After getting paid by Dhatri, and spending some time pursuing more gainful employment with Cass, I got a message from Hsu asking me to return to McCarran as soon as I could. The message hadn't given any specifics, just to show up. So naturally, I took some time getting there. While Cass and me had been chasing pocket change, we'd bumped into some rangers, who'd given me a key to a safe house. I'd taken the time to raid it for anything useful, then made tracks for McCarran. I'd gotten something worthwhile out of it for sure.

I parted ways with Cass at the concourse, letting her go rest and asked her to send Boone back my way. I met with Hsu, who in turn directed my back to lt. Boyd. It appeared that they'd finally decided to let me have a crack at the legionnaire they'd captured. They'd been interrogating him for some time now, but hadn't gotten anywhere with him. The NCR apparently frowned on forcing information out of their enemies. Which I could understand, though considering who their enemy was, I still found it a bit annoying.

"Do you think you can do it?" Boyd asked.

"Depends, how rough am I allowed to get?"

"Well, we'd rather he stay alive. But if you have to knock a tooth out, we'd let you."

"Hmm… tempting, but I don't think I'll need to. I've got something else in mind."

"And that would be?"

"A secret." I said, nodding.

"… alright, I'll go introduce you." Boyd said, turning to head into the holding cell. "… by the way, I like the armor, I think it suits you."

Boyd walked into the cell and I looked down at my armor. It was the kind the Ranger Veterans wore. Long overcoat, a duster specifically, over a ballistic vest, jeans, and cowboy boots. I'd also traded out my motorcycle helmet for a gasmask and helmet combo that'd been paired with the armor when I found it. It hadn't been in the best of shape when I'd found it, but I'd had enough similar garments on hand to make the necessary repairs.

All said and done, I liked it.

I looked back to the holding cell's observation window. Just on the opposite side of, what I assumed to be, a one-way window, a Legionnaire was bound to a chair. He was dressed in the armor of Caesar's centurions; I'd seen it enough times from Caesar's assassins trying to kill me. Plates of scrap metal and armor pieced together with the legion's standard black skirts and cushioned by red cloth. Silus lacked the helmet however, letting long dark locks of hair hang about his head.

Boyd was standing a few feet from him now, speaking in an even tone.

"Long time no see, Silus."

"Lieutenant." Silus answered, his voice deep and firm "I was just thinking about you."

"That so?" Boyd asked, sounding bored and disinterested.

"I was. I was just thinking about that pretty neck of yours."

"How sweet."

Silus leaned forward in the chair conspiratorially "I was thinking about how it would look with a legion slave collar on it."

"… I'll pass."

Silus leaned back into the chair, the faintest traces of a smug smirk visible to me, even from the window. "Do you know what I love about our slave collars Lieutenant?"

"If you love them, perhaps you should try one on." Boyd answered, her tone sardonic.

"I love how tightly they fit." Silus continued, not missing a beat "I train my men to make sure the slaves' flesh bulges a bit around the top and bottom. Know why?"

"It's all the rage in fashion circles?" Boyd ask, cold and aloof to SIlus' threats.

"Not quite. If you fit it just right, their body never gets used to the feeling of wearing it." Silus shifted forward in his chair again, rising a little, but never losing an even tone "It cuts in just enough when they swallow or turn their head to remind them who they belong to." Silus's voice grew a tad more tense, threatening. "And it's that constant reminder that keeps them docile."

A moment of silence passed as Silus and Boyd stared each other down. It was hard to read anyone from the vantage point I was at, but the subtext was pretty blatant.

"… In that case, maybe you'd better save the collar you were going to give me." Boyd said at last, sounding a touch annoyed, possibly angry.

"Oh?" Silus asked, amused "For whom?"

"For a friend of mine you're about to meet." Boyd answered "My friend isn't very docile."

"And who is this friend of yours?"

"You know all those rules the NCR instituted to protect enemy prisoners of war?"

"Of course."

Boyd leaned toward the bound legionnaire in conspiratorial fashion herself now. I could practically hear the smile in her voice. "My friend doesn't." She then straightened out and began to walk towards the door, before looking over her shoulder, as if giving an afterthought. "Oh, and Silus? If you resist at all, I'll personally blow your brains out." Boyd then walked out of the room, leaving the door unlocked behind her. I turned to look at her as she stepped in front of the window in my place.

"He's all yours." Boyd said, smiling "I'm just going to need you to surrender your weapons before going in."

I began putting my weapons into a nearby locker. "I heard you two clear as day out here, can he hear us right now?"

"No, we've got some microphones rigged into the room, so we can hear in. But we sound proofed it so he can't hear out. Why?"

"Things will go smoother if I can keep you abreast of what I've got planned. You got any limits on what I'm allowed to do?"

"As long as you don't kill him?"

"Obviously."

"… Nothing disfiguring, last thing I need is the brass beyond Hsu getting up in arms."

"Alright, do me a favor then, go get yourself a cup of coffee."

Boyd gave me a confused looked "… Really?"

"It'll be easier if he thinks you won't come in to stop me."

Boyd gave me a perturbed look.

"Coffee, Boyd." I said, finally disarmed "This shouldn't take long."

Boyd gave me another, more scrutinizing, look before nodding and leaving for the mess area. If I knew Farber, which I did, he'd probably give her shit for a minute or two about how his kitchen is falling to pieces. The walk there and back would probably take about double that. And assuming there wasn't already a fresh kettle of the stuff on standby, another minute minimum for that.

So, five minutes to crack the resolve of a hardened legionnaire, and leave Boyd seeming like an angel of mercy.

I could probably do that.

Without further ado, I opened the door to the holding cell, and walked in. Which finally gave me a better look of Silus. His face was lean, with a hard-cut jaw line and a pronounced chin. His nose was large, and a touch rounded, his mouth small but full. His eyes were a deep green, with a wild look to them. Wild enough that one of them was slightly wandering, anyway. His ears were large and flat, stay close to his head.

If it weren't for the fact that he was a legionnaire, I'd have pictured someone like him as the hero of some old-world novel. Not conventionally handsome, but a touch rugged. Of course, he was a legionnaire, which meant I really didn't give much of a damn.

I walked up to the bound man and stared him in the eye. Not that he could tell through my gas mask, but it's a psychological thing. Stare at any living creature long enough, they begin to feel threatened.

Silus fixed me with an annoyed glare. "What an ugly little worm you are." He sneered "What pile of excrement did the lieutenant pluck you from, worm?"

I didn't say anything in response. I just stood there, staring down at him.

"… Well, worm?" Silus asked again.

I said nothing. I stood there.

"… Hmph, you mean to intimidate me, don't you?" Silus said, catching on "Your silence serves only to illuminate how worthless you are."

I smiled, though he couldn't see it. I'd figured he'd catch on; he didn't seem the type to crack under a little pressure. But that just meant I could keep applying it.

I leaned in close, close enough that I was practically in his ear. Recently, I'd had to brush up on a dead tongue, it seemed fitting to apply it here. On someone who might appreciate it.

"Contritum ferrum tollitur" I whispered to him.

I watched him go still, as I stepped back to where I'd been. The sneer he'd had was gone, replaced by a look of confusion and caution.

"Who are you?" Silus asked, voice still a calm as when he'd been insulting me.

"Someone unfamiliar with the NCR's code of conduct regarding how to properly… shall we say 'handle' prisoners of war."

"Yet you're dressed as a member of their Elite soldiers. Who are you?"

I stayed silent again, tilting my head in 'thought' as I stared at him. "… I'm an agent of Caesar." I lied "I'm here to ensure your death."

"… No." Silus said after a moment "You're nothing, a mercenary hired by the NCR to-"

My fist lashed out quick, and slammed hard into Silus' nose. He let out a pained grunt, and reeled for a moment.

