"So begins another year of enlightening fresh young minds in the ways of the world. " Bartholomew Oobleck said to no one in particular as he walked down the central path toward the main school building.
Classes had already begun and the professor, while technically late for the start of the school day, he was still early for his first class which was scheduled for later. The sounds of activity from even the late students had already quelled, only the chirping of a few birds hiding in the trees along with the tapping of his own dress shoes on the concrete path marking any genuine sign of human life. All was right with the world
"Hiiya!"
Apparently not everything.
Curious about the noise disturbing his peaceful morning, he followed the yelling to a grassy area behind the freshly-trimmed hedges slightly off from the main path. Just enough to be inconspicuous had the culprit not been yelling.
"HA!"
Taking a closer look in his approach it was obvious whoever it was seemed to be in training. Female. Long blonde hair. Beacon Academy uniform. Shadowboxing in a very familiar style.
"Miss Xiao Long. You do realize classes have begun right?"
his sudden voice startled the blonde who quickly took a defensive stance in his direction before dropping back to a relaxed stance after seeing who it was. Apparently, just like him, she also hadn't expected anyone to be out here.
"Doctor Oobleck? What the heck are you doing out here?"
"Merely taking a stroll through the flora my dear student. You expect fauna as well in these types of walks but I never expected to run into a certain type. On my way to a late class at that."
His emphasis on the word late made her internally cringe. She knew where this was going.
"So Ms. Xiao Long, what areyou doing out here when you should be in class? I believe right now should be Professor Port's class on combat strategy."
"But it's so boring!" She exclaimed, "All he does is get caught up about his hunts and never shows us anything really useful."
"So you decided training here alone is a better use of your time than the quality of education provided at Beacon, considered one of the most prestigious schools for Hunters on Remnant?"
Yang laughed nervously."Well when you put it that way it doesn't sound good does it?"
"Indeed. Now while each student is here for a reason and each have their own motivations it is still my job to make sure all students attend their classes barring disease or some other debilitating circumstances. Of course I could force you with some punitive measure being a professor but I doubt someone as strong-willed as you will simply change due to that so instead I'll tell you a story since I was actually in the same position as you when I attended Beacon."
Yang was incredulous, imagining what a young Oobleck was like cutting classes.
"Seriously? You cut classes as a student?"
"Indeed. Though not exactly for the same reasons as you. Let me explain. It was roughly 10 or so years ago on the first day of classes as a third year. I'd snuck out of the dorms early in the morning and made my way down to the underground tunnels toward Mountain Glenn-"
"Woah WAAAAIT A SECOND." she interrupted."You snuck out of school and went to Mountain Glenn alone?"
"Correct though at the time Mountain Glenn still had not been completely sealed off. In fact," He said somberly, "it was only a month later that the residents decided to seal themselves underground and about a year later that those same unfortunate people were sealed off from Vale entirely."
Yang thought about prying farther but was quickly interrupted.
"Now as I was saying..."
-Mountain Glenn-10 years ago
A 19 year old Bartholomew Oobleck adjusted his glasses as he walked out of the underground train station quickly jumping to the side to avoid the panicked residents almost rushing through him almost pushing the student back toward the station he had just walked out of.
He didn't blame them for their reactions. In fact, he believed they were the most perceptive ones. Rumors had begun spreading inside and outside of Vale that the Council was going to decide to cut ties with Mountain Glenn completely soon due to the costs of defense, both in blood and gold, growing to unmanageable levels. That in turn was beginning to create panic among the citizens, many who had seen the writing on the wall and were already beginning to escape what they saw as a dying city.
"Hey get out of the way, kid." A large hunter pushed him away as he and his team passed him, presumably to what were considered the front lines. He was glad he had opted for his casual clothing instead of either his school uniform or his combat outfit. Judging by those who were with him on the train, he'd have been called out easily.
Bartholomew recalled the sparse occupancy of train on the ride over. It seemed as if no one wanted to visit anymore. No, that wasn't true. There were two types of people those days willing to venture into Mountain Glenn. The first were obviously Hunters or the members of the military contracted to protect the dying city. The second seemed to be some sort of macabre tourism for those who seemed to get some sort of dark pleasure from the sight of a city just about to be overrun by Grimm. He wondered if those people had even seen a Grimm in their life.
