Ozpin's office… late Saturday afternoon…
"I, uh… I'll go back downstairs and let you talk about this," Oscar said. Ozpin raised his head, surprised by the sudden thickness in the boy's voice. His face – his whole body, in fact – was tight with tension, and his eyes seemed suspiciously shiny, as if he was trying to hold back tears. Oscar stood up from his chair and started backing towards the elevator, even as he continued speaking. "If you – if you have any more questions, well…"
Ozpin wanted to ask the teen to wait, but before he could get the words out, Oscar had ducked into the elevator and pressed the button. On his terminal screen, he could see the car descending towards his apartment. He could have overridden it and brought it back up with a simple tap on his screen, but decided not to, given the clear strain he had seen on Oscar's face and heard in his voice. He'd given them a lot of information in a very short span of time, and the things he'd relayed were… horrific in their implications for what it meant for the future of Remnant.
He definitely understood Oscar's clear desire to escape from their questions for a bit to get himself back under control. The Brothers knew how often he'd retreated into a self-imposed exile when things went wrong in one incarnation, and he couldn't bring himself to face the world for a time in the next.
Yet Oscar had faced their questioning and told his story with far more strength and dignity than Ozpin could have ever expected him to.
Silence – the painful one that no seemed to want to break – descended over the office. Glynda was still seated in her chair, a white-knuckled grip on her ever-present tablet. Her face shifted through a myriad of expressions – shock, sorrow, anger, betrayal. Ozpin want to comfort her – she wasn't used to the level of betrayal that they were now facing.
Qrow's face was flushed – either from the alcohol or anger, Ozpin wasn't entirely certain – and he had begun pacing again along the side of the room, flask held tightly in his hand as he occasionally swallowed a mouthful. If he focused on his friend, he could make out what the other Huntsman was saying. "It can't be true… she wouldn't… she couldn't…"
Ozpin wished he could be as surprised by the idea that the elder Branwen twin might betray them as Qrow clearly was. He couldn't blame them for their own reactions when he was struggling with his own. Betrayal wasn't unfamiliar to him, of course. It couldn't be, after millennia of reincarnating and experiencing every walk of life imaginable, from slave to King. Salem had been the first, of course, but there had been so many others – followers who had sworn their allegiances to him, friends he had thought that he could trust, lovers, and even a child once…
But there was something different about the feeling this time. At first, he wasn't sure what the difference was, but after a moment he realized what it was. With the other betrayals he'd experienced, there had been no warning, no reason to expect it was coming – that was what made the betrayal so painful – the feeling of broken trust, of broken faith in the moment when the betrayal became known. The fear that it could happen was always present, of course, but with each new life he tried to maintain hope and extend that trust to his new allies.
But now, thanks to Oscar, he had warning. He knew the betrayals were coming, and that was a different kind of pain. Less a sharp, sudden pain, and more of a sinking dread that filled his chest with a heavy feeling he had experienced before, but in a different context – when he had died for the very first time as Ozma, his lungs weighed down in his illness as he struggled to breathe.
Perhaps it had been idealistic to hope that he could go through one incarnation without worrying about betrayal from those he trusted, but even he needed a little idealism in his life sometimes. Beacon – all of the Academies, actually – were exceeding his expectations from when he had first established them two incarnations ago as the last King of Vale. Salem hadn't made a power play for almost a century. Perhaps he'd relaxed his guard too much and put his trust in those he shouldn't have. But he'd truly believed that his current inner circle was one of the most loyal he'd ever had.
He brought his hands back up to cover his face, fingers rubbing at his temples, feeling a stress headache coming on. He hadn't had one of those for some time, and the sensation was not particularly welcome. He needed to work through the information Oscar had provided – deal with his initial emotional response so he could face it logically and start making plans. There would be time later to really react emotionally.
Raven…
Leo…
James…
One betrayal was bad enough, but three?
He should have learned from his previous lives by now, but he kept making the same mistakes. Kept believing that he could have faith in others, but they just kept disappointing him. He tried to be careful about the ones he chose to place his trust in, the ones he confided in, but that wasn't enough. Glynda had called him out on his difficulty in trusting others, but he had good reasons for it that he couldn't explain to her without sounding like a hypocrite. He still had faith in humanity as a whole to do the right thing when it came down to making a choice, but individuals were not humanity as a whole. Over and over again, when it really mattered, those he trusted ultimately failed to reciprocate the trust he'd placed in them. Time and again, they chose themselves and their own self-interests over the betterment of all of Remnant.
Raven was the least surprising of the three, of course, for that very reason. She had been serving her own self-interests for a long time, and she had always been the most suspicious and jaded of his allies in this incarnation. After all, her name – Branwen – was telling in and of itself.
Years ago, when a pair of applications for Raven and Qrow Branwen had crossed his desk, well… others might have chosen to bring the two in under the pretense of allowing them to interview for enrollment, only to use the chance to arrest them for banditry and numerous other crimes. Ozpin, on the other hand, had seen opportunity – the chance to pull two teens out of a lifestyle that would eventually lead to arrest or death – and give them a new path that would serve the greater good.
He'd seen Raven's suspicious nature when he'd met her during her entrance interview. She'd held herself with tension that couldn't fully be explained by nerves over the interview and application process. Then there had been the way that she and Qrow had kept themselves separate from the other new first year students during orientation – their heads tilted towards each other as they whispered together.
Although the Branwen tribe mainly preyed on the outlying villages of Mistral, it wasn't unheard of for them to uproot and begin persecuting villages near Vale and Vacuo whenever they needed to lay low from the Mistralian authorities. Anyone of any significance within the Kingdoms' governments had heard of the Branwen tribe – even those in Atlas, the one place where bandits dared not go due to the harsh weather and brutally efficient military forces.
