Welcome, one and all, to the unveiling of my newest story, which is also technically my oldest story!

See, about a year ago, I entered this site with a half-written RWBY fanfiction, with an all-original team of OCs.

It didn't fly.

So, for a combined anniversary for joining , Christmas, and New Years, I have re-written and re-formatted the entire story. And, to be honest, I think this is a lot better than the original. Certainly longer. One of the longest I've written to date. And of course, it has a few references in it. Additionally, if someone finds a... particular quote, they not only get to alter the story, they will instantly have me as their lifelong friend, and I will do almost anything they ask of me. Good luck.

Also, like the previous incarnation of this story, I dedicate this to UknownHero, Cardinal67, and O-Elf-Sama (again, ElfCollaberator). However, I also would like to mention H'te Rarpee, Ziirroh, Mr. Nobody or YARN (Formerly known as You Are Right... NOT), Hysterical Clerical Hijinks, The Hero of The Found, LaughingLefou, Maxaro, Lonely (The Lonliest of All), aaaaaaaaaaaaand last but not least, Cybertramon001. You are all wonderful authors, and without you to inspire me, I would have left this site long ago. I just love you all so much!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. If it were otherwise, I would use Hysterical Clerical Hijinks' explanation of Faunus heritage and biology.

ON TO THE SHOW!

Edit: This story also goes out to its first reviewer, who is, at the moment, anonymous. To the Guest in question, thank you for your input. It's nice to see someone finally be grammatically correct and deep-cutting insults. Good show, dear Guest!

Chapter 1: (I Feel) I'm Falling Skywards

The Fox Faunus slammed an empty mug on the rickety counter. "And sho then it turned out I washn't good enough fer Atlus! Nooo, they tod me to go to Bacon."

"Bacon?" Some other barfly glanced at the drunk Faunus. "You mean… Beacon, right Felix?"

The fox boy, Felix, waved his hand dismissively. "Egh, sure." He spat. "Damn racists Atlesians. Too prej'diced t'give me a chance." Atop his head, two crimson fox ears twitched.

Another patron, Jeff or something, turned to the drunk Huntsman in training. "Well, Beacon's not all that bad, from what I hear. You might enjoy yourself there."

Felix groaned. "Why would I wanna do that?"

Jeff grinned. "Well, I hear it's a veritable assortment a' some of the most attractive-and eligible-young ladies in the world."

The Faunus stared at him blankly. "Say what now?"

Jeff smacked him playfully on the arm. "I'm saying it's a school of babes, you dummy!"

The 'dummy' in question perked up. "Really? If that's the case…" Reaching an internal decision, he raised someone else's mug. "Screw it, Ima go to Beacon!"

Jeff smacked his own mug against Felix's. "To Beacon!"

Meanwhile…

"...And so, in recognition of her valor and fortitude in the field of battle, I am proud to present the Crimson Cross to Miss Indigo Allisandra." A grey-haired man led his audience in a round of applause as the young woman in question had her medal pinned to her chest.

Indigo, unbothered by the usual pomp and circumstance of the occasion, was dressed in a dark purple v-neck, bluish-black jeans, black combat boots, grey fingerless gloves, and a scuffed-up denim jacket. The only items she removed for the ceremony were her navy-blue cloak and her customary array of pouches.

And yet, as the aged man pinned the prestigious symbol on her shirt, Indigo seemed to radiate formality and class.

"Furthermore," the speaker continued, "now that you are 17, we have granted your request to leave Camp Epsilon to enroll in a Huntsman Academy."

Allisandra nodded. She had spent the past few nights reading reviews on all four major academies, ever since her birthday.

"With the Crimsonite Cross," the man added, "any academy you choose will be happy to accept you. The choice, of course, is yours." He stepped back, and Indigo took his place behind the pedestal.

The young Huntress inhaled. "Thank you, sir." She gazed over her collective peers. "I will be brief. I entered this camp years ago. But now, it's time for me to begin a new chapter in my life. After putting a lot of thought into it, I have made my final decision."

