A/N Hey guys. Over the course of the week, I've been contemplating on what possible routes I want to take for this story. You're all welcome to suggest things and give input, but for now, I'm gonna go with my instincts and work it out from there. I won't say too much until the end. Happy reading.
"Rise and ever
Leave your memory
No one can touch us..."
I haven't exactly had the most experience in socializing with other people, much less leading them. During my time with the White Fang, I got to know many people, but most relationships did not extend into anything resembling a significant bond. Essentially, my social circle of close acquaintances was very limited and the ones who were within it had proven themselves to be worthwhile people to acknowledge and remember.
Adam was always around. He wasn't the easiest person to get along with, but he kept things in order and was always concerned with diligently serving the White Fang. It was admirable, but as I feared once, the ambition twisted his mind, and that was part of the reason I left.
Neo... from an outsider's view, it was very selfish of me to leave without notice. I can't change the past now, so there was no point in thinking about what I could've done instead. Still... something felt missing. Something that was incomplete without closure.
When we raided that train... I might've stayed instead of running away that day, actually. But when I asked about the crew on board the train and what would happen to them...
"What about them?" Adam had said indifferently.
I couldn't blame other Faunus for detesting humans, since for a part of my childhood, I once hated them too. But then I realized you couldn't solve hate with more hate. You had to find other ways to solve the problem. Neo showed me that humans and Faunus weren't that different at all, and that influenced me into who I am now.
I would've pondered more with my thoughts, but then Ozpin entered the room.
"Miss Belladonna, I hope you'll be glad to hear that I have found you potential candidates who are willing to support our cause and serve Vytal," he started and looked towards me for approval. I retained a serious visage.
"That's good to hear. When can I meet them?" I replied formally.
"Ah. Well, there is one detail I need to mention... I have only sent them a formal request for an interview. Naturally, as leader, you shall be interviewing them if they accept," Ozpin elucidated and I narrowed my eyes to inquire further.
"What kind of interview is this, and who exactly did you ask in the first place?" I asked a little edgily. Ozpin remained impassive as always, sipping his cup of coffee.
"The interview is one where I shall give you, miss Belladonna, free reign to determine whether or not they are satisfactory to your standards. I chose those with potential, and I also took into account that your perception of 'potential' might be a tad different from mine. However, do try and give them all a fair chance and hear them out. I would not offer them a position if I didn't believe in them."
I let his words sink in and deliberated on the best course of action.
"Did you tell them about the specifics? The risks?" I asked of him.
"That is up to you to tell them or not. I believe we should give them fair notice to back out if they so choose to. Those who remain will be under your leadership. If you have any further concerns, please consult me later. I have to meet up with an associate. Best of luck, Blake."
Ozpin finished his coffee and made to exit the room. Before he left however, he called casually over his shoulder:
"Oh by the way, miss Belladonna. I believe your first potential teammate is arriving in-" he checked his watch. "40 seconds." He promptly shut the door before I could yell back at him. A vibration in my pocket alerted me to a message being sent to my scroll from Ozpin.
"Please allow me to welcome the first of the candidates to respond. I hope you shall enjoy the company of-"
Weiss Schnee.
During my time at Beacon, I had kept conversations short and interactions around the same length. I didn't focus on anything outside of learning as much as I could before I graduated. Needless to say, I was an introvert through and through. This would be one of the few conversations I would be the initiator of, and unfortunately as a leader, I was going to have to get used to it.
Complementary of being one of Ozpin's 'special teams', he assigned me to a designated area outside of the city but not too far away. It was quieter and the premises were difficult to find amongst the vegetation and winding paths one had to take to find it. The location was found around the outskirts of Forever Fall.
Regardless of how secretive the location was, here was one of my potential teammates standing before me. It was awkward but I had to make the first move as it was expected of a leader.
"Umm... hi. I'm Blake Belladonna. And you would be Weiss Schnee, correct?" That sounded polite enough. The pale girl did not affirm nor deny my claim but stared head on as though pondering something. Was she staring at my bow?... I tried not to twitch my ears.
"That I am. Did Ozpin send you?" She asked back with equal formality. I nodded. Things seemed to be going well enough.
"Oh. Then I am in the right place. Please lead me to my interview then," she said putting away her scroll. I became slightly vexed at her lofty tone.
"This is your interview... I'm going to be your leader if you accept Ozpin's proposition after hearing the details," I responded flatly. Weiss narrowed her eyes and walked towards me until we were face-to-face eyeing each other critically. I didn't back down. She didn't either.
