In the skies above Beacon Academy, a colossal airship with the symbol of Atlas emblazoned on its hull descended with a low, mechanical hum, its immense shadow sweeping over the grounds. Other ships, a small fleet of them, followed in its wake, casting a stern, military presence on the usually peaceful campus.
From his lofty office, Ozpin watched the procession with a tired frown, a mug of hot tea in his hand. Glynda Goodwitch stood beside him, her arms crossed and her posture rigid. "Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," she said, her voice laced with disapproval.
"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man," Ozpin conceded with a sigh. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."
Just then, a holographic ringer on his desk flickered to life, its bright glow signaling an incoming call. "Come in," Ozpin said, and the doors to his office hissed open, revealing a man in a crisp white uniform.
"Ozpin," the man said, his voice a commanding presence in the room. He strode confidently toward the desk.
"Hello, General," Ozpin greeted, and the two men clasped hands in a firm, mutual grip.
"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood said, a flicker of a smile on his face. "It's been too long! And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met."
Glynda's eyes squeezed shut for a brief moment. "Oh, James," she sighed, her tone a mix of weary resignation and annoyance. "I'll be outside." She walked past Ironwood without so much as a glance, heading out of the office.
"Well, she hasn't changed a bit," Ironwood remarked, watching her go.
Ozpin turned and walked over to his desk, grabbing a second cup of tea. He handed it to Ironwood. "So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" Ozpin asked, his voice casual but his eyes sharp. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival."
"Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year," Ironwood said, taking a sip of the tea. "Besides, with you hosting... I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up."
"I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends," Ozpin said, his gaze fixed on the fleet outside his window. "However, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."
"Well... concern is what brought them here," Ironwood stated, his casual facade dropping.
Ozpin nodded slowly. "I understand travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult," he began.
"Oz," Ironwood cut him off, his voice firm. "You and I both know why I brought those men."
Ozpin took a long, thoughtful sip of his tea before setting the cup down with a soft click. "We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression," he said, his voice low and serious.
"But if what Qrow said is true--" Ironwood started.
"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully," Ozpin said, holding up a hand to stop him. "It's the Vytal Festival; a time to celebrate unity and peace. So, I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."
"I'm just being cautious," Ironwood insisted.
"As am I," Ozpin replied, his gaze unwavering. "Which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."
Ironwood let out a heavy sigh, setting his cup down on Ozpin's desk. "Believe me, I am." He turned toward the door, his hand on the knob. "But ask yourself this... Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"
Ozpin's face fell, a deep frown settling on his lips. "I hope they never have to."
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In the hushed halls of the Beacon library, a scene of quiet academic focus was being thoroughly dismantled by a game of cards. Team RWBY sat around a large wooden table, but the atmosphere was less about studying and more about strategic warfare.
Weiss and Blake sat opposite each other, their expressions locked in a state of intense, critical thought. They held their cards close, eyes narrowed as they analyzed their options. Yang, on the other hand, had a confident smirk plastered across her face, her deck held loosely in her hand. Beside her, Ruby had her head slumped in her palm, her cards fanned out in her other hand. "Exactly why am I playing this too?" she asked with a long, theatrical sigh.
"Because you love us?" Yang replied with a mischievous giggle. Ruby let out an even longer, more drawn-out sigh in response.
"I ain't answering that with a question," Ruby said, a small, defeated smile playing at her lips. She finally looked at her cards, and a flicker of competitive spirit ignited in her eyes. "I guess I can go along with you guys. So, Yang, prepare your kingdom for battle."
"Bring it!" Yang replied, her grin widening.
"Fine," Ruby said, laying a card down with a dramatic flourish. "I deploy the Atlesian air fleet."
Yang's eyes went wide in a gasp of mock horror. "You fiend!"
"Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly," Ruby said, a mischievous little smirk on her face. She was clearly enjoying the game now, the strategic challenge a welcome distraction from her own weary thoughts. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts one turn."
