Professor Arc

Chapter 18

"Cheers, ladies and gentlemen," a single ceramic mug was held up towards the ceiling, "to a successful Festival."

"Cheers!" They all tapped their champagne glasses to the thick ceramic mug, not one of them feeling surprised that Ozpin would bring coffee to a celebration. Even Oobleck had foregone his usual caffeine to join in the merry-making. Though to be fair, Jaune had seen him power-sipping his thermos outside, as though to prepare himself for the abstinence.

"And cheers to my boy!" Peter laughed as he slapped Jaune on the back, rocking him in his seat, but not sending him flying like it might once have. A sign of his growth as a Hunter perhaps? Or maybe just that Peter thought it might be poor manners to disturb another man's drink. "You really sorted the mighty Schnee out with that play!"

"Cheers!" Glynda agreed, the grin on her face just the wrong side of vicious. She hadn't been able to stop smiling ever since he explained how he just abandoned Winter in the middle of a restaurant. And that had been over twenty-four hours ago.

He'd seen some of the students look ready to break out crying at the sight of it. A smiling Glynda Goodwitch was just unnatural.

"Absolutely Jaune," Oobleck nodded, "I can't even begin to understand how you managed to secure such a favourable deal for Beacon – you must tell us; leverage, bribery, contacts?"

"The last one," Jaune answered honestly, "a friend from old times, she had a bit of a word with the management on my behalf. I suppose it's true what they say – it's not about what you know, but about who you know."

"Hm," the Headmaster hummed over the rim of his mug, "well – payment has been arranged and the first delivery arrived this morning, so far everything looks good. It's almost enough to make me imagine this year's festival will go without incident."

It must have been some kind of in-joke, because the four older teachers burst into laughter, though Ozpin's was more a slow shake of his shoulders.

"You... don't think it will?"

"Ah, I forgot you haven't seen one before have you?" Bart answered for the Headmaster, topping up their glasses as he smiled. "Rest assured there's unlikely to be any kind of foul play at the Festival, but where Hunters and civilians mix there's always the potential for something to go wrong."

"Potential he says," Peter snorted, "last year it was held in Mantle, at Atlas – I went down as a representative from Beacon and trust me, you've never seen General Ironwood look so stressed. He had guards stationed all around the stands and even then bullets, grenades and semblances nearly killed the crowd a hundred times over."

"There's powerful shields around the ring," Glynda leaned over and placed a hand on his arm to get his attention, "they help to block out most attacks and offer safety – but if anyone was capable of making an invincible shield? Well then, the Grimm would be a danger of the past." She paused to take another drink of her champagne, nodding as Peter filled it back up for her. "Effectively you have around fifty thousand people with no aura, sat watching hormonal teenagers capable of mass destruction fight an all-out melee."

"And by civilians," Peter guffawed, "she might as well mean lemmings. Last year I saw someone deflect a grenade towards the crowd – and the bloody idiots looked like they were trying to catch it. Luckily one of those Atlas robots did, right before it suffered for the noble act."

"You're kidding," Jaune laughed as he looked at each of them, his confidence dwindling, "right?"

"A little exaggeration perhaps," Ozpin shrugged, "but the pressure is accurate, though you needn't worry Mr Arc. As a junior member of staff I have a much easier task prepared for you. In fact, since the dear General offered to take over security, I might just leave crowd safety to him."