I've been unjustifiably slow with updating this, I sincerely apologize. I have sixteen chapters written and I just keep forgetting to post them here. I will work to rectify this over the course of this month and the next.

Chapter Nine: Fangs Bared

BEACON H.Q.

Washington D.C.

Present Day

Director Ozpin was the youngest Director of the Bureau of Enforcement, Analysis, Counterterrorism, and Operations Network, not that it meant a whole lot, considering the organization had only been active since the early 1990's. BEACON was formed during a time of relative optimism, the end of the Cold War, and there was faith that the United Nations could effectively begin fulfilling its purpose without two major powers going at each other on the world stage, hamstringing the organization and its actions.

Whether BEACON could keep doing that due to events no one could have possibly imagined remained to be seen. BEACON was designed to be the United Nations' version of Interpol. Since the emergence of the White Fang terrorist organization, however, and the increasing presence of Dust in public knowledge, BEACON had transformed into something else. The Faunus and the general nature of Dust could be contained no longer. BEACON's job had become more of an anti-terrorist organization that was also designed to keep Dust as sealed away as possible. If Dust were to get out into the world at large . . . the hellbeasts seen during World War II were the tip of the iceberg.

Most things died. Others changed. Those born to Dust-infected people came out the same way. Children of Faunus were Faunus too. There was no stopping Dust anymore, but the hope was that it could still be contained. And that White Fang couldn't be allowed to kill more people or attempt to create more Faunus. That was a rather sadistic tactic the White Fang did, spread Dust around in hopes of creating more Faunus, which in turn would drive the new Faunus right into White Fang's arms.

And now, Ozpin was left watching as the US Secretary of Defense was in an argument with none other than the five ambassadors representing the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Isabella "Ella" Woods was 45 years old, brown eyes, dark hair with a touch of gray. She seemed to be enjoying the argument. One thing that Ella had a reputation for was taking every fight in stride and with style, whether it was in the field or a political battle at home. She was the youngest Secretary Defense in US history, and the first who was female. She was demonstrating why.

Ozpin sat back and listened as Ella moved among the holograms.

"I promise you, we will have the new Helicarrier in the air very soon. We just want to make sure everything is in order first. The United States footed the bill for the majority of its construction, remember, and we're not going to completely own the property. We want to make sure it works."

"You're just holding out on us, Ms. Woods," growled the Russian ambassador. "We would have had the Helicarrier built long ago!"

"Yes, and it would've plummeted out of the sky on its first test," the French ambassador sniffed.

"Your insolence is not amusing," the Russian ambassador replied. "Do I have to remind you all that this carrier is in the world's interest, not in individual countries?"

"The moment it was put on the United States to pay for this thing, it became an American interest," Woods replied.

The American ambassador looked stunned by the remark and was about to cut in when Woods held up her hand. The ambassador stuttered and then looked away, in clear embarrassment.

"And don't act so selfless, Mr. Yakov. You're the country bullying the Ukraine right now. There's reports of Dust supplies sneaking in from Russia to support the rebels. Do I have to go into detail on those reports for the rest of the audience?"

"What Dust supplies?" cried the British ambassador.

Ella smiled as she turned around to pace around the holograms again. She spotted Ozpin and gave him a knowing wink before returning to the conversation.

"So you should excuse BEACON and the United Nations in general for deciding to shift the responsibility to the United States. And once we know the Helicarrier II is ready for action, we will begin production on the other two models commissioned. Keep in mind that the United States still maintains its own defense budget as well. We have an F-35 program that has gone overbudget, I've had to fund the construction of new F-16Cs to compensate for the F-35 not being ready yet. This costs money, ladies and gentlemen. I am not about to sacrifice my nation's military to please the United Nations. We are not a one-world government."

"We are slowly heading that way, and your country has the most to lose," said the Chinese ambassador. "You shouldn't be surprised when we accuse your country of dragging your feet."

"My president begs to differ. Now, I have another meeting, so we will have to continue this another time."

Ella turned off the holograms then, and sighed. The door to the room unlocked then, and Ozpin looked at Ella, a lopsided smile on his face, and he raised his coffee cup to her. "That sounded like fun."

"You have no idea. Please tell me you have good news about the Helicarrier," Ella said as she walked forward towards him.

This was going to be the troubling part.

Ruby Rose's words from a couple of days ago had continued to pursue him. Maybe the Helicarrier was going too far. Maybe it wasn't. But now . . .

"I think it might be best to delay it another week," Ozpin said.

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Why such a short delay?"

"I want to look everything over one more time," Ozpin said. "It's probably nothing. But this is a gigantic undertaking, and while I think it could launch within a couple of days, I want to make sure everything is in order personally."

Ella nodded and smiled. "I'm going to eat a lot of grief from the United Nations and the President over this, you know."

Ella had been the champion of making another Helicarrier after the first one was damaged beyond repair in the Battle of New York. Ozpin owed Ella a lot, and their frequent meetings on this had created a sense of familiarity between them. There was also a sense that Ella wanted to take their relationship to another level, and while Ozpin was willing to oblige dating, he was reluctant to go much further, not until he completely vetted the woman several times over.

