Mother Hen
Chapter 1 - Examination
"Hunters and Huntresses of Beacon, I hope you've all been having a pleasant day so far." Professor Ozpin greeted the first years in the auditorium with an uncharacteristic giddiness behind his voice. "I'm sure you are all wondering what I'm doing bringing you all here and what lies in store. But I really have to say, that like all of you, I too, am uneasy about this task."
That wasn't the kind of opening statement the students were expecting, but when Ozpin was involved no one could truly be prepared for the things that came out of his mouth. Today was no exception.
"I am about to give you all a test, so to speak." Ozpin continued. "But first a little premise."
"Here we go." Yang Xiao Long muttered beneath her breath from where she was stood with the rest of her team at the front of the crowd. Ozpin's eyes unmistakably shifted and met her own for just the briefest moment but it was enough to let a blush creep up the back of her neck as she was caught out.
"For quite a number of years in Beacon's history it has been a tradition of sorts to give the first years a chance to prove their life skills." Ozpin told the crowd. "Not just through battle or examinations in a classroom but through real life experience in places completely unrelated to the occupation of Hunters and Huntresses. For example, an iteration of first years was sent all across the kingdom to work in almost every single bakery in the land for a short time. Another year, the first years were simple told to invent something. Last year, in fact they were sent to sell magazines on the street."
It was needless to say that there were plenty of confused looks between people in the audience. All the tasks mentioned were meaningless, little jobs for the common folk. Being a Hunter or Huntress was something worthy of fame and prestige and that was what every last one of them strove for. The recognition of society was a powerful thing and every face that watched Ozpin give his speech wanted it, they wanted it with every fibre of there being.
"I have no doubts that you are all less than pleased with what I'm saying." Ozpin said and Yang was fairly sure that at least half of the people in the room agreed with him. As Yang glanced around her, it was clear that Weiss, with her sharp eyes and sneering lip was one of them, though as she looked over the rest of her team she was a little relieved that at least someone was vaguely interested, like her wide eyed sister or her perky eared partner. "Though I'm not sure that the higher years would agree with you. True, they stood in your exact shoes when they were as young as you, yet the experience was one many of them prove invaluable today."
There were yet more looks of confusion in the crowd.
"No one knows what life may throw their direction." Ozpin said gravely this time. "Some of you will find that the life of a Hunter or Huntress isn't for you in the coming years and will end your time here at Beacon Academy. Others may find themselves unable to continue their time at Beacon for whichever reason it may be; family circumstances, financial instability, disease... death. We at Beacon feel it is not only appropriate to equip those of you studying here with the knowledge and abilities to fight in our world, but with the knowledge and abilities to fight in their world too. We exterminate monsters here at Beacon, we don't create them."
Yang looked around once again and a lot of the sceptical expressions had turned serious. They were remembering why they were here, what they fought for and it was pushing them forwards.
"Which is why," Ozpin said as he turned away and carefully brought a small object out from under what looked like a table full of glass domes. "I have prepared chicken eggs."
"..."
"Chicken eggs, Professor?" Jaune asked a few metres away from Yang with a raised hand.
"Oh good, you were listening after all, Mr. Arc, it's never too late to make a change." Ozpin shot back.
Yang leant over to sister by her side and whispered in her ear.
"Whoa, everybody out of the water, looks like there's been a snark attack."
Much to Yang's elation, Ruby still found her jokes funny and even after all these years Ruby's shoulders still shook as she struggled to keep her giggling to herself.
"Yes, you heard me correct." Ozpin then addressed the room again. "I will be giving each team a single chicken egg and a single incubator. This task has a pass/fail marking criteria and is worth twenty percent of your year grade. In order to pass the test, your egg must hatch, if in a month's time it hasn't hatched, you will fail. There is no in between."
The crowd was quiet for a few moments. The mark was ridiculously high for a task that could be achieved so simply with an incubator, all that really needed to be done was monitor the temperature and Yang remembered something about needing to turn the egg over every once in a while. It was far too simple but an easy grade is something she wouldn't pass up. Though one of her peers didn't feel the same.
