N/A: Because of problems with my computer, it took me forever to translate this chapter. Leave a comment if there are any errors… *The autor proceeds to lick your eye*
—//—
[Beacon Tower]
The doors to Ozpin's office opened abruptly and a slightly annoyed Qrow walked in without announcing himself. He was not in a good mood. It was his day off, and he would have much rather been getting drunk in some rundown bar than being there. He really needed it, especially with how tense things between his nieces still were back home.
"And all because of a boy…"
He shook his head. Of all the reasons they could have fought over, he had never imagined it would be that. He was completely sure they got it from their mothers, though of course he would never say that out loud. He shook his head again, forcing himself to focus, reminding himself that he wasn't there to dwell on family conflicts.
He walked over to the chair in front of Ozpin's desk and dropped into it sideways, settling into the most comfortable position he could manage.
"I hope this is good news, Oz," he complained, not even trying to hide his irritation.
Ozpin, already used to his attitude, didn't react.
"I have news, that's for sure," he replied with a faint, knowing chuckle.
With a flick of his hand, he brought up a holographic screen that unfolded in front of them. The projection displayed a file accompanied by a photograph of a white-haired boy.
It took him a few seconds to recognize him, but when he finally did, his eyes widened in surprise. After all, it was the same boy who had fallen from Beacon Tower straight onto him, leaving him with several broken bones and out of commission for days, one of the most humiliating moments of his life. Though, to be fair, the kid had taken the worst of it, ending up on the brink of death after the fall.
Qrow glanced sideways at Ozpin, curious.
"Don't tell me the kid died?" he asked as he pulled out his flask and took a long swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'll be the first to admit the kid had it coming… but I wouldn't call that good news."
He wouldn't deny he could be a resentful man, but he wasn't a sadist.
Ozpin shook his head calmly. "On the contrary. The boy recovered miraculously, traveled to Atlas, and became a millionaire."
Qrow let out a laugh almost immediately, the sound echoing through the room. However, it slowly died down when he saw Ozpin's completely serious expression, clearly not joking.
"You're serious?" he asked.
Ozpin answered with a nod and a slight smile that suggested he was enjoying the reaction.
Qrow shook his head, incredulous. "And that's good news?"
"It's good news for the boy, isn't it?" Ozpin replied, amused.
"Ha, ha…" Qrow let out an obviously fake laugh. "You're hilarious, Oz, but how exactly does that benefit us?"
Ozpin dropped the joking tone, though he kept a small smile as he began to scroll through the file, causing new data to appear on the screen.
"Our young friend, also known as Daniel Hawk, has been very busy this past month…"
Qrow rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Hearing the name, something about it felt strangely familiar. Daniel wasn't a common name, and yet he couldn't remember where he had heard it before.
"After his unfortunate accident, his miraculous recovery was made possible thanks to a drug he created himself, reducing what should have been months of recovery down to mere seconds."
Qrow fell silent. Ozpin's words hit him harder than he expected. He had seen the state the boy's body was left in, and he knew those were not minor injuries.
A drug capable of repairing something like that in seconds was no small thing.
But the existence of something like that only raised more questions.
"I've got a pretty obvious question…" he said at last, lowering his flask slightly and resting it against the armrest. "Why isn't this miracle drug being distributed?"
He didn't doubt Ozpin's words. But if the medicine was really that effective, why wasn't it already in every hospital and medical post?
Ozpin remained calm, as if he had already expected that question.
"I am informed that it will be available within a few months."
Qrow watched him for a few seconds, weighing the answer, and eventually nodded with apparent acceptance. He brought the flask back up.
"I'll drink to that…" he muttered before taking several long swigs, letting out a faint sigh as he settled back into the chair, crossing his arms with a false sense of ease.
Ozpin continued without commenting on the toast. With a motion of his hand, he changed the data displayed on the holographic screen, replacing the previous file with new information and profiles.
