd, conflicted expression. Jaune turned onto his side, rubbing his eyes. I did something stupid. His tried to corral his chaotic, racing thoughts, marshalling them into some manner of order.

Ren had tried to teach Jaune about meditation, but he had yet to take to them very well. Still, he focused on the sporadic lessons, and with effort tried to isolate the churning thoughts and inspect them, one at a time.

'There was a reason I picked you out in the forest.'

'Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask.'

'Your stance is wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground.'

Pyrrha… she'd wanted to help him, right from the start. Heaven knows I needed the help. I wouldn't have passed Ozpin's reinitiation test if she hadn't pushed me. Signum wouldn't have wasted her time on me if Pyrrha hadn't kept me from giving up.

He rolled over again, looking across the dim room toward her. Pyrrha was curled on her side, buried under her blankets and facing the wall. I was just… trying to help, and I upset her.

Another memory flashed through his mind. Being pinned to the arena floor by his own sword. 'B-but what did I do?' he'd asked of Signum. 'I would be doing you a disservice if I told you. You need to determine your mistake by yourself,' she'd replied.

I was… taking a breather. Watching the others practice- no. I was watching Weiss practice… something. Something clicked, and it made him frown. I was training with Pyrrha, but I was watching Weiss.

Her question that evening floated through his mind. 'Did Weiss ever… give you an answer?' She'd been halting, hesitating even. And she'd been relieved when he told her he'd been turned down.

Weiss' comment came back to him. 'You might be surprised by what's right under your nose.'

'I like tall, athletic blondes.'

Jaune sat upright in bed, one hand pressed against his head. He pulled some of his bangs forward in front of his eyes, staring at the yellow lock of hair.

'There was a reason I picked you out in the forest.'

Everyone was asleep, so no one heard him mutter. "I have been an absolute, complete moron."


[ *** ]


"So we're agreed."

"Yeah. We're agreed." Emerald pursed her lips, sighing. "The very fact that we're agreeing on this is probably the biggest sign that we're right."

"Right then. Who tells her?"

"I told her last time. Your turn."

"Real mature, Em. Fine, I'll bite the bullet. Let's go."

They slipped out of the room, crossing the hall of the exchange dorm to knock on the room opposite theirs. The response was immediate. "Enter."

Emerald exchanged a glance with Mercury. "I swear she never sleeps…" It was barely six in the morning.

He shrugged, opening the door. Emerald followed him in, closing it behind them.

Cinder was waiting for them, already fully dressed despite the early hour. The room's other bed was covered in bolts of cloth; sheer silks and satins, velvety fabrics, and more. The light of the dawning sun poured through the window, tingeing everything in reds and yellows. "Well?"

Emerald blinked. "Uh. What's all this?"

"I am following through with your suggestion, Emerald." Cinder gestured to the assorted fabrics. "I will be offering my services as a… seamstress," she nearly spit the word, "to the less fortunate students planning to attend the school dance. To make myself more personable. After all, there are no huntress wallflowers."

"Oh. That's… I didn't know you knew how to sew."

"Enough about that." Cinder swiped a hand through the air. "You two have something to tell me?"

Emerald nudged Mercury, and he heaved a sigh. "Yeah. Long and short, Cinder? We're under too much surveillance because of the Tukson thing. We need to cut ties with you, as much as possible, to keep you clean."

Cinder's face betrayed nothing. "You believe this will be a problem?"

Emerald shook her head. "Not for the plan, no. Not in the long run. But we're always being watched when we're in public now. Mercury said it pretty well. He can't take a piss without the wolves growling in his direction."

"They think we're troublemakers and miscreants," Mercury added, "despite Em's visible infatuation with her new boyfriend-"

"Yuuno's not my boyfriend!" I hate you so much, Mercury.

Mercury laughed. "Yuuno, is it? I thought he was just Scrya, Em."

SO much. "I swear if you don't stop saying that I'm going to-"

"Children." The word burned the air. Emerald clamped her mouth shut, unable to control her blush.

"Sorry." Mercury didn't look sorry at all.

Cinder stared at them both for a moment, then nodded slowly. "If that is your… professional…opinion, then I will agree with you. We'll move to our contingency cover story. I will call on you when I need you, and not before." She turned away, going back to her piles of textiles. "Leave. The next time we speak, it will be as the cover dictates."

Emerald's eyes widened a little. "I-if you're-"

"Get. Out." Cinder's voice rose to a yell, all acerbic distaste and very displeased. "I don't know what the headmaster was thinking saddling me with you two, but if you two don't shape up I'll send you back to Mistral myself. Leave me alone." She was easily loud enough to wake up students in the neighboring dorm rooms.

A muffled thump against one of the walls proved the point. "Shut up! We're trying to sleep in here!"

R-right. Cover story. She's playing for the cheap seats. "Y-yes, ma'am."

They hurried out the door, not daring to even look at each other before they were back in their own room. Mercury closed it behind them, giving his head a shake. "Damn. She was on that like stink on shit. I'd almost think she really didn't like us." He was barely whispering; Emerald almost didn't hear him.

She had nothing to say in response.


[ *** ]


Cinder heard the door close, sparing one glance over her shoulder to make sure it was properly shut. Useless. I handpicked them out of the gutter, gave them everything they needed, and I only asked for their loyalty.

Loyalty didn't matter. They've made themselves useless to me. All they have left to offer is their silence.

A hint of smoke filled her nose, and she breathed deep, revelling in the scent. It was comforting to her; it calmed, her, it-

Wait.

