Fill Chuckler was in culture shock. In his entire career as a janitor, such a massive crowd of students had never ended up in detention. And even though technically this wasn't detention, since the Headmaster had simply asked all the rioters to clean up their mess, he was the one put in charge of this panopticon. This was a confusing situation, but Chuckler, accustomed to living by a template, decided to act exactly like that - by the template.
"Move it, you incompetents! Played your little war games, huh? Too many commies breeding around here, if we had a King, he would've hanged the lot of you a long time ago! Life would be easier without such backwards idiots!"
Absolutely the entire first year fell into his cruel hands, a bit of the second, and a tiny drop of the third and fourth. Over a hundred insolent freeloaders whose dreams needed to be trampled, hopes destroyed, and personalities suppressed. A hundred foolish children who thought way too highly of themselves, who needed to be put in their place and brought down to earth through hard manual labor.
And he also had to somehow organize the workflow for such a crowd, which wasn't the easiest task either, albeit a deeply tertiary one. The janitor was simply afraid he wouldn't manage to give due attention to everyone, but he was the one holding the keys to the Beacon storage rooms, and he was the one deciding how to allocate the cleaning supplies. So the punished were forced to scrub graffiti and drawings with toothbrushes, sweep cobblestones with shovels, and mop up puddles using dustpans and garden trowels. This would stretch the "Not-detentions" over several days, during which he'd have time to conduct his disciplinary work.
Chuckler hadn't forgotten how, in the line of duty, he had been pelted with eggs and hung upside down. He never forgets anything. And he never forgives anyone. Some might call him vindictive, but he just has a good memory and unusual ideas about raising the youth.
"No talking!" the janitor suddenly appeared right behind Egrer, causing him to drop his toothbrush in fright. "If you have the strength to flap your tongue, it means you have the strength to work harder! I want this obscene writing erased from the monument in five minutes!"
"Yes, sir," Egrer replied in a dying voice, and Chuckler quickly walked off to yell at someone else.
Magenta patted her friend on the shoulder sympathetically.
"Someday the years will take their toll and he'll die."
Hearing such words from her was always strange, but Chuckler was the only living creature she hated with all her bright heart. Although Egrer now had some doubts about the brightness of her heart, since an innocent creature wouldn't drive a crowd of unarmed teenagers into a hopeless charge.
Working right next to them was a penal battalion survivor who introduced himself as Mercury (as it turned out, even foreign students had been drafted into these "Not-detentions") - a sturdy gray-haired guy with a sly look and smile. But every time Magenta looked at him, all his slyness evaporated. The tough guy vanished, replaced by a scared little boy.
He wasn't a local and saw her only as the commissar who threatened to execute him with a flamethrower if he showed cowardice. So Egrer considered it his sacred duty to explain that she was actually a sweet, innocent dandelion of a girl.
"Or, for example, Madge once found a bird with a broken wing in Vale," he began in a whisper, continuing the conversation interrupted by Chuckler. "You're not allowed to have animals in Beacon, but she snuck it in anyway, nursed it back to health, and then set it free."
"Yeah," Mercury nodded sarcastically, answering just as quietly. Except if Egrer was afraid of Chuckler noticing them, he was afraid of Magenta. "And I literally saw her yesterday screaming that we must die to cleanse ourselves of our sins. Quit bullshitting me, my psycho-radar works from three miles away. Didn't it cross your mind that she's just pretending to be such a cutie, but actually wants to start a massacre?"
"Now you're the one bullshitting me," Egrer replied offendedly, ready to defend the honor of his team member to the end. "My radar is highly developed too, and it tells me Madge is the sweetest girl in the world."
"Whatever you say, whatever you say. But just in case, I warned you."
Egrer raised his head up, acknowledging his powerlessness in this argument.
By the way, there wasn't a single Atlesian vessel in the sky. Without the military fleet overhead, being outside actually felt somewhat easier; the feeling of being watched and having a rapid response team ready for every suspicious action was gone. Truly - peaceful skies.
When the detentions ended for the day, Mercury waved at them and headed to his room. The time was leaning towards sunset, and the tired students were hurrying to hide in their rooms, in order to forget themselves in a deep sleep and gather strength for tomorrow. And he was no exception; after a day saturated with manual labor, he had only two desires - to grub and to sleep.
