Morning had come and gone. Its passing signalled by the deep surreal gonging of the bell. Without any thought for courtesy and safety, students leaped out of their seats and rushed into the halls. Black suits, white shirts, and red plaid skirts moved en masse like the rolling tide. Idle chatter grew into a torrent of conversation of useless topics. Individual voices slowly drowned and blended into inaudible white noise. Well… all except one that is.
"Yahoo!" cheered a bright exuberant peppy voice, "Can you believe we're second years now? I mean, just last year we were freshman dealing with the harsh realities of life alone, coming to terms with our destiny, and taking on the world!"
"And Torchwick, the White Fang, and oh let's not forget the hordes of grimm that invaded the city" said a snobbish voice sarcastically, "Wasn't it wonderful, Ruby?"
Ruby Rose, the boundless ball of energy, was a short girl with equally short hair. The tussle of straight hair was parted and combed straight in such a way to create a round frame for her face. From a distance it would appear as if her hair was black as the moonless night, but keen eyes would notice a slight tinge of dark red along the fringes. Silver eyes sparkled with enthusiastic fervor while a wide grin put her glee on display. She wore the standard uniform of black and plaid but, keeping true to her colourful name, she donned a long red cape.
Ruby sighed happily as she reminisced, "It was wasn't it, Weiss?"
Weiss Schnee buried her face in a palm. Though roughly the same height as her compatriot, she exuded an aura of mature sophistication. Her hair was white as fresh fallen snow and her eyes were as blue and cold as ice. Weiss flipped her long white pony tail making the light dance of her snowflake accessories. The fringe of her hair fell just above her eyes like long flowing icicles. Around the milky flesh of her neck dangled a simple silver necklace with an apple ornament.
"I swear…" Weiss muttered.
"A swing and a miss" said a soprano voice, "Don't worry, Weiss. She'll catch it next time."
"Yang, can you talk some sense into her!"
"Hmmm... nope!"
Yang Xiao Long rivalled most men in height and strength, but her intelligence, of which I am sure is there, has been cleverly tucked away be her carefree and loose attitude. Waist length blonde hair was left to its own devices. Tufts, and fringes, and strands, and locks took to whatever direction they wanted giving her hair a quality like a flickering flame. Lilac eyes rolled to and fro without a care in the world as her smirk silently snickers at Weiss' frustration.
"What's on your mind, Blake?" asked Yang to the girl on her left.
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Can't fool me," Yang grinned like she caught a meek thief red handed, "When you get quiet that means something is on your mind. Come on, you can tell us. You know you want to."
Blake sighed. Her soft hand ran through her long, straight, black hair fell to her lower back and unlike Yang, each strand fell into place. Perfectly straight and black as the abyss it gave the perfect canvas for her pale face and amber cat-like eyes. A black bow sat atop her head which was much larger than any bow should be, for it had no purpose other than to be there. The warmth of her comrades and the casual tone they spoke with could not penetrate the deep aura of distance that surrounded her.
"Not here" she said definitively.
"Alright, we'll talk later then."
The little troop shuffled down the hall, carried by the tide of bodies toward the recently cleaned and soon to be tarnished cafeteria. Unappetizing meals of slop and gruel jiggled on plates and trays. Many students however preferred the more delectable, and probably safer, brown bagged meal from home.
"Hey! Over here!"
A girl with ginger hair was bouncing up and down beside a long table. She swept back short hair and let down a few strands to create a fringe of haphazard bangs. Her turquoise eyes beamed with excitement for some strange unknown reason. Her demeanor and cheerful nature could not be dampened or dominated despite fate's continued attempts to bring her down.
"Hey Nora!" Ruby called out, "Hey Ren!"
"Hey" Ren waved indifferently, "Just to let you know, there's no need to yell."
Lie Ren calmly and coolly ate his meal holding back his grimace. His messy unkempt black hair was tied into a low pony tail. A small magenta streak of hair, which matched his eyes, fell free on the left side of his head. Unlike his compatriot, he was far more level headed and reserved. Only choosing to speak when necessary and never using more words than were needed.
Ruby and her group took their seats at the table and plopped down their trays of food. Weiss procured a napkin from one of her many pockets and neatly placed it on her lap. Yang jumped straight into the meal after smothering it in condiments to make the meal more acceptable. Blake minded her own business and quietly ate on the far side of the table.
"Hey where's Jaune?" asked Ruby.
"Oh, he's probably stuck in line" said Phyrrha, "Wait, here he comes."
