Chapter 23: Black and Yellow are Illogical

Beacon Academy

CCTS Tower

October 9th, 80 AGW

2200 Hours

Shockwave wasn't the least bit surprised when he had been called into Ozpin's office. He had been expecting to happen fairly quickly and his prediction was right on the mark. Still, it was amazing how fast news seemed to travel around Beacon Academy.

As for why the scientist had been called in, the answer was pretty simple. It had to do with the freshman students. More specifically, his blunt but necessary encounter with Blake Belladonna was the subject of today's last-minute meeting.

Whatever was going to be spoken in this office, the former Decepticon was fully prepared to stand by what he had done. No matter what might happen in the future, the fact of the matter was that Belladonna was a severe security risk. From the very moment that she had set foot onto Beacon Academy grounds, she was jeopardizing everyone on this premise. All the students in this school were assets, some highly valuable. Great care needed to be taken so that these assets were not damaged or otherwise inoperable.

Blakes's previous affiliation with the White Fang already marked her as a known criminal and terrorist. To make matters worse, she was doing a poor job of concealing herself. Anyone with decent technology skills and competent intelligence could find her. Given the current mode of operation of the radical faunus group, it would not be incorrect to say that rogue could be hunted down for her betrayal. The White Fang did not seem like the sort of organization to merely allow its members to go free at their own discretion.

That could mean a potential battle where the White Fang and the students of Beacon could be engaged. The casualties could be staggering.

Of course, putting aside the chances of such an attack happening, which were miniscule to begin with, there was also the simple issue of the credibility and trustworthiness of the cat faunus girl. At the end of the day, no matter how guilty or shameful she might be of her past, she had chosen to do what she had done and that was the main problem. That signified a mentality that could easily be manipulated and warped should certain events come up.

Belladonna also had issues concerning morality and hard choices. It could be assumed that her time as a terrorist had given her ample opportunity to compromise her morality for the sake of a larger goal. However, her decision to abandon her brethren and enroll at the academy meant that morally speaking, she was still sound. Basically, another reason not to trust her was on account of her indecisiveness. All of this did not take into account her long history with the White Fang, even before its transformation.

Shockwave had conducted plenty of research into the Belladonna family. Her parents were well-known, even though they were no longer active participants of the pro-faunus group. From that familial connection alone, it would be accurate to say that Blake had a deep emotional attachment to the White Fang.

"I assume you know why we're here." Ozpin spoke at last. "I want to know why you felt it necessary to alert Blake Belladonna about our knowledge of her past."

"To test her." Shockwave found his own voice. "Despite her desire to change, she cannot change where she came from."

"I fail to see why this facilitates the need to provoke her." Ozpin gave him a light glare. "She was just fine as she was."

"For a time, perhaps, but eventually, she would have faltered." Shockwave shook his head twice. "Blake Belladonna does not possess the strength of will that her team leader does. She will crack under pressure as she has already proven."

"Of course she's liable to react with hostility the way you went about it." Glynda was also present and not very happy. "It'll be a miracle if she looks at any of the faculty as trustworthy."

"That is merely another mental obstacle for her to overcome." Shockwave's reasoning came easily to him. "If she cannot cope with this mental stress, then perhaps her enrollment should be reconsidered."

"Miss Belladonna's desire to do good is more than just a whim." Ozpin tried to reason with him. "I've seen that sort of look in her eyes many times before. Her eyes are the eyes of a girl that just wants peace between all people, humans and faunus alike."

"I do not doubt her desire to see humans and faunus on fair footing." Shockwave bypassed the argument. "What I question is her mental fitness. From the brief exchange I had with her, I can only express more doubt as to her trustworthiness in more severe situations. Huntsmen and huntresses are expected to be calm under pressure, something that she is shown to not be the case for herself."

"She will learn with time." Ozpin fought back. "Her skills in combat are already exceptional. She only needs to retrain her moral compass."