She smiled. "And my decision is Beacon."

The crowd erupted into applause. It was well-deserved.

Meanwhile…

I just don't get humans. I really don't. Raven popped a full vial of Red 7 Dust into a mallet and slammed it onto the still-hot blade of her current project.

They say that I'm false, then call me vermin. Then, the minute they need a weapon patched up, I'm a bloody icon.

Raven shook her head and dunked the project in a water barrel.

"Hey, Erom! You done with Gav's commission yet?"

Speak of the devil. Raven threw on a fake smile. "I'm done with the sword, but I'm not sure if I can call it a commission when I'm doing it…" she made finger guns. "For FREE."

Raven heard a groan. "How long have you been waiting to make that joke?"

"Way too long," she replied. She passed her work through a mailslot-looking hole in the door. "So whaddya think, Mikey?"

"Better than your joke," he responded.

"Perfect beyond imagining, then." Raven hit the lights and opened the door. She closed it behind her fast enough that only a wisp of steam escaped. She raised a finger in mock scolding. "And remember Michael; don't open this door for at least an hour. We wouldn't want to have another sprinkler incident, now would we?"

Michael groaned. "I swear to Dust, I only opened the door that one time to check up on you! And it was three months ago! You don't have to bring it up every time we're at the Forge."

"Safety first, Mikey. I'd hate for you to get hurt," Raven chided as she tried to work out a particularly stubborn knot in her shoulder.

The two of them walked away from the forge. "Yeah, that would probably ruffle your feath-"

"Heard it before," Raven interrupted.

Michael chuckled. "Alright, how about something you've never heard before."

His partner stretched a pair of black wings on her back. "Try me."

He chuckled once more. "Well, if you haven't heard, you're getting shipped out. How's that for new?"

Raven blinked. "I what now?"

"You're getting transferred," Michael laughed. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Raven had stopped walking. He patted her arm. "You really didn't know, did you?" The young man took her stunned silence as an answer. "See, the higher-ups decided last week that you would be more… helpful to Crimsonite Camps as a Huntress than as a Settler." He offered his compatriot a warm smile. "By this time tomorrow, you'll be off to Beacon."

Raven slowly exhaled. So, that was it, then. As long as it was, this chapter of her life was over. As one door closes, another opens, right? She didn't know how to feel. Excited, that she would see the world beyond Drake? Anxious, for fear of leaving her home after so long? Scared, that this might be a horrible decision? She heard someone talk. "Will I still be able to fly?" Wait, was that her?

"No need for subtlety at a school made to train warriors," Michael was pointing out.

Probably excited, then. Raven winced internally, but put on a grin that was almost real. "Well, while I have no idea just how you'll survive without me" -Michael snorted- ""If the boss says that I have to go, then go I will."

"Atta girl." Michael's Scroll rang. "Hello?" He listened for a second, then passed it to Raven. "It's for you," he smiled.

Meanwhile...

And then there was another.

He sat, barely moving, in a circular room. His eyes were focused on an assortment of gears and pulleys lying in front of his crossed legs. He carefully set a miniscule switch-no larger than a sewing needle-into a black tube, then screwed a lid onto it.

He held the completed item-a gleaming silver backsword-before his scrutinizing eye. He flicked a switch on the pommel, and a hollow cylinder dropped out. He pulled an identical one from the floor and slid it into the handle. The blade began glowing yellow. He swiped it, sending streaks of electricity through the air.

He turned and faced a wall of targets, drawing an identical blade from a sheath at his waist. The swordsman aimed the twin weapons at the outermost bullseyes. He pulled the pommel triggers and the targets exploded in a flash of yellow. He took aim at the next set and fired. Those too were decimated by his attack.

When he reached the final target, the man flipped another switch on his swords and flicked his wrists. The blades of the swords hinged open near the tips, folding back on themselves. He pulled the triggers, and everything around the target was blown into pieces.

The weaponsmith flicked the blades back on and ejected the spent cartridges. He opened his mouth and spoke to nobody but himself.

