Chapter 2
"Guess what I just heard!" Yang boisterously shouted as she entered the dorm.
"Guessing would imply caring," Weiss said without looking up from her homework.
"Oh you will care princess," Yang rebutted.
"I told you not to call me that," Weiss said as she halted her work long enough to glare at Yang.
Yang continued ignored the daggers Weiss's eyes launched at her, "A guy just completed the Emerald Forest."
Blake glanced over the top of her book, "There were many males who completed the initiation."
"No that's not what I meant, I mean a guy just completed it yesterday," Yang clarified, "alone."
"Late entry?" Ruby asked.
"Why wouldn't they have put him off until next year, initiation was four weeks ago," Weiss questioned now mildly interested in what the blond had to say.
"Well the rumor mill might have the answer to that princess. It seems he wiped out a pack of Beowulfs and a Taijitu, not that impressive, but after that he killed both an adult Nevermore and Death Stalker. Again single handed," Yang relayed while ticking the kills off on her fingers.
Weiss didn't have to see Ruby to know her leader was already enthralled by Yang ridiculous story. "A Nevermore and a Death Stalker and alone on top of that, get real," Weiss said loud enough for Ruby to hear her.
"That's not even the craziest part" Yang said as she directed a large grin at Weiss, "when he made it back to the Beacon cliffs they realized that he broke his ankle."
"In the climb?" Ruby asked.
"No on landing, apparently even he didn't realize he broke his ankle."
"That's impossible," Weiss exclaimed as she sat up homework completely forgotten, "first there is no way that someone could break their ankle and not realize it. And second even if he did there is no way he could have completed the initiation with a broken ankle."
"Where exactly did you hear this?" Blake asked as she sat her book down.
"I heard it from Nora," Yang replied and everyone rolled their eyes, "who heard it from Pyrrha, who overheard it from Professors Oizpin and Port. Well the Grimm killing part, I heard the ankle thing from a few people, and he is in the infirmary for a broken ankle and passed the initiation."
"That doesn't mean he broke it on landing Yang," Weiss rebutted.
"No but he defiantly broke it somewhere and scaled a cliff on a broken ankle."
"Regardless," Weiss said waving away Yang's comment, "why did you comment that I would care?"
"Because there are rumors about what piece he retrieved," Yang said with her grin growing, "Guess piece the most prevalent rumor says he grabbed." Realization dawned on the faces the other three girls as Yang continued, "Yep he grabbed a cute little yellow pony."
"White Knight," Weiss replied feebly.
"He's goanna be on our team?" Ruby asked
"Where are we going to fit another bed?" Blake mused.
"Wait what do the other rumors say he picked up?" Weiss asked suddenly.
"Well I wouldn't exactly call them rumors," Yang said sheepishly, "more like everyone wondering if he grabbed the same piece they did."
"What's his name anyway," Blake asked.
"Don," Yang replied.
"Hang on you said he was in the infirmary right," Ruby asked and Yang nodded, "if he's goanna be out new teammate then maybe we should visit he and introduce ourselves."
"We don't know he'll be on our team for sure," Weiss interjected.
"Regardless I think it would be nice to go and greet the new student," Yang stated.
"Then it's settled," Ruby said with the easy authority she was becoming accustomed to as team leader, "we're going to the infirmary to meet Don."
Blake heard the first traces of the argument several doors away from the room the nurse had said was Don's room. "Hang on," she told her teammates, "I think someone else is in there."
"Then maybe we should go," Weiss suggested clearly egger to avoid this encounter.
"No we should go make sure," Ruby decided as she kept walking.
The four girls walked the remaining seventy feet down the narrow infirmary hall to room one hundred seventeen were their (possibly) new teammate was located. But as they got closer the argument got louder and was clearly coming from their destination.
"Well clearly he has a guest and we shouldn't intrude," Weiss said as she turned to leave.
"Blake can you tell what their saying," Yang asked ignoring Weiss's comment.
"Possibly," Blake said reluctantly, "but to hear it clearly I would need my full hearing."
"Oh, we'll cover you," Ruby said enthusiastically upon realizing Blake's dilemma.
"All right," Blake said still somewhat reluctant, but her own curiosity was killing her. The three other girls positioned themselves around Blake to hide her from view while trying, and failing, to look natural.
Shaking her head Blake removed her bow and placed her ear against the room's door. "I hear a male voice, probably Don," Blake said, "and a female voice, it's Professor Goodwitch." Blake then began to rely what she heard.
"… and I want an explanation," Goodwitch said, "You broke your ankle on landing in the Emerald forest, I've checked the recordings there was nowhere else you could have broken it."
"That's a statement Professor not a question," Don said evenly.
"Yet you where still able to move and fight, in fact our systems show at one point you were running at a sustained rate of more than forty kilometers per hour, on said broken ankle," Goodwitch continued without acknowledging his statements.
"I find it wise never to argue with computers, they usually win," Don stated nonchalantly.
"I want to know how this is possible, I am aware of no auric property or semblance that can explain this."
"My boot held my ankle in position allowing it to bare load," Don stated seriously.
"While I don't doubt the sturdy construction of your boot played a part in this, the pain alone should have prevented you from completing the Emerald Forest, as well as alerted you to the fact that the ankle was broken in the first place. Which you apparently were not. How?"
"Professor Ozpin has my full history why don't you ask him?"
"I'm asking you."
"Ah," Don said, "you did ask him, and he didn't tell you. So let me guess you decided to come down here and try to intimidate the answer out of me instead, figuring I'd be easier to scare then your boss."
Silence met Don's conjecture.