"You're going to be my leader... and Ozpin, the Shannon Ozpin, sent you to interview me..." she evaluated my exterior appearance and she suppressed a scoff. I could tell since I was also a girl.
"I expected someone older and of more experience qualified for something as important as interviewing potential recruits on Ozpin's behalf..." she commented, hinting at skepticism. I refrained from sounding too snappy.
"Appearances aren't everything..." I uttered back impartially. My semblance was based on deception so I understood this concept well. Figuratively and literally.
"Clearly. Then I hope Ozpin didn't make a mistake..." she remarked lightly but the manner in which she did so sent a small impulse to my hand. This was not the time to lose my cool however, and I never lost my cool. Another vibration in my pocket alerted me to an update.
"Your second and third teammates will be arriving momentarily. Expect them to be within your area in ten minutes."
I sighed inwardly. This was going to be a long day.
"This is Melanie and Miltiades Malachite. She likes to go by Mel sometimes, and she prefers Militia. I hope you get along with them, Neo."
Cinder welcomed the last three members who would be joining our group. In total, if Adam were present of course, there were eight of us now.
"The strapping young man over there is Roman Torchwick. A renowned thief of Vytal," she went on to elaborate. I wasn't too impressed or interested.
"Well, we have a bit of time before us, so let's get to know each other shall we? I'll start," Cinder said taking the initiative like she usually did. The living room was quite spacious in furniture and size so everyone was seated comfortably. Cinder sat in the same couch with me, gently stroking my hair affectionately.
"I'm Cinder, and I will be your, what's the most accurate term, co-leader during your service for the White Fang. The other would be Adam Taurus, who is not here at the moment, but you'll meet him shortly. Moving on," she said gesturing to Mercury and Emerald.
"I'm Mercury. Freelancer. Glad to meet you all," he said tiredly with dry sarcasm. Emerald rolled her eyes and picked off where her partner left off.
"I'm Emerald. His partner. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said nodding to the three new arrivals. Cinder nudged me gently to introduce myself. I pouted.
"Neo..." she lectured lightly and I acquiesced. With a little mischief in mind.
"I'm Neo, and I'm ever so grateful to meet you all..." I said, mimicking Emerald's voice exactly. The room livened up a bit after that.
"What the hell?" Roman mused out loud, taken aback. Cinder smiled and indulged me without reprimanding.
"It's just one of her various talents. She's very good at... well, everything really," she admitted and I smiled at her.
"Interesting. I didn't expect any surprises from someone so shor-"
I pointed an umbrella at his throat.
"Never mind," he finished, straightening his collar afterwards.
"She did the same thing to me," Mercury sympathized halfheartedly. Cinder continued stroking my hair understandingly. She was one of the few who accepted my sensitivity of being short.
"Now that we've all been sufficiently acquainted. I have a job for you all," she informed us. I sat up slightly straighter.
"Phase one is complete, thanks to Roman for generously supplying the last of the required Dust for our 'project'. Now, phase two can commence. I want you to gather the listed 'test subjects' for our experiments. After that, we'll proceed to phase three," she finished.
"What's phase three?" Roman asked curiously. Cinder smiled knowingly.
"Oh just a bit of thievery and sabotage. But right now, we should focus on phase two and make it a success before jumping the gun," she replied. "And then we can finally start phase four..."
"Which would be..." Roman voiced.
"You'll know what you need when you need to know," Cinder replied simply. Roman contented himself with a grunt.
"Neo, you'll be fine on your own, won't you, darling?" she asked me tenderly. I nodded. She ruffled my hair fervently.
"Good," she affirmed, staring at the sword strapped to my back. "You're an essential part to our operation. Continue collecting."
"Collecting?" Mercury asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a job that only Neo can complete. She'll have no trouble, so I don't bother giving her backup. Unless she gets lonely, of course," Cinder joked, caressing my head.
Lonely. That word rung a bell. But I had long stopped listening to it.
I had my objective. This was what I believed in. If Blake got in the way, I would not hesitate. Adam taught me that.
I did my best to entertain the 'princess' while we waited for our en route 'teammates'. At least she wasn't too unbearable as we traded bits and pieces of biographical info on each other. Schnee. Obviously, like most people, I had heard of that name many times before. Not to mention a train heist that I took part in a long time ago.