She looked down. The bolt of cotton in her hands was smoldering. Shit.

It was an effort to call forth the other part of her power. Fire had its place in her; burning, consuming. Cold was antithesis, anathema. A part of her own power that she did her best to ignore. But, as the uncomfortable chill of ice settled into her hands and extinguished the burning fabric, she did have to admit that it had its uses.

The lingering trails of smoke frosted and settled to the carpet, leaving the air clean and odorless. She tossed the ruined roll of cloth into the trash bin, sighing.

A buzzing caught her attention, and she pulled her scroll from her pocket. She'd set it to receive messages from Beacon's student community message board, and had posted her own offered services the night before.

There was a message waiting for her, from one Yagami, H.

What is a student doing awake at six in the morning? Paranoia bloomed in her thoughts, and she tapped the message to open it.

'My cosplay sense is tingling! Did you by chance order fabrics? Do you have enough to share?'

Cinder stared at the message, nonplussed. If it was some scheme to try to undermine her plans, she couldn't see how. And that word…

What in the world is Cosplay?


[ *** ]


Weiss sat up groggily, fumbling for her scroll. What in the… She blinked blearily at the screen, rubbing her scarred eye.

She flipped it open, keeping her voice as low as she could. "Jaune. It is quarter after six in the morning. If this is not important, I swear to anyone listening that I will make you rue the week."

"It's important! I… well, I think it's important. It's… kind of important?"

"Spit it out before I find Myrtenaster."

"It's about Pyrrha! I need help."

Weiss let her eyes open fully. "...what do you need my help for?"

"Because I've been an idiot, and I need to make it up to her but I have no clue if I'm on the right track and-" His voice trailed off.

"And?"

"...and I want to run them by you because I know you won't hesitate to tell me if I'm being even more stupid. I'll buy you coffee for the rest of the semester, but please help me!"

"...fine. Let me get changed, I'll be out in ten minutes." Weiss cut the call, covering her face.

Twenty minutes later had them sitting at a table at Beacon Cafe. Weiss nursed her cup of coffee like it held the elixir of life itself, and she cut him off with a glare when he started babbling.

He grimaced and went silent, giving her the moment. Weiss inhaled the aroma, then took a judicious sip before letting out a pleased sigh. "Take a moment to order your thoughts, and then tell me. I'm not going to listen to you fumble for fifteen minutes to get your point across."

Jaune nodded, chewing his lip for a moment. "Okay. Okay, uhm. I've been a fool, Weiss."

"Somehow I am not surprised."

"I earned that." He even laughed a little, but the expression faded quickly. "I… finally realized last night that… Pyrrha, well…" He paused again, trying to find the word.

"Pyrrha's gone on you."

"Yeah. Yeah that. Since the beginning of the year."

Weiss raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. "That long? You're sure."

He nodded jerkily. "And… I've been upsetting her without realizing it, and I want to make it up to her."

Words started pouring out of him, but as she'd asked he did his best to keep his thoughts and ideas in some manner of order. Weiss found herself setting down her mug, her amused smirk slowly widening.

By the time he was winding down, she was practically beaming at him. "I think that if you pull this off right, she'll love every second of it."

"You do?"

"Yes. So, to make sure you do pull it off right? Here's how to go about doing everything. Listen close and write it down." She waited for him to fumble out his scroll and open a notepad application. "And I'll take notes for you for classes today. Don't worry about anything except pulling this off."


[ *** ]


"Man, dude. You've got it bad."

Sun rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Can you blame me? Have you seen her lately?"

"I've looked, not gonna lie." Neptune leaned back in his chair, shrugging. "She's hot, yeah. But don't worry, man. Bro code. I got your back."

"She's even hotter now, though. She's… she's…" Sun gestured expansively, his can of soda nearly spilling when his tail curled. "She struts now, dude. Like a panther, not a housecat."

Neptune snorted. "Isn't that racist?"

"Naw man, it's cool. I'm glad that she's happy, you know? When we met, she was really down in the dumps."

"So ask her out!"

"Yeah, yeah. I want to, she's just been so busy lately. RWBY's been working with all the refugees for the whole semester, Blake and I haven't even had the chance to grab coffee. Didn't even get a chance to hang at that club because of the White Fang assholes starting that riot." Sun shrugged. "What about you and Weiss? Don't you have eyes for her?"

Neptune wavered a hand in the air. "She's hot and all, but we never really got a chance to talk. I asked her to hit the cafe with me a week or two ago and she shot me down; said she was too busy."

"That sucks. Anyone else catch your eye? The dance is coming up, after all."

"Maybe not so much the dance part, but… You know what? Yeah, a little bit. That Signum girl."

"Her? Sparred with her once before the riot. She's kinda scary, dude."

"Yeah, but did you see her at the riot? She fought that guy with the chainsaw until she was bloody, and then kicked his ass." Neptune whistled. "It was pretty awesome. And I'm not gonna lie, I like her hair."

Sun laughed, but a niggling sensation on the back of his neck stifled the humor. He turned in his chair, looking around.

Hayate Yagami was staring at them, a half-smirk quirking her lips.


[ *** ]


"Ren! Hey, it's Jaune!"

"So I assumed from your caller ID on my scroll."

"Yeah, uh. Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyways, I need a huge favor."

Ren perked an eyebrow. "What do you need?"

"Can you and Nora… uh… could you two hang out with RWBY or the other teams for the evening? I kinda need the room for, uh…"

Ren's other eyebrow rose to meet the first. "For…?"

