Just some quick notes on this story: This is an alternate timeline, which starts at the same time as the episode sharing its name with this chapter. All the RWBY cast stay the same personnality-wise. Don't like Cardin? Neither do I, but I also dislike the fact that too much fics picture him and his team as hopeless bullies, or sandbags. So here's my attempt at giving them depth. Hope you'll enjoy discovering the show's events from another point of view.
V2 note: Dove is now mute. Rock will change to be less of a Mary-Sue. Cardin is an even bigger asshole at first.
Chapter 1 - Field Trip
"This assignement sucks."
-Uh... Cardin? You were not saying that this morning..." Russel remarked.
"It was before I learned that we would accompany her." The leader said, visibly annoyed. He may have considered women unfit for the job before, but after a lot of verbal hammering from proffessor Oobleck, he was forced to face the fact that there sure were huntresses of talent in the history of Remnant.
Team CRDL chose the observation mission with their own criteria: the most badass-sounding name for the leading male hunter. The winner was a certain 'Rock Maverick'.
"Who would call a girl 'Rock'?" Cardin of them all held expectations so high that he couldn't accept their virility model's gender. "Where was her parents' fuckin' common sense?
-It was my father's idea If you really wish to know." The huntress made her presence known to the group of teenagers. "As for the common sense, I still wonder where myself."
They wanted a strong and cool-looking fighter and that's what they got:
Rock was an athletic woman, standing taller than all the boys except the orange-haired leader. They could tell that she was exercising regularly, harboring more muscle mass than the average huntress. She was wearing a tight black and lightly armored suit, with black cargo pants and dark leather knee-high combat boots. The highlights of her various pieces of armor and clothing were of a deep blue.
"Could have been worse." Russel whispered, grinning while eying her shapes. There was no doubt that under the rough wrapping was a strong, but beautiful body.
"Still not what I wanted." Cardin told him. He was staring at her face, and more precisely her eyes, which were very uncommon: of a piercing white, with a slight rosy tint. Intimidating, but also strangely mesmerizing…
She had pale healthy skin, and a chiseled-but-feminin face. Her jet-black hair was spiked and swept back, down to her neck were it was tied in a tress, which ended near the end of her back.
"Speak for yoursel-Urgh!" Cardin's elbow in his side stopped Russel from further undressing her mentally.
"Well guys, hope you're ready 'cause we're going right now." She began to walk to the Bullhead, and then added: "We'll keep things simple and go by the first names, so Rock is fine. Okay?
-Yes Ma'm" Cardin's automated answer made her sigh. She knew there was some 'Goodwitch' behind it.
After that, all went smoothly despite team CRDL's prior disappointment. They, all but Cardin, chatted along the 3 hours flight toward south west Vale. They landed in the last town before the great Evergreen forest. Its apple green thread of foliages was well-known as an inspiring sight for artists, but also for housing some of the largest packs of Grimms known to mankind.
Architecture-wise, the buildings were a mix of the main city's and the SDC's, "white" and "metallic" beeing the first words one would use to describe them. And so was the office they met the mayor in, to get further explanations about their task. The boys weren't paying much attention to the old man's speech, but understood at least the fact that there was some digging done in the area.
And each time, the same song. When searching dust, you find Grimms. In this case it was a group of Beowolves.
It took less than an hour for them to find the pack. 20 individuals at best, without even an alpha in their ranks. "Piece of cake, right?" Said Sky, with apprehension though.
And all in all, even he managed to kill 2 of them. 3 more fell for each of the remaining members.
And that's when Rock made her first move of the day. After observing the teenagers, she decided to show them a bit of her capabilities.
She used her dust whip, which was literally cutting through air as it striked. Its intimidating sound ranged from a high-pitched bird-of-prey-like howl when attacking, to a low but menacing growl when standing ready. Dust sparks on the tip threatened to volatilize anything that it would come in contact with.
As the boys learned during the flight, 'Moira's caress' was its official name. However, she preferred a lot 'death's middle finger', or simply 'middle finger', but the chief armorer back at Beacon refused to register a name he deemed 'extremely vulgar'.
Well, she wasn't a student anymore, so 'middle finger' was now causing havoc in the pack. Each of its precise strikes chopping off limbs of the creatures in a gory fashion, as it seemed like some powerful subdermal explosive device was at work.
If it wasn't enough already, all the Beowolves had sustained at least one of her attacks, and those that still had at least their heads and torsos were writhing on the ground as if hellfire was burning them from the inside until they finally died.
She proceeded to eliminate the remaining ones, and some extras species which were attracted by the racket. All the while, the huntress looked unfazed, and nether bothered with any unnecessary movement. This was but a boring game to her.
"Doesn't she... Rock? Uh?" Russel checked if his bad pun had the expected effect. None of his teammates bothered to laugh as they were observing the onslaught before them.
"Yeah..." Cardin responded, having at least understood the basic meaning of the question. He wanted to witness a strong warrior obliterate any opposition, and he did. The whip wasn't his weapon of choice, but there was something in its raw cruelty and the way it induced fear that just struck a chord for him.