"You've got to be kidding me?!" Cardin cried from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. "That's the most simple test ever. The only way someone would fail that test is if their fingers were made of Utterly Butterly, the pass rate will be too high! There's no way I'm taking one of those eggs, give us a harder challenge, one to work for!"
Yang didn't like the guy but he had a point, only an idiot would fail this task. Plus it would be interesting to see what Ozpin had to say about it.
"You will take the egg, Mr. Winchester, whether you like it or not." Ozpin rarely liked to beat around the bush unless he was telling a story. "However, I can accommodate for your needs for a challenge. I will alter the task and I'm sure you will agree that it will be much harder than before."
The room went uncomfortably quiet, even Professor Goodwitch, who stood next to Ozpin on the stage was taken off guard, which meant that Ozpin's surprisingly short temper wasn't something she had accounted for.
"As I stated before, each team will receive one egg and one egg only." He said and Yang dreaded the punchline. "However, you will not receive an incubator."
The crowd went in to an uproar. They all knew what this meant. The chances of the egg's survival had just dropped through the floor and Cardin was almost singlehandedly to blame. His fellow students turned on him in an instant. Insults and threats laced the air and Yang spotted more than one reach for their weapon. She readied her own just in case things turned ugly. She wouldn't have her team caught in the crossfire.
Without warning there was a loud crack and the hall went silent instantly. Glynda had stepped forwards and Yang didn't fail to notice the end of her riding crop glowing.
"There will be order." She commanded over her rimless glasses. "We will not hesitate to fail students with unruly behaviour."
The students begrudgingly settled down at the looming threat and Glynda stepped back to Ozpin's side.
"I will call each team up to the stage in alphabetical order where you will receive your egg." Ozpin said and then proceeded to call the teams starting with Team ADMT (Adamantine).
There was quiet chatter amongst the teams that had yet to be called out and Team RWBY was no exception.
"An egg, eh?" Yang said. "How do we feel about that?"
"Absolutely preposterous!" Weiss cried predictably. "We're counting twenty percent of our grade on the thing that used to make my omelettes every morning!"
"That's strange." Blake added. "Honestly, I think I'd prefer if a person made my omelettes, I doubt an egg could lift the pan."
"Oh har har, aren't we ever the comedian?" Weiss's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Just try not to eat it, Puss-Puss."
"Wow, low blow Weiss." Ruby said dejectedly and Yang saw Weiss whirling on her a mile away.
The queue to receive the eggs gradually got shorter and shorter until the team in front of theirs, Team RGLA (Regalia) got called up on to the stage. A girl with very dark skin and an almost blindingly white coat received the egg from Ozpin, she looked down at it with a scrunched up, scrutinizing face before turning to the rest of her team.
"How are we gonna do this?" She asked and a big girl with a cool, white Mohawk that caught Yang's attention chimed in.
"We'll figure summert ou'." The tall one said with an unfamiliar accent.
They turned to a brown haired girl who wore a surgical mask for a further verdict but she just shrugged and that seemed to paint a thousand words to them.
"Fine, fine." The grumpy girl said as she began walking off the stage. "You're the leader Rhea, take responsibility."
She dumped the egg in the Rhea girl's hands, a short rabbit Faunus with fluffy, droopy, blonde ears that bounced by her human ears.
"Lior, don't be so rough with it." Rhea complained with a cute pout. "We want to pass this!"
They passed Team RWBY by and the masked girl made sure to put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, a leader's show of camaraderie.
"Team RWBY." Professor Ozpin called and Ruby quickly bounced up the stairs to meet him. "Take good care of it Miss Rose. This egg is worth more than you think."
"I will Professor!" Ruby said eagerly as she took the egg from Ozpin. She turned around and looked like she was about to show the egg off to the rest of them but as if on cue, she tripped and let go of the egg.
It was like time slowed down as Yang dashed forward calling Ruby a little shit all the way. There were a few relieved sighs from the other teams as Yang caught the egg safely in her hands.
"I'll be taking care of this one." Yang said and Ruby knew that for the rest of the task she would never be allowed to touch the egg again. "Come on, Chickie. Mummy Yang'll take care of you."
She gave the egg a quick peck before covering it from view in her palms.