Halfway to the dorm for foreigners, he bumped into his roommate, who had been doing detentions elsewhere. She, just as tired and exhausted as himself, simply nodded silently at him, and together they headed to their room, having neither the energy nor the desire to argue.
"So how are things with your new 'Friends'?" Judging by the venom in Emerald's voice, her level of exhaustion was exaggerated. But if she wanted a war, she would get one.
"They piss me off. One's a moron, the other's a psycho-maniac who strings them along. If it were up to me, I'd just beat the crap out of both of them and bury them under a tree."
"Why did Cinder give this task to you?" she asked, helplessly raising her head to the scarlet sky. Mercury almost laughed; this was the second time today he had seen this gesture of helplessness. "Why not me? With your social skills and thug-like quirks, you'll blow our cover by tomorrow."
"So that I'd be the one to blame? Need I remind you that between the two of us, I screw up the least?"
"That's because you're barely trusted with anything!" Emerald flared up. "Of course you won't mess anything up if you do nothing."
"Do I hear notes of making excuses, Miss 'No one will see through my illusions'? They were so 'not seen through' that you better not stick your nose out of the room at all now. And our Miss 'My brilliant, totally not made-up on the fly plans will never be outplayed' exposed herself just as much, simply by rushing. Leaving only Miss 'The fact that I'm mute is your problem' and me - Mr. 'Doesn't blow his cover like an idiot'. Guess who among the four of us is the best candidate for this mission?"
"Don't you dare talk about Cinder like that, got it? I'd like to see you try to pull off the perfect crime. She has to keep thousands of facts in her head, constantly monitor what's happening, and do business with idiots like," she looked around and whispered, "Taurus and Torchwick."
"And you," Mercury helpfully reminded her.
With a growl, Emerald reached for his neck. But it wasn't Mercury's first time under the effect of her Semblance, and he had learned to understand when to duck and when to cover his groin with his hands. And it was exactly on this important part of his body that the strike landed, harmlessly bouncing off his opportunely placed palms. The illusion choking him vanished the moment he blinked, and the real Emerald clearly planned to get her revenge a little later.
"Instead of bickering," she began in a moralizing tone, "you'd better tell me, did you join their cult?"
Mercury chuckled. Winning this verbal sparring match was a piece of cake.
"Yeah, the raspy guy almost burst into tears when he found out I wanted to join them. Said I was the first one to join their union for ideological reasons, and not out of a request, blackmail, or some 'Secret goals'. Yeah, that's exactly what he said."
They both laughed at the irony of what had happened.
"Wait, ideological?" Emerald asked. "Were you playing the role of some big fighter for justice? I thought you were some kind of fascist."
"Ha-ha," Mercury rolled his eyes. "If you're remembering that moment with the squinty-eyed guy, then I don't feel sorry for him, he pissed everyone off anyway. Consider that I fulfilled Cinder's silent request when I threw him down the well. Other than that, as long as I have money - I don't care who's at the helm." He patted his pockets. "Lots of money."
"Do you think we'll get a bonus when the job is done?"
"If we do, we'll only be able to spend it in another kingdom. After our tricks in Vale, everyone here will be paying with bottle caps," Mercury replied with a chuckle. "If anyone is left."
***
"Please welcome," Egrer said solemnly, presenting the new members to the union. "Our beloved Yang, Ruby, and Mercury. After the skirmish with Atlas and the joint operation to free Blake, they decided to join our righteous cause. Say hello."
Nora and Magenta clapped their hands and even started whistling. The others limited themselves to a calmer expression of feelings.
After the uprising, crowds of disgruntled students didn't rush into Enversion, as Egrer had expected. Yes, for a while, all the rioters were nominally union members, but then they quickly scattered back to their own clubs. Magenta's stunt with the penal battalion provided the union with a bad reputation, making it seem like some totalitarian cult with a personality cult dedicated to Egrer Peleni and brutal repressions for any dissenters.
So the joining of as many as three new faces (Even if Yang and Ruby only joined because it was necessary for Prosperity) significantly lifted the mood.
"Over there is our water cooler, don't be shy about using it," he continued, deciding to give a little tour. "The computer is mainly for drawing up reports, but since the supervisor has left, you can sit there as much as you want. And yes, our supervisor is Miss Goodwitch, so there are some misunderstandings because of this, especially in light of recent events. But don't pay any mind to it, Ren will handle it."
Ren, with the calmness of a stoic, simply nodded. He was used to it.
