"It's the middle of the semester, why do you think they suddenly gave us a new class?" Weiss asked rather brusquely as they walked along a new part of the school.

"I dunno, but I bet it's going to be a fun class," Yang replied.

Usually, this particular hallway was rather empty save for a few lost students, but today, it seemed rather crowded.

"You seem unusually excited, even for you," Weiss comments over the din of the students.

"Oh, I just know the professor," Yang shrugged. "He's pretty cool."

When Yang and Weiss finally found their class, it looked like most people were already there.

"How would you know this professor at Beacon?" Weiss asked as they hurried to their seats.

"My uncle taught him. He comes over to visit whenever our uncle does," Yang explained.

"So he's around our age?"

"Well, he's a bit—"

"Alright class, settle down."

In walked a man neither imposing nor impressive. His hair was as black as any other passerby in the city streets of Vale, and his height would be swallowed up by the very same crowd. He dressed impeccably in a vest and slacks, and he wore a watch on his wrist, but there was only one thing that stood out about him.

His eyes were the reddest of crimsons, and if he didn't dress as cleanly as he did or if he wasn't a baby-pink pale, if he had a darker skin tone, he could've been mistaken for a humanoid Grimm. In the right lighting, they almost seem to glow.

"Good evening. I hope you all had a nice lunch break. Usually, this class is held before lunch after Professor Goodwitch's class, but we're not doing anything too intensive today, so it'll be fine," the teacher spoke as he brought out a file with some loose papers. "I'll be handing out the permanent schedule for the rest of your semester now..."

Weiss raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"What exactly is this class?"

"I'm glad you asked Miss Schnee. This class teaches Combat Specialization," the man replied with a small smile. "You must also want to know what Combat Specialization is. Well, have you ever wondered how you would fight if you lost your weapon? How about an arm? A leg? How would you fight if you were tied up? This is where you'll be learning all of that, and more. I'll teach you to overcome the most overwhelming odds, and triumph the most unlikely victories. And I'm your professor, Lonan Branwen. Nice to meet you."

"Alrighty, you all have your schedules, so I believe we can start the lesson now. Here's a scenario," Lonan crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against his desk. His eyes seemed to stare straight at all the souls of the students.

"You and your team are tasked with a rescue operation of a hostage in a criminal organization. Information has been given to you as to where the hostage is kept, and your commanding officers have told you that the best way to go about this mission, is through subtlety. Half way through infiltrating the building, one of your teammates triggered the security system. Enemies swarm the hallways, but you are able to subdue them. However, after the chaos, two of your teammates are in a completely different location, and you have no way to contact them. The team member that is with you is team member in this class with you right now. What do you do?"

The question was so sudden that Weiss was taken aback. Usually, classes started with the syllabus. The professor would go over their schedules, state their expectations, and what not. The quick way that Lonan thrust them into the lesson threw Weiss off.

Pyrrha raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Nikos?"

"I would search for my teammates before continuing the mission."

"Elaborate," Lonan urged.

"Uhmm...well, Ren is with me, and Nora is with Jaune. In terms of personality, Nora isn't the most subtle person—"

"Understatement," Yang whispered under her breath. Weiss maintained a blank face, but inwardly, she was inclined to agree.

"—and Jaune can't calm her down like Ren can. If left alone, the other two could get into more trouble, and we would be unable to help. Even if we were to continue the mission, there is a chance that we can rescue the hostage, but at the cost of our teammates. Not to mention, they were lost in the middle of a chaotic battle, so they couldn't have gone far. If we can find them, the mission can continue as if the alarm hadn't triggered."

"That is...very optimistic," Lonan said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Indeed, security systems can be turned off even after they've been triggered, even after a violent confrontation. Indeed, a frontline tank and a strategist is a bad pair up on an infiltration method, but I still think you and Mr. Lie here should continue with the mission without your teammates, especially with a sense of urgency. Do you know why?"

"No...?"

"I think you two should continue the mission because Jaune and Nora can handle themselves."

Pyrrha was about to argue, but Lonan continued.

"Jaune is the team leader. He obviously knows that the stealth expert and the Invincible Girl can handle themselves. Do you know what he would do?"

Lonan uncrossed his arms as his eyes glittered.

"He would do what a team leader would do. He would hope that you have faith that he can handle himself. He would head to the objective, and hope that his teammates are smart enough to meet up there. Now imagine if you had wasted time to search for your teammates before going to the objective, your teammates could have already reached the hostage, waiting for you. They would get antsy, because as secure as they are with the security system off, they wouldn't stay in position for long. They would make their move, free the hostage, and trigger another alarm because they're not going to immediately leave since you're not at the objective with them. In that case, you would bring your team under more danger."

Lonan took a deep breath.