"...well I want to make Py-"

"Consider it done."

"That fast?"

"That fast. Have a good evening, Jaune."

Ren ended the call. About time.

That at least explained where Jaune had been all morning. I wonder what exactly he's doing? Ah well, I'm sure I'll hear eventually.


[ *** ]


Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. Entered into Haven Academy beginning of this academic year, forming team Vermilion with Viridian and Lateressa West. Team broken apart after the Wests had to drop out due to family emergencies in Atlas… and then reassigned to Cinder Fall and Sable Swift, which was another broken team… to form Team Caramels.

Chrono leaned back in his chair, spinning S2U's card between his fingers. Caramels. Seriously, Remnant?

Other than that… nothing at all from either of them. It's like they're ghosts that just popped into existence when they started at Haven. "Headmaster?"

"Yes, Mr. Harlaown?" Ozpin glanced up from behind his desk, where he was perusing a report of his own. His three compatriots were in the glass-walled office as well, reading from their files, and Lindy was enjoying a cup of tea at Ozpin's desk.

"I can't find any file records for Sustrai or Black dating back past their entrance into Haven. Is that normal?"

"Hmm. If they were raised outside of the walls of a given kingdom, yes." Ozpin furrowed his brow, letting loose a small sigh. "The Grimm make it very difficult to maintain complete records with the smaller villages that stubbornly eke out their existences in the wilds. CCTS reception is spotty because the Grimm tend to tear down the repeater towers, and sometimes it is months or even years before a given village is able to send a complete census report, if ever."

"Lovely." Chrono waved the holowindow closed in disgust, rubbing his face. "This entire planet is a security nightmare. Once we're back in TSAB contact, I'm going to make a point of lobbying for a geosynch satellite communication net."

Ironwood perked up, raising an eyebrow. "I'm… not sure I follow. Geosynch?"

"A series of satellites that orbit the planet at the same speed that the planet itself rotates, so they always maintain the same approximate position in the sky. If we can solve the interference problem, they would provide the backbone for a communication system that even the Grimm would have no way of disabling. Alternatively, use electromagnetic transmissions instead of dimensional magics." Lindy sipped her tea, making a contented sound.

"The devices themselves are well within Remnant's ability to construct. The only reason your people haven't managed to do so already is because of Dust. You use Dust for everything, and Dust can't get a satellite into orbit." Chrono shrugged, grimacing. "I can't think of how to say these things without sounding offensive…" He trailed off.

"Speak freely, Harlaown. We'll take it with a grain of salt." Ironwood gestured for him to continue.

"I've done some research on Remnant's attempts at a space program. Your scientists have done the math, and they've done it right. S2U confirmed the numbers for me. It all just falls apart because Dust… stops working outside of the atmosphere."

Ironwood nodded slowly, digesting what Chrono said. "That is the wall that our scientists have been running into, yes."

The elevator door dinged and opened, and Shamal stepped through. "Ah, Headmasters. Mr. Branwen-"

"Qrow, please. I keep looking for my dad when people say that."

"...Qrow, Ms. Goodwitch. Lindy, Chrono."

"Shamal. Have you come to any conclusions?" Lindy smiled at the blonde knight.

"A few, yes. I think it would be prudent to ship in some of the equipment from the Arthra's medical bay. They'll need to be boxed up and transferred from the hangar, though."

Qrow snorted. "What, you can't just shove it into one of your portable holes?"

Shamal shook her head. "No, we can't. The sensors and scanners are too sensitive for that kind of treatment; we'd have to recalibrate everything from scratch, which would be… difficult, given the trouble we're still having with the mana field. But, I believe that I can at least move forward immediately with dealing with her physical injuries."

Lindy nodded. "I'll get the medical equipment sent over ASAP."

"Speaking of the Maidens…" Lindy tilted her head. "The Fall Maiden is under your protection as we speak. What of the other three? Where are they?"

The room went quiet, as the four Remnantites exchanged glances. "...we do not know. The Maidens are typically in hiding for extended periods of time, with a single bodyguard. They are supposed to maintain a low… no, a nonexistent profile." Ozpin looked at his coffee, but for once left it alone on his desk.

"Winter was assassinated ten years ago. Her bodyguard reported the failure, and has... cut contact with us since." Qrow grimaced, looking at the ground. "We have been unable to locate the current bearer."

"Summer and Spring have been out of contact for the last year, since Amber was attacked. We don't know where they are, which… means that none of us can be made to talk, if one of us were somehow captured." Glynda frowned, gesturing helplessly. "It is not an ideal scenario, I know. But there are the four of us, against an unknown number of conspirators."

Chrono glanced at Lindy, and she gave him a small nod. "What are the chances that you can contact them? If you can get them here, our people can provide a solid defensive envelope."

"Unfortunately," Ozpin sighed, "we have no means by which to contact them. They will have to reach out to us."


[ *** ]


Beacon's head chef raised his eyebrows. "You want to use the kitchen for a personal meal?"

The tall boy was obviously restraining himself from dancing foot to foot in anxiousness, nodding a few times. "Yes, sir. I'm already familiar with the kitchen furnishings and I bought everything I'll be using, so I won't be dipping into Beacon's food supplies at all." He had a bag of groceries in one hand and a World Cuisine cookbook tucked under his arm.

The chef frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his jaw. "Well… you're from JNPR, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"You guys and RWBY did keep the place pretty clean last time, so… all right. Go ahead and use the station in the corner."