"Over there we have all sorts of books." Egrer waved a hand at the bookcase, stuffed with smart-sounding works by leftist figures, acquired purely for ambiance. Once, out of curiosity, he opened one such book, and that was enough for him to never even look in that direction again. "Blake mostly reads them. Or rather, re-reads them; she was already in the know before Beacon, so to speak."
"She's very smart," Sun shared confidentially, who, as if trying to create a contrast, sat next to her and flipped through comic books.
Blake herself merely looked up from a volume of Das Kapital[1] for a second before returning to reading. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Oh, is that you?" Ruby asked, looking at the busts on the shelf with interest. Standing in a row were famous figures such as Levin, Max, Els, and... himself.
"That's me? From where?"
"Oops, I completely forgot!" Magenta smacked her forehead. "Hat gifted it. I put it on the shelf, but forgot to tell you."
Looking at this unnatural and somewhat even vile picture, Egrer was seized by a fit of uncontrollable shame and self-contempt. After all, everything he had done was rouse the people of Beacon into a meaningless riot, which the Puppeteer, Ozpin, and even Egrer himself had managed to use for their own purposes. And here he was, being gifted a bust and even awarded a medal.
He and Weiss, by the way, hid the medals as far away as possible so that no one would accidentally see them.
"So what do you usually do around here?" Mercury asked with enthusiasm, pulling the General Secretary out of his gloom. "Hatching plans to ignite the world revolution?"
"Drink tea," Ren replied, pouring tea into mugs. Magenta, meanwhile, took two packages of cookies out of a wall cabinet, humming a cheerful little tune under her breath.
"And that's it? I thought something more interesting happened here."
"If we're in the mood, we play Remnant," Nora added. "I have no equals when I play for Vale! I have a sneaky strat with the Hunters: first we wait for the tension level to rise to three, then we provoke hordes of Grimm onto ourselves, play the Vale special card 'Hunters-Warriors', finally push the militarism points to the max, and voila! Now Hunter pieces can also participate in wars between kingdoms. And that's on turn ten!"
"Which is exactly why the first thing we do is unite and slaughter all the Grimm on the map," Weiss said, causing Nora to immediately slump her shoulders and sniffle a couple of times. "It would be nice if, in reality, the kingdoms likewise threw all their forces into destroying the Grimm, and only then started playing geopolitics."
"Schnee, huh?" Mercury asked, rubbing his chin. "Funny seeing a rich girl here. Does your sugar daddy even know about your club activities?"
Silence fell in the room. The cheerful atmosphere hadn't evaporated yet, but something suggested that wouldn't be the case for long. Magenta and Ren didn't stop their preparations for the traditional Enversion tea party, Blake and Sun continued reading, and the others thought they simply hadn't heard anything or something similar. Only Yang frowned angrily and uncomprehendingly, as if surprised how anyone could even start a dialogue like that.
Without realizing it himself, Mercury had walked into a v-e-e-ry dangerous zone, an intrusion into which Weiss would only tolerate from one specific person in this room, and another in Atlas. The situation needed saving.
"Merc, can you be more polite?" Egrer whispered. "Apologize."
"Ah, did I say something wrong?" his voice sounded bewildered. "Well, my bad then."
Not a hint of remorse, not even a fake one. With the same intonation, he could have been buying bread at the store.
"'My bad then'?" Weiss repeated in a cold voice. "Maybe I'll forgive you, if you ask properly."
"You want me to get on my knees? Isn't that a bit too much honor, princess?"
"Let us start with the correct choice of words."
Egrer immediately stepped between them and peaceably held out his hands. A nervous smile distorted his face.
"Now, now, let's not start our acquaintance with a fight." He said this to Yang too, who was clearly insulted by the new guy's behavior. "Mercury is on his first day here. Maybe where he's from, it's totally normal to say hi like that! Let's just forgive and forget."
Weiss held her head high, turned away, and crossed her arms over her chest. Judging by her subsequent arrogant snort, she would not forgive and forget, but would pretend that she did exactly that. And only when everything calmed down and returned to normal did Egrer realize - that snort was meant for him, not Mercury.
Nothing that awkward happened again. Yang and Ruby quickly got comfortable in the club room; they were well acquainted with practically everyone present and already felt free and relaxed just because of that. Mercury felt the same way, but in his case, the key factor was likely that he completely failed to understand when he was saying or doing something wrong. He simply didn't care that he asked an awkward question, was rude, or took someone else's thing without asking.