"Satisfactory."

As he sheathed the swords, the buzz of a Scroll could be heard from his pocket. He answered it.

"Operative James."

"Eskay, it's Vincent. Director Crimsonite has a… unique contract to offer you."

The young man, Eskay, began clearing away the unused pieces of machinery. "Unique in what way?"

"It'll be longer than any you've done before, should you choose to take it."

"How long?"

"At most, four years."

Eskay nodded. "What are the details of the assignment?"

"In the past week, three members of Crimsonite Camps about your age have entered Beacon Academy. The Director wants you to from a team with them and act as an informal bodyguard for both them and what they know."

Eskay had to admit, the job was far different from his usual offers.

"Anything else?"

"Beacon has a lot of unexplained expenses. The Director is very interested in where it may be going. Beyond that, any information you can recover on its headmaster, Ozpin, would be greatly beneficial."

"To clarify, Director Crimsonite wants me to enroll in Beacon Academy as a Hunter in training?"

"Mainly, yes."

"That hardly sounds like a mission."

"Call it a reward, then. For being so dependable all these years."

One final detail, then. "What is the payment for completing this mission?"

"Amnesty."

Eskay nearly dropped the Scroll. He was barely able to keep his voice level long enough to say "Contract accepted."

"Last call for Beacon," the airship announcer called. "If you need to get to the Academy before initiation, this is your last chance!" As the doors started to close, a lean fox Faunus rolled into the ship.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. The boy stumbled into an open seat.

"Are you a new student too?" The young Hunter glanced to his left and saw a cheery brunette rabbit Faunus on the seat beside him.

He tried to nod, but yelped in pain as the simple movement made his head seem to split.

The rabbit Faunus jumped in her seat. "Oh, dear! Are you alright?"

Felix groaned. "Yeah, I've just got a major headache." He almost shook his head, but thought better of it. "What's your name, then?"

The girl held out her hand timidly. "Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."

He shook her offered hand. "Felix Fawkes."

"Yeah?" The two students turned in their chairs and saw a dark-skinned boy looking at them. At least, he was probably looking at them. Hard to tell, considering his eyes were pure white.

"Say what?" Felix blinked.

"You said my name. Fox."

"Really?" The Faunus tilted his head. "Like the animal, or like F-A-W-K-E-S?"

"The first one. Fox Alistair." He, too, held out his hand.

His alternatively-spelled counterpart shook it. "Felix Fawkes. Spelled like the second one." He looked into Fox's eyes. "Also, random question, are you-"

"I'm not blind," he interjected. "White eyes are just a genetic thing in my family."

Velvet looked confused. "What do you mean, 'run in the family'?"

The pale-eyed Hunter shrugged. "Some sort of heritage thing. Granddad says that's where our name comes from. 'All-stare', see?"

Felix chuckled. Maybe he was quick to judge, but the kids at Beacon seemed a lot more open that what he was used to at Camp Theta. "Not gonna lie, that's a much better story than mine."

"Well, what is your story," Velvet asked.

"Alright. The short version is that I was a foundling. You know, an orphan." The people who took me in had no imagination and named me for my Faunus heritage." He wiggled his ears demonstratively. "'Felix' was my choice, though."

Fox scratched his head. "How'd you raise money to go to Beacon in an orphanage?"

"Not an orphanage, exactly. I grew up in a camp… facility… settlement- thing run by a group called the Crimsonite Corporation."

A new voice chimed in. "Which camp?"

Felix looked up. There was a striking brunette looking right at him. "Theta," he answered. His eyes took a half-second sweep of her. She was lean, but not scrawny. She was wearing black leather boots, blackish-blue jeans, and a dark purple v-neck with the-

"The Crimsonite Cross?"

She nodded. "Just got it last week."

Thoroughly impressed, Felix looked at the rest of her getup. She also had a denim jacket, a navy-blue cape (cloak?), grey fingerless gloves, and an assortment of leather pouches. She also dyed the tips of her long hair purple.