Yang's smirk returned. "Hehehe... Pretty sneaky, sis, but you've just activated my trap card!"
"No!" Ruby groaned in mock defeat, burying her head in her hands.
Yang stood up, the table trembling slightly as she slammed a card down. It was a bold, intimidating illustration. "Giant Nevermore! If I roll a seven or higher, its fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two."
"But!" Ruby countered, her head snapping up to face her sister. "If you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"
"That's just a risk I'm willing to take," Yang said, a glint of daring in her eye. She picked up the dice, shook them in her hand, and rolled them onto the table. They clattered to a stop, the numbers adding up to a resounding eleven.
"Hah!" Yang cheered, throwing her fists into the air.
"Damn it! My soldiers!" Ruby lamented, her voice filled with genuine dismay.
"Eh, most of them were probably androids anyway," Yang said, shrugging with a nonchalant smile.
"You will be avenged!" Ruby declared, her voice filled with a newfound ferocity.
"Not until I draw my rewards, which are doubled this round, thanks to the Mistral trade route!" Yang said, snatching up cards from Ruby's deck. "Looks like I'm taking two cards from your hand!"
Ruby crossed her arms, a pout on her face. "Hmph, you have no heart."
Yang just laughed. "Well, Weiss, it's your turn!" she said, spinning to face her.
Weiss, who had been staring at her cards with a look of utter bewilderment, let out a deep sigh. "I have... absolutely no idea what's going on."
A small smile played on Ruby's lips as she watched Weiss stare blankly at her cards. It was a rare, funny sight to see the perfect, meticulously organized heiress look so completely bewildered. Weiss, catching the look, just rolled her eyes.
"Look, it's easy!" Yang said, leaning over to point at Weiss's hand. "You're playing as Vacuo, which means all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus!"
"That sounds dumb," Weiss stated flatly, still not getting it.
"See?" Yang ignored her, shuffling through Weiss's cards. "You've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge—oh! oh! Resourceful Raider!" Yang's fingers danced through the deck, expertly mixing and fixing up her friend's hand. "See? Now you can take Ruby's discarded air fleet and put it in your hand!"
"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Ruby complained, but a small smile betrayed her.
Weiss, surprisingly, giggled at that, and Ruby's smile widened just a bit more.
Yang, ever the helpful strategist, continued her explanation. "And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance boost against natural hazards, you could use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Yang said, her finger tracing an invisible path on the table. "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war," she said, pointing a finger at Weiss with a serious expression.
"And that means?" Weiss asked, a glimmer of understanding dawning in her eyes.
"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Yang announced, her voice filled with a dramatic flourish.
A triumphant smirk spread across Weiss's face as she let out a small "Yes!" and pumped her fist in the air. "Fear the Almighty power of my forces. Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms--"
"Trap card," Yang said suddenly, a flat, deadpan tone in her voice.
"Huh?" Weiss said, her smile vanishing.
"Your armies have been destroyed," Yang said, a victorious grin on her face.
Weiss's triumph immediately crumbled into mock despair. Her eyes welled up with fake tears, and she put her hands to her face. "I hate this game of emotions we play!" she groaned dramatically.
Ruby couldn't contain her laughter anymore. She doubled over, clutching her stomach and roaring with laughter, her friend's melodramatic reaction a perfect end to the game. Yang also joined in, her giggles mixing with Ruby's laughter, the joyful sound filling the quiet library.
"Alright Blake, you're up!" Yang said, her voice full of a competitive energy that had now fully taken over the table.
Blake, who had been staring off into space, startled slightly. "Huh? Oh... um, sorry, what am I doing?" she asked, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang explained, tapping the table impatiently.
"Right," Blake said, her gaze returning to her cards with a new, forced focus.
"Hey guys! Can I play?" a new voice chimed in. Alex suddenly appeared, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders with a mischievous smirk.
