The council meeting was finally over, and Ozpin felt a familiar weariness settle over him.
He pushed open the heavy doors, the polished marble floors of the council chambers reflecting the dim afternoon light.
Today had been…different.
Usually, these meetings were a battle of wits, a constant struggle to pry even a sliver more funding from the notoriously tight-fisted Vale Council.
They always seemed to find reasons to cut corners, to question every expenditure for Beacon Academy. But not today.
Today, the councilors had been…agreeable. More than agreeable, in fact.
They'd actually increased Beacon's budget. Not by a small margin, either.
A significant increase that had almost made Ozpin's eyes widen, a rare feat.
He steepled his fingers, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow as he walked down the quiet hallway.
"This must be Arthur doing,"
He murmured to himself, the words barely a whisper in the echoing hall. It was the only explanation that made sense.
The councilors were notoriously greedy, and nothing short of a substantial offer would have swayed them so completely, and so quickly. Arthur Leywin Stark, it seemed, had wasted no time in buying him a critical commodity: time.
Time for whatever grand, secretive plan he had in motion.
Ozpin sighed, a long, drawn-out sound that carried the weight of many years and countless burdens.
He truly didn't know what Arthur was thinking, what he was planning.
The man was an enigma, a force of nature that had swept into their lives and subtly, yet undeniably, began to reshape the world around them.
He reached the bullhead landing pad, the familiar roar of the engines a comforting sound against the quiet hum of his thoughts.
He was about to step onto the bullhead that would take him back to Vale, back to Beacon, when a sudden, jarring sensation ripped through the air.
It was a surge of powerful aura, so immense and overwhelming that it felt like a physical blow. It wasn't like anything Ozpin had ever felt before, not even from the most seasoned Huntsmen or Huntresses.
This was something ancient, something primal, something that resonated with the very fabric of existence. It washed over the entire Atlas base, making the very air vibrate.
His instincts, honed by years of facing unimaginable threats, screamed at him to investigate.
This wasn't just a powerful semblance; this was something entirely different, a level of raw energy that spoke of colossal, unrestrained power.
And it was radiating directly from the main research facility, where Penny and Pietro were.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ozpin changed course, striding purposefully towards the building.
He moved with a speed that belied his calm demeanor, his cane tapping rhythmically on the metal walkways.
The sense of residual power in the air was still palpable, a lingering echo of a storm that had just passed.
As he neared the laboratory wing, the doors slid open, and a figure stumbled out.
It was General Ironwood, pale and visibly shaken, being supported by Winter Schnee.
Ironwood's usually impeccable uniform was slightly disheveled, and his cybernetic arm, usually so steady, trembled noticeably.
Winter, while composed, had a subtle tremor in her hands, her eyes still wide with a mixture of awe and concern.
Ozpin quickened his pace, reaching them in a few long strides.
"James? Winter? What happened here?" he asked, his voice calm despite the urgency he felt.
His gaze swept over them, assessing the situation.
Ironwood looked like he'd just faced down a Grimm of legendary proportions and barely escaped with his life.
Ironwood, still catching his breath, pushed himself upright, though he leaned heavily on Winter.
His face was a mask of disbelief and barely contained rage.
"Ozpin," he managed, his voice hoarse, "It was Arthur. That…that man. He…he just unleashed some kind of monstrous power. He threatened me. He forced us out of the lab."
Winter nodded grimly, her usual stoicism momentarily cracked.
"It was unlike anything I've ever witnessed, Professor. A raw display of…of something ancient. He radiated an aura that could crush you. He seemed to be defending Penny."
Ironwood scoffed, regaining some of his usual bluster, though it was still tinged with a tremor of fear.
"Defending her? He violated every protocol! He interfered with a vital security analysis! Penny is an Atlas asset, Ozpin! And he dared to challenge that!"
He pointed back towards the closed lab doors, his anger momentarily overriding his fear.
"He spoke as if she was…a person. A soul!"
Ozpin listened, his eyes grave. He had suspected Arthur was powerful, but this…this was on an entirely different scale.
A "monstrous power," an "aura that could crush you"—Winter's description was chilling. And the fact that Arthur had used it to protect Penny, to declare her a "soul," only confirmed Ozpin's earlier suspicions about his involvement with Pietro.
"He will be held accountable for this, Ozpin,"
Ironwood continued, his voice rising in volume, fueled by indignation.
"He cannot simply waltz into an Atlas facility, threaten a General, and disrupt vital operations! This is an act of…of aggression! He will answer for what happened here today!"
Ozpin simply nodded, his gaze distant, already turning over the implications of Ironwood's words.
Arthur Leywin Stark was not just a powerful individual; he was a force that was actively challenging the established order, a force that seemed willing to go to extreme lengths to protect those he deemed worthy.
And now, James Ironwood. He was going to make an enemy out of such a powerful being.
'How can he be this foolish.'
Ozpin had to do something before James did something he would regret.
The silence that followed was broken only by the distant hum of the bullheads and the rapid beat of Ozpin's own heart.
He knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his bones, that this was just the beginning.
The chessboard had been overturned, and Arthur was playing a very different game.