Chapter 14: Fallout

April 24th:

After a week of classes being cancelled, the sound of Weiss's alarm, and the rushed movements of Team RWBY as they prepared for the upcoming day proved to be very jarring. Out of habit, Farran rolled over with a groan and flipped open his scroll. He opened up the Metaverse app, only to mentally kick himself when he saw that the timer, the source of so much dread and anxiety since his first day of class, had disappeared. Of course it was gone, they had completed their mission the night before. Shadow Richards had been defeated, and the Palace had fallen. He smiled as he pocketed his scroll and stood up, looking to get his own morning routine started.

The walk to the lecture hall would have been quiet, save for the occasional yawn from one of their number, if it weren't for Weiss grilling them over the readings they had been assigned over the impromptu break. Ever the stickler for academics, she wanted to make sure no one on her team had started to slack off.

"…And Farran, you made absolutely sure you went over the assignment for Dust Studies?" She stared at him with a frown, "I know you were having difficulty with it earlier in the week."

"Yes, Weiss. Went over it before I went to sleep." He yawned.

That answer apparently didn't appease her, as her gaze stayed on him, "Are you sure you managed to retain all that information? You were hardly what I would consider attentive last night."

"I'm fine Weiss. Besides, you went over it with me plenty of times when classes were out. I'm pretty sure it's been drilled into my head by now."

"I only ask because you were still struggling during our review on wind dust. I'm not trying to harp on you, Farran, but your knowledge about dust hasn't been coming along as fast as I'd like quite yet."

Yang rolled her eyes, "Come on, Ice Queen. Just give him a break. I've seen you two studying, and I know he's been working as hard as he can on it. Besides, it's too early in the morning to be worrying about all that stuff."

Weiss scoffed, "Well, forgive me for worrying about our grades! Need I remind you that midterms are in eleven days? We hardly have time to slack off in our studies."

"I know all that, Weiss. I'm doing my best with studying too, we all are. The thing is though," She let out a long yawn, "It's seven in the morning, and we have a long day ahead of us as it is. Can't you just give us a bit of a break, especially since classes are just starting up again today, before you start raking us over the coals?"

Weiss folded her arms, "I suppose you're right. Just don't expect me to be going easy on you as we get closer to exams. I'm serious about wanting our whole team to succeed."

The group turned the corner down the small corridor to the lecture halls, only to see the familiar lime green hair of Doctor Oobleck hovering above a small group of their classmates outside the door. Behind them, the lecture hall sat unusually empty, as by this point in the morning, it would typically be around halfway filled. He directed the group of students away from the lecture halls, taking a long gulp from his trusty thermos once he had some breathing room.

"Good morning, Doctor Oobleck." Ruby gave a cheery greeting as they approached, "Is that the Suli Mountain blend today?"

"Very good, Miss Rose! I knew I could get you to appreciate the finer points of coffee, even if you still load yours down with sugar." Oobleck rambled on at his usual fast pace, "Indeed, I just received a few fresh bags from one of my former students who works on the Suli Mountains, keeping the orchards safe from Grimm. If you would like, you and Miss Schnee may have one, you both seem like you would appreciate the flavor."

"That sounds heavenly, Doctor Oobleck. Thank you." Weiss peeked around his shoulder to the empty classroom, "But, I'm curious, why is the lecture hall empty? Classes do start again today, don't they?"

"Ah, yes, yes, my apologies. You see, classes will be held today, but instead of your typical morning classes, we have been instructed to direct you all to the amphitheater for a most important assembly. I would recommend you get a move on, it should be starting soon."

"Er… Right. Thanks, Doctor Oobleck." Yang gave him a wave, as she and the rest departed for their new destination.

"An assembly?" Weiss muttered to the group, "I have to think it's about the assassination, right?"

Blake nodded, "What else could it be about? Nothing else newsworthy has happened since then, and if it did, Jaune would be busy spamming our scrolls right about now."

The walk from the lecture halls to the amphitheater was rather short, and when Team RWBY finally arrived, the entire place had already filled up with most of Beacon's student body. They took up the first spot they could find that had a view of the stage, soon being surrounded by the ever growing mass of people. From their place, Farran could see the members of Team CFVY a few feet away from them, Yatsuhashi's large frame and Velvet's ears popping above the crowd. He caught Velvet's eye and the two gave each other a small wave, just as Professor Ozpin took the stage.

"Good morning." He started simply, his voice calm and clear, but still obviously tired. Farran was surprised to see the man without his usual coffee mug, "I apologize for interrupting your usual class schedule once again, however in light of recent events, I felt it best that I address some matters of the utmost importance. First and foremost, the recent attack at Councilman Unhilo's manor. "

A small murmuring came over the crowd, prompting Ozpin to raise a hand to silence them, "I am sure you all are no doubt aware of all the details available to the public on this matter. After the Councilman's untimely passing, we dispatched the third and fourth year students to the surrounding areas to protect against any possible attacks by the creatures of Grimm. Thankfully, despite the overwhelming amount of shock caused by this tragedy, the timely response by your fellow classmates, the overall damage caused by Grimm fell far below what was predicted. Also, I am very pleased to announce that throughout the last week, there was not one death caused by a creature of Grimm in any of our response areas."

An uproar of cheers and whooping erupted throughout the amphitheater. Even Farran couldn't help but join in the adulation. An obvious, but important, point that was always stressed throughout Beacon's Emergency Response courses was that a Huntsman's first priority when responding to a situation is preventing loss of life. For the upperclassmen to have managed to have prevented any all throughout the week, after such a major event, was nothing short of phenomenal. Ozpin gave the crowd a few seconds, then raised his hand again to reign them in.

