The echo of Roman's voice still lingered in the recording as Hyunwoo stood in Ozpin's office. The Headmaster's gaze was steady behind his glasses, fingers laced atop his cane. Glynda stood beside him, arms folded, the faintest crease between her brows.
Hyunwoo tapped his scroll, the audio clip playing once more:
"...Cinder's keeping her toys in a warehouse down by the docks. Dock twelve. She calls it her staging ground..."
The recording ended, the silence heavy.
Glynda's eyes narrowed. "Cinder. That was the name, wasn't it?" She glanced toward Ozpin, then back to Hyunwoo. "The one I fought when I first encountered Ruby."
Hyunwoo gave a slow nod. "And the fact is—for some reason—the enemies we're facing are now here, in Beacon."
He swiped across his scroll again, projecting the captured images he'd taken during Ruby's encounter earlier. The holographic display lit the room: three faces.
Cinder Fall.
Mercury Black.
Emerald Sustrai.
Hyunwoo's jaw tightened as he continued, "They told us they're from Haven Academy, in Mistral. Visiting for the Vytal Festival." He turned his sharp gaze toward Ozpin. "But... isn't the headmaster of Haven a friend of yours? Wouldn't he have checked something is wrong before he sent his students here?"
For the first time, a crack showed in Glynda's stern composure—uncertainty. "Ozpin..."
The Headmaster leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. He studied the holograms for a long, drawn-out moment before finally speaking, voice low.
"...Yes. I know the Headmaster of Haven. And no—he has said nothing." His cane shifted slightly in his hand. "Which means either they came without his knowledge..." A faint shadow crossed his face. "...or they are not his students at all."
The words hung in the air like storm clouds gathering.
Hyunwoo closed the hologram, sliding his scroll back into his pocket. His tone sharpened.
"So tell me, Headmaster—what are we going to do with this information? You heard him. Cinder. Mercury. Emerald. They're moving pieces already, and the fact that they've stolen Atlesian Paladins..." He leaned forward, voice carrying a dangerous edge. "If that gets out, people will stop believing in Atlas. And when Atlas loses trust, panic spreads. Civilian trust is the first thing that falls—and we need to prevent that before it happens."
Glynda's lips pressed into a thin line. She adjusted her glasses but didn't speak right away.
Ozpin regarded Hyunwoo carefully, tapping his cane against the floor once, the faint clack echoing in the office. "You speak with conviction. And you're right—the theft of Atlas technology cannot be ignored." His gaze lingered on Hyunwoo. "But conviction without precision can be reckless. If you move too openly against them, you'll expose yourself... and perhaps others."
Hyunwoo's jaw tightened. He hated half-answers. "So what? We sit back and wait while they set fire to Beacon?"
A pause. Glynda cut in, her tone sharp. "You're not in a position to dictate how this is handled. If we are to move, it will be carefully. Strategically. Not with rash heroics."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly, but his eyes stayed cold. "Careful, strategic, quiet... sure. Meanwhile, people bleed while you draw lines on a board. I don't have that luxury."
Ozpin's expression remained unreadable, though his fingers tapped once against his cane. "And that," he said softly, "is why you are both valuable... and dangerous."
Hyunwoo exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Dangerous or not... I'll do what needs to be done. Whether you call it reckless or not doesn't matter." He met Ozpin's eyes squarely. "But if you want to stop this before it spreads, I'll need clearance to track them. To confirm their next move."
The silence stretched, heavy and tense. Ozpin didn't answer immediately—he simply looked out the window of his office, where the moon hung in fractured shards across the sky.
The silence lingered until Ozpin finally turned back to Hyunwoo. His voice was calm, deliberate.
"...The Paladins belong to Atlas. They were General Ironwood's to begin with. If Cinder and her cohorts have managed to steal them, then this is not only a threat to Beacon, but a direct strike against Atlas' military credibility."
Glynda frowned, folding her arms. "Which means we can't act unilaterally. Not without Atlas' cooperation."
Hyunwoo clenched his fists, frustration brimming beneath his composure. "So you're saying we wait for Ironwood to clean his own mess? By the time the message bounces between kingdoms, they'll already have another Paladin on the streets."
Ozpin's gaze stayed steady on him, unyielding. "No. I'm saying this isn't a matter Beacon can—or should—handle alone. If we withhold this information, and Atlas finds out later... trust between kingdoms will fracture further. And that is something we cannot afford."
