Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
-Story Start-
Ozpin's closing words had a cold, irrefutable edge as he announced Blake's sudden replacement to the still mourning students.
As the weight and meaning behind his words had fully sunk in, he noted the frustrated expressions of the affected team, to which he added with a chilling inquiry:
"Any objections?"
Amid the silence, a scratching noise was particularly audible, originating from Yang's bedside, her hand digging deep into the blanket beneath her.
She bit her lip as her breath hitched with barely restrained exasperation and fury. Yet she had still kept her wits about her, as she nor anyone else voiced any words of complaint or objection.
Nodding firmly, Ozpin declared, "Good, because you have no say in the matter."
A subtle, barely subdued wrath escaped his lips as he drew a firm line - his patience had run its course.
Everyone present had figured as much, as the newly titled JRNY kept their bitter silence amid the brutal repercussions of their rash actions.
Even so...
"Headmaster Ozpin, I have an inquiry." Weiss's voice drew the attention of all those present to her determined expression, almost perfectly hiding the uneasiness beneath her.
His unreadable gaze met her light blue eyes, to which he gestured with a simple wave, "Ask away, Miss Schnee."
She nodded, "Pardon my impudence, but would it not be in bad taste to designate a new team member so soon? I understand if we were under field or combat conditions, but we are still students; there is no imminent danger. Would it not be better to assign Jaune to their team after Blake's funeral and some time had passed for grieving?"
Pausing for a moment to endure the pain in her leg, she turned to look at the grave expressions of the former Team YRBN. She added, making no effort to soften her words, "Would this not be more difficult for Jaune himself to have to enter into a team in this state?"
At Weiss's polite way of questioning Ozpin's decision, Glynda's eyes subtly twitched as she stepped forward to reply to the Schnee, only to pause at Ozpin's outreached hand.
"I'll answer." He told her simply as he turned to meet the Schnee's defiant and bold look.
He stated with finality, "It is because it is in bad taste that I decided it was necessary. It is because it would be difficult that I have decided it was correct."
Weiss blinked for a moment, perplexion crossing her features as she mumbled with genuine unease and confusion, "I... don't understand?"
Pyrrha's lips set on a stern thin line as she immediately observed the meaning, "What he's trying to say... is that we're in no position to question his logic, his decisions."
Glynda nodded, pleased, a frown on her face as she gave her own say, "It was this very same disobedient decision-making you students made that led to this outcome - our trust in your critical thinking leaves much to be desired as of now. Regaining our trust in it will be an arduous process."
Weiss couldn't help but sigh, voicing her weary conclusion, "So... we're not getting our answer."
Ozpin nodded, turning to look at every present student in the room with a hardened, aged expression, "Ponder my decisions, students, it'll sharpen your inadequacies."
Everyone's defeated frown had signaled the return of silence to the melancholic hospital room.
Turning to Glynda at the uneasy quietness, Ozpin inquired, "Have you prepared the bullhead?"
She lowered her head to observe a report on her scroll, responding with a nod, "Yes, we can proceed with moving the students."
-----------------------------
The shattered moon's light had shone down upon the turbulent city of Vale as one lone Bullhead flew through the night sky, departing from Vale's own artificial city lights. Within its interior, a lone boy calmly observed the beautiful sights of the world below through the large reinforced window, his right hand holding a blade of unparalleled brilliance as he leaned on the cold metal railing.
At the beauty of the outside world, he ignored the sounds of approaching footsteps resonating on the cold metallic floor of the bullhead.
He was greeted with a familiar voice, "The beauty almost makes you forget the chaos around us, doesn't it?"
Alex's head turned to be greeted with the bittersweet smile of Pyrrha, to which he replied, "Never knew you were into flowery talk."
Pyrrha huffed in amusement, stating shamelessly, "They say all great Huntsmen and Huntresses are a little vain, you know?"
Alex observed, already knowing at least this much about Pyrrha, "And that's what you aspire to be." He stated.
"Mhm."
Silence overtook them for a moment, to which Pyrrha called out, "Hey Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm not asking this out of distrust in you or out of doubt, but I-."