For a time, his hopes that the twins might be able to make new lives for themselves away from the influence of their tribe had seemed to work. Taiyang and Summer had had a positive influence on both twins – enough that Raven's harsh attitudes softened, and she fell in love with Taiyang. But even as Team STRQ proved to be one of the best teams to ever graduate from Beacon, their teamwork becoming flawless, Raven had continued to keep a layer of separation between herself and others. Like the rest of Team STRQ, she'd accepted his offer to work for him directly and had learned the truths that he was careful to keep so close. He had thought – they had all thought – that layer had finally been breached when Raven was pregnant, but even the birth of little Yang hadn't been enough to keep her tied to her team and her family. Her flight – leaving Yang behind to be cared for by her father and – eventually Summer – was yet another example of her selfishness.
Far more surprising to him was Leonardo. The idea that his friend – his fellow scholar and advocate for the rights of the Faunus – could turn on him to the degree that he would enable the murders of dozens of other Huntsmen and Huntresses, betraying not only him, but all of Mistral as a result… He wanted to say that it was unthinkable, but experience and Oscar's story told him that it wasn't.
Leonardo… what would drive you to turn to her side, instead of coming to me first? I could have protected you.
"Oz, what are we going to do?" Qrow's harsh voice broke through his thoughts before he could begin dwelling too deeply on his own feelings regarding Leonardo or James.
Ozpin raised his head and lowered his hands from his temples to meet his friend's gaze. "We will adapt," he said simply, allowing his years of experience in doing just that to fill his tone, trying to portray a confidence that he didn't feel. He knew Qrow and understood him. He needed to know that there was hope – a plan. His Semblance of Misfortune… if he was allowed to dwell on it… "We've been given an early warning, and we will utilize it to our best advantage for as long as we can."
"Adapt?" Qrow asked, incredulously. "That's your plan, Oz?"
"What do you expect us to do?" Glynda snapped. "As far as we know, Leonardo and James haven't done anything wrong yet."
"We need to stop them before any of the things the kid had to say come true," Qrow insisted stubbornly. "We can't risk losing the Mistral Huntsmen and Huntresses."
"We can't accuse them without evidence that they've actually betrayed us. Oscar even said he didn't know exactly when the betrayal happened – as far as he knew it wasn't until after the attack on Beacon – there was nearly a year before anyone found out about it. Things may already be changing just because Oscar is here and has been able to warn us."
"But the kid's information proves that Leonardo is weak-willed and wouldn't stand up to Salem if he was pressured. He swore an oath to stand against her when he was brought into this circle, just like we all did," Qrow argued. "Who cares when it happens, as long as we prevent it from happening to begin with?"
"I do," Ozpin said firmly. "If we make accusations without proof and condemn those who are our allies before they have committed any act of betrayal, we become the betrayers and prove ourselves no better than Salem. We will sabotage ourselves from within and Salem will ultimately triumph."
"But Oz –"
"Qrow." The resolve in his voice silenced the other Huntsman as Ozpin placed his hands on his desk and pushed himself to his feet. He was still the leader of their group, and it was clear he was going to need to enforce that. There wasn't time to wallow in his own feelings – he needed to act, or at least give the appearance that he was making decisions towards future actions. His left hand found Long Memory and gripped it firmly. "Glynda is correct. Right now, Leonardo and James – and Raven – have not done anything that we can condemn them for, but I will be looking into what Oscar had to say and trying to prevent any events that could lead to those betrayals from occurring. I will not turn my back on them without proof that they have done something wrong."
"What should we do in the meantime?" Glynda asked quietly. "James, Leonardo, and Theodore know that Oscar was bringing us warnings. If we start acting oddly around them, they'll get suspicious and that will only make the situation worse."
"Oscar only gave us a broad overview of events," Ozpin replied, forcing a calm he didn't feel, despite the dull ache in his heart every time he thought of his allies – his friends. "There are probably nuances to the events that he either hasn't mentioned or doesn't know about. Even though we now know what is to come, we need to continue to act as if nothing has changed. I will continue to try to get more information from Oscar, and I will work with James to try to locate Arthur Watts and any virus that may be embedded in the CCTS."
"I'm going after Raven," Qrow said firmly, before Ozpin could issue any orders to the contrary. "I don't care what the kid says – Raven won't betray us."
Ozpin gave him a serious look, feeling the familiar ache of sadness that always came with a betrayal. He knew it far too well, but Qrow had never experienced it before. Raven's choice to leave Yang and Taiyang, to abandon Team STRQ wasn't a betrayal of the sort that Oscar had indicated was coming, and he knew there was still affection between the twins, despite Raven's decision to run. There had been times when she'd been able to obtain information that had aided Qrow in completing his own missions, and sometimes, when Qrow could catch her in the right mood, he could convince her to part with that information. He took a deep breath but kept eye contact with his friend. "Can you be sure of that, Qrow?" he asked, softly. He hated to disillusion his friend like this, but he knew from experience how much betrayals hurt. Better by far to plant the seed of possibility now to soften the outcome later if the events Oscar had spoken of proved to be inevitable.
Qrow opened his mouth to reply, but stopped before he actually said anything, Ozpin's words striking home. Pain flashed in his red eyes, and he couldn't hold Ozpin's gaze, turning away and palming his flask again. Ozpin's heart ached for his friend and the pain he was going through, but he had to stay focused – stay strong.