When I asked her about why she accepted Ozpin's proposal, her response caught my attention.
"My father... there's no doubt he's done great things and contributed much to humanity. However, there are things about being related to him that I'm not proud of. I can't change anything if I were to work behind a desk. I have to be out there," she gestured. "Taking action, making a change. It's not enough to spout out pretty words if you aren't willing to prove it. I'm aware that working closer to the action is more... 'inadvisable' for one's health, but I'm not running away. I have to show others that I mean what I say. I believe that change is possible if you're willing to work and sacrifice for it."
I couldn't really fault what she said. It looked like she had her priorities set. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, and my first impression of her was misinforming. Returning the favor, I told her how I was an orphan who ran away searching for answers. I omitted the part about being a member of the White Fang, instead substituting it with a lie about being raised in an orphanage. I told her about Beacon and how I thought I recognized her vaguely. There were many students at the school, but few had distinct white hair like she did. In addition, none of them sported such a noticeable scar tracing their left eye.
Even if we weren't friends, the tension at least, was settled. It reminded me of going to school and instinctively hanging around someone you at least knew when you were surrounded by a sea of strangers.
My ears perked up hearing soft footsteps. A door slid open and Weiss and I turned to greet the newcomers.
A particularly well-endowed blonde girl stepped through the entrance in a strut. Following in her wake was a shorter, redheaded girl with a black and red hood.
"What's up? I hope you guys can tell me where I can get my interview with Ozpin?" The blonde stated brazenly. The little girl beside her fidgeted with her fingers cutely.
"I'm with her," she supplied and fell silent. Weiss tutted at such childish behavior. I remained calm and addressed them formally.
"I'll be interviewing you both, so if you'll have a seat," I gesticulated towards a bench. If I could handle Weiss, I could most definitely handle two more people easily. Hopefully, the rest of the day would be smooth.
In a matter seconds, Ozpin denied me that luxury. He sent me another message which I barely had time to read.
"I do apologize, but your remaining teammates have arrived altogether in tandem. In order to sort things out more easily, I will be arriving momentarily to aid you. Good luck until then."
Suddenly the room was piled with a dozen other people. There seemed to be no chance of respite for me anytime soon.
"The Queen has gathered the last of her pawns."
Ozpin sipped his coffee absentmindedly.
"Should I intercept?" I inquired further. He closed his eyes in brief contemplation.
"Hmm. Only eight of them... it's seems she's gone for quality over quantity. Then I have to presume they're of substantial fighting ability. No. Continue to monitor them and report to me what you can. The situation is, eh, 'dicey' but I need to know more before moving against their strides."
"As you wish. How's Blake doing?" I added curiously. It had been a while since I saw her. Much less talked to her.
"She's grown up to be a fine young lady. Although the coming storm will be difficult to weather, I'm sure she will pull through admirably," he responded with firm assurance.
"She's not a leader, however, so why did you choose her?" I questioned. "You and I both know as a kunoichi she works better alone. Just like Neo. It's how they've been trained after all," I stated knowingly. Ozpin was not deterred by my argument.
"There's more to her than just being an effective lone operative. I just feel as though she's missing something, and working in a team will provide her what she is searching for," he vocalized cryptically.
"And what's that?" I directed at him.
"That's up to her." He left, saying that he had an urgent matter to attend to.
Typical.
They were of varying heights and appearances. I could detect a differing level of aura and skill from each of them. Some pronounced, others hidden. In any case, I needed to explain the details of their potential recruitment and whoever remained would be working with me for an indefinite amount of time until the job was done. Even though everyone's gaze was fixated upon me, I steeled my resolve to address them without wavering.
"Ahem. Well, then. I'm not going to waste anymore time so, I'm Blake Belladonna."
"Oh. Didn't expect such a lovely voice from my first glance at you," said a blonde Faunus boy who winked at me. I became slightly irritated. I was a total bookworm who loved well-written romance novels, but I had a starkly contrasting reaction to romantic approaches directed at me.
"As I was saying, you've all come here because Professor Ozpin has deemed you as 'promising'. However, his criteria is far more lenient than mine. I won't hesitate to send you packing back home if you prove to be less-than-stellar. That being said, it's time for-" A door slid open and someone fell through clumsily. Another blonde boy adorning a black hoodie and with a sword strapped to his belt.
"-evaluation..." I finished melodramatically. Was he a candidate? If he was, that was rather underwhelming entrance. Out of sympathy I walked over and offered him a hand up. He took it gratefully and his cobalt eyes shone with appreciation, ignoring several snickers in the background.
