Chapter 1: Airships and Wolf Ears
A dark-haired teenager stood alone near the window of the colossal airship. Bright orange streaks burned across his scalp like embers of a dying fire. His orange eyes stared coldly out the enormous window pane, taking in the scenery of Vale with mild disinterest. There was a sound, and he turned to face it. A news report was playing on a hologram near the front of the ship. He stepped closer, moving to listen in.
"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale police department. Back to you, Lisa."
"Thank you, Syril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus civil rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony…"
The White Fang. The boy curled up his lip in distaste at the mere mention of the name. The White Fang used to be a symbol of unity between humans and Faunus; but now they'd devolved into a collection of troublemakers, no, terrorists. He shook his head in distaste before the newscast was interrupted. The image blinked out and was replaced by the visage of a blonde-haired woman in spectacles. Her voice rang out through the ship, interrupting the young man's thoughts.
"Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace; and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." Just as suddenly as she had appeared, the hologram dissipated. The boy turned again, and was immediately greeted by a bright-eyed orange-haired girl.
"I brought you some water, Cole," she said with a friendly smile, offering him a water bottle.
"Thank you, Amber. Enjoying the flight?" he offered a slight smile and accepted the bottle, cracking the top off and taking a sip.
"Mhm! I've never really been this high up before, it's kind of exciting," she said.
"Although not as exciting as the fact that we're attending Beacon academy together," Cole mused.
"Well it's not really that surprising, you graduated top of the class back at Lumina," Amber replied. She was right; Cole's academic history had been quite impressive. However…
"Wasn't it your parents who begged Ozpin to let me in? You're as aware as they are of my… Problems," Cole stated flatly.
"Still, you deserve to be here more than I do," Amber muttered under her breath, then let out a gasp. "Hey, we're here!"
The ship settled to a stop, and the doors slid open with a mechanized hiss. Students piled out of the craft, Amber and Cole taking up the rear of the pack. On the way out, they passed a scraggly-looking blond boy emptying the contents of his stomach into the trash can.
"Motion sickness," Cole observed quietly.
"Cole, you don't need to analyze everything and everyone. Some things are better left as surprises," Amber giggled, giving him a playful punch on the arm.
"Surprises are an ambush waiting to happen. Let's go see where we need to go," Cole said. He looked around, and then quietly followed the group through a lavish pavilion. Amber followed close behind, and then tapped him on the arm.
"Hey Cole, isn't that our luggage?"
"Right, we should probably collect it. You look naked without your weapon," Cole answered.
"Well maybe some of us can't just wear our weapon everywhere like you do, mister overachiever," Amber teased before running off to collect her bag. Cole followed, and slung the duffel bag over his shoulder.
"Where to now?" Amber looked up at him, her bright green eyes burning with curiosity.
"The opening ceremony isn't for another hour, so I'd say…" Cole began, but the sound of an explosion reverberating across the pavilion interrupted his thoughts. "Anywhere but here," he finished before grabbing Amber by the arm and rushing to be clear of the area as soon as possible. Amber shrieked in surprise, but followed him away from the general area.
"What was that?"
"I'm not sure, but I'll give it fifteen minutes before someone in the hierarchy decides it was my fault," Cole muttered, leading Amber down the cobblestone path.
"Mr. Anderson?" a familiar voice rang out as the pair walked. Professor Glynda Goodwitch approached Cole and Amber, her eyes stern.
"Professor Goodwitch," Cole offered her a nod.
"Come with me, please."
"Miss Goodwitch, Cole wasn't responsible for the explosion! We weren't even anywhere near it when it happened!" Amber moved defensively in front of Cole, her arms spread.
"Thank you for your testimony, Miss Kerrigan. However there is still a matter that needs to be dealt with by administration before Mr. Anderson here is off the hook," Goodwitch replied before turning around. "Come quietly now."
"But…!" Amber began to protest, but Cole silenced her with a raise of his hand.
