[HALLOWEEN] Dread and Breakfast [Team JADE]

After all, There's another reason you want to be on the team with Alba and the two orphans, correct?

The small, dragonic girl stared at the hologram as it delivered its message to the two ‘operatives’ that were to receive it. She already knew the contents of course. In much the same way she knew this place, knew this horror.

Be sure  keep yourself together, this is your chance to make it right, you know

As if he had needed to tell her as much, she knew it well. She knew what this mission was, she knew what she was. She knew she had never wanted to go anywhere near it again.

But…

That's right! We’ll beat this monster and save the day, because we're the best team out here!

Child… even your mother… perhaps you truly have… I am sorry

We just wanted… a new home.. For ourselves.. Why… why?!

Raaaaaghhh!!!

A grotesque scream, a mix of little girl, of child and beast echoing through her mind, that was the answer the people in her head received. Before the memory played out, A small demon tearing through loved one and stranger alike, as the horror of Mt. Glenn came to be. Before the Grimm then came.

Before the Grimm made a place of hope home.

She took a seat on a nearby bed, closing her eyes in focus as the message continued, and finished. Talk of the experiment caused Minti to grip her hands tightly, namely of the experiment's success.

Yeah... it did alright…

Word of the secondary objective had Minti look up to the roof now solemnly. Yeah, and once her use reached its end… that's right. After all she was still a….

Your you, Minti, you should remember that before anything else, you, not it

Rhea’s words brought a light smle to her face as she dismissed whatshe had been thinking. Right… she should focus on that, before anything else… That was important. As the message finally ended the womelf oppell the bad memories, of the woes and worries that plagued her memories, of the woes and worries that plagued her. She turned to the two Orphans smiled brightly, a smile that lit up the shadows that welled in her heart. The darkness that clawed at her soul.

Focus on the mission, make him pay for her… for everyone else.

That smile cut through the void and showed what light she could muster.

”Well, we better get started huh? I do believe your boyfriend, and your ally, is practically bursting trying to spy on us as is”

—-------

Rivala, meanwhile had of course gone with her mate, she had no intention of leaving him be in this… place.. Her tribe had words for places like this. She did to, she did not like them. Foolish humans had spoken of the possibility of ghosts haunting this place. Hmph such things would not of course scare her, but regardless it was a silly thing to trust in, spirits had far better things to do than haunt some village. Yes, she would be sure to voice this to Alba who was defently the one that needed reassurance in this matter, yes.

It seemed two of their team members, one of Alba’s mates and one of his team members, were receiving more instructions from Minti, who had taken them to a private room to give them it. This seemed ineffective to her how were they supposed to be an effective team with information hidden or shuffled around to different people? She could tell… this was already going to be a headache

Alba though, blessing that he was, or perhaps hard head that he was was taking this all in stride, he was even trying to look into the door’ keyhole to pry. Unfortunately for Alba Minti had used some tech to soundproof that whole, so while perhaps he could make out something in his eyes he would find anything he could hear… quite muddled in fact. Alba… Rivala was just as lost as usual on that show of his, she had..  Tried getting into it for him but.. In addition to her not enjoying televised programming to begin with, the show itself was rather… out there in terms of its storyThis plots summary being a prime example of why…

”Is it…? I’ll have to take your word for it dear but it seems… odd  to split information like this, I can’t help but be suspicious”

Dumbass old man…. Ozpin, yes. From what she could gather that seemed the most logical way of things. She expected smarter moves out of a human leader, or perhaps she was simply underestimating what his move entailed in this case. Though it was hard for her to see the effectiveness in keeping information sealed like this, perhaps there was reason for it.To Alba’s question she tapped her chin in thought.

”It is my guess it’s something to do with our mission…. something the normal students can't be privy to…. So something ether dangerous…. The potential to be…. Or, that the old man doesn’t want others to know about, maybe all three? I’m sorry Alba this is all strange to me, in my tribe there are not usually secrets like this. Hmmmm perhaps they are just like the secret agents in that show of yours?”

She offered her mate a smile, warm and serene. She didn’t know what was being kept from them.. But she knew that whatever it was… she wouldn't allow it to harm her mate, she would not allow anything to do so, she would bury it herself first… she wouldn’t allow anything to hurt the things she cared about, no matter what the secret was.[/i]

Evelyn only gives a quick nod at Ozpin's question of their receiving this briefing in privacy. He made a point of going into these speeches and she learned to just let him get all the wind out of his sails. Still, even she wasn't expecting the turn that this particular briefing would take; this was apparently related to Mountain Glenn... Even more than that, the real cause behind the tragedy was known. Or at least one of the causes.