"Thanks. Sorry for arriving late, got a bit lost back there," he excused himself and I refrained from rolling my eyes.
"Didn't you have the coordinates? You're scroll does have a GPS function you know..." Weiss pointed out patronizingly. A few more warranted chuckles arose from the crowd. A little harsh to be calling people out but I let it pass.
"Yeah... it does," the newcomer murmured awkwardly staring at his feet. I suppressed a sigh and gestured for him to join the others. He did so dejectedly but was cheered up by the redheaded girl who patted him on the back. That was nice of her. Now back to business.
"Before I was cut off, I was going to begin your evaluations," I said, resuming my previous train of dialogue.
"And just what kind of evaluation would that be?" Asked a boy with long black hair and with a pink streak embedded in one layer.
"Ohh, maybe it's an eating contest! I'd totally ace that kind of evaluation," said an orange-haired girl with turquoise eyes. I sweatdropped inwardly.
"Nothing even close to resembling that, I will be assessing your combat abilities with a brief sparring. Because I'm feeling 'tolerant' today, I'll let volunteers go first before the rest of you are roll called up to the plate. Any takers?" I asked but no one seemed to be raring to line up. The girls seemed to be talking amongst themselves while the boys were uncomfortably silent wondering how to approach the situation. I sighed mentally and decided to push them a little to turn the gears.
"Regardless of results, the first few volunteers will be exempt from chores for the next three days. And trust me," I reinforced darkly. "You're going to be doing plenty of chores."
The intonation of my voice seemed to motivate them at last, or perhaps the promise of three drudgery-free days was a worthwhile incentive. Digressing from that, the first challenger stepped forth.
He was of dark skin and wore an orange-brownish, sleeveless vest with black jeans and brown shoes. His hair was a coppery color and his eyes were pure white. Attached to his arms were forearm blades of matching color to his vest. To most people he looked pretty intimidating, but to me I had yet to become stimulated by any feeling of wariness.
"State your name, reason you're here, and any quick facts about yourself that you'd like to share. Or not. Take your pick," I said dismissively. We stood several feet apart gauging the other and trying to formulate an appropriate method of approach.
"I go by Fox. I'm here because I'm sick of seeing needless conflict and bloodshed out there. And a quick fact? Well, I like sleeping in on the weekends," he added as an icebreaker and I nodded absentmindedly.
"I see. Well, then, come at me with everything you have. I'll be the one to call the match, but don't expect it to last more than a minute or two."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ozpin hiding in the shadows watching with an amused expression. So much for aiding me. I would give him a piece of my mind later.
"Begin," I said.
The milliseconds after the words left my mouth, Fox had already closed the distance between us. As predicted, a vicious cross-swipe cut the air at waist-level. I rebounded back and drew out Gambol Shroud, releasing its chain. Fox ducked under and jumped over the sharp end but during his momentary airtime, I darted forward to strike him. He quickly reacted with another flurry of swipes but I had been waiting for that. I crossed him over and wrapped a tether around his ankles and immediately pulled. He recovered in mid-slip to avoid crashing to the ground but promptly kicked back without looking, forcing him to roll in order to absorb the impact. I retracted Gambol Shroud and made a final dash towards him. He met me halfway attempted to shred me to ribbons with a double swipe but I instantaneously jabbed at his fleetingly exposed abdomen which rewarded me with a quick freeze on his part. Using my agility, I leapt several feet in the air and scissor-locked his neck with my legs. With the assistance of momentum and gravity he was forced to the ground and I had a blade to his head for good measure.
I released my chokehold on him and we regained our posture.
"Not bad. But you could work on your defense. You're a little exposed by being too offense-oriented," I offered constructively. He nodded humbly and walked back to join the others. A few of the guys patted him on the back for representing them well. Hmph. Camaraderie at its best.
"The bar has been set. For being the first challenger, that wasn't half bad. However, I will be adjusting the difficulty accordingly," I said to the groans of some of the boys. "So who's next?"
The second to volunteer was the guy who tried to flirt with me. Emboldened by Fox's performance, he tried to emulate him, however, dispatching him was rather easy.
"My name's Sun Wukong, buttercup, and uh, I'd like to get your number," he declared audaciously. I blinked with a deadpan expression, which gave no ground.