Phyrra Nikos playfully rested her head on her hand whilst smiling in the direction of the lunch line. Her long, wavy, scarlet hair was fashioned into a high ponytail. The voluminous fringe was kept out of her emerald eyes with a bronze circlet. Her muscular figure was hidden beneath the layers of the school uniforms.
Phyrra pointed to a bumbling boy, "Here he comes now."
"Whoa! Excuse me. Pardon me. Oopsie daisy. My bad. Comin' though."
"Jaune! Over here!" hollered Ruby.
"Oh, hey Rub – Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
With a calamitous crash and a spectacular spray of slop the blond haired, violet eyed klutz tumbled to the table. His messy blonde hair was further sullied with splotches of ketchup, mustard, and relish. Or at least they hoped it was condiments. Clumsy, and goofy made others questions his credentials.
"Oh man, back to the line" Jaune hung his head.
"Don't worry about it, Jaune" Phyrra pulled a small brown bag out from under the table, "I made an extra one today."
"Wow, thanks Phyrra."
Yang leaned in and whispered to Ruby, "So whose turn is it tomorrow?"
Ruby playfully punched Yang's arm while holding back her snicker. Lunch continued as normal with nonchalant chit chat about random topics and anxious expectations for the coming year. Then there was Nora's recurring dream. The same dream from the same time last year. The same dream about making coats or some sort. The same damn dream in which the details change every time.
"So, have you guys heard about the long term assignment we're supposed to be getting?" asked Phyrra trying to change the subject.
"Do you think it's something like last time?" Jaune said with a full mouth, "You know with the job board and such? Hang out with a hunter. That kind of thing?"
"If it's like the last time, the city might not survive" said Ren.
Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Did you just make a joke?"
"Maybe" said Ren.
"So it's 'long term' right?" said Yang, "Any idea what that means? Our outing with professor caffeinated gerbil was what? A few days."
"I'm guessing the tasks will be at least two weeks," said Phyrra.
"Two weeks" Blake muttered, "Can we afford to be away that long?"
"Why the tight schedule?" asked Phyrra.
"It's nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing at all" said Ruby frantically, "How about that local sports team we all like? I hear they're doing well in that sport we all watch."
The entire table peered at Ruby. Some out of suspicion, others out of blank embarrassment at that stupid little comment.
"Anyway, how did that mission to the village go last year?" said Weiss, "Last we heard it got delayed because of our little grimm problem."
"Yeah… about that" Nora smiled nervously.
"That bad huh?"
"Yeah…"
"Yes, your performance was innovative to say the least, but a pass is a pass I suppose. That said, do try to be a bit more careful next time."
"Professor Ozpin" announced the table.
"No need to be worried. You're not in trouble" Ozpin smirked, "Not yet anyway. Now, I assume you have picked your assignments."
"No, not yet sir" said Ruby meekly.
"Good, you're not supposed to."
"I don't follow" said Blake.
"These are you assignments," Ozpin produced a pair of data pads, "The hunters have asked for you personally."
Ruby took the pad and quickly scanned the mission, "Wow! Another real hunter! Wait, it's not Professor Port is it?"
"Does the mission say anything about long droning stories?" asked Yang, "Oops! Sorry, Professor Ozpin. No offense."
"None taken. I am fully aware of Professor Port's affinity to highlight his exploits," said Ozpin, "And rest assured, you will not be accompanying one of your professors."
"Then who are we going with?" asked Blake.
"Why are we asking him? Give me that" Weiss snatched the data pad, "Wait, this doesn't say anything."
"Jaune, what does ours say?" asked Phyrra.
Jaune flipped through the text, "Almost nothing, just where we're supposed to meet our hunter and a launch date. Oh here's a picture. Oh wait no that was just a stain."
"Professor –"
Ozpin had long disengaged from the conversation and was already half way across the room when they noticed. Ruby and Jaune reviewed the data over and over and over again. Nothing. Just a time, a place, and a cautionary note that the mission would put their skills to the test.
"So when's your date?" asked Nora.
"Tomorrow, you?"
"Tomorrow."
"Wait, tomorrow?" said Blake.
It took a moment for the table to realize what exactly that meant.
"I've got to pack!" they all yelped as they blitzed from the cafeteria.
The room was a flutter with clothing and toiletries and miscellanea. The dorm was a small place with each room barely large enough for four people. A single bookshelf sat beneath the large curtained window. A pair of dresser drawers on either side of the room had to be shared between partners. And a single, solitary wardrobe had to be shared by all for their larger items.
"Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss" listed Yang, "Hey, what else do we need?"
"Clothes" said Weiss, "Okay, that should be enough for two weeks."