"I hate to interrupt your cheering, as you all have every right to celebrate, however we have much to cover today. I will encourage all of you to continue to be vigilant, and ready for action at a moments notice. While the stir caused by the Councilman's passing has started to quiet down, the election for his replacement will soon be at hand. I'm sure I need not remind you, but with any election, people with differing opinions speak up, tempers flare, and negativity persists. And, while I encourage all of you who are able to participate to do so, please remember to be discreet about your personal opinions. We are meant to be protectors of peace, and our position is not one where we should be attempting to sway public opinion. Doing so would cause those of differing viewpoints to lose faith in Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"Now, for a topic I'm sure you're all excited to hear about: The Vytal Festival. Due to the number of incidents in recent years, many have been wondering whether or not the Vytal Festival will still occur this year. I can assure you that the Festival and Tournament will still be taking place, right here in Vale. However, with the safety of students from the other Academies in mind, the Council and I have been working with the other Headmasters to adjust travel arrangements. We decided that it would be for the best to have those traveling students traveling to Vale on our own soil as soon as possible. Therefore, the other students will not be arriving at the end of summer as previously planned. Instead, we will be having ships arriving periodically throughout the next few months until the beginning of summer, the first number of which will be arriving as soon as tomorrow." There were a number of gasps, and outcries of people surprised at the sudden change, all silenced as Ozpin raised his hand yet again, "I understand this is a surprise, however this plan has been in the works as a precautionary measure sincere the last Vytal Festival. Due to this change, you will start to see members of the other Academies utilizing our classrooms and other facilities during their stay, but I assure you we are well enough equipped to handle their needs without causing any difficulties or delays for all of you. It is my wish that when they arrive, you would all give them a warm welcome, and ideally attempt to befriend a few. They may be your rivals in the tournament, but they are still training to become Huntsmen and Huntresses, just as you all are. Some day, they will be your allies, the same as any of your classmates."

Farran wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but he could have sworn he saw the sides of Ozpin's mouth twitch down for a second as he took a brief pause, "Now, prior to my arrival at Beacon yesterday afternoon, that had been all I had been planning on covering in today's assembly. However, I regret to say that recent events have added one more topic which I must address. Ordinarily, I would not speak on such matters, however in this situation, I believe it best to have a level of transparency with you all. After all, word will get out on it eventually, and I would rather you all hear it from me, than for it to be passed around by word of mouth, and have you start to lose faith in me, and more importantly, lose faith in Beacon Academy. You see, as of early this morning, Director Agni Richards is no longer an employee here at Beacon."

Ozpin remained silent as the audience broke out into an uproar of stunned reactions. For those who had been Richards's favorites, shock and disbelief that Ozpin had announced the man who had let them do as they please was now gone. For those who had otherwise been neutral to the man, many conversations broke out around the amphitheater in hushed, astonished mutters, not only that Richards had been fired, but that Ozpin had decided to announce the fact to the school as a whole. Lastly, for those who had been on the receiving end of his cruelty, as well as those who had seen their friends and classmates suffer, excitement reigned. Despite many having started to resent Ozpin for having kept Richards around, it had all been forgotten at the news of their newfound freedom. Farran couldn't help but take a peek over at Team CFVY, the sight bringing a smile to his face. Velvet had broken out in tears of joy, her hands covering her face, as Coco, absolutely beaming, had her arm wrapped around her shoulder. Fox and Yatsu crowded around her, the elation evident on their faces, trying to calm her down. He felt someone tugging on his left sleeve, looking down to see to see Ruby, her cheeks dimpled as she returned his gaze. On her opposite side, Yang had pulled her into a tight side hug, joining in the silent exhilaration of their apparent victory. While he would have loved to celebrate, this silent moment with his teammates that had fought so hard alongside him, surrounded by the excitement of all those they'd helped, was enough to leave him feeling content.

Ozpin waited for the din to die down before he started to speak again, "I know, this comes as a shock to many of you. However, throughout Mister Richards's tenure here at Beacon, there was a major failure in his responsibilities, some due to neglect, and some he was responsible for himself. It is for this reason that I have decided to discuss this with you all today. The biggest of these failings, and one I am determined to rectify, is that there is now an outbreak of the use of an extremely dangerous narcotic commonly known as Diamond Dust. This behavior is unacceptable of Huntsmen and Huntresses, however I refuse to pass the blame on any of you. The fault lies in the actions of Mister Richards, and moreover, the fault lies in mine. I am the Headmaster of this Academy, and I should be held accountable as such. Therefore, I have decided to make the decision to make you all this offer today. First, I would like to remind you all that the on-campus medical facility offers rehabilitation aid for any and all addictions, and it is completely confidential. We want you all to be at the best of your abilities, and will ensure you receive the best care possible. Second, for any of you who are in possession of Diamond Dust, I ask that you contact one of the professors at your discretion. We will insure that it will be disposed of immediately, and I assure you that you will be safe from any punishment by doing so."

