章 449: 5
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A week or so passed in what felt like a day. The naming ceremony, where he took the role of leader, and three frantic days of sprinting around, signing papers and moving into their room- not to mention the redecorating Nora had immediately insisted on. Setting it up so she could sleep closer to Ren and he had a place to make pancakes for their mandatory free-period snacks (and the occasional lunch, breakfast, and dinner if the stoic young man were to be believed). Now it was Saturday, the first of two days slated for rest before the first, full week of academics began to swing school into full effect.
For Jaune, it began earlier than most, on the roof with his red-haired partner, standing across from him and smiling happily after an hour already gone to their training. "You are doing well, Jaune. Much better than earlier, you just need to get a more… standard defence up." "A stiff breeze could likely break it, if you were pressed. Novices have to start somewhere, though, I suppose..."
"My dad was a lot more of an offense kind of guy, ya know? Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, and they won't hit back." He shrugged meekly, smiling half-heartedly at her. He straightened up, before sliding back into his, admittedly sloppy, stance.
"That… is not a fighting style that suits you, Jaune; nor your arms and armor," she sighed, lowering her spear for a moment, "You wield shield and blade in concert, and are therefore more apt to block than attack. You wait for the proper opening, then strike." "The blade sings the chorus to the shield's song, but the former always follows the latter in the same vein."
"So… I'm attacking too much?" He asked quietly, looking at the sword in his hand in thought.
Pyrrha sighed, walking forward as she placed her weapons on her back, before laying a hand on the pommel of his. "Jaune, you need to take many things into account when you decide on a permanent fighting style. Our team, for instance. How do each of your subordinates fight?" "You are not adept with blade or shield, but how are your tactical abilities I wonder?"
"Well… you're really fast and agile, and you hit pretty hard. Ren is too, but he doubles as ranged instead of hitting hard. Nora is a massive damage dealer, even if she's a bit slower than either of you." Jaune listed mechanically, blinking when Pyrrha smiled widely at him and gestured for him to continue.
"So what roles do we play?"
"You are a good holder, but you can go to the enemy too. Nora is best at hitting enemies head on, and Ren is good at flanking enemies." He said it simply, before tapping his foot nervously and looking at her, "Right?"
"Exactly right- though you should also bear in mind that Ren and I have ranged capabilities, while you have none. Nora's hammer also has anti-armor capabilities, making her good against armored Grimm." She smiled proudly at him, nodding approvingly, "What we lack, however, is someone who can hold the enemy for us all to coordinate against. That is where you and your shield come in," she moved her hand to rest on Crocea Mors shield indicatively. "You fill that role." "At least you are a quick learner when it comes to tactics and team strengths. Surprising to know that much about new allies, were I honest."
"Then… then I need to learn more about defending than attacking," he said quietly. She stepped back with a raised brow, asking what he meant silently- he knew from his 'hearing' and sensing. "I need Nora and Ren to help me too. Ren can help me train my adaptability, and Nora my strength and endurance."
"You understand how difficult that will be, yes?" "Fool, or just foolhardy? Or pragmatic, maybe?" He almost rolled his eyes, but resisted the urge and simply nodded instead. "Very well, I shall message them and request they meet with us at our room."
"Thanks, Pyr," he said quietly, walking towards the door and sheathing the sword at his side. He felt a small pang of annoyance from her, amidst the cacophony that he was slowly getting another migraine from. He almost turned to ask her what was the matter, but thought better of it.
"They have said they shall be there shortly, so let us go," she said quietly, following him down the stairs from the roof and back into the dorms. He sensed very mild anxiety in the storm they were walking through. "However, you should be aware, Nora seems… excited... at the prospect of helping you with strength training."
"Why does that scare me?" he asked quietly, grimacing at the prospect as they turned down their hallway, already able to hear a commotion from their dorm. "I am suddenly filled with a sense of dread."
"Likely because you asked Nora for strength training assistance." Pyrrha suggested simply, amusement rolling off her and into him before she stepped up next to him and bumped his shoulder with her own. "Come, let us see what she has in mind." "You poor fool…"
"Jauney~!" He shivered and turned, looking down the hall towards where he felt the absolute energy that he'd come to associate with Nora, and saw a blur of ginger hair before he was slammed into a wall by the young woman's hug. "Ooooooh~! You want me to train you? Me? I've never trained anyone before! This could be fun~!" "I need weights, vitamins, ropes, outfits, a few Ursas…"
"Nora, calm down," Ren advised quietly, walking up to stand beside her quietly, and smiling slightly at her cheshire grin. "He asked for our help, not several broken ribs. Be mindful of your strength." "At least wait until training to break some of his bones."