He took another breath and refocused on the larger picture. "Glynda, I would like you to continue working on the improved security plans for the school and the network – make sure that the plans are in place as soon as possible so that we'll be able to take action if needed. Once we have the plans ready, I want to institute practice drills – at least monthly, but preferably bi-monthly to make sure the teachers and students know their responsibilities and are prepared." Glynda nodded wordlessly, her hand clenched around the casing on her tablet. "An attack on Beacon, especially during the Vytal Festival, could also lead to innocent civilians visiting for the Tournament getting hurt. I'll begin reviewing the security preparations and see how we can improve them in the event we have to arrange a mass evacuation, although hopefully that will never become necessary."
"Won't the Council wonder why we would want to take more precautions this time?" Glynda asked after a moment. "You were still the Headmaster the last time the Festival was held at Beacon. Won't they expect us to implement the same plans as the last Festival?"
"We will – we'll use those older plans as a basis for the plans for the next Festival," Ozpin agreed. "I can deal with the Council – it's well known that Grimm attacks have been increasing, so I can cite that as evidence that we may need more stringent security in place as a precaution, depending on how the situation looks in the months leading up to the Tournament."
Glynda nodded and released her white-knuckled grip on her tablet enough to tap out a few notes with a shaky hand.
He paused as another idea occurred to him. "Let's explore the possibility of combining the new security procedures with practical training for the students."
"What do you mean?" Glynda asked.
"Whenever there are Grimm or bandit attacks on villages, it's the widespread fear and panic that contributes to the problem. We can institute the new policies as a new class for next year – we can use this opportunity to teach the students how to coordinate and run a calm, successful evacuation. We'll use Beacon as practice, then branch out to Vale, and finally take them to some of the villages to practice in a more realistic setting of the type they'll find once they graduate. It will also have the benefit of teaching the citizens best practices in the event of an attack."
Glynda's expression brightened some and he could see her professional focus coming to bear on the problem.
He warmed to his topic as another thought occurred to him. "I'll also work with the Council on implementing city-wide evacuation drills. There have been attacks on the Kingdoms directly in the past, rare though those types of attacks are, and complacency is the one thing that Salem will always take advantage of if we give her the opportunity. If we're able to avert the events Oscar has spoken of, she'll try something else that we won't have a warning for. If all of this proves successful, we can hopefully get the other Kingdoms to implement similar measures. It won't be a quick solution, but it is an action we can take to decrease the number of lives lost in the event that Salem decides to attack openly."
Glynda was nodding, fingers tapping on her tablet as she made notes on what he was saying. "And you'll bring James in to try to track down Watts and the virus…"
Ozpin nodded. "It may be early yet, but it is something we can begin working on. I think the best thing we can do is approach this from as many different angles as we can, but quietly, to make it look like we're maintaining the status quo."
"I don't believe – I can't believe – that Raven would ever betray us," Qrow spoke up again, diverting Ozpin's attention. "But if she knows where Spring is, then that should be our first priority. I'm going to find Raven and Cerelia and drag them back here."
"Invite them back," Ozpin corrected gently. "First of all, much as I hate to admit it, but at this point it's been almost a decade. I think we need to assume that Cerelia has died. You haven't been able to find her, and Oscar mentioned that the Spring Maiden he knew of was named Vernal. Unless Cerelia changed her name, I don't think it's likely that we'll ever find her."
Qrow's face looked pained. Ozpin knew why, since his longest ongoing mission – other than providing general surveillance information – was to find the missing Maiden. If what Oscar said was true, then it had been a fruitless mission and may have been for years.
"Secondly, it sounds like Raven ended up working with Salem because she felt threatened, and we don't know why Cerelia fled in the first place other than fear. On the off chance that Cerelia is still alive, we don't want to cause her to run again. If we pressure her, she might run again, and I doubt that we would be able to find her again if that happens."
"If Raven's already got Cerelia – or Vernal or whatever her name is – then she's lied to me when I asked her about it in the past," Qrow growled. "I can't let her get away with that."
"There is already conflict between Raven and I from when she left," Ozpin said softly. "If you threaten her or pressure her, it could push her away from us even more, and sooner than its supposed to happen. You're still her brother, and you're still important to her – you may have the best chance of getting through to her. If you want to find her, I won't stop you, but instead of forcing her back, just extend an invitation and ask her if she would be willing to come back and meet with me for a peaceful conversation. No tricks, and no blame will be placed on her for anything that she may have done since she rejoined the tribe."
"You think she would just accept an invitation?" Qrow scoffed.
"Maybe not – but it needs to be her choice, Qrow," Ozpin said, meeting the red eyes. "Whatever path she ends up walking – whether on our side or Salem's – it will be the path she chooses, not the one we force her onto. Believe me," he added, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. "I know what it feels like to be forced onto a path you didn't choose."
Qrow and Glynda both looked at him sharply, but he saw the comprehension on their faces as they remembered that he – as Ozpin – hadn't had a choice about being bonded to the immortal warrior-wizard. He'd accepted that path because he hadn't had a choice – the merge would have happened with or without his consent. It was an easy fact to forget because the merge had been completed for years at this point, and it was no longer two distinct souls sharing the same body. Glynda had known him the longest and had remembered some of what the transition had been like for him at first, even though she hadn't known what was happening until years later when he'd brought her into his circle. But Qrow had only ever known him since the merge had been completed.
"Right," Qrow muttered after a moment of awkward silence. "I'll… extend the invitation." He hesitated. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. I have a general idea of where her camp last was, but they may have moved since the last time we talked. With her Semblance and the magic you gave her, they could be anywhere if she's formed a bond with someone in the tribe."