"For now, there is a limited number of people who are aware of this drug."
Qrow narrowed his eyes with interest. "How limited?"
Ozpin gestured toward the screen as new profiles began to appear, one after another.
"Among the people who know this information are you, myself, General James Ironwood, Winter Schnee, and Weiss Schnee."
Qrow frowned, clearly confused.
"Why do the Schnee sisters know about this drug, but the other academy headmasters don't?" he questioned, not bothering to hide his disagreement. As far as he was concerned, a discovery like that was far too important to be kept from the other headmasters.
Ozpin replied calmly, without taking his eyes off the projection.
"According to the information obtained, young Hawk and Miss Schnee are engaged, so it is not unusual for the Schnees to be aware of it."
Qrow pulled out his flask again almost on instinct.
"I'll drink to them…" he said, lifting it slightly before taking another swig. At that point, any excuse was good enough to drink.
However, as he drank, he noticed Ozpin's expression shift. His usual calm was replaced by something far more serious.
"Additionally…" he added in a firm tone, "…it seems our communication channels have been compromised."
Qrow, both surprised and alarmed, spat out the liquor. "How the hell did that happen?"
He tried to keep talking, but Ozpin raised a hand, stopping him with a clear gesture.
"I will get to that part. It is better if you listen to everything in order so you can understand the situation."
Reluctantly, Qrow straightened in his seat. The relaxed attitude vanished, replaced by a much more focused and severe expression.
"As I was saying," Ozpin continued, his voice controlled, "after the accident in the tower and his recovery, young Hawk and young Schnee traveled together to Atlas to meet with the General regarding business matters."
Qrow couldn't help but cut in. "Did they go to sell the drug to Atlas?"
It seemed like the most logical move to him. Out of all the kingdoms, Atlas was the one that could pay the most and offer the best protection for something like that.
Ozpin shook his head.
"No. That was not the purpose. He went to sell blueprints of his own design. Eighty-seven blueprints, to be precise, covering a variety of functions which, according to the General's claims, will soon make it necessary for all Huntsmen to upgrade their gear."
Qrow did not raise a toast to that. In fact, he did not like what he was hearing at all. He had been using the same style of equipment for fifteen years and had no intention of changing it, and the idea of "upgrading" his gear was not appealing in the slightest.
"Sounds like a pretty smart kid," he commented with a hint of amusement. "So why would someone like him climb Beacon Tower?"
A faint smile returned to Ozpin's face.
"According to the General's assessment, young Hawk is an eccentric individual. And he is not just intelligent; he is one of the brightest minds of this generation. He was also responsible for stopping the machine uprising."
Qrow felt a chill run down his spine as he heard that. He remembered that day perfectly: the final transmission from Atlas, showing its destruction and the chaos, with the very real possibility of losing an entire kingdom along with countless lives.
He remembered being at home with Summer and his nieces when the last message was broadcast before communications were abruptly cut off. He had felt powerless. Neither he nor any of the girls managed to sleep that night, waiting for news.
When the connections with Atlas were finally restored, the situation was far from reassuring. What remained of Atlas and Mantle were cities on the brink of collapse: fractured structures, unstable energy systems, and thousands of people living under the constant threat of freezing.
At best, estimates gave them less than a month before the Dust supply would be completely exhausted and both cities would freeze to death.
Plans were made, many of them.
Partial evacuations, resource redistribution, emergency air transport. Every proposal was examined with urgency and dismissed with the same devastating conclusion: it was impossible to evacuate two entire cities in such a short time, and the constant threat of the Grimm only made things worse, complicating any attempt at mass mobilization.
Qrow remembered how he had to hold Ruby back when the news became public. His niece had been determined to travel to Atlas to reunite with her boyfriend. She didn't make it. But even if she had managed to slip away from home, it would have been useless. All Bullhead flights to Atlas had been canceled, the airspace completely closed, no aircraft authorized to take off or land.