"What about you," the Hunter-in-training asked. "You look like an Epsilon."

"Delta," she corrected. "Indigo Allisandra."

"Felix Fawkes," he replied. "This is Velvet Scarlatina, and this is Fox Alistair." The two students greeted Indigo. Suddenly, a hologram of a blonde woman appeared.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon," it spoke. "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 the training to protect our world."

The image disappeared, revealing the rising spires of Beacon Academy. The students collectively broke into excited conversation.

Felix stared at what was, to him, a monument to man's creativity and potential to create. "Wow." What else could be said, really?

"It really is quite remarkable," Indigo commented in appraisal. Her gaze shifted to the Faunus. "Speaking of remarkable, what happened to that headache you were just moaning about?"

He grinned. "Oh, it passed."

His partner raised an eyebrow. "Even with Aura, you can't get rid of a hangover in a matter of minutes."

Felix blinked. "Who said it was a hangover?"

Indigo wrinkled her nose. "Aside from the smell of alcohol?"

The Faunus sniffed his sleeve, then coughed at the rank smell. "Point taken."

"You didn't say why you got over it so fast," she reminded him.

"Ah." Felix winked. "That's my little secret."

"Your Semblance, then."

Before the boy could reply, a rumble went through the ship, and the doors slid open.

"Time to go." Indigo grabbed a long purple case up and joined the throng of students leaving the airship.

Felix looked at Velvet and Fox. "Well, how about we take a look at our home for the next four years?"

Meanwhile...

Across Beacon's courtyard, another student was making a call.

"Vincent. I think I've found one of my… associates."

"Which one?"

"Erom, I believe. There's an avian Faunus flying rather high up."

Vincent sighed on the other end of the call. "Typical. You sure it's her? This school has quite a few Faunus students."

Eskay looked at a notepad listing statistics on his charges.

1). Name: Felix Fawkes

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Race: Fox Faunus

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 152 lbs.

Eye Color: Gold

Hair Color: Auburn

2). Name: Indigo Allisandra

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Race: Caucasian Human

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 139 lbs.

Eye Color: Lavender

Hair Color: Brown, dyed violet tips

3). Name: Raven Erom

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Race: Raven Faunus

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 115 lbs.

Eye Color: Forest green

Hair Color: Black

"It should be her," Eskay conceded. "But without a closer look, I can't be sure."

"That's easy. Raven just needs something interesting to grab her attention."

"Such as?"

"Well… she'd probably find your mask interesting."

Eskay subconsciously touched the face-plate of a Beringel, a relic from long ago. "Would she even be able to see it from where she is?"

"Just keep looking up. She should see you."

"Right." The masked student ended the call and scanned the skies. No Faunus, but there was a group of birds flying towards the sun.

"Looking for something, masky?"

Eskay turned around to see what must have been Raven. Just like her file said, she had black hair, dark green eyes, and black-feathered wings. He looked at the Faunus' outfit. Small white blouse, skinny grey jeans, black leather double-belt, and black leather boots. She was also wearing a dark jacket that split into three near her wings.

He met her eyes. "Not anymore, I think."

Meanwhile, Raven was admiring the mysterious young man. He was taller than her, though his spiked back hair might have something to do with that. He was dressed nice, a lot nicer than most. He had a rich black suit, a crimson dress shirt, black leather gloves and shoes, and an obsidian pendant to top it all off. But most prominent of all was the Grimm-reminiscent mask he wore. She tried to see what he looked like under it, but could only see murky red eyes.

"That's an unusual mask. Did you make it yourself?"

The Hunter student smirked. "You could say that." He held out a gloved hand. "Eskay James."

She shook it strongly. "Raven Erom."

Eskay feigned ignorance. "As in the bird?"

The Faunus girl chuckled. "The people who named me… well, creativity wasn't their strong suit."

Eskay crossed his arms. "You mean your parents?"

Raven sighed. "Not exactly. I don't suppose you've heard of the Crimsonite Corporation?"

"As a matter of fact, I have."

