Welcome to the Academy of Atlas, finally ! Nathanaelle thought while dragging her bag out of the plane. The building she was going to enter was magnificent. The young girl was quite pretty with her auburn hair wrapped up in a braid, emphasing her lock of blond hair. She vas wearing a light blue coat hold by a leather bandolier which was also retaining her carbin in her back. She was armed and ready to face her new school.
Most of the students had arrived earlier and some of them were waiting their friends. A few minutes later, the young girl saw the one who was looking for her.
In fact, Etienne was taller than everybody else and really hard to miss. A colossus with dark hair and a broken nose. It seemed like he could fight an ursa with his bare hands, and he can. He smiled at her, showing a scar on his upper lip.

"So, how is the school ?" She asked.
"Pretty good, Nath. They will be running the tests tomorrow. We will soon know what our team will be."
Nathanaelle originaly wanted to spend her training in Beacon Academy in Vale, but since most of her friends stayed in Atlas, she followed.

"It's good to be with a friend" She said "From what I saw in beacon, the team composition is random. I don't really want that to happened to me. By the way, did my mother arrived ?"
"I saw her earlier, I think she is preparing all for tomorrow."
"Ho … and do you know if there are some duels here ?"

Etienne seemed a little worried. Duels were tolerated in there old school. It was a funnier way to train and resolve conflicts between of the Atlasian schools have their own rules, mostly made up by the students.

"It's officially forbiden here, you cannot enter a training room with only two people. They do that to prevent duels."
"That's sad."
"And that's why it's officially called "group training" and you fight with one or two seconds."
"Haa … that's pretty cool ! We should … "

Someone suddenly pushed both of them, jumping in the crowd of students without any "sorry". Nathanaelle let out a little insult before having a bad feeling about her wallet. She put her hand inside her coat to find an empty pocket.
"Son of a … hold my bag !"
Etienne didn't had time to answer since his friend already jumped behind her thief.

The young girl found him easily, a young boy in a hood trying to be stealth. Saddly for him, the young huntress had him in her sight.
"Come back here you !"
The boy took a glance at her before accelerating. He had little horns pointing out of his hood.
"Son of a ..."
Goat ? Cow ?

Nathanaelle couldn't finish her sentence. Someone had the bad idea of putting himself right on her path. The resulting effect made both of them falling on the ground. She quickly mumble an excuse while getting up, crushing something under her foot.
A scroll that fell on the ground.
She felt someone holding her arm. It was a young man, a faunus with dog hears, probably a new student like her.
"Hey ! You destroyed my scroll !"
Does he seriously wear a tie around his neck like a collar ?
"I'm sorry, but i'm kinda in a hurry right now."
She tried to free herself but the faunus was holding her.
"You could at least excuse yourself ! You owe me a scroll !"
"You mind ? I'm really in a hurry !"
Nathanaelle quickly freed herself and started running away. She glanced back at the faunus.
"Okay ! You want it ?" He said. "Training room in two hours, bring a second !"

Did I really just provoke a duel ten minutes after landing at the acadamie ? I just beat my last year record with someone I don't know. Well, I couldn't tell him I going after a faunus.

She hustled her way into the crowd of students, just behind her thief. She could almost catch him !
Nathanaelle suddenly fell again on the ground. Another student came on the way, a young girl of the same age. She was the asian type, with short black hair hold by a headband.
"Ho … I'm sorry, you came so fast !"
"I'm in a hurry ! There is a …"
The thief had already disapeared. He was lost.
"Damn ! I lost him, thanks to you !"
"Hey, you kinda jumped on me."
"What ? You …"
The young girl let out a swear word
"Okay, thanks to you, I lost the thief who stole my wallet !"
"hu … sorry ?"
"Training room in two hours and a half ! And bring a second !"
"... Excuse me …What ?"

Etienne saw his friend coming back with a frown on her face.
"What's the problem ?"
"The guy who hustle us stole my wallet !"
"Crap !"
"And I managed to provoke two duels in my first day."
"You broke your record ! And it's not even our first day yet and I lost sight of you for like five minutes ! How do you do that ?"
"I don't know, you'll ask them in two hours. I need a second."
The big guy sighted.
"Why am I not surprised ?"
"You don't want to know. I'll see you at the training room, I first need to find my locker."


Finding the training room was easier than finding the locker. Nathanaelle opened the large door leading to the training room to see three people talking. The discussion seemed a little agitated.