Merlot Industries... Evelyn had the distinct feeling that was going to be coming up more often, and not just for this particular mission. Two of the selected roster for this outing were in that very Family, after all. Really, she wondered just what the hell was going on in Ozpin's head. He had to know the risks involved with that.

In any case, the target in question was some man named Rhys Borea... Naturally, Atlas was interested in this case too. Seems like they were keeping some secrets -- and Ozpin didn't like that... The hypocrite.

Evelyn's expression directed towards Ozpin pretty much said that without her saying it. Of course, he then made it very clear that if they were unable to capture him, then it was better to kill him. At least the secondary objective she could agree with; getting rid of the mutated Grimm was absolutely mandatory.

... If only he could just end it on a note like that, but he adds that he is suspicious of Atlas and wants to find out what they're up to. He further adds that their full cooperation is imperative. Completely fed up, Evelyn lets out a very noticeable, very disapproving scoff in response.

She didn't wait for the transmission to be over, either. Yeah, her feelings regarding Ozpin had been clear for awhile. Though she had yet to quit the job despite the distaste.... In any case, once it was all said and done, she shakes her head.

"Can't believe he's going to sit there and talk about how people shouldn't be keeping secrets... All while he is keeping his own -- even from us."

Oh yeah, it was another one of those rants coming on. Jack had probably gotten used to it at this point; and she certainly wasn't shy about saying it despite Minti's presence either.

"Of course, point that out to him, and he'll swear by it being different.", she pauses, then mimicking his mannerisms and voice. ""Some things are better left unknown until absolutely necessary. Unless it is something I want to know, then there is no line.""

Evelyn sighs out of frustration... She does snap out of it once Minti makes a comment her boyfriend and ally, though.

"Ah, he's such a scamp. Probably living out another one of those episodes of his favorite show."

Well... That was relatively new, at least. Evelyn's mood brightened much faster than normal. Usually she'd be spending all day in a sour mood after one of Ozpin's infamous mission debriefings...

---

Penny had also come along with Alba and Rivala in order to re-enact one of the famous episodes of The Adventures of Mars Pendragon -- though in her case... The atmosphere was hitting a little bit different. See, Minti had taken the time to make use of soundproofing tech, and normally that would be enough against any attempts at espionage.

Originally, her Father had no interest in designing her for espionage. But Ironwood did a lot of convincing. Until finally Enrico was sold on the merits it offered. Now, Penny herself would also normally not want to pry in on something like this, but...

"We are collecting every piece of Intel related to this mission.", the familiar voice interjected.

Much like how Enrico took a lot of convincing, Penny did too. But ultimately it was done. Her decryption techniques were activated, and she was gently leaning against the wall, ear pointed towards the room.

It was one of the few, rare times that Penny's face was expressionless, eyes in a blank stare. She could hear every word, and it was being logged. Fortunately, the two she was accompanying were too busy talking to themselves to notice.

Eventually, the transmission ends, and with it the meeting comes to a close as well. Penny calmly steps away from the wall, and emotion comes back to her face, though she now looks a little troubled about just what it was she had heard...

She snaps out of it when Alba asks what they think the rest of the Team is talking about. Penny forces a small smile.

"I'm sure it's something complicated and being kept secret for good reason."

That... Impressively did not cause her to hiccup. Technically, she wasn't lying about anything there, so!

She just had to avoid getting into the specifics. If she gave any hint that she knew something, it would instantly draw all kinds of suspicion towards her...

"Shouldn't we start acting natural? It's probably going to look bad if we get caught like this."

Penny then adds.

The Android felt extremely conflicted about what that meeting was about. But the other side of her...

"This will be invaluable to our success in this mission."

That was the conclusion reached.

Jack had her own choice words for Ozpin that she kept to herself. The mission briefing was as unsavory as she thought it would be. The worst part about it was the fact that it meant keeping secrets from half the team she led. A team that she trusted with her life. She sighed at Evlynn's statement.

"Ozpin drags everyone around him into a world of secrecy and distrust. And he thinks he's the be all and end all to everyone and everything. Who are we to question his decisions?"

She said, her bitterness apparent in her tone and her stiff body language. She had never felt so tired of all the secrecy as she did in this moment. For once she was on a team she could fully trust. And she couldn't return that faith the others had in her. Worse yet, they were forced into a position where they would have to mistrust some of their fellow allies.

She and Evlynn weren't the only ones who had an issue with the situation. Minti looked stressed over all of this. Jack didn't know why this would affect Minti so much. It didn't seem appropriate to pry. So she looked at the teacher and offered her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, lets get through this."

Jack got up, a bemused smile on her face. She walked over to the door and knocked on it a couple of times. She then cracked the door, careful not to open it too widely.

"We're coming out partners, so abort the spy mission you're on." she said, making a reference towards one of Alba's favorite shows. She stepped out, looking over the rest of her team.