"Her entire life in the White Fang has already done that for her." Shockwave found his boss's reasoning to be highly illogical, thus facilitating his reply. "Four years at this academy will only add to what she is already familiar with, not replace it."

"You seem awfully convinced that Miss Belladonna is a liability to us, but why?" Ozpin narrowed his eyes, searching for clues. "What exactly is your issue with the girl?"

"Her being here." Shockwave stated. "She should have been put on trial and convicted of the crimes that she has committed. There is even documented proof of all that she has done, yet you would offer her a second chance when she has not even been held accountable for her first chance."

While he did well not to show it on his features, there was a part of the scientist that found himself oddly invested in this topic of conversation. With every word that he spoke, it was becoming increasingly clear that a part of him was involved in all of this for more than just the logical reasons.

But that made no sense. The only thing that mattered were logical reasons and thinking. If he was not acting purely on scientific logic, then that meant that emotional, illogical reasons were also driving him to pursue his points.

Illogical.

Impossible.

"Are you sure that your reasons are just rational?" Apparently, Ozpin seemed to pick up on this as well. "Because this sounds like the words of a man who knows a thing or two about this sort of thing."

Any answer at all could be interpreted as him admitting a personal connection. Even silence would not work in this case. Even if no personal background information had been leaked, the possibility that he could be seen as even a little bit emotional would compromise the image of logic that surrounded him.

It was time to be unexpected.

"I do have personal experience with a situation similar to this one." Shockwave was honest.

Ozpin's eyes flickered in surprise. "I see."

"Miss Belladonna is already paying for her crimes in many ways." Glynda was next. "We may have saved her from the extent of the law, but there is no denying that she will be forced to confront her past sins."

"That should be done in a controlled environment where she cannot compromise other students." Shockwave found the headmistress to be too idealistic. "If she was capable of reforming of her own will, then she should not have been shaken up at the knowledge that we possess."

"Even so, now she will be suspicious of us whenever she is in class." Glynda counterred hotly. "Blake should have come to her own conclusions. That would have been more effective."

"That is debatable and what we believe is frankly moot." Shockwave concluded. "By tomorrow, we will see if she truly is capable of coping with the new situation she is now in. If she is as capable as you both think her to be, then there will be no issues."

And that was the endgame of all of this. Blake Belladonna was indeed a liability that needed to be addressed. This was, in a way, his one and only time, that he would allow the cute faunus girl to prove herself. Her combat skills and experiences made her useful in a way. It would be a shame if those went to waste over trivial matters of the heart.

As the former Decepticon had made clear, her moral compass was of no consequence to him. The only thing that mattered to him was that she could provide him with something. Logically speaking, it would be more cost-effective to simply manipulate her into being a tool for his uses, but if he found her to be far more trouble than she was worth, other arrangements could be made quite easily.

"Was there anything else?" Shockwave knew that this was the end.

Ozpin shook his head. "No. You may go."

On another note, the headmaster's illogicality was dangerous.

RWBY - - - Transformers

Team RWBY Dorm Room

October 10th, 80 AGW

1800 Hours

Blake was stuck and that awareness angered her more than anything else.

Ever since Professor Watson had called her out privately, her behavior had noticeably changed. Whenever Team RWBY was in class, she was never fully focused on the lesson. She would keep up the appearance to a degree, but a part of her mind was always suspicious and wary of each and every professor, even someone like Peter Port, who seemed hardly a person to be apprehensive of in the first place.

But if the teachers were fully aware of her past with the White Fang, they did a good job of not showing it. To their credit, nothing appeared out of the ordinary concerning them. They did their jobs with all the professionalism and personality that they usually displayed. When she was called upon to answer questions or requested to do a demonstration, she did as she was told, but she did so with lots of stiffness and hidden coldness.

Blake knew that if she was too obvious, it would make her situations worse because in the eyes of the student body and the faculty, she was the one that appeared to be the bad guy while everyone else was the good guy. It was an unfair position, but she couldn't do a thing about it. She was already here and she couldn't take back the past.

