7,803Note:
I have my stupid awards ceremony and speech coming up again soon (3rd October) and need to take a week off around it to prepare. I really thought the business would be closed before getting to it, but it appears not ffs.
As such, there will be no updates from Monday 1st to Sunday 6th October. Both to let me get some prep down before, and to have a chance to unwind after it's over. Thankfully this is the last time I'll ever have to do it.
Cover Art: Curbizzle
Chapter 69
There was no keeping a dream about Salem secret, not with how much danger everyone was in, so Jaune forced his way into "Oswald's" office bright and early, interrupting the man's breakfast to blurt out, "Salem is close to Beacon!"
Ozpin spat out his coffee. "What!? Explain!"
Jaune recounted the dream as best he could, trying not to spare any detail. "—but I don't think she realised it was a dream at all, though she might not she's woken up. I did my best to act like you might have around Ruby—"
"Ruby? Miss Rose?"
"Ah, no. Your firstborn."
Ozpin frowned. "Her name was Spring. Our daughters were Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Not imaginative, I know, but naming conventions weren't what they are now and a lot of names you take as common didn't exist."
"I had to name her something and she had silver eyes!"
"Ah." Ozpin relented. It was less of an insult to his dead daughter to see it that way. "I'll let it go then. And I suppose it's good to know you can't rewrite history with your Semblance, though that would make it far too strong if you could."
"I feel like it's plenty strong already if I can genetically alter the people I dream of," Jaune deadpanned. The young man in front of him was proof of that. "But I have a bigger question right now."
"Go on."
"Should I have done something to Salem…?"
Ozpin leaned back in his seat, humming and wiping away the spilt coffee on his desk.
"It's tempting to say you should have tried to kill or disable her in some way but asking that of you is wrong – not to mention there's too much chance for it to blow up in our faces. The fact you can change my body is in no small part due to a technicality in my immortality. My soul is unchanging, but my body isn't. Salem's is the reverse."
"You said as much before. Something about there being a possibility any changes I make would reset."
"Yes. The Grimm corruption is something rooted in her soul, and I hesitate to believe you can fix that. Or what the consequences of you doing so might be."
"Consequences?"
"There is always someone bigger, Mr Arc. Someone stronger, or with a more powerful command over reality. It would not do to challenge those that placed this curse upon Salem and I in the first place."
Jaune gulped.
"Perhaps I'm being overly cautious; they haven't cared about us for millennia and might not care now. But, personally, I think it is wise to be cautious with the life – nay, the very existence – of one of my students. Until we know more, we cannot risk drawing their attention."
"Right." Jaune didn't want to test that either. "Then what do we do? We can't ignore Salem, can we?"
"We… might be able to…"
"Sir, that sounds like a really bad idea!"
Ozpin held up a hand. "You misunderstand me. Or perhaps I misspoke. I will not ignore her. Qrow will look for her, General Ironwood will be warned, and defences will be put in place. However, I believe you should put any plans of interacting with her out your head. Especially if it's worrying about someone in the first place that increases the chances of you dreaming of them."
"That's all well and good but what if she attacks Beacon?"
"I don't think she will."
"Can you be sure of that!?"
"No," Ozpin admitted. "Hence why I will prepare for the worst scenario. However, we know Salem wants you alive for your Semblance. Attacking Beacon puts you in a life-or-death scenario, and she has to know you would fight to the death to protect your team. Also, it pits her against me and I'm in my prime now. I can do what I haven't been able to for many thousands of years." Ozpin held up a hand, and green lightning sparked around it. "I can face her." The lightning faded. "And she knows that; hence why I do not think she will challenge us directly. Instead, she will try and snatch you away."
"Like Cinder did."
"Indeed. That's why I want you in Beacon and out of trouble. There's another possibility too," he added. "That Salem isn't here for you at all and is after Cinder instead. She is immortal, and you'll leave Beacon eventually. There's little rush for her to get you now. You have already done what damage you can by giving me back my strength."
Jaune could believe that. Cinder had made Salem out to be a serious threat, and Cinder's betrayal not only demanded a response, but the threat that Cinder might succeed in capturing him did as well. If Cinder got him, and somehow convinced him to grant her power instead of kill her, then she might become strong enough to rival Salem.
That was something Salem couldn't let happen.
"That's it, then." Jaune said. "I do nothing? It seems… reckless."
"You do nothing. I do much," Ozpin countered. "Please do not act as Team RWBY might and throw yourself into danger, Mr Arc. Allow us the chance to do our jobs first."
With that none-too-subtle dig, Jaune was dismissed.
/-/
Ruby and Yang came back before midday, looking clear skinned with shining hair and bright moods. Ruby up and hugged him, forgetting she was meant to be annoyed at him. "That was sooo good," she said, squeezing the life out of him. "My muscles feel like jelly!"
