Taiyang leaned against the garage door, watching Ignis work on his car. A rugged truck designed specifically for Huntsmen, capable of traversing practically any terrain.
The older man could not help but smile a bit as he saw the teenager who had practically become a son to him have that serious look as he replaced the tires that had already worn thin merely a year after getting the truck brand new, mainly due to how much he used it to take Yang and Ruby out on excursions every chance they got.
"So? Excited for Beacon?"
"Hm. Excited is too big a word, more like ready for it. Given what I've seen at Signal in the past four years, and if Beacon follows the same trend, I know for a fact that Yang is going to land us in detention within the first week."
Taiyang chuckled.
Walking over to the teenager's side and holding up the heavy vehicle, allowing Ignis to take out the worn tire and replace it with a new one, the older man continued talking.
"Be that as it may, I think you two will really enjoy your time there. Hopefully, your team will break you out of that overly serious attitude and make you learn to have some fun."
"Having fun like Yang?"
The father immediately grimaced.
"Maybe not to that extent. I doubt Beacon will survive if you, of all people, started to party like Yang."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Taiyang shrugged at Ignis's glare.
"Nothing much. Anyways, as I was saying, I hope you will learn to live a little instead of just burying your head in books or sparring or hunting Grimm all the time."
"...Fine. I'll keep that in mind. Lift again."
Taiyang picked up the truck again, allowing Ignis to install the final tire and dusting off his hands.
"That's that. It's ready for whatever Beacon can throw at it."
"You got the PVSU licence yet?"
Ignis nodded and took out a laminated card, showing the PVSU, the Personal Vehicle Storage and Use licence. Issued by Beacon to students who wished to bring their personal vehicles to the academy.
It is not easy to get this license, as there are a few rigorous tests that examine if said vehicle has practical use for the student in question's career as a Huntsman.
This is why Yang's request to bring Bumblebee with her was declined, as they did not see any point in Yang bringing it to the academy. Not like the girl will give up just because they refused once.
Ignis's truck, on the other hand, is something many independent huntsmen use out in the field and is a proven piece of machinery with known tactical advantage, so it was easily greenlit.
Taiyang's eyes softened as he saw the simple joy of a job well done on Ignis's face, remembering the broken kid who did not even know he was broken that arrived in their lives all those years ago, finding none of that in the teenager who stood by his side at this moment.
Reaching out, the older man ruffled the teenager's hair, much to the boy's annoyance.
"The hell was that for?"
"Language!"
"The girls are not here, Tai."
".....Oh, right."
The two men moved back into the house and collapsed on the couch, watching the recordings from a previous baseball match in comfortable silence.
A silence that Taiyang broke.
"You know, I am really proud of you two."
"Hm."
"But don't let your status as the top graduates of your year cloud your eyes. At Beacon, all kinds of monsters from across the world gather every year. There will probably be people who could probably beat you two rather easily if you don't keep training."
"I know, Tai. I never planned on slacking off anyway."
"I know, Ignis. But I still worry."
"....Yeah. I get it."
"...."
"...."
"I wasn't joking, you know?"
"Hm?"
"About making new friends."
Ignis gave Taiyang a questioning look.
"You know how team STRQ was the most tight-knit team of our years, right?"
Ignis nodded, having heard the story from Qrow before, which provided much-needed context behind the half-remembered memes from his old life.
Taiyang's gaze became distant as he continued speaking.
"Well, before we were like that, we started out as strangers placed together in a team."
Ignis felt surprised at those words.
He always believed that Taiyang must have at least known Summer before Beacon, given how he spoke about her and how the woman went for Taiyang so quickly after Raven left.
Taiyang spotted that surprise and continued speaking.
"While Summer and I went to Signal as well, we were in separate groups back then, so we only knew each other's names in passing, nothing more."
"As for Qrow and Raven? They came from outside the kingdoms. Specifically, they were from outside Mistral's borders. So they did not know us either."
".....How did you guys even manage?"
"Honestly? It was all thanks to Summer. She was the glue that brought us together in unexpected ways."
"Without her, I don't think our team would have survived to graduation, much less the many years we spent as an active Huntsmen team."
"Hm. That's good to hear. But why tell me this?"
Taiyand turned a serious look at Ignis.
"Because, when you get to Beacon, you too will face a similar dilemma. Granted, you might get lucky, and this year's Initiation test might allow you to choose your teammates, but knowing Headmaster Ozpin? The chances of that happening are next to none."
"So, you must prepare yourself mentally to either be in a team where you and Yang will have two strangers whom you will have to learn to trust with your back."
"Worst case scenario? You and Yang are separated into two different teams with complete strangers."
"So, you must prepare yourself for it."
"....I understand. But why am I the only one who is being told this?"
Taiyang smiled wryly.
"Because, ironically, you who is the most composed of us all, is also the one who is the most prone to react explosively should something outside your control happen. Something that you perceive as a threat to Yang, Ruby, Qrow or me."
This time, Ignis glared at the older man.
"You saying I should let her be in danger at Beacon?"