"Right... well I'm here because I know that Ozpin's a chill guy who also knows how to get down to business. I figured I'd put my talents into doing something good, and it's an added bonus if it's Ozpin who could tolerate someone like me," he added and I muttered 'undoubtedly' under my breath.
His fighting style was interesting at least. Whether he grew desperate or wanted to show off, he used his Semblance which was to create clones of himself to intensify the fight. They exploded on contact which was something I didn't expect but quickly recovered from. I refrained from using my Semblance in turn unless I had to. The element of surprise was always welcome and I would not compromise it just yet.
Annoyingly, most of the fight was spent with Sun trying to flirt with me so I quickly punished him for it. Though his style was slightly dizzying, I managed to disable him by analyzing his patterns. Once I synchronized my pacing with him, I nullified all of his fancy moves and ended the battle with a chop to the back of his neck.
"Damn you hit hard..." he groaned but winked suggestively. "Guess you'd be the man in the relationship," he joked, however I didn't find it very funny.
Next up was the overly-enthusiastic girl with a dangerous-looking hammer.
"I'm Nora Valkyrie and I came here today to help serve Vytal by finding criminals and breaking their legs!" Her voice suggested that she found this a completely normal thing to say out loud and proud which gave me reason for slight concern. However, at least she was confident.
"I like pancakes and all things sweet!" She added and I heard a 'oh me too' from somewhere in the background.
"Well, this won't exactly be too 'sweet'," I stated dryly but that did not dampen her spirits. As a matter of fact, her eyes seemed to dare me to attack first.
I soon found out that one miscalculation would likely lead me to having a broken rib or adorning a cast if I wasn't careful. The impact of her hammer was astoundingly ferocious and left crater marks in the ground. Adding to that explosive force, her weapon doubled as a grenade launcher. However, with my reflexes and intuitive thinking, I managed to outmaneuver her shots and quickly disarm her by twisting her wrist and sweeping her legs when I came into distance. The weight of such a weapon put her mobility at a disadvantage so I quickly acted upon that opening. She walked away disappointed but happy that she was able to fight such a strong opponent.
Coming down the line was the tallest member of the group named Yatsuhashi.
"I am Yatsuhashi. I have come to help restore balance to the world and help those who cannot defend themselves. I enjoy the outdoors, particularly days with a light breeze," he introduced himself. A fair choice of words.
He proved to be more difficult than I thought. After seeing that light attacks would do nothing against him, I opted for another strategy. Bring the giant down.
Dismantling his armor would be ideal, but I didn't have the time to do so, or perhaps I was just frustrated. In any case, after several probes, I found weak points in his armor. This allowed me to strike at particularly sensitive areas to force him onto his knees. Pushing my advantage, I relentlessly jumped around like a cyclone of metal, wearing down his stamina and focus. After suffering dizziness and fatigue, he finally fell from exhaustion.
The only reason I hadn't collapsed yet either is because I was pushing my body past its limit with excessive amounts of aura being constantly supplied to my weakened joints and strained muscles. The adrenaline would only last for so long, but I knew I could push on. I was used to working overtime.
The next contender was someone named Sage. Following him was Scarlet, and finally Neptune Vasilias.
At least one thing went easy for me today. Their evaluations weren't that noteworthy to mention anything. They seemed to be range-oriented and I had little difficulty in handling them. Taking a quick glance, it appeared as though Neptune and Sun knew each other beforehand, seeing as Sun was consoling Neptune at his lackluster matchup. Sage and Scarlet also seemed to know each other.
The line of unchallenged people began thinning as Weiss stepped forward to be next. I had gotten to know her slightly, but that would not stop me from giving it my all.
Her precision and Semblance was formidable. I was almost forced to use my own Semblance. However, the flawed point in her moves was that they were all telegraphed. Getting used to her tactics took time, but eventually managed to press a sword edge to her throat after sustaining several wounds.
"You did fine. However, your attacks are too predictable. Against me anyway, so you should find a balance between being open with your moves and being deceptive," I advised her and she silently walked back, pondering my words.
The black haired pink streaked boy came next.
"My name is Lie Ren. I came here in order to pursue a path that could help others and help myself understand more. I don't really have any interesting facts about myself except that I'm fairly decent at cooking," he said plainly.
Our fighting styles were similar in a way. We were both calculative and fast-paced. In the end however, I had more close-quarter combat experience and outdueled him. He gained my respect however, as it was well-fought for.
A rather self-assured girl stepped forth, contrasting with Ren.