It gave the impression that he grew up in a juvenile colony, and his upbringing was handled by hardened convicts. However, even his lack of tact couldn't ruin the evening.
When it came time to disperse, under various plausible pretexts, only the members of the secret anti-terrorist organization "Prosperity" remained in the club room. The fun reluctantly faded, as it was time to discuss truly important problems.
"Kick him out," Weiss demanded, the first to break the dead silence. She slammed her hands heavily on the table, causing the tea in their mugs to ripple. "I do not intend to tolerate his rudeness any longer!"
Meanwhile, Blake dropped under the table and started looking for something there.
"No bugs here," she said, after which she began carefully inspecting everything the new guy had touched. "None here either."
"Oh, come on, you two!" Egrer exclaimed. "Mercury is a normal guy. A bit wild, why are you immediately so unhappy? Blake, he isn't a spy, put my bust down!"
"Is she always like this?" Yang asked quietly, conspiratorially putting a hand to her mouth.
"Always," Sun sighed. "Sometimes her precautions cause more harm than the Puppeteer. She definitely frays our nerves harder than Her. You'll understand when she makes you memorize a hundred code phrases for every occasion in life, and then changes them because someone looked at her very suspiciously."
"But that's awesome," Ruby protested. All this time, her eyes had been burning with anticipation to participate in a real secret meeting of a secret organization to fight secret villains. It was exactly like in her comics. "Passwords, operations, intrigues, and mysteries!"
Weiss chuckled condescendingly.
"Believe me, you will be disappointed when you find out what we usually do."
"What? What? What?!"
"Stalking," Sun replied. "The only time we don't film is in the shower. Although I can't vouch for Blake, she has absolutely no brakes in that regard."
"It's necessary," Blake said displeasedly, inspecting the bookcase.
"Waiting," Egrer added, taking a sip of tea. "That's ninety percent of what we do."
"It's necessary."
"Attempting to hide everything from the Headmaster," Weiss added. "Which personally irritates me terribly, but what can you do."
"It's necessary."
Ruby grew gloomier with every word spoken, but Yang found a way to cheer her up.
"And also blowing up Atlesian flagships, fighting killer robots, uprisings, and mass pogroms. We won't be bored, sis."
"And that is not necessary," Blake sighed, returning to the table. She still hadn't found any bugs. "None of that was planned, and I hope it will never happen again. Well, it's time to bring you up to speed. Ruby, Yang. Our enemies have an illusionist who can easily pretend to be any of us. So if you really want to be with us, you'll have to follow many rules to avoid leaks."
Yang waved her hand, as if shooing something away.
"Let's skip all this boring stuff right away. Here's what I'm curious about - Eg, is Torchwick really your dad?"
A fountain of sweet tea flew across the table, narrowly missing Blake. If not for her Semblance, she would be soaking wet right now.
"HOW?!" Egrer roared. He could have sworn he had given no reasons to think so. He mostly led a law-abiding lifestyle and certainly didn't blab about it to just anyone... "Sun!"
"Are you guys gonna blame me for everything forever?! I didn't tell her anything about your dad!"
"Then from where?!"
"Weiss told me," Yang shrugged.
Another little fountain flew, this time from Weiss, who completely didn't expect such a setup. Sun had neither Blake's reaction speed nor a suitable Semblance, so now tea was dripping from his scrunched-up face onto his bare chest and abs. Yang wiggled her eyebrows, clearly pleased with the spectacle.
"WEISS!" Egrer shouted louder than before. "You swore to keep it a secret! This isn't something you can tell others, even if they are your best friends!"
"I did not tell her!" she declared firmly. But a second later, she lowered her gaze and guiltily hung her head, as if remembering something. "Well... maybe I accidentally dropped a couple of hints."
Egrer's angry huffing at such pathetic excuses only intensified.
"Don't be mad at Ice Cream," Yang requested peaceably. "We were just curious. Weiss got a boyfriend, so we got a little... carried away with the questioning. And she wanted to brag. She didn't say anything directly, I figured it out myself. And your reaction convinced me I was right."
Egrer grabbed his school bag, dumped its meager contents on the table, and then put it over his head. The muffled scream lasted for about a minute, after which he once again revealed his red-with-anger face to the world. It seemed that just a little more and steam would jet out of his ears, and you could fry a steak on his forehead.