"Sorry about that, but we needed to discuss some things with Professor Minti."

She said, hoping that the precautions the teacher took worked. She slipped her hands into her pockets, looking at standing in the middle of the room and waiting for the others to come out.

Alba took particular note of how Rivala seemed off in her own right. Almost like she was more on edge than usual. In fact so far it seemed like only himself and Evelyn were taking this whole mission in stride. He logged his concerns in the back of his mind to address later. Maybe the tribal girl just needed to hear the right words to ease her mind? She didn't seem to know exactly how to respond to his summary of that particular episode, causing him to grin at her.

"I think you'd like it. It's got ninjas. And spies. And ninja spies."

However, beyond just that tv show, Rivala raised a fair point about the undeniable fact that splitting their information was...Odd to say the least. The arcana couldn't find himself disagreeing to be honest. Not that he had any reason to disagree. Ozpin was involved after all. But...Alba shook his head, responding with a smile.

"You're definitely right, but...I trust Jack and Evelyn. I know they'd never do anything to hurt us. Besides, knowing them, they'll probably share whatever it is with us anyway. When has following Ozpin's plans ever worked out?"

Thankfully for both Penny and the other two, the amnesiac's usual brand of obliviousness was in full effect right now. As he gave the tribal girl a smug smirk, Penny's methods had gone totally unnoticed. When Penny essentially reaffirmed what Alba himself had said he smiled at both of the girls.

"See? It'll all turn out fine! We're team Jade, we get stuff done!"

... Although Penny's rather immediate mention of acting natural fell on Alba like a ton of bricks as his eyes widened. Before he could even move to "act natural", the door handle turned!

"OH! SHIT!"

The arcana lad rushed over to a nearby table, hastily leaning against it as the suite door swung open. In his haste his elbow bumped against a lamp, almost knocking it off the table if not for Alba quickly scrambling to grab it. Jack, and by extension, everyone else inside the room were already fully aware he had been attempting (Unsuccessfully) to spy on them, but he simply gave them a nervous smile.

"A...Ahaha, what makes you think I'd spy on ya? C'mon partner! You know me!"

... The fact that Jack was his partner only made that argument much weaker than he probably thought it did. The albino could only rub the side of his head in defeat. Realizing that his attempts really were that easy to read...Regardless, his embarrassment only lasted a moment seeing as none of the secret meeting's members seemed even slightly upset over it. He smiled at the trio. Even as he made note of the tired smile Minti wore. His expression changed to one of concern for only a split second. So it wasn't just the students being bothered by something...

Alba rubbed his chin for a moment, breaking his own momentary silence.

"So...How'd it go? Figure anything out that you can share with the rest of class? If you've got everything set aside though, I guess we should get started on our investigation huh? But...Where to start?"

Just as the airheaded arcana began trying to think that over, two voices could be overheard downstairs. The fact that the second floor hallway overlooked the first floor allowed those voices to be heard quite clearly in fact...

"Huuuuhhhh...?"

It was one of the inn's employees and a person living in the village speaking with one another.

"Hey, did you hear? Those militia weirdos actually caught someone snooping around last night! They're keeping her prisoner at Red Glare's house!"

"What? Really? I didn't think they had it in them! Maybe I underestimated them...Who was it?"

"Between you and me? I think they just got lucky. Red's not exactly competent for all that big talk he does. I only got a quick glimpse of their prisoner...Some pale girl with a top hat. She looks pretty sickly, to be honest I don't think she's involved in the disappearances..."

"Yeah, but what if she is? I'm at least glad someone's trying to do something about this mess...Vale sent in another team of students, but this time they've got a teacher with them. Things are getting sorta serious..."

A prisoner...A pale girl with a top hat? The gears had already begun turning in Alba's mind. That sounded REALLY familiar! It sounded just like...!

"Fool...? What's she doin' in Hollow? ... Do you think...?"

He quickly looked over at the other four, judging their own reactions to this new information. It seems they had just gotten a new lead!

Did Minti like that the two were having to keep things from their teammates? No of course not, perhaps that was part of why she hadn’t stopped Penny’s little intrusion. Yes, she had noticed. Click, click, of those vibrations that came back to her…..

Alba and Rivla were, for the most part, technologically illiterate, or at least, they weren't breaking through that system anytime soon. Perhaps Rivala would break it, but then that would be her tell tell sign. Jack and Evyln were also out, because they were both with her. That left Penny. That left bright little Penny~ Penny was a smart young woman, she was also the only one out there that would pull something like this in her mind. She didn’t blame her for that, not in the least. So why didn’t Minti stop her?