"Thank you!"


[ *** ]


"Pyrrha? Are you okay?"

"W-what? Yes, I'm… fine! I'm doing quite well. How are you?" Pyrrha felt the smile fit itself onto her face in response to Nora's question, and she hoped that it would deflect the petite girl toward something else.

"Oh I'm doing great! Hayate and I caught Team CORL with the net traps! We even got them split properly between the two nets, and there was a bunch of pushing and shoving and you should have seen them blushing and Carmine totally let out a moan which means she's totally into Olive and I'm willing to bet a stack of pancakes they're still blushing at each other right now!"

There was a long beat of silence. "That's… wonderful?" Pyrrha offered.

Ruby was staring at the girl, blinking. "You worry me sometimes."

"Oh there's nothing to worry about at all!"

Ruby leaned back a little, seeing something in her eyes. "You d-don't have anything planned for me, do you?"

"Weeeeeell….." Nora rocked side to side, and pulled a stack of flashcards out of her bag. "It really depends on who's taken and who's not as things go along. There's Operation Nuts and Dolts-"

"What."

"-and Operation Ladybug-"

"What." Blake straightened up, eyes wide.

"-and Operation Milk and Cereal-"

"What?!" Pyrrha and Ruby both blurted at the same time.

"-aaaand Operation Lotus Pe- What? No." Nora pulled the offending flash card out of the stack, ripping it to shreds. She glared over Ruby's shoulder at where Hayate was sitting the next table over, her face set into an expressionless mask.

The little brunette laughed wildly. Signum caught Nora's expression, and all four of Hayate's knights closed ranks around her, trying and failing to be surreptitious.

"Anyways. We have plans, yes."

"Maybe you should keep your plans to yourself, Nora." Weiss let out a hmph, crossing her arms. "Ruby's your friend, not one of your victims."

From out in the courtyard there was a snaphiss and a yelp of surprise. "Speaking of! Gotta go!" Nora was off like a rocket, Hayate cackling as she ran close behind.

The five girls exchanged glances and shared a suffering sigh. Yang shook her head. "Well that's a thing."

"She's been… spending a lot of time with Hayate over this," Pyrrha added.

"I'd almost say it's anorable-"

Ruby groaned. "Stoooop!"

"But I'd hayate to be that person!"

With no warning or fanfare, Blake pushed Yang's face into her bowl of salad. The blonde thrust her arms awkwardly into the air despite her position, calling out a muffled 'Worth it!'

Ruby just scooted a bit further away from Yang and Blake, ignoring their little scuffle. "Pyrrha, are you sure you're okay? You've, uhm… you're doing that I'm-totally-fine-nothing's-wrong smile that you only do when everything really is wrong."

Pyrrha froze. ...hell. She can see right through me.

The thought itself made her pause even longer. ...she knows me well enough to see right through me. Weiss was sharing Ruby's concerned look, and there was no surprise on her face. They both know me that well.

"I… you're right, I'm…" Pyrrha shrugged a little helplessly. She didn't want to tell them; she didn't want to burden them with her problems. She was supposed to be strong, an icon, a… a beacon! A beacon at Beacon. Never say that to Yang.

"You're…?" Ruby prompted her, silver eyes shining bright.

The sun passed behind a cloud, darkening the cafeteria.

Pyrrha felt bottled, under pressure, like she was about to burst at the seams. Like if she started talking she'd never stop and they'd have to knock her out to stop her screaming and ranting. She needed to keep it in, but it would be so freeing to just say it!

Her breath caught in her throat, and despite every effort the words squeaked out like air leaking from an overstressed balloon. "I like Jaune," she nearly whimpered.

Just like that, she felt free. The sun came back out, shining brightly, and the pressure in her throat drained away with her exhalation. She finally admitted it, for all and sundry to hear. Or… at least the table.

Ruby grinned. "Yay! We've been waiting to hear you say it!"

Pyrrha blinked. "...you knew? How could you… tell?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as well. "It was rather obvious."

Yang struggled free of Blake long enough to toss out a thumbs-up. Leaves of lettuce stuck to her cheeks, which she wiped away with her free hand. "Pretty much the only person in the academy who didn't realize it was Jaune!"

"What." Pyrrha blushed; she was sure her skin was nearly the same shade as her hair. She wanted to hide her face in her hands. "Everyone? Everyone knows that I like that… oblivious, bumble-footed, clumsy-"

"Pyrrha, calm down!" Ruby was reaching across the table for her hand.

"-silly, adorable, caring-"

Ruby pulled her hand back, eyes widening.

"-idiotic, foolish idiot?!" Pyrrha slammed her fists on the table, and all the silverware for a dozen yards around jumped a few inches into the air and spun before clattering back down on the tables. Conversation stopped dead for a long moment, students looking around in confusion.

Pyrrha hunkered in on herself, covering her face. Embarrassment filled her; her mortified flush threatened to burn the skin of her palms.

A cool hand settled on her shoulder; it felt like a soothing balm against her heated skin. She made a noise, something between 'don't touch me' and a sobbing, helpless croak.

"Pyrrha." Weiss' voice was as gentle as she'd ever heard come from the heiress' mouth. "It's okay. It's fine, really."

"I-is it really? I just made a complete fool of-"

"It's fine." Weiss sat down next to her. "It's completely fine. We're your friends, not your adoring public. You can open up around us."