"I know I have no right to ask this of you, but on behalf of Beacon Academy, I ask for your forgiveness on this matter. I am well aware of the hardships many of you have suffered, and I will do all I can moving forward to make it right. Of that, you have my word." He gave a small bow to the crowd as he finished speaking. Whether it was because of how genuine Ozpin was throughout his speech, or how open and honest he was being about a serious topic, one that could realistically cause a huge scandal, Farran wasn't sure, but not long after Ozpin finished speaking, a smattering of clapping started amongst the students, that soon erupted into a full uproar of applause. Ozpin gave them all a small wave, reigning the crowd in once more, "While your applause is wholly undeserved on my part, it is still greatly appreciated. Now, I believe I have taken far too much of your time this morning, I thank you all for your attentiveness, and wish you a good day."

Ozpin gave one last bow, and left the stage with another round of applause. A few seconds later, the crowd began to mill out of the amphitheater, making their way back to their classes. The mass of people around Team RWBY thinned out considerably, and they turned to leave, but were stopped by the sight of a familiar rabbit Faunus bounding towards them, her team in tow not far behind.

"Farran!" Velvet cried as she threw her arms around him, burying her tear-stained cheeks into his shoulder, "Oh, Gods… I can't believe it! He's gone… He's really gone!"

He couldn't help but laugh as he wrapped an arm around her, "Congrats, Velvet. I'm happy for you. Now that Richards is gone, all those people that have been messing with you should leave you alone too."

She pulled herself away, blushing slightly, "But Farran… You-"

"I'm perfectly fine. Trust me." He brought a finger to his lips, trying to signal for her to not bring up his expulsion.

"But… No, you're right. Now that he's gone, we don't have anything to worry about, do we?"

"None of the Faunus do." Blake cut in with a smile, "I can't imagine what you all are feeling right about now. This really is amazing news."

"I'm pretty sure you can imagine it, Blake." Velvet muttered coyly to herself. She shook her head, "It isn't just us Faunus, though. He would go after anyone he didn't like, regardless of race."

"Yes, he really was a jackass, wasn't he?" Yang gave her a small thumbs up, "Things will be so much better now that he's gone."

Farran dropped back a little bit, watching as Yang, Blake, and Ruby chatted excitedly with the nervous, but still very much elated Velvet. Weiss stood off to the side, awkwardly, clearly as happy as the rest at Richards's demise, but also noticeably uncomfortable. It was at that point that the rest of Team CFVY arrived, watching the conversation unfold next to Farran.

"You really are something else, hun." Coco muttered in disbelief, "I don't think I've ever seen her this happy."

"Don't know what you're talking about, Coco." Farran simpered, "I didn't do anything."

"Oh, yeah sure. You didn't do anything, and the whole fall line is going to be based around crocs!"

"…I know nothing about fashion, so I'm just gonna go ahead and assume that's not something that happens. And you!" Farran shot an accusatory finger at Fox, "You are a massive prick, you know that?"

"Me?! What did I do?!" He yelped, "Did you forget that I'm the one who made that program that allowed you to do… whatever the hell you did?"

"Yea, and it worked great. Everything was going fine, the dark red screen with the whole 'confess your crimes' thing was good, and everything was going perfect. And then Professor Port started dancing on the screens."

Fox had to force himself not to double over laughing, "In my defense, I wanted something that would be immediately noticeable. That was just the first thing that came to mind."

"Giving me mental trauma like that was the first thing that came to mind?! And how the hell did you even manage to draw and animate that thing anyways?"

Coco slowly raised her hand, "Not proud to admit it, but you can blame that on me and Yatsu. Fox came to us with the idea, and wouldn't stop bugging us about it until we did it. So, Yatsu drew all the frames, and I got it all together, so our computer wiz could add it to the file."

"It certainly is not my greatest work." Yatsuhashi grumbled.

"And besides, you can call us even on that front. Yeah, it had to have sucked, but if it weren't for me, you would have woken up this morning to Goodwitch kicking your door in." Fox shrugged, "I made sure to add a little bit into the program so that it would erase a bit of the data from the cameras from before it was activated, so all the footage of you breaking in is now gone."

Farran hung his head, "Yeah, I suppose you have a point."

"Alright, I gotta ask." Coco slid off her sunglasses, hooking them on the collar of her shirt, "You went through all that trouble to protect Velvet doing whatever the hell… So, why? You already said you weren't trying to get in her pants. So why do all this?"

"What, still don't trust me?"

"Would I have put all that time into helping Fox with that little project if I didn't?"

"Touché… Well, thanks to that asshole, you guys know a bit about my past. My real one. If I'm being honest, I don't know a whole hell of a lot about who I was, amnesia is stupid like that. But it gave me a pretty unique chance to decide exactly who I wanted to be, with no real bias or other things to influence me. So, when I saw Velvet being picked on by Cardin, I just kind of decided. From there, well, that's all I've really had to cling to in terms of who I am."

Coco mulled it over, then looked at him with a satisfied smile, "You're a good kid, hun. Oi! Velvet!" She called, as Velvet's ears perked up. The rabbit Faunus spun around to face her leader, "We gotta get going. I really don't want to get on Goodwitch's bad side cause we're late, do you?" She watched as Velvet, who finally realized the amphitheater was just about empty, anxiously gave the other members of Team RWBY a wave goodbye. Coco clapped Farran on the shoulder as she started to leave, "Take care, hun. We'll be in touch soon."

He watched as Team CFVY disappeared into the slowly diminishing stream of people funneling out of the amphitheater. With one last grin at a job well done, he rejoined his teammates, and together, they returned to their morning class, much more jovial than they had been before.