Becauses lies caused pain, because keeping secrets caused nothing short of discord in the end. Because it hurt those two Orphans to keep that secret to begin with. She was loyal to Ozpin, he had given her new direction when she had none, when she had nobody. Thanks to that she had a life to protect, a reason not to lose control. She had people she cared about, a person she trusted more than anything. But… that didn’t mean she agreed with every choice he made. So he didn’t stop Penny, it meant someone else knew what was going on. It meant at least one more person wasn’t lost in the fog.

She was ok with that, she would be with them all after all.

She appreciated that Evlyn didn’t contain herself around her, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh at his impression of the man. She had to admit, it was pretty spot on! She crossed her arm, shaking her head.

”I’m glad for you Evyln, and the others, your probably right… he tried to make his last essay about one of them…  gave him a  B for the entertainment”

She smiled at Jack, giving her a firm nod.

And then they reentered the room, The short teacher showing off her normal pep as she walked past the group, though she then turned back with a smile at Penny after Jack made her own comment. She wasn’t mad at all, if anything… she was teasing.

”I’ll make the same request of you that Jack has, ok miss Polendina?”

There was a serine, genuine smile on her face, no malice behind it, nor anger at what she had done. Though perhaps Penny herself would be surprised she had in fact been caught.

She then turned to the group as a whole, tail swishing behind her as she addressed them more seriously.

”Now then, I expect to see the best of your abilities out here, ok? We are all a team, and while I have no worries about your abilities to work together, I would like you and I to be able to as well. That will be the best way for us to solve puzzle, and… I’d like to see everything you’ve learned with my own eyes, so let’s each do the best of our ability ok?”

She would fix this, all of this. She would not allow a disaster to descend again like that time. She would not allow another Mt Glenn to shadow this world. No…. She would set things right.
……………….
Alba claimed that he thought she would like it, Rivala in response put her strong arms to her hips, raising an eyebrow. She was unsure as to how she would. First their garb was inefficient for getting around in the dark as they so claimed. She just did not see the logic in it.

”Ninja’s and spies both wear garb all over them correct? I do not see there reasoning, Alba, if they truly wanted to do there job well they should blend with nature, wear no garments and let it conceal them, this would also have the added effect in my experience, of stunning most humans, certainly much more than a bunch of black garments might, would you not say so? Still… if you desire me to watch it with you I will… consider it…”

Unlike the talk of ninja’s, she took Alba’s next words to heart. Yes… he was correct. She did not distrust Jack or Evelyn truly. She was iffy on her teacher in this regard, but the other two had proven their loyalty to the tribe time and time again, she had no reason to doubt their motivations she simply… did not like this way of doing things. It was dishonorable to her, it was a blight on them that there was something that needed to be done this way.

In short, her desire to bend Ozpin into a pretzel was growing.

”You are correct, I trust them as well… It is Ozpin who I do not”

Rivala would then sigh as Alba stumbled to make himself look… well, anything but natural by appearance. With a light chuckle she worked a bit of her magic, to augment the poor man's balance. It wouldn't do to have him smashing himself into that lamp after all, Then he’d really be caught, and she’d have to care for and nurture…..

Hmmm.. something to consider perhaps,when less damage was involved. That said Rivala was a rather blunt person, and with steady, calm ease simply muttered.

”I don’t think you convinced them dear”

She chuckled, arms crossed over her chest. Alba seemed fine with simply waiting for things to develop, he truly did trust those two, regardless of this situation. Well, it wasn’t as if she didn’t trust them. Why she felt this way was already clear. Beyond that she still had her moments of distrust for humans though, she certainly trusted the group here, JADE more than any other. That said… Penny supported Alba as she always did, even if things felt… off with it. But that was likely just her own emotional state right now, overthinking things. Besides, she had enough going on without worrying about the ogre’s thoughts on this.

There was something else to worry about anyway, Rivala nodded closing her eyes in thought.

”Right… the woman who attempted an attack on you before, when you were caught in that… place, I still don't understand, if she is here does that mean she is trying something here? From how you spoke… she did not SEEM the type, but rarely is it a good idea to underestimate a target, whether you hunt them, like them, or anything else”

Minti’s eyes narrowed at that, thoughts going through her head. But she let it go for now, it wouldn't do to cause disorder now. But… that description… She shook her head, no, the way she was described…. It was different. It wouldn't make sense. A description like that wasn’t enough anyway, she’d need… to keep an eye out though. Minti’s tail swished back and forth in curiosity, she looked back to her group with grin.

”I’d say it’s something to investigate… though we’ll need to use caution. If this girl attacked you.. Should we expect hostility Alba? You do not… speak as if you're afraid of such but… either way, if we wish to enter we'll need to convince the ones holding her to let us through. Violence is.. Obviously not that solution to that…”

A bit of disappointment in her tone there.

”So we’ll have to get in another way,  which means convincing this milita to let us in. I should hope our role here is enough, but be prepared to think on our feet if need be, understood?”