Another body thumped down on the bench, and Ruby pressed against her other side, giving her forearm a squeeze. Pyrrha slowly let her hands drop, taking a few tremulous breaths. "Th-thanks. Thank you, everyone. Really."

"We're happy to be here!" There was nothing but cheerful optimism in Ruby's tone.

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh a little, and she wrapped her arm around Ruby to give her a lopsided hug. "You know what he asked me last night, Weiss?"

"I can't say that I do. Do I want to hear it?"

Pyrrha couldn't stop herself from giggling a little, wiping her eyes. "I asked him if he'd… gotten an answer from you. He thought I wanted to ask you to the dance myself!"

"What?!" Weiss looked scandalized for a moment, cheeks going red. "That's… that idiot!"

"A-and! And then after I told him I like tall, athletic blondes, he thought I was talking about Yang!" Pyrrha started laughing harder, tears of mirth replacing the last hints of shame.

The blonde in question shrugged, holding her arms out wide and gesturing toward herself. "I can't say I blame him! What's not to like?"

Blake shook her head, and pushed Yang's face into her salad again.

Weiss shook her head and rolled her eyes, then patted Pyrrha's shoulder one more time. "It's going to be fine, Pyrrha. Don't worry."


[ *** ]


"Signum, I need a huge favor!"

The knight turned and arched an eyebrow. "What favor would you be speaking of, Arc?"

"I need you to keep Pyrrha busy this afternoon until… uuuuh…" Jaune fumbled out his scroll, nearly dropping it in his haste. "...another hour in the kitchen, and…. Thirty minutes to get the… I need you to keep her busy until five-thirty! Er… Seventeen-thirty?

"Seventeen-thirty."

"And, uhm… Could you make sure she's… oh geez, how do I say this without sounding like a creep…"

Signum crossed her arms, tapping her unbound fingers against her bicep. This will be good.

"Just… crap. Put her through her paces really hard, you know what I mean? Work her into the ground? Not that I'm trying to get you to beat her up, I don't want you to hurt her or scare her or anything-"

"You wish for me to make her work."

"Yeah! She's always in a good mood after she gets out of a good session with you."

"That will require me to unbind my arm."

Jaune grimaced. "Talk to the headmaster and admiral and see if they think you've had enough time?"

Signum let her head roll forward for a moment. It would be acceptable to no longer have to pretend. "I will see what I can do. Seventeen-thirty."


[ *** ]


The two longcoated guards stepped into her path at the end of the tunnels, and she stopped in her tracks and threw a salute. "Veteran Specialist Schnee reporting for assignment."

"Specialist. Please submit your identification code?"

Winter recited the number from memory. The man nodded, while the woman gestured. Purple light washed over her, leaving behind tingles in her skin.

"Clear." The black-haired woman raised a hand in salute. "Welcome to Drydock Six, Specialist. I am Lieutenant Commander Lockheed. This is my partner, Lieutenant Galant." Lockheed's accent was thick, but grammatically correct. "If you will follow us, we will escort you to the site commander."

"Thank you."

Winter fell in behind them, climbing up the access ladder into the hangar proper. It was her first time seeing the Arthra with her own eyes, and she had to admit that the pictures the Harlaowns had shown her didn't do the vessel justice. "She's impressive. Shame that she's so damaged."

"The Arthra carried us through to the end. Maybe they will make a museum out of her, once Remnant and the TSAB are in open communication." Lockheed shrugged. "There are worse ends for an old warhorse to have."

They passed underneath the looming hulk of the Arthra,into the offices tucked against one of the hangar's walls. They stopped outside one of the interior doors, and Lockheed knocked twice. "Sergeant Yagami, the VIP has arrived."

"Enter."

Lockheed pushed the door open, and Winter stepped through. A white-haired woman in a brown uniform was seated at the desk, waiting. Winter snapped off an exact salute. "Veteran Specialist Schnee reporting."

"At ease, Specialist." The woman's voice was as cool as the wind off the Atlesian Peaks. She rose to her feet, only slightly shorter than Winter herself. "I am Sergeant Reinforce Zwei Yagami, site commander of the Arthra's hangar. General Ironwood informed me that you are to be his on-site liaison."

"That is correct." Winter kept her voice composed, matching the sergeant's perfectly. "In addition, I have been directed by Admiral Harlaown to familiarize myself, within reason, with your equipment."

"I was not informed. One moment." Yagami turned to the side, and her eyes unfocused for a few moments. Winter was just starting to frown when the woman perked white eyebrows. "Your statement has been verified. Lieutenant Lockheed, I will place Specialist Schnee's Device familiarization in your hands."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And Penny Polendina says that your sister says hello, Ms. Schnee."

What. "Ah, thank you."

"You are welcome." Yagami sat back down behind her desk, bringing up a holowindow. The meeting was obviously over.

Following Lockheed toward her assigned quarters, Winter mulled it over in her head. She said that specifically to get a rise out of me. She knows Penny, obviously…

Lockheed turned toward her, looking faintly amused. "Please do not mind the sergeant. She is just having fun."

"You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

Galant opened the door for her, and she stepped through to drop her kit bag on the room's single bed. Lockheed waited by the door, smirking. "Having a name like Winter? Reinforce will make it her mission to out-cool you for the week. As I said, she is simply having fun."

"And the comment regarding my sister? How did she know?"

Galant snorted a laugh. "Reinforce is pretty much our version of Penny. They were probably chatting back and forth the entire time."

"I see." The thought almost made her shiver. Heavens help us all. There are two of them now.