Then again, who was he to judge. Considering his reason for visiting he would likely fall with the latter half.
"Hey watch it! Grimm 10 o'clock!" a voice called to him from above.
He took note of a juvenile Beowolf walking across the street on his way into the city. It probably managed to slip past the perimeter defenses. He quickly reached into his pack, pulling out his portable camera and snapped a quick picture before switching out to his notebook. It would be the first observation he would jot down realizing it was obviously not a good sign if a Grimm can penetrate this deep into town.
-Present Day-
"WAIT A SECOND!" Yang exclaimed, "You're telling me Grimm were just walking free around Mountain Glenn?"
"Now I wouldn't say free. In fact, it was but a minute later it was dispatched by one of the regular patrols. Of course, that there needed to be regular patrols is another matter entirely. It was one of the reasons the civilians were on edge and on the verge of a mass exodus."
Oobleck took a sip from his coffee mug cum weapon. "Now where was I? Ah yes, I found a cab that would take me as close to the front lines as they would allow..."
-Mountain Glenn-
After leaving the cab, it was only about a fifteen minute walk through the now abandoned business district before coming upon a building suitable for his purposes. The tall enough office building just tall enough to get a good view of the battlefield while simultaneously lacking the tourists out to get some morbid kicks calling attention to themselves. Oobleck walked through the are where the main entrance used to be, kicking away large shards of glass from what once served as the main entrance and shell casings in his way. The clanging sound of the casings echoes into the dark corridors eliciting no response. Truly it was abandoned.
Had Oobleck not known what he was getting into sneaking into what was essentially a battlefield one would almost assume they walked into some modern art installation by the strange mix of destruction and order from its obviously recent abandonment. Maybe about the business world being some sort of battlefield where its participants gave in to their more animal instincts. Nonetheless, he walked deeper into the main hall taking a few notes and snapping a few photos of the bullet holes and large scratch marks on the specific areas of the room where the battle had been concentrated in, walking past the still unharmed receptionist's desk taking specific note of the abandoned cup of long stale coffee still sitting on the wooden surface as he made his way past it up the stairs.
He considered himself fortunate there were no major obstructions on the stairs barring the occasional briefcase or discarded article of clothing occasionally stained with the blood of a possible victim. It wasn't something he wanted to imagine truly but the signs of how high up the fighting manged to get drove his imagination wild with a morbid fascination that probably drove those others to view the carnage. The enemy reached as far as the seventh floor by the concentration of bullet holes right below it. By his assumptions, Grimm were concentrated on the sixth trying to force their way up through sheer force of numbers while soldiers desperately held their ground from higher ground. He wrote a few notes down,snapped a few pictures, and quickly moved on. As fascinating as it was to him, this wasn't what he came for.
Once Oobleck reached the door to the roof he pulled on the handle having it jiggle loosely before simply pushing on it. It was kicked in from the outside, likely one of the entrance paths for the soldiers who fought down on the seventh floor. He suddenly felt grateful for the sunlight and the morning breeze as a contrast to the grim series of miniature battlefields he had just walked out of. Other than a few high caliber shells on the ground, the roof had no signs of battle.
"Now what's a young cub like yourself doing here by yourself hmm?
-Present Day-
"Let me guess. It was Professor Port wasn't it?"
"Well yes, how did you know?"
"Well first of all, it kind of sounds like him. Also, I mean, the story kind of writes itself. Not to mention I assume you're trying to teach me how valuable Professor Port's lessons are."
"Hm" Oobleck was impressed with his student."Very astute of you."
The blonde pounded her chest with her right hand to brag. "Well I am an older sister after all. Telling stories and making out the stories of others is kind of our thing. Ever since Ruby was small it took her some time to get to the point."
"Well nevertheless, yes it was Peter Port albeit a slightly taller and far more muscular version than the current one. Had you seen him more in his youth you'd be more prone to believe his brash seemingly exaggerated stories."
Yang lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're serious? Even the one where he wrestled an adult Ursa into submission with his bare hands?"
The professor simply nodded. "When I first met him that day, he was in his mid-30s, long before he took the title of professor. Had you seen him in those days I doubt you'd be so incredulous. Why, even now there's a painting he made of himself that he's shown the other professors that-" He paused. "Nevermind. That's not something for students to know about. Now where did I leave off..."