"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." I said, calm "The NCR struggles to hold their borders, watching their people drop like flies to our Legion, and you believe them to turn away aid?"

"You lie!" Silus growled, centering himself "I'm useless to Caesar dead. His secrets remain safe with me."

"No. They remain safe with the dead."

Silus finished centering and looked at me again. A look of surprise washed over him. I'd moved to loom over him after hitting him. I grabbed him by the ears and held his head in place. He tried to resist, and I twisted the flaps of skin and cartilage. It didn't take much, just enough to stop him from moving.

"Our lord gave only a single order in the event of failure, Silus. Death." I said, my voice a calm, deadly whisper. "You could not even succeed at that."

"I did as he would've wanted." Silus insisted, clearly steeling himself "Caesar-"

I released one of Silus' ears, reeled back, and threw all of my weight behind another punch at his head. He wrenched free of my grip and the chair rocked backwards, but came to rights once more.

"Caesar demanded your loyalty." I said.

"I'm centurion" Silus' groaned "He has my loyalty, where is his?"

"Placed in the belief you would leave the battlefield victorious or in death."

Silus looked up to me, I could see the faintest traces of fear in his eyes. I was scaring him. Good. But I was on a path that needed to be seen through.

"Lieutenant… Lieutenant!" Silus called.

I let the silence hang.

"… She's not coming back." I told him "At least, not soon enough to save you."

I gripped Silus' shoulder for leverage, and punched him hard in the stomach. The wind left him in a hoarse, barking cough.

"You don't have to do this." He gasped.

"Oh, but I do. Because I'm still loyal to the will of Caesar. You cannot say the same."

"Loyalty… loyalty?" Silus gasped, flashing me a look of Anger "I've ambushed countless NCR soldiers at little more than a word. Assassinated officers at a whisper for Caesar. Entire teams, gone before they ever saw the battlefield. And you question my loyalty!?" Silus snapped forward in a fit, trying to lunge at me. Anger, a self-preservation response to the threat of death. "Even when Caesar wastes days in giving us orders, 'complaining of headaches' and executing anyone who questions his deteriorating health. You question me!?"

'Pay dirt'

"Caesaris voluntate absoluta. Yours has never been a position to question, Silus. Only obey."

"He keeps technology of the Old world in his tent, while we fester with mud caked wounds." Silus hissed "What loyalty has he that he believes he's above his own laws!?"

"Behold." I said "All the reason I need to remove you."

Silus fell silent, and glared at me in rage. But I could see what was cowering behind it: Fear. He was helpless and he knew it.

"All the more the pity." I said, rolling my shoulders "If you were found to be truly loyal, I'd have been allowed to make it quick."

I flexed the fingers on my off hand, the popping of my knuckles making Silus flinch.

"Steel yourself Silus." I intoned "I will obey our lord."

I laid into him after that. He was an immobile target, inexplicably still clad in armor, and trained to take pain. I had little reason to pull punches, and wasn't going to. I aimed for the gaps in his armor, his head, any place that was lacking in decent coverage. Any other day, any other person, I wouldn't be doing this. There are always distinctions for something like this. Silus, however, was undoubtedly a terrible person. The little back and forth he'd had with Boyd was proof enough. Maybe I was over thinking it. Or maybe the part of me that didn't like hurting people was choosing now to throw a hissy fit. Hard to tell.

It didn't stop me from breaking his nose though.

I'm not sure how long I'd actually been laying into him, it had felt like longer than it probably had been. But by the time I was done, Silus was clearly mussed and winded. His nose was cocked at an angle, with blood welling readily from it.

"-stop!" Silus gasped, haggard "They know nothing, they don't even know about the officer planted here!"

I reeled to swing again, but stopped. Making it seem as though I was listening to him. Which I technically was, since this was why I was doing it in the first place.

"-He continues to radio in the NCR's movements every night." Silus continued "My loyalty is secure… you don't have to do this."

"… I'm afraid, that's where you're wrong." I said, even and smooth.

I lifted my leg up and heel kicked Silus' chest plate. The force was great enough to tip his chair back, and to the floor. His head snapped hard against the ground, and I could see it dazed him. I walked around the side of his chair, till my feet were within easy reach of his head.

"My orders are absolute." I intoned.

I put my boot to his throat.

"You. Die. Slow."

I watched as the fear finally became fully visible in his eyes. In that instant, Silus finally came to grips with the lie I'd been feeding him. He believed he was going to die. It was very unlikely he had it in him right now to be lying.

Perfect.

"… Rather, I suppose you would." I said, losing my cool edge for a small laugh "Considering you guys are about as competent as mutfruit."

"… what?" Silus gasped.

"I mean, all I had to do was punch you a couple of times and spit some latin sounding gibberish at you, and you practically piss yourself. Really, you're the best Caesar has to offer?"

A look of comprehension washed over Silus. The fear faded, and the anger came flooding back. "You son of a fucking who-"

I pressed my boot down a little more tightly, and Silus's sentence died a strangled grunt.

"I'll be frank you now, Silus." I said, leaning down and close to his face. "You're walking a thin line."

I was careful not to apply much more pressure to his neck. I was doing this for a tinge of irony, and to burn a message into Silus' head. If I put too much of my weight into it, I'd crush his wind pipe and we'd be worse off than we were.

Silus continued glaring at me, but it was hollow compared to what it had been.

"You're dead to the legion now." I told him "If you weren't before, you most assuredly will be now. The next person to come in for a visit may very well plan to kill you." I pointed a finger gun at his head and mimicked the motion of somebody shooting him. Just to drive the point home. "On the other side of the bottle cap, You've got the NCR, who now have no reason to keep you alive. You've given all the information that made it worth keeping you away from the firing squad-"

"No... one… knows…" Silus ground out "But… you."

I stared down at him for a moment, and thought about it. He had a point. Without Boyd around, it was just my word against his. While I could probably count of Hsu to take my side, that left a lot of what he could tell us ambiguous.

As I thought about that though, something new intruded on our conversation.

The shallow, reverberating thump of struck glass.

I turned to look over my shoulder, and was greeted to a most pleasant sight.

Boone and Hsu, peering in through the observation mirror.

I couldn't help but smirk. Everything was coming up Six right then.

"I'm inclined to think otherwise." I answered.

Silus, unable to tear his head, tried to catch who was in the window from the corner of his eye. But I doubted he could actually tell.

"You're the standing dead." I answered "… Or more the sitting dead, actually."

I put a little more pressure to his throat, and watch the color drain from his face.

"If you want to live, I recommend you learn to play nice." I hissed "If you even so much as think of misleading anyone, you'll be next in line for the firing range."

I could feel him try to swallow underfoot, which made him gag, trying to breathe. My work was almost done.

"And I want you to remember this." I growled "The feeling of helplessness, struggling to breathe while someone far more dangerous than you has you bound against your will. Every second one of pure agony as your lungs burn for fresh air… right up until the last second."

I lifted my foot, and Silus gulped air like a lakelurk in water. It lead to him giving a ratcheting, hoarse cough. He looked up to me, and I could see the fear in his eyes. I glared down at him in turn.

Then I silently stalked out of the room.

As soon as I was outside of the holding cell, I took a deep breath myself, and took a moment to reflect on what I'd just done. He'd deserved it. But that didn't change I was disgusted with myself.

I gave a nod to Hsu and Boone, then began re-collecting my tools of trade.

"How long were you two watching?" I asked.

"Since about the time he started talking about Caesar's 'headaches'." Hsu answered.

"So you were around for the important bits at least."

"What do you think he meant, about Caesar keeping old-world technology in his tent?"