It naturally slipped his mind that Yang, although as straightforward as a rail, was no stranger to cunning.
Unlike Ruby, whom this revelation made drop her jaw in shock.
"Torchwick is your father?!"
"Adoptive," Egrer quickly corrected, not wanting to be closer to him than he already was. But this clarification only further extinguished the comprehension in her eyes. Ruby clearly imagined how the most famous thief and swindler comes to an orphanage and, out of the goodness of his heart, takes a child from there. He had to delve into the details slightly. "When Torchwick was in Mistral, it just so happened that I helped him. Well, one thing led to another, one job led to another~"
"You were Torchwick's evil minion?!"
This phrasing of the question knocked Egrer off balance. Because the answer "No" is a lie, and the answer "Yes" is also a lie. He both was and wasn't an "evil minion" at the same time, but he had no idea how to explain that. Facing a dilemma for the first time where any answer is a lie, Egrer could only scratch the back of his head and foolishly mutter:
"Kinda."
"KINDA?! You were KINDA Torchwick's evil minion?! But why are you good!?"
"What do you mean?" Egrer didn't understand.
"Torchwick is bad, which means you should be bad too!"
"First of all - Dad isn't bad." Four very skeptical gazes converged on him, and Yang snorted under her breath and whispered, 'He actually called him Dad.' "He's a narcissistic asshole, not a villain. Separate those concepts, please. And second of all - that doesn't mean I'm exactly the same."
"Only a little bit," Weiss smirked.
"Listen here, I'm gonna start looking for comparisons between you and Jacques right now. I'm actually curious myself how many similarities I'll find."
Ruby still remained unsatisfied with his explanations.
"But you grew up surrounded by villains."
"Exactly - I grew up in a disadvantaged neighborhood surrounded by criminals, and I was raised by criminals. And my whole life I wanted to escape from that as quickly as possible. I had a glaring example before my eyes of how not to live."
"Oh, pay no attention to her," Yang hugged Ruby by the shoulder and pulled her close. "Her world is just strictly divided into black and white, you broke her brain. Instead, let's start making even more evil plans against the villains!"
Yang and Ruby integrated into their secret lodge very easily. They were well acquainted with practically everyone present, and if for no other reason, already felt free and relaxed just because of that.
Well, or it was the full reunion of Team RWBY. Perhaps that was why Weiss and Blake behaved more... uninhibitedly, trustingly, openly. Not that they were distrustful before, but the presence of the second half of their team definitely raised the level of warmth at the meeting. Although Blake would clearly have preferred they stay far away from the Puppeteer, but over time even her pessimism and perpetual gloom cracked.
After all, who, if not your own team, can you trust to have your back? The realization that friends stand nearby and are ready to face hardships together with you pleasantly warms the soul.
But Egrer found this feeling alien. He looked at Weiss's and Blake's smiles, peered into their souls with his Semblance, and couldn't understand - how could they feel so good when their best friends were now putting themselves at risk?
How could the feeling of safety bloom in Blake's soul from the realization that Ruby and Yang would stand with her against the enemy? This isn't a joke or a game; Blake herself was barely saved from the Puppeteer's machinations, and now the others could fall into the crosshairs.
How could Weiss be so peaceful when she understands that Ruby and Yang could get hurt? Perhaps even fatally. Weiss is terrified of the White Fang, scared to the point of shivering, but she's happy to see her friends next to her in this confrontation.
It's...
Selfish.
And Egrer couldn't understand why they were rejoicing. The very thought that Magenta or Illmond would participate in raids on White Fang bases or fights with Atlesian Paladins made him clench his fists nervously. He couldn't allow such a thing to happen.
And here Weiss just drags her friends into their anti-terrorism club. Yes, they approached with questions at a very inopportune time, and yes, Weiss didn't have time to come up with a decent answer. But it was as if she didn't even try. As if the thought of telling them everything had long since settled in her head. Does she really not worry about them at all?
But at the same time, there was something right about her decision. You shouldn't hide such problems from friends. Because what kind of friends are they, if you can't rely on them?
Lost in thought, Egrer didn't notice when the meeting ended and Prosperity moved toward the exit as a single bunch. If it weren't for Weiss calling out to him, he could have sat there until morning, pondering this question.
It was cold in the hallway. The sky outside had turned gray; there would likely be a torrential downpour and thunderstorm at night, flashes of lightning could even be seen on the horizon from the direction of the sea. The strong wind passed unhindered even through the window arches and through their clothes, clawing at his back, which had sweated even during detentions.