"I'm Coco. I signed up to kick ass and look good while doing it. My favorite drink is coffee and hot chocolate," she stated openly. A rather honest choice of words.
Surprisingly, this girl was extremely tough. Her machine gun/suitcase weapon was bizarre in itself and I knew I couldn't just fight her head on. The difference in our speed however, was the deciding factor. No way her weapon could have infinite ammo no matter how abundant, so I waited it out and struck the moment she had to reload. Even closeup, she was a tough fighter. Her suitcase was of similar build to Nora's hammer. However, I managed to use its weight against her and she ended up on the floor with my foot pressed to her back.
The redheaded girl who had been hanging around the taller blonde girl finally stepped forward. She unfolded her gigantic scythe and addressed me.
"Uhh. Well, hi, I'm Ruby Rose. I've always wanted to be a huntress ever since listening to the stories dad always used to tell me, and well, I wanna help people because it's the right thing to do and I think that a better world is worth fighting for, even if we have to face hard times and make sacrifices for it. And uhh, well I really like cookies and I'm obsessed about weapons," she admitted bashfully. She sounded very ambitious for a child, which I could respect.
Her fighting style rivaled her weapon. It looked very fancy and complicated. What was more, her Semblance appeared to be speed, otherwise there would be no way she could keep up with such a heavy and oversized weapon. I'll admit she had potential, but there was a flaw to her fighting style.
She relied too much on her weapon. Disarming her was a challenge, but after she made a slight miscalculation in one swing that overextended, I took advantage of the opening and took her down.
The next person taking her place surprised me with her presence.
"Velvet? You're here?" I declared astonished. She nodded meekly and smiled.
"Introductions would be out of the way, I suppose?" She said humorously. We talked to each other at Beacon. I empathized with her for also being a Faunus. She was a very kind person and was way too tolerant for her own good. But if she was here I wouldn't question her decision. I decided to have faith in her.
Her fighting style was exceptionally slippery and it was difficult to land a hit on her. However, one could only evade for so long and eventually, once I had a grip on her, she was done for. She bowed her head respectfully and rejoined the group.
There were only three people left to evaluate.
A crimson-haired girl stepped forth. She had a strong presence and her toolkit seemed interesting. A shield accompanied by a rifle fused with a javelin.
"I'm Pyrrha Nikos and I've come to give my services to Vytal. I believe that there is more I could do if I was teamed with others of the same mind," she stated courteously. "I suppose an interesting fact about me is that I've been on a cereal commercial before," she admitted embarrassingly and a 'oh that's why you looked so familiar' came from the crowd.
This fight was easily more difficult than those that came before it. I didn't like to acknowledge it, but I might've lost if I hadn't used my Semblance in a split-second before she bashed me with her shield. Escaping defeat narrowly, I aimed a sword at her throat but was surprised at her reflexes as she mirrored my action. A stalemate. I hadn't experienced a draw in a long time. Recovering from the shock, I nodded respectfully.
"A draw. You're every bit as good as they said you were," I commented and she waved it off gracefully.
"Oh I want a piece of this, that match got me pumped," said the blonde girl who cracked her knuckles. I repositioned myself to face her.
"Name's Yang. Yang Xiao Long, and I'm a thrill-seeker. I wanted to come here with my little sister over there, so we'd help the world improve together. Punch by punch," she stated brashly and I didn't respond immediately.
"My hobby is having fun and keeping maintenance on my motorcycle," she added passionately.
For the second time in a row, I was thrown into an intense fight that required me to exploit all my moves in order to keep up. Yang threw out punches left and right without pause. She seemed to flare up every time I managed to land a hit on her. Her moves were aggressive and plain to see, but the sheer force combined with her tanky physique soaked up my attacks and I forced to play it more cautiously.
Eventually the match ended in a draw with my sword pointed at her throat but her shotgun gauntlet pointed my head.
"That was satisfying, cupcake. Hope we get to do that again," she winked playfully after catching her breath. She was the penultimate challenger. That just left one more.
"So uh, hi. I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it," he said attempting to sound suave. Yang wolf whistled and he laughed nervously.
"I don't love it," Weiss said none too quietly and this sparked a few laughs. His self-esteem seemed to drop and I felt a bit bad for him.
"Well uh, I came here because I want to be like my father and his father before him and so and so. I just, I don't know, I always thought that being someone people could depend on was worth trying to be, so here I am now. I guess an interesting thing about me is, well I don't really know. I'm guess I'm just trying to find out what is special about me..." he trailed off.
