RWBY Through Worlds

87: Who's Gonna Fight?

Oscar had felt better about this assignment before they got as far as the office.

But then he wondered if they were going to get caught immediately; there were students around.

But Emerald evaded them easily.

Neo slipped into the office as silently as a mouse and removed the plaque that said "There's No Place Like Home".

She held out her hand, and an image of a key appeared over it.

"Crap, how long have you been able to do that?" Emerald asked.

Neo shrugged like "I don't know."

"It's gonna be real easy having someone who can't talk to us as part of a stealth mission." Mercury didn't seem very happy to be here despite lobbying for it.

"I'll unlock it," Oscar said quickly.

Whatever Shine said about it, he preferred not handing Neo the key.

Anyway, Ozpin was the one who knew how to open it.

"Something about this doesn't seem quite right," Ozpin remarked. "I don't remember the plaque being over the key hole."

"The desk is built into the ground, right?" Oscar said aloud. "So it's all part of the door, right?" 

He put the key into it.

It turned easily, and the whole floor underneath shifted.

It was clever how it did it: The gears seemed to be in the floor panel right under the desk, and they opened into a small hole only about the size of a small trampoline. 

Under the door, about 4 feet down, began a staircase.

"That's lame. It's not an elevator?" Mercury looked down.

"I can't even see it," Emerald said.

Neo motioned at the door, then at the desk and the hole.

"You're right," Oscar said. "This way, even if it was open when you looked in, you'd barely see it. Makes it a bit stealthier than the other doors. But stairs would be slower than an elevator... Is Theo trying to slow down anyone who sneaks in here?"

"Well, that makes sense," Ozpin said. "But it was probably Henry who designed it this way. He always did like simple things."

Theo hadn't updated it though, Oscar thought.

Somehow he felt more like this was a trap because it was different.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mercury jumped the four feet down into it.

"Wait," Oscar called after Mercury and jumped down--it was a longer drop for him, and it kind of hurt, but he was getting better at landing with more balance.

Emerald slipped in and hit her arm on the doorway but tried to hide it.

Neo stepped in with the grace and poise of a trained gymnast and gave them a smug look.

She was grating on the other two kids' nerves already, but Oscar really just thought she was scary.

He realized suddenly that he was alone with three "reformed" villains, and, out of them all, Emerald was the only one who didn't make him nervous.

"Not the best match up for us," Ozpin muttered. "If they do attack, you had better let me handle it. I doubt you have the skill to beat Mr. Black--or Neapolitian."

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Oscar muttered.

Mercury lit up his scroll light. "Where're the light bulbs in here?"