Notes: Alright, this is quite the interesting little project I have been working on lately. In case you couldn't tell from the title, this is roughly based on the RT Web series Day 5. However I say roughly because even though the over all theme is the same, all characters that will appear in this story are either Canon RWBY characters or characters unique to this story. So there won't be any direct connection to the Day 5 story at all.
I have also taken some creative liberties with how the sleep 'virus' works. So you will noticed a few things are quite different in this story than they are in Day 5 in regard to that.
At the moment I plan for this work to be rather short with only 6 chapters in total and I hope to be able to finish it in a timely manor, unlike a few other works *cough*.
Anyway I hope you enjoy and please remember to leave your thoughts in the comments.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Day 5.
This story was Proof read by MartunaMajor.
Day 0: Prologue
Beacon Academy Staff Lodging 6:00am
It looked like it was just going to be a normal day at work for Glynda Goodwitch. She had woken up bright and early at 6:00am, took a nice warm bath, and like always enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee before setting out for the academy. And not thirty minutes later, she had arrived at Beacon ready for the day ahead.
Mind you it had been a rather hectic day on campus, but hectic was the norm. Just about every day at Beacon was crazier than the last, really. And it wasn't hard to imagine why when the school was filled with hundreds of hormone fueled and heavily armed teenagers. And the fact that this was a boarding school didn't help the matter either. In her experience, she found that people, especially young adults, tended to become wilder when away from home.
Then of course there was the matter of spring break. This would be the last day before the children would be released for a week long break. And of course she was more than happy to get some time away from the students herself. However, during the days leading up to an extended break like these the students always seemed to get more daring.
It truly boggled the professor's mind how they thought they could get away with half the stunts the students have pulled this year alone. It was like they thought they wouldn't be coming back in a week's time, and that a proper punishment wouldn't be waiting for them when they did. That is if we allowed them to leave at all. Over the years there had been several cases of students losing their off campus vacation privileges over childish pranks.
With that said however, she did understand them on at least some level. After all, she had also been a carefree teenager once upon a time, albeit much less daring and with far more modesty than many of today's youths. And it wasn't because she didn't want to be adventurous and have a good time, but rather because if her instructors had caught her, they would've tanned her hide red. And then they would have notified her parents so she could get a double helping when she came home.
'Those were different times indeed,' Glynda thought to herself as she stopped for a moment to let out a sigh and reminisce. She pondered what her students would be like now if they had been raised in her educational system. A sadistic part of her mind kind of wished her students could have the same school experience she'd had, even if only for a day. Then maybe they would understand how good they had it these days. And perhaps they would even realize that she really did have a heart and that despite popular belief, it wasn't made of stone.
When Glynda finished musing over these thoughts, she had nearly reached the main entrance of the academy's academic wing when a red and black blur zipped past her. "Good morning, Professor!" The blur shouted as it passed.
'These kids don't make it easy, do they?' Glynda thought to herself as she reached down to unstrapped her riding crop/weapon from her thigh. And with the flick of her wrist, the blur's momentum seemed to disperse almost instantly. The figure of a petite young girl with dark hair and a red cape emerged from within it. The girl let out a hushed squeal as she was practically yanked off her feet and pulled backward by some invisible force. Then Glynda flicked her wrist again and the girl was levitated back towards her and turned around to face her. "Good morning, Miss Rose. I know I need not remind you, but there is no running or semblance use permitted inside this wing." She told the girl in a slightly threatening tone.
The girl let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her neck before responding. "Umm but, I'm not inside the wing yet, right?" She asked timidly.
Glynda's eyes narrowed as she spoke again. "Indeed, that is why this is only a warning. Do try to remember it, Miss Rose. This is your last day before break, it'd be a shame to mess things up now,right?" The girl let out an audible gulping sound before nodding vigorously. It had seemed like she successfully dissuaded Ruby from doing anything too rash for the rest of day. And so Glynda allowed a small smile of satisfaction to come over her face. However, it must have seemed quite sinister to the small girl, at least if the way she winced was any indication. So she forced it back down and released her grasp on Ruby. "Move along now Miss Rose, you don't want to be late for class now do you?"
"Ye-yes, Pro-professor!" Ruby sputtered before dashing off only to skid to a stop right before she entered the doors and begin to walk normally again. Glynda just stood there shaking her head and thinking it was going to be a long day.
If only she knew just how right she was.
Beacon Academy Cafeteria
"Ugh!" Ruby groaned as she plopped down at her team's usual table in the cafeteria. The WBY of team RWBY and all four members of team JNPR were already seated and enjoying a hearty breakfast upon her arrival.
"What's wrong, sis? Unusual for you to be late for breakfast, did something happen?" Yang asked noticing her sister's woes.
"Yeah, you look like you could really use some pancakes!" Nora added from her spot on the other side of the table. This caused Ruby to look up at the massive stack of pancakes set out in front of the pink clad hammer wielder. "You will have to get your own though, these are mine!" She declared as she began vigorously stuffing syrup smothered chunks into her face
Ruby let out a frustrated sigh before responding. "I ran into Professor Goodwitch on my way here this morning."
Yang chuckled. "Still can't handle her, huh? Did she give you another lecture?"
"Yeah there was that, and a not so subtle threat. She practically said that she wouldn't let me leave campus during vacation if I caused her any trouble! Seriously, what did I ever do to deserve that!?" Ruby complained.
Yang along with the rest of the table cringed. "That fiend, can she even do that!?"
"According to the student handbook, leaving campus during the school year is a privilege. And therefore it could be taken away if the staff sees fit." Weiss chimed in.
"Why am I not surprised you read the student handbook?" Yang deadpanned.
"I read it too." Blake added.
Ruby just groaned again and slumped down onto the table. "This sucks! We may have to call off tonight's party now!"
Yang suddenly looked flabbergasted as she broke into a rant. "Cancel the party!? No way, we spent two whole days planning this shindig! So why on Remnant would we cancel it now!?"
Weiss gave a nod of agreement before adding. "Indeed, with everyone going back home for break tomorrow, we won't be able to see each other for quite some time. So it would be nice to have some fun together while we can."
"Because guys, as I'm sure your handbook would tell you, parties in the dorms are against the rules. If the Professor catches wind of it, well, we all could end up stuck here all break long!" And I don't know about you Yang, but I want to go home and see dad." Ruby argued.
"Of course I do Ruby, but that's no reason to throw away all of our hard work. I mean, what's even the worst case scenario? Even if Goodbitch finds us out, all that means is that we will just end up spending spring break here together, right?" Yang reasoned.
"Hey, speak for yourselves. Some of us actually have real vacation plans!" Weiss hissed from her seat beside Ruby. "Winter would kill me if I told her I had to cancel our trip to Vacuo because I had my privileges taken away."
"So what, you don't want to have the party now!?" Yang huffed in frustration.