She had a determined look on her face. Right.. Shewould get to the bottom of this. This time.. Things would go right. She would ensure it.

She stepped towards the door and looked back

”Well then, let’s get going, alright? We’ve got a job to do~”

Jack had her obvious displeasure when it came to working for Ozpin. Though at her rhetorical question, Evelyn gives an annoyed sigh.

"The ones risking their lives while he sits cozy in his ivory tower? He wants to find out so bad, he can come and take care of this shit himself!"

Oh yeah, she was not sparing any expense for Ozpin right now. "He might be wrapping everyone up in his bullshit, but it's only because everyone is tolerating it -- and they're barely doing that anymore!"

Well... So much for how quick she got over being mad at Ozpin. But then, you could practically SEE the idea forming in her head. That was such a smug smirk on her face...




As the door opens and Alba scrambles desperately to pretend he wasn't trying to spy just now... Evelyn casually slips past Jack and Minti, and approaches Alba.

"Say, technically, you're an Orphan, right?"
Oh no. She wouldn't...

"And you were pretending to be an Operative just now -- like in your favorite show, yeah?"
Yep, she totally would.

And with Alba's entirely expected answers, she would nod approvingly. "So you're an Orphan Operative! So, here's what that meeting was just about!"

Well, if Jack and Minti wanted to stop Evelyn, this was their last chance to do so.

---

On Penny's side of things... She was REALLY glad that everyone was so distracted right now. Alba was thanks to the conversation with Rivala -- and then pretending to not have tried spying on the secret meeting. Which in turn was really attention-grabbing for everyone else... Uh, maybe a little too much!

When the lamp almost fell, Penny was about to spring into action to catch it -- but Alba reacted fast enough to do so himself. She lets out a small, relieved sigh... Alba would have been fine, but he would have felt guilty about breaking something that belonged to someone else.

She can't help but smile at his antics now that everything seems to be turning out okay. He had a real knack for taking care of her deepest concerns without even knowing that she needed the help. Just when she thought that everything was in the clear... Minti said something that would have chilled her straight to the bone if she had any.

"I got caught?!"

"Impossible. She's bluffing and trying to make you confess. Play it off."

After that brief mental exchange, she turns nervously, and laughs in a tone matching the movement. "A-... Ahaha! It's not like I could hear anything!"

Hiccup.

Way to play it cool, Penny....

That being said, it wasn't lost on her or Evelyn that they could hear other people talking right now, some rumor that was spreading throughout the village right now, it seems. Someone caught by the Militia... It didn't take long for them to start connecting the dots on who it was, either, especially thanks to Alba saying it out loud.

"Oh, her?", Evelyn queried. "Hmm... It's definitely worth investigating. I have my doubts that she's really responsible for anything, though."

Just in case, she lowered her voice enough to not give away to the people below that they were heard just now.

Penny opted to talk about the same thing. "Worry not. If she does attempt to attack Alba again, I can safely restrain her."

She comments, and then adds; "I do not believe she will be a problem, though."

"The whole world's gone mad whenever you're one of the voices of reason in the room. Sometimes I wish I could give him a piece of my mind." She said to the rabbit Faunus before they had gone out of the room.

Jack let out a sigh as Alba fumbled with the lamp. awkwardly, giving him a frown. "It's because I know you, partner."

She raised an eyebrow at Penny's awkward behavior. "I know you couldn't hear anything. Professor Minti took precautions."

Unbeknownst to her, she and Evelyn weren't the only ones who had to keep secrets in their group. Although that quickly threw out the window with what Evlynn had planned. A mysterious smirk crossed Jack's face at Evlynn's words.

"Well, !s long as nobody else in the room overhears it, you should inform our fellow orphan operative."

Honestly she should have put a stop to it. But if she couldn’t trust her own team, then who could she trust? It was the only way she could show her disapproval for Ozpin's ways at the moment.

Regardless of how that turned out, she would slip her hands into her pockets as she considered the information they had acquired.

"Professor Minti, this person was driven by something to attack Alba. Her heart wasn't in it even as she was fighting him. I don't think she's behind the events either, but it's possible that she knows about what is. She's less trouble than it's going to be getting to talk to her"

Jack would follow Minti to the door, making sure the others were following them. "Lets go partner. We got secret agent missions to go on."

Perhaps it was expected that Minti would be the one to stop Evelyn, but she would not. If she stayed of course, her loyalty to Ozpin would mean she needed to intervene, she owed that to the man for what he had done for her. If however, she so happened to not be in the area TO stop the rabbit girl well, there was nothing she could do now was there? As such she feined not hearing that little exchange and began walking towards the stairs to change herself. She had her own ideas, ideas that would be bolstered by words and ideas already said, manly heard from Alba.

