So, chapter 2, let's hope I keep going, support is needed otherwise this will die like many others have.
Chapter 2: Initiation? More Like Death Trap!
Jaune and Pyrrha split up after some time and made it to the cliff, taking position. Jaune was half listening to Ozpin's speech about the forest and partners, a bit surprised at the fact that the first person you make eye contact with is your partner.
Choose carefully? Jaune thought. It's random! What a load of bull. He could feel Ruby's absolute horror, when he said that. Ozpin wrapped up his speech and students started launching off the cliff, literally. The man's insane! Jaune thought. They're all gonna die from the impact! Before he could voice his concern, he himself was flung into the air. After a moment of shock, Jaune calmed down and just went with it, carefully watching the other students as they all flew threw the air. As each student had their own elaborate landing strategy, his was quite simple, land feet first and look like a badass. He flipped and extended a foot as he started his decent, wind rushing in his ears. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like a gunshot and turned to see a spear heading right for him.
"Whoa!" Jaune cried and summoned a blue glyph and leaped up out of the way. After dodging the projectile, he landed on a branch without breaking it, not the entrance he wanted. He looked behind him and saw the spear in a tree a bit from him. He turned in the direction of where it came.
"What the hell?!" He yelled.
"I'm sorry!" he heard Pyrrha's voice yell back. Jaune groaned and moved to grab the spear. Without it, Pyrrha was pretty much defenseless. Jaune yanked the weapon from the tree and put it in his cast.
"I better hurry," he muttered to himself, a habit he had developed over time being on mostly solo missions. "She could get hurt without this."
Jaune turned and started sprinting towards where he saw Pyrrha land, hoping she didn't get in trouble or lost. After a few minutes of running, he heard what sounded like a Grimm attack. Jaune double-timed it to the noise where he saw Pyrrha desperately dodging and blocking attacks with her shield. Jaune roared as he leapt right at the Grimm. His boots collided with the Beowolf's head as he spun and sent it flying through two other Grimm and a tree. He spun and landed before tossing Pyrrha her weapon back and grabbing a hold of Red Queen. Jaune revved the handle twice before ferociously swinging it down, cutting straight through another grimm. He charged forward and swung again, knocking the grimm on his blade and hitting several others. Jaune cranked Red Queen's handle before shooting off, smashing into the other Beowolves. He spun sending them flying before he spun and hit one with a High Roller before stabbing it as it hit the ground. He revved his blade again before holding the crank down and riding the grimm like a sled around, bashing several others of the pack. He jumped off and made a heavy swing, sending the impaled grimm and others flying away into the trees. Realizing they were no match, the Beowolves that remained howled and fled. Jaune grinned and placed his blade on his back before turning to Pyrrha, her jaw dropped in astonishment.
"Not bad right?" Jaune joked, breaking her stupor. "Not my best work but then again, I was improvising there."
"How did you do that?" Pyrrha asked in a dumbstruck voice.
"Well, when you practice all weaponry and attacks with only one arm it tends to get very strong," Juane said before strike a pose with it, a cheap grin on his face. Pyrrha laughed and relaxed considerably. "So, I guess this makes us partners."
"Yes, I suppose it does?" Pyrrha replied.
"By the way, what was that back there, trying to hit me with your spear?" Jaune asked.
"Oh," Pyrrha jumped a bit. "Well, I thought you were going to hit the ground without a landing strategy and just, acted on instinct."
"That was my landing strategy," Jaune said. "Land feet first and look like a badass."
"Jaune," Pyrrha's began monotone. "No one can survive that kind of impact."
"Oh yeah!" Jaune challenged. "Next cliff we find, I'll prove you wrong! Come on, we'd best get going if we want to get a relic."
Pyrrha nodded and Jaune started to walk off before abruptly stopping.
"By the way," Jaune asked. "Which way is North, I lost track when I was beating down on those Beowolves." Pyrrha chuckled and started off in the right direction.
After about thirty minutes of walking, the two hunters in training came before an ominous cave.
"Think the relic's in there?" Jaune asked, gesturing at it with Blue Rose.
"I don't think so, they professor did say at a temple," Pyrrha replied as Jaune started strolling up to it.
"Oh, come on Pyrrha!" Jaune started. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Where's your sense of danger?" Pyrrha replied.
"Left him at home, common sense's keeping him company," Jaune joked and walked into the cave with Pyrrha shaking her head behind him. "Hey, think you can make a torch?"
Pyrrha made a torch for light as the two moved into the cave. It was wet and warm, but very dark.