"They're doing a good job of crushing me."
Giggling, she let go. "Mmmm. It was good, though. And Yang was too happy to bring up what happened the other night," she added, in a whisper. "So that was especially good. I guess I owe you one for that."
Not really. He'd caused her problem in the first place. Jaune had a feeling it would be a bad idea to suggest she pay him back by talking to Yang or admitting her problems. He didn't want to ruin her good mood.
"Glad you had fun. How was the hotel? Good night's sleep?"
"Too good. We slept so late we missed breakfast. And I fell asleep during the massage too! I didn't know I could sleep so much." Ruby sighed dreamily. "I could get used to having a massage every day."
Jaune laughed. "Well, your partner is one of the richest people on Remnant. You know who to pester."
"Ha." Ruby giggled. "Yeah, no. Weiss got cut off by her dad."
"Really? What for?"
Ruby shrugged. "Dunno. Weiss says it's because he's controlling and mean."
It was telling that she said "Weiss says…" rather than that Jacques was all that. Obviously, Ruby trusted her teammate and partner, but she wasn't naïve enough to not realise Weiss was more than a little biased. Even knowing that Jacques could be cruel from Weiss' memories, there was a small part of Jaune that had to accept the money Weiss used to throw around freely didn't actually belong to her.
Say what you would about Jacques, but he was the one who earned the money, and he was the one who let Weiss spend it. If Weiss wanted more, she'd have to get a job like any of them would have to. Not that he or Ruby or just about anyone was going to say that to her face, though. Maybe Blake would; she could be spiteful like that.
"Are we cool then?" he asked, and Ruby giggled once more, punching his arm.
"We cool," she parroted. "And, you know, if your parents ever send any ill-timed massage trips again, I'm happy to sacrifice my free time for it."
"How very generous of you. I'll keep that in mind."
He was just happy to see her in such high spirits for once. It was a reminder that for all of her issues, for all of her insecurity, Ruby wasn't suffering. They were still something he wanted to help her get over, but he didn't need to push so aggressively. Ruby wouldn't explode if he let her take her time with things but pushing too hard had made her unhappy.
There was a reason therapists took their time with these things.
/-/
There was little Jaune was allowed to tell his team about Salem when they asked who he had dreamed of, but Ozpin hadn't put any rules in place about obfuscating the truth a little. So, he told them that he'd been stuck in the head of the one who had originally held Cinder's loyalty, and who Cinder had betrayed.
He told them the truth apart from Salem being an immortal monster and Ozpin being Oswald, and thousands of years old. It was enough for them to have an idea of the danger without exposing them to the shocking reality. It was enough for them to understand there was another threat out there, and that he had to stay in Beacon where it was safe.
Jaune didn't think Ozpin would begrudge him that as he turned in for the night.
/-/
The very first thing Jaune noticed – with some relief! – was that he was in a school. Not Beacon but a normal school, which wasn't something Salem would have ever been through. It looked to be a gymnasium with a waxed wooden floor, except that much of the space had been taken up by tables and what appeared to be science projects. It was a very familiar kind of scene, with trestle tables balancing crudely made volcanos and figurines of Atlas battle suits.
A school science fair.
It was honestly a relief to be in so mundane a dream.
Looking around, Jaune noted that a lot of the people were blurred in the face, but not all. Surprisingly, quite a few people were quite clearly remembered by the dreamer. There were adults and children both with crystal clear faces, none of whom he recognised. A few of the obvious parents were in Atlas military uniform, however, so he hazarded a guess this was in Atlas.
"If everyone would come to the main stage!" called a man's voice. "We'll announce this year's winning project!"
Jaune followed the rest of the people there and stood in the crowd. This being a nightmare, he half-expected the person to walk onto stage naked, but that didn't happen. The man up there went through the usual talk of the exceptional talent, the future of science, and all that good stuff, but he eventually got to what Jaune suspected was the main point.
"And this year's winner is…" He held for effect. "Arthur Watts!"
The crowd applauded – the adults, anyway. The kids were at that age where they wanted to win more than they wanted to be good sports. They were about ten to twelve. Jaune clapped along as a bright-eyed boy with dark hair jogged up on stage with a huge smile. He looked on top of the world and waved at a man and a woman in white lab coats, his parents. They waved back, quite clearly very proud of him.
"Congratulations, young man," said the teacher, handing over a plaque. "Your working example of a dust combustion engine was simply marvellous. Bravo. I dare say you have a bright future ahead of you!"
The small boy beamed. "Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
With a blur, the dream changed.
Jaune was in some science centre – that was about the best way he could describe it. Tables, lab equipment, computers. It looked more like a school on second look, however. There was a green board on one end and a woman in a suit lecturing the students on chemistry. A lot of it went over Jaune's head, and the students – again, remarkably clear in their faces – were about his age. A university class, maybe.