Raven blinked. "Wait, really?" Her colleague nodded. "Oh, well, in that case, I was a foundling at Camp Gamma. They took the easy way with naming me. What about you? Did you grow up in a camp too?"

"Omega," Eskay replied.

The raven Faunus raised her hands in surprise. "Wait, you mean the Omega Camp?"

"There's really only one," he pointed out.

Raven stared at the masked man in front of her. Omega Camp, it was said, was where children were trained and conditioned to be heartless killing machines. Hitmen. Bounty hunters. Murderers, even. The fruits of Omega were Crimsonite's greatest weapon against the Corporation's enemies.

"W-what did you train in?"

James grabbed an elongated case and headed towards the school. "Assassination. Now, I think it's time we attended the headmaster's speech."

"Hey, hold up!" Raven jumped to his side. "I want to ask about Ome-"

"My, my. Don't you look fetching," a new voice purred. The two students looked over their shoulders and saw a remarkably well-dressed young woman with large sunglasses. "Who might you be, coming here dressed to the nines?"

"What, this?" Eskay gestured at his attire. "These are my work clothes."

"Really? And what work would need you to have such a high-end suit?" The girl sidled up next to Eskay.

"Debt collection," he replied with next to no hesitation.

"So..." The young Huntress pushed up her sunglasses to uncover a pair of chocolate brown eyes. "What made you want to enroll at Beacon, then?"

"I was made an offer I couldn't refuse." Eskay couldn't help but grin a little under his mask.

"That's very cryptic, mister…"

"James. Eskay James."

"Eskay James…" She seemed to taste the name of the student. "Well, Eskay James, I hope we get meet again soon." The Huntress-in-training sauntered away from her classmates. She called over her shoulder. "Oh, and if you want to talk some more, the name's Coco Adel."

Raven walked up alongside Eskay. "Soooo… she was pretty."

James brushed off his shoulder. "So? In my experience, quality of looks has little, if anything, to do with quality of character."

"Well, she seemed nice, at least."

Eskay looked at the Faunus. "If you're trying to say something, by all means say it."

Raven leered at him. "Alright. Are you gonna ask Coco out?"

Eskay snorted. "Why? Because she looks attractive and probably tried to make a good first impression? I would need a little more reason that that."

"Okay, first, you don't know if that was an act or not. Second, it doesn't have to be a lifelong thing. It can be casual. Or, you know, a little more. Which brings me to number three: she was scrumptious."

Before either student could continue the conversation, a staff member ushered them into the main hall, where they were given the most uninspiring pep talk ever. Of all time.

Later…

"Well, that was unusual," Felix commented.

"I honestly expected the leader of a Hunter academy to be more…" Indigo tried to put her thoughts to words.

"Animated?"

"Intense," she corrected.

The Faunus shrugged. "You're probably right. Seemed to me he was barely there, you know?"

"Well, he is a busy person, Velvet suggested. "He must be tired after getting all this set up in time. Maybe he had to stay up late checking for false transcripts or something."

"Doesn't matter." Fox stretched, letting out an involuntary yawn. "He made a speech, and bad or not, we need to get some sleep if we want to be ready for initiation."

The group of students sounded their agreement and left to find the ballroom where they would all be sleeping.

Behind them, an unseen pair of dark red eyes traced their every move. The watcher crept along the edge of the room, taking note of a particularly tall student asking for a different sleeping bag to fit his massive frame.

Seeing no visible threats, Eskay went out in search of different prey.

Meanwhile...

"So… Beacon has co-ed rooms." Felix practically purred in satisfaction. "Felix likes."

Indigo smacked him back into reality. "Yeah, and if you try anything funny, you'll get kicked out of Beacon faster than you can say 'It was her idea'."

The Faunus groaned. "Can't a guy have a little fun?" He scanned the room, his eyes resting on a well-dressed girl looking over the crowd with amusement. "Speaking of which…" he scooted up next to her. "Question: are those your pajamas? 'Cause I think you're a bit overdressed for sleeping."