"Dunno. But I think you can press that information out of him later, if it interests you."

"Right, there's something much bigger going on."

"There's a spy in the camp." Boone growled.

Hsu grimaced, then shook his head. "I was afraid that was the case."

"Afraid what was the case?" Boyd asked, walking around the corner. She gave Hsu a salute and approached us.

"Silus talked." Hsu told her.

"No kidding?"

"Ask him yourself." I said, finishing my re-arming "Don't be afraid to use your boot either, I don't think he has it in him to lie anymore."

"Damn." Boyd nodded.

"Worse, he confirmed there's a spy on the base." Hsu continued.

"Double Damn."

"What do we do?" I asked "I understand if you need to keep this internal, but I'll help any way I can."

"… It should stay internal." Hsu scowled "But there's a problem with that."

"We don't know who it is." Boone said "He said it was an officer, but that might just mean they're a frumentarii."

"Probably." I said "but either way, there's a rat in our midst. Any plans to flush them out would be worthless if they already knew about them."

"What do we do then?" Hsu asked "I can't send men out knowing in good conscience someone's leaking our movements. But any changes will set them off as well."

"A catch-22 the whole way round. We know they're there, but if we say anything or do anything, then they won't be."

The four of us stood there in silence for a moment. Boyd sipping her coffee, in contemplation with the rest of us. We didn't have many options available, those that existed weren't solutions, and any attempts to change that came at the risk of revealing that we were onto them. Which meant making everything we'd done pointless.

"… So then we avoid chasing them." Hsu said after a moment "And let them come to us."

I looked at the Colonel, and could see the cogs turning in his head.

"Colonel?" Boyd asked.

"We know things now about Caesar and the rat that we didn't before. We can use that… but how?"

I felt the wheels in my head begin to turn to, as I ran back over what Silus had said.

"… They're's reporting almost every night." I said, thinking "That's what Silus said…"

I looked at Hsu, and we locked eyes for a moment. He couldn't see my face, but he knew we'd both come to the same conclusion.

"We find out where they're... no, he's transmitting from, and set a trap." Hsu said.

"We make Caesar's condition public knowledge here at the base." I continued "Force him to transmit sooner, or make him careless."

"Catch him off guard, he might not even put up a fight."

"… That could work." I said "But we need to move quickly."

"Right." Hsu nodded.

"You got anybody already looking into this?" Boone asked.

"An officer, Ronald Curtis."

"Boone and me will find out where they could be transmitting from." I said "Can't be too many places like that in the camp. Soon as we do, you can make the announcement."

"We do it right, we could take the son of a bitch alive." Boyd finished "Frumentarii are the legion's intelligence operatives. We could start giving them a taste of their own medicine."

"That's the plan then." Hsu said, a fierce gleam in his eyes "All of this stays between the four of us until we've got him, understood?"

Me, Boone, and Boyd nodded. It probably went without saying, but we couldn't be too careful right now. We were going to be playing a dangerous game. Failure meant that the rat got off scot-free.

"Go speak with Curtis, he should be on the lower level." Hsu said, motioning to me "When you're ready, give the word."

I nodded and Boone followed me as I headed downstairs. We had work to do.

…

"-Vytal festival is but a few weeks away!" Port boomed "I am most certain you're all looking forward to it."

The class erupted into a small chorus of cheers, as I lifted my head up off the table and craned my neck. It still ached from Nora landing on me the day prior, and I was trying to take it easy.

Port's class hadn't started any earlier than it normally had, but after the week I'd had, it felt like it did.

"Settle down now, settle down." Port said, the class subsiding "Just because the festival is approaching, does not mean now is the time to slack off. No, now is the time to push ever harder."

The cheers that had been present, swiftly changed into annoyed groans. Translation: we were getting even more homework.

I sat upright in my chair and checked the clock on my pip-boy. It was already closing in on noon.

"With that in mind however-" Port rambled "I bid you all a fine afternoon. We'll return to proper classes tomorrow. Until then, and as always, stay vigilant!"

That at least got a small cheer from everyone, and we all got up to leave at our own paces. Normally I'd be doing the same. Today however…

"Do you have anything like this back home, Six?"

I turned to look at the seat to the left of mine, and found Ruby sitting there, giving me a friendly smile.

"Like what, the festival?" I asked, standing up

"Yeah." Ruby said joining me "I know you're from a… well... y'know."

"A wasteland?" Weiss offered, standing from the seat just past Ruby.

"Shh!" Ruby hissed, suddenly turning to face her partner "It's supposed to be a secret!"

"Making a bigger deal about it just makes it more noticeable." I groused "Also, relax. Most people who'd overhear us would probably take it to mean I'm from Vacuo or something."

Something I'd only pieced together after having spent a few weeks learning about Remnant, sadly.

"Oh… well, do you?" Ruby asked.

I shrugged "One or two things, I suppose. But from everything I've seen, none of it's quite like this. For the most part it's just an excuse to sit around and eat, if you've got the supplies to do it."

"Sounds a lot like the solstice festivals." Yang said, joining in. She was followed closely by Blake, who had her nose buried in a book.

"Solstice?" I asked "You mean like the changing of the seasons?"

"Yep!" Ruby confirmed "The two largest ones happen in summer and winter. But I know dad always makes a big meal for autumn, and a bonfire for spring."

"Neat." I said, nodding.

We started out of the classroom and back into the Academy's myriad of hallways. As we did, I couldn't help but notice Ruby was carrying a large, and rather thick, binder with her.

"What's that for?"

"You'll see~" Ruby said playfully.

"So, what now?" Yang asked "We got the rest of the day off."

"I've got a plan" Ruby answered "-and it starts with lunch!"

"Sounds nice, hope you have a good time." I said.

"We will!" Ruby announced.

I turned and made tracks towards Ozpin's office. I wasn't going to put thi-

"… HEY, WAIT A SECOND!"

'Aw dammit.'

Rather than wait, I just picked up the pace, hoping I could put enough space between us that I wouldn't get dragged into Ruby had planned.

I should've known better by this point.

Rather than just let me go, Ruby proceeded to sprint past me, and try to bar my path.

"Seriously Ruby?" I asked "I've got stuff to do, I don't have time to goof off."

"It's just for the afternoon, we'll get back to all the school stuff tomorrow."

"It's not school related Ruby, it's about getting home."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"I agree with Ruby." Weiss said "If you've already been here this long, one more day shouldn't make that much of a difference, should it?"

"Maybe, but I still need to have words with Ozpin and see how much longer it's going to take."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"You can at least stop and have lunch you know." Yang said.

"Just like you know I'm not actually going to be able to eat anything."

"Just let him go." Blake said, nose still buried in her book. "He doesn't want to join us, there's no point in forcing him to."

"Thank you Blake." I said.

"But I had a whole day planned!" Ruby whined "Can't you at least just sit with us?"

I started to keep walking, preparing to say something along the lines of 'I've got too much to do'.

But I stopped instead. Truth was, I actually didn't have much to do at the moment now that classes were back in full swing. Though the stimpacks still needed perfecting, the labs would be full of students again, so that was going to have to fall to the back burner again. I'd completed my other side project yesterday as well, so that wasn't stalling me. My studies into dust and aura, though only cursory, could become more in-depth now that classes were going again. So no rush there. My cattle prod still needed fixing, but that could be saved for another day. Even my little garden was still a few days off from being ready to harvest.

Barring my much-needed conversation with Ozpin and Goodwitch, because she was always there, I had nothing immediately pressing. There wasn't stopping me from joining them.

Not even the truth about where I'd come from.

"… You know what, sure." I shrugged "I guess I can spare a few minutes to sit around and watch you eat lunch."

"Excellent~" Ruby said, a mischievous smile on her face.