The shortened morning class period passed without much incident, Doctor Oobleck speeding through his lecture at near double his already fast pace, almost as if he were trying to make up for the lost time. The second the bell rang, he dismissed the class, grabbing his a box from his desk and bolted around the room, dropping off several bags of coffee beans to a number of students, Ruby and Weiss included, before speeding off out of the room. As the members of Team RWBY made their way from the lecture halls to the dining hall, they passed by the entrance to the CCT Tower, where a surprise waited for them. Professor Goodwitch stood just outside, her eyes scanning the crowd, and once she saw them, cut through the current of people to approach them.

"Good afternoon. My apologies, but I must borrow Mister Park for a moment." She placed a hand om his shoulder, "Professor Ozpin needs to discuss an urgent matter with him. Miss Rose, I don't imagine this taking too long, but should he be late, would you please tell Professor Peach he's with me?"

"Sure thing, Professor Goodwitch. But…" Ruby tapped the tips of her index fingers together, anxiously looking at Farran, "He isn't in trouble, is he?"

"Trouble? Not as far as I am aware. You have been on your best behavior, haven't you, Mister Park?"

"Of course I have. Don't worry, Ruby. You guys go ahead and get started without me, ok?" He gave her a small wave, and put on his best smile to try to convince her. After all, with Richards gone, there should be nothing for him to get punished for, since his expulsion would be off the table. Although, Ozpin summoning him to his office was certainly unexpected.

"O-Ok, Farran. We'll see you later, then." She waved goodbye as she and the rest of the team made their way through the crowd to the dining hall.

Once his team was out of view, Goodwitch steered him up the steps and into the tower, over to the elevator. Her slender fingers were surprisingly strong, keeping a firm grip on Farran as the moved, to the point where he doubted he could get free if he wanted to. When the elevator finally arrived, she maneuvered him inside, hammering the button for the very top floor, and finally releasing him from her grasp.

"So… Professor Goodwitch." He looked to the blonde woman, "Now that Richards is gone, what happens to me? And to Velvet and Professor Peach?"

She clicked her tongue, "You know I'm not at liberty to discuss such things, Mister Park."

"I know, but-"

"Mister Park, trust me." She gave him a genuine smile, "I know you're worried, and I certainly can't blame you. But I didn't lie to Miss Rose when I told her that I was not aware of you being in trouble. If Professor Ozpin truly plans to follow through with Richards plan to expel you, he hasn't confided in me about it. That being said, it would surprise me if that were a course of action he would pursue. And I thank you for your concern about Momoka. Professor Peach, rather. I know I shouldn't be saying this, but we met with Professor Ozpin this morning, and he assured us that her status here at Beacon was not in question."

Farran nodded, remaining silent the rest of the ride up the tower, staring at the elevator's display as they rose. The number slowly increased as they ascended, passing by the CCT's main operating center, past the floor where Richards's office was located, until finally, they reached the top floor of the tower. The elevator opened, giving them access to the landing, as Goodwitch steered him down a small hallway. As they drew nearer to the doorway at the end, Farran could swear he could hear the sound of clockwork growing louder.

The door slid open, and Goodwitch pushed Farran inside, finally releasing his shoulder. They stood in a mostly empty office, decorated simply with a few end tables covered with doilies and small potted plants. Above them, an intricate set of gears that made up the very top of the tower clicked endlessly, milling about for some purpose unbeknownst to Farran. Opposite of them sat an ornate desk, which seemed to be made entirely of holo-screens, with an ornate, metal chair that seemed to be made entirely made of gears pulled neatly beneath it. The chair was, of course, occupied by none other than Professor Ozpin, who had his hands tented on the desk in front of him, a warm smile on his face.

"Good morning, Mister Park. Do come in." He reached over for his ever present coffee mug, taking a small sip from it, "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Farran answered as he strode across the room, "And you, Professor?"

"I'm doing well, all things considered. Never was enamored with meeting directly with the Council, but with things as they are, it was necessary." Ozpin started to look weary as he spoke, evidence of his apparently long week, but he sprung back almost immediately, "I must say, it's been quite some time since you and I have spoke. Not since I 'left you to the wolves', if I remember your words correctly. I must apologize, I would offer you a chair so we could discuss how your first few weeks have been, but I'm afraid my office is a tad… ill-equipped. I rarely have meetings here that last more than a few minutes, after all."

"Oh, uh… That's alright, sir. I'm just wondering… Professor Goodwitch said you had something urgent you needed to talk with me about?"

"Ah, yes. Straight to business then." Ozpin refolded his hands on the desk, "I sent Professor Goodwitch to collect you so that you and I could discuss the announcement I made this morning about our change to the Director of Security position here at Beacon. I wanted to tell you specifically why I made this decision. You see, beyond his failure to adequately fulfill his role in that position, Mister Richards confessed to some rather serious crimes late last night, and has therefore been taken into custody by the proper authorities."

"I-I see…" Farran froze up, "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not entirely sure why-"

"Why I would choose to discuss the firing and subsequent incarceration of one of my staff with a student, yes?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "I suppose it would be confusing. You see, prior to his confession, I found documents on my desk from Mister Richards, calling for your expulsion from Beacon Academy. During my conversation with him, he stated that you two had an altercation after his inspection of Team CFVY's dorm room, and that he had previously planned on framing it so that you would receive punishment. Does this sound familiar at all to you?"

"Y-Yes sir… I will admit that Director… Mister Richards, sorry, and I didn't get along, and that we did get into it while he was harassing Velvet. He said a lot of racist remarks to her, I got in his face, and then he kicked and stomped on my bad knee. But I didn't do anything to him, I swear!"

