Prologue

He was already awake before his mum had come into the room to wake him up, but he didn't feel like getting up yet.

"You'll be late," his mother said. Gabriel muttered something from under the sheets. "What did you say?"

"Give me a minute," Gabe said, pulling his blanket tighter around himself. He heard his mum sigh just before the door closed shut just a little louder than he would like. He pulled himself up straight.

His room was mostly empty as most of his stuff was packed and ready to go. Both his mum and his immediate younger sister, Karen wouldn't let him sleep until he packed.

"I'll pack tomorrow morning," he had whined.

"You won't have time," they had scolded him in unison.

I'll miss this room, he thought as he headed for a shower.

"Mum says come down for breakfast," said Anna who had came into the room abruptly. Thankfully, Gabe had just finished pulling on his pants.

"Didn't I tell you to knock before coming in?"

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly, the look on her face made it clear she didn't mean it. Was Karen this playful when she was Anna's age? Gabe wondered. Probably not. His two younger sisters, seven years apart, weren't much like each other he thought.

"I'll be down in a minute," he said to her. Nodding her head, Anna was out of the room and down the stairs in no time.

Downstairs, Karen was already eating breakfast. Dropping his bags, Gabe walked to join her. "Morning."

Karen nodded in reply, eating her toast silently.

"It'll be quiet without you around Gabriel," said their mum. He didn't know what to say, so he just continued eating.

"Looks like you'll have to find someone else to help with carrying the groceries," he joked without looking up.

"Guess I will," she replied before walking off, summoned by the crying of the youngest member of the family.

"Make sure you take care of Mum, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me," Karen replied.

"Guess I was worrying for nothing." The two of them ate in silence. "Thanks for helping me pack last night."

"Help? I did everything. If I wasn't around, you'd be packing right now."

"Fine fine. Thanks for packing for me."

"Shouldn't you get going?" Karen asked, looking at the watch. "I'm sure Diana's already waiting for you.

"She can wait a little longer."

"No wonder you're single. You don't know how to treat a lady."

"Why do I have to listen to a 14 year old about how to treat a lady?" Gabe took a glance at the clock hanging on the wall. "In any case, guess you're right. I'll eat on the go." He got up and headed for the door, bags in hand.

"Well Mum. Time for me to go I guess," he said to his mum who was standing by the door.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will."

"Make sure to eat properly."

"Sure."

"Take care of Diana as well, okay?"

Gabe nodded.

"Then, there's not much left is there? Get going now."

"Bye Mum," Gabe said, stepping out of the house. He walked facing straight ahead, not turning back.

He didn't want to see his mother cry.

"You're late."

"You're early."

"Everyone else is already here. You're the only one who just got here."

"You're all early," Gabriel said, putting down his bags. Diana pouted for a brief moment, before the grin she normally had found its way back to her face.

They were only two out of dozens of people who had gathered here today, each with the same thing in mind.

"It's finally the day, isn't it?" she asked.

"Guess so." As if on cue, the airship that would be carrying them came into sight in the distance. "Why do we have to fly?"

"It'll be fine. That thing looks so big, you probably won't even realise you're flying."

"Never mind," he said. "You ready?" Gabe found himself asking, although the answer was obvious. From the energy that seemed to radiate from her to the sight of her weapon, the Gabe christened 'bow-blade' strapped to her back, every inch of her looked unable to contain her excitement.

Gabe was not good with names, but he thought the name was apt. As the name implied, it was a fusion of a bow and blades. There was a shielded grip for her to hold that extended into two blades on either side of the handle. The grip also acted as the grip for the bow, which extended in parallel just behind the blades.

Sometimes, when Gabe saw the bow-blade, he felt like his own weapon of choice was unimpressive. A simple handgun modified for extended magazines. But each time doubt crept in, he just thought back to how his simple weapon had never failed him once.

"Ready as I can be," Diana replied.

"Your bow-blade?"

"She's ready too," she said while patting her weapon gently. "And don't call her that. It's not cute."

"Not like you have a better name for it."

"I'll come up with a name one day."

"You've been saying that for how long now? And look, I'm not late. The plane hasn't even landed yet." Again, Diana's face twisted with annoyance for just the briefest moment before immediately going back to her usual, smiling self.

"What took you so long anyway?"

"The usual. Couldn't wake up, overly attached younger sister, emotional mother," Gabe replied. "Standard stuff."

"How was your mum?"

"She'll be fine. Karen and Anna are there for her. And there's William too. They won't miss me for long."

A simple glance at Diane would tell anyone that she didn't really belief what he said, but she kept quiet. "How were your parents?"

"They... they still don't look all that excited about the idea," she admitted. "But I've made up my mind. I'm doing this."

How Diane's parents felt made sense to Gabe. He knew most that his own family most probably felt the same way. After all, the moment their training started, their lives could be cut short at any time.

"Too late to change our minds now," Gabe said. "And I don't I can see either of us doing anything other than this." Diane nodded.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for," Diane added. "This is going to be exciting." The idea of putting his life on the line constantly wasn't Gabriel's ideal idea of excitement, but he nodded anyway. He had made up his mind much earlier as well. He was going to do this.

"What are we waiting for?" Gabe asked as he picked up his bags, joining the queue to board the now docked airship. "Why do we have to fly though?" he asked with a sigh.

All sorts of people were in the queue with them, of all colours and sizes. Boys and girls, humans and faunus, all armed with some sort of fancy weapon that made Gabe's handgun look like a toy.

Everyone here, for whatever reason, was here for the same reason.

"Beacon Academy, here we come!" cheered Diana.

The reason was simple.

"I am going to be a hunter."