"… On second thought-"

"No take backs!" Ruby said, switching from blocking my way to running ahead.

I stared after her for a moment, before turning to the rest of my teammates. "Should I be worried?"

The most I got out of any of them was a shrug, or a playful smile from Yang, before they followed after Ruby.

'… that's not really an answer.'

…

The cafeteria was fairly full when we got there, and only got more so while we sat. If I had my facts correct, this was about the time the influx of foreign students was going to be kicked into overdrive. Which made sense, we were probably going to start seeing more unfamiliar faces before long.

My team and I were seated at a table to the far left of the massive hall, a short distance to the windows and outer wall. Weiss, Blake, and Yang being on the side closest to it, with me and Ruby seated across from them. We'd even bumped into JNPR on the way in, and they in turn were seated at the next table out from the wall.

They hadn't grabbed much to eat, just a few trays holding odds and ends. Some fruits and vegetables, a sandwich or two, small things.

"So Six" Ruby asked, popping a small fruit into her mouth "Why'd you change your mind?"

I shrugged "Turns out I didn't have much to do besides talk to Ozpin, figured I could put it off until this afternoon."

"Aw, don't lie." Yang said, giving me a playful smile "You're warming up to us."

"I most certainly am not." I said, plucking one of the small fruits from the tray. I believe they were grapes "In fact, after the past few days, I dare say that we backslid just a smidge."

"Which is why you're sitting here anyway." Weiss said, nursing a cup of coffee "Even though you've never had any problem ignoring/blowing us off before."

"… Point."

Weiss gave me a satisfied little smile and sipped from her drink.

A peaceful air settled over the table for a moment. After what'd felt like a chaotic few days, I finally had a moment to just relax and ruminate in friendly company. Though I'd rebuffed them when they'd said it, the truth was I did feel more comfortable around them now, not having to hide where I'm from. Maybe there'd be more trouble from that before long, but at that moment, it wasn't my concern.

I leaned over the table slightly and Peered at Blake's book. It was actually a notebook, if the lined paper and hand scrawled markings were any indicator. But I couldn't make any of it out. Not because I couldn't understand the language anymore, but because it was upside down. As well as written in tight-knit cursive. It was basically fancy chicken scratch. But there were some sketches to, not that I could make them out either. One appeared to be a flower, and the other the White Fang insignia.

Clearly, I wasn't the only one interested either, since Yang slid close to her partner, bumping into and startling her.

"… What'cha doing?" I asked, playful smile on her face

"N-nothing!" Blake said quickly, eyes wide with surprise "Just going over some notes from last semester."

"What subject?" I asked.

"Um… history?"

From behind me, and what could only guess was JNPR's table, a small grape flew into view. It sailed gracefully over the table, and Yang caught it in her mouth.

"Lame!" Yang said, mouth full of fruit.

I looked over my shoulder and confirmed that, yes, the grape did come from JNPR's table. As evidenced by the fact that Nora was loading another one onto a spoon. Which she then catapulted across the two tables for Yang to catch, which she did.

As I was turning back to re-settle in my seat though, I watched as Ruby stood up and moved to the head of the table, still carrying that massive white binder.

Which she proceeded to slam against the tabletop.

I finally got a better look at it and saw that she'd scribbled out whatever'd been originally written on the front. In its place having written, in bold letters, 'BEST DAY EVER ACTIVITIES!'.

Ruby cleared her throat, a mischievous look on her face. "Sisters! Friends!... Snowflake."

"Hey!" Weiss called.

'Ha! It caught on!'

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream!" Ruby continued.

"This ought to be good." Yang said, catching another piece of fruit in her mouth, this time a small red one. Perhaps a tar or straw-berry.

"A dream that the five of us would come together- as a team- to have the most fun anyone has ever had… EVER!"

"… Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked scrutinizing the organizational implement.

"… I am not a crook!" Ruby said, flashing two peace signs and giving a light hearted smile.

"I feel like you've stolen half of what you've said from somewhere." I said, feeling a strange sense of confused recognition "But for the life of me I can't tell from where or how… also, what?"

Ruby jabbed a finger at me, not losing her chipper disposition. "I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!"

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang!" Yang said emphatically, looking to the rest of us for approval.

She was met with naught but scorn.

Plus an apple that Nora threw at her, bopping her on the nose.

"Look, guys-" Ruby said, ignoring her sister's pun "It's been a crazy two weeks, with being stuck on campus for the summer, foiling robberies, and finding out one of our teammates is an ali-"

"foreigner." I clarified.

"-foreigner. And between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be amazing!"

"I think you mean insane, Ruby." I offered, scratching my neck.

"Oh don't be like that." Ruby said, still not losing her chipper edge "Anyway, classes start back up tomorrow, and that's why I've taken the liberty of scheduling a series of wonderful events for us today!"

"… That sounds like a wordy way of saying 'Team building exercise.'"

"I agree with Six." Weiss said, then grimacing "Hm, that felt weird to say."

Incensed by the apple to the nose, Yang picked the piece of fruit back up and hocked it back across the table at Nora.

"I think I'll sit this out too." Blake said.

"Aw~" Ruby whined "But I spent all night planning~"

"Sorry tiny." I said, getting just about ready to leave "But I've got things to do, and while I can't speak for Blake, you can't force people to participate."

"Sit out or not, I think however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team." Weiss said, in a rare moment of camaraderie.

"That's real sweet snowflake, you ought to consider public speaking."

Undeterred by my ribbing, Weiss stood up, looking ready to speak her mind.

"I for one-"

*SPLAT*

She was interrupted by a pie to the face.

From what I could piece together, Yang and Nora's little back and forth had escalated from fruit to baked goods, as now evidenced by the crème-based pastry that now coated Weiss's face.

I turned to look over my shoulder and found Team JNPR frozen in shock. The sole exception of Nora, who just had a guilty look on her face.

"… You really ought to work on your aim pancake, Yang's on the other side of Blake."

I looked back to Weiss, who proceeded to wipe the crème away from her eyes. She looked for surprised for a moment. Then she took a napkin and wiped her face off completely.

Nope, she was angry.

"Why you-" Weiss grumbled, picking up a plate of food from the tray in front of her.

"Now hold on snowflake, let's not do anything-"

She threw it across the tables and, proving her aim was worse than Nora's, hit Jaune in the head.

"-Rash."

Both sides looked at each other for a moment, and I could practically feel the lightning crackling off of everyone.

'Aw hell'

"FOOD FIGHT!" Nora bellowed.

In a smeared blur of food and drink, the two sides assaulted one another. With me caught in the immediate crossfire due to no other reason than my present geography. I was struck with two sandwiches and a fistful of grapes before I had the presence of mind to dive out from between them, and scramble a little further down the hall. I came to my feet and turned to watch the carnage further escalate as Nora picked up and threw Jaune at my teammates. Miraculously, she overshot them and he hit the windows instead.

My teammates however, overshot JNPR in turn, and the foodstuffs collided with the students that were presently uninvolved in their scuffle. This just seemed to incense everyone though, and the fighting grew ever larger as more of the hall's occupants were drawn in. Soon, people who hadn't even been involved with the initial hostilities were drawn in and pelting each other with whatever they could get their hands on. Which wouldn't have been a problem, if it hadn't served to cut me off from the exit and drive me further into the dining hall.

Rather than wait to get drawn in though, I gauged the distance between myself and the back of the hall and made a break for it. No building ever just had one entrance, not if they were built to any form of safety code, anyway. It soon became that I was fighting the crowd, however. The students who were like myself, and wanted to get out before things went further south, began pushing back towards the entrance. Regardless of the fact that it would put them right in the path of the conflict. They slowed me down, and I could practically feel the fight growing more frenzied behind me. I felt food and drink from the conflict spattering my back.

