Chapter II

- New Beacon academy, Main hall -

Izetta rushed through the crowd of students that was gathering around the notification board to check for the schedule of today's team competition event. Her eyes darted between the information on the board then among the students surrounding her, as if she was searching for someone. Her expression filled with a hint of worry and anxiousness.

"ooohh, where are they ?!"

"Oii, Izetta , over here !"

Her attention was drawn to the voice that was calling to her. In its direction, was a pair of a boy and a girl, both clad in their respective Beacon uniform, walking toward her. She soon recognized that the voice had come from the boy, if not by the distinctive pitch of the voice itself, then by the fact he was enthusiastically waving his hand at her. The boy had chestnut-colour hair that was slightly disheveled, his eyes a darker shade of the same colour. The most telling attribute of his personality however was probably the large smile that he had across his face, full of vigor and confidence. She hardly know anyone else that had that bright of a smile as he did, with only one exception – a crazy orange-hair aunty that was living in Kuroyuri (her mind shivers everytime she thinks about her interaction with that woman).Quite opposite to the boy then was the girl, who had an air of calmness and class around her. She was tall, a bit more than a boy. She had dark black hair that was cut very short, in fact, if one had look at her from behind, one could have easily mistaken her for a guy. However to counter that, she facial features oozes feminine beauty, from her long eye lashes, glimmering magenta eyes, to her proportionate face and tender-looking lips. If anything, it was the fact that she had both manly and feminine beauty traits that she captured the attention from both sides of student body, an ability that Izetta herself sometime could not battle against and was quite envious of. Within a short period, the pair caught up to Izetta.

"Len ! Nina ! There you guys are ! Where were you ?!"

"Hehe sorry red, we got stuck on the monorail. Its because of today's event ya know ? The whole city was bustling, students and parents and all that, and the traffic in general was just a real bitc….."

The boy's sentence was cut short by a hard punch to the back of the head by the brunette beside him.

"Len, language"

"Huhu…sorry ma'am" said the boy has he held up a hand to rub on the little swelling that had come off from the punch's point of impact on his head. Then he suddenly turn to Izetta, his hand now grasping her as tears and snots start leaking from his face.

" WAHHH….Izetta ! Nina is bullying me again…"

Izetta couldn't help but just awkwardly laugh at the crying man-child and the situation in front of, as a sweat rolled down along forehead. She had gotten quite use to the crazy antics of Len already through her time here in Beacon, yet somehow, she could never be totally prepared for it. Her gaze then dash towards Nina for assistance, who just shot Len an slightly annoyed look as she dragged the boy back to her side. She then turned back to Izetta, her expression now warm and endearing.

"We're sorry for being late, and how are you doing today Izetta?"

"Oh you know, a bit nervous and all that but other than that I'm pretty excited, I just hope I don't mess up to badly and drag you guys down and all"

"You'll be find Izetta, we haven been together for more than a year now, and you have proven yourself capable in both combat and leadership. If you need assistance in anything just come to me and Len, we'll support you."

"Nina…"

Izetta's eyes widen with happiness at the touching remarks of her teammate, her hands clasped together as she mentally thanked the heavens above her for having given her such wonderful friend

"She's right red, you're a pretty top chick, not to mention you're way more friendly than this monst…."

Again, Len's voice was crushed by another punch, the only difference being it was now aimed directly his family's crown jewels. As the boy is reduced to shivering mess on the floor of the hall, he was stared down by a murderous looking Nina as Izetta once again could do nothing but just smile awkwardly at.

"Nina, I know he deserve it and all, but you could be just a bit more gentle with him, no ? He is your boyfriend after all."

"That is precisely why I need to teach this idiot some manners."

"Right…"

Fate couldn't have brought two more different people together. Izetta herself was quite shock of the fact as first, see how if judged by only their interaction, one would conclude that the relationship between the pair was more akin to that of the master-slave kind. Of course she had to questioned how they actually came to be, and indeed, she got her answers from each of them.

