The next morning Professor Goodwitch had woken everyone up and quickly escorted them to the locker rooms to collect their equipment. Vincent reached into his locker and pulled out his scarlet shirt and burgundy vest. He quickly put them on and buttoned the shirt up before strapping Daylight's scabbard to his back and buckling Flare's holster to his belt.

As he tied the cloth printed with his family's emblem, a crossbow pointing skyward, to his belt, he noticed the girl at the locker next to his started trembling. She wore a zipped up brown jacket with brown shorts and black leggings. Her brown hair fell loosely down her back, and the large, brown furred, currently drooping, rabbit ears told Vincent she was a faunus.

"Hey." Vincent placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt her jolt when his hand touched her. He forced himself to suppress an amused smirk as the girl slowly turned to him. She had a soft, pretty face. Her large brown eyes were downcast. "You alright?"

The faunus nodded once, finally meeting Vincent's eyes with her own. "Yeah, just nervous. I'm sorry I disturbed you." Her voice was soft but full of tension. Like she was afraid that the wrong word might set someone off.

"Don't worry about it." Vincent gave her shoulder a gentle pat before he offered his hand. "I'm Vincent Helsing."

The girl's eyes widened upon hearing his last name. She looked like she wanted to say something before changing her mind. Vincent wasn't at all surprised by her reaction. Just about every faunus he'd ever met had a similar one when he told them his family name. Typically that was the end of any relationship with them. Given what his grandfather had done during the Faunus Revolution, he couldn't really blame them. He was about to pull his hand back when he felt her warm hand wrap around his own.

"My name's Velvet Scarlatina." she gave his hand a shake, a shy smile playing across her lips.

"Well Velvet, it was nice to meet you. Maybe I'll see you down in the forest." Vincent stated, a big, goofy smile on his face, before he started for the exit. He was about two lockers down before he turned on his heels. "Oh and don't be nervous. Beacon only accepts the best of the best. The fact that you're here means that you are one of the best. You'll be fine." Vincent's smile only widened when he saw Velvet's rabbit ears perk up as she nodded appreciatively.


Roland only half listened as Professor Ozpin explained the nature of their initiation exercise. He got the gist of it. They were to be launched into the Emerald Forest, team up with the first person they made eye contact with, find their way to an abandoned temple, collect a relic and return it to Ozpin and Goodwitch. Easy peasy.

'Oh and there's the small issue of the forest being filled to the brim with grimm, heh heh that rhymes, and that if we get caught in a situation we're not ready for, we will be left to die. But other than that, easy.' Roland reflected as he twirled Lightning around his right index finger. He lightly stepped onto the metal platform that would be catapulting him through the air.

"Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked as all the students stepped onto their platforms.

"Just one Professor." Roland called out from his spot.

"Excellent prepare to launch." Ozpin said without acknowledging Roland as the first student, a pretty girl in brown and black with a large handbag, bullets worked into the strap like a bandolier, was fired into the air.

Roland was undeterred, "What exactly do you tell our families if we die out there?" Ozpin and Goodwitch stared at Roland as the initiates further down the line were starting to be launched.

Ozpin sipped some coffee from his cup before replying with the straightest face possible. "We tell them that we're sorry their child couldn't hack it but at least their final act was to provide a decent meal for the grimm. Traitor."

"That is simply fantastic." Roland laughed at the answer as the student next him, some guy named Fox Alistair, whom Roland currently owed twenty lien, was launched through the air. "Should the worst happen, could you tell my Pa that I gave the sumbitch that ate me horrible indigestion and diarrhea? It would really make that bastard's day." Ozpin seemed to consider it as Roland was launched, still twirling Lightning around his finger.


Yuri watched impassively as he rapidly descended for the treeline. He knew he would most likely be the first to land. How could he not be, he was significantly heavier than anyone else in his initiation group. Gravity may have made no exceptions to the speed of falling objects based on weight, but it most certainly did when it came to objects rising into the air. As the treeline grew ever closer, Yuri braced himself for the impact.

The first tree he slammed through did little to slow him down. Nor did the second or third. By the time he had finally reached the ground another three trees had been felled by his meteoric entrance. After sliding to a stop, Yuri turned around to see the trail of destruction his entrance to the Emerald Forest had caused. The tops of two trees had been mulched. Another two blasted in half, and the final two were completely toppled. With a shrug Yuri turned north and began to think about his potential partners.