The back wall of the hall was closing in, I only needed to get a little further. It was about then that the crowd parted ways from me.

Then I was struck by a table. The whole thing.

The damn thing hit my back hard enough to knock me off my feet and send me flying forward. I tried to roll with the impact, so I didn't wind up sprawled and trampled on the floor. But that's hard to do when you're hit by a table flying through the air faster than you're running. I managed to at least put myself into a spin, so when I touched down it didn't hurt as much. I tucked in close to myself and stayed that way as I rolled across the floor. I collided with something solid, but I felt it give way with only a modicum of resistance. I slid across the floor for a short distance more, and came to a gentle stop when I hit a wall.

Or more accurately, a row of cabinets

It took a second for the world to stop spinning. There was a small warbling as my aura shattered from the impact. But as the world evened out, the change in scenery revealed I'd been aided in my goal of escaping the frenzy. The table had blown me into the kitchen at the back of the hall. There were a number of cooks, both human and faunus, who were milling about the kitchen. My sudden entrance seemed to have surprised them, but the still audible frenzy hadn't.

I sat up, using the cabinets for support.

"You alright?" One of the cooks asked, a tawny man with long, doglike ears running down the side of his head.

"'m good." I grunted, getting up "You got a back way out of here?"

The cook eyed me curiously for a moment, then pointed a finger towards the back wall. There was a fairly standard looking door with a glowing exit sign above it.

I leaned on the countertop for support, recovering from getting slammed with a table. As soon as I could move, I could just walk over to it and get on with my day. It was the smart move, considering I had yet to talk to Ozpin, and I was already smattered with the remnants of food.

As I stood there though, I let my eyes wander around the kitchen. A picture of perfect chaos. Cooks moving to and fro amid tables and stoves, carrying food in various stages of being finished. Much of it was the same dishes being repeated ad nauseum. This was a kitchen intended to feed hundreds of people at a time after all, they didn't have the time or resources to stray far from the day's menu. Trays of food and racks of bread were ready to be served by the dozens. But even beside them, there were smaller dishes being prepared. Salads and soups, stews, simmered and seared to succulent perfection. Pastry fresh and fragrant from the oven. Fruit, ripe and plump, ready to be eaten.

It was a thing of glory.

It was a thing of beauty.

It was…

"It's an armory." I said.

"Pardon?" The cook asked.

I ignored him and stared at the kitchen.

I really had nothing to gain from turning back and joining the fray. I could easily just get on with my day… But I did have things to get even for.

And where's the fun in walking away?

'… Screw it, nobody hits me with a table and gets away with it.'

Feeling solid enough to move, I stopped leaning on the countertop and waded into the chaos of the kitchen. I wasn't sure what to grab. There were a lot of options, and I wasn't sure what was going to be the smartest option. Especially considering I was going up against people who apparently had no issue throwing tables at one another. Bearing that in mind though, I tried to keep what I was grabbing simple and light. A lengthy coil of smoked sausages. A pair of long and thin loaves of bread. A couple of containers filled with a brown, sludge like substance. A trio of bananas. A few cans of soda. A bottle of this red sauce called 'Catch-up', and to top it all off, a large roasted bird. I had no clue how I was going to use it, but hey, if we were already wasting food for something like this then I might as well.

I affixed the foodstuff within easy grabbing distance of my hands, and did a quick test to make sure my movement wasn't impeded. I was awarded with the bewildered gazes of the many cooks present. I was ready.

Before anyone could question me, I turned and ran for the door back to the dining hall.

I was rewarded for my choice with a mountain of tables.

In front of me, by no more than twenty feet, someone had haphazardly stacked a dozen or so vacated tables on top of one another. Forming them in the rough shape of a mountain. Light streamed in through the windows overhead.

Standing atop the mountain was Nora, with Ren and Pyrrha further down on one side, and Jaune on the other. Beyond them though, I couldn't see much of the rest of the room. The tables made better barricades than doors.

"AH HA HA HA!" Nora laughed from her position "I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE! I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!"

'Not for long you ain't.'

The tables may have been stacked without care, but that wasn't enough to stop me. I was an Acrobatic Marvel; it would've only stopped me if it was a sheer wall.

I bounded up the mountain of tables, having decided on a use for my bird.

Ahead of me, I could hear Ruby rallying.

"JUSTICE WILL BE SWIFT!" She cried "JUSTICE WILL BE PAINFUL!... IT WILL BE-"

I bounded up the last table, just behind Nora. She turned to look over her shoulder as I leapt up.

I slammed the bird down onto her head, lodging her head into the bird's cavity. I didn't stay still though, I leapt backwards off of the table, rolling in controlled fashion through the air. I caught another table on the way down and sprang off it with both hands. I twisted in the air as I did, hurling a can of soda at Ren and Pyrrha. If the brief look of their faces I got was accurate, they hadn't expected me to suddenly appear. Nor did they expect the soda to explode and shower them with artificially flavored syrup and water.

I plummeted toward the ground, and landed a bit rough, having to roll with the impact. I stopped just in front of a table loaded with these melons.

I rolled to a knee, turned at the hip, and flung a banana at Jaune. Its natural curve causing the fruit to arc through the air and connect with Jaune's head.

I turned and looked at my teammates who were staring agape.

"…delicious?" I inquired, finishing Ruby's sentence.

I was met with a roar of triumph from my teammates. They took that as their cue to charge, grabbing food as they ran.

I, in turn, ran at them. Putting some distance between me and JNPR. I knew they'd retaliate as soon as they'd recovered.

I was quickly proven right, when a volley of melons came crashing down around me.

I came to a stop and turned on my heel. At the same time, Yang and Blake went flying past me, Yang with two more of those large birds on either fist. Any melon that came careening out of the sky towards her, she punched and shattered into messy chunks. Using the window bought for her by Yang, Blake dove through the salvo, and retrieved two loaves of bread from the floor. She stayed low and charge forward, a loaf in each hand.

The salvo cleared, Yang made a punch motion as she would when using Ember Celica, launch the birds forward at break neck speed. The roasted fowl flew past Blake and collided with Jaune in the distance, one in the chest and the other in the head. The boy flew backwards, the impact far greater than one would've imagined.

Next to him though, Pyrrha just grimaced and charged, wielding a loaf of bread of her own.

The two collided in a flurry of blows, loaves of bread connecting and glancing off of each other like they were blades.

It was about then that Nora ripped the bird off of her head.

From her spot on top of the 'castle', I saw Nora rip the bird in two and peel it off her head. Her face and hair were now thoroughly soaked with grease and fat. But she just stared down at all of us with that manic grin of hers.

She leapt off the mountain of tables, reaching for the ceiling, and grabbed a wall decoration on the way down. She broke it free and rammed it into a mellow, producing a makeshift hammer. Ren joined her quickly, and the two came rushing at me and Yang.

Ruby and Weiss chose then to act, darting past me and Yang to meet Nora and Ren head on.

It didn't end well for them.

As they ran, Ruby grabbed a tray, and Weiss grabbed another bottle of 'catch-up'. She used it to slick the floor before them, both to trip up Ren and Nora, and to provide Ruby a surface to use the tray on. Because rather than use it to hit people, she instead used it like a sled and attempted to steamroll through them.

What happened instead, was that Ren tripped and continued sliding forward himself, colliding with Ruby along the way. His momentum didn't cancel hers though, and While Ren went flying past Ruby, Weiss, and Yang and me, Ruby slid the rest of the way forward on her face.

She petered to a stop right in front of Nora.

