Title: Second Year
Rating: T
Genre: Friendship/Humor
Summary: Peter and Bartholomew return to Beacon for their second year as students. OC's with minor roles.
Disclaimer: This is a RWBY fanfic. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum.
Written for MONCON September 2015 (Theme: Back to School). Feel free to use my ideas, but do drop me a message so I can read your story too. Comments on errors are welcome.
The steady thrum and strong downwash from Dust-powered rotary engines began to die down as the Bullhead, which had travelled from Vale Interchange, arrived at the Beacon Academy landing bay. Heavy ramps opened and disgorged precious cargo from the Bullhead's belly - a motley crew of trainee Huntsmen and Huntresses ready to start the new school year.
"As I was saying, the way in which totem animals were said to bestow superhuman traits like speed and strength, after a period of ascetism which tired the conscious mind and revealed the subconscious..."
Bartholomew Oobleck rambled on as he walked beside his childhood friend and current teammate, Rachel Palladine. From time to time, in the middle of a sentence, he would seemingly teleport from her left side to her right, or back to her left, with a soft buzz. The diminutive girl was used to this strange behaviour and made noises of acknowledgement at the chatter.
He had been hyperactive even as a child, with a bad habit of hovering and circling around people he was talking to. After he had awakened his Semblance of transferring kinetic energy and discovered how to give himself super-speed, the quirk had actually become more tolerable - the illusion of instant movement was not as nauseating as having to watch him run around.
"... could possibly be related to how meditation was used to unlock one's Aura before the technique for using the Aria to unlock another's Aura was developed..."
"When will the others arrive?" Rachel cut in, not unkindly.
"Let's see," the boy flicked at his Scroll. "Peter and the Boss said that they took the direct flight from Atlas, so they should arrive in... fifteen minutes."
The pair made their way to the waiting area and Bart resumed his machine-gun monologue.
"Ho-ho! Barty, you lively grasshopper, still alive and hopping I see!"
"Peter, you overgrown turnip, it's been a while! You grew a 'stache!"
"I'm going for a handlebar and a lumberjack image, my good man!" boomed Peter Port as he wriggled the still-sparse facial hair.
The boys high-fived, bumped fists and gave each other a manly hug before the stockier Peter placed Bart in a head lock and ruffled his hair.
"Boys..." muttered Rachel in exasperation.
With a hearty laugh, Cassiopeia Rhodes, leader of Team CPBR, or Capybara, engulfed Rachel in a hug and lifted the petite girl off her feet.
"Let's hope they outgrow that mating ritual before graduation," the taller girl said. "Come on, guys, we're running late for the opening ceremony."
The Headmaster's droning speech ended amidst scattered applause and a flurry of elbowing, as conscious students hurriedly woke up their sleeping teammates. Deputy Headmaster Ozpin took the stage.
"I will now announce your first assignment of the year. It will be due this evening."
A chorus of protests and boos filled the auditorium.
"Now, now, settle down. You don't want to start the year with a failure, do you?"
Silence ensued.
"Excellent," Ozpin sipped from his ever-present mug. "That being said, this will be a simple task for you as second-years. In your first year, you had an Initiation in the Emerald Forest on your second day. Most of you performed admirably. Now, you have been taught that the Forest is the second most densely infested region in Vale. Indeed, Beacon Academy is located here to defend Vale from the Forest's denizens. How could trainees have such an easy time even before your first lesson?
"The answer lies in the traditional first assignment of the second-year students. You will be thinning the herd, which has been growing over the summer break. Hunt too few, and the first-years will not make it out of Initiation alive. Hunt too many, and there won't be much of an Initiation.
"If you encounter any Grimm of Class S and above, alert the teachers. Do not engage without our support. Apart from that," he tapped his Scroll and displayed a chart on the projector screen. "This is the quota of Grimm of each Danger Class that each team will need to kill, give or take a few.
"This is a straightforward assignment for you to get back into the swing of things after your break. There will be no lessons tomorrow, and you will be allowed to watch the Initiation in this auditorium. Good Hunting."
The mood in the auditorium was significantly more cheerful as Ozpin left the stage.
Team CPBR was occupying a small clearing in the Forest. Several logs were strewn around, and a chunk of Grimm bait burned merrily, releasing a fruity odour. The two Huntresses-in-training sat on a log and chatted.
"Any one of us could do this assignment alone," mused Rachel.
"A year ago, that would have been unthinkable," replied her leader. "Beacon really trained us hard. Still, we have a long way to go before reaching a professional level."
Rachel tickled the chin of the glowing python draped over her shoulders and coiled around her body. Her Semblance allowed her to stretch out tendrils of Aura shaped like snakes. Periodically, her serpentine construct would bite off a basketball-sized chunk of rock or wood and toss it at her childhood friend.
Since entering the clearing, Bart had been pacing nonstop, due to his chronic need to be in the move. In his left hand was a pocket-sized travel guide, which he was engrossed in, and his right hand grasped his trusty thermos in extended, combat-ready form. Sensing the latest projectile and an intruder, he looked up from his book and got into position.
"Fore!" he yelled. The swinging weapon caught the falling rock before it hit the ground and sharply altered its trajectory. The now-flaming projectile punched through the skull of the Beowulf emerging from the bushes and embedded itself in a tree trunk behind.
A few small Beowulf pups entered the clearing and snarled. Cassiopeia waved at them and they lumbered towards a growing pile of snoring Grimm before falling asleep. She could control soulless animals, including Grimm, or order them to sleep. Her Semblance had too many limitations to be useful in combat and she preferred to fight melee.
However, the assignment did not allow excessive killing, and the burning bait attracted all Classes of Grimm, so her ability was being used to neutralize the Grimm they would be allowing to live.
Peter was wrestling an Ursa. Late last semester, he had somehow gotten it into his head that he wanted to be a Grimm researcher after graduation. Inspired by Cassiopeia's Semblance, he had begun studying grappling and wrestling techniques, intending to adapt them for taking down Grimm non-lethally. The girls watched in amusement as he tried to manhandle his opponent, before continuing their conversation.
"Did you watch..."
The next day, two-thirds of the second-years gathered in the auditorium to watch Beacon's newest batch of trainees duke it out in the partially-sanitized Emerald Forest. The remaining students were in the library, getting a head start on coursework.
A bespectacled girl with her blonde hair done in a severe-looking bun and plait had met up with her partner a while ago. She bashed through the undergrowth with her riding crop before encountering a grove of Little Nepent plants. The carnivorous plants let out a cloud of pollen and the blonde sneezed violently, accidentally conjuring a huge gust of wind that ripped off leaves and lifted her partner's combat skirt.
Laughter and catcalls filled the room.
"That Glynda girlie is going to have a hell of a fan club, I just know it." Rachel chuckled as she swiped yet another handful of popcorn from Bart's tub.
END
Note: The name "Little Nepent" is borrowed from Sword Art Online. Otherwise, you may consider it an original plant.