Only Sun didn't shiver from the cold, as if he were a native not of sunny Vacuo, but of icy Atlas. Even Yort would start shivering from a simple evening breeze.
There were still a couple of hours until curfew, and the members of the secret order began to wander off about their business. Egrer tagged along after Weiss.
"Can I have a word?" Weiss turned around and, seeing his serious facial expression, slowed her pace without a word. "You dragged Yang and Ruby in with us so easily. It's dangerous, aren't you worried about them at all?"
"Of course I am worried, but they know too much for me to just brush them off. Besides, getting an extra pair of heads and hands won't hurt, admit it."
"Knew you'd bring it down to utility."
"I can say something more 'Right'," Weiss snorted. "For instance, what is the point of being a team at all if everyone solves their problems alone? If I cannot trust them with my secrets, if I cannot share my burdens with them?"
Despite all the pompous grandiosity in her voice, these words involuntarily cut Egrer right where it hurts. This did not escape her attention.
"What is it?"
"It's just... My team is staying on the sidelines, well, except Yort, but even he is only half with us. It's just wrong to hide something so important from my own team, considering I constantly intruded into their problems without permission. Like you said, what kind of team are we if we can't be honest with each other..."
It was wrong. They worry about him too, they can't not worry. Especially when they find out what he's gotten into. So does he have the right to keep his team as far away from his problems as possible, when he himself is practically walking into the lion's mouth?
"You shouldn't drag just anyone into this," Weiss said softly. "To be honest, I generally doubt that Magenta and that pale guy will be of any use."
"His name is Illmond. And he, by the way, ranks third in combat training. And if he really wants to, he'll take first place from Pyrrha, I'm sure of it."
"You understand what I meant. We already have a worthy contingent. But even so... in your place, I would tell them everything. I understand your fear, but is there anyone more reliable than your own team?" The image of Magenta popped into Egrer's head by itself, and not from her best side either. "Besides, they are future Hunters - their whole lives will be spent on a knife's edge."
"Yeah... you're right."
Right, but he still decided that it was better for them to remain in the dark. Especially Magenta.
For their own good.
***
Upon returning to his room, a nasty surprise awaited Egrer - the pungent smell of oil, which seemed to have soaked into the very air. Illmond, sticking the tip of his tongue out from concentration, was wiping the small parts of his combat gloves.
"You could have at least opened a window," Egrer grumbled, heading toward the only window, which was blocked by a flat-screen TV nailed to the wall. Walking in front of Yort and blocking the screen for a moment, he earned a couple of affectionate words from the exiled prince of the Vacuo mafia. "Or even better, you could have gone to the workshop."
"It's crowded there, everyone is prepping for tomorrow's practice."
"Fine, just no oil on the table or, the Twins forbid, the carpet. I'll make you lick it clean, got it?"
Illmond's threat didn't impress him in the slightest. Quite the opposite - it made him chuckle a bit.
"You won't, because spit on the floor will be even grosser to you than oil."
Egrer shook his fist at him and flopped onto the bed. The past day had drained all his strength.
"Whoa, holy shit!" Yort exclaimed emotionally, turning the TV volume up. "They did a report on us!"
"Wow!" Magenta rejoiced. "Will they show me? Mom will be so happy!"
Egrer propped himself up on his elbows and tilted his head back in surprise. They really were showing the recent events in Beacon.
"...Video recordings of the clashes in Beacon, where the Atlas forces stationed there engaged with the students, have leaked online," broadcasted news anchor Lisa Lavender, behind whom painfully familiar footage was shown on a large screen. "Judging by the available data, it didn't escalate to bloodshed, and everything was limited merely to beatings and pogroms. General James Ironwood and Beacon Headmaster Ozpin refused to comment, however, the essence of the conflict becomes clear from fragments of information."
The view of the fallen Atlas flagship was replaced by the face of someone Egrer least expected to see on the news. On the statue of the tagged Hunter, which read "Irondick," stood Egrer, passionately telling something to the crowd gathered below him.
"He is the one who incited the Beacon students to board the Atlas flagship..."
"WHAT?!"
"...and inspired a massive battle when it made an emergency landing in the Emerald Forest..."
"What the hell?! What is this degenerate doing?!" Roman shouted in exasperation, reaching for a new cigar.