Yang was surprised when a mischievous grin ghosted across the lips of her white clad teammate. "Oh no, we're having that party. Like you said, we've already put too much work into preparing it to just brush it aside. I'm just saying that we'll have to be more careful about this from now on." Weiss stated mirthfully.
"Oh my god, I think we're finally rubbing off on you, Ice Queen." Yang said jokingly before glancing over at her partner on the far end of the table. The black clad cat faunus had been rather quiet thus far and Yang had been making it a point not to exclude her from their conversations. Regardless of whether or not the faunus had any interest. "How about you Blake, you still in?"
Blake looked up from the book she had her face crammed into and focused an annoyed glare on her partner before responding. "I suppose, it's not like I have anything better to do." Blake stated dryly. Unlike the rest of them, she didn't really care about the party one way or the other. She would much rather spend her time alone in a quiet corner of the library, but she knew a certain set of blonds wouldn't let her miss out. Even if she could hide from Yang, surely Sun would sniff her out. So why bother fighting it.
"Come to think of it," Pyrrha spoke up this time, gaining everyone's attention. "I don't want to be intrusive and I don't mean this in a bad way so you don't have to answer but, you said that you don't have any close relatives to go visit. So I was wondering what your plans for spring break were, Blake?"
"Hey that's right, you haven't mentioned them." Yang added, now feeling curious herself.
"Well, it's not like I have anywhere to go home to." She began, causing Nora and Ren to cringe slightly. "So I will probably just stay here and catch up on my reading."
"What, that's so lame!" Yang blurted before a thoughtful look came over her face, and after a moment a smile crept onto her lips. "Oh, I have an idea! If you really have nothing better to do, why don't you come to Patch with me and Ruby?"
"Hey yeah, that's a wonderful idea!" Ruby cheered as she clapped her hands together and turned to face Blake expectantly.
To say Blake looked surprised by the offer was an understatement. It was clear she never even considered the possibility and seemed to be at a loss for words. After a long moment of silence, it looked like she was just about to responded when Weiss spoke up first. "It's 'Ruby and I' by the way." She corrected Yang's earlier grammar mistake.
"Hush, Weiss." Yang said dismissively before leaning closer to her black clad partner. "So how about it, Blake? You want to come with us?"
Blake quickly composed herself and cleared her throat before responding. "Just to make sure I understand what you're asking. You want me to tag along on your trip back home?" Both Ruby and Yang nodded. "Unannounced, won't your father think I'm a rude person?" She asked.
"What, that friendly old man? No way, he loves meeting new people!" Yang said dismissively. "And besides, I know for a fact that he's been dying to meet you. So this will be a great opportunity."
The look on Blake's face made it clear that she still wasn't sold on the idea. And nobody could really blame her, it was quite sudden. However, the puppy dog eyes Ruby was shooting her made it hard to decline, so she resigned herself. "Alright, you win, but how am I even going to get there? I haven't started packing yet and you're leaving tomorrow. It's a little late to book a flight, don't you think?" She inquired.
"We can help you pack tonight! We have some free time before the party starts." Ruby declared cheerfully.
"And you don't have to worry about the flight. Our uncle Qrow will be picking us up in his own ship and I'm sure he won't mind one extra person. Especially not if we tell him it's a cute girl." Yang added with a suggestive wiggle of the eyebrows.
The name Qrow caught Weiss' attention. "Wait, by Qrow, do you mean that crazy drunk who assaulted my sister in broad daylight!?" She asked and when Yang nodded she went on. "You're letting that mad man fly you across the kingdom!? Do you have a death wish or something? And how can this Kingdom allow somebody like that to have a pilot's licenses in the first place!?"
"Hey, Uncle Qrow is not crazy! And for your information, he's a great pilot. He used to always say that he felt more comfortable in the sky." Ruby said defensively.
"He's not a bad teacher either, depending on the day of the week." Yang added the word teacher causing Weiss' eye to twitch ever so slightly. With an amused chuckle Yang turned back to her partner. "So how about it Blake, if you really don't want to go we won't force you. Though I think it will be a lot of fun to have you. I can even give you the full tour of the island!"
Blake was quiet for a moment, a contemplative expression on her face. "You said your Uncle will be flying us, will he also be staying with us in Patch?"
An odd look came over Yang's features, she wasn't sure what she had expected her partner to counter with, but it wasn't that. "Yeah, he said that he would be staying there for at least a few days. He said that he plans to stay for the whole break, but might need to leave a few days early for work. Why, is it a problem if he's there?" Yang asked.
A small smile crept onto Blake's face as she spoke. "No, not at all, you can count me in."
Yang gave Blake an inquisitive look and Blake pretended not to notice as she returned her attention to her book to hide the rosy pink coloration that had begun to creep onto her cheeks. After another moment of awkward silence, Yang chose not to look a gifted faunus in the mouth, simply shrugged off her partners odd behavior, and went over to pull her into a tight hug. "Oh, Blake we're going to have so much fun together!"
Blake yelped as she was lifted out of her seat and forced into a vice. "Yang, can't breathe." She complained.
"Oh, sorry about that." Yang apologized before promptly releasing the faunus girl. And she looked like she was about to say something else when the sound of rock music filled the air.
Everyone at the table instinctively turned to look in the blond's direction with curious expressions. "Is that your scroll?" Blake asked while she tried to work the soreness out of her neck and arms.
"Yeah, this is Coco's ring tone. Hold on a minute." Yang replied before she quickly retrieved the device from her pocket and pressed the answer call button. "Hey Coco, what's up!? Are you and your team coming to the party in our dorm tonight?" She asked into the receiver. There was a pause for a moment as she waited for the person on the other end to respond. "Yeah, that does sound like fun and all but, I'm sorry Coco. I won't be able to come out tonight." There was another pause and Yang nodded before speaking again. "Alright, well I hope you guys have fun, bye." With that the call ended and Yang returned to her seat at the table.
"What was that about?" Weiss inquired.
"Oh, well it looks like team CFVY won't be able to make it to the party tonight. They decided to ditch class and head out into Vale for the day. And she also said that she's going to hit up the club later and wanted to know if I was interested. I turned her down of course. Now let's get back to business!"
Vale City Conner Cafe
"I'm guessing Yang will be busy?"
Coco Adel leader of team CFVY let out a disappointed sigh as she closed and returned her scroll to her hand bag from whence it came. "Yeah, it looks like Yang had already made plans with her team for tonight, a first year party or something like that. So it may end up being just you and me tonight Fox." She said to Fox Alistair, the young man who had spoken to her a moment ago.
The young man in question was slightly taller then the girl and had dark skin and bright red hair. And he didn't look nearly as disappointed by the news as he simply shrugged it off. "That's too bad, but hey don't be so down, honey. I can think of a lot of fun things we could do with just the two of us." The way he spoke these words came off quite suggestively and it wasn't lost on his partner.