"It's alright, Amber. Let's let karma sort this one out," he said before following Goodwitch. "You know where to go for the opening ceremony, I'll meet you there."
"But…" Amber stared after them, not having any idea of what to do. Cole and Professor Goodwitch turned a corner and were instantly out of sight. Amber slumped in defeat, sitting on a nearby bench and sighing. Suddenly, a confident voice was heard.
"Hey there, cute thing. You alright?" a tall, red-haired boy with a strong jawline and a cocky smirk asked.
"Cole Anderson, graduated top of your class at Lumina academy. I'm very pleased to welcome you personally to Beacon," said a man who stood only slightly taller than Goodwitch. His hair was a silver-gray, and his glasses looked as though they were more for decoration that for actual function. "I'm sure you know who I am."
"Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon. It's a pleasure," Cole mused as he sat in front of the grand oak desk Ozpin had nestled behind. Professor Ozpin took a sip from the ceramic coffee mug and eyed Cole curiously.
"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here, Mr. Anderson."
"I'm assuming it's not because of the explosion on the pavilion."
"You're as clever as they say. I've brought you here because I'd like to remind you of something," Ozpin took another sip from his mug. Cole leaned in slightly, paying close attention and hanging on the professor's every word.
"Do I know you?" Amber looked up inquisitively at the boy in front of her.
"Not yet, but that's something we could change no problem," the boy flashed her a grin, his brown eyes moving up and down the timid girl's figure. "Name's Rust Ryder."
"I'm Amber," she replied. She stood up slowly and smiled, trying to be as friendly as possible.
"Good to meet you, Amber. So, I've been hearing rumors about forming teams. What say you and I, huh? My muscles, and whatever you have to offer, we'd be invincible," Rust chuckled.
"I'll uh… I'll definitely think about it…" Amber looked around, not entirely sure what to think of this boy. He was around six feet tall, wearing a dark red shirt under a chestplate that was about a size too large. His sleeves ended in a pair of identical vambraces, each emblazoned with his insignia, a fractured bull's skull.
"Maybe you should check out my weapon before you make a decision," Rust replied, clearly eager to show off.
"Alright, I don't see why not…" Amber turned to face him, drawing the shaft of her weapon from her bag. At first glance it seemed to be a short pole, but with a flick of the wrist she extended it to its full length. The axe head slid out of its hiding place near the end, followed immediately by the pointed tip. Rust replied by whipping out a large, brutish hammer and slamming it into the ground. The impact alone cracked several stones on the pavement and Amber could feel the vibrations in her feet.
"Well, that's a very nice hammer," she offered, being totally at a loss for words otherwise.
"It's also a rocket launcher. Check it," Rust swung his hammer up, catching it on his shoulder and giving the handle a slight twist. From there, the shaft opened up and began to slide back around the handle. One of the portions of the head slid forward and then down, which Rust gripped as a handle. A trigger popped down and he gave it a squeeze, sending a rocket flying out at subsonic speed. Amber watched in awe as the explosive soared through the air, detonating in a bright orange ring in the sky.
"Pretty wicked, huh?"
Professor Ozpin turned in his chair and gazed out the window. A small explosion could be seen in the air, although nobody had any idea what could have caused it. Ozpin seemed unconcerned, and continued his speech.
"Cole, I'm well aware of the problems you've been facing. For someone like you, not having a live family member to speak of is a terrible tragedy."
"Is there a point to this or are you planning to torture me with foul memories?" Cole asked impatiently. Clearly this was not something he wanted to discuss.
"All I want to say is this: blood doesn't make you family. Remember that, Cole. You're dismissed."
Cole stood up and left the room, and Ozpin took another sip from his mug. He glanced at the clock; only half an hour until the opening ceremony. Glynda turned to look back at professor Ozpin.
"What exactly did you mean?" she inquired.
"He has his mother's eyes, don't you think?" Ozpin observed quietly, taking another sip from his coffee mug.
Cole made his way down the halls of Beacon academy, hands in his pockets. Suddenly he bumped into a short, slender girl with a bright green dress shirt and brown hair.
