Team SRDS (Stardust)

Chapter 14: Why They're Here

Two days later

Ozpin's Office, Beacon Academy

"Ozpin... I'm telling you, it's real! I swear! If you don't do something quickly, and I mean quickly as in a WEEK or something, your Academy will be overrun. I don't have much... oh, no, they've found me! I've got to... wait, Greene? Is that y--GAAAAHHHK!!!"

The message terminated and then started looping as it had been for the past 10 minutes. Ozpin and Glynda were present in the room, and Ironwood was listening in from Atlas.

Ozpin took all the details of the message into consideration. Glynda finally asked, "What do you make of it?"

"This is a very complicated and sensitive matter," he finally spoke.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Glynda asked, worry lines present on her forehead.

"I don't know, Glynda. For all I know, this could be a trap," said Ozpin, then paused to think.

"But something was convincing in his voice... and if this was indeed a trap, why would they kill him?" he continued.

"This is threatening the security of Beacon Academy. I think we should ramp up the security in Vale. I can send you some of my troops," offered Ironwood.

"No, that won't do any good," Ozpin said, shaking his head in disapproval, "The people will be suspicious as to what's going on, and we can't have more panic than necessary. Besides, if the threat is as urgent as the man said, this could take too long. We have less than a week, General."

"Then what do we do? Let the matter slide?" questioned Glynda.

Ozpin paused to think of a course of action.

"We can't take the risk of believing that the information was false unless we have solid proof," he said. He ran the possible courses of action in his mind, but only one was prevalent among them. He sighed and said, "We need a response team."

Glynda thought about it for a while, then her eyes widened as it hit her.

"Wait, Team SRDS?"

"Hmm... they would be ideal for this kind of operation. A four-man team would keep progress at a steady pace," considered Ironwood, his voice fluctuating over the radio.

"They're children, Ozpin. We can let someone else handle this, like Qrow," offered Glynda, obviously concerned about the Huntsmen-in-training.

"They've been in tougher scrapes before," said Ironwood.

Qrow already has his hands full as it is, thought Ozpin to himself.

"I need time to think this through," he finally announced, "With a bit of luck, it won't take too long."

(SRDS Dorm room)

"Where are you going?" Ross asked in a confused voice.

"I have to meet a certain someone," replied Steele, straightening his trench coat in front of the mirror.

Ross started grinning from one ear to the other, "Steele, you sly moron, I knew you had a girlf--"

Steele gave Ross a petrifying death stare, effectively shutting him up.

"No. Remember Blake Belladonna? I have to talk to her about something," said Steele, trying to make Ross understand.

"Which is...?" said Ross in response to Steele's statement.

"Potentially useful in case we get another White Fang assignment. I'll be back in less than an hour," he announced, closing the door. Ross got up from his bed and tried to stop him.