Would they even care in the first place? The faunus girl bitterly thought to herself. They're probably already judging me.

That mentality was counter-intuitive, but it was hard to see things in any other way. These days, any mention of the White Fang generated mostly dislike from the general population. What was once a respectable and peaceful protest group was now a violent radical terrorist organization. Of course people wouldn't like her; it was amazing that none of the other teachers had been vocal about her past.

But the implication behind their mostly collective silence was disconcerting to say the least. If there was to be no more discussion regarding the matter, then that meant one or two things. Either they were watching her like a hawk and waiting for her to slip up or she was being tested. Actually, it might be that they were doing both. It could be easy to forget that from some of the eccentricities and quirks on display, the teachers were professional huntsmen and huntresses. They were probably capable of much more than their outer appearances would have students believe.

Blake thought back to Professor Watson. The man was incredibly intelligent academically speaking, no arguments there, but from their terse conversation, she could see that he was also quite intelligent socially as well, or at least he had a deep understanding of its nuances in theory if not in application. In any case, the pressure he had applied was working in a way. She had nowhere to go and no one to talk to.

"Blake." Ruby's voice sounded off. "You there?"

The girl with golden eyes saw a hand waving in front of her. She must've been in deep thought because she didn't even remember her team leader there a second ago.

"Sorry, Ruby." Blake shook her head. "I was just busy… thinking."

That was a lame excuse and everyone knew it.

"I sense something's afoot." Yang casually pushed her sister out of the way to stare at her partner right in the eye. "So spill."

"I don't want to talk about it." Blake grumbled. "Just leave me alone, please."

"That's not how this works, my dear partner." Yang took a seat next to her on the bed. "We're partners. That means your troubles are my troubles."

"That's not how I see it." Blake looked frustrated.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Ruby and Weiss standing together, looking at her as if trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle.

"We are far too early in our careers to be impeded by ugly emotions." Weiss, in her elegant fashion of speech, attempted to add some cheer. "We may not be the best of friends, but we are teammates, sisters in arms. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Everyone has a secret or two they don't want others to know." Blake answered with a sigh, getting her anger under control. "Even to their closest friends."

"That doesn't seem all that good." Ruby scratched her head. "I mean, we're supposed to be helping each other, saving each other's lives, right? What's one or two secrets?"

"Some secrets change the nature of friendship, even ruin them." Blake explained what she was thinking. "And that's exactly what will happen if I tell you guys."

This was the only way that made sense to shut them out without revealing too much. If she named specific people, things would become more complicated.

"Hey, now that I think about it, you've changed a bit." Yang placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ever since Professor Shocky talked to you, things have been weird."

Well so much for not getting anyone else involved. Now the questions would begin and the ninja girl could only be selective with her answers for so long before they figured it out. Her teammates were not idiots.

"He and I… we had a disagreement." Blake pressed her lips together. "I just… can't look at him the same way."

"Must've been a serious talk." Yang's eyes fell to her sister and the heiress. "Thoughts?"

"I don't know." Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I really like Professor Shockwave. He's a cool guy, knows a lot about weapons."

"While this is completely unrelated to the subject at hand, I concur." Weiss appeared to soften up. "Doctor Watson is the most competent man that I have ever known."

"Wow, that is some high praise coming from you, Ice Queen." Even Yang was surprised at that ringing endorsement.

"I can be friendly, thank you very much." Weiss gave her a scathing look before her eyes fell to their reclusive teammate. "But returning to the point, what about your conversation with Professor Watson has you like this, Blake?"

"It's just… it kind of hit home." Blake didn't know what to say without revealing too much. "He struck a nerve."

"Well, that ain't new." Yang gave a nonplussed expression. "I mean, come on, the man calls out people in class in front of everyone. I don't imagine he's any different in private. He just seems like the type to always be factual."

"But that's a good thing!" Ruby chimed in. "If he says you're bad, that just means you need to improve! Just take his advice and figure out how to turn it around."