"Sorry," he muttered, then took a closer look. The girl had a pair of wolf ears peeking out from the sleek, shoulder-length haircut she wore. The Faunus girl stared at him silently, her silver eyes almost seeing right through him.
"I'm Cole," he continued. She was still silent. Cole fell silent as well, standing there somewhat awkwardly.
"Well, I should go find my friend," he said. The girl still said nothing, but offered a nod of understanding. Cole turned on his heel and left, leaving the petite girl alone in the hallway.
Amber stared at Rust, completely in awe of his weapon's destructive power. Although he seemed to be lacking in the mindset to do anything drastic, he was clearly very strong.
"Did you have anything to do with the explosion earlier?" she asked, trying not to sound accusing.
"What? Of course not! Some idiot probably dropped his dust or something," Rust laughed, shaking off her tone. Amber breathed a sigh of relief; as long as the explosion was an accident then Cole was safe.
"So, back to the topic of you and me, whatcha say?" Rust wiggled his eyebrows as he spoke, clearly thinking himself some kind of lady-killer.
"Well, I'll definitely consider you for-"
"Amber?" Cole's voice rang out suddenly. Amber turned, and smiled brightly as Cole approached. She rushed over and hugged him tightly, much to Cole's surprise.
"Cole! I'm so glad to see you!" she stepped back, smiling expectantly at him. "Was everything okay?"
"Yeah, Ozpin just pulled me out to be cryptic. Who's your new friend?" Cole glanced at Rust, whose lip was curled up in distaste.
"Cole, this is Rust; Rust, this is my best friend Cole," Amber said, stepping aside to allow the two boys room to shake hands.
"Nice boots," Rust said with a voice dripping in sarcasm as he glanced down at the heavy iron clunkers attached to Cole's feet.
"Nice hammer," Cole replied. Rust gave a shrug and turned around, shooting Cole a glare. Cole didn't seem to either notice or care, checking his watch casually. "The opening ceremony's about to start. Let's go, Amber."
Cole and Amber entered the crowded auditorium, looking around at the enormous flock of students who had been accepted to Beacon. It was a fairly large school, but the gaggle of freshmen this term was significantly lower than it had been their first year at Lumina academy. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch were standing on the stage, and Ozpin cleared his throat. The murmuring crowd went dead silent, and Ozpin began to speak.
"I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you've finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy; in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step," he said before walking off the stage. Goodwitch took up his place at the microphone.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Are you ready? You are dismissed," she said.
"What do you think he meant?" Amber asked.
"I'm not sure, but he's very mysterious. I can't even get a good read on him," Cole replied, turning to face away from the stage. He was instantly greeted by the anonymous Faunus girl from before, and she eyed him with intrigue. Then as suddenly as she appeared, she turned on her heel and left. Both Cole and Amber looked from each other to the silent girl, and then back to each other. Cole finally shrugged and decided to leave it alone.
Sleeping bags full of bodies were sprawled across the ballroom of Beacon. Everyone from the freshman year was packed into this particular room, and this was probably the only room that could contain them all. Several boys were roughhousing on one end of the room, while Cole and Amber set up their bedrolls in relative isolation. Cole was preoccupied with a book about the Creatures of Grimm, while Amber lay on her sleeping bag with her head propped up on her arms.
"What do you think this initiation thing is going to be like?" she asked.
"Probably some kind of combat challenge, most likely some ridiculous excuse for team-building," Cole answered indifferently. He turned the page and perused the image of a Nevermore, a colossal crow-like creature wearing what appeared to be a bone mask. "I'm sure it'll be a breeze."
"Yeah, but it might be nice to have some friends who've got our backs when we get down there," Amber said.
"You have Rust."
"I'm not really sure how I feel about Rust, he seems really…"
"Boorish?"
"Yes," Amber let out a sigh. "What about that Faunus girl?"
"Which one? The bunny or the wolf?"
"The wolf."