But at least not everything had been bad. He let out a faint smile as he recalled how, thanks to a reactor built in less than two weeks, they had managed to stabilize the energy supply and prevent the loss of an entire kingdom.
For a moment, he had even suspected they had used the Relic of Creation to build it. But since the city of Atlas had not come crashing down, he discarded that possibility.
But dismissing that option did not answer the most obvious question.
What, then, was the true origin of that miraculous reactor?
"Miraculous…"
The word began to repeat in his mind, slowly fitting together with what Ozpin had just revealed. His expression shifted from contemplation to disbelief as he looked up.
"No…"
Ozpin let out a soft laugh, clearly amused by the reaction.
"I see you have already deduced it," he replied calmly. "And to answer your next question, yes, young Hawk is also the creator of the reactor that now powers Atlas."
Qrow tried to bring his flask to his lips, but to his misfortune, it was already empty.
It had been a day with far too many revelations, even for him.
With surprising agility for someone who had been drinking for hours, Qrow got to his feet and, without asking permission, walked over to the display case where Ozpin kept his most expensive liquors. He opened a bottle with complete confidence and began refilling his flask.
"Should I start calling him the miracle kid from now on?" he mocked.
But beneath the mocking tone, his mind was working at full speed, processing all this new information, and in doing so he could only reach one uncomfortable conclusion: it was too good to be true.
And from experience, he knew that the better things seemed, the worse the backlash usually was.
"There are still a few more things…" Ozpin tried to continue, but Qrow suddenly turned, looking at him with alarm.
"More? There's more? It's only been a month since he left!"
He shook his head, incredulous.
"There is no way he has done even more in that time. It's impossible for him to have accomplished more in just one month. The timeline doesn't add up!"
He dropped heavily back into his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and staring directly at Ozpin.
"How is it even possible that the world doesn't know his name?"
Ozpin stirred his tea calmly, the soft clink of the spoon creating an irritating contrast with Qrow's agitation.
"As I have already told you, the matter of the drug is restricted information. Very few people are aware of its existence. And as for the reactor… that is a different matter."
Qrow was not a fool. From the way Ozpin said it, he understood that the boy's name was not as unknown as it had been made to seem.
Ozpin set his cup down on the saucer with care before continuing.
"In order for Atlas to accept his proposal, young Hawk delivered a particularly persuasive speech. Enough to convince the highest authorities to bet everything on his idea."
He paused briefly.
"For that reason, his name is not unknown among a significant number of high-ranking individuals. However, at his request, efforts have been made to keep his identity as the creator of the reactor confidential."
"But…" he added calmly, "I do not believe it can be kept out of the public eye for long. As the hero of Atlas and the fiancé of Miss Schnee, it is only a matter of time before his name becomes widely known."
Qrow raised his arms in exaggerated mockery.
"All hail the great messiah. All he needs now is to free the faunus and he will have the full set…"
He waited for an ironic reply, some comment that would ease the tension and dismiss his words.
Instead, he was met with Ozpin's knowing look.
"That is too much…" he muttered as he stood up, waving a hand dismissively in his direction.
Ozpin did not respond immediately. He simply held Qrow's gaze while taking a calm sip of his tea.
"How did he even do that?" Qrow asked, this time without any trace of mockery, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.
Ozpin, considering that he had already tortured him enough for the moment, decided to explain.
"As I told you before, he maintains both a romantic and professional relationship with Miss Schnee. After Jacques' death, she was the one who took control of the SDC."
Qrow considered asking why control had not fallen to Winter or to Willow, who originally owned the company. But he figured there had to be a long story behind that decision.
And, frankly, he was not in the mood to hear it, so he kept quiet.
"As the current head of the SDC…" Ozpin continued, "…Weiss Schnee delegated part of the operational control to young Hawk, who, with that new margin of authority, began relocating the faunus back to Mantle, where, thanks to the generator, they now have more space and stability."