Alex cut her off, "Quit walking on eggshells, spit it out."
"Right, then..."
"Did that 'God' tell you to save us, back then?"
Alex paused with a subtle frown, to which he admitted, "I had gotten the order when I was already at Mount Glenn."
A genuine smile appeared on Pyrrha's face. "So you care about us?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?"
Pyrrha chuckled, "Sorry, it's... I don't want our team's relationship to be... manufactured."
"It won't be."
Her emerald eyes had a glint of mirth in them as she mentioned, "I'm pretty sure Weiss would lose it if you readily admitted you care in front of her, though."
"Might do it just to see that happen."
"Never considered you had a petty side, huh?"
"It ain't that. I just find her funny sometimes, and this would probably be funny. Though the times she nags outweigh her amusing moments by multiple magnitudes."
Pyrrha arched an eyebrow. "Never heard you laugh before."
Alex admitted the unfiltered truth, "I laugh on the inside."
With that, stillness reigned once more.
Turning to look at the empty night sky illuminated by the shattered moon, Pyrrha mentioned, "Speaking of which, today, I realized how blessed I am and, similarly, how much smaller I am than I thought I was."
"Happens to the best of us. In your case, I reckon it's easy to believe your own press."
"Exactly, I've spoken with my parents, and, for the first time in forever, I felt like a little girl. They told me that I can go back home if I want to, the fear, the worry in their voices... those tournaments got into both my head and their heads. Losing to you wasn't enough." She shook her head with reprimand directed at no one but herself.
She continued unperturbed, "I've spoken with Weiss a little earlier, checked up on her and honestly... I've discovered how much stronger my partner is than I."
She shook her head, "I won't lie, initially I thought she was a pampered, haughty little princess-"
"Same."
Pyrrha snorted, waving her hand in dismissal, "I can't blame you, but as time went on, I discovered just how wrong I was. She's lived a life of hardship, in her own way." She paused, a hint of hesitation crossed her features, ultimately deciding to relay the information anyway, "Did you know? No one, apart from her sister and her butler, called her to express even the slightest bit of worry and warmth. Her mother, so deep into her depression and drinking, has certainly missed the news."
"As for her father, he also called, but his interests were as coldly pragmatic as possible... how could a father not love his own daughter?" She genuinely inquired with disbelief and disgust.
All this new information regarding Weiss made Alex scratch his head, "That's a lot. Never knew that about her." He bluntly admitted.
Pyrrha nodded, "It might have been rude of me to tell you all of this, but she's got a lot of depth she hadn't shown everyone, you should get to know her better as a fellow teammate... even if you two mix like oil and water, she cares about you."
...
"Don't tell me she actually made an appointment with a therapist for me?" Alex hazarded a guess with a frown.
"That she did."
Shaking her head, Pyrrha made her final point, "And it makes me wonder how she is familiar with a renowned therapist... If the price to be born to Atlesian High Society is being born into a family as fractured and disorderly as hers is... I'd rather be born an orphan-"
"Don't say things you clearly don't understand."
Pyrrha's eyes widened as she began to apologize profusely "O-Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot you were-"
Alex deadpanned at her, "It's fine, carry on."
A quiet concern crossed Pyrrha's eyes as she turned to look at the stone-faced boy, "Alex... are you lonely? Being... without a family?"
Alex admitted bluntly, hiding nothing, "Not right now. I used to get lonely when I lost my parents, but I got used to it over time as I grew older. That was my belief for a while, but that place proved otherwise."
"Sorry... didn't want to bring up bad memories, no matter how imagina-"
"You're making it worse."
"Sorry..."
[He who is content to live alone is either a wild beast or a-]
'Shut it.'
"Hey Pyrrha! Alex! Whatcha talking about?" A distant voice that attempted to be cheerful despite the circumstances approached rapidly.
In an instant, Ruby appeared beside Pyrrha, who was leaning on the railings in front of the large window.
Pyrrha appeared conflicted yet relieved at Ruby's arrival and the chance at a change of topic. "It's nothing, Ruby. Talking about how pretty the night sky is despite it all."