The girl smirked. "Hate to say it, but you don't strike me as a master of fashion yourself."

Felix looked down. He was still wearing the dress shirt and jeans he had thrown on that morning. "Oh, I'm not exactly at my best right now. I just grabbed this before I got on the airship."

She raised an eyebrow. "I hope so. Blue is definitely not you color."

The fox boy acted hurt. "Are you saying you don't like me in this?"

The fashionista met his gaze over her sunglasses. "Maybe I'm saying I'd like you more out of it."

Felix laughed. "Oh, I can tell we'll get along just fine."

Meanwhile…

Eskay sized up Beacon's main tower. If there were any secrets to be found, they'd be in Ozpin's office. He reached into his suit jacket and withdrew a light blue tube. He grabbed a silver hunting knife and loaded the tube into it. The knife's blade began glowing the same shade of blue. With a few measured swipes, the light faded away. All along the tower, chunks of ice began growing.

The masked student lept onto the first platform and reached into his jacket once more. He withdrew a vial of red powder.

With the recklessness and urgency of a snail encased in concrete, Eskay sprinkled some of the powder onto the ice and immediately covered the tube. He jumped to the next hunk of ice, and, with a snap of his fingers, the first ice block vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile…

While the assassin was out infiltrating Beacon, his acquaintance was busy with… other endeavours.

"What do you mean, 'proportionate'?"

"I mean, do the ratios of body size that apply to me apply to you," the Faunus explained.

The man in front of her, a hulking warrior of a Hunter, stared at her. "Body size- but isn't that obvious?" He gestured to his kimono-clad from.

"I can see most of it, Yatsu. But not all."

"What do you-" Realization dawned on Yatsuhashi.

Raven giggled. "So what's the answer?"

"That is none of your concern," he replied sternly.

"Ah, come on," the girl pleaded. "Just a hint?"

"No. Don't ask again. I'm going to bed." He started getting up.

"Why?" She raised her eyebrow. "Are you embarrassed by it?"

Yatsuhashi growled. "Goodnight, Raven."

The Faunus girl huffed. "Fine. I need to find my friend, anyway." She looked around. Actually, where was Eskay?

Meanwhile…

Eskay tilted his head up. The Headmaster's office was within arm's reach. Now came the problem of getting inside it. Fortunately for him, the assassin had more than a few tricks up his sleeves. First, he checked the interior of the office through the window. Empty. That made his job much easier. Eskay stepped off the ice and onto the window frame, using a pinch of red powder to remove the final platform.

Eskay then swapped the red vial for a lavender one. This he poured on himself. Immediately, he turned translucent. Quickly, the masked boy went through the window before returning to normal. He gasped and grabbed at his chest for a moment, then set to work.

He crept through the office, taking note of potential defensive positions. On the desk was a piece of paper. Eskay read it.

Nicely done, it said. I suppose you deserve a reward. So I'll let you in on a little secret: during Initiation, there will be a collection of artifacts. Teams will be based on groups of two who pick identical pieces.

With love,

Ozpin

Eskay narrowed his eyes. Ozpin knew he was coming? But how?!

Suddenly, the elevator turned on behind him. He quickly pressed himself against a bookcase and strengthened his Semblance.

The elevator dinged. Its doors slid open, and through them stepped Ozpin himself. The professor walked behind his desk and sat down. He sighed and looked at his tablet. "Tell me, was it Burn Dust that you used to sublimate the ice?"

The bespectacled man stared directly at Eskay. "And if it wasn't already obvious, I can indeed see you, Mister James."

The hidden boy sneered. "Surely this was a bluff, right? His Semblance had been active this entire time! Experimentally, Eskay moved over to the other side of the room. Ozpin's eyes tracked him the entire time. Eskay decided to drop his Semblance.

All of a sudden, the boy was visible to all. Ozpin grinned, rather cheekily. He motioned for him to take a seat.

The assassin cautiously sat down. "How?"