"My training is based on breaking bones though, Ren! You break 'em down and build 'em back up, that's how I learned!" She squealed, bouncing away from her leader and closer to Ren obediently, "I have so many ideas, too!"
"No maiming our leader, Nora. We have need of him in a relatively healthy state," Pyrrha argued lightly, giggling at the other woman happily, "for now, focus on the lighter side of his endurance training." "Poor boy, made a huge mistake… oh well."
"To the gym!" Nora called loudly, turning and marching down the hall with her team in tow, "One, two, one two, come ooooon~! No time to waste~!" "I wonder how long he'll last~?"
Jaune sighed nervously and followed after the trio, smiling lightly to himself and focusing on their thoughts to drown out the noise around him. It worked rather well, and he took mental note of that for later.
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"Sir, an update from our forces in Vale." Adam Taurus turned, looking down on the slightly shorter, Faunus woman standing in front of him; right fist on her chest in a salute and a disk held out in front of her. "Agents recovered the information you requested they look into."
"Which agents, Teal?" He asked gruffly, already suspecting her answer before he asked. But he had to ask anyways, to sate the curiosity. To think Blake was the cat between them….
"It… doesn't say, sir. Only says that there were two women who pursued leads for you, sir." she reported. He nodded and took the file from her, staring at it more intensely than he realized. "Is… something wrong, sir?"
"No. Nothing that you need to worry over, at least." He said simply, turning and reaching for the door to his office, before smiling in a realization and turning to look at the smaller woman, "You don't need to wait for me to dismiss you every time, Teal."
"Yes, I do, sir." She said lightly, chuckling under her breath, "Military styling instills discipline into the newer recruits. As long as they see you as a superior officer, they should fall in line easier. And in a fight, they may hold longer if they have that discipline."
He smiled thinly and rolled his eyes, turning back to her and saluting her in return. "Dismissed then, Teal. Go get some rest, I know you have been on a longer shift than most today."
"I haven't- Yes, sir." She sighed, smiling back at him and turning to walk deeper into the base.
Now that she was gone, he went into his small office; little more than a larger-than-average alcove carved out of the tunnels they'd found. It used to be a Dust mine from some minor company, but after the Schnees ran them out of business, they couldn't afford the many guards they needed. Then the Grimm came and wiped out everyone there, the small number of guards unable to defeat the horde. The men and women often wondered idly why they'd had such an easy time ousting the creatures, but Adam would never tell them. Such things were secrets for himself, unfortunately for them. And even were he to tell them the truth, they would likely not believe it.
Sitting at the chair next to his desk, he opened the file and started reading through the information inside. "You're at Beacon, then? Now I see why Cinder agreed to find you for me…." He sighed, closing the folder and leaning back in his chair, reaching up to remove his mask and run his hands along his scarred face. "So Beacon has to fall, then. Damn it!"
He reached into his drawer and pulled out an old binder, flipping it open to stare at the pages of his old friend's class. Most of his friends had an "x" over their face now- killed by Grimm, men, or time. He perused the pages for a while before closing it and staring at the emblem on the front for several seconds. With a roar of anger, he hurled the book across the room and stood to leave.
"Damn it, Ozpin… You stupid, kind fool…." He reached up to run a hand along the scars on his face once more, frowning slightly and reaching for his mask. He glared into its 'eyes' for several seconds before turning it, and replacing it on his face. "Old kindnesses return as cruelties, then. I'm sorry…."
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"So you want me to deploy my droids outside the kingdom instead of inside it?" James asked quietly, sitting in the same chair Jaune had occupied a week prior. "Is this why you were delayed in our meeting as well?"
"Yes, and I do apologize for that as well. I had to arrange Hunters in the area to do some scouting and pursue some leads on information I would like to have." Ozpin said simply, giving his old friend a confident smile and inclining his head slightly, "I trust you understand the need to pursue intelligence operations, as an Atlesian general."
"I understand completely, Ozpin." He answered back crisply, returning the smile. "Those without proper armies tend to need more spies than normal, after all. The nature of fighting a war without soldiers, I'm afraid."
The two stared each other down for several long seconds, before both laughed loudly, "Ah, James, it has been far too long indeed. It is good to see you at a time when everything around us isn't on fire."
"I couldn't agree more, Ozpin." The general affirmed brightly, smiling warmly at his old friend before growing serious, "But I do have to ask, if nothing is burning, why call the fire department?"