-Mountain Glenn, Rooftop-
Peter Port quickly inspected the young man who intruded on his position noticing his weapon first.
"Ah. I see you're a Hunter as well-no, a student." The large man inspected him. "Shouldn't you be in class? They usually start about this time if my memory serves me."
Oobleck considered his options. Having already been caught, he may as well try to negotiate his way past the mustached man.
"I'm only here to observe the behavior of the Grimm. I'm not here to fight."
Peter Port narrowed his eyes, obviously upset at the answer.
"Of course you're not here to fight you fool! You'd merely wind up another victim." He scolded. " Even if you were here just to observe, you'd still be in the way. You obviously don't understand enough to do even that."
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture."I understand my lack of understanding. It's the reason I'm here to observe. Isn't it considered much better experience in the field than merely in some classroom?"
Oobleck wondered if he was getting through to the large Hunter. He saw Port consider those words for a second before forming a response.
"You're not wrong. Out in the field there is a vast amount of glory to be achieved and wealth of knowledge to be had. Why I could tell you stories about the glorious hunts I've had throughout my career! Why once in my youth I used these very muscles to wrestle an Ursa barehanded and..."
He flexed his arms to demonstrate his bulging muscles as a way show proof of his accomplishment before stopping. Oobleck wondered how much self-control the brawny ham of a Hunter was using not to finish the story he was obviously dying to tell.
"but I digress, we are on a battlefield after all. No time for stories. As I was saying, there is much glory to be had but alone your gains will likely be minimal. Only with a mentor can anything you gain truly be realized. Take for example right now."
"What do you mean?"
A loud screech from above, no from behind Oobleck interrupted their conversation. No, several screeches coming from a flock of Nevermores of varying sizes quickly set upon the pair who quickly drew their weapons and began firing into the air as a standard tactic to break their formation. Grimm may be considered mindless, but anyone with any experience hunting them quickly learns how easily they coordinate with each other.
"Boy. Take care of the small ones while I distract the large one!" Port commanded. "While the largest one is busy a new leader will take command. Look for the one in the center who seems to be directing a new formation. Aim for that one to attract the smaller ones!"
Oobleck did as he suggested and began shooting at the small ones while observing for any change in their behavior. After taking out two of the smaller ones, one of the larger ones began to crow until they quickly began to form around it. Under its new direction, they circled around before swooping down at the offender.
"Ah Perfect formation!" The Port cheered before turning from his current prey to the attacking group, engulfing the majority with a full-force blast from his dust-enhanced Blunderbuss. The young student took his cue and picked off the stragglers.
"You see, being out in the open atop high places makes you perfect prey to be picked off by flying Grimm who also end up being led into the city! There's a reason we direct those observers to watch from inside buildings." Port yelled out as he rolled out of the way of the final swooping Nevermore's talons. "Had I not been here you would have foolishly been killed by them. If not eaten, you would have surely been sent plunging to your death with the added problem of having lured them farther inside the city!"
Oobleck acknowledged the lecture as he watched as the Grimm flew back into the air as it turned to prepare for another pass at them. It was during this time, he had a good moment to take a real look at the obviously gigantic creature of Grimm. Considering its size the two of them weren't the first that gigantic wingspan cast a shadow over blocking out the sun, and for its poor victims, hope. Its black talons were trained on the Port who merely laughed a hearty laugh as if amused by the challenge posed by the creature of darkness shaped like a bird of prey. By the sound of the Nevermore's loud almost offended screech it seems the man's taunts were somehow effective as the speed of its dive increased.
"I assume we shoot it in the eyes before it has a chance to reach us." Oobleck inquired.
"Normally yes," Port laughed and lowered his weapon to his side, " but you forget where you are! They should be ready anytime now."
The young man wondered what he meant as he braced himself for the coming attack that never came. Before its talons were able to grasp anything its body explodes in mid air, the creature screeching in pain as it veered off and crashed into a nearby building.
"He would have looked perfect on my mantle." Port lamented as he watched the artillery from below finish off the struggling Grimm, its cries of anger slowly subsiding into nothing. No one was sure if they felt pain. After its death as he dissolved into the air he turned his attention to his impromptu battle partner also observing the Nevermore's final moments.