"I don't exactly think she and I would be able to hold a conversation," Cole observed. He looked up, and yet again she stood there in silence. She stared down at him, wearing nothing but a faded green nightgown and the blank expression she carried around as though her face were frozen in that position. Amber looked up at the strange girl and offered a friendly smile. She was barely four and a half feet tall, but if her ears would perk up to full height she could easily pass for 4'7" with a slouch.
"Hello!" she said cheerfully. The girl gave a small wave, but said nothing.
"I'm Amber, and this is Cole," Amber continued. The girl was still silent.
"Uh… What's your name?" Amber asked. Cole returned to his book, and Amber was just about ready to give up. She turned to lay back down, when a soft voice came from the direction of the girl.
"Napier," she said in a voice that was barely even a whisper. "Napier Dubois."
"Well, color me impressed," Cole said. "She does speak." Amber quickly rose to her feet and gave the petite Faunus girl a hug.
"It's so nice to meet you, Napier!" she exclaimed. The girl's eyes widened slightly as her face was stuffed into Amber's chest, but she said nothing else. Amber released her grip on the petite girl and smiled.
"So tell us about yourself!"
"I'd rather not," Napier whispered in a soothing French accent. Her silver eyes darted to Cole, then back to Amber, and she turned and left.
"Odd people here," Cole remarked as Amber sat back down.
"Did I do something wrong?" Amber asked, her face falling in disappointment.
"I'm sure she's just not the talkative type. But we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, we should get to bed," Cole said as he set his book aside.
"Alright. Goodnight, Cole."
"Goodnight, Amber."
The next morning, Cole and Amber awakened to a great ruckus. The entire population of the auditorium was already bursting with excited fervor, chattering away excitedly as they packed up their temporary sleeping arrangements. Gaggles of excited students grouped together, discussing things such as possible alliances. Amber and Cole began packing up their things, and then the freshmen were called down to the cafeteria for breakfast. After eating their fill of pancakes laden in syrup, they went into the hallway to raid their lockers for their gear. A voice rang out in the hall.
"Would all first-year students report to Beacon cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students to Beacon cliff immediately."
Cole and Amber followed a large flock of students out of the pavilion and down the cobbled pathway. Several steel square platforms were embedded in the grass and stone, and each student took a position on a platform. There were more than enough to accommodate the group. There was some nervous murmuring, but the group quickly silenced when Professor Ozpin cleared his throat.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," he said.
"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allows us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today," Goodwitch continued.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interests to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Ozpin said.
"WHAT!?" a small, dark-haired girl on the other end of the stretch of platforms exclaimed.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest," Ozpin resumed, ignoring the interruption. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation; but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path, containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?"
"Yeah, uh… Sir?" the scraggly-looking blonde began, but was quickly interrupted.
"Good, now take your positions," Ozpin interjected. Cole and Amber took a stance, and were quickly catapulted off the platforms. Amber flew first, followed almost immediately after by Cole. The pair was quickly separated, with Cole firing high-powered bursts of flame from his boots to guide his descent.
Amber swung out with the shaft of her halberd, catching it on a tree limb and swinging like a pendulum before dropping to the forest floor. She rose to her feet and began walking northwards; following the cannonlike noises Cole's boots produced. She wandered down the path as the explosions faded, before they finally disappeared altogether. She followed the rough trail, listening for any interesting sounds. She heard a rustling in the woods, and she turned excitedly.
"Cole?" she asked aloud. The rustling bushes split apart and a large Beowolf charged through, slashing at Amber with its enormously powerful claws. Amber responded by extending her aura outwards to block the onslaught, crying out in surprise before taking her combat stance. She swung her halberd and it quickly shifted to its assault rifle mode. She fired off a quick round, ripping through the chest of the large wolflike beast in front of her. Another one had followed immediately behind it, and soon she found herself surrounded by a pack of Beowolves. The creatures howled, and a larger one growled at her. It let out a bark, and simultaneously the pack leapt towards the slight girl. She let out a grunt and swung her halberd, slicing the chest of the nearest wolf open before she plunged the pointed tip into the neck of another. She pulled back, leaping over the head of another Beowolf and shooting it several times in the back. The alpha licked its slavering chops and growled, its hackles raising on the back of its neck. Amber turned to face the larger beast, preparing to attack the enormous creature.