Ruby sighed, a weary frown on her face. "Please don't just randomly touch me," she said.
"Sorry, Alex, we've already got four people," Yang said, her tone apologetic.
"And besides," Weiss added, a smug look on her face, "this game requires tactical cunning that I'm unsure you have."
"Uhhh... you attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Ruby said, a small smirk on her lips.
"Hmph!" Weiss huffed, her cheeks flushing.
"Bring it, Weiss! I'll have you know that I've been told that I'm a natural-born leader!" Alex declared, a proud smile on her face.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Literally, no one said that," she said flatly.
"Oh, come on, let me play your hand for a turn," Alex pleaded, leaning on the table.
"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Atlas," Ruby said, playfully pushing her away.
"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before!" Alex groaned.
"Name one thing that I trusted you with," Ruby said, leaning her chin on her palm, a challenging glint in her eyes.
Alex's face fell, a mumbled "Right... that..." escaping her lips. She gave the team a long, defeated look. "Ladies, enjoy your battle." With a shrug, she went to sit with Team JNPR and her own team.
"Sup losers," a new voice said. Sun walked up to their table, a wide, confident grin on his face. He was followed by a taller boy with slick blue hair.
"Hey, Sun," Ruby said, giving a small wave, a yawn escaping her lips.
"Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ice Queen," Sun greeted.
"Hey! Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss snapped, a familiar irritation in her voice.
"I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend," Sun said, gesturing to the blue-haired boy.
"Uh... aren't libraries for reading?" the blue-haired guy asked, a hint of genuine confusion in his voice.
"Thank you!" Ren called out from the Team JNPR table.
"Shut up. Don't be a nerd," Sun interjected.
"Intellectual. Okay. Thank you," the boy said, a small smirk on his face. He then turned to the table. "I'm Neptune."
"So Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked, a genuine note of curiosity in her voice.
"Haven," Neptune answered, his smile widening. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow angel." He winked at her.
Weiss's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She let out a small, surprised giggle. "Um... I'm Weiss," she said, a real smile on her face.
Ruby watched the entire exchange, her smile slowly fading. Her heart sank, a heavy, unfamiliar feeling settling in her chest. She looked down at the cards in her hand, suddenly feeling detached from the game, from the very table she was sitting at. She quietly pushed her chair back, the sound barely audible. "I'm going back to the dorm," she said, her voice flat. She then turned and walked away.
Weiss watched her go, a frown replacing her smile. She didn't understand why, but something about Ruby's sudden departure made her feel a confusing, hollow ache in her chest. It was a feeling she had never experienced before, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was and why it had appeared the moment her partner walked away.
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Later that night
A suffocating blackness consumed Ruby, a cold void that pressed in on her, stealing her breath. She thrashed and fought, but her limbs felt heavy, caught in an unseen current. A disembodied voice, a chilling echo in the emptiness, began to speak. It was Dr. Merlot, his words slithering around her like a serpent.
"You're a special little girl, aren't you, Ruby?" he said, his tone a sickening blend of condescension and interest. "You have such unique abilities, so much untapped potential."
Ruby's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. She tried to cry out, to run, but her legs were lead. She saw him then, not his physical form but a flickering, translucent figure in the distance. He held out a hand, a cold gesture of invitation that terrified her to her core.
"Come back to us, Ruby," he said, his voice now a hypnotic drone. "You belong with me. We have so much to learn, so much to do."
"No!" she screamed, the word an agonizing effort. It was a hoarse whisper in the face of his overwhelming presence. "I won't go back!"
But he was stronger. She felt an invisible force grab her, pulling her backward through the abyss. The memories, a cascade of horrors, crashed over her: the cold, sterile room, the endless tests, the needles, the way he would probe her mind and body with his cruel, calculating instruments. She saw the faces of the other children, their vacant eyes and silent screams.