"Doctor Watson may be blunt at times, but everything he says or does is rooted in logic." Weiss commented as well. "I do not fault the man for doing so. I would even praise him."

Golden irises trained lilac, light blue, and silver. Although they had not said it directly, RWY were more familiar with the good professor than she was, enough so for his behavior to be par for the course in their eyes. They saw things differently than the disguised faunus, so it would be much harder for her to get them to understand her plight.

Not that she thought they would get it to begin with.

"You know, if lots of people are saying that you're the weird one, it might be a good idea to have a little introspection." Yang offered some advice. "Just saying."

"Yeah." Blake sounded half-hearted. "Maybe."

Or maybe I'm the only sane one here.

She could be moody and difficult at times, but this wasn't the time nor the place to go on about her paranoia concerning their science teacher, at least not when she could clearly see that any case made against him would fall on deaf ears.

At the same time, she couldn't help but think that maybe she was just being a little too careful. Being in the White Fang for so long trained her to be suspicious of everything and everyone, but after a while, so much of both could become toxic to any person. If trust was such a hard thing to form, relationships would suffer.

And right now, Blake had no one else but these three girls as her friends, even if she didn't think them to be particularly close as of this moment. She couldn't afford to antagonize them because then she would truly be alone.

"Blakey, no doom and gloom here." Yang ruffled her partner's hair. "Let's turn that frown upside down. Kay?"

"Got it." Blake replied with a blank stare.

Of course, first she would have to survive this environment called her dorm room. She wasn't used to this level of enthusiasm in her life. Seriousness was just part of her veins, buried so deeply into her that it was hard for her to remember a time when she actually had some decent fun.

Maybe she could afford to take her foot off the gas pedal for a little bit.

Transformers - - - RWBY

Science Laboratory

October 11th, 80 AGW

1700 Hours

Yang had many reasons to visit Professor Shockwave. Some personal, others for the sake of her own partner.

The blonde brawler didn't know her partner all that well, but it was clear that for one reason or another, Blake disliked their professor. As for why that was the case, it was hard to pin down an exact cause. It didn't even make sense for the girl to have a reason to hold any sort of animosity towards Shocky. They guy might be unusual by normal standards, but so far, he hadn't done any wrong by Team RWBY.

Yang thought about it a bit more out of respect for her teammate, but it still didn't help her understand. Blake had never really shown any outstanding emotions during their entire time. Whatever had gone on between the two of them was serious considering the effect that it had on her partner.

Yesterday's probing had done little good and it was clear that the science teacher was the only other person that would be able to fill in the gaps, assuming that he was cooperative. Maybe he would be, maybe he wouldn't be, but better to find out and be sure.

Yang didn't really know how she was going to approach this conversation. Despite going through a few scenarios, she wasn't too sure about her conversational skills, at least not in the case of her super badass teacher. Her usual tactics were ineffective against him. Fighting, flirting, and teasing were all off the table. That left her own skills with words, and as good as she was, against him, she wasn't too sure.

There was also another problem. If what was revealed was more personal, then as a professional, Professor Watson might not be allowed to share it. Professionals had all sorts of rules and regulations that they needed to follow. That was merely part of the job not only as huntsmen, but as teachers and educators.

Yang passed by a few students in the hallway, waving to them or occasionally saying a greeting. She was popular enough for a freshman. Even a few upperclassman knew her name, which was kind of ego-inflating.

She passed by a few more doors, counting down as she got closer to the science lab. The newer parts of the academy were very impressive. They featured some cool tech and gadgets, especially the lab. Best of all, free dust for experimentation was the best. None of the students had to pay a single lien from out of pocket. Those students that were especially tight on their budget thanked the gods from above that this was the case.

Yang finally spotted the sign for her class and stood at the door. She didn't open the door immediately, taking a minute to reconsider what she was about to do. She had a feeling that once she went through that door, she would be on a path that couldn't be changed.