The headmaster's grin increased. "You mean, how did I know where you were, despite the fact that you were invisible?" Eskay nodded. "As headmaster, I can view confidential information on all my prospective and current students. Nothing too invasive, just statistics really. However, this information includes the students' weaponry and Semblances. After reading about you, I had a feeling you would try to sneak into my office, given where you place your loyalty."

Eskay narrowed his eyes. "You deduced my M.O." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Ozpin smiled. "Indeed I did. When given an assignment, you will first try to glean any information you can regarding your target, especially their…" Ozpin smiled. Again. "Dirty secrets."

Eskay developed a sudden urge to be anywhere but in front of Ozpin.

"With that fact in mind, I personally upgraded the cameras in the main tower and in my office to detect you." The grinning headmaster passed Eskay his tablet, displaying four different views of the room. One was normal, a bird's-eye angle of the room. The camera feed beneath it came from the other side of Ozpin's desk, and looked like an x-ray of the room, with skeletons in the place of him and the headmaster. Next to that was thermal imaging, from above a bookshelf. The final one, however, was different. It was black, but would consistently recreate the room with three-dimensional silhouettes.

Eskay gave the device back to the headmaster. "Thermal, x-ray, and… sonar?"

Ozpin smiled encouragingly. "Excellent work, Mister James. Now, can you guess which ones I used to see you?"

He thought about it for a second. "X-ray, undoubtedly. And given what I understand about my Semblance, I would say… thermal?" He blinked. "Wait, you could also use sonar whenever I move or touch something, so all three."

Ozpin gave the student an affirming nod. "Very well done, Mister James. It seems you live up to your reputation."

The assassin paused. "I have a reputation?"

The teacher nodded. "Indeed. While it is true that you largely work under the radar, no one can truly disappear. Not even you." The veteran Huntsman rose from his seat and paced around his office. "It was far from easy, I'll grant you that. But in the end, all it came down to was two things: resources and time. And I have great amounts of both." He glanced at his student. "They call you 'Grimm Reaper', you know. An enigmatic assassin, rumored to be half-Grimm, half-human. He is only seen when he wants to be seen. And of course," Ozpin smiled faintly, "he is prepared for anything that comes his way." He sat back down. "Which brings me back to my first question." He leaned forward. "How did you dispose of the ice so efficiently?"

In response, Eskay reached into his pocket and drew out a half-filled vial of red powder. "Rust 7. A mixture of Fire, Air for stability, and sodium, which will burn so long as it's in contact with ice or water."

Across the desk, Ozpin looked impressed. "So it will burn until either the mixture or the ice is no more. Impressive." He took a sip from a nearby coffee mug. "And what of your gaining entry into my office?"

A lavender tube this time. "Gravity and Spirit. I can become incorporeal, without the chance of falling into Remnant's Core."

"By controlling your personal gravity." He chuckled. "Once again, I am impressed." He stood up. "Tell me, do you play chess, Mister James?"

Eskay nodded. "I know my fair share of the game."

Ozpin took another sip of coffee. "Then you know that the most important piece is also the most vulnerable."

The assassin, having been out of his depth for far too long, rose to the headmaster's thinly veiled challenge. "Only if the player doesn't know how to properly use his pawns."

"Is that what you think?" Ozpin opened the elevator. "Because I've always felt that victory comes from using the strengths of those around you, as well as your own. Every piece has a purpose, after all." He motioned to the elevator.

Eskay started walking out of the office. "Maybe so. We should play a game sometime."

As the door closed, Ozpin smiled to himself. "We already are, Mister James." He watched the student through the elevator's camera feed. "We already are."

Song: Gravity

Artist: Xilent (feat. Tali)

Album: Skyward-EP

And that, at last, is that.

By the way, with this story, I have near a dozen projects to keep track of now. If you want me to focus on one story, or start one of the ones on my profile, just let me know. This was fun to write, and I've actually already started the second chapter.

And, let me tell you, I have SOOO much planned for this story. I have new teachers, an entire continent, and multiple villains, all planned out and waiting to be used.

But, until then, this is FoxHunt5, signing off!