"Don't forget that you'll soon have the opportunity to present your thesis to a panel of military scientists," said the lecturer. "The winning thesis will receive funding and accreditation for future military development."
"I'm going to do it," the boy beside Jaune whispered to him. Blinking, he looked over, and quickly recognised it as an older version of the boy from before. Arthur. "I have an amazing idea! They're going to be blown out the water!"
"Yeah?" asked Jaune, guessing this was the dreamer. "You think so?"
"Definitely. Who wouldn't be interested in a way to potentially cripple Grimm at a distance?"
Jaune paid a little more attention. "That sounds promising."
"It is! This could change everything." Arthur leaned in. "You're not submitting a project, are you? Do you want to help me with the preparatory work for mine? I'll credit you in the thesis as assisting – and who knows, if these bigwigs are excited enough for it then they might establish you as my assistant!"
"I guess I could."
There was no reason to say no in the dream. Arthur smiled.
"Great! It shouldn't be too hard. We just need to put on a good show for these guys."
The dream blurred again. Suddenly, Jaune was standing behind and off to the side of Arthur as he spoke to a panel of four men and one woman in military uniform. Arthur was dressed up nicely, his hair slicked back, and he was animated as he orated. It was clear he was passionate about his work. That he loved it.
"—this device builds on and incorporates some of the late Doctor Merlot's work. Though the doctor sought to control Grimm, I considered this reckless and ill-advised." The military officials nodded. "Instead, I sought to use some of the techniques he aimed to use to condition them to obedience to deliver debilitating and crippling damage. At a distance, this can render Grimm all but helpless, allowing for them to be dispatched with relative ease!"
The officials talked among themselves. "It sounds very promising," said one of the men. "Let us see a demonstration, then. Are you confident enough to try this on a live Grimm?"
Arthur smiled. "Of course I am! This has been thoroughly tested."
Jaune could only assume the latter was true, and that this testing had taken place before this point. The man certainly looked professional enough to have done just that. He nodded to Jaune and the two of them wheeled the machine forward. It looked like a mess, all wires and metal plates, but that was probably because it was a prototype and it'd be easier to get at the internals like this.
Soon, a Beowolf was brought out onto the stage in a metal cage by several armed men. It roared and crashed against the bars. Arthur calibrated the machine and took a deep breath, visibly excited to show his work. He gave a nod, and the cage door was opened. The Beowolf leapt out and landed on all fours.
"Observe!" Arthur cried and flicked the switch.
Nothing happened.
"W—What?" Arthur flicked it again, but the machine didn't so much as hum. The Grimm lunged for them, and Jaune made to get in the way but for a huntsman beating him to it. The Grimm was caught on a rifle and thrown back, and then put down with three swift shots to the head.
Arthur Watts stood there, stunned.
"Next!" shouted one of the officials.
"What? No! Something went wrong—"
"NEXT." The man repeated, firmly. "We shall see the next proposal now!"
Arthur's hands clenched into fists.
The stage blurred.
Reality came back in a dark lab room with Arthur bent over the machine fiddling through its internals. His coat was off, his hair a mess, and he was covered up to his elbows in grease. It looked like he hadn't slept for two days.
"AH!" he cried. "Here! Look!"
Jaune came over, not sure what he was meant to be looking at.
"The wire here, do you see it?"
"It's broken," Jaune said.
"Not broken, my friend." He held it up to the light. "See how the copper inside is as clean a break as the insulated casing? That wouldn't have happened if this had been burnt away or had pulled. This was cut by a sharp object!"
It was true. Jaune was no electrician, but he knew how to rewire a plug, and he could tell it was a clean cut now that it was pointed out. He could also tell what that meant. "You mean it was sabotaged?"
"It clearly was! Someone sabotaged me! Us!" Arthur seethed. "The machine was working the night before – we both tested it, and then we both retired together. It can't have been either of us. The doors were locked, sealed, and no one should have been able to get in."
Yet someone had, obviously. Jaune sighed. "Who do you suspect?"
"I'd accuse Pietro Polendina. He went on to win with his firewall design." Arthur's voice was filled with hate. "But I doubt he would have the guts, not to mention he'd have to come up a flight of stairs." He laughed harshly. "That would put a stop to him. No, this isn't him. This was someone else who knew they couldn't best my invention. Pietro was merely the one who benefited from it."
"So, what now?"
"Now, we find out who did this." Arthur set the wire down. "And we present proof to the panel to show them that I was cheated out my rightful opportunity. Then, they'll have to agree to another testing. They'll see how incredible this device is and grant me the research division! All we need is to find the one responsible."
"And how do we do that?"