[ *** ]


Pyrrha slumped against the door of her dorm room, fumbling with her scroll to get the lock disengaged. Her muscles complained with every motion, and her legs felt like jello underneath her. Signum had given her no quarter, and their back-and-forth had lasted for over twenty hard-fought minutes. Halfway through, every other fight in the arena had drifted to a stop, and students had actually started placing bets on the winner.

Ren had uncharacteristically joined in and placed a modest bet on a tie. When Pyrrha and Signum had respectively eliminated each other with a thrust to the throat and a cross-bodied slash, he cleaned house to a chorus of groans and shouts.

It was glorious; it was amazing, and she was absolutely exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to fall in her bed and die happily. But, she needed to shower first.

The door finally clicked open, and she stumbled through.

The room was dark and quiet, with the afternoon sun blocked by the window's curtains. Pyrrha rubbed her eyes, reaching for the closet door to get her bathrobe from-

"What's this…?"

Her bathrobe was on the foot of her bed, underneath a small wicker basket stuffed with tissue paper. Pyrrha pulled the small note out of the middle, flipping it open. Flowing, elegant script met her eyes.



Pyrrha,

Please take these, and leave your worries at the door. Take your time and relax after a stressful day.



The note wasn't signed, but she found herself grinning faintly regardless. Oh come on, Jaune. I'm not made of glass, you kno- oh my.

Inside was a package of Caress of Heaven bath bombs; she'd heard of the brand before, but never thought she'd actually hold any in her own hands. They were unbelievably expensive for what they were; she could buy high-quality ammunition for Milo for the same price. They were a decadent luxury, a waste of money for the upper crust.

She couldn't wait to try them.

Pyrrha grabbed a change of clothes from her dresser, then all-but-floated into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her, and a flick of her semblance turned the lock.


[ *** ]


The sound of running water burbled from the closed bathroom door.

"That was too close. Do you think it's safe?" Jaune whispered.

"Shut up and get out there." Weiss whispered back. She threw open the closet door and squeezed out, careful to keep from making noise. "We're on the clock. Move."

Jaune hopped out as well, immediately going prone and digging under his bed. Four wooden legs and a table slid out from underneath, and he fumbled with a screwdriver. "C'mon, c'mon… crap!"

"Slow down, Jaune. Smoothness and fluidity lead to speed." Weiss gestured, and a black glyph formed around him, speeding up his time relative to his surroundings.

The table came together in scant moments, and Jaune flipped it onto its feet in the middle of the room.

Weiss kept out of the way, letting him work. 'I'll tell you how to do everything you want to do, and I'll give you the time you need to get it done, but I can't do it for you,'she'd told him. 'It's going to mean too much for both of you for me to be that involved.'

Jaune had agreed wholeheartedly, and very nearly scooped her up in a hug. Thankfully, he'd caught himself before it turned into an issue.

The entire thing had been his idea. The bath bombs, the room, the dinner, everything. She'd merely suggested the best brands, and the best way to go about making sure they'd have privacy.

Watching him rush to and fro in a flurry of activity, Weiss had to admit that the blonde dork was a romantic.

He and Pyrrha are going to be so… cute. If he'd led with something like this while he was trying to go after me, I might well have listened to him.

…

Now that's a scary thought. Thank heaven for small mercies.


[ *** ]


I swear, when everything is said and done I am going to take distinct pleasure in putting this cafeteria to the torch.

Cinder had been in the cafeteria for nearly half an hour now, answering the questions of various air-headed girls about the dresses she can tailor. She already had three definite orders, and two more would be giving her an answer by the next morning.

The entire time, she'd been forced to paint a smile on her face, and nod her head and laugh at their idiotic jokes…

It was tiring to be this 'nice'. But a role was a role, and she would play it as well as it needed to be playe-

"YOU!"

Cinder started, whirling around. The fire bubbled deep within her belly, straining to be let free- to consume-but she forced it back down. Power was meant to be used, not to be used by. She looked up the slightest bit to meet blue eyes. "What do you wa-"

"You're from Haven! Try this!"

There was a Mistralian style kebab hovering in front of her face; succulent seasoned meats and cubes of vegetables grilled to a light sear. For lack of a better response, Cinder took the offered kebab in her hand. The blonde boy was waiting anxiously for her to taste it. "I… I'm not actually from Mistral-"

He turned away, already dismissing her. "Then you are useless to me. NEPTUNE!" The student ran off, holding out another kebab to a Haven-uniformed student.

Useless to me.

Cinder was left holding the stick, eyes wide.

"I gave you ten years to find the Fall Maiden. TEN YEARS, and you give me nothing but disappointment." Salem put her back to the begging woman, flicking a hand in dismissal. "You are useless to me, Nausicaa. Begone."

The Grimm tore the screaming failure to shreds. Salem turned toward her, ice-cold fingers tilting her trembling head up to meet her crimson gaze. "You will not disappoint me, will you, dear Cinder? You will not be useless to me, like Nausicaa before you?"

Cinder didn't dare look at the strips of flesh and splinters of bone- what remained of her predecessor. "I will succeed where she failed."

"Good."

Cinder gave her head a shake, forcing the unpleasant memory aside. I will not be useless. I've already succeeded. It was only a matter of time, she assured herself.

Mistralian spices caught her attention, and she looked at the kebab still clutched in her fingers.

She took a delicate bite. Her eyebrows rose.

"Well… it is good."

Behind her, she heard the blue-haired boy yell. "Man, she's gonna love it!"