The first one was the dog faunus. The young man was wearing simple clothing, the only real accesoiries being his tie around his neck and a harness holding an automatic rifle on his back. Of course his hears were impossible to miss, they were flat and falling, like the one of a labrador.
Alongside him was a young girl, the asian girl who made Nath fell earlier. Wait, wasn't she supposed to come later ? She was wearing a little dress, showing most of her legs. She seemed more like the shy kind of girl, even with the dual cannon hunting rifle hanging from her shoulder. There was even a blade under each barrel.
The third person was another woman with long blond hair, but not a student. A professional huntress wearing a blue army jacket open, showing a white shirt. On her back Nathanaelle could see the handle of a colossal sword. And she seemed angry.

Crap.

The student turn her back to the group in hope to quietly get out of the room.
"Don't move from here, young girl !"

Crap again !

Nathanaelle obeyed and turned again.
"Hi mom … Didn't knew you were taking care of the training room."
"It is because I am not," The huntress answered, "I was just storing a few packages. I am quite surprised to see you break the record !"
"Yeah, I thought that too."
"One duel after five minutes at the academy, you truly deserve a medal !"
"Hum … two duels in fact." The asian girl felt the need to correct.
The huntress took a glance at the two students.
"And from what I understand both of your opponents are here … as luck would have it, this should make the punition easier."

The door open and colossus appeared, an axe hanging from his belt. He froze right as he saw the group.
"I … I think I'll come back lat …"
"No ! You come here, right now !" The huntress sighed. "Of course, Nath needed a second. Who would do better than her dear childhood friend Etienne ?"
With the foor students here, they looked almost like a team. The angry woman was scarring them all. She crossed her arms.
"So since I am the only one knowing all of you, I am going to introduce everybody. My name is Bridget de Cour, I am a huntress and will be one of your teacher this year. This is my daughter, Nathanaelle, you already know her. (She briefly frowned) The faunus is Bleu Lechien, his friend is name Lyoko Vinea, and the big one with an axe is named Etienne Lahir, the son of an old friend. And you are all punished."
Nathanaelle and Etienne suddenly become really pale while Bleu and Lyoko didn't knew what to expect.
"Can I at least know why you want to fight each other ?"
"Um … she pushed me and broke my phone." Bleu sayed.
"It was an accident."
"I pushed her and her thief escaped. But it was an accident too."
The huntress raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
"A thief ? What did he stole from you ?"
The young girl looked away from her mother.
"My wallet."
Facepalm.
"And you Etienne ? Let me guess, you are just her to help her ?"
"Sadly, yes."
The huntress sighed agan and looked at all of them.
"Okay. Since you wanted to fight each other, you are going to fight together. I am going to activate a full training session … and if one of you even tries to stab another in the back, I swear to god I will kick him out of the Academy."
Bridget turned away and went to the control panel.

"She is joking … right ?" Lyoko didn't seemed comforted.
"You wish." Etienne answered while Bleu and his friend looked at Nathanaelle.
"When I was six I didn't wanted to take a bath, so she throw me into a frozen lake in underwear in the middle winter. So if you don't mind …"
She draw her weapon, a winchester like carbine modified to hold a long knife under the barrel.
"... You should do the same, she is going to release the training bots at any second."
The faunus dog took his rifle and put a magazine in its stock. Seeing the scope, it was a weapon for long range shot.
"I'm glad I lost my phone and am force to train with the one who broke it."
"I'll repay it."
"Without your wallet ?"
"I'll find a way."
"Sure."
"Can we talk about that later ?"
The door in front of them opened.
Lyoko pointed her hunter's rifle, ready to destroy any training bot that could enter. And douzens of humanoid robots did enter.

"Lyoko ! Show them what you can do." Bleu said to his friend. She answered with a smile and jumped on the first robot that come out. A humanoid form which got its head blasted by one of the two barrel.
Another bot appeared and tried to punch her. But Lyoko had already moved, letting a trail of pinkish trail of light behind her. In the blink of an eye, she was behind the robot. Her gun had become a double bladed spear. It pierced throught the robot's chest before letting out the blast of a shotgun.
"Wow, she's good." Nath said.
"Yep, she can even go through thin walls when she dashes !" Bleu answered while firing a short hail of bullets with deadly precision.
Another bot exploded. This time, the shot came from Nathanaelle's Carbin.
"And you ?" She asked. "What can you do ?"
"I'm a telepath, pretty useless right now. I'm more of the support type, you see ?"
"you can read minds ? That's cool !"
"Not when people think out loud."
"Like my mom ?"
"... Yes … Behind you !"
The training bot who was junmping on her was intercepted by a gigantic hand. Etienne casually ripped his head off with one easy axe swing.
"You should watch your back instead of talking !"