"Simple. This lab is covered by CCTV. We – or I – just need to hack into that."
"Isn't that illegal?"
"Only if I'm caught," Arthur said. "Besides, this is for a good cause; we're catching someone breaking into another's lab. There are laws against that. Leave it to me. All you need to do is cover me when I say we spent the night together commiserating my loss."
Arthur brought out a laptop and got to work, and the dream blurred once more to cover the time spent doing just that.
In the new version, Arthur was hiding a smile as an official talked to him.
"In light of the sabotage we discovered, we would like to offer our apologies for what happened before. It appears that a rival of yours saw fit to break in and damage your work."
"I'm just glad they got caught!" said Arthur, playing innocent. "So, when will I have a chance to show off my invention to the panel?"
The man paused. "What?"
"The panel. The judges. Since I was cheated out my chance, I'll surely be given another."
"Ah. But the decision has already been made and funding has been granted to Pietro Polendina. They can't just take that away from him."
Arthur frowned. "Why not? It was taken away from me. But fine; let him keep it. I still deserve the chance to show my project could work. Isn't that only fair?"
The official sighed. "Young man, you need to learn to take defeat gracefully."
"Defeat!? What defeat? I wasn't beaten! I was cheated!"
"The matter is closed," the official said, suddenly a lot brusquer about it. "Polendina has received the award and you… you shall have other chances. I am sorry you feel cheated but there is nothing that can be done." The man turned away. "Good day, Mr Watts. And good luck with your next project."
Arthur looked shocked.
Jaune could understand it. The man had lost by unfair means and felt robbed, but he could also understand that a government couldn't really change their minds when things were already in motion. It was probably easier for them to stick with the other winner than it would be to change everything around now.
And governments were all about those easy decisions.
"This isn't fair!" Arthur raged, when the man had left. "This simply isn't fair! I did everything right, I did everything by the rules, and this is what it gets me? We caught that prick, Theodore, sneaking into my lab and sabotaging my machine! I could have died to the Grimm for his arrogance!"
He could have. He really could have.
"And this… this is it…?" He was crying now. It was embarrassing to see a man that old burst into tears. "My reputation is ruined!" he wailed. "No one will ever take me seriously. All they'll ever remember is that I'm the fool who promised the moon and couldn't deliver! This will be a black mark on my record forever!"
It probably wouldn't be. The man was overreacting, and while Jaune could appreciate he felt bad, he highly doubted Atlas would hold it against Arthur when they knew he'd been sabotaged already.
"I'll show them!" Arthur wheezed. "I'll show them! I'll show Polendina, too!"
"Why?" Jaune asked. "What did he do?"
"They're so thrilled about his firewall systems." Arthur cackled. "I saw more than just Theodore sabotaging my work when I broke into their systems, Jaune. I saw so much more. Polendina's new firewall failed to stop me. There are so many secrets Atlas wants to remain as such."
Jaune had a bad feeling already. "Arthur…"
"Massacres, Jaune. War crimes. Soldiers killing civilians – Generals who ordered the genocide of entire villages because they helped the White Fang. Atlas treasures its spotless reputation, so all those crimes were swept under the rug. Do you know how many currently serving generals have been found to have abused their subordinates? A lot. Do you know how many are ever convicted? None. The victims are forced to take pay deals in favour of silence."
Jaune grimaced. "That's bad," he said, "But I don't see how that helps you."
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to expose them. I'll expose it all. Pure, good Atlas. The bastion of civilisation and values. I'll expose to the world how corrupt and disgusting they really are – and I'll expose to Atlas how pathetic Pietro's so-called invulnerable firewall really is at the same time!"
"They'll know it's you." Jaune warned.
"Nonsense. No one will know. Do you think that firewall will catch me? I'll have the information posted online with proof before it can even sense my presence. We'll see how those generals can turn a blind eye when their many crimes are out in the public domain." Arthur was already at his computer, and Jaune couldn't stop him. "This will be a reckoning! I'll show them! I'll show them all that they shouldn't have turned their backs on me!"
Loud banging came on the door.
"ARTHUR WATTS!" roared a soldier's voice. "WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! YOU ARE ACCUSED OF TREASON AGAINST ATLAS!"
It was impossible for them to have caught him before he even started, proof that the dream was merging events and time together as he relived the moment. The young man, once bright eyed and filled with excitement, had red rings around his eyes and a manic smile on his face. He pushed a button as the door was kicked down and soldiers poured in.
"It's too late!" he said, laughing loudly. "It's too late! All your crimes, all your coverups. The faunus massacres, the abusive generals, the deaths in bootcamps gaslighted as suicides! They're all out in the open now! Atlas will bur—"
A soldier slammed the butt of his gun into Arthur's face, cracking teeth.
With it, the dream burst into white light.
Next Chapter: 19th September
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