Coco seemed less than amused by the propositioning and just rolled her eyes, making sure to exaggerate the gesture just to make sure it was noticeable behind her sunglasses. And then she responded in a slightly dry tone. "That's cute, but we will be spending the next two weeks together on the beaches of Vacuo, so we will have more than enough time for that later. However, we will be leaving everyone else behind in the meantime. So you will forgive me for wanting to have more of a farewell party than a romantic evening."
Fox let out a sigh and scratched the back of his neck while trying to answer. "Yeah, I know what you're saying. It just doesn't look like we will have much of an option one way or the other. I sort of figured we should try to make the best out of it is all."
Coco seemed to deflate slightly after that. "I guess you're right about that, love. We will just have to go out to the club by ourselves. Well, that is of course if I can't convince the two of you to change your minds and come with us?" She said as she looked past Fox and toward her other two team members. Yatsuhashi Daichi, a large boy with short dark hair and Velvet Scarlatina, a rabbit faunus girl with long brown hair.
The two in question were currently sitting across from Coco and Fox in their café booth. The team had stopped in to relax and enjoy a nice warm beverage before going out for more fun. However, their stay was lasting much longer than Coco would have liked. And this was because the latter two members of her team decided to turn it into a study session. And the two were now scribbling away on their vacation home work. "You guys listening?" Coco asked.
Noticing that their leader was now addressing them, Velvet let out a groan before turning to face Coco. "I already told you Coco, I don't feel like going to a club tonight."
"And I still don't understand why! I just want to have a little fun with you before we go on break. Is that so wrong?" Coco asked.
Velvet rolled her eyes at that. "No, I wouldn't say that's wrong. However, your idea of fun can be anything but for the other parties involved. If you really just wanted to hangout, there are a lot of things we could do." She retorted.
"Oh, like what?" Coco huffed.
Velvet looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "Well, I guess you could join us in getting our vacation homework done. You still haven't done it, right? I hope you're not planning to wait till the last minute again? Remember what happened last year?"
Coco's eyebrow arched upward as she spoke. "You're kidding, right?"
This comment seemed to visibly irk Velvet and she looked like she was about to retort when Yatsuhashi chimed in. "Or, we could see if we could join Yang and her friends later. You said they were having a party, right?" He suggested in a diplomatic tone.
"Hey yeah, that's a ripper idea, Yatsu!" Velvet said excitedly. "What do you think, Coco?"
Coco seemed to think it over for all of about two seconds before just waving it off. "Na, Yang is cool and all, but I barely even know the rest of those first year kids. And besides, it's a first year party and it's taking place in their dorm room. There's no way they would even be serving any alcohol. They wouldn't dare with that tight ass Goodbitch patrolling the halls."
This response seemed to really get under the rabbit faunus' skin, because when she spoke it was with venom. "Is alcohol all you think about!? You do know that you don't have to get bombed out to have a good time, right!? I'm not in the mood to baby sit a couple of drunks tonight!" She snapped.
"What, no that's not all I think about! Come on Vel, I just enjoy having a cold drink every now and then. If I swear that I won't get wasted tonight will you come?" Coco pleaded.
The rabbit faunus scoffed at that before addressing her leader in a stern tone. The same type of tone a mother would use to scold a child. "That's what you always say. Then a few shots later and you're either dancing on table tops, or picking fights with strangers, or having me hold your hair back while you puke your guts out. Coco, I love you, and for the most part I enjoy spending time with you. However, I don't trust you to restrain yourself around alcohol."
Coco was so taken aback by her teammate's tongue lashing that one might have thought that she had just been slapped in the face. And what made it even worse was that a part of her kind of wished she had been. She figured her aura would have made that sting a lot less than her teammate's words had. "Gees, that's harsh, Vel. The way you say it makes me sound like a total cot case."
"Aren't you!? I've see you put down a whole slab before I even got to my second drink! You have a problem, Coco!" Velvet accused.
Coco didn't take kindly to her 'friend's' accusations, and she made this clear by pulling her trademarked sunglasses free from their resting place above her nose so she could level a glare at the faunus. "You have no idea what you're talking about! And I don't have to stand here and take this! Come on Fox, let's just let these kids have their fun!" She roared as she spun around, shifting out of her seat, and began marching towards the door to the café.
"Go on then, no need to get off your bike love. You can do whatever you want, see if I care!" Velvet spat after her.
"Wait Coco, I don't think-" Fox tried to persuade his leader but was cut short when she spun back and yanked him along by his arm out of the booth and out of sight.
Velvet let out a deep sigh as she deflated into her chair. "Well, that could've gone a little better."
"Yeah." Yatsuhashi said as he nodded in agreement.
"Hey Yatsu, do you think I said too much?" Velvet asked. Her tone now completely drained of its anger and energy.
"Perhaps, though I think you were right about her having a problem. As our leader, she needs to set an example. Yet at every opportunity she seems to show a complete disregard for discipline. Somebody had to say something to her. I likely would have myself if you hadn't beaten me to it." Yatsuhashi said reassuringly.
Velvet hummed thoughtfully as she processed her friend's words. "Thanks Yatsu, though I still think I went a bit far. She really looked upset just now. Do you think she will forgive me?" She asked.
Yatsuhashi gave her a small nod. "Yeah, I'm sure she will. Coco is like a powerful storm, her temper can flare up as quickly as lightning and it can be just as violent to boot, but it also passes just as quickly. Especially when she knows that she's in the wrong. And she isn't a fool, I get the feeling that she already realizes that herself."
"Oh, what makes you say that? She seemed fairly adamant when she stormed out." Velvet inquired curiously.
Yatsuhashi shot his friend a grin. "It's because she stormed out in the first place. Coco would never back down if she thought she were in the right. That's just the type of person she is. So I'm sure she will be over this by morning. Just you watch."
"You really think so?" Velvet asked, still sounding a little skeptical.
"I know so." Yatsuhashi responded while sharing a reassuring smile with his teammate.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I think a nice warm shower would help me unwind." Velvet said as she stood up from the booth and began to stretch out. "You ready to head back to Beacon?" She asked.
Yatsuhashi gave his partner a warm smile before standing himself and gathering up their paperwork. "Yeah, let's head back."
Beacon Academy First Year Dormitory 6:00pm
"There, you're all packed." Yang declared while forcing a stuffed suitcase closed. Then once it was latched up tight she stood up and wiped a few droplets of sweat from her brow. "I told you we could get it done before the party started." She added as she turned towards her black clad partner who was latching a second suitcase shut.
Blake then stood up and gave her partner a smile. "Yeah, though it was a close call. The party will be starting in just a few minutes."
Yang hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, well it would have gone a lot faster if you let us help with your book collection." This comment caused Blake's ears to twitch slightly and a red tint to appear on her cheeks once again. However, this seemed to go unnoticed as Yang went on. "Why are you bringing so many anyway? I know you love reading and all, but we're only going to be there for two weeks. I doubt you will get through half of those."