"That's fine," Ozpin assured him. "I doubt there's any actionable moves that we can make immediately regarding her, even with Oscar's information, but you're right about Raven and the Maiden, whether it is Cerelia or this Vernal. If we can get Spring back, that will immediately make things more difficult for Salem, and Raven is a powerful ally in her own right." He met Qrow's gaze again. "Make sure she knows that. I value her for who she is, not just as an ally, but as a person."
Qrow's expression sharpened, and Ozpin knew why. Despite asking numerous times, Ozpin had never spoken about the final argument between he and Raven that led to her choice to no longer take missions from him, even before her pregnancy had advanced enough that it would have been dangerous for her to do so. But when Raven had fled and Qrow had left to try to bring her back, she had refused without giving a reason why.
Ozpin understood her reasons of course, although he didn't agree. That was why he had let Raven go and had never moved to take back the magic he had gifted her. The things she had learned during the time she was part of his inner circle had terrified her, and Raven tried to pretend that she didn't feel fear, since she saw that as a weakness. She liked to think of herself as strong, even though in so many ways she wasn't. She didn't trust easily, and even with those whom she bonded – thus allowing her to use her Semblance – she kept them at arm's length. She wasn't the type to confide in others, relying on herself – but that was a lonely existence. It was a secret that Ozpin would never betray to anyone – even to Qrow. He knew all too well what it was like to not trust, to be afraid and feel that he couldn't show it.
Qrow watched Ozpin's face for another moment before he nodded, tersely. "Keep me in the loop. If you need me, I'll be here."
Of that, Ozpin had no doubt. Qrow's heart was loyal at its core – he could no more turn his back on those he cared about than he could abandon his role as a Huntsman and return to the Branwen tribe – not anymore. "I know. I'll call if anything changes. Keep us appraised of what you find out."
Qrow nodded again and headed for the elevator, tattered red cape flaring out behind him as he moved. He would most likely make his way to Vale's airfield station and catch the first ship to Mistral that he could manage. Once he reached Mistral, he'd start searching for his sister, most likely in his alternate form, since he would be able to move more quickly and get a better view from on high.
However, the rounded slump of his shoulders was obvious enough – much more pronounced now than the way Qrow usually walked. Ozpin knew why – he was, without a doubt, mentally blaming himself or rather his Semblance, even though his Semblance wouldn't be able to affect Raven, Leo, or James to such a degree. A Semblance that brought misfortune – it wasn't an easy burden to bear.
Glynda looked over at Ozpin once the elevator doors slid closed. "Are you alright?"
Ozpin managed a wan smile. "I think you've asked me that question more in the last week than you have since we first met."
She gave him a stern look that said – as clearly as if she'd spoken the words – don't dodge the question.
He sighed, knowing that she wouldn't leave him alone until he provided a satisfactory answer. "It's a lot to take in," he admitted, reluctantly, aware of how he needed to be the strong leader, no matter what happened moving forward from this moment. With anyone else – Leo, James… even Qrow – he'd never admit this, but Glynda was his oldest friend among those who knew his secrets. She had seen him during the earliest stages of the soul merge, even if she hadn't known it for what it was at the time. She'd always been good at listening, and while her tongue could be caustic when she was annoyed and she was capable of verbally flaying whoever happened to be in her path, she was also capable of a surprising amount of empathy when warranted.
"That's not all," she observed. "I know this idea of Leonard or James becoming what Oscar described is hurting you."
"Yes," he said softly, sinking back down into his seat, but resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands again. "I trusted them. I want to continue to do so, but now, knowing what I do…"
"Now you're afraid that anything you share with them could make its way back to Salem," Glynda said.
Ozpin nodded wordlessly. That shouldn't be a surprise, given that betrayal was – by its very nature – a breach of trust as well as painful. Salem was a master manipulator, and even though he knew it was always a possibility with her, he couldn't stop himself from trusting and being crushed every time that trust was shattered. It was one of the downsides to her knowing him as well as she did – she knew exactly what trigger points to press to convince his followers that he was not what he seemed, that he was using them for his own ends, that he was lying to them…
Not to mention that nearly every time he was betrayed, it ultimately led to his death and forced him to undergo reincarnation. There hadn't been many betrayals that hadn't – directly or indirectly – led to the death of his current incarnation, whomever it happened to be at the time.
"So what will you do?"
Ozpin sighed. "We'll keep a discreet eye on them. I have others in place in Mistral and Atlas that can send me reports on the state of things in those Kingdoms, independent of what Leonardo and James tell me. Comparing those reports will give me an idea if things are starting to turn for the worse, and hopefully Oscar can elaborate further on what he knows as we get closer to the Vytal Festival. He didn't mention knowing anything about where Theodore's allegiance may stand, so I will also need to devote some of my energy to keeping an eye on Vacuo as well."
He stood up again. "I want to go and check on Oscar – I'm sure that having us focused so intently on him and what he was saying wasn't comfortable for him, and he did just get out of the hospital yesterday." He keyed his terminal to recall the elevator car.
"I'll – keep working on the security plans and start roughing out plans for the course you're envisioning," Glynda said. "Do we need to begin looking for a new teacher, or did you have someone else on the staff in mind to handle it?"
Ozpin rubbed his forehead with his right hand as he gripped his cane with his left again. "I'm not sure yet. There's still time to figure that out."