The colossus turned back to face another robot while Lyko and Bleu were looking at him with round eyes. He lift his ase wich freed a trail of small grenades.
"I guess his semblance is strengh ?"
"It's more subtle than that, especially when he makes earthquakes. But yes, he is basically very very strong."
Lyoko nailed a robot on the ground with her spear.
"Well, all of this seems to go pretty well. What's your semblance Nath ?"

Did she seriously called me Nath ? I barely know her !

"It's gravity."
She waved her hand at one of the last training bot. The robot fell on the ground, enable to stand up. Some part of it even getting crushed by the pression. The student lift her gun and finished the machine.
"Nice. You can do more ? Like flying ?"
"No, I cannot destroy gravity. More like play with it."
It took her a second to see they were surrounded. Nath squatted and put her hands on the ground.
You want to see what I can do ? You got it !
"All of you, jump now !"
They complied and felt like they were way lighter than they should. It would take them a few seconds to get back on earth.

"Etienne ! Meteor !"
"Lets go !"

Nath waved her hand again and the reverse effect happened to the colossus. He hit the ground like a bomb.
The whole room seemed to shattered, scattering away all the remaining bots.

A new robot entered the room, this one was much bigger than the others. In fact, the robot was twice as big a human.
"Come on ! What the hell is that ?" Etienne exclaimed.
"It's a prototype for the army, it's called a squire I think."
"How do you know that, Lyoko ?" Nath asked.
"My parents works in the army."
"Of course, why do I even ask ?"
They heard a grounding noise, like a hammer falling on a rock.
"HEY ! DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD HELP ?!" Screamed Etienne while holding the robot's fist with his bare hands.

Lyoko dodged another fist by dashing through it and attacked the robot. Her blade bounced on it's armor, enable to pierce it.
Bleu charged the robot and slide between its leg while firing his rifle. Seeing no effect, he used it to shoot a grappling hook to jump on the squire's shoulders. It didn't seemed to notice and throw Lyoko away with a move of its hand. It then went back on Etienne.
"We cannot pierce its armor !" Bleu said. "What do we do ?"
Suddenly the colossus flew across the room and crashed on a wall, before sliding on the ground.
Etienne stand up in a second, really angry.
Ouch … This is going to hurt …
"Guys, watch out ! Etienne is really pissed off !"
"What ?"
"YOU DAMN STUPID ROBOT !"

The formentioned student impacted the robot with the strengh of a goliath. Unbalanced, Bleu dropped with round eyes on his face. The squire felt heavily on the ground just before Nathanaelle.

She saw an occasion.
"Get out, i'm going to crush it !"
She put her hands on the ground next to the squire.

Less than a second later, it started to be crushed by her power. But the robot didn't seem to notice yet. It was getting up on it's knees and moving into her direction.

Nathanaelle was forcing herself, but her opponent was too strong. It was already lifting its hand to destroy her. She needed to do something.
The young girl put her hand on the robot's head. She could only whisper one thing.

"Fall …"

The squire started flying.
No.
It was not flying.
It was falling toward the ceiling.
The squire crashed before falling back, to the floor this time.
A grappling hook caugh her and moved her backward just before a rain of pieces of junks crashes on her old location.
"I though you said you couldn't make something fly." Bleu said to her.
"I still can't … I don't even know how I did that."
Lyoko rejoined them. She was panting.
"Well that was fun ! Who's ready for another one ?"
"You really want my answer ?" The faunus asked.
"Come on, i'm joking !"
Etienne had a worried face.
"Are you guys okay ? I got a little … carried away. I think I dropped someone on the ground."
Bleu smiled at him.
"No problem man. That was impressive. By the way, Nath … can I insult your mother ? I am pretty sure that training programm wasn't really at our level."
"To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if it was true … And no, I won't let you insult my mother !"
The said huntress stood up and applaused.
"Congrats students, that was impressive. I hope you gave up the idea of making duels. Now, you should go eat dinner and sleep in your bedroom. You are having a rough day tomorrow."
"Thank you madam, I guess." Bleu almost politely said.
"Shut up you ! Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do."
She quietly leaved the exhausted students who didn't knew how to react.
"Well … I am glad to see that my mother cares about the fact I made a goddamn robot fell on the ceiling …"
Bleu nodded his head while Lyoko looked at Nath.
"Well, maybe we won't have to pass the tests tomorrow ?"
Etienne looked at the young girl with a sad smile.
"You really don't know madam de Cour, don't you ? Anyway guys, don't you think we should go to dinner. A good one I mean, in a restaurant ! I invite the three of you."
"Are you sure you won't regret that ?" Bleu asked, almost laughing. "You know how much a faunus can eat ?"
"Less than me, for sure !"
"Challenge accepted accepted, big guy !"
"You will loose, little doggy !"