Blake shrugged. "I like to keep my options open. Besides, I have never really been on vacation before, so I'm use to keeping all of my belongings with me I guess. And some of these are first editions. I would worry too much if I left them behind."
"I guess that makes sense. I like to keep my options open too." Yang said as she leaned closer to her partner and gave her another suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Personal space please." Blake deadpanned as she shoved Yang's face away from her. "Geez, you can be worse than Sun sometimes, I swear." She huffed.
"Whatever, I know you love me." Yang declared with a chuckle, and though Blake didn't agree with the statement, she made no argument against it either. Yang thought about teasing her partner a bit more but was interrupted by a knock on their dorm room door. "Oh, that must be our guests!"
With that, Yang made her way over to the door and pulled it open to reveal all four members of team JNPR. "Hello again, I hope we're not early." Pyrrha greeted.
"No, you guys are right on time." Yang stated as she made way to allow the four into the room.
"Kind of hard not to be, I mean we live across the hall." Nora chimed in with a giggle.
"So says the person who nearly caused us to be late." Jaune added.
"Oh, what happened?" Yang asked.
"Nora had too many sweets this morning and had a bit of a sugar crash. We couldn't wake her until only twenty minutes ago." Ren explained, causing Nora to giggle and give a quick apology.
Yang laughed at that until she heard another knock on the door. "I should get that." She said as she began to walk towards the door, but turned back around to address the group again. "Oh right, just to let you guys know, we have refreshments in the cooler so feel free to help yourselves. The gaming system is already hooked up over there. If you feel like playing some music my scroll is hooked up to the speakers over there, and the playing cards and board games are in the closet over there. If you get hungry don't worry, Ruby and Weiss should be back with some snacks here soon." Yang said as she directed their attention to each item. "You guys feel free to get started while I get this."
"Roger, captain!" Nora declared with a salute before reaching over to interlock her arm with Ren's and dragged him forward. "Come on Ren, let's play some games!" She cheered. Ren being use to his partner's rough treatment just sighed and agreed.
"Shall we?" Jaune asked his own partner. The red head gave him a nod of agreement and they followed after their teammates.
Meanwhile, Yang had made her way to the door and had pulled it open to reveal a blond faunus boy named Sun Wukong and his blue haired aqua phobic teammate Neptune Vasilias. "Hey guys, you ready to party?" Yang greeted.
"Heck yeah, this is going to be awesome!" Sun cheered before glancing over Yang's shoulder to spy Blake chatting with Pyrrha and Jaune in the middle of the room. "Hey, Blake!" Sun greeted the fellow faunus before rushing into the room.
Yang just shook her head. "Well that boy is eager to get his heart broken." She mumbled to herself.
"What was that?" Neptune asked.
This caused Yang to stiffen slightly before laughing for no apparent reason. "Oh nothing, just thinking of a funny joke I heard earlier."
"Oh, alright then." Neptune said before glancing around the room and taking in all the little decorations. "I'm guessing Weiss put all of this together?" He asked.
"Hey, it was a group effort." Yang stated in her defense. "Though yes, Weiss did do most of the decorating."
"By the way, where are all of the beds?" Neptune asked as he realized how spacious the small dorm room suddenly felt.
"Oh, those? We figured we would need the extra space, so we did some checking around and we found out that the dorm room just a few doors down from us is currently empty. The team is away on an important mission and won't be back until after break. So last night, we moved all of our beds in their and began decorating. And just so you know, we contacted the team and they gave us the okay." Yang explained.
"Wow, sounds like a lot of work." Neptune commented, getting a nod of agreement from Yang. "Where did you guys sleep last night?" He asked.
"We just used the sleeping bags we usually use for when we are out on missions." Neptune then made a comment about how that must have been rough, causing Yang to shrug. "It was kind of fun, actually. Usually when we use those things we're out in the wilderness fighting for our lives. However, when it's here in our dorm room, it was kind of like the sleepovers and camping trips Ruby and I used to have as kids."
"I guess I can see the appeal. Will you be sleeping like that tonight as well?" Neptune asked.
"Sleeping? Who said we would be doing any sleeping tonight? We're partying until the roosters call!" Yang cheered. And it looked like Neptune was about to comment on that when the door was pushed open before Ruby and Weiss stepped into room, hoisting large paper bags filled with various treats. "About time, what took you guys so long?" Yang asked.
"Blame Ruby, she grabbed too much stuff! Do you know how hard it was to carry all of this back here?" Weiss complained, causing Ruby to pout.
"Here, let me help you with that." Neptune said as he rushed over to relieve the heiress of her sweet and salty burdens. Weiss became a little red when she realized he had heard her little rant, but was quite pleased to have his help and the two quickly made their way in to join the others.
Meanwhile, Ruby was left stumbling with her own bag and Yang let out a sigh as she stepped forward to give her little sister a hand. "Here, I got you." She said as she stabilized her sister and took the bag off her hands.
"Thanks, sis!" Ruby cheered before the two also moved to join the others after setting down the bags and spreading out the snacks for everyone to see.
With that, the party had begun. And had been going for nearly an hour when another rap on the door was heard. The knocks had an odd rhythm to them, almost as if the person on the other side wasn't sure what they were doing. And each one was loud and flat, like they were using a hammer to do the job. Everyone exchanged odd uncertain looks before directing their gaze on the door.
"Umm, are we expecting anyone else?" Ren inquired.
"Well, there is one other person but she said she wouldn't be here for a few more hours." Yang said.
"Should we answer the door then?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah, I'll get it. If it were a teacher or something, they would have spoken up." With that, Yang stood up and made her way over to the door before carefully cracking it open and peering out into the hallway. Nobody came into view right away and Yang was beginning to think it had just been a practical joke. "Hello?"
"Salutations!" Yang heard somebody suddenly shout, causing her heart to jump into her throat before she tumbled backward, though managed to right herself. When she refocused on the door, which was only slightly open she saw standing in the threshold a short confused looking girl with red hair, green eyes, and freckles.
"Penny!? What are you doing here!?" Yang shouted.
"Did I do something wrong?" Penny asked, suddenly sounding like a kicked dog.
That's when Ruby zipped by and pulled Penny into a hug. "No, you didn't do anything wrong Yang's just a grouch sometimes!"
"Ruby, did you invite her?" Yang asks.
"Yeah, is that a problem?" Ruby asked in a slightly defensive tone.
All Yang could say to that was. "No, you could have told us first, though." It's not as if Yang had any problem with Ruby inviting people herself, after all this dorm room belonged to all of them and Ruby was the leader. However, she still had trouble dealing with this strange girl her sister had befriend and would have liked to known she was coming beforehand.
"Fine, I will next time, alright?" Ruby asked and Yang nodded in agreement. "Okay, now let's play a game!"
Beacon Academy First Year Dormitory 10:00pm
"Do we really have to go to this stupid party!?" Mercury Black complained as he and his fellow partner in crime Emerald Sustrai made their way down the hall towards the dorm room of team RWBY.
