Here we are. The start of what will hopefully be an epic adventure in which Team RWBY gets to save the world. This story takes place post-Volume 2, in what's essentially an alternate timeline. Anything from Volume 3 or later will not be integrated into the story, although it might receive nods in the future. I have a lousy track record with multi chaptered fics, but I'm hoping I can keep this one going. This fic will get into more mature territory later, hence the M rating. With all of that out of the way, please Read and Review. I want to become better at what I do, and I can't do that without your help. If you love it, tell me why. If you hate it, tell me why. Above all, though, enjoy reading!
Chapter One: The name's Bont, Jim Bont
Have you ever noticed just how many doodles you can fit onto a desk? I mean, I haven't exactly counted the ones here but there's gotta be dozens of them. I guess there were a lot of people here getting inspired by the atmosphere, but honestly that's kind of hard to imagine; it's dustier in here than in an old barn.
Still, looking at the history of desk doodles is a lot more interesting than listening to a long story about societal norms and values decades before I was even born. I don't even know what the societal norms are now. Some of these doodles, though, are as clear as the blue sky on a sunny day. There's some Beowolves, a Boarbatusk, I guess those little flying things around them are supposed to be Nevermores. Whoever drew these had to spend way too much time here, unlike the person who'd drawn, um, certain male parts at several points of the desk. Honestly, why do guys even do that? It was the same back at Signal. In every classroom, there was at least one 'lap rocket', as Yang likes to say.
Maybe I could change this one into something more appropriate. I took out my pen, but just as I put its tip down on one of the lines Weiss decided to glance over. She saw the position of the pen on the dude piston, and immediately I saw her eyes widen dangerously. Crap.
"What are you doing, you Neanderthal?" she hissed.
"It's not what it looks like, I swear," I pleaded. "My pen's a different color, see?" I demonstrated by drawing a line, which was blue instead of black.
"Stop defacing the desk," Weiss replied. I think I saw some steam coming from her ears there.
"I was trying to make it better," I defended myself. Sometimes I wonder why I feel the need to dig my own grave like this.
"I just wanted to turn that thing into something less, um, juvenile." I was actually going to say childish, but I was hoping my more mature word would change Weiss's mind about being angry. Judging by her expression, I wasn't succeeding.
"Just pay attention, okay? You might learn something," Weiss said.
She gave me one last roll of her eyes before turning back to her notes, which had been written in an absolutely perfect cursive and there weren't even any drawings in the sidelines. I glanced at my own notes. My handwriting isn't bad, but every little bit outside the lines was filled with drawings of weapons. I also noticed that my notes ended on the words 'blah blah snore blah'.
Strange as it may seem, I felt a bit guilty for that. One reason for that was Dr. Oobleck, our teacher. We, that's Weiss, Blake, Yang, and me, had gone on a mission with him not too long ago, to look for a hideout a guy named Torchwick was using for his evil plans. During that mission he'd told me why he was a Huntsman. He told me that knowledge is the most powerful weapon of all, and that he teaches here because he wants to give everyone that weapon. I'd never even considered that option, really. My pattern is more along the lines of 'see Grimm, kill Grimm'.
My other reason for feeling guilty over not paying attention was Weiss. She and I…well, when I first met her she kind of frightened me, and then I exploded. No, really. It was like I couldn't do anything right for her. Of course we ended up in a team, and at that point I thought we'd become friends, only to find out she still didn't think I was good for anything when she told me Headmaster Ozpin had made a mistake by making me the team leader. That day, I learned what it means to be a leader, and ever since then I've tried really hard to be a good leader. Weiss even brought me coffee that night. When I came here I'd never have believed it, but now I think Weiss is really my best friend. I owe it to her to be a leader she can be proud of.
That's a lot easier said than done, though. I know Dr. Oobleck wouldn't tell us useless information but statistics and summations aren't exactly my thing. And besides, it's Friday. The thought of being free from dusty classrooms and crudely drawn dongers was a very, very welcome one. For now, though, I'd have to settle for listening to Dr. Oobleck rave on and on about people six decades ago. At least he spoke quickly, unlike some other teachers I've had.
I looked at Team JNPR, a couple of rows beneath us, and saw that Jaune had completely given up on listening to the story. A quick scan around the hall told me he wasn't the only one, although I knew at least Cardin could follow it, he just chose not to. As for me, well, I've never had a problem keeping up with Dr. Oobleck's speed. With my Semblance I could outrun anyone here, even him. Not that I'd challenge him or anything. I don't really like being the center of attention.
I looked at the clock, and to my relief I saw that it was just about time for class to end. I started packing my bag.
"Oh, before I forget: I'd like Team RWBY to stay for a moment after class," Dr. Oobleck said.
I stopped packing my bag. Stay after class? Had he heard my little exchange with Weiss earlier? But if that was it, why did Yang and Blake have to stay as well? I looked at my teammates. Yang and Blake just looked confused, but Weiss seemed to have the same thought I had a moment before.
