Chapter 50
A few weeks after Fifestone’s conviction, the city is finally cleaned up of Hazel’s sand, and thankfully, the damage Fifestone caused wasn’t too bad to where it couldn’t be repaired quickly. As for us, today our school is doing something special. Representatives of the four most highly ranked colleges across the world are in town at the moment seeking potential applicants. They'll be here for a few days with a schedule of each high schools to be visiting. Today in the morning, Signal’s own seniors are visiting first, and Professor Ozpin is leading us as the school's representative. The four schools are Beacon Academy here in Vale, Shade Academy Vacuo, Atlas Academy up in Atlas, and Haven Academy in Mistral. Yang and I always aspired to attend Beacon, so we’d always be close to home, but now I have to in order to keep protecting Vale as the Scarlet Spider. Same with Blake since she’s come to really like this town and wants to keep protecting it until she moves on to become Kuo Kuana’s chiefess. As for Weiss, she still plans to stick around in Vale and thus will be applying to Beacon as well. As we explore the venue, Ozpin speaks up when we reach the Haven booth.
Ozpin: “Well, this is certainly a surprise. I didn’t expect you of all people to come all the way out here for this. I would’ve you’d send out one of your staff instead, Leo.” we come across the Headmaster of Haven Academy, Leonardo Lionheart. He’s a middle-aged Faunus man with a mane of tan-grey hair and beard. He has a tanned complexion with dark brown eyes. He wears a white dress shirt with a black western necktie, over that is a dark brown six button vest, over that was a brown trench coat, along with dark brown pants and dark brown shoes. His Faunus feature is tufted lion tail the same color of his hair and beard. “It would be one thing if Beacon’s Headmaster were here, but Headmasters of foreign Academy’s don’t typically come as representatives.”
Leo: “Usually, I wouldn’t either. But I’ve been so busy lately that I thought I could use this opportunity to take a bit of a working vacation. Get away from it all for a little bit.”
Ozpin: “I see. Well, I can certainly appreciate seeing an old friend like this. We don’t really get many opportunities to see each other like this these days.”
Leo: “Again, I’ve been busy, so it’s been hard.”
Ruby: “Um, excuse me Professor? How do you know Professor Lionheart?”
Leo: “Hm? And who is this young lady?”
Ozpin: “Ah. My apologies. This is Ruby Rose, one of my school's students. She’s a prodigy that I allowed to attend two years early.”
Leo: “Really now?”
Ozpin: “Yes. Her mother was a well-respected scientist in the SDC but passed away when she was real young.”
Leo: “I see. My condolences.”
Ruby: “Thank you.”
Ozpin: “And to answer your question, Ms. Rose, Leo and I have known each other for years. He was a student at Haven, and I met and got to know him when I spent a year there myself. My college years were spent taking a year in each school gathered here before graduating after spending my final year in Beacon.”
Leo: “I wouldn’t exactly say we were close though. Though I hate to admit it, he was always the smartest one among our school. And somehow, I get the feeling that was the case in the other schools too.”
Ozpin: “I will neither confirm nor deny. But you were certainly no slouch either. It takes considerable skill to be able to match my grade streak all year long.”
Leo: “Still not so good at cheering people up, are you? Regardless, if you're as smart as Ozpin says you are, then I’m guessing you already have your future figured out?”
Ruby: “I do. I plan to attend Beacon and become a great scientist like my mother before me and hopefully pick up where she left off in trying to make the world a better place through science.”
Leo: “I suppose that was to be expected. While I wish we could have you at our school, we’re not exactly known for our science department. That’s more in Beacon and Atlas’ territory. But of luck to you regardless, young Rose.”
Ruby: “Thank you, Professor.” And that’s when Scroll starts ringing and I see it’s from Vernal calling the Spider line. “Uh, my uncle is calling so I gotta go take this. It was nice meeting you Professor Lionheart!” As I run off into the crowd. Once I find a way up the roof, I answer the call. “Sorry for the delay Captain. I was in a large crowd. What’s the sitch?”
Vernal: “I assume you already know, but Tock Barrie managed to escape last night.”