Cole soared through the air, searching out the optimal place to land. The forest flashed below him in an emerald blur, the occasional flash of earthy brown showing through gaps in the leaves. He suddenly fired off another short burst, flipping in midair as he descended rapidly. He landed heavily on a thick tree limb, the wood groaning under the force of the impact. As quickly as he had landed, he leapt off and caught yet another branch. He dropped down to the ground, taking to one knee to help brace the impact. He stood up, and then glanced around. There was a pair of large indentations in the ground, with several small plants flattened or pressed aside. He knelt again, running his hand over the ground.
"King Taijitu, probably a pair of them. About two minutes ago," he muttered to himself.
"The hell is a King Taiji-whatever?" a gruff voice asked. Cole stood up and turned to face the voice. Rust stepped out of the shadows, his hammer slung over his shoulder.
"Taijitu. The enormous snake-looking monsters," Cole replied, returning to the tracks. "If these tracks are any indication, we might be close to the temple already."
"Why didn't you just say that in the first place? Don't go giving everything confusing-ass names," Rust grumbled, starting to walk off in the direction the trail led.
"I hardly had anything to do with the naming. Perhaps if you paid more attention to the classifications of the Grimm-"
"Classifications, smassifications, all monsters are the same. They're big, dumb, ugly, and make a really satisfying crunch under my Knochenbrecher," Rust retorted, crushing the trunk of a nearby tree to emphasize his point. Cole let out a frustrated groan, and then followed him begrudgingly down the path.
"Just keep moving, Cole; I don't want your ass slowing me down, and I will leave you behind," Rust said with an unpleasant sneer.
Amber dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the massive claws of the alpha Beowolf. She hit the ground at a roll and jumped to her feet, aiming her halberd at the monster's neck. She jumped and brought the wicked blade down on the animal's throat, the sharp crescent biting into the beast's jugular vein. Blood spurted from its neck and ran down the curve of the blade, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the beast whimpered out its last breath. She withdrew her weapon and turned to leave, when suddenly she was struck from behind by the unmistakable claws of a Beowolf. She let out a yelp of pain as the impact sent her careening face first into the dirt, and with the last scrap of effort she could muster she glanced up piteously at the Beowolf who had ambushed her. It was no bigger than six feet tall, with unkempt fur and a bone mask protruding from its face. Its eyes were blood red, burning with a hungry passion. Amber resigned herself to death and closed her eyes, preparing to accept her fate. A lone tear rolled down her cheek as the Beowolf howled victoriously. However, fate seemed to have a different plan for Amber Kerrigan, and the sickening squelch of metal striking meat could be heard. The Beowolf collapsed, and Amber peeked up. Her vision was blurred and her head was beginning to swim, but she could see the petite form of Napier bending over her.
"Napier? Hurry, go get help…" Amber said softly, her breathing turning shallow. Napier knelt in silence beside her and gave her hand a comforting squeeze, and somehow her smile said that everything was going to be alright.
Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch stood alone on the cliff, each with their nose buried in the sleek tablets they held. Live video feeds from each of the freshmen students were playing on several screens on the devices, although Goodwitch seemed only interested in one.
"Sir, it seems we have a casualty. What do you want to do?" she asked the preoccupied Ozpin. He took a sip of his coffee and gazed out over the forest.
"We'll see how things go before we send off any letters of condolence. Pairs so far?"
"Cole Anderson and Rust Ryder, Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna."
"This is going to be an eventful year," Professor Ozpin observed.