"Now look what you've caused! If we're in trouble because of your irresponsible behavior…"
"I didn't even do anything," I said, throwing my hands up in despair.
Weiss made an annoyed sound and rolled her eyes, but kept quiet. Would you believe me if I told you she drives me up the wall sometimes? Still, that's just the way she is. And if it was really my fault…then, well, she had a point with being angry. I don't like it when Weiss is angry with me, so I was quite anxious while I sat waiting for the lecture hall to empty out, hoping that whatever Dr. Oobleck had to tell us had nothing to do with my artistic skills. My feet felt heavy as I walked down the steps towards his desk. I'd rather face a pack of angry Ursai than Weiss if it turned out I was at fault here. At least the worst Ursai can do is kill you. My heart was beating in my throat when I stood next to Dr. Oobleck's desk. Weiss was looking at me with narrowed eyes.
"Ah, ladies, thank you for waiting," Dr. Oobleck began. He didn't sound angry. Maybe I'd get out of this one unscathed. Weiss still didn't seem convinced, though. "Professor Ozpin asked me to give you a message," Dr. Oobleck said.
Relief washed over me like a wave. "Yes!" I shouted, pumping my fist into the air.
"Enthusiasm! I like to see that, Miss Rose," Dr. Oobleck said approvingly. My teammates, meanwhile, just shot me strange looks and Weiss had her lips pressed together so hard she might as well have them superglued shut.
"This evening after everyone has gone to bed, he wants us all to meet him in his chambers. It is of utmost importance that you tell no one about this. That will be all, so I will see you tonight." With a short nod, Dr. Oobleck sped off.
"Oookay. That wasn't weird at all," Yang said with a slight shake of her head.
"What could the Headmaster possibly want with us?" Weiss asked. Apparently the superglue had worn off.
"It can't be good," Blake said grimly. I really like Blake, but sometimes I wish she'd lighten up a bit.
"Oh, it'll be fine. He wouldn't ask us for something if he wasn't sure we could handle it," Yang said with a shrug.
"Do you think it has something to do with Torchwick?" I asked as we began walking back to our dorm.
"Oh, I hope it does," Yang replied, and for a moment her eyes glowed red. "I have something to settle with that umbrella-wielding bi…"
"Yang!" Weiss interrupted her.
Yang made an impatient noise. "What? Is my language too harsh for your delicate ears?" she said mockingly.
"That's not what I mean. You're talking too loudly, and Oobleck told us not tell anyone about this. Besides, we're not even sure what it is he wants us to do. It could be completely unrelated," Weiss said.
Someone who didn't know her would think Yang's mocking remark hadn't affected her, but I could see her shoulders were a bit tenser, as sure sign she was holding back a stream of insults and smugness.
"Smartass…" Yang muttered under her breath.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Weiss said as we walked on.
Now that Weiss's back was to Yang, I could see my sister casually flipping her off and then grinning at Blake, who actually smiled back. Little things like these are the reason I love my team so much. We get along just fine, and we may have our share of tussles, which are neither mushrooms nor sprouts, by the way, but we can always count on each other. I honestly wouldn't want it any other way.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful, aside from our run-in with Team JNPR, who wanted to know why we'd been told to stay after class.
"Um, well, we, um…" I stammered. What else was I supposed to say? Lying isn't really my thing.
"We volunteered to do an extra assignment for extra credit," Weiss said smoothly. "Dr. Oobleck was giving us the details. It's about the Statute on Dust Storage that was instated after the Great War," she went on.
I'm amazed she didn't fall asleep halfway through that sentence. Although that answer surprised Team JNPR, Yang, Blake, and me quickly sided with Weiss's story, so they had no choice but to believe us. Okay, so even our run-in with Team JNPR wasn't that eventful. Sue me. Not everything in a Huntress's life is glamorous.
Despite the lack of anything happening, though, I was eager to learn what was in store for us. Maybe it had something to do with the upcoming Vytal Festival.
Maybe my eagerness was plainly visible on my face, because at some point Weiss said, "Are you going have that grin on your face tonight as well?"
Unlike this afternoon, though, she didn't sound annoyed this time. She looked a bit amused, actually. Her eyes didn't have that cold gleam, but more of a little sparkle. She looked pretty adorable like that, actually. It gave me a weird sort of flutter in my stomach.
"Well, aren't you excited?" I asked her. "Besides, I like this sneaky spy stuff where we can't tell anyone what we're up to."
I imagined myself in a black tuxedo, like that famous spy Jim Bont.
"Too bad you took that so literally earlier when we ran into Pyrrha and the others then," Weiss said smugly, shattering my cool mental image of myself.
Now I pictured Weiss as Bont's arch enemy Bluefield. She even had the scar over her eye, all that was missing was the cat. Well…Blake's a cat Faunus, I guess. What would that make Yang, though? Bont's hot girlfriend? Yeah, no thanks. I love my sister, but not like that.