"And the conclusion?" Ruby inquired.
Pyrrha gave her verdict, "Beautiful."
Alex did much the same, his conclusion mixing with the sound of a notification from his pocketed scroll, "Lacking."
Pyrrha blinked, turning to him, "Why lacking?"
He answered easily enough, "Except the moon, which, in of itself, is shattered, what's there to enjoy about a starless night sky?"
He wasn't talking about the light pollution.
Ruby and Pyrrha blinked simultaneously, "Star...less?"
"What's a star?"
"Exactly my point."
Alex expanded no further amid the confusion of his teammates, as he dug into his left pocket and withdrew his scroll, leisurely reading the message.
He pushed himself off the railing and mentioned, "Ozpin's calling for me, be back soon."
Without anything else to say, he turned around and walked with a leisurely pace, his steps echoing in the silent metallic cold interior.
Ruby inquired, "...You think he's in trouble?"
"I doubt it."
-----------------------------
In the Bullhead's cockpit, Ozpin's voice resonated and was considerably more controlled than it was during his prior brutal lecture:
"I apologize if the 'punishment' inconvenienced you."
"Oh, not at all. Feel free to keep me in house arrest as long as you desire." Alex waved him off without hesitation.
Shaking his head, Ozpin elaborated, "I want to be transparent with you. I had texted you yesterday regarding nosy individuals inquiring about you; this 'punishment' relates to that."
"Something about not letting others get to me?"
Ozpin nodded, "At least for a while to let things cool down, Vale is in a rough situation right now, and if they discover your capabilities during such a time, I fear it'll be a headache both of us aren't inclined to deal with-"
Alex waved him off, "I don't really care about public opinion, I appreciate it, but this isn't necessary," tilting his head, Alex genuinely inquired, "If you're mentioning a rough situation... do you want to bank on that favor I owe you? I won't mind as long as it isn't too overbearing or complicated."
Glynda, who had sat rather quietly amid this conversation, turned to direct a scathing glare at Ozpin, "A favor, is it?"
Ozpin shook his head, "For the coffee machine and bean supply... but I recall that favor was simply to hear me out, you owe me no favors, Mister Andrite."
"And I did, but my decision to help is my own. I can refuse if I wish to, didn't you say that yourself?"
Ozpin gave a dry chuckle, "Given new discoveries, your fixation on making your own decisions makes all the more sense."
Glynda blinked, seeming incredibly out of the loop, "New discoveries?" She repeated.
"Yes, or no?" Alex deadpanned at Ozpin.
Ozpin gave a tiny, yet aged and determined smile of gratitude. "While I appreciate the sentiment and rather attractive offer of lending me your vast prowess..."
"But?"
"But I must decline, Mister Andrite. My prior words still stand. Children won't be handling Adult matters. Focus on your studies, young man. If you want to lend me your prowess, do so after graduation, I'll welcome it with open arms."
Alex shrugged uncaringly, "Works for me."
Ozpin's eyes sharpened with a transparent admission and observation, "I must say, I didn't expect you to volunteer so proactively. Did something cause this decision?"
Alex's lips lowered to form a troubled yet determined frown, "Not this time, it's more of a..."
He found difficulty in expressing his reasoning, as his eyes lowered and gravitated towards the blade tightly held in his hands, "Expression of gratitude."
Alex's enigmatic uncertainty was easily noted by both Ozpin and Glynda, to which the latter replied, "It is as the Headmaster had stated, focus on your studies. You have missed a few days of curriculum, what with your sudden... illness and this disaster."
"Okay... will that be all?" Alex inquired.
Ozpin nodded, adding, "I would also like to offer you praise for the care you showed your friends and teammates. To not leave their hospital room for even a moment, you didn't even get to use the room I arranged for you."
Alex blinked and nodded, "Thanks."
With that settled, he turned around to leave the cockpit.
...
Only to pause in his step, as he bluntly inquired, "Now that you mention it, is there some kind of secret magic or magecraft using organization going around?"