"I'm already well aware of what happened, Mister Park. You needn't worry about receiving any punishment for that incident. Professor Goodwitch has already confirmed your side of the story with me prior to our meeting today. There is, however, one other incident I need to discuss with you." Ozpin leaned forward, his gaze intense, "You see Mister Park, prior to his confession to me last night, it would seem someone broke into Mister Richards's office, and planted a virus on the computers that control the security cameras around Beacon. The access panel that unlocked his office door has been melted, and all footage taken by the cameras yesterday had been erased by the time we finally got everything back online. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Shit, shit, shit! Farran did his best to keep up some sort of a neutral face, "N-No, sir? Can't say that I do. I went into town with my teammates yesterday. Well, Ruby and Yang, rather…"

"I see. You know, Mister Park, that does strike me as odd. After all…" Ozpin reached down and dug through his pocket. Seconds later, his hand hovered over the desk, dropping a number of feathers that seemed to be made of pure silver in front of him, "These were found caught in an open window frame in his office. I believe it was through this window that the perpetrator made his escape." Ozpin smiled at him pleasantly, "Would you confirm my assumption to be correct, Mister Park?"

Farran stared at the feathers with dread. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but there they were. He thought back to his and Yang's escape from the office. He had grabbed the drive, picked up Yang, dove through the window, and flew off. It was then that he remembered that as they flew, his wing clipped the side, and he felt a slight pinch as they were flying. Thanks to the rush of adrenaline in their escape, he hadn't realized that it was the same sensation as when Blake had pulled off one of his feathers the day he first discovered his Semblance.

Goodwitch slammed her hand down on the desk, "Mister Park, I cannot believe that you would do something so reckless! The man already tried getting you expelled for standing up for Miss Scarlatina. What do you think he would have done if he discovered you breaking into his office?"

"I… I-" Farran wanted to defend himself, but found that himself unable to form words, let alone a coherent sentence.

"Please, relax Mister Park." Ozpin offered with a smile, "This isn't an interrogation. Do not think that your life here at Beacon is in jeopardy, as I don't believe you did it with malicious or juvenile intent. Although, I am one to agree with Glynda. If Richards wasn't so incensed to have discovered his office had been breached, and had she not been the one to discover your feathers in the first place, you might be in a world of trouble right now. That all being said, will you admit to having broken into his office so we can finally begin this discussion in earnest?"

Farran looked at Goodwitch, who, despite her sternness, gave him a reassuring nod. He decided if he'd already been found out, and wasn't facing expulsion, he might as well own up to it. "Y-Yeah. It was me… After I found out from Professor Goodwitch how the security panel to his office would break when exposed to high heat, I decided to take break in, and mess with his computer. I figured maybe it would spook him out of here, or something. But I did it to protect Velvet and myself, and hell, Professor Peach too. I didn't want to bring any trouble to you or to Beacon, I promise."

"And I believe you wholeheartedly, Mister Park. Thank you for being honest with me. However, there is a far more pressing matter I wish to discuss." Under Ozpin's intense gaze, Farran felt a chill run up his spine. There was something in that gaze of his, that while not malicious or evil, left him feeling uncomfortable, "How exactly did you force Richards to confess his crimes?"

"E-Excuse me, sir?"

"What are you talking about, Ozpin?" Even Goodwitch couldn't suppress the surprise in her voice.

"Mister Park, I have had the… displeasure of knowing Agni Richards for a few years now. In all that time, there was nothing, absolutely nothing about the man, that made me think he would be the type to not only confess his crimes, but to seem like he was genuinely sorrowful for what he had done. Even your actions, having broken into his office and planting that virus, were not nearly enough to force him to confess. He would most likely have remained silent unless you held him at gunpoint. Even so, had that been all, I never would have suspected you. However, on your first day here at Beacon, you had two confrontations with one Mister Cardin Winchester, due to his harassing of Miss Scarlatina. Ever since that day, Mister Winchester, a member of a wealthy, powerful, and rather haughty family, has acted as if he were a completely different person from the day he entered our academy. Two men who have begun acting as if they were entirely different people, almost as if their souls themselves had been changed, after you had confronted them. In my experience, very few things of this caliber can be attributed to coincidence. So, I will ask you again, Mister Park." Ozpin leaned forward once more, "What did you do to trigger this shift?"

Tell Ozpin about the Metaverse? Farran trusted Ozpin, that was for certain. Despite having no reason to do so, Ozpin had offered him a spot at Beacon while he was on his hospital bed. But did he really trust him enough to tell him about the other world? About his ability to change people's hearts? He couldn't get the look in Ozpin's eyes out of his mind.

"I… I'm sorry, sir." Farran shook his head, "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. All I did was break into the office."

For a moment, Ozpin's expression was unreadable. However, when he finally looked up at Farran, it exuded calmness, forgiveness, and, oddly enough, relief, "That's a shame, Mister Park. I'd hoped you would trust me more. However, I am not one to pry too deeply into another's secrets. I would advise you to be careful moving forward, though. Even so, I would like to know just how much you know about Richards? I'm curious to know just what caused you to resort to such drastic measures."

So, he knows I'm bullshitting, but he's gonna let me off. I can live with that… "Well, I'm still not sure what you're talking about, sir. I can tell you that I know he was a member of the Atlesian Mafia, and I know that he was planning on trying to muscle Velvet into being a drug mule for them."