Finding her courage, she swiftly entered. As she expected, he was there hard at work on another of his own personal projects.

"Hey, teach, you got a minute?" Yang casually made herself known. "I need to talk to you about Blake."

"I take it this conversation will pertain to the words that she and I spoke recently?" Shockwave didn't look up from his work. "Why are you interested?"

"Well, to be honest sir, it's kind of affecting her, and our team by extension." Yang sheepishly said. "So I know this is, like, a stab in the dark, but do you mind telling me what you said to her that made her this way?"

"Miss Xiao Long, are you aware that as a member of the faculty, I cannot divulge any personal information regarding other students?" Professor Watson gave him a sidelong look. "If you are aware, why are you asking me a question that I cannot answer?"

"I know, I know, dumb question, but it's just that I've got to know." Yang pushed forward. "I've just got a bad feeling that if this keeps up, Blake's going to end up doing something bad down the line. Call it a hunch."

There was a momentary pause in sound as the man looked her in the eye. He appeared to be analyzing what she was saying and interpreting her meaning, then judging it. It was enough for her to emit a weak smile to try and ease the tension.

"As you are aware, we do extensive background checks on each student prior to their entry into Beacon Academy." Shockwave faced his body towards her. "All the teachers read and review each profile of the incoming freshman class."

"Oh, wow." Yang felt a little peeved. "I mean, that's a lot of paper to read. There are a lot of us."

"Indeed, but it is a necessary step to take as your seniors." Professor Watson agreed, then continued on. "We must take into account the talent, personalities, and qualities we are interacting with throughout your four years here."

"Yeah, I get that." Yang could see what he was saying. "So that means you've read Blake's profile. If I had to guess, that girl's got some skeletons in her closet."

"I cannot divulge her personal information." Shockwave maintained his stance. "Be that as it may, there are some concerns regarding her past that were logical to bring to her attention."

"'Concerns.'" Yang picked up on that word. "Is that what's got her worked up? If that's the case, the damn. They must be some pretty ugly skeletons."

"If you wish to know the details, you will have to ask her." Professor Watson's eyes turned to his scroll. "Although judging by your presence, it would seem that you have failed in that regard."

"Nothing gets by you, teach." Yang chuckled at his correct deduction. "But yeah, talking to Blake is a no-go. I don't suppose you've got an idea or two?"

"If you are curious about your partner's past, then might I suggest doing your own research?" Shockwave pointed to his own scroll. "Everyone who uses modern technology leaves a digital footprint behind."

"Oh, yeah. Why didn't I think of that?" Yang could smack herself in the head for not thinking of that. "I'll go do that immediately."

The blonde girl turned to leave.

"There is one more thing." Professor Watson called out.

"There's more?" Yang spun around in the doorframe.

"If your research online is not what you expect, perhaps spend more time with your partner." Shockwave made another suggestion. "There is much to be learned from simply watching a person's simple actions in their daily lives."

"Do web research and keep an eye out." Yang winked and flashed a thumbs-up. "Gotch. Thanks, teach."

She was out the door in the flash, feeling a little bit better about everything. Although she didn't get a straight answer as she had originally anticipated, she didn't feel too broken up, but she was certainly curious. From the way that her favorite professor at Beacon Academy spoke, it sounded like Blake had quite the history going for her.

If that was the case, why hide it from the team? If it was bad stuff, how bad could it be? It wasn't like teenagers their age were all that rotten. Sure, pranks and hijinks weren't exactly uncommon, but that was what it meant to be a child. Teenagers were merely children in the late stages of childhood,

In any case, it was time to get to the bottom of this first, but before she did that, Yang had to decide if she was going to let Ruby and Weiss in on what she was doing. It seemed like a good idea to let the team know about what was going on in this case. It did concern the four of them after all. Plus, they might get mad at her if she was caught red-handed without properly explaining why she was doing what she was doing.

But the buxom blonde ultimately decided that it was in her best interest to keep all of this real hush-hush. She didn't want to keep secrets from anyone, but this felt like something she needed a full understanding of before she went and told everyone else. She would give herself a week to do some discreet digging around and then she would figure out her next move.