Ruby: “Tombstone? Ugh! Not her again.”
Vernal: “It gets worse. My men are currently in a chase with her, but they hardly do anything cause the vehicle she jacked is an SDC truck carrying dangerous chemicals.” At that moment, I immediately start changing into my suit while still on the line. “They can’t do anything to stop her without risking the people's safety.”
Ruby: “If she’s on the move right now, then I don’t have time to go back to the lab to grab our anesthesia packs.”
Vernal: “Thankfully we’re equipped with tear gas canisters that should prove just as effective. But first we need to stop that truck and get her away from it.”
Ruby: “Don’t worry Captain. I’m on my way!” Once I hang up, I put on my mask and hood before swinging off into the city. I get a call from Weiss right after.
Weiss: “Ruby? Where are you? We lost track of you at the Haven booth.”
Ruby: “We’ve got trouble. I got a tip from Vernal about Tombstone. She's escaped and is now speed around town in an SDC truck carrying dangerous chemicals. I’m on my way to stop her now.”
Weiss: “Crap! Should I send Blake?”
Ruby: “Hm... Have her go to the lab first to get the anesthesia packs. Even though the cops are equipped with tear gas, we’ll every advantage we can get, but I don’t have time to get them myself with her on the move as we speak.”
Weiss: “Okay. I’m on it. Just please be careful. You and I both know what she’s capable of.”
Ruby: “Don’t worry, I got this. I love you.”
Weiss: “I love you too.” To which we hang up and I finally find the car chase. Two police cruisers are chasing a speeding SDC truck. I work to catch up and land on top of the truck.
Tombstone: “Huh?” I try to crawl along the side to reach her, but she can see me in the mirrors. “Not gonna be that easy, love!” She starts swerving the truck from side to side trying to throw me off.
Ruby: “Whoa! Tombstone, stop! The chemicals!” Though I highly doubt she can hear me or probably doesn’t even care. Nonetheless, she succeeds in tossing me off the truck, but at the cost of flipping the truck and causing it to roll out of control. And of all places for it to be heading for, it’s at the center where the college gathering is being held. And at the same time, Professor Lionheart is sitting in a break room trying to relax, and I wasn’t face enough to stop the truck from hitting the building as it crashes into his break room, hits him and covers him in various chemicals. Tock then bursts out of the driver's seat and tries to run. The crowd heard the commotion and when Tock was seen coming out of the break room, they all fled in panic. I catch up to her through the hole in the wall but failed to notice the unconscious Lionheart as I went straight after Tock. As the crowd is running, Yang calls Blake and informs her of the current situation.
Yang: “Blake! Ruby and Tombstone are here at the venue. We could really use those packs right about now!”
Blake: “I’m on my way. You just worry about getting out of there.” It didn’t too much longer for the whole crowd to get out and for Blake to finally arrive as she gave a good enough kick to knock Tock aside. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything!”
Ruby: “Not at all! In fact, how about you join us? There's always room for more.” As she hands me my pack that I strap on quickly.
Tombstone: “I was wondering where you were, little kitten. But I’m not gonna make it that easy this time.”
Blake: “We’ll see about that.” We tussle around with her for a bit, trying to get an opportunity to dose her with the anesthesia, but true to her word, she keeps blocking every attempt. And eventually, she manages to grab the packs and yank them off our backs before tossing them outside.
Tombstone: “Told ya it wouldn’t be that easy.” But then a miracle happened. Several canisters of tear gas were being tossed into the building through the windows. “What the-?”
Ruby: “I think that’s our cue to leave!” We quickly swing up to escape via the skylight as the canisters unleash the gas.
Tombstone: “Hey! *cough cough* Come back here! *cough cough cough* And fight me... like... real...” And she finally passes out. The police came in wearing gasmasks afterwards and made the arrest. Tock was already in er transport and on her way out when the cops were alerted to another noise from the building. When they went to investigate, they had found the truck, the chemicals spilt all over... and the room cover in a strange black and white singe, with little crackles of black and white electricity... and on top of that, Professor Lionheart was nowhere to be found.