Qrow nodded, though part of the explanation slipped past him as his thoughts wandered.
"And what happened to the mines? Did they abandon them now that they have the reactor?" he asked, resting an arm over the back of his chair.
Ozpin shook his head. "He replaced the workers with mining automatons."
"And the faunus jobs?"
"New factories and new positions were created."
Qrow frowned, still searching for the flaw. "And the racism in Mantle?"
Ozpin did not flinch at the direct question.
"He also created security cores that monitor the city. Crime and insecurity have been reduced to a minimum never seen before. With that, racial tensions have decreased considerably."
Bang.
Qrow slammed his palms against the table, cutting him off.
"You are telling me that a single person, the same age as my nieces, in one month, created a miracle cure, solved the energy crisis, brought democracy to Atlas, and freed the faunus?"
Ozpin nodded with an almost irritating calm. "I am just as surprised as you are."
"Well, it doesn't show!" Qrow shot back, clearly exasperated.
He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember how this whole conversation had even started.
"I don't even remember why you were telling me all this anymore."
Ozpin allowed himself a faint smile. He had gotten carried away recounting what James had reported. They did not often have good news to share, and this was, in many ways, exceptional.
"I was telling you that the communication channels had been compromised."
Qrow sat back down, letting out a slow breath as the world, oddly enough, started to feel more logical again thanks to the bad news.
"And what does that have to do with that kid?" he asked, fixing his gaze on Ozpin.
"When young Hawk reprogrammed Atlas security, or rather one of its security cores, several backdoors were discovered through which information has been leaking. And until this issue is resolved, the information shared with other academies will be measured and restricted."
Qrow nodded slowly. At least that made sense.
"And how long will it take to apply those patches?"
"Atlas is already working on a solution," Ozpin replied calmly. "It is expected that within a few weeks, all communication channels will be secure again."
The words were reassuring, though not entirely. Being partially cut off from the other academies for weeks was far from an ideal scenario. Anything could happen in that time.
Qrow even considered the idea of traveling personally to explain the situation to the other headmasters, but decided it was something he would suggest later.
"What are you going to do about the kid?" he asked, his curiosity renewed. He was certain Ozpin would not let someone that valuable move around without supervision.
"I intend to invite him to the academy to talk."
Qrow narrowed his eyes. "You planning to recruit him?"
Ozpin did not nod, but he did not deny it either.
"First, I want to meet him in person. And also request the creation of one of those security cores for Vale and, if possible, for the other kingdoms as well."
The proposal sounded reasonable, so Qrow did not object. Even so, the idea of involving someone so young did not sit entirely well with him, but if he was as useful as they claimed, he was willing to tolerate it.
"Still, I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen," he complained, crossing his arms.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
"That is an overly negative thought."
Qrow did not deny it.
"You don't get it. I can feel it right here," he said, pointing to his chest, aiming for his heart but missing the spot. "When everything seems perfect, it means something is about to go wrong."
Ozpin simply shook his head. "You are not going to relax until something bad happens, are you?"
Qrow shrugged. "Maybe…"
And as if the universe had decided to answer his words, the office door burst open. Glynda entered in a hurry, holding several documents. Ozpin did not react to the interruption. If she had come in like that, it had to be something urgent.
His expression changed immediately.
"What is it?" he asked, his tone serious.
Glynda did not hesitate.
"Sir, Vale's law enforcement is requesting Huntsman intervention."
The statement surprised both Ozpin and Qrow. By hierarchy, Huntsmen held higher authority than the police forces. If they were asking for help, and it was not related to Grimm, it could only mean that a sudden and particularly problematic threat had emerged in the city.
"It seems the streets of Vale are being flooded with a new drug," Glynda continued. "They do not know where such large quantities are coming from or how it is being produced. They only fear it might begin to be exported to other kingdoms—"
CRASH!!!
She did not finish her sentence before a boomerang burst through the window at high speed, shattering the glass and sending shards flying across the office. After breaking through, it did not stop. It kept moving in erratic trajectories, destroying everything in its path.