"Why I chose him you ask?...hmmm, it was probably because he's the one that makes me laugh the most. Back when I was a kid, having been raised in an honourable house of hunters and huntresses, I dedicated most of my life to training, rules and formality. That was my world you know? The only thing that mattered to me was becoming the best huntress there ever was, and to follows the footstep of my mother. But then came this little boy who was the son of our gardener, who often hung around my training area to watch. We eventually start talking to each other during my breaks, and he would tease me with all these bugs and flowers that he'd gathered around the garden, even once scarring me to death by dropping this worm in my armour ! But, even though I would get pissed with antics and tricks, I was happy you know, because I got to feel something different. When you live in sheltered and pampered life almost your entire life, the days just gradually become the same, day in day out, training, eat, sleep, training, but when I'm with him, I got to cry, got to laugh, got to get angry…. It was something special. My mother somehow took a liking to him and let him start training alongside me. When I asked her about it, she just said that with him I would be able to live differently from her. I didn't get what she meant then, but now, I think I do."

"Huh? Why I got with Nina? Well… Its kind corny, but I fell for her the first time we met ya know ? My old man had worked for the Hildenberg for ages, and he would take me to there to help out with some of the miniscule stuff. That was when I first saw her. I thought she was a boy at first ya know ?! All clad in shining armour and swinging her rapier around. For a kid my age at the time, it was amazing to watch. But I noticed she had this look to her that wasn't quite right. It looked sad, cold and lonely. Eventually I confronted her to asked about and it was only then that I realized she was actually a girl. We talked, hanged around, and I found out that she was so oblivious to the things in the world besides her own training that I had to start teaching her all about, from nature and wildlife, to food and games. The best thing though, was the time that I dropped an earth worm into her training armour, and she ran around kicking and screaming everywhere, god that was awesome, though in the end, my pops had to dragged me in front of Lady Hildenberg and begged for forgiveness. Weirdly enough, the lady somehow didn't punish me and even let me to start training alongside her daughter. Apparently she had taken a liking to me, seeing how when we eventually grew up and got into a relationship, she was quite enthusiastic about it. I don't know what she saw in me but I know for fact that if she had entrusted me with her daughter then I have to do my best to honour that trust… Hey don't tell Nina I said all this okay ?"

Looking at the pair in front of her now, Izetta couldn't help but smile and feel slightly envious. She wondered to herself sometime if she would be able to find someone like that in the future. Someone who would care for her and make her feel safe as her brother had done for most of her life. What would Jaune's reaction then be like? Would he be happy? Angry? Would he feel relieved to have a burden off his shoulders or would they just keep continue on as they have been. These questions just keep popping up here and there more frequently the older she gets and the more independent she learns to be as a huntress. One thing is for certain, she was still and always will be his brother lil' sis.

"Red…yo…red helloooo ?"

Izetta consciousness snapped back to reality and the people in front of her.

"Yeah yeah, what happened ?"

"…We're going to the mess hall to get some food first, would you like to come"

"Sure thing !" Izetta just laugh awkwardly and dashed towards the direction of the dining hall followed by the curious and confused gaze of her teammates.

Dammit brain , get it together, now its not the time to worry about such trivial thing, I need to focus. That's right focus! Izetta's slapped against her cheeks as she voiced off her determination in her own mind

And with that team LIN were off to prepare for the task ahead.

- New Beacon academy , Auditorium , Team challenge opening ceremony –

"You ready ?"

"Yeah, have you guys checked all your equipment?"

"Good to go red."

"I am good as well"

After the quick meal at the dining hall, team LIN headed to locker room to changed into their respective combat gear. Each of them had a distinctive role in the operation of the team, with the matching accessories and equipment to match it. Izetta was the leader, scout and handled long-range support, her weapon of choice, Silver Ray, was a customized plasma pistol, that can be adapted into different forms of long-range weapons depending on the need of the user. It was a gift from her brother, courtesy of the SRED in recognition of his contribution to the previous conflict. Nina handled mid-range support and dust-powered attacks with her Shooting Star, a pair of dust powered gauntlet and rapier that had been passed down in the Hildenberg family for generations. She dressed lightly in a closed fitting suits with the armor being only her shoulder plates and the plates that wraps around her legs, preferring to block ad parry the opposition's attack with the dust-enhanced gauntlet and rapier. Finally Len was dealing the high-damage melee, using his jet black great sword ironically named Dandelion. All of them are skilled in their key area but the true strength lied within their excellent ability to coordinate and perform as team, thanks in no small part to the close bonds that they have built with each other since the time they first met at New Beacon.

Around the members of team LIN, other students were forming up into their own group as well, providing a golden opportunity for initial information scouting in case they would became the opposing force in the upcoming challenge. As Izetta eyes scanned the faces around her, a voice rung out from the direction of the main stage of the auditorium.