Who proceeded to use her new found 'hammer' like a golf club, and launch Ruby right after Ren.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted

Weiss, for her part, picked up a bizarre, sword like fish from the ground and charged Nora with her glyphs. Nora swung her melon hammer and Weiss danced around it gracefully, narrowly dodging each successive swing at a hair's breadth.

"Weiss, catch!" I shouted pulling the bottle of 'catch-up' from my person.

My shout got Weiss's attention long enough for me to hock the bottle at her. She narrowly avoided another swing of the hammer and snatched the red bottle from the air. With a flourish, she unloaded the bottle's contents into Nora's face.

Nora let out a squawk and back-pedaled swinging her hammer blindly. Weiss pushed her assault deeper, continuing to avoid the hammer blows. She began to needle Nora with her fish, using her blinded state to misdirect Nora's swings and guide her.

I had an idea.

"Yang, go help kitten." I said, pulling the loaves of bread from my back.

Yang eyed me for a second, then got a cock-sure grin and charged ahead towards her partner. I in turn ran to go help Weiss. I closed the distance, took aim, and tossed a loaf of the bread like a javelin at Nora. Unable to see it coming, the loaf of carbs connected with her head and sent her reeling

"Weiss!" I shouted, getting her attention.

Snowflake looked to me and I motioned to Nora, then to the three-way fight between Yang, Blake, and Pyrrha. Weiss stared for a second, then nodded, seeming to get the idea.

It was a pretty simple one after all.

Nora stopped swinging wildly, and swiped at her eyes with the back of her arm. She smeared the 'catch-up' from her eyes and got a look of the situation. She just gave own of her patented manic grins.

"I've been waiting for this." She growled in fierce determination.

"Good." I said, drawing my remaining loaf of bread.

Nora ignored Weiss completely and lunged at me swinging her hammer overhead. I dipped to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike as the melon-head shattered against the floor. I struck her in the small of her back as I passed, then took a few steps back before she could strike back. She swung the handle of her hammer and narrowly avoided clipping me. She then swung the handle around in her hand, and slammed it into another melon, returning her to full capacity.

Weiss didn't skip a beat though, and threw another glyph empowered thrust at her. She struck true, and spun Nora to face her.

Putting her in line with Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang.

I struck Nora from behind with my loaf again, grazing the back of her right thigh. I dove forward after the strike, aiming to stay ahead of her.

Sadly, Nora dove with me.

Unlike me though, she did so while readying to attack, and swung at me on the horizontal. Before the hammer could connect though, a sudden force grabbed me and launched me just outside of Nora's reach.

A brief glance revealed it'd been one of Weiss's glyphs.

Which had also left Weiss wide open for Nora's strike.

I tried to intervene; I threw my bread at her hoping for another stutter. But it didn't happen. Nora just slammed both the bread and Weiss with her hammer strike. The bread broke, and Weiss went flying like she been caught in a bomb blast. She flew to the far end of the hall and impact a decorative stone pillar. Which broke on impact.

I was suddenly very glad she'd decided to save me.

My gaze moved back to Nora, who smiled ferociously and gave a flourish of her hammer.

"Just you and me." She said.

I gave a look over my shoulder. Yang and Blake were still so far away.

"… Right." I growled, drawing my coil of sausages. I gave it a flourish and heard a near whip-like crack from it. "Bring it."

She did. Nora dove at me with another horizontal swing. I managed to dip past it, but she spun the handle about her shoulders and head, effortlessly bring the hammer a full 360 for another swing. I barely managed to keep ahead of it that time, and as she repeated the motion, she brought the hammer into a downward swing.

I couldn't avoid it, not all of it. The head hit the ground, and a shockwave hit me that almost blew me away like it did Weiss. But I reacted better than Weiss. I whipped my links and caught them around the handle of her hammer. My grip was good enough, and the food strong enough that I was prevented from going flying, and I managed to pull Nora off balance.

'I seriously have to wonder if it's safe for everyone to be eating this stuff.'

The shockwave past, I sprang at Nora drawing one of the cups of sludge. While she was off balance, I got in close and mashed its contents into her face.

"That's for chasing me out a window!" I shouted.

Blinded again, Nora swung wildly at me, charging forward as I struggled to get out of range and ahead of her.

It was at that moment Ren rejoined the fray.

He came charging out of left field holding a pair of these leafy vegetables with white stalks. He was smart enough to stay out of Nora's range, but was trying to keep me trapped in it. I gave a small flourish of my meat whip to keep him back, then snapped it back to him. The links caught around one of his legs and I pulled him into distance. He obliged, and leapt at me with a kick.

I dodged, and lost a grip on my sausages. Leaving me low on arms. Ren and Nora were closing in on me, and I was still a good fifteen feet away from the other three. I opened VATs, time slowed. I tried to scan in my frozen vision for anything that would work.

There was a fish next to my foot.

I released VATs and hurled a banana at Ren to keep him at distance. I grabbed the fish.

It was a large, scaly thing. Easily four and a half feet long, six inches thick at the gills and heavy. It had red fins and speckled yellow gold color.

I grabbed it by the tail and spinal fins, and began back pedaling.

Nora cleared her face again, and she and Ren rushed me.

In a moment that will live forever in infamy, to me at least, I did something mid-flight that amazed me.

I used my brain.

I took out my last banana and tossed it on the floor in front of Ren and Nora.

Nora stepped on it, flattened it, and her feet went out from underneath her. Her hammer clipped Ren's legs as she did, and he stumbled forward, but didn't fall. It was good enough though; I closed the distance between me and Ren quickly. I sidestepped him, spun with the fish and threw everything and the kitchen sink behind it.

I hit Ren in the back and he flew into the fray between Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang. Yang, not missing a beat, saw him coming and bopped him in the face with another roasted bird.

"This is for knocking me out!" I shouted, grabbing Nora by the back of her uniform. I picked her up and charged headlong into the fray with her like battering ram.

Blake and Yang saw me coming, miraculously, and split from Ren and Pyrrha.

With a grunt, I tossed the orange haired girl into her teammates. Funnily enough, she gave a squeal of delight the whole way, so she was apparently getting a kick out of it. She collided with them, and they all hit the floor. Not missing a step, I pulled another can of soda from my pocket, shook it, and tossed it at the three of them. Dousing them once more in saccharine beverage.

"That's for stripping me!" I shouted.

Pyrrha was the first to recover, and I prepared for anything she could throw at me.

I watched as every unattended can of soda in the room lifted into the air and began to coil behind her into two massive tendrils.

I hadn't been ready for that.

"What the fuck?" I asked, now very cautiously taking a step back.

Sadly Pyrrha never got to demonstrate what she was going to do with all of those cans. Because at that particular moment, Ruby chose to fly past us. Doing that thing where she trails rose petals behind her.

"Watch out!" She called out.

Except normally when she does it, she isn't moving so fast she causes a tail wind that picks up object around her.

She was this time. Pulling Me, Yang, Blake Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora off the ground and into the air, along with almost every other object in the room. I'm almost certain she got Jaune too.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

We all hit the wall on the far side of the hall haphazardly. Face forward, upside-down, on our sides, the winds so strong they pinned us there.

Then the food started hammering us.

And the dishes.

And the chairs.

AND THE TABLES.

I was really regretting having lost my aura right then.

But when the winds finally passed, there was a moment when nothing was pelting us and we were stuck to the wall by little more than friction.

Then that gave way too, and we all flopped to the floor from about twenty feet up.

'Knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning.'

It took all of us a moment to get off the floor. But I'm almost certain the consensus at that point was that the fight was over.

I slowly got to my feet, thoroughly soaked in gravy, soda, greens, and every other food from that day. I messily wiped it from the goggles of my gas mask and looked around at the other combatants.

They were in just as bad of shape as I was.