James Ironwood was working in his office with a scientist when someone knocked at the door. He lift his eyes from some students files and asked the person to enter. It was Bridget de Cour, one of his fellow teachers.
"Good afternoon, General. Excuse me, can I borrow you doctor Deschamps a minute."
"Of course."

The woman joined her friend. The doctor Françoise Deschamps had short dark hair and glasses, most people know her as one of the greatest aura expert in Atlas, if not to say Remnant. They talked a few seconds before the huntress leaves. Letting the scientist alone with a surprised face.
"A problem doctor ?" Ironwood politely asked while the woman looked at her scroll.
"I am not sure … Bridget told me she runned a training session with a team of first year student …"
The general raised his eyes from his work.
"A team of first year students ? Wait … what did she do again ?"
"She told me the session was a punishement, that it was recorded … and that her daughter destroyed the squire."
"Excuse me ? We are still talking about a first year student ? A student with no experience who destroyed an early prototype of the paladin ?"
"The worst part is that I think yes."
She showed her scroll to the officer, it was playing the record of a security camera. Ironwood saw the enormous robot fly before crashing on the ground.
"That reminds me of Glynda …"
"Nathanaelle seems to have the same level of power."
"Where did Bridget go ?"
"She told me she had an errand to do. Something about a wallet and a scroll. Why ?"
"Because I would like her to explain me why and how she used a secret prototype to punish a four students on the first day of their first year at the Academy."
"Ho … right."


First official day at the Academy. So … Locker 501 … here it is.
Nathanaelle opened her locker in order to prepare herself.
Here's my carbine, a few bullet rounds and … wait is that my wallet ? Yes it's my wallet ! What the hell is it doing here ? And that's a scroll … cannot be mine ! Where the hell does that come from ? And wait … is that a ring ?

A few minutes later, Nathanaelle entered the great hall where most of the students were listening General Ironwood's intronisation speech. He was enclosed by the other staff members and some officers, the young girl recognized her mother easily. The student was a little late, but nothing bad. Nobody was in uniform right now since the tests could concern anybody.
She quickly joined her friend Etienne who was talking with Blue and Lyoko. They seemed a little lost.
"Hi guys, did I miss something ?"
"Nothing particular, they just called some students to pass the tests. None of us has been called yet."
"Good, I didn't want to be late. By the way, Bleu, I have something for you."
She handled him a brand new scroll and the faunus eyes widened.
"It was in my locker with my wallet …"
"Mom had been busy tonight !" Lyoko said.
"... She also left this." Nathanaelle proudly lift her left hand where was a brand new golden ring.
Etienne let out a whistle.
"Congrats !"
"Wait what are we suppose to cheer for ?" Lyoko asked.
"In my family, you give your children a signet ring when you consider him or her to deserve his title of nobility."
"Okay, so you are a duchess of something like that ?" The faunus asked.
"To be fair, she is a knight and I am a marquess." Said Etienne.
"What's the difference ?"
"The marquess title is older and theorically a higher rank than a knight. This last title was given for great actions on a battlefield by a normal person. But since we live in a democracy, it's pretty meaningless. Today it's more of a familly legacy."

Nathanaelle look around the hall.
"Still none of us had been called. It's taking way longer than I expected."
"Hey look, they are already naming the teams !"
"What ?"
In fact, general Ironwood was already announcing some team compositions.
"... you four will be known as team FNKY, lead by Flynt Coal, congratulations."
A round of applause followed.

"What the hell does that mean ?" Bleu asked.
Nathanaelle couldn't retain a laugh.
"You don't get it yet ?"
Bleu put his finger on his forehead.
"Since you think out loud … yes. Can I say it ?"
"Right now, yes, but do not push your luck."
"Your mother is crazy."
"I know. And I love it."
Lyoko looked at the young girl.
"Either your mother kicked us out of the academy or … She has horrible ideas."
"Trust me, she does have bad ideas almost all the times !"

"Nathanaelle de Cour, Bleu Lechien, Lyoko Vinea and Etienne Lahire." Ironwood called from the stage. The four students joined him with a mix of pride and shyness.
"Despite the fact that your tests had been made in a rather … unorthodox way, they have been successful. From this day you will be known as team NBLE (noble), lead by Nathanaelle de Cour. Congratulations, and good luck in our Academy.
Rounds of applause were heard when they came down the stage.

"Well … I didn't expected it to go like that when I landed yesterday."
"By the way, Nath, I almost forgot. Thanks for the phone. You think I should thank your mom too ? She kinda scares me."
"The first time I saw you Nath, you scared me.I though you were going to kill me for that !"
"You should have saw her when someone really insulted her ! From what I know, that guy is still trying to pick up all of his teeth."