Neo had given Egrer a list of tasks, and "Kick Atlas's ass" definitely wasn't one of them. But at the same time, Roman felt a certain pride. Humiliating Atlas like that - that takes skill.
"That's my little squirt."
***
The Arc family, as was their custom, gathered in the evening for a family dinner. The noise and din from almost a dozen people of varying degrees of blondness and blue-eyed-ness was usual for everyone, as were the periodically erupting arguments, and the truces immediately declared under the mother's stern gaze. The TV mumbled in the background, but no one paid any attention to it.
"...and inspired a massive battle when it made an emergency landing in the Emerald Forest. Surprisingly, even in such a fierce battle, there were no casualties on either side. The fighting went on civilly, if you can use that word when it comes to a battle between students and the festival guards."
"Mo-o-om!" yelled the youngest daughter of the Arc couple, waiting for cartoons after the news. "Jaune is on TV!"
At first, everyone took her words with humor, because everyone knew - Jaune found a job in a cafe and lives in the city, not in Beacon. He wrote that to them himself. She just confused him with some blonde guy.
However, as soon as the head of the family turned his attention to the TV, it suddenly wasn't a laughing matter anymore. On the screen, they showed his son, peeking out of a trench with a stick at the ready and giving commands. Bullets whistled over their cover, sometimes something exploded, and a crazy girl with a flamethrower in the background was burning her own people more than the enemy, screaming battle cries all the while.
"Forward, I said! The GenSec will be proud of you! Glory to the leader! Glory to Peleni!"
The video cut off, and the anchor took the floor again, but Nicholas had seen enough.
He went up to the dusty attic, where he pulled a regular cardboard box from the furthest closet. With apprehension and reverent terror, he opened it and took a wooden lockbox in his hand. With a quiet click, the key entered the keyhole and Nicholas squinted as he took out its contents.
Grandpa's belt.
A belt made of sturdy, slightly cracked leather, with which his own grandfather used to whip him. The iron buckle reflected the light of the setting sun; the untarnished metal was ready to once again taste the suffering of the young and foolish. Nicholas had promised himself never to use grandpa's weapon of retribution, never to lay a hand on his children.
But, apparently, he had made a mistake somewhere in the upbringing of one particular slacker. And only It can correct this oversight.
"We are flying to Vale," the head of the family said firmly upon his return. "We will watch the tournament. And visit Jaune."
The buckle gleamed in anticipation, as if possessing its own bloodthirsty consciousness.
***
Jacques Schnee considered himself a very cold-blooded and composed man. However, even he felt awkward when he saw his daughter drunk and holding a bottle of some swill. It was far too reminiscent of what his wife had turned into. What he had turned her into.
"Among other things," the anchor broadcasted, while on the screen Weiss was praising the students gathered around the large bonfire, "one of the leaders of the uprising is none other than Weiss Schnee. We have data that she has long been a member of the radical group 'Enversion' and even led it for some time. Furthermore, her relationship with the 'Executioner of Atlas' is not just strictly business."
In confirmation of her words, a close-up shot was shown of her making out with some guy. That alone would have been enough to enrage any father, but as a father, Jacques Schnee was a failure, so he got angry for a different reason.
"Siri, that's enough." The smart TV immediately went dark.
Jacques was ready to tolerate many of his daughter's antics, but this specific one dealt irreparable reputational damage to his and her image. And loss of reputation also means loss of money and connections.
Weiss, as was her custom, did not answer his call, leaving her father disappointed and irritated. And then Jacques called another person to do what should have been done a long time ago.
Cut off the insufferable girl's allowance.
***
At the end of the evening broadcast, Egrer curled up in a ball and wept quietly in the corner. The remote had been taken away from him beforehand.
"We've just learned the details of what happened, Headmaster Ozpin has given a comment!" the anchor suddenly said, pressing an earpiece to her ear. "According to Headmaster Ozpin's statement, this was all... a training exercise."
Judging by her voice and hesitation, she didn't believe it at all.
And it's unlikely anyone else did either.
"More details. General Ironwood declared that 'Enversion' is henceforth considered a banned group on Atlas territory, and its leader is banned from entering lands under Atlas control. Right now, their council is holding a hearing on this matter."
Egrer grabbed his head and almost cried.
This day became one of his worst.
[1] Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, also known as Das Kapital (German: [das kapiˈtaːl]), is a foundational text in Marxist theory by Karl Marx.