Emerald leveled a glare on the grey haired boy beside her and sighed. "Hey, I don't like acting all buddy-buddy with these kids any more than you do, but you heard Cinder. She wants us to keep our eyes on them, and that means staying close. Besides, I already told them that I would be coming, wouldn't it be suspicious if I didn't show up?"
"Key word there, you told them that you would show up. Not me, so why am I getting dragged along!?" Mercury demanded.
"Because you're supposed to be gathering information on them as well, but so far I've been doing all the heavy lifting. It's about time you start pulling your weight!" Emerald hissed as she stuck a finger into Mercury's chest. When Mercury threw his arms up in mock surrender, Emerald turned away and continued down the hall and Mercury followed after her without complaint. "Besides, it won't just be team RWBY at this party. Pyrrha Nikos and her team, as well as a few unknowns will be there as well. And there's no way I'm going into this viper pit without backup."
"Oh, is the mighty Emerald scared of a couple of brats?" Mercury asked in a mocking tone.
This caused Emerald to elbow her partner in the side before snapping at him. "If Cinder says they could be a threat, than we need to be prepared to face one! Now shut up and keep moving!"
"Bitch!" Mercury hissed before following after.
A moment later and the pair were at the door to team RWBY's dorm room. The sounds of obnoxious laughter and annoyingly loud music filled her ears as she came close. Emerald had to take in a deep breath to prepare herself for the hell that awaited her on the other side. "Aright, let's do this!" She told herself as she knocked on the door.
After a moment of what sounded like panicked movement, the room went quiet and the door cracked open just a hair to reveal a lilac eye staring at Emerald. Then the door was pulled open to reveal the eye's owner, Yang Xiao Long. "Hey Em, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it!" The blond declared cheerfully.
"Yeah, I made it. Oh, and my teammate is with me, I hope you don't mind?" Emerald responded before directing the blond's attention to Mercury.
Yang looked Mercury up and down before shrugging. "No I don't mind, it is a party after all. Though what happened to being socially awkward?" Yang asked with a dumb smirk plastered on her face.
Mercury gave Emerald an odd look which she ignored. "Oh, he still is, but if I don't let him out every now and then he will ruin the carpeting." She said jokingly, causing both Yang and Emerald to break out into a fit of laughter while Mercury could only grit his teeth and go along with it as to not ruin their cover.
"Anyway, do you have the stuff, Emerald?" Yang asked in a slightly more serious tone.
"Oh, yeah." Emerald said as she gave Yang a wide mischievous grin and pulled around a black duffle back she had been carrying this whole time and unzipping it, revealing several unopened cans and bottles of alcohol. "Will this do?" She asked.
And before Emerald knew what was happening she found herself being pulled into a hug by blond brawler. "Oh, right on! I knew you would come through, Em!" And then when she sat Emerald back down, she ducked behind the two of them and quickly shepherded them into the dorm room. Once the two were inside, she glanced back and forth through the hallway to make sure it was clear and shut the door before locking it tight. Then she turned to the rest of the party goes and declared. "Alright, it's time for the real party to get started!"
Cubs Club Downtown Vale 2:30am
"Last call!" A large bearded man in a black suit and red tie called out from behind the bar to notify his patrons that he was about to stop serving alcoholic beverages. In response to the call, several people began to shuffle their way towards the bar to grab one or two more drinks before the night's end.
Meanwhile, Coco was sat at the far end of the bar nursing her third drink of the night and posted up beside her was a slightly worried looking Fox. "You're not going to order anything for the road?" He asked her and Coco's response was only a muted nope. "You taking it slow tonight?" He said the words almost like a question.
"Yep." Coco replied dryly as she took another small sip of her drink.
This only made the worried expression on Fox's face more apparent. "What Velvet said earlier is really getting to you, huh?" He inquired.
Coco's attention snapped to her partner and she leveled a glare on him. "No, why would anything that girl says be getting to me!? Don't be stupid, Fox!" She roared.
Fox rolled his eyes and made sure Coco saw it before replying. "We both know that isn't true, Coco. Now do you want to talk about it or not?" He offered.
Coco's glare faltered and her gaze fell down to her barely touched drink as she let out a sigh. "Do you think I have a problem?" She asked solemnly.
"With what?" Fox asked, causing Coco's glare to return in full force. "I'm kidding, geez." He said with a laugh.
"I'm being serious here, Fox!" Coco growled.
"I know, and that's the problem." Fox stated flatly, causing Coco's angry glare to instantly be replaced by a look of confusion.
"Fox, what are you on about?" Coco asked in a tone that suggested she wanted a real answer.
Fox shrugged. "You're putting too much thought into all this. Maybe Velvet is right, and maybe she isn't. What's important is that we're a team and you're our leader. All you have to do is make the choices that are best for the team. Of course, if that means you have to cut back on your drinking than that's what you will have to do."
"So you do think I drink too much!?" Coco snapped as she slapped her hands down on the table, knocking her glass over and spilling it's contents onto the counter. When the bartender focused a glare on her, she voiced a quick apology before turning back to Fox to repeat her question in a more hushed tone.
"I never said that." Fox said with a shrug. "What I meant was that you're the leader, Coco. It's up to you to decide what's in the best interests of the team. If you think your performance is suffering due to your drinking, than you should cut back. Personally, I haven't noticed any major problems in the field, and I'm sure you would know your own limits far better than I ever would. All any of us can ask is that you don't push those limits."
"So, you're saying that I just need to learn my limits, then?" Coco asked and promptly received a nod of approval from Fox. "I see, I guess you make a good point there. I will try to be more careful from now on."
"And what else will you do?" Fox asked.
Coco stared at him for a moment, unsure of what he was getting at. So Fox used his hands to simulate a set of rabbit ears on his head and then acted like he was groveling. Coco seemed to get where this was going because then she responded. "You want me to apologize to Velvet?"
"Regardless of the reason, friction between teammates is most certainly not good for the team." Fox retorted.
"Fine, I'll do it, but for the record, I still think she's wrong." Coco groaned as she began to reach for her scroll, only to be interrupted by a thud and some high pitched giggling. Coco glanced over to locate the source of the disturbance to find that a cat faunus girl had taken up the seat opposite Fox at the bar.
"Hey Junior, another Sangria, please!" The girl shouted as she leaned over the bar to get the owner's attention. To Coco's observation, the faunus girl looked like she had long since had enough to drink for one night, at least if her inability to sit still or stop her incessant giggling was anything to go off of. Though based on the girl's odd appearance, Coco highly doubted she cared. If Coco had to describe it, she would say it looked like a rainbow had thrown up all over her. Her hair was bright red with blue highlights mixed in and her outfit was a wild mix match of colors that all seemed to clash against her green eyes.