The forest finally became silent. "Well, that must be all of them. Come on guys! Let's move!" Rock ordered.
The team quietly began to follow her. They reached the town half an hour later, ready to take off.
At least that's what they thought, but Rock avoided the way to the landing pad, and instead headed to another part of the forest.
"Hey! Where are we going?" Asked Cardin, surprised by the sudden and unexpected change of direction.
"You didn't expect to complete this in less than one day, did you?" Answered Rock, almost sighing through the whole sentence.
"But, we did what they asked us!" Sky added. The less he saw of the Grimm, the happier he was.
"True, but you did come here to observe, and more importantly learn! I was a student once too you know? I know that if I let you all go back to Beacon, you're gonna spend the rest of the week dozing off." They all avoided her stare, their embarrassment clearly showing after beeing found out.
"That's not fair! This wasn't on the mission summary!" Sky used the most logical argument he could come up with now.
Rock took out her scroll and typed on the screen, then put it back in her pocket, resuming her strides.
Seconds after, all of CRDL's scrolls vibrated. They all took them, and looked at the notification, wide-eyed: A new mission order.
"Now it is." Came Rock's voice, now disappearing in the darkening forest.
All the boys were mumbling, cursing through the whole walk, before they met their destination.
Rock was leading them to a second village hidden deep into the Evergreen forest, occupying the only glade it had. The trees were now sporting deep green leaves, the sun barely able to light the path through them.
Sky checked the mission summary once again. "Grimms reports… village threatened… Ursai…" And the he tentatively asked "Weren't there other hunters to do the job?", desperately wanting to find an flaw in her plan.
"Actually, I was the one who volunteered. Since the first mission was largely overestimated…"
Everybody in team CRDL froze a second. The huntress had taken out twenty Beowolves and other unlucky Grimm without breaking a sweat only a few moments ago, demonstrating a terrifying know-how in killing.
"... I decided to go on this other one since it wasn't that far! And this time, it's not just petty Beowolves..." They stopped, and she looked at them with a malicious grin. "We're talking about Ursai here.
Oh no..." Sky faltered.
"Problem?" she asked.
"Nothing" said Cardin, not wanting to remember the painful experience he once had in Forever Fall.
They all continued silently until they reached the center of the small gathering of rudely constructed houses, the equivalent of a main plaza. Someone who looked like a wise elder soon came out of one of the wooden constructions.
It took a moment for the boys to notice while he was talking with the huntress, but when they did they irked visibly.
"That's a Faunus" Cardin whispered. He felt his blood warm up several degrees.
It wasn't all. Soon, a lot of them emerged from everywhere, staring at them, but still somehow hiding behind what they could.
"That's a fuckin' freak fair! She led us into a fuckin' freak fair!" He hissed, his friends tensing along with him.
"Is there a problem?" Rock had just finished her discussion and was eying them one brow raised, suspiciously.
"We're not going." The orange-haired leader said, flatly.
"What, you scared?" Rock told him, hoping to get him and his teammates to go by teasing. It often worked.
"Yeah, yeah, we're scared." His emotionless reply, and the silence of his frowing comrades screamed "We don't care".
She frowned, taking a dark expression.
Their hateful eyes… She knew exactly what the problem was: Racism. Faunus haters. She did not have the time nor was it her role to talk this out.
In fact, she nearly lost all empathy for them the moment she learned that. Best to go alone, the quicker I do it, the faster I get rid of them... She thought.
"Alright, stay here then, there's an inn free for us to use on our stay. No accidents. I'll be back soon..." She then headed for the forest. "Cowards." She said out after several steps, loud enough for them to hear, and for her to calm herself.
"Freak-loving bitch…" Uttered Cardin, beeing careful not to be heard.
Sitting around a table in the empty inn's hall, they were all grudging, calling the huntress crude names in a vain effort to calm themselves. They spent nearly two hours there, and there was no sign of her coming back.
Then they heard clamors. They all broke out of their slurring game, ears on the lookout, and heads carefully protruding from a window. They soon heard the roars of Ursai nearby, only to confirm their presence as all the villagers went into hiding. All, except one...
All the villagers witnessed a little Faunus boy who tripped while trying to reach the nearest house, only to stop, frozen solid, as the the shadow of one of the huge beasts was drawing dangerously near.
"Fitting." Cardin spoke cruelly. He had no concern. Grimm are animals and are evil, a menace. Faunus are animals, looking like humans, but definitely animals. When humanity will understand what they may be hiding, it will be too late.
He was the only one in the team who seemed to enjoy that. The others had more concern about their own lives. Nevertheless, he was going to make himself comfy watching the wicked show.
The boy's end was just seconds away. And that's when an unexpected memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind. The depths he wished he could forget.
Red leaves falling. A forest full of trees stuck in an everlasting Autumn. Forever Fall.
He was once at the mercy of an Ursa too, this expression not even fitting since Grimm always kill their prey. He went to a simple red sap gathering assignment, which could have ended in a grave. But maybe the worst was the fact that he was saved by the very wimp he and his teammates were constantly bullying.