"Now let's say you reached the objective first, and your team leader and heavy hitter aren't there. In fact, you wait for them, and they still didn't make it. Obviously, they've encountered some trouble...but you'll know exactly where because the only trouble they would come across is if another security alarm is triggered. Now, not only have you freed the hostage because you're already at the objective, you also know the location of your teammates. Once you helped your missing teammates with their combat confrontation, you would already have finished the mission."

Murmurs broke out among the students.

"Now, that's your first lesson. Does anyone know what it is?"

"Faith in your teammates?" Pyrrha asked. Lonan nodded.

"What else?"

"Tactics," Weiss commented. "It was like a chess match."

"Good," Lonan nodded again. "What else?"

"Everything will turn out okay?" Yang offered lightly. Lonan took one look at her and laughed.

"Whatever you say Miss Xiao Long. No, in the five minutes I've spent with you, I did so much more. Indeed, I let you know that you should have faith in your teammates because they're your teammates for a reason. I've shown the importance of thinking things through in the midst of a mission, or in fancy words, tactics," Lonan parroted, putting quotes around the word tactics. "But what I want you to know is that not everything will turn out okay. There will be bumps in your life that go up and down, and it's up to you to overcome them. Unpredictable things will happen, and you'll need all the advantages you can get to succeed, or help your teammates succeed. This is the class where you learn those advantages. This class, is so that during the mission, you wouldn't separate from your teammates in the first place."

Lonan took a deep breath.

"This class will not teach you how to become a huntsman. This class, will teach you how to survive."

Silence followed.

Yang started clapping.

The class followed.

Lonan's face started to flush, almost matching his eyes before he clears his throat.

"Alright, alright, settle down. As much as I would like to end class on that awesome note, I have something else to address before I end this short, short class and dismiss you all for the rest of the day," Lonan coughed. "At this point, you must realize something fishy is going on because the other half of your team is not here?"

"Is it because you'll hold a separate class with them?" Pyrrha asked.

"In a way. Have you ever heard that if you know how to teach someone a subject, then you're sure to know that subject? There is only one homework assignment in this class: teach your partner what you've learned here today."

A few cheers went around the class, but a few groans could be heard as well.

"At the end of the semester, I'll have you bring your partner in, and test them. Your final grade depends on them. If they pass my test, then you pass as well. If they fail...well. You don't want to know what remedial lessons consist of. Any questions?"

Ren raised his hand.

"No? Okay. Dismissed!"

Ren lowered his hand.

Weiss growled. How was she going to teach Ruby...whatever Professor Branwen taught her today?

What did he even TEACH?

Don't mistake her, she thought it was a pleasant lesson, but it felt like many things mashed together into a comprehensible, but complicated mess.

"Come on Weiss, let's go tell Ruby and Blake about Lonan before we forget about the lecture," Yang said as the classroom emptied.

"Address him with a little respect," Weiss lightly rebuked, but got up from her seat to follow Yang out.

At least she had Yang to help explain to Ruby.

Or not. Yang's explanation consisted of re-stating all the things that were said, but explained nothing about the lesson.

"And then he said something about faith and a chess match or whatever," Yang shrugged.

"Sounded...exciting," Blake drawled.

"Trust me Blake, it was a lot more interesting when he was teaching it," Yang laughed.

"Lonan always makes things more interesting!" Ruby agreed.

"Speaking of which, how are you and Ruby so...casual with him?" Weiss asked Yang.

"He's our cousin!" Ruby answered before Yang could, an excited smile on her face.

"Cousin?"

"Yeah! Uncle Qrow brought him over one day, and just said he was our cousin! He trains with us sometimes, but most of the time he goes wherever Uncle Qrow goes! We still think of him as family though!" Ruby chirped.

"Although we didn't know he would be teaching at Beacon. I'm not surprised though, since Uncle Qrow teaches at Signal sometimes. It's probably a side job for Lonan," Yang figured.

"So he's a full-time huntsman?" Weiss asked.

"Not...exactly. He's still an apprentice, I think? But he's been taking missions and everything, so I guess?" Ruby hummed.

"What kind of answer is that?" Weiss huffed.

"The only one they have. It seems this Professor Branwen is a mystery," Blake hummed along with Ruby.

"You think our cousin is a mystery?" Yang laughed louder than before. "That guy's just a huge dork when he's not being all charismatic."

"I don't believe you," Weiss crossed her arms over her chest.

"Trust me, he is," Ruby confirmed.

"You, calling someone else a dork?" Weiss retorted.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Aww, don't worry sis. You're a very cute dork!"

"Yaaaang!"

A/N: I would be a terrible teacher in real life. So...what'd YOU learn from Lonan's lesson?

Edit: Originally this was the prologue, and the first chapter. But this whole thing is now the prologue. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