"What on Remnant are you thinking about now?" Weiss asked apprehensively. I guess she'd learned to fear my, um, thoughtful look. According to Yang I get this thousand mile stare whenever I'm imagining things and that tends to weird people out, apparently.
"Nothing, Bluefield," I said happily, then walked off before Weiss could ask me what I meant by that.
At long last, evening arrived. When the distant clock tower struck one, we headed out. I was giddy with anticipation and almost skipping along. Weiss didn't seem too amused by it, but I knew she was happy to have been summoned too. She might not show it the same way I do, but Weiss too wants to help people in any way she can, just like the time she agreed to help find out more about Torchwick and the White Fang despite telling us we weren't ready for it.
The elevator ride up was different from last time, when I'd been alone. That time I may have pressed all the buttons. I wanted to do it again, but my desire to know what was going on was stronger. A soft 'ding' announced we had arrived on the top floor, Headmaster Ozpin's chamber. We stepped into his huge office.
Gears spun on the ceiling, his desk had gears in it and even his chair was made of gears…arranged in a shape that reminded me of the doodles on the desk. Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch and Dr. Oobleck were waiting for us.
"Good evening, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang," Professor Ozpin said with a small incline of his head. We mumbled something to the same effect. Apparently our eagerness to find out what was going on was plain to see, because Professor Ozpin chuckled softly.
"I take it you're wondering why I asked you to come here," he said.
Without waiting for our confirmation he went on, the smile disappearing from his face. "I'm afraid my reasons for calling this meeting aren't trivial. We have received reports that the people behind the recent attack on Vale are planning something around the Vytal Festival. Not only that, they seem to have something in store for Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo as well."
He paused and looked at us. Without looking at the others I knew their expressions had hardened, just like mine. "The debacle around that last attack has cost me a lot of influence, so I am no longer in a position to convince those in power to listen to me when it comes to this threat. My friend James, though he means well, might be playing into their hands by having the Atlesian fleet here for the Festival. Therefore, only one option remains to me. I must send a team to covertly sabotage the plans our enemies are making."
My heartrate climbed. I knew what he was going to ask, but I wanted to hear him say it. "The four of you and Bartholomew have engaged them before. You know better than anyone how these people operate, and for that reason I'm choosing you for this task. This is no small matter. Accepting this mission will mean you lose your chance to participate in the Vytal Festival. Furthermore, you will be outside of the kingdoms for an extended period of time."
He paused once more. There was a catch, and I was sure he was about to reveal it. Judging by the apprehension my friends showed, they thought the same. "Since this is essentially a counter-terrorism operation, you will need a cover. Bartholomew is a historian, very interested in the origins of the Grimm. Officially, the mission I'll send you on is to find out where the Grimm come from. Such a mission would legitimately require you to travel all over the world…but a lot of it will involve camping out in the wild for extended periods of time. Not only because the hideouts are likely there, but also because Grimm don't appear within the kingdoms naturally. Make no mistake: this mission will not be comfortable, or easy."
He fell silent. "Professor, I'm sorry for disagreeing," Weiss began hesitantly, "But is this really something we should be doing? We're first-years."
"I think it's awesome," Yang said. "Lots of fighting, a chance to find that umbrella chick and ram her umbrella right up…"
"Be that as it may," Professor Ozpin interrupted her, "The four of you have a knack for getting tangled with these people. You have proven yourself resourceful enough to do this time and time again."
He looked right at me now. "Ruby, you are the team leader. What is your answer?"
I looked at my friends. Yang nodded with a gleeful determination. Blake nodded as well, but more solemnly. Weiss hesitated. I could see the doubt plain in her eyes, but soon her look became resolved. She gave me a small nod as well. I turned back to Professor Ozpin.
"We'll do it," I said. I never even had to think about it. By doing this, we'd be saving lives. There wasn't a single part of me that would have wanted anything else.
Professor Ozpin nodded grimly. "I'm sorry I'm sending you on this dangerous mission, but you are the only hope we have," he said. "To prevent arousing suspicion, you will depart on Monday morning. That will be all. Get plenty of rest this weekend, and on behalf of Beacon and the entirety of Vale, thank you."
We turned around and headed back towards the elevator. Dr. Oobleck and Professor Goodwitch hadn't said a word throughout all of this, but now I heard Professor Goodwitch saying something to Professor Ozpin.
"Why didn't you tell them?"
I had to strain to make out his answer. "Because they have enough to deal with already."
After that, the elevator doors closed. Tell us what, I wondered as the elevator started up. What was Professor Ozpin hiding from us? And what would await us outside the kingdoms? I took a deep breath. It was time for Jim Bont to begin his mission.
For anyone wondering, Jim Bont does actually follow the RWBY naming rules. 'Bont' is a Dutch word meaning 'multi-colored'. Aside from that, next chapter will be from Weiss's POV. I intend to switch between Ruby and Weiss each chapter to add a bit of variety. Hope to see you there!