Clocks, screens, documents, Ozpin's expensive liquor, and anything within reach were struck without distinction.
Glynda reacted instantly, raising her weapon to try to intercept it. Qrow drew his own and fired several shots, but missed every single one. The bullets only added to the destruction, punching through walls and pulverizing what little remained intact.
Within seconds, the office was thrown into complete chaos.
Glynda tried to use her semblance to stop the boomerang, focusing all her strength on holding it in place midair. It was useless. The weapon's power overwhelmed her control; she could not even slow it down.
While the destruction continued, Ozpin remained seated. His office was being torn apart around him, and still he did not move. He watched everything with an almost enviable calm.
After several particularly long minutes, the boomerang seemed to grow tired of destroying Ozpin's office. It changed direction and flew out the opposite side from where it had entered.
The three of them could only watch as it disappeared into the horizon, spinning until it became a distant speck.
The strangest part was that Ozpin was certain none of his students used a boomerang as a weapon, which made the incident an even greater mystery.
Resigned, he sighed and tried to lift his cup, but the porcelain shattered in his hand, spilling the hot tea over his legs.
He looked up at Qrow.
"Is this bad enough for you, Qrow? Are you satisfied now?" he asked with irony and a faint mocking tone.
As he waited for a response, he tried to think of something positive, like all those faunus who were now safe in Mantle thanks to Daniel's benevolent actions, and he could not help but wonder what good deed he might be performing at that very moment.
—/—
[Mines of Moria]
"You live!" Daniel shouted as he aimed his weapon at one of the approaching creatures.
He immediately switched targets.
"You die!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shots echoed, piercing the creature, which collapsed onto the ground. Without wasting time, he chose the next one.
"You live! You die!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He repeated the process several times.
"You live! You die!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The reason he was doing all of this was simple. The first and most important: he was bored. The second: it made him feel powerful to decide who lived and who died among those creatures.
Though, deep down, even that was a lie.
They were all going to die, whether by his hand or by the machines that continued firing indiscriminately. He was only choosing the order.
The creatures turned out to be more foolish, or perhaps more desperate to devour him, than anyone had imagined. When at least twenty-five percent of them had fallen without even managing to reach them, the logical response would have been for the rest to retreat.
That was not the case.
They kept advancing, trampling over the bodies of their own kind as they piled up on the ground. Blood and remains formed a grotesque carpet beneath their feet, slowing their advance but not stopping it.
Everything pointed to this ending in a one-sided massacre.
At least, until the chamber filled with what Daniel could only describe as an aura of fear.
The gunfire stopped. The creatures froze. Everyone turned toward the same point in the chamber.
Then, footsteps echoed.
Thud… thud… thud…
Each step reverberated against the stone walls, and as the sound grew clearer, the creatures shrieked in unison and began to retreat, climbing the pillars they had descended from in order to escape.
Daniel and the rest of the group, with nowhere to run, fixed their gaze on the corner from which the steps were coming.
The source did not take long to appear.
It stood at least eight meters tall. It had spread wings, curved horns, and flames pouring from its body along with thick smoke. In one hand, it held a massive sword engulfed in fire.
It was, without a doubt, a demon.
[Image]
Daniel took in the creature in all its splendor, and only one word came to mind, perfectly summarizing his situation.
"Fuck…"
—//—
Author's Note
I told you there was a chapter with just Ozpin and Qrow talking. An unnecessary chapter? Definitely, but I do not regret it!
It has been a productive week. Not exactly for this fanfic, but I did write a few chapters for other fanfics that until now had only been ideas. Especially the Mr. Satan one, which absolutely no one asked for… unlike the Minecraft one, which for some reason a lot of people liked, and every now and then I still get comments about it.
Anyway, I hope you liked it. I will not drag out the author's note since almost no one reads it…
Hugs and kisses!