Not tonight, though. Yang just wanted to turn in for the day. She had finished her homework and she now had a lead on what to do about Blake. It was a good day and she wanted it to end that way.

The late afternoon sun shined its last rays of light for the day, illuminating the academy grounds with a soft and gentle glow. It was the kind of scene that a painter could become invested in. Aside from a few scattered students, it was largely vacant.

Yep, life here was pretty good.

RWBY - - - Transformers

Location Unknown

Salem was not happy right now.

This year was supposed to be the beginning of the end for Ozpin, the beginning of the end of everything that he had been building in the past eight decades. She was looking forward to seeing everything and everyone he had built up come burning down along with him. That was her single greatest desire.

And now all of that was possibly in jeopardy.

The only reason that she had any ounce of self-control was that there were no absolute telltale signs of failure. Cinder Fall, her apprentice of many years, had failed to make her usual reports. As more time passed, it was becoming increasingly possible that the girl had become compromised. As competent as she was, she was far from perfect.

Salem entertained the possibility that her mission had become modified in a way that prevented any form of contact, but that was quickly discarded. Such a situation ought to have been reported beforehand. At this point, it came down to two options; either the girl was dead or she was otherwise unable to make contact. Both choices were not what she wanted and needed. Without her apprentice, her plan would have to be delayed.

Patience was a virtue, but when it came to her, she wasn't sure how much longer she could muster up the ability to be patient, not when she was just beginning to see the fruits of her labor.

The witch stared into the orb that would allow her to see into the world. Its image was blank, meaning that there was nothing of value to report. Also, now that she thought about it, Leonardo seemed a bit more antsy than usual when she received his most recent report. He wa a coward by nature and his jittery nature was to be expected, but this time, he seemed almost afraid to the point of paralysis.

Perhaps he was having second thoughts? Maybe Ozpin had figured out something was going on with the headmaster of Haven Academy? Salem chose not to pursue that particular topic mainly because it was not of relevance at this time, especially not with Cinder being unreachable.

The only thing left to do was ensure that her other minions were doing their part. She had not informed them of this unfortunate development. She needed them focused on their own tasks. Their skills were very useful to her.

Salem reclined into her chair a little further, her fingers curling and uncurling as she let her mind formulate her next move. If her apprentice was indeed a lost cause, then finding a suitable host for the power of the maidens would need to be done as soon as possible. This would be made harder by the fact that finding a young girl with talent in combat wasn't exactly the most easy prospect. Cinder was a lucky find, but counting on luck was a bad idea.

This just kept getting better and better.

THIS IS A GENERAL REMINDER TO ALL OF MY READERS. I WILL BE LEAVING FOR BASIC COMBAT TRAINING ON AUGUST 4TH. JULY, THIS MONTH, WILL BE THE LAST MONTH THAT I POST CHAPTERS FOR ANY OF MY STORIES. UPDATES WILL RESUME IF AND WHEN I AM ABLE. UNTIL THAT DAY COMES, EXPECT NO FURTHER UPDATES FROM THIS STORY.

ALSO, WHILE I'M GONE, I'LL PROBABLY DEVELOP SOME NEW IDEAS ABOUT STORIES, NEW AND EXISTING. I'VE GOT SOME IDEAS CURRENTLY ON MY PROFILE PAGE. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THEM, MAKE THAT INTEREST KNOWN BY VOTING ON THE POLE WHICH IS ALSO ON MY PROFILE PAGE.

Now for the notes.

Some have pointed out that Shockwave is starting to turn out like a bad guy. Well, that's kind of the point. What, you guys thought Shockwave was like those generic harem protagonists? Hell, no! He's a bad guy to the core. He's a Decepticon! He worked for Megatron!

Anyway, that's all I've got to say. Thoughts? Reviews are appreciated as always.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all on the flip side.

-Ktyou