Weiss' case was filled with clothes and fineries. The zippers were bursting at the seams. The cream suitcase itself was made of the strongest of materials with leather trims. In addition to her snowflake emblem, the designer's twin circles were prominently on display.
"Weiss, what exactly is in there?" asked Yang.
"Just the necessities," Weiss began to count on her fingers, "Coats for when it gets cold, breathable shirts for when it's too hot, boots for mud and snow, sandals for sand, runners for running, hats to keep out the sun or to keep your head warm, a week's worth of clothes, spare clothes if those clothes are destroyed…"
Yang began to put back several articles, "So Weiss has us covered in clothing."
"Hey, my clothes won't fit you!"
"They might be a little snug around the chest, but I'll manage."
"Hey!"
"Have you guys ever heard of travelling light?" asked Ruby putting a thermos into her camping bag, "I'm set. How about you, Blake?"
"Huh, yeah, I'm ready" Blake absentmindedly answered.
"What's on your mind? We're alone now, so you can talk to us" said Yang packing.
"You're thinking about our last mission right? The White Fang, the train, that girl" said Ruby recalling the events.
"I still think we're wasting our time doing this" said Blake, "We should be searching for leads and tracking these people down. Not running around outside the city chasing grimm around the forests. Every minute we spend stuck on our tasks, gives them more time to do something."
"I'm not exactly a fan of this either" said Weiss sitting on her luggage, "But it's not like we have a choice. If we want to stay at beacon and become huntresses we have to do this stuff. There's no way around it."
"We could always go AWOL" suggested Ruby, "Ok, bad idea."
"Maybe we'll get lucky" said Yang, "Ruby literally stumbled into that railway with Torchwick in it."
"And even then we go nowhere" said Blake, "We need something more solid."
"And what might that be? We're wandering in the dark, Blake" said Weiss, "We're just going to have to wait it out and see what happens."
"But –"
"But nothing" said Weiss, "This is where we are and there's nothing to change it. So, is everyone packed and ready to go?"
As RWBY was quietly scheming behind closed doors, across the way team JNPR was also speaking rather bluntly about the mission ahead.
"Where do you think we're going? Far to the frigid north? To the sweltering heat of the south? Oh! Oh! The elegant and extravagant east? Of better yet! The wild and untamed west! Where the buffalo and antelope run free" said Nora bouncing off the walls.
"Nora, I don't think buffalo and antelope live in the same place" said Ren tucking his guns away.
"Hey Jaune, mind if I take a look at that assignment?" asked Phyrra.
"Huh? Yeah. Sure" Jaune apathetically handed her the data pad.
"Hey you seem a little down" said Phyrra.
"Yeah" Nora's smile ran away, "Everything alright."
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"When Nora's smile is gone, there's something wrong" said Phyrra, "You can talk to us, Jaune. We're your team after all."
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it" Jaune painted on a smile.
"If it's about the village. We did our job and that's all there is too it" said Ren, "No use worrying about what we can't change."
Phyrra sadly smiled, "So that's what it's about."
"It's nothing" protested Jaune, "Just drop it."
Jaune turned his back on his team and continued to prepare. There was no rhyme or reason to what he was packing. It was as if he was just throwing items in to keep everyone's attention away from the cloud over his head.
"Listen, we're here with you" said Phyrra, "Don't let what happened before hold you back. It was just a small set back alright."
"A small set back?" Jaune was brimming with anger, "An entire village was almost lost! Everyone could have, no, almost died. All because I made the wrong decisions."
"Jaune, we succeeded" said Phyrra, "Don't forget that. It was tough and hard, but we pulled through."
"It shouldn't have been that hard! If I had made the right decisions you and Ren and Nora wouldn't have been put in that position. And you wouldn't have had to pull us out of the fire."
"Stop focusing on that" said Phyrra, "You did fine. You just need to hone your skills a little bit more and –"
"Phyrra" Nora put her hand on her shoulder.
The ginger haired girl shook her head. Phyrra frowned but she stopped talking. An awkward silence was filling the room along with a dark suffocating frustration emanating from Jaune.
"Well then, let's go meet our hunter" said Ren.
The two teams began to shuffle out of their rooms. After some brief greetings and random chatter the two teams departed in opposite directions. The way to their meeting was racked with nerves.
The shining school of Beacon was a sight to behold. A tall majestic tower with sparkling glass windows spiraled up and above the clouds. A great clock face with ancient numerals ticked away the minutes and gonged on every hour. Paved paths bordered with white cobble stone led students to and fro the many buildings constructed in the old style from the century before. Red banners with the cross axes of Vale patriotically blew in the light breeze. A grand statue in the centre of the campus displayed of a pair of hunters standing triumphantly over defeated grimm was a constant reminder of their destiny.