He was paranoid that way. And in others.

"I'd like to continue discussing this in private if you don't mind. Care for coffee and a pastry?" Ozpin asked.

Ella sighed. "Sure. As long as this makes it a date."

Again with the date request. Then again, she is forty-five years old, unmarried, no kids.

Ella Woods' psychological profile seemed to suggest someone who wanted children really badly, but Ozpin wasn't sure how much stock to put in that. Especially as Ella didn't seem that broken up about the issue in real life. Unless she hid it really, really well.

"That's fine. We both could use a break from this building anyway." He downed what remained of his coffee. "My treat."

Washington D.C. Streets

Present Day

"So, what seems to be the problem with the Helicarrier?" Ella asked as they sat inside Ozpin's specially-equipped Chevy Suburban. Ella had finished her meal a long time ago, and seemed to be chomping at the bit. Ozpin knew he couldn't put off the inevitable much longer.

"It is the same reason as why I only chose to produce one new carrier instead of the planned three," Ozpin said. "There is a lot going on with this new investment and if it does not work right, or if there's sabotage, a lot of people will die and the United States will have a wasted investment worth billions of dollars."

"You're worried about another hijacking," Ella says. She nodded her head and looked out towards the road. "I thought defenses were in place to prevent another Loki incident."

"Considering that Loki's apparently been masquerading as an ordinary human on Earth for decades if not centuries, and no one's caught him, I wouldn't put it past Loki to try again," Ozpin said. "This time in disguise as one of us."

"If you feel that is the right course of action, I won't stop you. It's sensible," Ella replied. "However, you're sticking your neck out for this and I will be doing the same for you. The President is marching in lockstep with his UN ambassador. They're impatient and they want their Helicarrier delivered already."

"They'll get it," Ozpin promised.

"The President is not happy as it is with my F-16 order," Ella replied. "He wants fewer fighter planes, not more. He is starting to demand dramatic military spending cuts, and if he gets his way, the US military won't be able to afford much after the Helicarriers."

Ozpin didn't want to get too deeply involved with the politics of the situation. He knew Ella was in tough territory, trying to maintain a big intelligence apparatus but also supporting the world's strongest military. Ella's background was in the intelligence community, the military distrusted her, and Ella wanted to seem like she had their best interests at heart too.

"It is important enough to me to risk my job over this. I don't just answer to the US President, I answer to the Secretary-General as well," Ozpin said. He took a sip of his bold-roast coffee and sighed.

"I won't stop you, I just want to inform you of the risks." Ella gave him a concerned glance. "What brought this on, by the way?"

"Hm?" Ozpin grunted, pretending he didn't hear her.

"You don't get like this without a motivation. Who gave you a warning on this?" Ella asked.

Ozpin paused. He didn't want to say 'Ruby Rose'. Taking advice from a girl who biologically just turned twenty-one was, on paper, career suicide.

"Multiple reports," Ozpin said, which was the truth in a sense.

"You don't need to keep everything so close to the vest with me," Ella said, offering him a reassuring smile. "Was it Ruby Rose? I have it on authority she is a skeptic of rebuilding the Helicarrier."

Ozpin gave Ella a look. It did not surprise him that she had deduced this.

"I can't discount the advice of the woman who is known as 'Miss America' to the general populace," Ozpin finally said. "Especially as she is advocating caution over recklessness. She has seen more war than any of us, Ella."

Ella nodded. "World War II was a long time ago, however. War's changed. So has the technology."

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. That phrase, or paraphrases thereof, was repeated so much that it was a cliché at this point. But it was a cliché for a reason, it still held truth.

Ozpin started the car and pulled out from the parking space. "That's true. But the generalities have not. What Rose is advocating-"

The light had turned green, and they were pulling out into the intersection when it happened.

All of a sudden, a police car came barreling into the intersection and crashed right into the driver's side door.

Ozpin was stunned for a moment, before he finally clawed himself free of his airbag. His side and left leg were killing him. He heard a computer voice calmly recite "Multiple fractures detected."

"Are you all right?" It was Ella, sounding shaken up, but she didn't seem hurt.

"I need the painkiller. Now," Ozpin groaned.

Ella fumbled with the glovebox, but found the painkiller within moments and handed it to Ozpin. He injected the painkiller into his right arm and gasped from the pain of the injection, but it was fast-acting, and it dulled the pain within seconds. The downside was that it would burn itself out pretty quickly, but that didn't matter. He just needed to get out of here.

That is, if he could.

It turned out they were surrounded by several police cars now, without their lights flashing, and a dark van was pulling up besides Ozpin's driver's side door.

"What the hell are they doing?" Ella growled as she finally got the remnant of the airbag off of her.

That's what I want to know. Ozpin looked at the police walking up towards him, and that's when he heard the voice from the computer.

"DC Metro Police dispatch shows no units in this area."

Then he saw a telltale giveaway. One of the 'police officers' had a tail.

Faunus were not allowed to become police.

"White Fang," Ozpin hissed.

And they were about to pull the coup of the young century at this very moment, by assassinating the leader of the organization that opposed them the most.