"Okay," Glynda said, giving him a wan smile of her own. "If there's anything else Oscar can tell you that I can help with…"
"I'll be sure to let you know," Ozpin promised. His hand clenched tightly on the silver handle of Long Memory for a moment before he forced himself to relax and led the way over to the elevator. Glynda followed him into the car, and as the car descended and came to a stop at his floor, he felt her hand lightly brush the back of his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
He entered the apartment, wondering if he would find Oscar sitting in the living room reading again. But the room was quiet – weak late afternoon sunlight came in through the open curtains, casting the room into a dim glow, since the living room was oriented in the wrong direction to catch the light from the sun in its current position. The kitchen was also unoccupied – but Ozpin made a note to have something sent up from the dining hall for dinner tonight. He wasn't very hungry after Oscar's revelations, and he had a feeling Oscar wouldn't be either, but they needed to keep up their strength – he knew that from personal experience.
But if Oscar wasn't in the kitchen or living area, the only place he could be was in his own room. Ozpin was hesitant to intrude on the boy in what they had decided would be his space – the soul merge blurred and eventually destroyed boundaries yes, but Oscar wasn't going through the merge right now, and Ozpin wanted to return to him that sense of safety and privacy that had been eroded by whatever the teen had gone through before he had travelled back through time. With luck, Oscar's warnings would prevent the events at Beacon from happening, and it would delay his eventual bonding with the boy.
He made his way back into the hallway and stopped in front of Oscar's door, frowning when he didn't see any light coming from the crack underneath. He hesitated before knocking quietly. "Oscar, are you in there?"
He listened and for a moment he wondered if the teen had gone somewhere else – although Oscar had said he'd just be going downstairs – but then he heard it. Soft, hiccupping breaths and what sounded like sobs.
Fear spurred through Ozpin as the doctor's warnings about the still-weakened state of the teen's lungs came to mind. He knocked again, more firmly. "Oscar? Are you all right?" The boy didn't answer. "Oscar, I'm coming in," he called before twisting the knob and feeling it give under his hand. At least Oscar hadn't locked the door. He pushed the door open and looked inside.
The room was dark – the curtains drawn closed – and the lights off. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness, but then he could see Oscar, sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, knees drawn up to his chest, face buried against his legs as he sobbed, his breath coming in shuddering, weak gasps. Ozpin looked around quickly and spotted the backpack they'd brought from the hospital yesterday sitting next to the door. He picked it up and pulled out the oxygen canister and mask before moving over to Oscar and crouching at the teen's side.
"Oscar, here," he said, nudging the mask against the back of the boy's hand. "Put this on and calm yourself."
Oscar had lost track of the time while he was sitting in his room trying – unsuccessfully – to calm down. He had a plan to help moving forward, but the more he thought about Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow, the more the fear took hold of him. After the way everyone had reacted to hearing Jinn's answer to Ruby's question – not to mention Oz fleeing into the back of their shared mind and leaving Oscar to deal with the fallout – and then the way Ironwood had reacted when Oscar had finally told him the truth about Salem…
"My friends call me James. To you, it's General."
A gunshot, the feeling of his aura shattering. Falling from the platform, the air rushing against his skin.
He could feel his chest tightening with renewed fear and dread, his breath coming harsher as his chest began to ache. He was trying to calm down, but memory after memory kept coming back in an endless loop. Qrow punching him into a tree, Yang yelling at him, Jaune slamming him into a wall.
"My friends call me James. To you, it's General."
From what he knew about Ozpin, he didn't think the Headmaster would turn him out now that he'd given him all this bad news, but he couldn't be sure of that either. Oz did have a habit of running away when confronted with his failures based on Oscar's experience, and being faced with the possibility that two of his closes allies would betray him? Not even mentioning his possible reaction when – not if – Ozpin found out that Oscar already knew the truth about his and Salem's pasts?
A soft knock on the door barely registered to him, but the sound of Ozpin's voice made his chest tighten further with dread, which made it even harder to breathe. He was shaking with the emotion he was trying to repress as he fought to calm himself, but the more he fought with himself, the more his vision seemed to be tunneling and the tighter his chest got.
Suddenly, there was a hand on his back and a soft voice. He couldn't make out the exact words, but he felt something being pressed against the back of his hand and the voice was gently pleading. Without knowing why, he managed to release his grip on his knees enough to turn his hand so the object could be placed into his palm. After a moment he realized it was his oxygen mask, a week of using it stirring immediate recognition in him. He raised his head, saw someone crouched beside him, but shakily brought the mask to his face. Almost immediately felt the sweet, cool rush of oxygen against his skin. He took one shaky breath, then another, feeling the air rushing into his lungs. Just the act of breathing in, of concentrating on the simple in, out, in, out was helping to calm him further.
Ozpin remained crouched by Oscar's side, holding the mask until Oscar finally managed to take it from him and raise his head enough to bring it to his face, revealing tear-streaked cheeks and red eyes. He immediately turned to the canister and twisted the valve to begin the flow of oxygen. He returned his attention to Oscar, watching as the boy took shuddering, gasping breaths at first, until his breathing slowly levelled out and he was able to lower the mask.
Ozpin looked him over carefully. "Are you alright, Oscar?" he asked, hoping his concern was coming through without agitating the boy further. He felt bad that their reactions to the story had driven Oscar back down here and nearly to an emotional breakdown. That hadn't been his intention in questioning the boy at all.
Oscar nodded and sniffed, setting the mask aside and pressing the heel of his hand against his eyes to wipe his tears away. "Y-yeah. I'm okay now."
Ozpin nodded and turned off the oxygen flow just in case they needed it again. Oscar wasn't fully recovered yet, after all.
"I'm sorry."
Ozpin's attention returned to Oscar at the quiet, choked whisper. "For what?"