After ordering her drink and settling into her seat, the faunus girl glanced in Fox and Coco's direction. When the faunus' eyes met Coco's, a wide smile came over her face and she instantly leaned in closer to the two of them. "Hey there cutie, you want to party with Neon tonight?" She asked in a tone that made it clear she had more in mind then hanging out.
Coco's eyes widened in disbelief before they sharpened into draggers and glanced at Fox to gauge his reaction to the obvious solicitation. Pleased to see that he was quite uncomfortable with the whole thing, Coco directed her ire back on the cat. "Hey, back off, skank. Are you blind or just stupid? Can't you see he's with me!?"
The girl who Coco could only imagine had some sort of death wish just giggled and leaned in closer to her. "Who said I was talking to him, Cutie?"
That caused Coco to lock up for a moment until she caught the cat faunus girl's eyebrows wiggling in a suggestive manner, and Coco had to break eye contact to scan around the bar just to make sure she hadn't walked into a gay bar by accident. Confident that this was indeed her usual watering hole, she turned back the cat faunus to reply. "I'm flattered, but I don't swing that way. And I have a boyfriend."
"Who is right here!" Fox chimed in.
This seemed to earn them another giggling fit. "Hey, I don't mind a plus one." She said as she glanced up into Fox's eyes and purred. "Besides, you have quite good taste."
Coco was flabbergasted. She wasn't quite sure what she expected when she came out tonight, but she certainly didn't expect for another girl to try wrangling her and her boyfriend into a three-way. Coco glanced back up at her partner and he seemed to be in a similar state of shock. That or he was just wisely waiting for her to make the call. Of course, the choice was obvious and Coco was too sober to get it confused. "Sorry, but the answer is no. We aren't interested." she told the girl flatly.
Then the cat faunus sighed as she turned back to the bartender. "Junior, make that three Sangrias!"
"What're you doing?" Coco asked suspiciously.
"Peace offering." The faunus replied as Junior set her own drink down in front of her. She then quickly downed her drink and put money on the counter as she made to stand up. As she passed Coco, she handed her a small slip of paper. "I will be in Vale for a few weeks. If you guys change your minds, hit me up!" She declared before walking away.
"Did she just-" Fox began before Coco beat him to it.
"She just gave me her scroll number. Well, hasn't this been an interesting night?" Coco asked as she stashed the slip into her pocket.
"Indeed." Fox replied while taking note of the fact that Coco had kept the slip but, he chose not to comment on it.
Then after that, their drinks came and Coco actually downed the whole thing. And then Coco made to leave herself. "Well, it's about time we get out of here." Fox gave a nod of agreement as he stood up to join her and they began to make their way towards the door. That's when all hell broke loose.
Coco jumped when a door connecting to the back of the club burst open hard enough for it to smack against the connecting wall and let out a heavy thud. Coco and Fox spun around to see a girl with long black hair and a white dress come running out from the threshold. She was crying and looked completely panicked. "Junior!" She screamed towards the owner as she made for the bar.
"Melanie, what the hell are you doing!? We still have guests!" The man barked as the white clad girl clambered over the bar and threw herself at him. Finally noticing the girl's distress, the owner seemed to switch gears slightly and began doing his best to comfort her. "Alright, just calm down, what's going on?"
The girl made a few attempts at explaining, but her words kept coming out jumbled. This went on until Junior picked up a few keywords 'Militia', which was the name of the girl's sister, and 'sick'. "Melanie, is something wrong with your sister? Where is Militia?"
"Sh-shes in the br-break room, I-I went to wa-wake her up after her break and, and I ca-can't get her to wake up!" The white clad girl sputtered.
"She won't wake up? Is that all your worked up about?" Junior asked.
Then the white clad girl leveled a gold glare on him. "No, she's sweating bullets and she's barely breathing, Junior! Something is seriously wrong, Junior, I can feel it!" She spat angrily.
"Alright, alright, I believe you! Why haven't you called 911?" He asked.
"I-I tried, the lines are all busy!" The girl hissed.
"Busy, all of them? That can't be right, let me try." Junior said as he pulled out his own scroll and dialed the emergency hotline. He waited for a moment before an automated message played back to him. "Oh shit, they are busy. What on Remnant is going on?" He soon got his answer when the scroll in his hand began to vibrate as an emergency broadcast took over it.
"Warning, this is a Kingdom wide emergency, do not fall asleep. This message will repeat." The message said as it played loudly over his scrolls small speakers. And as Junior looked up from his scroll, he saw the same story playing out across his club. Many of his guests were looking down at their scrolls with worried or confused expressions while many others were trying desperately to get in contact with their loved ones.
Then Junior noticed a man lying with his head down at the far end of the bar and he rushed over to check on him. "Hey, sir, you need to wake up!" Junior yelled to no avail, so he placed his hand on the man's shoulder and began to shake him. "Hey, wake up, this is no joke here!" Again the man did not stir, instead he just seemed to crumble and slump out of his chair onto the floor. "Monty, what is going on?!"
Meanwhile, after seeing all of this play out, Fox and Coco were now booking it down the streets of Vale towards the air docks with their scrolls up to their ears trying desperately to reach their teammates. "Yatsu isn't picking up!" Fox shouted.
"Come on, pick up Velvet! I know you're pissed but please just pick up the damn scroll!" Coco roared before the call went to voicemail. "No, no, no this can't be happening! Fox we need to get back to Beacon right now!" She shouted.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Fox responded before they continued down the streets, neither noticing a similar brand of chaos playing out around them.
Beacon Academy Courtyard Time Unknown
Déjà vu, yeah, that was the feeling that best described what Yang was currently experiencing. She felt like she had experienced this before, which only added to her mounting confusion. Mainly due to the fact she couldn't recall her ever leaving the comfort of her dorm room in the middle of the night and trekking half way across campus just for a stroll in the courtyard. This time in included but, for whatever reason she was here, and the reasons just didn't seem all that important at the moment.
What did seem important to her was the strange uneasy feeling she was getting from everything around her. It felt almost like something was crawling up her spine and an Ursa was trying to force its paw down her throat at the same time. Not to mention the daunting pressure hanging in the air. And this pressure was the one feeling she was sure she had felt before. However, much to her frustration, she couldn't seem to recall from when or where she had experienced it.
As Yang shuffled her way across the courtyard seemingly aimlessly, she suddenly found herself drawn towards its centerpiece. A huge statue which depicted a group of hunters tracking a Grimm stood before her and as she drew closer, she almost thought she saw something move through the shadows out of the corner of her eye. However when Yang spun around to investigate, she found nothing but the vast empty courtyard.
Yang drew in a shaky breath to calm her nerves before calling out into the darkness. "Hello, is anyone there?"
The only reply she heard was a low menacing growl before something struck her. That something had shot out of the shadows and it struck her hard in the side as it past, sending her tumbling to the ground groaning in pain. As Yang tried to push herself back up onto her feet she sensed the creature was making another pass and she threw herself forward into a roll to get out of the way just as it zoomed past and carved a line in the payment across the ground where she had just been. Not wanting to be struck by another attack like that, Yang jumped back onto her feet and managed to finally catch a glimpse of her assailant.