Glynda's stern look froze as her eyes widened immensely, Ozpin's expression doing much the same at the blunt inquiry.
Ozpin collected himself quickly, to which he hummed, "...What brought you to such a conclusion?"
"A magic raven was sitting on the window of Room 249."
Ozpin continued his questioning, "How could you tell it was 'Magic'?"
"I've felt Mana, Prana, whatever you wanna call it, before, so I can pretty much tell when something is using it and it was using something, I guess?" Alex shrugged uncaringly.
Neither confirming nor denying, Ozpin expressed genuine confusion, "Let's assume that is the case... why did you not detain it, what if it was a threat?"
"And why would I do that? Except that one time I looked at it before turning away, it looked pretty chill."
Sighing, Ozpin inquired, "Anything you noted about its behavior?"
"It'd flap away and come back every once in a while. It was doing it more often when Ruby's dad came in."
Glynda could only pinch her brows, admitting with exasperation, "Your straightforwardness is both a blessing and a curse, Mister Andrite."
"Okay."
Ozpin agreed with Glynda's sentiment as he continued, "As for your question, it's not something you should concern yourself with now."
"As long as it doesn't come back to bite me, sure." Alex nodded and turned away, leaving the cockpit, leaving a rather stupefied and exasperated duo.
The silence was deafening until Glynda realized something was amiss.
"Ozpin, surely you're planning on-"
"Isn't it obvious that was my intention? But doing so this early is not in our interests."
"But what of the 'Mana' he mentioned? He's certainly not the type to lie. Ozpin, you are keeping secrets, and so is he-"
Lifting a placating palm, Ozpin asserted, "It is between me and Mister Andrite. His secrets are safe in my hands - I plan on maintaining this trust. If you wish to hear it, seek him out yourself."
Shaking her head in disagreement, Glynda mentioned, "This isn't a game, Ozpin. You've seen what the boy is capable of if he wants to. We're fighting a war, he'll be instrumental-"
"You're quick to change opinions, had you not feared his power not too long ago?"
"Circumstances change! We all saw what the boy did. He's unstoppable, sinking resources into figuring out methods to stop him is futile."
Ozpin nodded, "And it is because he is instrumental and unstoppable that we cannot rush him. If he fights, it is by his own accord..."
What went unsaid in Ozpin's mind was:
'Or that God's accord.'
Glynda's eye twitched as she gestured at the closed door from which Alex had left, "And what did he just offer you? I was nearly convinced his attitude had fixed itself!" She hissed.
"His attitude did improve quite a bit, hadn't it? Shouldn't you be more glad as a fellow educator of young Huntsmen?"
"Answer, Ozpin."
A hint of mirth crossed Ozpin's expression as he gave a rather aloof yet wise statement:
"Ever heard of delayed gratification, Glynda?"
...
"I am going to drop that revered coffee machine of yours out the window."
"From my office's height, I am certain you know only fragments of it will remain in the aftermath?"
"That is very much the intention."
...
Ozpin calmly presented his argument with folded hands, "We have much work to do back in the office, so I'd rather you sentence me to death when it's all dealt with."
"Still being capable of humor under these dire circumstances, especially public opinion and demotion, being so fresh - I don't know whether to be surprised or disappointed."
He callously and rather wearily mentioned, "I've dealt with more tragedies and catastrophes than any human alive. While incredibly unpleasant and infuriating, this is still considered on the lighter side of events."
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Burger Domain Expansion - Infinite Yap.
Anyway, hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment and I didn't cripple ya'll with the yap and up to snuff in quality and stuff.
Next chapter, we'll be back in Beacon and pacing will accelerate once more - huzzah.
There's a lot to handle, I'm estimating a good 10-20 chapters before the next big major event, since there's a lot stuff I need to address and a whole lotta little seeds i gotta sprinkle so I can water them later if ya know what I mean. Like a whole fat list.
Yay.
Look forward to the next chapter - Cardin glazes Alex for putting down rabid animals or something.
Bro finna think he gonna agree lol.
Love ya and bu bye!