"For bringing all of this bad news," Oscar managed, sniffing again, and rubbing at his nose. "For having to tell you about Lionheart… and Ironwood…"
"That's not your fault," Ozpin said instantly. It was clear that all of this had been weighing on Oscar for some time, and if Ozpin did anything to affirm the guilt the boy was feeling, it would damage him mentally and emotionally. "You're not responsible for the choices that Raven, Leonardo, and James have made or will make in the future."
The idea of the betrayals still stung, but he forced his own feelings back with long experience. Once he was sure that Oscar would be fine, he would worry about his own reactions. Past betrayals had sent him into spiraling depressions – often involving copious amounts of alcohol – but he couldn't afford that this time. But it was one of the reasons why he never objected too much to Qrow's drinking. He understood the way alcohol could numb the pain for a time, and while that numbness would be welcome, it wasn't the same situation. He had a chance to change things before it got that far.
He took a deep breath, weighed his words carefully, and made sure that he met Oscar's eyes before he spoke so that the teen could see and hear the truth in his words. "I'm… glad you told me."
Oscar blinked up at him, hazel eyes wide and red-rimmed from crying. "Y-you are? B-but it hurt you."
Ozpin nodded slowly. "It did hurt – it does hurt," he corrected himself. "But, from what you've already said about your experiences with the soul merge, and the length of time I was partnered with you before you came back, you already have quite a few of my memories, even if you can't access them at will yet. Given enough time, you'll understand that same pain – betrayal is painful Oscar. But I learned a long time ago that I didn't have any hope of completing my mission alone. Trust is a risk for me – I've been betrayed so many times…" He trailed off, unable to continue.
Oscar blinked again, before a heavy expression crossed his face. "I know," he whispered. "You – well, Oz – told us that, after Haven. I don't think anyone had really stopped to think about that before you admitted it, because you always tried to seem so strong for me – for all of us." He dropped his gaze and toyed with his hands again in a gesture that was becoming very familiar to Ozpin, since it indicated Oscar's discomfort with whatever situation or conversation he found himself in.
"It is one of the burdens I have to bear," Ozpin said softly. "I've been fighting Salem for so long, and I have perfect memory regarding my past lives as part of my curse. Those betrayals are always fresh if I dwell on them, but I can't do this by myself. Every time I choose to extend my trust, I am taking a chance on the fact that Salem won't find some way to twist them to her own ends. Unfortunately, when the choice comes to remain loyal or to choose their own self-interests and survival – very few pass the test and remain loyal."
Oscar sniffed. "How do you keep going?"
"I don't have a choice. With each death I experience, with each new incarnation, I lose some time and I lose some ground against her while I reincarnate. During my last few incarnations, I came to realize that I couldn't keep going that way, so I've tried to establish systems and institutions that will be able to continue even if I'm not there to guide them."
"The Huntsmen Academies."
"And the Kingdom Councils," Ozpin said with a nod of agreement. "Among others." He sighed. "The Relics are safe for the moment, thanks to the Vaults and the Maidens, but the danger of Salem finding a way to acquire the Relics is always there and that will always make the Academies a target for her. I knew that would happen when I decided to build them over the Vaults where I had hidden the Relics. But to defend the Relics and the schools, I need allies I can trust to protect them. That creates points of vulnerability, and I have to put my faith on the fortitude and loyalty of the ones I've chosen to ally with." He chuckled, knowing that it sounded more than a little cynical and wasn't amusing in the slightest. "A decision I find myself paying for over and over again."
Oscar sniffed again and managed to push himself upright a little more. Ozpin moved back to give him more room and not crowd him. "I guess that makes sense."
"It's not easy, Oscar," Ozpin said. "Trust isn't easy. I am glad that I know what's coming, thanks to you, but that doesn't mean that I'm not hurting. I'm – I'm having trouble even thinking about the fact that two of the people I trusted the most – three if you include Raven – would do the things you described. I don't know what events could have happened between the – well, the Fall, as you put it – and the events you experienced that would drive them to do those things, but that's why betrayal is so devastating. It's unexpected, and unexpected pain is always the worst kind. Qrow and Glynda are hurting too. Raven is Qrow's sister – not just his sister, but his twin. Leonardo and James are – were – are," he decided firmly after a moment, "our friends."
Oscar rubbed his face with his palms. "But… knowing what you know now about what's coming… how can that still be true?"
Beacon Courtyard…
Qrow strode out of Beacon Tower, his long legs devouring the ground beneath him as he made his way towards the campus' landing platforms, intending to take the ferry back to the city, and then make his way to the airfield where he could catch a ship to Mistral.
He didn't care what the kid – Oscar – had said. He knew Raven, and he knew that she would never even consider working with Salem or Salem's agents. Leonardo and James were another matter entirely, and while Qrow would be more than happy to help Oz deal with them when the time came, he was content to allow Oz to worry about that problem for the time being. But the kid had to be wrong about Raven. He had to be.
Raven would never betray them that way. Not ever.
When they were kids, it had just been the two of them against the world. The tribe had raised them after their mother had died in childbirth, but it hadn't been an easy childhood. Both of their Semblances had emerged early, and Qrow's Semblance of Misfortune had often led to him suffering severe punishments whenever something went wrong around the camp or on raids. Raven had always been there to protect him when she could, and to comfort him and treat his injuries when she couldn't. They'd survived together, relying on each other's strength until their first day at Beacon.
Even when Raven had run away after Yang had been born, refusing to return to Oz's inner circle, he had known that if he really needed her, she would be there for him. Her Semblance required her to have and maintain bonds with people to function, even though she liked to pretend she didn't need anyone. Part of him was still furious with her for abandoning her daughter and fiancée, not to mention their team, but running away from her family didn't mean that she would betray them to Salem's forces.
