Everything Stays: Frederic Scorch X Yang Xiao Long

The First Team

In the wreckage of the crash, Fred stumbles out of a car, holding his head in pain and slowly walks out with his motorcycle, Crimson Dynamo, into the snow. Ember helps May to her feet and Leia is standing out in the open with Weiss and Blake. Ruby sees the Relic of Knowledge and walks over to it.

Yang: Great! This is just great! We're stranded, we lost a third of our party, and we've gained a defenseless old lady!

With one final heave, Yang manages to extricate Bumblebee, but falls over to the ground, with her motorcycle following suit as she's partially covered in snow. Fred sighs and walks over to her and helps her up.

Maria: My name is Maria Calavera, and I am not defenseless! I'm just a little hard of hearing. And blind without my eyes, that are in desperate need of repair. (taps on her prosthetics, which open wide and close, before opening narrowly again.) Okay, I'm starting to see your point.

Qrow: (grunts) Yang, knock it off, will ya? If we lose our cool now, we'll just be inviting even more Grimm.

Blake: Does that even matter? Apparently, we've been attracting Grimm ever since we left Haven.

Yang: Oh, and how could I forget about that? (turns to Oscar) What happened to "no more lies and half truths"?

Oscar: Yeah, I think it's time we got an explanation...

Oscar's eyes glow as control of his body is switched to Ozpin, who furrows his brow at Yang's accusations.

Ozpin: I did not lie to you...

Weiss: Well you certainly didn't tell us everything about the Relic.

Ozpin: Please, now is not the time.

Yang: No, we're past that! I wanna know why you're still not telling us everything!

Leia: Everyone has their secrets. But I am with them. We want answers, Ozpin.

Ozpin: (To himself but loud enough to hear) It's that exact same talk that got us all here in the first place. Always demanding, humans are.

Yang: Excuse me?!

Fred: Cool it! NOW!

Everyone looks at Fred in a bit of shock. He walks over to Ozpin and grabs his arm.

Fred: Either you tell, or I do. Primus enjoys talking to me. So...get talking.

Ozpin: It is true that the Grimm are attracted to the Relics. It's faint, but undeniable. I believe it has to do with their origin, but I'm not entirely sure. Regardless, I feared that making you all aware would only add anxiety and negativity. It seemed like the safer option.

Weiss: You know, I'm getting real tired of people choosing what's best for me.

Yang: Is that why you chose to lie to everyone about Lionheart too?

Ozpin: Yes, as a matter of fact, I believed the Kingdom of Mistral deserved better than the truth. And I believed Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifetime of service, and not for the unfortunate missteps he made in his final years.

Yang: Missteps?!

Ozpin: What Professor Lionheart did was reprehensible. I am not here to argue differently, but does one lapse in judgement truly negate all of his good? Do we not all have regrets? You may have met Professor Lionheart, but you never met the man he was before Salem found him.

Ember: He's not wrong either.

Blake: What?! Are you crazy?!

Ember: Are you?! Let me spell it out for you, capital of Mistral, not Faunus friendly at all. Lionheart got a lot of push back when he was elected headmaster. But did a lot of good for that kingdom. Beacon fell 1 year ago. A Faunus TERRORIST organization openly admitted to assisting in the fall. Now, imagine what happens when a FAUNUS HEADMASTER joins said organization to tear down his own school and kingdom?