[ *** ]


Pyrrha felt heavenly. The bath was everything, everything that she'd been hoping for and more, and she was happily taking the time to give her hair the brushing that it had needed all week. I can't believe he bought these bath bombs for me.

She'd spent every bit of half an hour soaking in the tub, even going so far as to partially drain and refill it when the water started to get cold. Her muscles thanked her; the trembling ache had subsided to a lingering soreness that was just enough to remind her that she had a fantastic workout.

All good things must come to an end, she sighed. Her hair was mostly dry, and for once she decided to leave it down while she slipped on a comfortable shirt and pair of pants. The girl in the mirror almost surprised her, she looked so… simple and happy.

Finally talking to the girls really did help out.

Grabbing her bathrobe in one hand, Pyrrha unlocked the door and opened it.

She stopped.

Stared.

The bathrobe slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.

There was a table in the center of the room; a red tablecloth embroidered with bronze designs around the edges. Three bright candles in the center of the table provided a cheerful glow to the otherwise dim room. Two chairs sat opposite each other, and the table was set for two as well.

Jaune was standing at the other side of the table, fidgeting with nervous energy. Their eyes met, and he blushed. "U-uhm. Did you enjoy your bath?"

"It was wonderful, it… Jaune, what… what is all this?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his head, trying to laugh. It came out as an awkward cough. "I, uh. Well, I did a lot of thinking last night, and… I came to a realization."

"What… kind of realization would make you do this?" Pyrrha felt that spark of hope catch light again, and it was everything she could do to ignore it. Let him explain first. Don't jump to conclusions.

"Well, I… I realized I've been really stupid, and that I've been giving you a… a rough time without even realizing it. And I'm sorry. So, that's what this is- part of. Part of it is my apology."

"Your… apology? Part of it? What about the rest?"

"And the rest, well… I know you're enjoying being here at Beacon, but I couldn't help but think that you might be a little homesick too, so…" Jaune cleared his throat loudly, and the door opened.

Weiss was a picture of poise as she walked in, holding a covered platter in her hands. She set it down in the center of the table. As she straightened, she caught Pyrrha's eye and winked. The girl's words to her earlier ran through her head, light and honest. 'It's going to be fine.'

The heiress excused herself without a sound, closing the door behind her. Jaune swallowed, and lifted the lid off the platter. "...so I thought that I'd try to bring a little home to you."

The pile of kebabs smelled perfect, and bits of her childhood flashed through her mind. Pyrrha raised her hands to her face, covering her mouth. She could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, blurring her vision. "Jaune, I… I don't know what to say."

"Well, that's okay, uhm… because I do. I know what to say." Jaune pulled her chair out so she could sit down, then took his own seat across from her. He reached out across the table and took her hands in his, blushing faintly. "Pyrrha Nikos, would you… accompany me to the dance next week?"

Pyrrha started crying, but there was no sadness in her thoughts. That spark of hope fanned into a blaze, and she smiled through her tears. "Of course I will, Jaune Arc. Of course I will."

 

[11thMessenger]

'Hazredous' Interruptions

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY

Interlude II - Old Shadows​

While small by TSAB standards, the Warding Gesture had been a planetary defense corvette owned and operated by the Saint King Church. The small vessel had spent its prime patrolling space near Administered World Twenty-Three, Ruwella. When the ship's service life came to an end she had been stripped of offensive weapons and delegated to a simple transport role, until finally after thirty-five years of service, had been mothballed and placed in storage at the libration point between Ruwella and its sole moon. That had been fifteen years ago.

She was old, underpowered by current standards, and slow. But, she was also still a corvette, and massed nearly a thousand tons across her fifty meter length. Leti must have blown every favor she had to get this ship, Gil thought.

The crew was, as promised, all old TSAB Navy hands; all retired, and every one of them a volunteer. Twenty in number, all of them remembered the Harlaowns fondly, and had jumped at the chance to bring the Arthra's crew home safe. Half of them had even served their last tour of duty aboard the Hestia herself, and had witnessed that cruiser's last action against the berserk Book of Darkness some eighteen years previously. Leti plays the game as well. For cleaner purposes, at least, but as well as I ever did.

Aria stood behind the captain's chair, the ever-present bastion of restraint at his right shoulder. Lotte paced between the duty stations, exuding barely restrained energy and liveliness.

The navigation console beeped, and the assigned crewman checked the screens. "We're coming up on the Arthra's last known coordinates now. Transferring to normal space in five."

Gil kept the unhappy anticipation from his features, and gripped the arms of the chair. The Warding Gesture didn't transfer to and from dimensional space as smoothly as a modern TSAB ship; yet another reminder that the ship was quite outdated. It had taken them most of a week to reach the coordinates, as her cruising speed was barely more than half that of an L-class cruiser.

The ship shuddered as it broke through the dimensional barrier, appearing in realspace in a flash of expressed photons. Gil forced the queasy feeling in his stomach down, clearing his throat. "Good work, gentlemen. Bring the local map onscreen."

This was their starting point. From here, they'd have to piece together the Arthra's actions.

Gil glanced over his shoulder at Aria. She returned the look, and the faintest grimace tightened her face. 'We're too slow, Master.'

'I know. The Lady Midday is faster than we are. We can only hope we're not too late to make a difference.' Gil scratched at his jaw, irritated by the stubble that had grown in. 'Keep that transmission code I gave you ready to send at a moment's notice.'

'You don't need to tell me twice.'