In front of us, Ruby came up to her feet from a crouch, looking nearly pristine and a touch guilty.

I glared at her.

"… I said to watch out." She said, apologetic "Sorry"

I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Apology accepted"

I then pulled the last can of soda out of my pocket, and poured it over her head. The look of shock on her face was priceless.

"Agh! Grape!" She sputtered, trying to escape my grasp as I emptied the can.

"And this is for tying me to a chair." I said flatly.

The can emptied, and I tossed it amongst the rest of the refuse. Ruby shot me a glare, her cheeks puffing up in frustration.

I just chuckled, and pulled a wad of paper from the stuff around us.

"Napkin?"

She glared at me a moment longer, then pulled the napkin from my hand and wiped her face off. It was then that Weiss finally reappeared, having been rammed into a pillar. She was covered head to toe in dust and stone chips.

"You ok?" I asked.

She nodded, brushing off the remnants of masonry.

"… Thanks." I said.

I pulled another napkin from the rubble, poured some water from my canteen, and held it out for her. She eyed it for a moment, then took it anyway.

I nodded, and looked out over the damage we'd caused. The hall was a wreck. Ruby had blown the majority of the furniture to the far side with us, but whatever she hadn't was still upended and strewn about. There was food smeared everywhere, broken dishware embedded in the walls, and one of the columns near the entrance had been demolished.

Also near the entrance however, were two people. One of them looked vaguely familiar, and the other was smattered with purple stuff and completely unrecognizable.

"… Is that Sun down there?" I asked.

"Who?" Jaune asked.

Ruby turned around and, to answer my question, gave a friendly wave. Sun gave her one right back.

Then Goodwitch slammed the doors open. Followed closely by Ozpin.

'Oh. Joy. Reality finally decided to show up.'

With a flick of her riding crop, the various misplaced objects began to fly back to their original locations. They moved with surprising deftness, mostly avoiding slamming into each other unnecessarily. It didn't take long either, we'd spent longer wrecking the place than she did putting it to rights. Less than maybe ten seconds after she'd walked in, the place was spick and span once more. Even the column had been reassembled.

'… Ok, I give, I'm going to need to ask somebody about this stuff.'

Having finished her work, Goodwitch began to angrily stalk up to us.

"Children, please-" She started "Do not play with your food."

My teammates and JNPR wilted a little, and slunk away to some nearby benches. They seemed a touch embarrassed. Whether that things had escalated this much or that Goodwitch had gotten involved, I had no clue. But it clearly didn't last long, because then they went about talking with one another. As for me though, I had business to conduct, mess or no.

I walked up to the two of them as they talked, watching my teammates and JNPR.

'-supposed to be the defenders of the world." Goodwitch sighed, frustrated.

"And they will be, but right now they're still children." Ozpin said "So why not let them play the part?"

"He's right you know." I said, officially joining them "There's going to be a day when times like this'll be scarce. Let them have it."

Goodwitch said nothing, but Ozpin gave me a knowing nod.

"Is there something we can help you with mister Six?" Goodwitch asked, clearly trying to find an even tone.

"Possibly. We need to have a talk."

"Is this a private matter?" Ozpin asked.

I turned and looked over my shoulder at my friends, they were in better spirits now.

"… Less of one than it was a week ago, but I'd rather not spoil the mood."

…

We walked in silence back to Ozpin's office in relative silence. There wasn't much for us to talk about in public anyway. I really couldn't care less about the weather, and something told me Ozpin and Goodwitch had bigger concerns than what the current price of an SDC share was. The only thing I'd really wished they'd let me do was get changed. Walking around in clothes stained with the remnants of meals past was uncomfortable. But it also didn't take long for us to get to Ozpin's office, so it was little more than an inconvenience really.

We rode the elevator up to his office, and got situated in the usual spots. Ozpin behind his desk, seated in his, surprisingly phallic, chair. Goodwitch close to his side. Then me, across the desk from the both of them, standing.

"So then, Mister Six." Ozpin said, pouring himself a cup of coffee "What is it you wished to discuss?"

"I think you can take a guess." I said.

"Perhaps, but rather than assuming, I'd rather it be clarified."

"… Alright." I sighed "I'll be frank, how close are you to getting me home?"

Ozpin eyed me for a moment, then took a swig from his mug "Working actively."

"That's not what I mean, Ozpin."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I mean: What kind of time frame am I looking at?" I asked, chopping one hand into the other "How far along are we, what issues are standing in the way, what can I do to help, and when can I expect a delivery date?"

Ozpin gave me an impassive look. "… We're working diligently Mister Six." I said, calm.

"That's not the answer I'm looking for." I said.

"I know." Ozpin said, sighing "And that is because, I'm afraid, the answer I have to give you is one you're not going to appreciate."

I could feel my heart sinking a little. "You better not be about to say what I think you are."

Ozpin fixed me with a calm, tired look. "We're trying, Mister Six. But you must understand, the means by which you arrived here are not so easily replicated. You claim that it was a piece of technology from before your world's war that brought you here. But just because your world's chief engineers and scientists were able to perform such a thing, does not mean we have yet to reach the same point."

"Oz, don't you dare-"

"I'm saying-" Oz continued, a touch more firm "That, as harsh as it may sound, you need to begin considering the fact that you may be stuck here for far longer than you would like."

Translation: We can't get you home.

I stared at Oz for a moment, torn somewhere between anger and a growing pit of distress. On some level, I had been fearing something like this, but wasn't about to acknowledge it. I still wasn't.

I let the anger win out.

"I've been here for nearly four months." I growled, letting a little heat slip out "You're only now telling me you can't get me home?"

"I'm not saying we can't." Ozpin continued calmly "But you must understand, the technology to do what you're asking, even to the most advanced of engineers, doesn't exist."

"That's a fancy way of saying you've been lying to my face this entire time."

For the first time I could remember, Ozpin glared at me. For the briefest of instants, the calm demeanor he carried himself with vanished. What replaced it, was a kind of fierce, determined heat that I could recognize from the face of some survivors in the Mojave. But there was something different about it. Something… stronger, akin to the difference between a campfire and a blowtorch.

But it only lasted a moment. Then it was gone, replaced by the usual calm I expected from this school's headmaster.

"I have not been lying to you." Ozpin said, calm, soothing "I intend to get you home. I gave you my word that I would, and I will."

"… I'm afraid, that's not something you have the power to promise me." I said, considering my words.

"I will."

We considered each other for a moment. We'd effectively worked our way into a strange situation. I couldn't trust Ozpin was actually going to be able to get me home. But, for a moment, the headmaster had shown a level of resolve I hadn't expected. Something that made me want to believe he could. But perhaps that was just me grasping at straws.

"… I'll say it again." I said, a touch more on guard "If you are going to get me home, is there any way I can expedite it?"

"There is." Ozpin answered "But you would need to trust me first."

I thought about it for a moment, curious to see if I could piece together what he was going to ask me before he did it.

"… You want to see the machine, don't you?" I asked, surmising what he was going to ask.

Ozpin nodded "If we have something to start from, we might have better luck getting past the conceptual stage of things. But, as I'm sure you're more than willing to say-"

"That's not happening." I said, realizing a moment to late I'd walked right into it.

"… Quite." Ozpin said, smiling "I understand that you've got your reasons, Mister Six. But if you truly wish to get home, you must be willing to extend some degree of faith to me."

"I'm not withholding my technology and weapons purely out of mistrust, Ozpin." I say, choosing careful wording "You need to understand, my world burned. I may not have many of the things that caused it with me, but may caution is justified."

"You believe we would misuse what you show us?"

"Yes."

The bluntness of my answer seemed to take both Goodwitch and Ozpin by surprise.