As he reached the landing platform, he pulled out his Scroll.
Qrow
I need to see you.
There were several seconds of silence before he got a response.
Raven
That's a change from the norm.
Qrow
It's important. Will you meet me?
Raven
I'm busy.
Qrow growled in the back of his throat. He didn't want to play games with his sister – not after everything he'd just heard about what was coming. If it was true – even though he didn't believe it could be – he needed to do anything he could to stop it before things reached that point.
Qrow
I'm heading for Mistral – either you meet me when I arrive or…
He paused before sending that message, remembering what Oz had said. Invite her, don't force her.
"Maybe not – but it needs to be her choice, Qrow," Ozpin said. "Whatever path she ends up walking – whether on our side or Salem's – it will be the path she chooses, not the one we force her onto. Believe me," he added, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. "I know what it feels like to be forced onto a path you didn't choose."
Those words had sent a chill down his spine. He hadn't thought about how important choice would be to Oz until he'd spoken those words. He couldn't do that to his sister. After a moment, he deleted the message and began typing again.
Qrow
This isn't something I am joking about, Raven. Please.
There wasn't a response for the longest time. If he absolutely had to, he could find the tribe – find her – but it would take longer than he wanted. It was more important that he talk to her as soon as possible and get her back to Vale to talk to Ozpin as soon as possible.
Finally, his Scroll buzzed as Raven's response appeared on the screen.
Raven
Fine. Where are you?
Qrow
Beacon.
Raven
Not happening.
Her answer was immediate, and of course it wouldn't be that easy. Whatever her problems with Ozpin were, it was clear that she wasn't going to voluntarily come back to Beacon without some persuasion. He thought quickly before sending another message.
Qrow
Will you meet me in Mistral in three days? I'll message you once I'm in a secure place you can portal to.
Raven
The things I do for you. Let me know when you get here.
Qrow
Thank you, Raven.
He scanned his Scroll at the ferry terminal before tucking it away, made sure his weapon was securely attached to its holster and took a quick look around the area. There were a few people coming and going, but most people were ignoring him, which was just the way he liked it. In the meantime, he would figure out what he could say that might convince Raven to return with him to Beacon to talk to Ozpin.
He was going to do whatever it took to make sure that Raven never found herself in a position where even thinking about betraying them was a possibility, although he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't.
"I saw her there. She let Salem's agents into Haven with her portal. She… She – Raven – and… and Lionheart were both working with Salem's agents."
The kid had to be wrong, but… he'd been so convinced. The fact that he'd known about Raven's portal Semblance was a strong point in his favor, but Qrow just couldn't believe it was true.
And Leonardo and Ironwood…
Of the two other Headmasters, he'd always liked Leo better than James. James had always seemed arrogant and pompous – too entangled in the "glory of Atlas" and acting as if military might would be the solution to all their problems. The number of times that the two of them had argued about Qrow's reports from his missions were more than he could count, even sober. The least hint of trouble, and James wanted to send a squad of troops in to deal with the problem, eradicating it completely.
Leonardo on the other hand – well, he was soft in a lot of ways. Soft-hearted, soft-spoken, and probably the most likely of their group to fall in line with the status quo or the majority opinion. When he expressed an opinion, it was always tentatively, as if he was expecting rejection. Qrow got it – as a Faunus, Leonardo had probably grown up being opposed at every turn and continued to expect as much around stronger personalities like Glynda, Theodore, and James. When he did choose to take a stand on an issue, he could be resolute, but he rarely expressed such a powerful opinion on anything.
He knew Leonardo and Ozpin were close friends, since they did have so much in common. There had never been any real opposition to his leadership of Haven, other than him being a Faunus, and Ozpin had put in a good word for him – the only ones who opposed his leadership were those bigots who didn't like the Faunus simply because they were different. Leonardo had proved himself in Qrow's eyes, so the idea that the Headmaster would throw away everything he'd worked for to join Salem baffled him.
Qrow shook his head and reached for his flask. Alcohol was always good to numb his turbulent emotions and help him think more clearly. He made a note to make sure he refilled his flask before getting on the airship to Mistral. It was already a long trip, but it would be even longer if he had to think about everything that Oscar had said.
Glynda read over the notes that she had made on her tablet. At first they had been fairly concise – she had jotted down a few things about Oscar's past that they could look into to try to confirm his story. She didn't know the name of the village but based on how long he claimed to have travelled back, surely it wouldn't be hard to locate records of villages near Mistral that had suffered a recent and massive Grimm attack.
The more the boy had talked, however, the fewer notes that she had been taking. His story of one Beacon student injuring another and another student being killed during the one-on-one round… those chosen to attend Beacon were held to a higher standard of behavior, and the whole point of the Tournament was for it to be safe.
Students defending the Tower as long as they could, but only to watch it fall, the loss of lives – including Ozpin, which she was still determined to prevent – the loss of global communication… eventually Lionheart's betrayal and the loss of the Mistral Huntsmen and Huntresses…
Her notetaking had petered off as the story went on, but the facts were still seared into her memory. Each new detail was more horrific than the last. And the most painful part was the fact that it was Leonardo and James who were the most to blame, beyond Salem and her agents of course.
They'd all worked together for so long. Although Theodore was technically the one who had been a part of the inner circle for the longest – having been initiated the year before Oz's previous incarnation had died – she was the first of Ozpin's choices to have been brought into the circle as it currently existed. Ironwood was the most recent member to join their group, but they had all served together loyally since then.