"Because I smell smoke in the distance, and it tells me a fire is on its way." He sighed, leaning back in his chair and relaxing slightly. "Salem is on the move, I know that much. I don't know what she's doing, but I do know she's doing something."
"Because of what was done to Amber, you mean?"
"That and a few other things. A pair of students in Initiation were attacked by Alpha Lupinus, and they tried to abduct a student." Ozpin explained, picking up his warm mug and taking a long sip from it, "Everyone who studies Grimm know that Lupinus abduct people, but most don't know why."
"Because they're being taken for a reason. Most Atlesians that are taken are officials or soldiers, sometimes scientists." James continued quietly, shaking his head morosely, "I detest the fact that I can't send rescue parties, but no one would believe that they are alive after the first hour."
"But why take a student, James. That is what I don't understand. I understand them taking people, I know the reasons for it: information, morale losses, eliminating esteemed opponents. But a seemingly random student at Initiation?" Ozpin barked a tight laugh, shaking his head lightly and turning to look out his windows, "That makes no sense whatsoever. The only link is Miss Nikos, one of our potential Maidens… but she'd have grabbed her if she knew about that. Not Jaune."
"You are right, that doesn't make any sense… I can post soldiers at the school as well if I dock my flag-ship here, citing security reasons to justify it. And conveniently enough, they'll mostly patrol around the dorms." James offered, to which Ozpin nodded tightly and the general sighed, "I… know you don't like giving me this duty, Ozpin. I understand how you feel, wanting to protect your students yourself. Thank you for letting me help you."
"Don't worry too much about me, just… focus on my students. Help me protect them." Ozpin inclined his head, smiling gratefully at him, "I know we often disagree with each other's methods, but I am glad I can count on you when things go bad."
"Of course, Ozpin." James said calmly, standing up and exhaling a long breath, "I should go and begin moving my troops. Send the perimeter you would like established around Beacon to my Scroll, and I will make the arrangements."
"I will do exactly that, my friend." Ozpin nodded, watching the general walk from the room before letting his smile drop and turning to stare out the window once again, lost in thought.
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"So he's… a fraud, then?" Cinder asked, honestly confused, with a raised eyebrow and a hand on her hip.
"Yep. Complete, total, irrefutable fraud. Not a single thing in his records is actually true. The teachers and students he was supposedly with are all conveniently dead, or paid off in the case of one Huntress." Roman agreed, taking a long drag on his cigar and reclining further on the couch in the living room of his rather spartan hideout. "Comes from a family of Hunters, mostly dead. No prior training, education, etcetera. 'Bout as viable a Hunstman as you are a comedian."
"Then why is she… No. No matter why, I'll inform my employer of this." She gave him a small smile, fishing an equally small envelope from the bust of her dress and tossing it onto the couch beside him. "Good work, Roman."
He didn't bother checking it, knowing by now that it would be right, and slid it into his coat with a smug smile, "Of course it was good, I was involved and got to make my plans all by myself. That's what happens when you treat me like a big boy."
"If you keep the disrespect up, you won't be a 'boy' for very long." She half-snarled, holding a smoldering hand up to really send her threat home.
"Relax, relax, I'm only joking!" He said nervously, sitting up rigidly and crossing his legs, "How, uh, how did your end go then, boss? With Neo there, I trust everything went smooth as ice?"
She appeared at his elbow suddenly, smiling up at him before plopping on the couch and cuddling against his side snugly, signing away animatedly, "Everything went fine enough since I was there, and she left me a couple people to play with after too!"
"Everything went fine, Roman. We got the needed information from them and disposed of them, then we forwarded it to Adam." She smiled viciously, letting her hand fall and turning to walk towards the door, "That should cement his loyalty, for now. May need to eliminate him later anyways, but we shall wait and see on that front…. Good night, Roman. I have a report to make."
He waited until she'd left before looking at Neo critically and sighing, "My plan fell through, hon'. We're stuck with her, for better or worse."
"Then we'll just have to survive it, right?" She smiled, poking his nose lightly and stretching out, "We always survive, after all. That's all that matters, at the end of the day."
"Yeah…." Roman muttered, grimacing slightly and sighing. "Yeah, we do. I just don't like it."
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Twisted~ So, delay reasons. I got a stray doge. Blonde lab, looked ready to die when she came up to me, she was starved so badly. Her name is Elsa now, and she is sitting in my lap while I write this. No fucks given at all about me typing. Not too heavy either, which is bad given her size. Apologies for the delay, I couldn't help it.
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