"Now that that's over with, you really should go back to your school before you do something foolish again. Had you been here alone this would likely have turned out quite differently."
"So if being alone on the rooftop was so dangerous what were you doing up here?" Oobleck countered.
"Waiting for my team of course! How do you think the artillery got here so fast? Now you should get off the roof and go back home before the military finds you."
-Present Day-
"So I assume you left right after?" Yang questioned.
"Of course not." Doctor Oobleck answered simply. "I was young and foolish and it was not every day you get to witness that kind of event. I even got some excellent observations though I sadly lost the notebook."
"See!" Yang felt justified in her response."You got out and you had an adventure you wouldn't have had by simply staying. You even got into a big battle!"
"You're not wrong but also it was foolishness that almost got me in real trouble. You will have your indiscretions and even gone off on your own but do realize the importance of asking for help not only from your team but also from those more experienced around you. You have to remember you may be Huntresses in training but you're also students with much to learn."
"Ha! Of course! What do you think I'm some kind of idiot?" If she was nervous that he was implying he knew about any of their recent adventures she didn't show it.
"Of course not. I'm only making a note that there is still much to learn at your age and veteran hunters such as Professor Port can provide invaluable advice. For all of his boisterous claims and exaggerated stories, out of all of your teachers, he is not only the oldest but he's also the one with the most combat experience."
"What about Ozpin?"
He considered that for a second, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "Our esteemed headmaster? He's always been a mystery within a mystery but he truly has earned all of our respect."
"Oh." Yang said, dissatisfied with the response. "Well, I guess I better go meet Professor Port now. I'm gonna go apologize to him before the next class begins!"
She began to take off but quickly stopped after a couple of steps, turning her head back toward the professor.
"So did you ever meet the rest of the team?"
"No. They never arrived" He said without elaborating. "Now get going the bell for the next class should begin just about now."
'Wasn't he waiting for the team on the rooftop?'
The blonde realized there was likely more to that story but decided it was better off not to ask.
"Thanks for the story Professor Oobleck! See ya!" She waved back at him before resuming her run.
"That's Doctor Oobleck!" he called out, doubting she even heard as the bell for second period rang across the campus.
-Professor Port's Classroom-
"So you're saying that the esteemed Doctor Oobleck was the delinquent from that day!" Port laughed mirthfully at Yang's recollection of the the history teacher's earlier story. "To think it took me so long to recall!"
She'd arrived just as the class was finished clearing out approaching the man as he prepared to leave having greeted the rest of his team on the way out knowing she'd have to explain her absence to Weiss from the glare she leveled the blonde. After immediately apologizing for missing the class which was quickly waved off, she felt compelled to ask about Oobleck's story wondering how much of it was true. Judging by his reaction the tale wasn't an exaggeration.
"That was a splendid hunt! One of the largest Nevermores you'd ever see!" He stopped himself. "I would tell you the story from my perspective now but I fear you must get to the next class soon. I will though consider it for a future lecture."
"So he really wasn't lying about into Mountain Glenn alone?"
He rolled the end of his mustache between his fingers."I would hardly call it alone seeing as much of it was still populated but yes, he was foolish in traveling there alone. As a Huntress you should know that your team is as important as your life! Why, even if his observations had been critical to victory he would still have been foolish. What would his lady love back at the school have thought if he'd gotten hurt!"
"Wait WHAT! He had a girlfriend?" She appeared shocked at the idea.
"Very possible given what he left behind. Everyone has their spring. Even your professors. Why when I was your age I had many loves such as-"
"Stop stop please!" Yang really did NOT want to hear that.
"Ah yes." Port coughed, "Well when he left he forgot his notebook, the back of which contained juvenile poetry directed toward a love interest. Oh that 'bunsen burner of his heart' provided us many laughs around the campfire that night!"
'bunsen burner of...' Yang let it sink in.
"Haha oh wow!" She instantly burst out laughing. In the back of her mind she imagined a young Oobleck sitting in the library writing poetry to an unknown girl, scribbling furiously with love in his heart. "Please! You have to let me see the notebook! I promise I'll even give it back to him!"
Port raised an eyebrow as he noticed the sudden mischievous sparkle in the blonde prankster's eyes.
"I'd rather not. I'll hand it to him in person later."
"Why not! Come on! Pleease!"