Yes indeed, she had a costume idea in mind, but what would it be? Well that dear readers would have to wait for her return, but as she walked up those stairs? The teacher had a wide, bright smile, a knowing one at that.

”Honesty is the best policy, wouldn't you say Mr Mars, Miss Polindina? As for that girl… i trust your kids judgment there,  still, it is odd that she is here… but we’ll look into it~”

And then she walked up those stairs and disappeared, at least for now, ever so conveniently out of rage to hear Evelyn tell Alba the secret, imagine that….

Rivala gave a playful sigh, shaking her head.

”You two are terrible at concealing yourselves, I swear…”

More so, she gave a wide grin at her mates reaction that one simply went naked. For her it was simply practical, but she did very much enjoy the reaction he gave when she suggested such solutions, they were always a lovely sight. She gave a warm chuckle at his reaction. However that confidence of hers wouldn't last for long, as when alba did finish his giggling it was Rivala’s turn to double back, red in the face as he used her village's own term against her! She stepped back a bit, her expression a mix of pride and longing at his words. She gave a light, clearly fake cough as she shook herself.

”Alba… my… mmmm your learning my customs well….”

It warmed her heart to see it. For the one she cared for so cared about learning about her and her people. At his words of ninja though she scoffed shaking her head.

”Then it seems to me there not  making efficient use of there surroundings my love, a foolish thing to do”

There were two grinning humans here, one of those didn’t do so often so it was quite the sight, still she supposed her love had that effect on people. If she was being honest she was more surprised he hadn't brought  jack into his circle than by this. Still, she had to admit she was curious herself… and that was why she leaned in as well.

…even if she was still lost on the show talk Alba kept giving… any of it… she tried but.. Mantis what? Just wrestle the dam thing.

To rivala Alba’s suggestion was not dumb, in fact to her it seemed quite clever, it did to the teacher who had gone upstairs to, whom was working on something that would be a big surprise for them.

So what did rivala proceed to do? Well, she proceeded to straight rip off her current outfit, revealing the rather… ahem,  dangerous outfit she had for her costume underneath. Chosen between her and alba, with help of course.


”Very well then yes, let the mission begin!”

On that note they would hear the clapping of heels begin coming down the stairs the figure they saw was…. Well, they were similar in height at least?

Well no, those teeth were defently familiar at least but they were the only ones in here right? or at least... no one had gone up those stairs but Minti.




….Oh no she was now holding up a radio.

…Oh no it was now BLASTING OUT MUSIC.

….even when she started talking she didn’t stop it.



Wait, Evelyn and Alba had probably seen this girl… maybe others, wasn’t she one of those big four idols talked about around Rement? Why was she here?

”Hello Hello! Here in your eye it’s everyone's idol, breathing fiery passion for her fans~! It’s Mimi! woo how you all doing!?”

Her words were accompanied various poses, and spins. Oh, she grabbed Alba and evyln… and Jack and posed with them for a pick, yes, wait no that wasn’t a pic…. Were they being streamed?! …also as there a femine growl in the distance? Te without missing a beat.

”That’s it for this one everyone! We’ll see you next time as we explore this spook tastic place! See you you then, and Mimi out, bye!”

The girl then turned to face the likely very confused group and leaned down for a bow, complete with a fanged smile. At this point she finally stopped the music.

”But you can call me Miss Snapdragon, ok?”

That was right, this was her costume, but why did she look so different? WHERE WERE HER SCALEY PARTS?!

A mystery, that.

She didn’t want that old man, or anyone working fo rhim to recognise her.  so this…. It gave her the perfect cover. To do so this. To do as she needed. Luckly she had informed the other teachers… well more like Rhea saw her pgs and then insisted she let them know. Shame that, She’d have liked to mess with Vanta a bit with it.

”Oh, a favor, don’t go telling anyone that I’m Mimi? I’ve got an image to uphold”

Even her voice was different? Younger… higher? This was weird wasn’t it?

”Why, if anyone asks i’m just Mimi, student and upcoming idol, now then… let’s get going guys, ok? We’ve got this~”

Oh they definitely had it, but a few world views were likely broken along the way, and a lot of confusion all around…

Well at least Minti hadn't and defently wasn't still around to stop Evelyn right? Drat!

Now naturally, Evelyn was never going to play along with what Ozpin wanted. She was never a fan of his to begin with, but he'd recently become a real pain in the ass. This was her way of getting back at him, one little bit at a time. Jack seemed to be on board with it, surprisingly. Usually she was a stickler for playing it by the book, but then again... Ozpin. Being more of an ass than usual. Eh, makes sense.

Minti was the bigger surprise here, choosing to wander off while Evelyn was in the middle of sharing the equivalency of state secrets with Alba. But hey, that didn't bother Evelyn!