"You feel that?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune glanced around.
"Yeah, the feeling we're not alone," Jaune replied. Suddenly something glowing swing in front of them, Jaune immediately trained his gun at it. Pyrrha held up a hand.
"Wait!" She ordered, Jaune held fire. Pyrrha analyzed it for a second before realization struck her, it was a stinger. "Run!"
They both turned and sprinted for the exit as a screech behind sounded out. The glowing stinger swung down, barely missing Pyrrha but she had to grab hold of it as Jaune, Pyrrha and the Deathstalker burst from the cave. Jaune rolled forward before spinning around, putting his hand on Red Queen. The Deathstalker was swinging it's stinger, and Pyrrha wildly around.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune cried. "Don't let!" Before Jaune could finish, it made a hard swing and flung Pyrrha away. Jaune cursed under his breath before facing off with the Grimm.
"Well, I guess now I don't have to hold back," Jaune pulled his arm out of his cast and pulled down the sleeve, reveling Devil Bringer. "Let's go ugly!"
The Deathstalker roared and charged Jaune, who dodged and leapt over it. He swing his arm out and a larger, spectral version of Devil Bringer and punched the scorpion grimm as it flipped over. The beast helplessly squirmed as Juane ran up its exposed underbelly, dragging Red Queen across the soft target. He flipped before punching the scorpion's head with Devil Bringer's spectral arm, flipping it like a coil. Jaune smirked as the Grimm scramble up and turned to flee.
"Don't even think about it!" Jaune flung his arm forward and sent Devil Bringer out, grabbing the tail. The beast screeched and frantically tried harder to get away. Jaune roared as he swung his arm and pulled the monster with it. He spun it around in the air four times before throwing it hard into the cliff. The beast hissed in pain as it crumbled into the cave entrance as the cliff collapsed atop it, sending a massive dust cloud everywhere. Jaune raised Devil Bringer to shield his eyes as the mountain finished the job.
"Heh," Jaune chuckled. He quickly re-wrapped Devil Bringer and took off in the direction that the Grimm had flung Pyrrha, praying that she was alright.
Meanwhile, Pyrrha was flying threw the air like the bird Ruby hit on the way into the forest.
Ok, flying threw the air, no control! Tree! Wait, what's that noise? Pyrrha thought as someone screamed.
"Heads uuuuuuppppp!" Ruby yelled before she and Pyrrha collided and they both went into the tree.
"Uhh," Ruby groaned with Beowolves circling around her head. "What happened?"
"I think I changed your flight path with my body," Pyrrha groaned.
"Hey," They both grunted and waved a weak hand at each other.
"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked.
"I," Yang stuttered before an Ursa reared into the clearing. Suddenly an explosion behind it caused the Ursa to fall down.
"YEEEEHAWWW!" Nora cried as she tumbled forward. "Aw, it's broken." She zoomed over to the downed Ursa. "Ewwww."
Ren stumbled behind the beast, laying a hand on it to rest.
"Nora," Ren panted. "Please, don't ever do that again." When he looked up, there was just a flashing pink out line as he quickly twisted and turned to look for her. He found her inspecting the white rook 'relics.'
"oooo," she cooed grabbing it and balancing it on her head singing. "I'm queen or the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"
"NORA!" Ren yelled. Getting her attention.
"Sorry Ren," Nora replied with a salute as she skipped over to him.
"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake asked.
"Uh," Yang stammered, still trying to respond. Suddenly everyone spun as they watched a Deathstalker fly into the cliff as it broke and fell around it. Literally fly, the beast looked like it was flung as it hit rock. The cliff collapsed atop the former Grimm as the cloud and noise spread and settled. Ruby was amazed as she jumped out of her tree as Pyrrha corrected herself.
"Ruby?" Ruby looked up and saw Yang.
"Yang!" Ruby cried as the sisters raised their arms for a hug.
"Nora!" Nora yelled as she popped up between them suddenly.
"Did that Deathstalker just fly into a cliff?" Blake asked dumbstruck. Yang has had it!
"Grr! I can't take it anymore!" Yang screamed as fire exploded around her, her eyes suddenly going red. "Can everyone chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"
Yang breathed heavily as the proverbial clock ticked down, Ren jogged over to the group as the ding went off and Ruby patted her sister's arm.
"Um, Yang," Ruby whimpered with her head up. Yang's dropped while everyone looked up to see Weiss hanging onto the claw of a Nevermore.
"How could you leave me?" Weiss cried, feeling betrayed by her partner.
"I said jump," Ruby stated.
