Cards of Remnant

Chapter 39: Mountain Glenn - Part 1

"I can Fusion Summon. I can Fusion Summon. I can Fusion Summon…" Ruby merrily sang, the silver-eyed Signer dancing with glee in the elevator to Ozpin's office. If she had been half as good on the ballroom floor as she was now that she was alone and ecstatic, maybe she could have kept up with Penny.

But why shouldn't she be over the moon? Everything was coming up roses, both figuratively and literally. Her team was set to leave for Mountain Glenn with their licensed hunting duelist chaperone at noon, and just as promised, Blake had taught her fusion summoning right after breakfast. It really was incredible how easy it was to bring out an Extra Deck monster when you could just leave all the work to an easy-to-manifest spell card like Polymerization. Even Link Summoning hadn't been so simple. And seeing Starving Venom Fusion Dragon in the flesh at last!? Awesome! Ooo, she couldn't wait to use him in a duel!

His card radiated excitement and vigor from her Extra Deck, even the elegant Black Rose Dragon seeming to laugh at her fellow magic monster's eagerness. Which all just fed back into Ruby's own cheer and intensified her happy dance.

"I can Fusion Summon. I can Fusion Summon. I can Fusion Summon—"

"They were here, Ozpin! They were here!"

Ruby squeaked as the elevator door pinged open, only for the force of a heated discussion to stop her dancing cold and nearly bowl her over altogether.

"I understand your concern, James," Headmaster Ozpin calmly replied, General Ironwood's palm slammed down on his desk. "But this is nothing we didn't already know. Nor did the CCT contain any information about Amber's location. All our enemy did was waste energy."

"Knocking out a dozen of my men is not a waste of energy," Ironwood hotly countered. "We should have technicians go over the Tower. We have to be sure it wasn't tampered with—"

"Which I am already doing," Ozpin informed the general. "I assure you, aside from admittedly Dr. Polendina, Beacon's technicians are just as capable of running a routine virus sweep as Atlas'. Unless you want to have Pietro drop whatever important projects you have him working on and fly halfway across Remnant just to satisfy your 'concern'?"

Ironwood sighed, his anger deflating against the headmaster's logic. "Point. But there must be more we can do to flush out these pawns–"

"Pawns?" Ruby squeaked up. "Did something happen last night?"

The two headmasters turned towards her, the young red-hooded Silfer Red shivering as two of the most powerful people on Remnant whirled on her in the midst of their argument. Fortunately, Ozpin hadn't been too worked up as it was (Ruby didn't think she'd ever heard of him even getting a little mad. A little stern at times maybe, but never angry). And while General Ironwood was certainly heated in his words to his fellow teacher, his fervor simmered down as soon as he saw Ruby.

"Ms. Rose," the general warmly greeted. "Don't worry. It's nothing you need concern yourself with."

"Are you sure?" Ruby inquired. "If I can help–"

"Do not worry, Ms. Rose," Ozpin spoke up. "Just keep focused on your team's mission. It will require everything you have. With that in mind, may we continue this discussion later, James?"

"As you wish," the general nodded, making for the elevator. Given he'd been present when they'd made the plan for this Silver Eye lesson, he understood the importance of it before the Mt. Glenn mission. He shot Ruby a friendly smile as he took her former place in the elevator. "Best of luck."

"You too, sir," Ruby replied with the same friendliness.

The doors whooshed closed and she was left alone with her enigmatic headmaster.