The creature looked almost humanoid, in a strange shadowy kind of way. It stood up straight on two legs and it had what appeared to be arms hidden under a cloak of shadows. The creature could almost pass as a person, if it wasn't for the unmistakable white mask hovering in the void where its head should be.
"Why in Remnant is a Grimm, here!?" Yang gasped. While it didn't look like any Grimm she had faced in the past, its mask looked far too real to fake like the White Fang's. Also the way it had attacked her without any warning or fear of retaliation, really sold her on the Grimm idea.
Now that Yang was settled on what she was up against, she knew that she was going to have to fight this thing. With that in mind, she quickly moved into her usual fighting stance and instinctively tried to activate Ember Celica. However after a moment of nothing happening she curse under her breath, because she realized that she wasn't even wearing her weapon. "Well, isn't that just great!? I guess we're doing this the old fashioned way then!" She grumbled before charging forward in the direction of the Grimm.
The Grimm must have taken this as an open invitation however since it sprang back into motion, meeting Yang head on. Yang was hoping for this however and responded by focusing her aura into her legs so she could pick up more speed. Then right before the two colliding with each other, the Grimm went into a corkscrew like spin and what appeared to be a large curved claw extended from within the shadows, which it used to take a swing at her.
Yang dove forward under the Grimm's swing allowing it to pass her by so she could roll back onto her feet and strike the Grimm from its back side. Noticing that its prey had slipped by, the Grimm turned around just in time see Yang's fist coming directly for its face. "Eat this!" She roared right before her first connected, or at least it seemed like it did until it passed right through the Grimm.
The shadow's that made up the Grimm's form all parted just enough to allow Yang's hand to go through before forming right back into the body of the Grimm once she had passed. This left Yang bewildered and before she had time to react, the Grimm had struck her again, causing her to let out a cry of pain as her aura absorbed the blow.
While Yang was staggered the Grimm pressed its attack and it was all Yang could do to avoid its attacks. One moment it would be on her left and the next her right. It moved at a speed she had never witnessed in a Grimm before, and though it had legs, it seemed to glide across the Courtyard more than it ran. On top of that, as the Grimm moved, it left a trail of what appeared to be black feathers in its wake. This led Yang to wonder if her opponent could actually be some sort of a bird type Grimm. However she had little time to ponder the possible applications as she had to quickly evade another series of frenzied attacks.
From there Yang watched her opponent's movements carefully. It was moving quickly and sporadically without any real pattern. Since it didn't seem to have any rime or reason behind it, it made things very difficult for Yang. So she just continued to put as much distance between herself and the Grimm as she could. At the very least she could maximize the time she has to react, since her attacks didn't seem to be doing a diddly squat. And it wasn't for a lack of effort, since she has taken several more shots at it each time it would pass her but every single time she would just slip right through.
Also Yang was starting to get a feel for her opponent's range. It was a lot longer than she originally thought. What she saw as a claw actually seemed to be some sort of bladed weapon and it was at least a few feet long. This struck her as very odd because the Grimm have never been known to use a weapon. This fact didn't seem to stop this Grimm in front of her though as it swung the weapon towards her head. Yang quickly pulled back just in time to avoid decapitation, however a lock of her hair wasn't as lucky. Seeing this caused Yang's eyes to widen before turning from lilac to a bright red and glaring at the Grimm. "Alright, you are starting to get on my nerves!" She roared as her body seemed to burst into flames and she went on the offensive.
The Grimm must have sensed the danger since it actually began to evade Yang's punches rather than let them pass through its form. Yang wasn't sure why but it suddenly changed its tone but, she wasn't going to complain. If it was trying to avoid the attacks now and that was a good sign. It at least meant that it could be hurt. However it also meant that this creature was smart enough to tell the difference between an attack that could hurt it and one that couldn't and that was more than a little concerning.
The melee went on like this for what seemed like hours. Yang couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed since she still hadn't seen a ray of Sun light or another person since the fight began. And she still hadn't managed to land a solid hit against the Grimm. It didn't even show any signs of slowing down either, it just kept attacking. Yang on the other hand was beginning to slow down.
Much to Yang's dismay however, the Grimm seemed to be aware of Yang's plight and was becoming increasingly more aggressive as time went on. After a few more minutes and all Yang could manage was to barely defend herself and she could feel her aura draining away each time they clashed. At this rate something would have to give soon. And after the Grimm took another swing at her neck, something did. Yang tried to backpedal out of the blades path but stumbled when the back of her foot snagged on a loose stone.
"AHHHHHH!" Yang yelped as she fell backwards onto her rear and before she could recover the blade of the Grimm was pressed up against her throat pinning her to the ground. "Oh, shit!" She choked out as she glanced up to meet the cold red eyes of the Grimm. "Hey, there's no need to be hasty. Maybe we could talk about this?" She asked while letting out a nervous chuckle. The Grimm only pressed the blade down harder, causing Yang's aura to flicker and a thin trail of blood to form on her neck. "Guess, not."
Yang began to struggle push the blade away but she couldn't muster the strength. The Grimm may have been small and maybe even a whole head shorter than her but it was strong. She would really like to know what this thing was and what it was doing here but, she was beginning to get the feeling she never would. At least until she felt something warm and wet splash onto her face and at the same time she noticed that the pressure pinning her to the ground was letting up.
Curious Yang peeked up at her attack and gasped when she saw the business end of a Katana sword embedded in the creature's chest. The blade had entered through the Grimm's back and punched right through where it's hard should be, if it had one at all. And based on the blood that was now seeping from the blood and the wound, it was a yes. Then Yang saw the blade recede back through the Grimm's chest, before being hoisted up to promptly behead the creature. And now that it was a whole head shorter it crumbled to the ground before almost instantly dissipating.
Yang now completely free from her attacker began to gasp and desperately suck in air while her aura went to work repairing the damage that had been done. That's when she heard the voice of her savior. "Get up!" The voice commanded.
This voice was familiar to Yang and it caused her attention to shoot upward almost instantly. She saw a familiar looking women dressed in a black and red kimono. She had long black hair and her face was hidden behind the Mask of a Nevermore. However unlike the creature Yang had fought a moment ago, there was no mistaking her for a Grimm. Despite what her bright red eyes might suggest. Feeling a wide mix of feelings hitting her all at once, Yang tried to respond to the women before her. "M-mon yo-your here!"
The women didn't seem interested in chatting however, since she quickly grabbed Yang by the shirt and yanked her to her feet. "I said get up!" She hissed.
Yang yelped as motion reminded her that her injuries were still there. "Ouch, chill, I'm up!"
"Not, what I mean, now get up!" The women shouted as she grabbed Yang by the shoulders and began to shake her violently.