Jaune had demonstrated remarkable fighting qualities when cornered, earning a bit of Cardin's respect. In return of his rescue, the blonde boy had only asked one thing: "Don't mess up with my team. Ever. Again. Got it?"
The orange-haired leader could only comply with the request. He now had a life debt, and as much as he disliked the person he owed it to, he swore to respect it. As a true hunter, and someone worthy of the Winchester name.
He had once been in the Faunus boy's position, helpless against the giant Grimm. But he had had someone to save him... This someone was weak, but he stood nonetheless. What would he do now? Would he step in and gather honors again? What would Jaune do?
"I'm not like him." Cardin mumbled between his clenched teeth. He stopped shaking as even more memory flashes and thoughts struck his mind one after another. They all had the same blonde knight in them.
"I'm not like him!" He shouted as the fear was somehow overrun by rage, a desperate rage, and he bursted through the door to rush at the Ursa. There was no plan. It was an idiotic tantrum.
He exchanged blows with the creature, Mace against claws. Heavy blows, frightening blows. He felt all the raw power, enough to tear his limbs off effortlessly.
Cardin was heavily focused, one mistake and everything would end. His mace was capable of fending off the huge claws, but for how long? He hadn't been scratched yet. "For the best...! Urgh!" As he rolled to the side dodging a particularly heavy claw swipe, he felt a subtle flare of pain from an old wound he beared on his right hip. "Fuck! All because of...!"
Because of a huntress of talent in brown and bronze armor. Pyrrha Nikos.
The fight Cardin had with her during the combat class was replaying before him.
A spear and shield, lightning fast strikes. Those where dangerous, impossible to react to, and extremely painful. If their wielder would have been ordered to kill him, she could have. Severe bruises were the reminders left of his fight against the invincible girl. The Ursa's attacks were dangerous, deadly, but... SHE was the strongest opponent he ever fought head-on, this Ursa suddenly seemed... manageable.
"I've seen worst, beast!" he shouted fiercely.
Deflecting the Ursa's next blow, he managed to land a powerful explosive strike, killing his opponent. "Yeah! What do you think of th-URGH!" He did not see the second Ursa charging from behind and throwing him into a nearby wall.
"You kiddin' me? How didn't he see it coming?!" Russel nearly shouted, him and the rest of Cardin's gang trying to observe the scene without beeing seen.
Dove tapped his own elbow twice, and the green-haired boy understood right away. Their leader had always been like a bull. Once enraged, he won't see anything past his target. And the silent boy experienced this fact firsthand during their fight against the invincible girl.
And now they were seeing Cardin downed by an Ursa for the second time, and another one was already in sight! They could only whisper, "Oh, Dust..." and shake teeth.
Until Cardin bursted into rage. "Come on beasts!" Trying to get up, his eyes were showing fear, but there was something else, something stronger…
Resolve.
"If I can't overcome this, then what good am I? Hell! I refuse to be left behind! I'm better than this fucking Jauney boy!" The Ursa wasn't fazed the least by the leader's monologue, and he took a second blow. His scroll played an alarm tune, signaling that his Aura was now in the red. The next strike would now be his doom.
But the speech had successfully galvanized his team members. They all somehow shared his feelings about one thing, "Worse than Jaune? No way!" and went straight to the fight.
"Take thaaaaaat!" shouted Russel, as the attacking Ursa was thrown off-balance by his spin powered dropkick. Dove then went slashing some joints on the left leg and arm of the creature, further luring him away from their leader.
Cardin took the occasion to stand up and target the second one who was already on him. He dodged a blow by rolling and ignoring the pain, and faced the beast again.
"Cardin, now!" Sky called's. His carefuly aimed shot from his rifle-halberd took the monster by surprise and cracked its mask. It was smashed soon afterward as the explosive mace connected.
The two others were able to keep the first enemy busy, but Russel was hit and thrown into Dove, the latter managing to flip and land on his feet. The huge mass was already charging at them though and his green-haired teammate had not recovered yet.
Dove desperately fired his revolver-sword, hoping to slow the Ursa, but it did nothing. Bracing for the impact, he was pushed aside by Russel, the two of them barely escaping the initial assault.
The shadow of the soon-to-fall monstrous claws covered them, they won't be lucky this time. All colors were draining from their faces.
Another rifle shot was heard, shattering the creature's mask. And then its legs were torn by an explosive wave. Sky and Cardin brought them victory on a gold plate.
Now kneeling, the head of the beast met the blades of Russel and Dove point blank. It emitted a muffled raging roar, before its eyes lost their glow and the huge creature fell, finally dead.
It's just the beginning. If you liked it, or if you're just curious, please follow!
If you're wondering: I'm trying to stay as close to the show as I can, because I wish the elements of this story to be canon. And then
Many thanks to Ziiroh for betaing my story, correcting my frenglish, and suggesting me many useful improvements.
And then many thanks to Blood Shinobi for pointing out the hard way (Weiss would have been proud of you) that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to write in proper English.