"She's gonna fall," Blake added.
"She'll be fine," Ruby said.
"She's falling," Ren pointed out monotone. Weiss fell down towards earth when suddenly a black figure with white hair and a sling caught her in the air. Jaune flipped in the air before they landed safely. Jaune held Weiss in one arm as he stood up, his eyes quickly scanning her for injuries. Pyrrha felt a jolt of jealousy go through her, surprising herself. Weiss opened her eyes to look up at her rescuer, suddenly recognizing the man. She started to struggle in his grasp.
"Let me go you heathen!" She demanded. Jaune raised a brow before he unceremoniously dropped her; straight up dropped her. Weiss landed with a thud then stood up, dusting herself off. She turned to patronize the young huntsman for dropping her like that to see he was walking off. Pyrrha felt that jealousy die when he dropped her, unable to prevent the small smile that came with it. Jaune walked up the base of the tree she had yet to jump out of and smiled up at her.
"You gonna come down or should I catch ya?" Jaune joked. Pyrrha rolled her eyes and leapt out of tree. The two jogged over to the others.
"Wait!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she remembered where she had left Jaune. "What about the Deathstalker? Did you see what happened to it?"
Shit! Jaune yelled in his head before he spoke. "I managed to trick in into hitting the cliff and knocking it down."
"The thing flew! FLEW! Into the cliff!" Nora cried.
"Uh," Jaune stuttered. "I may have hit it with a tree." Jaune prayed they'd by that.
"What?" Everyone yelled. Before he could be questioned further, the Nevermore's loud screech brought them back. It turned and made a dive right at them. Ruby, seeing a chance to prove herself, opened Crescent Rose and charged.
"Ruby wait!" Yang and Jaune cried. Before Ruby could strike it, the beast bashed her with it's beak and turned to circle around. Ruby slowly got to her feet.
"D-d-don't worry! Totally fine!" She stuttered. The nevermore swung it's wings and let out a hailstorm of sharp feathers, one catching Ruby's cape and pinning her down while Yang fell back barley avoiding the sharp projectiles.
"Ruby!" she cried. "Get out of there!" Ruby tugged on her cape, trying to get it out from under the feather.
"I'm trying!" she replied. The Nevermore began another streak down at the young girl, its eye honed in on its prey.
Jaune reconized that they wouldn't be able to get her out in time. If there weren't so many people, he would have just used Devil Bringer to deflect the bird's attacks or bring it down. His mind rapidly tried to think of a solution, then he remembered something. He dashed to the nearest tree and grabbed the base with his left arm. Jaune roared as he up rooted the tree straight from the ground. Holding tight, he began to spin in a circle a few times as fast as he found before hurling the tree at the bird. Not expecting it, the Nevermore took the projectile right in the beak. It cried and climbed as it tried to remove the bark with its' claws.
Everyone turned to look at Jaune, amazed at what he did.
"I told you I hit the Deathstalker with a tree!" He yelled as he grabbed another one and began to up root it as well. He laid it down and turned it into a spike with a few slashes from Red Queen. He lifted his new spear and took aim.
Jaune threw the spear at the bird as hard as he could, sending it on its way. Unfortunately, the Grimm had cleared the tree from it's vision and dodged the spike. Jaune ran to Ruby and gripped the feather at the base before pulling it out, casually throwing it aside. They all rallied at the temple.
"Come on," Jaune said as he grabbed his piece. "That thing will be back here any minute, grab a relic and lets go!"
"Right!" Everyone replied as they grabbed their chess piece and began off after the white haired hunter. The group ran for the cliff side of some old ruins as the Nevermore circled around, everyone paired up and took cover behind the pillars. The bird grimm screeched as it perched on the old structure.
"Well that's great," Yang commented sarcastically. Suddenly, Jaune felt something was off and turned towards the forest. A Deathstalker, covered in dents, cuts and dust burst from the forest, its claws and jaw snapping as it scuttled forward.
"Damn it!" Jaune cursed. "I killed you already! Run!" Everyone burst from their cover and dashed for the bridge. The Nevermore flapped its wings and rose from its perch.
"Nora distract it," Ren ordered as they broke cover. Nora ran straight out into the open, leaping to dodge the deadly feathers of the Nevermore before crouching down and pulling her weapon from her back. With a smile on her face, Nora fired several high explosive grenades at the Grimm, one nailing it in the beak. The monster flew up to avoid the exploding grenades. Nora didn't see the scorpion heading straight for her, but was distracted as Ren and Blake slashed at it as Weiss grabbed Nora. Jaune saw Pyrrha slow down and transform her spear to its rifle form. He quickly grabbed her shoulder.