She clenched her tablet again, unable to focus on the notes she had taken or the assignment she had been given. She was hurt over the very idea that James and Leonardo could do the things that Oscar had described, but if she was hurting, what must Ozpin be feeling? He was the one who had selected them, who had chosen to trust them with his secret, and he was the one who would be affected the most.
Even that knowledge wasn't enough to distract her from her own pain, and she knew that she would need some time to come to terms with what she was feeling before she could even hope to have a face-to-face conversation with James or Leonardo and be able to maintain a calm façade.
Her tablet chimed and she glanced at the screen before stopping in her tracks in the center of the courtyard.
James
Have you been able to get any more information from the boy?
How could she answer that honestly without betraying specifics? This was the sort of thing that Ozpin needed to be answering, but the Headmaster was busy making sure that Oscar was okay.
Her fingers were far more hesitant than usual as she tapped out a reply.
Glynda
We have some information. Not all of the news is good.
James
What have you learned?
The response was immediate – very much like James in that regard. But her thoughts were still circling around the idea that anything she said could somehow make its way back to Salem, either due to the virus, or because it was given directly to her.
Glynda
I believe Ozpin will be contacting you soon to discuss what we've learned. He has some assignments for you that may assist us further in this matter, but I'll let him explain it.
James
I see. I was planning on making a trip down to Beacon soon to see how I can help and speak to the boy myself. Perhaps we can get some dinner at that restaurant in downtown Vale we visited the last time I was in town?
Glynda
We'll see. Ozpin had orders for me as well – I'll likely be tied up with this project for some time, in addition to anything else that we may learn from the boy.
James
Oh.
There was a long pause before she saw another message pop up.
James
Is everything okay, Glynda?
Glynda
Of course. Why wouldn't it be?
James
You seem…terse. More than usual for you, anyway.
Glynda
I'm busy. I need to get started on my part of this assignment. I'll talk with you soon.
Oscar kept his eyes on Ozpin's face, seeing the pain on the Headmaster's face as he considered Oscar's question. He had been trying to understand Oz's way of thinking about betrayal ever since they'd come up with the cover story to explain what had happened to Lionheart after the battle at Haven Academy, but no matter what angle he approached it from, it had never made sense to him.
He understood the idea of wanting to remember a friend through good memories instead of bad, and to preserve the memories – he thought the same way about his parents and some of his childhood friends who had all died when the Grimm had attacked his village. That part made sense. But his parents and his friends had never betrayed him.
Lionheart could have been one of the greatest Huntsmen who had ever lived, but in Oscar's mind, the moment he had begun giving the names of the Mistral Huntsmen to Salem's forces everything good that he had done was moot. It didn't matter how many lives he may have saved, how many students he may have trained to serve the greater good of Remnant – the moment he stepped over the line in the sand in an effort to ultimately save himself…
Ozpin sighed. "I can't be sure, Oscar. I just have to hope. You've brought us a warning, and that is a good thing, even though it hurts to think about what could happen. But the one thing I refuse to do is turn my back on either of them when they haven't yet done anything against us. That will sow division amongst my inner circle, and that is what Salem wants."
Oscar started to respond, but hesitated. He needed to think about that a little more. He remembered the discussion in the Happy Huntresses' hideout after Salem had arrived with her army of Grimm. They had debated whether or not they could afford to split up to complete two different tasks, but he had been the one who had pointed out Salem's goal of sowing division amongst Oz's inner circle. So in a sense, Oz's reasoning made sense, but he didn't know if he would be able to look Lionheart or Ironwood in the eye any time soon without feeling resentment or anger over everything that he had experienced that they had caused.
"Oscar?"
"I guess that's true," he finally said after another moment. He took another breath, pressing his hand to his chest. It still ached somewhat from his earlier upset, but it was feeling much better overall. He placed his hand on the ground and pushed himself up, using his other hand to brace himself against the wall.
"Are you alright?" Ozpin asked, rising to his own feet as well.
"I think so," Oscar said. "My chest hurts a little, but it should be okay soon."
Based on his expression, Ozpin seemed concerned but didn't press the matter. "I am going to have something light sent up from the dining hall for our evening meal. Is there any particular kind of food you prefer?"
Oscar shook his head. "I'm not very hungry."
"Neither am I, but you're still healing, and neither of us can afford to allow strain or stress to keep us from eating, or we're risking illness." Ozpin retrieved Long Memory and leaned his weight against it. "If you don't have any preferences, maybe just some soup and bread, then."
"Sure, that sounds okay," Oscar said. He laced his fingers together nervously. "D-did you have any more questions?"
Ozpin chuckled, his tone a little cynical. "I'm sure I'll have several questions once everything you've told me has a chance to sink in and I've gotten past my initial emotional response."
"Right."
Ozpin sighed. "If you think you'll be okay on your own, I'll see about arranging dinner for us and then I have a little bit of work to do, but if you need me, I'll be out in the living area."
"Okay." Oscar waited while Ozpin left the room before moving over and sitting down on the edge of his bed.
That… hadn't been as bad as he had feared it would be. Ozpin hadn't seemed angry or disappointed by the things he'd learned. It remained to be seen how Professor Goodwitch and Qrow would react the next time he saw them, and Ozpin didn't seem as if he would be trying to run away like he had when Jinn had answered Ruby's question. That had to be a good sign, right?
He sighed. One hurdle overcome – but there were more to come. It was more important for him to rest and finish healing, and then he could tackle the next hurdle, and the next… and sooner or later, they would know if anything he had said would prevent the outcomes he had already experienced.