So now Alba was filled in with all the important details from the meeting. This also brought the heat off of Penny, not that Evelyn knew that was a concern right now.

"Well, there's that little problem taken care of~!"

Penny lets out a relieved sigh -- she didn't have to breathe, but after spending time with people, this seemed to be a means of dealing with stress. She tried it a few times, and hey! It does work! Not sure why. But if she had a heart that could pound at an elevated rate, it would at least be calming down now.

"Still... Ozpin is asking for some pretty serious things here. I don't know what he's thinking."

Now that the cat was out of the bag, Penny could speak more freely about her concerns here. Ozpin got up to some seriously shady things... If they weren't careful, they might end up on his bad side -- uh, more than usual, anyway?

But! Alba had an idea, one which he shared in order to take some of the attention away from Fool AND wear those costumes they worked so hard on in the first place!

Evelyn grinned. "Honeybun! That's a wonderful idea! Yes, let's go get ready right now!"

Just as Evelyn was about to grab hold of Alba and drag him off to their room with Penny in tow, Rivala decides to one up that. Practically ripping off her clothes on the spot.

Penny blushes, frantically flailing her arms. "Uh-! Ahh-!"
She moves her hands towards Alba, almost covering his eyes before realizing that Rivala was, in fact still clothed.
"Oh... Phew..."

Meanwhile, on Evelyn's side of things...
"WOOOOOOO-awwwwww... Still clothed.
Not bad, though."

Evelyn looks Rivala over and gives an approving nod.

But it seems like the chaos wasn't done yet! Because a new face decided to make itself known. One which had a popular internet presence, actually. Which made her presence here all the more unexpected.

Penny seemed to be a certain level of starstruck, actually. Mainly because Alba had shown off some of her streams and videos, and gotten her hooked too. The two of them were fans of Mimi, obviously.

Evelyn mainly played along with it just because it was nice to see them happy, even if it wasn't really her thing. But she's able to put two and two together fast enough to tell who "Mimi" really is, even before the "Miss Snapdragon" reveal.

"Oh, you have a devious side to you as well, huh? I get what you're after here, I'll keep your secret.", Evelyn said with a grin.

As for Penny, though... When that comment DID drop...

An expression of shock came over her face. It was like her world shattered. The woman she was so distrustful of... Was Mimi. An Idol.

"What the heck?! They're nothing alike!"

"You're unusually aggravated about this."

"OF COURSE I'M UPSET! An irresponsible stick in the mud with a penchant for torturing students is an Idol?! That's too much of a contradiction!"

Despite all of Penny's grievances with this... She held her tongue. Because if there was one thing she could calculate...

It's that Alba wouldn't know that Minti and Mimi were the same person.

Jack was surprised that Minti just let Evlynn explain the mission that went off. Sure, she knew Ozpin wasn't the most popular of figures. But like it or not, it was a matter of national security. Not that Jack wanted to hide anything from Alba, but in most circumstances Minti turning a blind eye would have been reckless at best.

Still, that didn't mean Ozpin didn't have a point, as dangerous as it was. Jack frowned, slipping her hands into her pockets.

"I didn't agree with keeping it from you guys, and I don't agree with how he wants to handle it. But I agree that Boreas has to be dealt with. People that Mountain Glenn was a natural disaster instigated by the Grimm. If it ever comes out that it was deliberate experimentation, then that would spread panic and fear."

Jack sighed, letting that hang in the air. People wouldn't be able to trust anyone if it came out that a tragedy was artificially created due to a company conducting experiments.

"I wish all the teams could trust each other. If Atlas is holding information back, then it means it involves their intelligence division."

Jack found Alba's remarks effectively tension breaking. Not so much the banter between him and Rivala (although that was distracting in its own right). She chuckled, looking over at her partner.

"You aren't too far off for once, partner. There are people who are real life Mars Pendragons. It isn't as nearly as glamorous of a life as it is in the shows, but it's what makes this mission difficult. I doubt Mauve is just going to tell us the identity of the Atlas secret agent involved in this."

Jack figured that this would be the quickest way for Alba to grasp the situation. Although that quickly turned around on her. She agreed that Fool didn't seem the type to be involved in this. She didn't seem the type to pick on innocent villagers. Still…

"I agree with all of that, but if she's here, then the person behind all of this could be the person who pressured her into attacking you."

So there was that possibility. But first they had to get to her through the militia. Alba was the first one with an idea, although it wasn't exactly a conventional plan.

"Partner, I think that's a… good idea." Everyone was going off to get changed pretty quickly. And so Jack was forced to go with the flow. She came back wearing the costume she brought with her.

"I'll be surprised if anyone takes me seriously in this getup."