"You're making this difficult, child," he said, his voice laced with annoyance. "Your abilities are a gift. It's time you embrace them. Embrace me."
The closer she got to him, the more she felt herself losing control. Her limbs, once so heavy, now felt like they belonged to a puppet. A chilling smile spread across his holographic face as he reached out to touch her, to pull her into his world of twisted science and cold reality.
"Welcome home, Ruby," he whispered.
"NO!" she screamed, a guttural cry that was all consuming.
She sat up with a gasp, her body drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. She looked around the familiar darkness of her dorm room, her hand shaking as she reached for her chest, trying to calm the wild beat of her heart. She was safe. For now.
Ruby sat on the edge of her bed, her legs dangling from the mattress. She was still a prisoner of the nightmare, her heart hammering against her ribs like a drum, her body slick with a cold sweat. The terror of Dr. Merlot's disembodied voice and the chilling, forced submission still clung to her like a shroud.
Just then, the door to the dorm room creaked open, and the rest of Team RWBY entered, their voices a sudden, jarring dose of normalcy. Blake was the first to fall onto her bed with a tired sigh, her body sinking into the mattress.
"We should have never let him play!" Yang groaned, her voice filled with mock frustration.
"You're just mad 'cause Neptune beat you," Weiss retorted with a smirk.
"Yes, yes, I know, but I'm still furious!" Yang insisted, a long, dramatic sigh escaping her lips.
Weiss, however, had stopped in her tracks. Her eyes, sharper than the others, had zeroed in on Ruby's hunched form. The normal, carefree light in her eyes was replaced with a look of genuine concern. "Ruby?" she called out softly. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice hushed as she gently walked over.
Ruby's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh, uh... yeah, I'm good! Great even!" she said, a brittle, fake smile plastered on her face.
"You don't look fine," Yang chimed in, her teasing tone replaced with concern.
"I'm fine. Really, don't worry about me, guys," Ruby said, her voice strained. She swung her legs down and got off the bed, her movements stiff and unnatural. "I need to get some fresh air," she said, before turning and walking out of the dorm room.
A few minutes later, in the quiet, deserted hallway, Ruby walked with her head down, her mind still replaying the nightmare. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and that was when she bumped into someone and fell to the floor.
"Ow..." Ruby groaned, rubbing her head.
"Sorry about that. Guess I wasn't paying attention," a voice said. Ruby looked up and saw Emerald standing over her, her hand extended. "Are you okay?"
Ruby took her hand, her movements still shaky, and nodded. "Yeah... I'm good. Sorry again," she said.
"It's fine," Emerald said, her tone polite but with a subtle coolness. "Just watch where you're going."
"Right. Hmm... I'm Ruby, are you... guys new?" she asked, her gaze moving past Emerald.
"Visiting from Haven, actually," another voice said. Emerald moved aside, and Cinder stepped into Ruby's path. The sight of her sent a jolt of cold terror through Ruby. The "beast" from inside her, the raw, untapped power of her semblance, stirred uncomfortably, a low growl of warning vibrating through her very bones.
"I see... you're here for the festival, then," Ruby said, her voice now a little more formal. "But unfortunately, exchange students have their own dormitory."
"I guess we just got turned around," Mercury chimed in, his hands in his pockets.
"Right," Ruby said, shrugging, her mind frantically trying to rationalize the feeling of pure, instinctual danger. "Don't worry. Happens all the time." She pointed to the east. "Your building is just east from here."
"Thanks. Maybe we'll see you around," Cinder said, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips. As she walked past, her amber eyes flickered with a cold light. Ruby watched them go, the "beast" inside her slowly calming down.
But the relief was fleeting. It was replaced by a strange feeling of unease, a sensation that something, or someone, was where they were not supposed to be. She shrugged to herself. It was probably just the lingering effects of the nightmare. She walked back to her dorm room, but even as she got back into bed, she couldn't shake that feeling. The uneasy feeling of a predator in the halls of her home.