Ozpin stared at him, dumbfounded, "Is that so? I know about him being a member of that gang, but this is the first I've heard of him plotting against Miss Scarlatina. Could you explain in more detail?"

"Yes sir. Apparently, he planned on planting Diamond Dust in Velvet's locker. A ton of it. He was going to hang around her locker, so when she opened it and they all fell out, he could catch her 'red handed'. After that, he was going to drag her to his office, and threaten her with expulsion, but said he'd let it slide if she did a few jobs for him. From there, he would just keep pressuring her and blackmailing her to keep her in line."

"And you're absolutely sure of this?"

"Yes sir."

Ozpin pressed a number of keys on his desk, prompting a hologram to appear above it. After a few seconds, he could see the image of Doctor Oobleck. Ozpin nodded at him curtly, "There's been a problem, and I need you to take care of it for me."

"Of course." Oobleck nodded with a slight frown, "Is everything alright? There hasn't been another Grimm attack outside Vale, has there?"

"No. Unfortunately, our previous Director of Security may have left a bit of a problem in Miss Velvet Scarlatina's locker. I'm transferring the current master code for you now. Please hurry, and be discreet. I don't want any labels to be placed on the poor girl due to one last act of malice on his part."

"Yes, yes, right away." He gave Ozpin a small salute, "I shall retrieve it, and dispose of it posthaste."

Goodwitch shook her head as the screen went dark, "That bastard… I had been wondering where he disappeared to yesterday. He must have hidden it away in her locker, then disappeared back into his office."

"In any case, I commend you for telling us about this, Mister Park." Ozpin frowned slightly, "But I must ask, why did you not come to me sooner? Perhaps this could all have been avoided."

"No, sir. I don't think it could have." Farran took a deep breath, "Even if I had come to you, it wouldn't have changed anything. After all, I also learned that Richards had been using a secret of yours to blackmail you for quite some time. What it was, I have no idea. I don't even want to know. But I do know that when push comes to shove, you would have sided with him over me."

Ozpin sat back in his chair, his face weary, "I see… Thank you for telling me all this. That being the case, I certainly cannot blame you for your secrecy throughout this whole ordeal."

"I'm glad we're on the same page, sir."

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation. Yes, I am well aware of the travesties caused by that man at Beacon. It was such a simple thing, hiring him as a minor part of the security staff, but if I knew then what I do now, he never would have set foot here. The Atlesian Mafia went to great lengths to make sure his connections to them would not show up on his background check. Then, the day when Blaine Lucroy, our previous Director of Security fell ill, Richards came to me, demanding that he take the position, and revealing that he knew about the secret you spoke of. A very dangerous secret that would turn the way most everyone sees Remnant on end. How he came about that knowledge is beyond me, but I had no choice but to bow to his demands."

Farran felt himself setting his jaw, "And this secret is so important that you'd let the man do whatever he wanted?"

"Mister Park… Farran, I do hope you do not see me as a heartless monster, although I could hardly blame you if you did. What you are asking me is if I would trade the harassment of a handful of students for the potential deaths of millions of people. That is how serious this secret is. It is not a decision I make happily, but it is one I make as the Headmaster of one of the four Academies. I must protect this world at all costs."

Farran sighed, "I understand, Professor Ozpin. Believe me, I know. If anyone's to blame, it's Richards, and he's already getting what he deserves. That being said, even if you made the choice you believe is right, I'll never be happy with it."

"I don't expect you to. Just please remember, even if you can't place your faith in me, always place it on your teammates, on your friends, and on this school. That is all I ask."

"I will, sir. If there's anything I've learned from you so far, it's to trust my team, and it's served me plenty well so far. Now, if that's all you need, I should be getting back. Dust Studies is hard enough for me as it is without missing class." Farran turned to leave.

"Just one moment, Mister Park." Ozpin called from behind him in a chiding tone, "We've yet to discuss your punishment."

The floor squeaked beneath Farran as he came to a sudden stop, "Punishment, sir? But I thought you said I was off the hook."

"What I said is that your school life was not in jeopardy, and I meant it. I have no intention of expelling you. However, you did still vandalize school property, and you broke into a staff member's office. That, I'm afraid, cannot be overlooked. Therefore, I would think…" Ozpin paused looking off into space, "I would think one day's detention with Professor Goodwitch would be apt enough punishment."

"Me? Why?!" Goodwitch glared at him, incredulous, "Ozpin, Doctor Oobleck always handles detentions."

Ozpin's pleasant smile returned, "That is true, and yet, if I recall correctly, Mister Park stated that you were the one who told him about the security panel. I would think it fair, since the confidential information you shared with him was instrumental in his actions, that you take responsibility as well."

Farran could hear the sound of Goodwitch grinding her teeth. Every part of his being screamed at him to run, yet his body remained frozen to the spot. "You… Fine. Mister Park, you will come to my office one week from today, at six o'clock sharp. You will NOT be late. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. Six o'clock. Thursday. I'll be there." Farran had no interest in learning what would happen if he were late, her prior comment of witches cutting off tongues flashing through his mind.

"Very good. Now, I would advise you return to class. Professor Peach is in much better spirits today, and I would hate to ruin that by you being tardy. You are excused, Mister Park."