Feeling pain begin to shoot through her whole body Yang shook off the women and snapped at her. "Would you stop for a minute and start making since please! What is going on here!? What in the name of Monty was that thing!? And while we're at it, where have you been, and why are you here now!?" Yang demanded.
Yang wouldn't get the answers she seeks however as the women jus shook her head and began man handling her again. "There is no time, that thing isn't dead. I have to get you up right now! Sorry about this!"
"Sorry about what!?" Was all Yang could get out before the women pulled back her fist and drove it into Yang's face.
Beacon Academy First Year Dorm 2:59
Yang gasped as she woke and had to catch herself as the wooden chair she had been sitting in nearly toppled over. And when she steadied herself, she was met by the sight of her dorm room. She now recalled that she had been having a drinking contest with a few of the guys and things got a bit out of hand. Across from her Mercury, Sun, and Neptune were all face down on the table. Just like her they must have passed out after drinking too much. Then her eyes began to scan the rest of the room. Ren was resting in the corner, how he could fall asleep in the lotus position was beyond her. As for the rest of the gang, they all seemed to be sat around the TV watching a movie. Or at least Yang figured that was what they were doing before she scared the crap out of them.
"Yang what's wrong!?" Ruby asked as she stood up and made her way over to her sister. A concerned look painted across her features.
Yang quickly waved off her sister. "I'm alright, just had a crazy dream."
The worried expression on Ruby's face didn't dissipate however, it only grew more intense. "Yang, how are you okay? You are bleeding you know!?"
Yang ran her hand across her neck and realized that she was indeed still bleeding. "But, dreams can't make you bleed." She whispered to herself as she felt a chill run up her spine.
Then both Yang's and Ruby's attention snapped back to the television as it let out a static filled hiss and the movie was replaced by what appeared to be an emergency broadcast. "Warning, this is a Kingdom wide Emergency. Do not fall asleep. This message will repeat. Important information will fallow." The message stated.
And that chill Yang was feeling was now a full blown blizzard. "Hey, Ruby, what is that? Were you guys watching a scary movie or something?" Yang asked with a nervous laugh.
Ruby just shook her head. "No, this isn't part of the movie." She said as she stared at the screen. Then after a moment she looked back at her sister. "Yang, what's going on? Do you know anything about this?"
"I-" Yang tried to say but the words died in her throat as she noticed the guys now all seemed to be in some sort of pain. "Oh, no."
"What is it, what's happening!?" Ruby asked and now the others seemed to be aware that something was wrong as well.
"Ren!" Nora scream from the corner of the room as she shook her partner. "Ren, the lady on TV says it's bad to be asleep right now! I need you to wake up, please wake up!" She pleaded. Nora's words becoming more and more desperate with every attempt to wake him. Pyrrha and Jaune shared a worried look before they both nodded to one another and rushed over to their teammate to calm their frantic teammate. Jaune pulling Nora aside while Pyrrha checked their teammates vitals.
"He is alive but, his pulse is weak! We need to get metical attention!" Pyrrha declared.
Meanwhile Weiss, Blake, and Emerald were busy checking on Sun, Neptune, and Mercury who seemed to be in a similar situation. However there was a vast contrast between their expressions. Weiss and Blake were clearly in a panic and the worry they had for the well being of their friends was clear. On the other hand Emerald's expression had a much sharper edge to it. It was like she wasn't sure what to be feeling but it wasn't concern. Not for Mercury anyway.
However there was something that Emerald was worried about. She had no idea what this was. Which was serious since it meant this wasn't in their control. At the very least, she hoped this wasn't the work of her allies, because she figured they would at least have given her a heads up about a chemical attack like this. And that is especially true when you took into account that she was currently at the center of the whole thing. "Could this be the White Fang's doing?" She pondered to herself before quickly shaking her head to dismiss it. "No, we already have a plan to assault Beacon. Adam wouldn't take a risk like this, and Cinder wouldn't let him if he tried." After that thought something else clicked in her mind and she suddenly became panicked. "Cinder, crap!" Emerald shouted as she rushed towards the door.
"Wait Em, where are you going!?" Yang called after the green haired girl.
"I need to check on my teammate!" She shouted back as she burst through the door and rushed down the hall.
"What about your other teammate?" Yang mumbled to herself as she glanced over at the motionless form of Mercury, slumped over the table with a bottle of beer still gripped in his hand. And that image caused a sudden jolt of guilt to run through her. The guys wouldn't be asleep if she hadn't goaded them into the contest. This was her fault.
Beacon Academy Guest Dorms 3:10am
Emerald burst into their team's dorm room. A move she never would have taken under normal circumstances since it would normally lead to either a server tongue lashing or incineration. It all depended on Cinder's mood really, so it was best to play it safe and be prepared for the worst. Once Emerald was inside, she realized that the room was pitch-black. Just like how Cinder liked it to be when she was resting. "Cinder, are you here!?" Emerald cried out as she pushed her way into the dark room, frantically searched the wall for the light switch. "Cinder, I don't want to disturb you but we have a serious situation and I need instructions!" She shouted into the darkness before finally finding the switch and flicking it.
When the lights came up and the room was revealed, Emerald nearly choked on her own tongue. "No, crap, no!" Emerald shouted as she ran over to the bed in the far corner of the room to hover above the motionless form lying atop it. "Cinder wake up, we need you!" Emerald shouted in desperation as she claimed up onto the bed and began to shake the slumbering pyromancer. After still getting no response Emerald held her head down to Cinder's chest and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a pulse. However just like the Nikos girl had reported. It was weak, and upon closer inspection, whatever was happening to her was getting worse. "Cinder please, I don't care if you light me on fire! Just wake up, I need you to tell me what to do!" Emerald pleaded but there was still no response.
Beacon Academy Staff Lodging 2:50am
Glynda leaned back in her desk chair as she stretched out her muscles. It always stuck her as funny, how worn down one's muscles could get when not being used at all. And now she was officially spent. She had just spent the last two hours, filling out reports, grading papers, and getting a few other documents in order for the vacation. And after all that she just couldn't understand why her students complained about a little homework so much. If they had to do even a third of the paper work she had to do tonight, there would be a riot. She swears that they would think the world is ending. She at least took some solace in knowing that they would learn the truth some day. Oh, how she looked forward to seeing that.
For now however, all she wanted right now was a good night's sleep. With that in mind she quickly left her study room and shuffled into the bath room to dress for the night. A moment later and she reemerged in a plain white nightgown and pushed open another door, which lead into large master bed room that was just as neat organized as the rest of her home. And without any ceremony she threw herself onto her queen sized bed and rapped herself up in the soft embrace of her comforter. "Good night Dorothy." She mumbled towards a bird cage in the corner of the room before letting out a sigh and relaxing.
To Be Continued...
Notes: So what did you think? This chapter was mostly set up so it didn't get too dark quite yet but, I'm sure you can see where this is going. Will there be light at the end of the tunnel? Only time will tell.
Now, I think its about time I take a good nap...