"I have spent eight months in a nasty slice of hell, with third degree burns covering half of my right thigh, impact fractures to my ribs and sternum, a gunshot wound in my left shoulder, and a piece of shrapnel that was scrapping against my left lung making every breath feel like a red hot knife was being run through my chest," Don said in a low, deadly tone. "And I have spent twenty two days locked in a cold dark room with only the restraints that were holding me to the chair, a couple of interrogators who came in at odd intervals to beat and slice me, and for company I had fire ants crawling on my ball sack.
"And I didn't tell them shit. So I don't think your polite but stern routine is going to get you very far. Now go."
"This isn't over," Goodwitch replied lamely.
"I disagree. Get. Out."
At the sound of clacking heels Blake jumped back from the door and motioned for the other girls to hide. They all scuttled back into a small alcove as Professor Goodwitch burst through the door and stormed off in the opposite direction.
"Do you think what he told Professor Goodwitch was true?" Yang asked.
"You mean about the fire ants," Ruby asked
"Yhea."
"Of course it's not true," Weiss stated as thought it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"People are capable of incredibly cruel acts," Blake simply stated.
"Well come on lets go meet our new teammate," Ruby ended the morbid conversation as she headed towards the door.
Ruby was the first to enter the room followed by Weiss then Blake and finally Yang. The infirmary room was sparse, containing only a bed, a tray, a bathroom next to the door, and a small holographic TV. But the room was not what drew Blake's attention, it was the boy laying in the bed. He sure doesn't look like a boy, she thought as she looked at Don, he looks like a man.
Even laying in the bed she could tell Don's height was well over six feet. His broad chest and thick arms were clearly visible underneath the medical gown, and Blake thought his sharp angular face was quite handsome. All in all he was an exquisite example of masculinity. Blake figured she would find him very attractive, if she were straight.
But it was not Don's large well built figure that made him look to be well over the 17 years old records claimed he was, though it certainly contributed. It was the look in his eyes, and she knew the way he would move would add to the effect, they carried a weight that was normally only acquired by decades of harsh fighting.
If Ruby or Yang noticed the weight of Don's gaze they gave no indication as both (unsuccessfully) attempted to stifle a gasp. Blake also could smell the musky scent of lust wafting from both of them. However she did not smell anything coming from Weiss.
Blake glance at the heiress, Don is enough to get any red blooded girl's motor revving, she thought. Any straight red blooded girl, she mentally amended and filed it away to test later. But before she looked away Weiss glanced at her and their eyes locked.
She sees the weight in his eyes too, Blake realized, maybe she isn't so shallow after all. Her opinion went up a few notches.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Ziao Long," Don's voice brought Blake out of her thoughts.
"Xiao not Ziao," Yang managed to say around her infatuation.
"Xiao, Ziao, cow, bow, I really don't give a shit," Don said not really looking at them or paying them much attention. Before Yang or anyone else could comment on Don's lack of manors he continued, "You're here because you heard about my initiation and you also heard that I retrieved the White Knight piece."
"Ye…," Ruby began but Don continued without acknowledging her.
"When I play chess I always play white, white moves first and in my experience in battle the first move is an edge that is difficult to make up. In fact it can often decide the outcome of a battle, forcing your opponent to react to you rather then act on their own. Within the game my favorite piece is the knight, it is an indirect attacker, the only piece that can take down the queen without be a risk.
Ruby again opened her mouth but again Don didn't stop, "So you came down here to welcome me into your team. Save your sentiments, I'm not joining your team."
"Ozpin let you PICK YOUR OWN TEAM!" Weis shouted.
"No," Don replied quietly, "I'm not on anyone's team. I work alone. However I have been informed that some of the trails are impossible to complete alone, and on these I will be working with the four of you. I don't care what Ozpin says or who the 'official' team leader is, when we work together I will lead."
"Ruby is our team leader," Weiss said sternly, her tone earning a surprised glance from Yang and eyebrow raise from Blake. Again Blake found her opinion of Weiss going up.
At Weiss's outburst Don suddenly locked eyes with Ruby, "Have you lead under fire before?" he asked.
"Uh…I did lead the effort to take down the giant Nevermore we faced during our initiation," Ruby replied.
Blake saw Don gaze sharpen as he asked, "Have you lead four people under heavy enemy fire, against hundreds of sentient opponents doing everything in their power to put you in the ground? Have you lead while feeling the heat off mortars falling all around you, shots from snipers cutting just millimeters above your head, enemy rounds kicking up dirt and vitrifying the ground around you, knowing that four other people's lives rest squarely on your shoulders? Have you felt the fear, confusion, and pain of intense battle, and push it aside to think clearly and coherently and above all make the right call?"
Don continued to gaze at Ruby. In that moment Blake understood exactly why Don's gaze carried such weight, and felt a great deal of sympathy and empathy. She had known men, and yes she thought of him as a man not a boy, like him in the White Fang so she knew better then to show such feelings.
"I didn't think so," Don's voice cut through the stunned silence like a whip, "now go."
As the girls turned and left the room Yang commented, "gonna get em self killed with his solo act."
Blake was in the rear of the group and as she exited the room she heard Don say something that sounded like 'we don't die.' Blake resisted the urge to turn around and look at the warrior.
Blake's mind quickly shifted away from Don as she looked at the corner ahead and saw an opportunity to test the theory she had developed during the conversation. As the other three girls rounded the corner Blake went straight and bumped into Weiss. Blake's hand 'accidentally' slipped under Weiss's skirt and her index finger contacted the apex between the other girl's legs.
Weiss let out a startled gasp as her checks turned bright red and calmly told Blake, "watch it."
Blake inhaled Weiss's scent and beneath the stink of embarrassment Blake caught the scent of lust. A scantily clad hunk of a man can't get your motor revving but a girl accidently touching your womanhood does. My, my, my, Weiss you are a lesbian aren't you.
"Sorry," Blake said insincerely.