Then again, maybe they would with everyone else wearing what they were wearing. Or in Rivala's case, what she wasn't wearing. Jack didn't think talking to her about it would help the situation: it took a lot of time to get over the cultural differences that Rivala came from. And that wasn't even the most shocking costume.

Jack stared open mouthed as Minti descended the stairs in what was more than just cost playing. Alba watched Mimi almost as much as he watched Mars.

"Wait, you're…"

And thus Jack was streamed wearing a costume. After it was over, she let out a sigh.

"I don't think any of our images are going to be intact after this. Let's make sure that everything and everyone in the village remains that way."

Now all that was left was for Alba to come out I'm his outfit.

Rivala scoffed at the smaller man’s confidence, playfully of course, it was rather adorable how he acted she had to admit. Something she admired however was his conviction, even it was displayed in his… unique way. His first thought was not on this fact clearly being hidden, or even any distrust for the ones that had only now given it…. No his only thought was taking despicable human to knee. When it came to certain worries however her face became more cold, crossing her arms with a nod.

”Hmmmmm i would have assumed it was his irrational fear of woman at play again, but if it is like that… I do not understand his worry of this Fool girl, her one attempt was about the most unsuccessful assasination attempt i can imagine based on what you’ve told us, that witch she works for… I do despise her hiding in the shadows, though this… I do not claim to know her, but the MO’s different, in both there cases. Odd indeed… I can, however ring any information she may have out if you wish, Alba”

The last part was said without hesitation, yeah she was perfectly willing to do such a thing, dirty work, but these things were sometimes needed for the good of the tribe. She could already guess Alba’s answer would be no however be really stubborn about hurting if he didn’t need to, or believing in people more than he should, she swore it would be the death of him one day. On a more comedic display as Alba would claim his understanding Rivala would very quickly shake her head.

”You do not’

Was her simple correction.

She was glad for Alba being distracted… it let her recover from the blustering mess he left her, he did it so easily it was like a weapon sometimes.

She was thankful she had chosen to change her close when she did, because her eyes had already begun spiraling. As well she enjoyed the reaction she got from her mate on both accounts, it had… truly been been effective on all fronts! Yes, the theme they painstakingly created together was showing it’s fruits, not just with Alba, but with the rest of the team as well! but the reactions of the rest of the team as well! Their reactions said it all! She gave a confident smile, posing with a hand to her hip.

’It is true! With the reaction of everyone else, truly that work was a complete success! Truly the visage of a great hunter!”

Rivala furrowed her eyes at the new arrival, now, you might assume it was just alba, you’d be wrong.

”Oh…. So this is the idol your always watching? I see… greetings, it is nice to meet you”

Yep…. this was going to be a trip.

………..

Ok so, She didn’t expect this. She probably should have…. But she didn’t. Alba… and rivala were both clueless. Everyone else understood her little disguise here it seemed, Penny seemed a bit annoyed, though she couldn't quite place why that was, she seemed like the kind to like a good idol… hmmm oh well! She nodded to Eveyln with a fanged smile. She hadn’t intended it to be a secret thing among the team, but… it was probably better not to burst those bubbles, so instead she gave a twirl right in front of him, striking a pose with her over sized sleeve out

”Wow wow~ You all were made for the camera, I’ll have to let you and your girlfriends sing or something in my next stream for sure There Alba~! Would you all like that? Your all brimming with star potential i’d love to help you shine~”

Her biggest fans huh.. Well if that was the case then… yeah she’d absolutely need to give them an autographed item by the end, its what a good streamer would do. For now though… they had work to do… after she worked her way out of waiting for herself.

”Indeed I am! The radiant mimi star is here to light up your investigation! My sis had to… go, so i'm covering for her, yes, so no need to wait on her!”

Jeez, alba was excited, but that was great! She’d eagerly return that handshake with dragon like gusto!

She mentally sweat dropped, it was rather amazing just how… much he didn’t register, oh well it made things easier.

[color=”I appreciate it, cant have fand ruining our important work here~”[/color]

Or with her setting things right…

And soon they were all in costume, rivala gave a knowing loook to alba, her approval of his costume clear, she didn't understand many current human things these days but she knew he looked fierce, like her, and that was plenty!

”Looking fierce dear”

And once they arrived at the gate ‘Mimi’ began putting thought into how to handle this, though she couldn't help but notice the door slightly ajar, as if someone had already been in ahead of them, curious.

”I could distract them easy… but then that might raise tensions long term, i suggest posing as her defenders, or people here to get down to the truth regarding her, seeing how were authorised and all, it makes perfect sense we’d want to get to the bottom of it. I’ll use every bit of my charisma to help get us inside don’t worry”



It was twofold, both to bring attention and to keep up appearances

It concerned her though… who exactly had gone in before them… and why?