"I am saying you should let her handle her own problems. You are not her dad, I am. And even I am not as overprotective of her and Ruby as you are."
Ignis snorted at his words.
"I know when to hold back, Tai. If I did not, do you think I would have stood back during our first year at Signal and let all that crap happen?"
"Did you? Did you really stand back?"
"...."
"Don't think I don't know what you did to those girls' parents, Ignis. The only one with resources to put out a contract in the underworld to scare those parents into thinking that they were going to be assassinated over their daughter's actions, and the motive to do something so drastic was you."
"Not to mention the legal methods you used to harass them as well, with those lawsuits issued in the name of TCS, which probably scared those parents half to death with the steep settlement bill you sent them."
The man gave a flat look to his adopted son.
"If I had not stepped in and retracted those lawsuits in time, I have no doubt you would have driven them all into bankruptcy."
Ignis remained silent, not meeting Taiyang's eyes, realizing that he had been exposed from the very beginning while he thought he had managed to escape scrutiny. Especially the underworld contract he put out. He knew that he would not escape Taiyang's eyes with the legal notices since he was the one who put Taiyang as the Director of TCS, but he didn't think the man would catch onto his underhanded means as well.
Yet, Taiyang did not berate the teenager or say anything about that incident other than mentioning that he knew about it.
Because he knew why Ignis went so far that day.
To Ignis, Yang, Ruby, Taiyang, and Qrow are all he has in this world. It was something that Taiyang had realized nearly four years ago when the boy accidentally called him 'Dad'. Something that made Taiyang really happy for many days to come.
If that were all, Taiyang would have no care in the world and would be over the moon every day, happy to have a son like Ignis.
However, he also knew Ignis's origins as a mercenary from Mistral's underworld. An origin that left its own unique brand of madness on the boy. Something that he recognised thanks to dealing with two other such mercenaries throughout his life in the form of the Branwen siblings.
A madness that manifests as his extreme overprotectiveness over what he considers 'his'.
'Yang will really not like this kind of protectiveness when....'
Suddenly, Tiayang sat up as an idea he had not considered till now suddenly passed through his mind.
He stared seriously at Ignis and spoke up.
"Actually, now that I think about it. Maybe it is better for you to keep being as overprotective as you are now."
"...The hell? Are you a woman going through pregnancy? 'Cause I can't tell with your mood swings."
Taiyang smacked Ignis's back in annoyance, making the teenager grin.
"I am saying, you should look after Yang."
"I was going to do that even if you didn't remind me-"
"I mean, keeping her safe from...pests that would go after her."
"Hm? What pests-....oh. Right."
Ignis put on a serious look as well as his Aura briefly pulsed, indicating that he realized exactly what Taiyang was implying and did not like that thought one bit.
"Don't worry, Tai. I'll make sure any idiot who tries anything with her gets to face my Punt Gun. Worst case? I have you and Qrow on speed dial for backup."
Finally, Taiyang relaxed. Reassured that his baby girl would be safe from would-be boyfriends since there should literally be no boy brave enough to face Ignis's abomination of a weapon and not shit themselves on the spot.
As for the foolish ones who actually think they can take it? Their parents or partners had better start picking a closed casket for their funeral, since there would probably be very little left of them after Ignis is done with them.
'Although I really hope the boy gets a girlfriend during these four years. Brothers know he needs to stop being so emotionally dependent on us and branch out more.'
If Yang knew of her father's thoughts, she would immediately call bullshit and say 'double standards'.
Unfortunately, neither her father nor her adoptive brother would find any problems with Taiyang's thinking.
Because that is how a father who has both a son and a daughter behaves. A sad fact that Yang has to live with.
Suddenly, the silence was broken when Taiyang's scroll rang out, making the older man look at it with confusion as the ID read VPD, the Vale Police Department.
"Hello? Yeah, this is Taiyang Xiao-Long...SHE DID WHAT!?"
Taiyang roared, making Ignis sit up and stare at him seriously.
The man disconnected the call and ground his teeth in frustration.
"That girl, really, too much like her mother...."
"Tai?"
Taiyang sighed as he quickly walked around the couch, going for the keys of his own car, a regular, civilian van.
"That was the VPD. They have Yang in custody."
Ignis immediately jumped to his feet.
"What happened? Was she attacked? She alright?"
"Attacked? No. It was she who trashed a place called 'The Club'. Some kind of high-end nightclub, if I remember right. They say she is completely fine, though the same can't be said about the dozens of bouncers, both civilian and Aura-activated, in the hospital."
Ignis immediately relaxed before chuckling.
"Yeah. Sounds about right. I guess I'll stay here and wait for you two and Ruby to get back home."
Taiyang nodded and rushed out of the house, taking off in his car.
However, it was only some time after the man left that his scroll rang again. Only, it was still at home, left on the couch.
"Damn it! He forgot his scroll...hm? VPD again?"
Curious to see if they wanted Taiyang to bring some documentation or anything, which would mean Ignis would have to take off behind the older man, he answered the call.
Only to hear news about one Ruby Rose being involved in another, completely unrelated crime to her sister.