He reached for his scroll, tapping in a code. "I'll contact James directly. He needs to know what has been stolen, and by whom. From there, we will coordinate a response. Quietly."
Hyunwoo's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Quietly... everything with you is quietly."
Ozpin allowed himself the faintest hint of a smile in return, though it carried no warmth. "A whisper in the right place can prevent a war. A shout in the wrong one can start it."
Hyunwoo turned away, pacing a step. "Fine. Call Ironwood. But if Cinder makes her next move before your politics line up—don't expect me to sit still."
Ozpin didn't stop him. He only lifted his scroll closer, waiting for the secure channel to connect.
Hyunwoo's voice cut through the room before Ozpin could dial.
"And Ozpin—" he said, turning back, his green eyes sharp, unblinking. "I've seen the androids Atlas keeps sending here. The soldiers, the drones. If Cinder's group can hijack Paladins that easily, what makes you think they can't take control of them too?"
Glynda stiffened, her expression darkening as the thought landed.
Hyunwoo pressed further, each word deliberate. "Say that to Ironwood. Tell him it's not just about stolen machines. If the public finds out Atlas tech can be hacked and turned against civilians, their image will collapse. Nobody will trust their army. Nobody will trust Atlas."
Ozpin lowered his scroll, his fingers still hovering above the keys. For once, his calm seemed to waver—ever so slightly—as he studied Hyunwoo.
"You make a strong point," Ozpin admitted, his voice softer, heavier. "James will not like hearing it, but he will hear it."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly, though the edge in his voice remained. "Good. Because if Ironwood keeps pretending this is just a 'containable incident,' then the next time a Paladin marches through a city street, it won't be Beacon they'll blame. It'll be Atlas."
Ozpin exchanged a look with Glynda, a silent agreement passing between them. Finally, he raised his scroll again, opening the secure channel.
"Then," Ozpin said, his tone firm once more, "let us make sure James hears this... word for word."
____
By the time the elevator chimed and the heavy footsteps of General Ironwood echoed into Ozpin's office, Hyunwoo was already gone. The only trace of him was the faint hum of the door closing and the quiet weight of his words still hanging in the air.
Ozpin sat with his cane resting across his knees, Glynda standing near the window, arms folded. Both turned as Ironwood entered, his coat brushing against his side, the hard lines of his face set in suspicion.
"You called me on an emergency channel," Ironwood said without pleasantries, "and I arrive to find that I've already missed the informant?"
Ozpin leaned back, voice calm but edged with gravity. "He left what we needed. Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai. They are here, inside Beacon's walls. And more than that, James..."
He slid a small device across the table. The scroll flickered to life, Torchwick's begrudging voice recorded in Hyunwoo's hand.
"Cinder's keeping her toys in a warehouse down by the docks. Dock twelve. She calls it her staging ground. That's where the next shipment's headed. Weapons, Dust... and maybe something bigger."
Ironwood's jaw tightened, his gloved hand curling into a fist as the recording ended.
"Dock twelve," he repeated, grim. "If what he says is true, that could compromise the next Atlesian transfer. And if it's something bigger..." His gaze darkened, voice lowering. "We could be looking at more than stolen Paladins."
Glynda's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "And they are parading themselves as Haven students. Leonardo Lionheart personally vouched for Haven's delegations for the Vytal Festival. How could he 'miss' three faces like these?"
Ozpin's fingers tapped lightly against his mug, though his expression betrayed little. "That question concerns me most of all. Leonardo has been... evasive, as of late. Letters in place of calls, excuses in place of presence. Now, Haven's representatives arrive—and among them, known criminals who have slipped neatly under his watch?"
Ironwood turned, disbelief flashing into anger. "If Lionheart knew and said nothing..." He left the thought unfinished, but his meaning was clear.
"Either way," Glynda interjected, voice steady but cold, "we cannot afford to treat this as coincidence. If Haven has been compromised, then Beacon may be the next target."
Ozpin's gaze shifted toward the window, the night skyline of Vale glittering beyond. "All the more reason we must move carefully. Dock twelve must be investigated. And quietly."
Ironwood gritted his teeth but nodded. "I'll deploy a trusted squad. No leaks. If this is Cinder's staging ground, we'll rip it apart before she knows we're coming."
The office fell into silence, the weight of unanswered questions pressing heavy.
____
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