Amber could hardly see the silent girl kneeling beside her, her vision was so clouded. Napier reached out and began stroking the girl's soft, orange hair, singing in hushed French. Amber's eyes began to close, as she started to slip into oblivion… No, she'd stopped. Something soft was pressed against her lips, breathing life into her. The massive wound on her back closed up, and the color began returning to her cheeks. Her eyes blinked open, then widened as the slender Faunus girl kissed her. It wasn't a passionate kiss, barely a brush of contact between their lips, but Amber's cheeks turned bright red as the girl pulled away.
Professor Ozpin stared with mild amusement at his screen. He motioned to Goodwitch, who peeked over at his screen.
"Like I said, don't write the letter of condolence just yet. Oh, and chalk up Amber Kerrigan and Napier Dubois."
Cole stopped on the path, tilting his head. He turned around; shifting his stance to prepare for combat, then narrowed his eyes. The bright orange orbs flashed silver for a moment, and he smirked.
"Rust."
"What?" the taller boy turned around as an Ursa stormed out of the woods, roaring loudly. The colossal bearlike creature glanced at Rust, and then lunged at Cole. Cole responded by firing off a short burst from his boots to knock himself into the air and out of the way of the brutal onslaught. He alighted beside Rust, who was already readying his hammer. The taller boy charged, yelling as he swung his hammer over his head and down onto the bony faceplate of the Ursa. The impact cracked the mask, earning a roar of pain from the bear before it knocked Rust back with a swipe of its mighty paw. Rust let out a grunt as he hit the dirt, struggling to get to his knees. Cole soared into the air, planting both feet firmly onto the Ursa's face as he landed. The beast grunted in surprise, and Cole shot off two simultaneous bursts from his boots. The monster's head exploded in a cascade of crimson as Cole vaulted through the air, landing gracefully on his feet. Rust gave an unappreciative snort as he stood up, brushing some of the dust off his sleeve.
"Show-off," he said as he trudged off.
Amber and Napier made their way through the forest in silence, a state that Amber decided Napier would probably find most comfortable. She brought her finger to her lips and thought back a moment, remembering the kiss that had saved her life. If Napier could do something as spectacular as that, who else knew what she would be capable of? She would definitely prove a valuable teammate. Her mind began to wander to Cole; she hoped he was doing alright. Had he found a teammate yet? Or maybe he was in some kind of trouble! As if sensing the worry rising in her, Napier set a hand on Amber's shoulder. The gentle touch was soothing, and she could feel her fears begin to melt away.
"We're almost there," she said softly.
"Oh, alright," Amber said. She turned to the path and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight. At the end of the path stood a circular ruin. The ornate marble walls that probably once stood proudly were reduced to little more than rubble, but several pedestals ridged the collapsing ruin. On each pedestal stood a chess piece, with several of the pieces matching up.
"Chess pieces?" Amber asked nobody in particular, approaching one of the two black rook pieces.
"It seems our headmaster has an odd sense of humor," Napier observed. Amber took the piece off the pedestal and placed it in her belt pouch.
"Well, that settles that. Let's go," she said. Napier nodded and the pair turned to leave, when suddenly a pair of familiar faces broke through the woods.
Cole and Rust made their way through the woods and into the clearing, where the abandoned forest temple awaited. As they approached, they saw Amber and Napier waiting for them.
"Cole!" Amber cried out happily, rushing forward to give him a hug. Cole received her, smiling slightly as he held her.
"Well, the gang's all here. Let's snag a relic and motor," Rust said impatiently. He rushed to the temple and grabbed a black bishop piece, stuffing it carelessly into his pocket as he walked back to the group.
"Alright, time to go," he said. Cole nodded, and the four turned to enter the woods. The trip from the temple back to the cliffs was rather uneventful, with the quartet encountering only the occasional Boarbatusk and one Ursa. Finally they made their way back to the cliffs, when Rust reached into his pouch for the relic.
"Uh oh."
"Don't tell me you dropped it," Cole said harshly, not even turning to face Rust.
"I won't tell you then."
"You idiot!" Cole growled, whirling around. Rust responded by cracking his knuckles menacingly, advancing on Cole.
"You wanna make something of it?" he growled angrily.