[ *** ]


"Sensors. What do we have?"

"Space debris, sir. Spread out over a pretty wide area."

Gil nodded, expression tight. "Analysis?"

The sensor officer skimmed his fingers over his console, cursing a little. "Give me a moment. Resolution on this bucket isn't the best… okay. Spectroscopic analysis for most of the debris is consistent with Dimensional-grade hull materials, but not TSAB standards. Judging by the spread of the debris field… happened about a month ago, sir."

"Anything else?"

"Ah… yes. Some of it does match hull materials used in TSAB vessels, and… shit. Center screen, sir."

An image came up on the main monitor. Gil rose to his feet. "That's the starboard bow mount of an L-class."

"Scanning. Confirmed, sir. It looks like the remains of the Arthra's starboard primary."

The bridge was silent. Gil cleared his throat. "Then we can confirm that the Arthra was here, and there is not enough debris from her to conclude that she was destroyed."

Aria stepped forward. "Scan for nearby systems that have planets in their habitable zones. If the Arthra was heavily damaged, they'd need to stop and make repairs."

There was an upside to having a crew of old veterans. At least some of the deficiencies in the Warding Gesture's systems were mitigated by the sheer amount of experience they brought to the table. It wasn't long before they had a list of possible coordinates.

Gil took his seat again, taking a deep breath. "Set coordinates and transfer to dimensional space. Let's start with the closest one first."


[ *** ]


The Warding Gesture flashed into real-space with the usual shaking of her hull and a wrenching of Gil's gut. He paid it no mind. "Sensors, what do we have?"

The planet was still some million kilometers away, but the Warding Gesture's sensor array was more than enough to get basic information. "Oxygen nitrogen atmospheric mix, temperate, one G gravity at sea level." The sensor officer tapped a few commands, then frowned. "...dimensional scanners are coming up inconclusive. Something's interfering with the readings, but visuals are clear."

The image came on screen, revealing a planet swathed in color; the deep blue of oceans, greens and browns of continental land masses, the white swirls of clouds. The crescent of the planet's visible night side had a few points of light visible against the darkness. "Those look like habitation zones."

"Affirmative, sir. I'm reading four locations on the surface with massive electromagnetic footprints. If I had to guess, they're transmission centers of some form or- ...hold on a moment. I've got something else, the dimensional scanners… nevermind. It's gone."

Gil's blood went cold. "What was it?"

"I thought I saw a ship, sir, but there's nothing-"

Gil almost jumped out of his chair; only the clench of his hands on the armrests kept him seated. "Helm, all stop! Power down the drive core to minimal!" 'Aria, send that signal now!'

The helm officer turned to look at him. "Sir?"

"Do it!"

"Aye, sir! Powering down, all stop!" The constant hums of the Warding Gesture vanished, and the lights dimmed to nothing and were replaced by red emergency panels.

'Signal broadcasted, Master. No response.'

'Send it again! Keep sending it, we're already in the barrel.'

A minute passed in tense silence, only broken by the whirring clicks of the backup environmental systems coming online.

"Sir. Encrypted transmission inbound. It's being bounced from a… a comm buoy, a thousand kilometers to port. It wasn't there a minute ago, sir."

Thank God. Graham let out a breath. "Patch it through to my quarters. Take no action until I return."

"Aye sir, patching through."

Graham moved as quickly as his aging legs would take him, closing and locking the door. He opened the transmission, pulling the encryption code from memory. "Graham here."

"That authentication code is eight years out of date, Graham. The hell are you doing out here?" The voice was electronically masked, but Gil knew it anyways. He'd worked with the man before, after all.

"I'm above board, Captain Grumman. My crew and I have been contracted by Admiral Lowran to find the Arthra. As far as the age of my code… Well, it's hard to get a new one when you've been retired, but I've grasped at thinner straws."

"Only one that I can think of."

"Any straw will do when you're sitting in the firing arc of an Arc-en-Ciel. I dearly hope you have good news, old friend."

"Good and bad. The good news is that you're right on the trail; we've tracked the Arthra's drive signature to this planet, and have detected trace elements in the upper atmosphere to signify a hard landing."

"A hard landing is good news?"

"Better than an uncontrolled crash, wouldn't you agree?"

"Fair point. You've located the crash site?"

"Yes. The impact point is obvious, but there's no sign of the Arthra herself. She's been moved somewhere."

Gil rubbed his face. "Grumman, what exactly is the Lady Midday doing here?"

"Classified. You're not cleared."

"For God's sake, Grumman. We've worked together before, and I've been retired for eight years. If I was going to be stupid enough to spill the beans, I would have a long time ago."

"Insurance, Graham. But you're right. We have worked together, and in this instance I find that my hands are tied." Grumman paused for a moment. "There's an interference field around the planet. As long as you keep your wards up, it shouldn't cause a problem. Also, while we have taken some detailed scans of the field, we are not in a position to transmit them back."

"We can do some scans, but our own scanners are rather dated."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll send you the appropriate calibrations for your arrays."

Gil nodded to himself, rubbing his chin. "You know I have to ask, Grumman."

"Then ask."

"The Lady Midday's intentions regarding the Arthra? Her crew?"

"The Ifrit is three weeks out, Graham, and there are a lot of people moving on this, for good or ill. Like I said, I'm just here as insurance."

Preparing for the biggest 'what if.' "I can't argue the necessity. Let's work together again, Grumman. You're running dark, but I'm not. I can move where you can't."