"Welcome dear students."

All the attention in the room was now focused on the figure that was standing on top behind the podium, who turned out to be none other than the headmaster of New Beacon himself, Oscar Pine. Standing behind him was a formation comprised of all the tutors ands training staffs of New Beacon, including well-known faces like Professor Glynda Goodwitch, Professor Port, Professor Oobleck and of course, Instructor Jaune Arc, who shot a wink and a smile at the waving red head in the crowd. Oscar continued with his speech.

"I am very glad that you have all been able to make it to today's event. As you all have known, Beacon prides itself on being one of the best huntsmen and huntresses academy in all of Remnants, who have produced some of the greatest names the world has ever known. We are able to achieve this through a long tradition of careful training and guidance from the best of the best, as well as a grueling selection and evaluation process that dates back the founding of the old school. You all have first-hand experience of this as I know you are all quite aware of the team-selection event during your first year here at the academy. Today's task however, will certainly be more challenging, and more serious than that."

Oscar tapped his caned against the floor, signaling a large holographic screen appearing behind him, on it, information about the event, as well as large map of what seems to be the area of the event.

"You will all be dropped into a well-reported Grimm active zone."

Among the crowd in the room, you can her light whispers as well as some gulping throats.

"Each team will be handed with a unique objective to accomplished within a certain time-limit. Some of them will involve the cooperation of multiple team, some will pit you against each other. Teams that fail to meet their objective and make it back to the forming area within the time limit will be disqualified. All the while, you will face challenges from terrain, the weather, and of course the Grimm that are present in the area. As third years, you have all proven to be capable in teamwork and combat and therefore are expected to deal with all Grimm you faces with efficiency. However, we are aware the potential of hidden dangers that we do not know, hence each team will be provided with a unique scroll that double as a communication device and homing beacon. Once sounded, the teams will be assisted and retrieved by our emergency staff members who will be monitoring the area from the air. But of course, if you choose to push that button, your team will automatically be disqualified."

Murmurs spread again among the crowd of students, some obviously showing signs of anxiousness, some had confidence in their eyes, and there were even strategy and planning already being heard among the teams. The members of team LIN, all had determined look on their face. Oscar scanned the room with a small smile. Just as he was about to conclude the details of the event and the opening ceremony, professor Goodwitch stepped forward and whispered in his ears. Oscar's eyes widen, his mouth morphing into an "O" shape as if he had recognized something important, then it came.

"Oh and students, I almost forget this slight detail. Just to provide more motivation for you all to finish this event to best of your ability, all failed team will have to repeat all 3 years again before they can make another attempt."

Oscar finished his sentence with a bright smile.

A dead silence fell upon the entire room, as all the eyes of the students widen in horror. Then…

"EHHHHHHHHHHH?"

An outburst of gasp and voices spread around the crowd, many filled with a sense of shock and awe as the prospect of having to repeat of huntsmen theoretical studies and practical exams struck them to the core. Those who were anxious before were now terrified and those were confident now showing signs of their own nerve crumbling. Some students however, remain strong even in the face of such serious risks, looking even more serious and determined than before, beside them however, Len was on the ground shaking as he cover his head, as if he had been on the receiving end of one of Nina's punches again.

"Now now, kids, calm down. Although the information that I just gave may seem harsh, let me just remind you that you are all here because you have a duty to protect the future of humanity and those who are closest to you. The life of a real huntsmen are always full of surprises, dangers, and even tragedies. This is something that you'll have to quickly learn to get used to if this is a career that you are choosing to pursue, as if you are unprepared for it, you and the people around you may pay the ultimate price. With that said, be smart, be safe, and good luck to you all".

And with that Oscar disappeared from the main stage as professor Goodwitch step forward.

"Teams ! Please report to the assigned assembly area in the hangar bay, you will be departing immediately, you will be brief about your objectives in the air. That is all!"

At last it was time. As Izetta and her teammates headed out, all the doubts and fear that were in any of them were left behind. They took on last look at each other before and holding there arms out for one last team cheer.

"Let do it you guys"

"You got it red, lets kick some black furry Grimm ass"

"We're behind you leader"

"1 …. 2….3"

"TEAM LIN"

If only they had known about the tragedy that was about to descend upon them…

-End chapter-