"If we don't get to the cliffs with a relic, we fail the assignment!"
"So then we just retrace our steps and look for it!"
"Stop fighting, both of you!" Amber cried, and the two boys fell silent. Amber stepped between Rust and Cole to keep them from belting each other as she continued to speak.
"If we just go back to the temple, I'm sure we can find you two another relic. But I don't want to hear you two fighting anymore!"
"Amber's right," Cole said. "If we don't play nice, then we aren't getting anywhere."
"Fine," Rust said begrudgingly, and the quartet began the tedious hike back to the temple.
When they finally returned to the temple, only one relic remained. Cole snatched up the final black rook piece and carefully deposited it in his pouch before Rust could make a move.
"I'm carrying it this time," he said. Rust didn't argue. The four turned away, leaving the temple behind them as they made their second return to the cliffs. About halfway there, Napier stopped and cocked her ears towards the woods. Amber turned and looked at her, her face worried.
"Is something wrong?" she asked. Napier said nothing, instead pointing to the woods. A tremendous crashing sound could be heard, and a colossal scorpion-like monster burst from the woods with an earsplitting screech. It was pitch-black, with the exception of its heavy armor plating. Rust immediately drew his hammer, followed by Napier with her sword. Amber was the last to draw her weapon, and the four began their attack.
"Cole! Try and break its armor!" Amber shouted, and Cole complied by leaping into the air. He landed on the monster's back and fired off four short bursts, earning a shriek of pain from the creature. It retaliated by knocking Cole out of the air with its enormous tail. Cole hit the ground with a thud, but quickly rose to his feet.
"Looks like air attacks are useless against this thing!" he shouted. His eyes flashed silver for a moment, and he narrowly dodged an attack from the monster's tail. Amber shot off a short volley of bullets from her halberd, distracting the creature long enough for Cole to rejoin the group. Rust impatiently shot a rocket at the monster's bone-plated face, sending it reeling backwards.
"Rust, keep it up!" Amber cried, but Rust was immediately batted off to the side by the Deathstalker's claw. She fired off a quick volley from her weapon's assault rifle mode before retreating to a safer distance. The creature turned to Napier and began its advance.
"Look out!"
Napier turned to face the beast, her sword beginning to glow in her hand. She gave the handle a twist, and the blade began to split apart into two pieces.
"Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair," she hissed with an icy glare, and the rapier quickly shifted into an enormous great-sword. She jammed the hollow blade into the earth, and frost rose from the ground to seize the monster. Rust rose to his feet, grunting and preparing his hammer.
"Suck on this, you soulless freak!" he cried, charging towards the struggling monster. It let out a hiss, and the might of the hammer shattered the armor plating on impact. The beast collapsed and went limp. The light in its eyes slowly died out. Rust rose to his feet, slinging the hammer over his shoulder and smirking cockily.
"That's how you do it."
The four stood in the auditorium proudly, with a collection of the other teams. Rust looked particularly proud of himself. Professor Ozpin began to speak.
"Night Enday. Amelia Thyst. Penelope Yale. And Chris Lucien. The four of you retrieved the white bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Cyan, led by Chris Lucien."
The audience applauded heartily.
"Rust Rider. Amber Kerrigan. Napier Dubois. And Cole Anderson. The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Argon. Led by..."
Rust puffed out his chest proudly.
"Amber Kerrigan."
"WHAT?" Rust roared in outrage, but was drowned out by the applause.
"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Cardinal, led by Cardin Winchester."
The audience continued their applause.
"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrhha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Juniper, led by Jaune Arc."
"Wha-? Led by?" Jaune asked nervously.
"Congratulations, young man," Ozpin said before Jaune received a jovial punch on the shoulder from an armored redheaded girl, knocking him to the ground. The audience applauded and laughed, and Ozpin continued.
"And finally, Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. And Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Ruby. Led by Ruby Rose."
"I'm so proud of you!" a taller blonde girl exclaimed, hugging Ruby tightly.
"It looks like things are shaping up to be an interesting year."