RWBY entered a medium sized room without windows. A large blackboard had been wheeled in and was covered with a rudimentary map of a far off rugged mountain landscape. The room was padded in soft material from head to toe. What lights were visible were buried deep within the ceiling behind a thin film. If one were trapped in the room for an extended period, the dim twilight would baffle the internal clock of even the heartiest hunter. The loud boisterous shouts of the campus silenced as soon as the door closed. Absolute silence was broken only by the sound of blood rushing through veins.
"So…"
"So! So! So! So!" the room echoed.
"Whoa!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
"That is so cool" said Ruby admiring her echoing voice, "Weiss, say something."
Weiss crumpled her face, "No."
"No, no, no, no" echoed the room in her derisive tone.
"Are we early?" asked Blake.
"Maybe he's running late" said Yang.
"I'm right on time" said a male voice, "And stop fooling around with the room's echo. You're making everything taste horrible."
A tall man walked in from the noise dressed in a grey double breasted great coat with black buttons. The man had scruffy blonde hair which appeared to have been cut with a razor. Deep, black circles and heavy bags weighed on his dark blue eyes. The man didn't smile and if he did it would probably crack his face in half. He couldn't have been older than twenty five, but everything from his hard stoic stance to his listless eyes created an aura of age beyond his years.
Yang piped up, "Are you –"
He raised his hand and silenced her.
"Damn shades of sick green," In a voice close to a whisper he said, "Not so loud. This room picks amplifies everything inside. So how about you talk a little bit softer."
"I wasn't that loud" muttered Yang.
"I heard that, but better" he shook his head, "Listen up, I'm Amadeus. The mission leader."
"Okay, I'm Ruby –"
Amadeus spat on the ground and pointed to the map, "This is our mission area. The mission is simple, kill the bitch of a grimm that lives in here. The Banshee Mountains are known for their harsh winds so dress properly. We go in, we go hard, and we go home. See you at dawn."
Amadeus turned and started to exit. Team RWBY stood dumbfounded at how quickly the briefing was and how abrupt their hunter was.
"Hey wait!" called Weiss, "How long will we be gone for?"
"For as long as it takes" he shouted back, "You're a hunter, you should know this."
"Well that's just great" said Yang, "I'd rather have Port and his stories than this guy."
"You and me both" said Blake, "I don't like the feeling of this mission."
"Same here" said Weiss, "I say we let this guy take it on his own. It sure seems like he'd prefer it that way."
"Guys, we can't just abandon this mission" said Ruby, "I know you'd rather go after Torchwood and the others, but we can't ignore out jobs as huntresses either. Who knows, if all goes well, we might even get back before the end of the week."
Team JNPR had meandered into a part of the campus that was less frequented by students. Their meeting place was a small cafe tucked away in the darkest, farthest corner of the campus. Violet curtains surrounded the tall semi-circular windows. Round tables took up the floor. Booths lined the walls and could be cut off from the rest of the room. The smell of strong coffee and pastries filled the air. Only Ren's intervention kept Nora from hopping around the place to snatch a few sweets.
"So, where's our hunter?" asked Jaune.
"Maybe it's her" Nora pointed to the woman behind the desk.
"I'm pretty sure that's the cashier" said Ren.
The cashier perked her ears, "You lot juniper?"
"Yes" said Jaune, "You our hunter?"
"In the back" the cashier thumbed over her shoulder, "Come on, I'll show you."
Team JNPR was led through the kitchen and down a long flight of stairs. The backroom was surprisingly nothing like they expected. Team had stumbled upon a small restaurant establishment. A deep red velvet table cloth lightly embraced the mahogany table. A fine portrait hung on the back wall. Lights hung above the table with candles flickering in the still air. The seats were made of ebony and were cushioned with leather backs.
"So, where's our hunter?" asked Jaune.
"Not so loud" groaned a voice.
"Where did that come from?" asked Phyrra.
"Hellooo?" chimed Nora, "Helloooo?"
"Hello" said the voice, "Now quiet down please. You're so loud."
"Seriously, where are you?" said Phyrra, "This isn't funny."
"Maybe not for you, but I'm having a right laugh."
"So I guess we'll have our meeting like this then" said Phyrra, "Unless you want to show yourself."
"That's fine by me, unless you can find me. By the way, feel free to order something."
