RWBY: Bearer of the Curse

Chapter 7: Repay your Debt

Chapter 7: Repay your Debt

You lean against a column in Ozpin's office, delivering another disappointing report. It's been months since you last encountered your old teammates. The Vytal Festival is upon you, starting tomorrow, and yet these high-risk individuals are still out there. This is obviously stressful for the headmaster, but you're also adopting some of that nervousness. Why are they hiding? They haven't even made a move... yet your arm and Pyrrha's stomach has been beating just as loudly. Despite your dozens of expeditions... nothing.

"You think they'll attack during the Vytal Festival?" You speak.

"Perhaps... but even they would not defeat all the Huntsmen, whether in training or not. There has to be something..."

"Is it too much to ask that they all keeled over and died?"

Ozpin shifts his eyes to you, unamused at your wish.

"Fine," you roll your shoulders. "So what do we do?"

Ozpin leans back in his chair and rests the tips of his fingers together. "Nothing... clearly, we have to be on the defensive. I'll have every Huntsman defending Beacon, notifying the other Headmasters about the possibility of an attack. We'll be ready. You... can relax," he ends with a smile. "You've worked very hard, (Y/N) Gray, and you deserve a break."

"But-"

"We can do nothing but wait," Ozpin quickly interjects. "There's nothing left. Relax. Take some time with your friends."

You grind your teeth as you push off the wall and head for the elevator. "Fine. I'll let you know if I figure anything out."

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You slow down as you approach your usual training spot. JNPR is already there, getting their last-minute practice in before the tournament. They've been training hard for the past few months and have improved tremendously. They can almost defeat you when working together, which is a long way from where they started.

"You should be getting rest. You're one of the first matches," you say while stopping a few feet away from their battle.

The four put a halt to their training and all greet you with smiles. "Hello, there!" Pyrrha waves.

"We wanted to make sure we're ready! After hearing you weren't participating, we wanted to give it our all!" Jaune says with pure confidence, a far cry from what he was when he first became a leader.

"Good," you nod. "I'll be watching, so make sure to win it all. Anyway," you cough before continuing. "There's no training today. I want you to all relax."

"Then we'll smack them all like flies!" Nora says before jumping in the air and cheering.

"It would be easy to hit a fly with your hammer," Ren justifies.

"Exactly! A clean smash!" Nora cheers again.

Pyrrha giggles at her teammates then shifts her eyes to you. She tilts her head and smiles, speaking with her actions and not her words. You smirk back, unsure exactly what she's trying to say.

"Well... how about I treat you all to some food?" You say with a pleasant tone. "I think you all deserve a good meal tonight."

"You don't have to," Pyrrha shakes her hands.

"But he can!" Nora cuts in.

"I want to. You've all worked hard and I want to make sure you know I have your back... besides, I did promise I'd take you all out if Nora didn't kill the other students."