Farran mumbled what sounded like an affirmative response, and quickly made his way out the door and to the elevator. When the doors closed around him, and the elevator started to descend, placing him safely out of Goodwitch's reach, he let out a deep breath and leaned up against the elevator wall, thinking back on the more important parts of that previous meeting. Ozpin knew what he was doing, that he was responsible for Richards and Cardin's change of hearts, although he didn't know the specifics on how it was achieved. Even though Ozpin clearly wanted to know about his power, the man let him keep his secret, but whether it was out of kindness and respect or something else, he had no idea. He decided that Ozpin was clearly a hard man to read, but ultimately, the man seemed to have good intentions in mind. In a way, Farran felt that the meeting had brought him somewhat closer to the Headmaster. It was during that revelation that Farran could feel, but not see, the elevator stop mid-descent, as the voice in his mind rang out.

"I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become a Beacon in the darkness

to lead you down the path to your own justice.

With the birth of the Judgement Persona,

You have obtained unforeseen power

that will allow you to remake your Fate anew."

For once, Farran frowned at the formation of a new bond, not at the bond itself, but at the Arcana in particular. Judgement. He had continued to reserve the book on fortunetelling that he had previously borrowed from the library for quite some time, reading up on all the Arcana. Judgment, however, was one of the ones he had read the least about. He dug through his bag, pulling out a small notebook he had been using to record all of his bonds, their Arcana, and all the events that led to their formation and strengthening. He flipped to the first empty spot, and started making his note about Ozpin, determined to research the Judgement Arcana further.

Ozpin stood from his chair, grabbing his coffee mug from his desk as he rose, and moved over to the window. The bright afternoon sun shone brightly on the campus greens, the lawns for once empty of the usual mill of students, as even the stragglers would be in class at this time. He took a sip of coffee, relishing its bold and bitter flavor as he collected his thoughts.

"I know what you're going to say, Glynda." He addressed his second-in-command as he continued to stare out the window, "You think I'm up to something."

"Of course I do." She tapped her foot impatiently, "You assured me before you had me bring him here that you wouldn't punish Farran. Now all of a sudden, I have to change my plans around for him to have detention. I hope you're not planning on punishing him just because he wouldn't answer your question…"

"No, that was not my intention at all. Mister Park is a respectable young man, and I'd be loathe to prevent him from having his own secrets. Even if they would be invaluable towards our own goals. No, I would much rather Mister Park have his secrets and trust us, than risk agitating him and having him run off. He is far too important…"

"Ozpin, he's a student, not a tool."

"That, I am very much aware. And a fine one at that. Excellent in combat, though not quite at the levels of the top of his class. Above average to good in all of his classes." Ozpin let out a small chuckle, "He looks as if he will become a fine Huntsman in his own right, far more so than I imagined when we first met. But his coursework is not what concerns me, I'm sure I can leave that in his hands without worry. My concerns lie in the matters we discussed the day before his arrival."

"Right…" Goodwitch leaned against Ozpin's desk, "Do you still believe that… they are behind the attack on the Councilman's manor?"

"It's hard to say. Everything about the situation certainly fits their M.O. Although, it's impossible to say for certain without knowing the full details about the case. Regardless, whether or not they were responsible, Mister Park's safety is far more guaranteed at Beacon than anywhere else. That is my priority. And what's more…" Ozpin's attention turned from the scenery outside his window to the reflection of Goodwitch behind him, as he muttered, "To think a boy who less than a month ago had no identity of his own would turn out to be such an able catalyst. It certainly warrants further observation…"

"Cheers!"

The sound of glasses clinking together rang out in Team RWBY's dorm room as Ruby, Yang, and Farran brought their drinks of choice together. After their afternoon class, featuring a particularly sunny Professor Peach, Yang had insisted on their walk back on having a bit of a celebration that night, or as she called it a "Screw off Richards, you're a prick, and nobody's gonna miss you!" party. After she had changed from her uniform, she had made a mad dash to the store, determined to grab all her teammates' drinks of choice, as well as some ingredients to throw a quick cake together. It seemed, however, that they were the only ones in a celebrating mood, as Weiss and Blake were more than content to just relax with mugs of freshly brewed coffee and tea respectively.

"Gotta say, though." Farran looked down at his glass of ginger ale, "This isn't much of a 'party', now is it, Yang?"

She glowered at him over her own drink, "And just what do you mean by that? What were you expecting, Hero? Not like I can just run out and get a pack of beer or anything. Hell, if you weren't such a wimp about anything bitter, I wouldn't have had to run out and buy anything."

"Hey, I resent that! And no, it's nothing like that. Just seems a little… lackluster, don't you think?"

"Well I, for one, am still confused as to why we should be celebrating. The man was truly detestable, yes, and I'm not sad to see him go, but none of us ever really drew his ire, from what I recall." Weiss, who sat perched at her usual desk, took a long sip from her mug, "Mmm… Farran, you absolutely must try this blend. Perhaps it might convince you to give coffee another try. Doctor Oobleck's recommendations are always on the mark."

"I mean, I did try to invite Velvet, but her team's doing their own thing tonight. Same with Team JNPR." Yang shrugged, "Not my fault everyone's being lame!"

"And besides, isn't Richards getting fired a good enough reason to celebrate?" Ruby plopped down on Weiss's bed, "I'm glad that jerk's going to jail for everything he did…"

"Jail?" Blake, who had been spread out on her bed, looked up at her, "What do you mean, Ruby?"

"Oh… Uh, well… you know…" Ruby looked around the room, realizing she had accidentally said to much, "It was just something Ozpin said, today. You know, during his speech, and all that. When he was talking about the Diamond Dust?"

"Really?" Weiss spun around, her eyebrow raised, "I can't remember anything of the sort. All Professor Ozpin said was that there would be confidential aid for anyone who had Diamond Dust, nothing about Richards."