Nora plopped herself into a seat, "I'll take one of those raspberry Danishes! How about you, Ren?"
Ren shook his head and took a seat. Phyrra took her seat as well while frowning at the childish antics of their supposed hunter.
"I'll grab a coffee, I suppose" said Jaune.
As Jaune took his seat his feet snagged on something under the table. The team leader stumbled and crashed to the ground throwing the table aside with them. The chandelier shivered from the ruckus.
Instinctively Phyrra jumped to help, "Jaune, are you alright?"
Jaune groaned as he got to his feet. The room stood paralyzed at the scene. Jaune, and his dumb luck, had fallen completely on top of another girl. Her blonde, shoulder length, wavy hair sprawled out all around her. Deep blue eyes like the ocean deep nonchalantly fixed on the blonde boy on top of her. A devious smirk said she was enjoying the situation. She wore an off the shoulder peach sweater and a long beige skirt. In her hand she fondled a pewter flask with musical notes etched into the surface.
"Hey" she slurred, "You found me."
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" said Jaune putting as much distance between them.
"What for, darling? It was just an accident. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it," she smiled, "Of course, I wouldn't mind if you did."
"Are you our hunter?" asked Ren.
"Are you drunk?" Phyrra smoldered.
"I am. And no, just hung over. Ugh... such ugly shades of red. Quiet down a little bit, alright?"
"So who are you exactly?" asked Jaune.
"Oliva" she covered her eyes, "Please softer. It feels like a jackhammer is hitting my stomach. Anyways, nice to meet you."
Olivia stretched out on the floor and let out a yawn. She didn't seem to have a care in the world, except for her constant complaints about unseen flashes of colour whenever someone tried to speak. A server awkwardly walked into the room, dropped off their small order, and walked out. Not a word was spoken. Nora, seemingly oblivious to the situation, happily munched on her little snack while everyone else remained fixed on the loopy Olivia.
"So that's it?" asked Jaune softly.
"Ah, that's better, a nice teal. Thanks" said Olivia, "And yeah, what more do you want?"
"How about you tell us what the assignment is" said Phyrra bordering on anger, "The only thing we were told is to meet you here."
Olivia sighed, "Search and destroy in the Banshee Mountains. There's a particular grimm there that's been causing problems."
"And how exactly do we stop it?" asked Phyrra.
"I've got a few devices we have to plant around the place something… something… something…" Oliva began to drift away, "We leave at dawn. Pack appropriately."
"And how long are we gone for?"
"For as long as it takes. You're hunters, you should know this."
And with that final comment, Team JNPR was waved off by the lounging huntress. The encounter was less than inspiring to say the least. Both teams went back to their dorms after their less than stellar encounters. Without a single word exchanged between them, the two groups just passed by like ships in the night and retired to their rooms. Well, all except Jaune and Ruby that is.
"So how was it?" Ruby asked Jaune.
Jaune rubbed the back of his head, "Could have been worse, I suppose."
"That bad, huh?"
"How about you?"
"Could have been worse, I suppose" Ruby smiled weakly.
"That bad, huh?"
The two giggled softly taking comfort in each other's misery. Jaune and Ruby sat against the wall where they had first talked about their new teams and starting their life at Beacon. From Cardin's constant bullying, to Ruby's spat with Weiss, the two team leaders had been by each other since the start. It would only take a small knock on the door to find solace in the other.
"So, how was your hunter?" asked Jaune, "Since it went pretty bad, I'm going to guess and say he was pretty hard on you."
"Not exactly hard on us, it just seemed like he didn't want us" said Ruby, "He was... he was… well… he was…"
"You can say it, I won't be offended."
"He was a jackass."
Jaune laughed, "Well at least he wasn't a drunk."
"Yours was drunk?"
"Well hung over anyway" Jaune admitted, "She seems nice though. She paid for our coffee after all."
"You got a huntress, eh?" Ruby smirked, "So, tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"You know" Ruby got a little closer to Jaune, "Was she pretty?"
"W-w-what?"
"Oh come one, Jaune" Ruby teased, "You have to have noticed."
Jaune thought for a moment and chose his words carefully, "Yes, she was, I guess."
Great choice of words.
"Well there's one thing to look forward to I guess" Ruby put her hands behind her head, "So, when do you guys leave?"
"First thing tomorrow and we'll be gone for as long as it takes apparently. You?"
"Same, and I'm not looking forward to it. But we're hunters, we have to do these to protect everyone. Right?"
"Right" affirmed Jaune, "Hey, thanks for talkin'."
"No problem. Good luck tomorrow."
"You too."