I wish I could've spared him the beating. But this fight couldn't even be classified as a fight. His moves were all so basic and lacked force behind them. If Ozpin really saw potential in him, he must've searched far and deep.
Finally, after almost an hour of consecutive fighting, I finished my evaluations on all of them. Ozpin finally emerged with his hands clapping at a slow pace. I glared at him. He took almost no notice.
"Well, now that all that is out of the way, the only thing left is whether you all will accept. The choice is yours, and choose carefully, if I might advise you. You must be prepared for anything," he warned sagely.
After deliberation, everyone, including Jaune surprisingly, agreed to stay. While they chatted amongst themselves, I expressed my doubt to Ozpin.
"Are you sure he has potential? No disrespect, sir, but he's not going to be that helpful in this state..." I voiced truthfully. I didn't want to discourage Jaune to his face but I didn't want him to pursue something he would unlikely get better at.
"Miss Belladonna, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child. However, as of now, I do not feel that appointing Jaune Arc under your leadership is one. Appearances aren't everything," he stated, mirroring my words with Weiss. "Give him a chance, Blake. Great things often start small. You were all once beginners after all," he added as-a-matter-of-factly.
I guess I couldn't deny that.
Later that night, I leaned against railing looking up into the night sky. The moon looked beautiful. It reminded me of that night. I would've reminisced more, but I detected a slight noise grower louder. Footsteps?
"Hey, Blake?" Asked a familiar voice.
I could see him perfectly fine in the dark, as it was an inherent trait of most Faunus.
"Yes, Arc?" I responded back hesitantly. I wasn't sure of what he wanted this late at night when everyone else had retired.
"I was wondering if you could, well, train me into a better fighter," he requested shyly. I wasn't too surprised at his response but I was caught off guard at the directness of his approach.
"Jaune," I said using his first name to soften up the tension and to lessen the harshness of what I was about to say.
"Why did you decide to stay? You know what you're signing up for, right? You realize how difficult things are and will be..." I added grimly. I avoided saying 'why did you even come here with your skills' for tactfulness's sake.
"Well, I just wanted to live up to my family name," he replied. I could understand that part. But if it wasn't the life for him, why did he persist?
"But also... I'm just tired of running away from my problems," he supplied additionally. These words brought certain memories into my mind as I reflected his words meticulously.
"How far are you willing to go?" I asked him curiously.
"If I have to get beat up a dozen times a day or do chores 24/7, I'll keep doing it if it's what you say I should do to get better," he declared earnestly and I smiled very faintly in response. Fine. I guess it couldn't hurt to try and help him.
"Remember those words, then, Arc. I don't want to hear any half-assed excuses while you're under my tutelage. I won't train a quitter," I told him but he nodded attentively. I wondered how long he would keep to his word after going through my regime for him but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if it was against my better judgment.
"It'll be hard, but if you survive, you'll be stronger. Even knowing this, I'll only train you under one more condition," I proposed coolly. He waited with bated breath.
"Don't get close to me," I declared evenly. He blinked in surprise.
"I'm sorry?" He asked, wondering if he had heard me wrong.
"Don't become attached to me. I'll train you, but nothing else. When I look at you, I see someone who wears their heart on their sleeves too much. You have to shut out those emotions in the tide of battle. You have to think logically. Remember this," I stated looking him in the eye.
"The mission comes first. Emotions come second."
I gave him time to let that sink in. He finally looked back and nodded. Was that a slight trace of disappointment? If so, my intuition was quite sharp. My novels taught me plenty about boys and how they worked.
"I agree to that," he said resolutely. I examined him one last time before I retired to my room.
I just hoped he knew what he was getting into. I might forgive him in training, but I knew our enemies would not.
A/N Sorry if this was a boring chapter but don't worry. This pretty much concludes the majority of the introduction. Next chapter will (hopefully) be a lot more fulfilling. As far as romance/pairings go, I'll be focusing on Jaune and Blake but with some drama thrown in by the other characters. The next chapter will feature Blake and co.'s first mission out in the field. Expect things to go darker in chapter four and five. It'll be more interesting and more fun for me to write later on. I probably made a few grammatical/spelling errors since I didn't have time to edit this chapter yet. I'll fix those later. Anyways, feel free to leave a review on what you thought or would like to see (if I can work it in). See ya.