"Oh… Really? Are you sure, Weiss? Cause I remember… I mean, I think…"

"Sorry, Weiss. That was me. Ozpin told me about it during my meeting with him." Farran raised his hand, lamely, "That was the whole reason he called me up to his office. None of you heard this from me, I wasn't even supposed to tell Ruby, but I just sort of blurted it out earlier. According to Ozpin, Richards confessed everything to him, all the stuff with the Diamond Dust and harassment and everything. He called me up there cause I got in Richards's face when he was harassing Velvet this one time, and he wanted me to confirm what happened."

"Wait, he confessed?!" Weiss stared at him, dumbstruck, "Impossible! There's no way… Are you absolutely sure that's what Professor Ozpin said?"

"Yeah, that's what he told me. For whatever reason, he decided to confess everything that he's done, and that's why Ozpin canned him."

"Unbelievable…" She gaped, "Absolutely unreal. A man who has caused so much damage to this Academy, a man who has major connections to the drug trade, and he just confesses? It's unfathomable. I mean, obviously it's for the best for everyone, and if he himself confessed, I'm more than happy to hear he'll be behind bars, but he had the perfect situation for a man of his ilk here. Why would he just throw that all away?"

"I dunno. Maybe he just had a change of heart?" Yang grinned cheekily.

Ruby's quick kick caught Yang on her upper thigh, glowering at her all too obvious comment, "Yeah, maybe…"

"I sincerely doubt that…" Weiss frowned, "After all, my sister has dealt with many of those in the Diamond Dust trade in the past during her work with General Ironwood. While she never went too deep into the specifics, they never seemed to allow the type who would grow a conscience into their fold."

"I mean, it's not like it's completely out of the question. Cardin changed too, didn't he?" Farran offered, "You're experienced with old money types, aren't you Weiss? I doubt they're any more likely to change like that."

"Well, you're not wrong about that. And in my, thankfully limited, experience dealing with Cardin, he certainly does not strike me as the type who would undergo such a drastic change either. In fact, it still surprises me to this day that he hasn't reverted to how he had once been. Even so, for anyone to just grow a conscience overnight and confess to a lifetime of criminal activity? It's just not normal. Something big is going on around here… Gods, I'm starting to sound like Nora and Jaune!"

The room fell silent until after a few seconds, a loud buzzing sound rang out. Yang fumbled through her pockets for a second before pulling out her scroll, "Sorry, that's me. The cake's just about done baking. Hey Weiss, you said you wanted me to teach you about filling and piping tonight, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Weiss absolutely perked up, "Sorry, I don't mean to keep asking you to teach me, but I've been curious about baking and designing cakes since I started learning from you. You see, when I was small, my family's cake butler made such an astounding design on one of my birthday cakes. It looked exactly like a white rose in full bloom."

"Well, I can't promise you that we'll be doing anything that fancy tonight, but I can still show you the basics." Yang laughed as she and Weiss headed for the kitchenette.

Farran moved to follow them, but was stopped when Blake spoke up, her voice pensive, "Hey, Farran… Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? Sure, Blake. What's up?"

She sat up, swinging her legs off the side of her bed, "Do you… really believe someone's heart can be changed like that?"

"What do you mean, Blake?" Ruby's eyes filled with worry.

"Well, it's just what you were talking about earlier. About Richards and Cardin… If someone were to be so far down the wrong path, do you think they could still change their heart and… and go back to doing the right thing? Turn back into a good person?"

"Blake…"

Farran took a moment to pick the right words, "I'm not sure if I really have a good answer for you, Blake. It's a little bit yes and no. Like… Cardin was an asshole, that's for sure. But for as bad as he was, nothing he did was really irredeemable. On the other hand, you got a guy like Richards, even though he did confess, I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a good person, would you? So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, it really depends on the person, what they've done, and whether or not they really regret their actions. Does that make sense?"

Blake hesitated for a few momenta, but eventually nodded. "Y-Yeah, it does. Sorry, thank you Farran."

"No problem. If you don't mind me asking, what brings this up? Everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just… It's a long story, a really long one. And it's not that I don't trust either of you, but it's not something I'm comfortable talking about right now."

Farran waved her off, "Hey, don't worry about it. Just remember, if it's ever anything you do want to talk about, let any of us know."

Blake nodded, and Farran left the room, making his way to rejoin Weiss and Yang. Shortly after, the cake was finished, decorated, and served, the five members of Team RWBY each enjoying their slice. As they were eating, the decision was made that they would all go into Vale the following afternoon to see the decorations for the upcoming Vytal Festival, and hopefully witness the first ships of incoming students arrive. As the night started to wind down, Farran laid back on his futon, staring at the ceiling as he thought back on the events that had occurred since he had left the hospital. A month ago, when he was still cooped up in his hospital bed, knee and chest burning as the doctors weaned him off pain killers, he never could have imagined what would be waiting for him in his new life. Back then, he had chalked his first visit to the Velvet Room as a medication induced fever dream. And now… He looked over at his teammates, all deep in their own conversation as they went about their usual nightly routine, his lips curling up into a smile. In just a month, he had gone from a nobody with nothing to his name, to having conquered a monster in another world, saved Velvet's life, and made a number of great friends along the way. Although his journey had just started, Farran could feel the strength of the bonds he had with his teammates guiding him forward, bringing him closer, even if just ever so slightly, towards the justice he was pursuing.