"Don't bother, your rounds aren't strong enough to hurt that armor," he said as he pulled he along as they continued to run. Jaune heard a screech and turned to see the Nevermore zooming in. "Look out!"
The bird smashed into the bridge as everyone slip up and took the closest side of the bridge. Jaune rolled as he turned to see it fly off, Ruby firing sniper rounds at the passing monster. The sound of gunfire and clashing metal brought Jaune's attention forward, where Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren were fighting with the Deathstalker, not getting anywhere.
"Nora," Jaune began as he took a few steps back. "Do you have a way over?"
"Yep!" Nora cried happily as she changed her launcher to its hammer form.
"Good," Jaune replied and took off sprinting. He leapt into the air as hard as he could, getting some good distance but not enough. Then a blue platform appeared under his feet and he Air Hiked with another jump and made it over. Nora simply used her guns recoil to fly across and smash the grimm across it's head, using the same method to retreat and dodge the singer. Nora hit Blake who fell over the edge, but managed to swing her way over.
Jaune grabbed Red Queen's handle and gave it three good cranks. The bridge shook as the Deathstalker removed it's stinger from the damaged structure.
"We have to get past that thing! Let's go!" Jaune and the others charged forward. He swung a High Roller into one of the claws as it came down, Pyrrha blocking the other and blasting her spear into its eye. The Grimm swung its other claw but was blown back by a charge blast from Blue Rose. Ren fired Storm Flower as he ran forward, dodging the singer and climbing atop it, firing away at the stinger's joint. Pyrrha and Jaune continued to slash at the Grimm, the sound of Red Queen's Exceed engine a constant and being the only weapon that seemed to have immediate effects as the Grimm shook and jerked when he hit it. Nora shifted her hammer back to its launcher form and fired two rounds. The explosion threw him and Pyrrha back, Pyrrha blocked it with her shield but Jaune, having so such defensive tool, flew back before rolling onto his feet, using his had and feet to slow himself down. Pyrrha was not as off balance as Jaune was and quickly threw her spear with a boost from its muzzle into the Grimm's eye. It howled and swung its tail, throwing Ren off and into a wall. Jaune stood back up and noticed the stinger was barely hanging on.
"Pyrrha!" he cried, she quickly noticed the damaged stinger as well.
"Done," she replied and tossed her shield, cutting threw the joint as it landed on in an non armored spot on the Deathstalker's head. When her shield returned, Jaune turned to Nora.
"Nora! Nail it!" He ordered.
"Heads up!" She cried and hopped onto Pyrrha's shield as she jumped up, Nora blasting off and into the air. Jaune grabbed Pyrrha's arm.
"Hold on!" He yelled and flung her onto his back and charged at the grimm.
"Jaune what are you?!" She cried as Jaune jumped right at the Grimm as its claw came right at them. Once again, Jaune Air Hiked up away from the grimm before using another platform to dash forward past the Grimm as Nora arrived and smashed the stinger like a nail. She took rocketing up and over as the Deathstalker fell down the canyon. Jaune put Pyrrha back on her feet after they landed, Nora landing on her bum shortly after and an exhausted Ren stumbled up, breathing heavily before falling forward into the grass. The four turned and just watched as Ruby ran up the cliff, carrying the Nevermore by its neck and slicing it off in a flurry of red petals.
"Stylish," Jaune commented as they all stared.
Later as all the teams had completed their journeys, they all were called up and assigned to teams.
Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren walked up onto the stage and into the spotlight as the crowd clapped.
"Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren," Ozpin addressed the four standing before him. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forth you shall work together as team JNPR (Juniper)." The crowd clapped, Jaune giving a faint smile as he saw Nora bear hug Ren from the corner of his eye. "Lead by, Jaune Arc."
"Hu?" Jaune was caught off guard. Him? Leader?
"Congratulations young man," Ozpin said as Pyrrha gave him a friendly hit on the shoulder.
Team JNPR left the stage as Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang came forward.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin listed. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, from this day forth you shall work together as team RWBY." Another round of clapping arose. "Lead by, Ruby Rose." Ruby was dumbstruck before Yang pulled her into a hug.
"I'm so proud of you!" She cried.
"This is looking up to be a very interesting year," Ozpin concluded.
So, I loved the feedback from you guys and was blown away by the number of immediate views on Grimm May Cry's first day! Over 50 on its first day, and 75 so far on the second. You guys are awesome!