"You're fighting a war against creatures that don't share human limitations. Regularly facing extinction when something goes wrong and backsliding to recover. Hoping everyday isn't the one where the Grimm finally breakdown the gates and make lunch out of everyone. I'm familiar with your situation. So, yes, I have a fear that you might misuse any technology I lend to you."

"… I see." Ozpin said, studying me.

"… This is also aside from the obvious fact I may not get it back, of course."

Ozpin stared at me a moment longer, then gave a light chuckle. "I am continually surprised."

"By what?"

"The depth of your character. There have been times where I assume your only goal is to return to your world."

"It is." I clarified.

"Yet you act with great caution, ensuring that your goals and actions do not carry backlash on those around you. I can think of many who would not do so."

"Yeah?" I asked "Well, just because I want to go home doesn't inherently mean I want to screw everyone else over. We're all just trying to survive, at the end of the day."

"More so than you may ever know." Ozpin said, giving a soft smile "But, the fact remains: There is no knowing when you may return home. If we are to work from nothing, then you may well have to accept that you're stay here may be a permanent one."

I felt a tightness in my chest at those words. I couldn't stay here. I needed to get back to the Mojave.

I couldn't leave Cass.

I felt my fist clench, and I looked away from Ozpin and Goodwitch, thoughts drifting.

"… Think on this:" Ozpin said "We only require to see the machine that brought you here to begin work on sending you home. No more, no less. If you truly wish to return home, then you must be willing to show some trust."

The sad part: he had a point.

But he also underestimated the danger of the TPPT. Assuming it functioned as intended, as an actual time-machine, that would make it the most dangerous weapon of all.

But it was the only hope I had of getting home.

"… I'll think on it." I said "I promise no more than that."

Ozpin nodded, accepting the concession. No malice or ill-will visible. After all, the only person at risk of losing here was me. Either from my choice choosing not to trust, or from choosing to potentially misplace it.

Fucking catch-22's.

Why couldn't anything ever be as simple as hunting legionnaires? At least then it wasn't a game of morals and ethical quandaries of trust.

"Do you have anything else you would wish to discuss?" Goodwitch asked.

"… Yeah, actually." I said, looking at her "What is with you two and withholding information? It feels like anytime I try to ask either of you something of importance, you either stonewall me or deliver bad news."

"We're allowing you to understand the world at your own pace." Goodwitch provided "By your own actions, you've shown that trying to inform you of anything results in your own skepticism."

"I've been making strides to fix that." I said "But you could've said something before you allowed Yang to punch me through a wall."

If I didn't know any better, I could've sworn I saw Ozpin chuckling.

"Again, your own skepticism regarding aura made such actions necessary. It's by your own choices that it escalated that far."

"Well if you'd stopped talking flowery bullshit for a minute, I may have believed you."

"If you'd been more active in your studies, you'd have known better."

"If you weren't a crappy teacher, I might've started sooner."

Goodwitch glared at me "I have aided more huntsmen and huntresses pass through the halls of Beacon than you will ever know."

"Yes, because I'm sure your winning personality didn't just drive students to leave as soon as possible."

Goodwitch's eyes lit with an infuriated light and I could hear her riding crop creak as she squeezed the handle tighter.

"But hey, when you're in a class that lets people shoot one another, I suppose the teacher would have to be a touch batsh-"

"That is quite enough, the both of you." Ozpin broke in, looking to both me and Glynda. We in turn looked at him. "Mister Six, you will address Professor Goodwitch with more respect than that. I know you're capable of it."

"I've only got respect for the people I think deserve it." I growled.

"Then perhaps you ought to find a reason." Ozpin spoke, stern. He then turned to Glynda "I expect better than that from you as well Glynda. I'm well aware that Mister Six is not easy to work with, but this must come to an end."

"Good luck with that."

"Mister Six." Ozpin said, staring intently at me "If the next words you or Ms. Goodwitch speak are anything beyond a mutual apology, Then I will find a fitting punishment for the both of you."

Both me and Goodwitch glared at Ozpin for a moment, then back to each other.

"… Fine then." I said, curt "I'm sorry professor Goodwitch, I hope we can both be the best of friends from here on… Here, have a cup of sludge."

With little warning, I pulled one of the remaining containers of brown sludge from my pocket and tossed it underhand at Goodwitch. It stopped in the air just in front of her.

"… This is pudding, mister Six." Goodwitch clarified, expression deadpan.

"… Huh, so that's what it is."

Goodwitch motioned her riding crop down, and the cup rapidly descended to the floor. "Mister Six… I-"

The cup collided with the floor and produced a wet *pop*. Goodwitch had unconsciously slammed it into the floor and caused it to expel its contents violently. So violently, in fact, that the majority of it shot back upwards.

Only this time, without a convenient container for her to catch.

The sludgy pudding sprayed all across her. Speckling her blouse and chest, and coating her face in a thick sheet of dark brown dessert.

Silence fell over the three of us.

With a clean finger, Goodwitch smeared the pudding off of the lenses of her glasses. She then fixed me with a glare that could've melted steel.

"… Oh you cannot be blaming that on me!" I shouted "You did that to yourself!"

…

She blamed me anyway. Which was complete bullshit.

Ozpin had actually chosen to take my side, surprisingly, and had tried to talk her down.

It didn't help, I was getting punished anyway.

Goodwitch practically dragged me back to the dorms and forced me grab the cot from my closet.

We were both now standing in my teammates room. I with my cot in hand, and Goodwitch having removed almost all of the pudding from her person. Though I did notice a thin coating near her hairline she'd missed.

"It has come to the attention of both Headmaster Ozpin and myself that one of your teammates has been sleeping separate from the rest of you." Goodwitch spoke. "Though we've allowed it for some time now, we've come to the conclusion we can no longer allow it to continue."

"What!?" Weiss shouted.

"I'm afraid-" Goodwitch continued "- That this prolonged separation has prevented cohesion between you as a team, and is reflecting poorly on your leader as a result."

Ruby shrank just a bit, which actually pissed me off to a degree. Take out your anger on me, but leave my team out of it.

"To remedy this, we are now enforcing that Mister Six room with you. So that you may better discipline and work with him.

"But there's hardly enough room for all of us to begin with!" Weiss continued.

"As I've noticed." Goodwitch eyed the jury-rigged bunk beds I'd helped make once upon a time "We'll enable him to keep his personal effects where they are. He will, however, be living with you from here on."

"This is bullshit." I growled, dropping my cot "The charges are trumped up, the jury's rigged, and I demand a retrial!"

"The charges are accurate, this isn't a court, and the decision is final." Goodwitch said "On top of which, there are many other outstanding reasons."

"Like what?" Yang asked, clearly taking my side.

"Number one:" Goodwitch said, calmly "Assaulting a teacher with a pudding cup."

That caught everyone but me a little off guard "I was offering it for peace, and you did it to yourself."

"Number two: It has been discovered by the Janitor that you've been keeping a loaded firearm in your room."

"He's still doing that?" Ruby whispered.

"We have a Janitor?" I asked.

"Yes, you've been sleeping in his closet." Goodwitch answered primly "And, Number three: It has been discovered that someone has been tampering with the Dorm's boiler system, which also just so happens to be located in your room."

"… You can't prove anything."

"Wait, you're the reason we've been taking cold showers the past week!?" Yang said, quickly switching sides.

'Uh oh.'

"I'll leave you to get settled in." Goodwitch said, smiling. She turned and walked out of the room. "Oh, and congratulations on finally telling them the truth."

With that, Goodwitch closed the door, leaving me trapped in a room with my new bunk mates.

"… So, Six." Yang said, smiling in a most unfriendly fashion "Wanna explain why we've had no hot water for the past week?"