Yatsuhashi Daichi was able to match him in strength, and carried a sword that was almost as long as he was tall. While Yuri respected him for that, he doubted they would make an effective team. Two slow moving, heavy hitters would be more of a hindrance than a blessing against fast opponents. He needed someone quick and agile to offset his stationary style.

Roland may have been a bit mouthy last night, but Yuri couldn't detect any malice coming from him. The way he casually twirled his pistols, even as he was catapulted through the air, proved he was at least comfortable with his weapons. That being said, he couldn't help but notice how the gunslinger's eyes never stayed focused on any one thing. Almost as if he were expected some hidden threat to attack him at any moment.

Then there was Teresa. Judging by the whip he had seen her uncoiling before she was launched. Not to mention her little demonstration of her semblance to Roland she had given last night. It all indicated that her fighting style was unique and unorthodox. Add to that the fact that she was already searching for potential allies as early as yesterday.

'Out of everyone so far, she'd likely make the best partner.' Yuri decided as he shouldered his way through low hanging branches. 'With any luck, I'll find her down here before long.'

"I know you are out there." The giant turned to his left and faced a large group of bushes. His hands balled into fists as large, bestial shadows raced from tree to tree. "The stench of bloodlust gave all of you away. Come on out and let us get this over with." While he spoke, glowing red eyes appeared all around him. Soon a pack of four beowolves emerged from the shadows. The beasts growled hungrily at Yuri. His only response was an impassive roll of his shoulders and a crack of his neck.

The largest of the beowolves howled, signaling the entire pack to attack. When they were in range, Yuri lashed out with his fist ,and with a single punch, crushed the skull of the first grimm. The beast flew back and dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, while the remaining three all lunged for Yuri.

Their attack was stopped short, however, as the three of them ran headlong into the barrier Yuri's aura produced. The huntsman in training surged forward while the beasts were stunned, his hand wrapping around the grimm's throat. The beowolf thrashed in his grip before Yuri slammed it onto the ground. The beast screeched once before Yuri's fist smashed through its skull like mask. After that the forest was silent as the grave.

The remaining two, having seen two of their pack fall so easily by his hand circled him. The monsters snarled, trying to decide if they were going to attack again or flee. Or at least that's what a normal animal would do. Yuri knew better than to mistake these beasts for normal animals. They would attack again, and they would meet the same fate as their pack mates. Yuri readied himself for the attack.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three shots found their mark in the chest and head of the smaller of the two beowolves, dropping it instantly. Both Yuri and the remaining grimm turned to see Roland emerge from the bushes, his two pistols twirling around his fingers. Upon seeing this Yuri couldn't help but wonder if he had been spinning his guns without stopping since they launched.

"Howdy there Big Guy." Roland greeted, "Hope you don't mind, but I can't let you have all the fun right?"

Yuri relaxed himself and stepped to side, confident that the remaining beowolf's attention was now firmly on the newcomer. "By all means."

"Much obliged my friend, much obliged." Roland replied whilst holstering his pistols at his hips. "And as for you fugly, let's see if you can reach me before I count to ten."

The beowolf howled before it charged Roland who immediately drew one of his pistol and shot it twice, once through each eye. The beast jerked before falling over and sliding to a stop at Roland's feet.

"Ten."


Teresa breathed heavily as she carefully coiled her whip around her arm. Across from her, her newly found teammate was reloading his large triple barreled shotgun while resting against the slowly dissolving carcass of one of the grimm the two of them had slain. Teresa admired how her teammate handled himself during the encounter.

When she had come across him two ursae had been harassing him, trying to crush him with their massive claws, but he stayed light on his feet and expertly ducked around their clumsy attacks. Not once did either of the grimm touch him. When she had started helping him, he was quick in adapting to her fighting style. Within moments he was using her portals to dodge attacks and set up his counters.

'Yuri was right.' she thought as she remembered his assessment from the day before, 'He'll make an excellent teammate.'

"Well that was fun." he commented as he pushed himself off of the Ursa's disappearing body and retrieved his sword. With a practiced hand he wiped the grimm's blood off his silver blade with the red cloth tied to his belt, careful to use the side that didn't bear his emblem. Once his blade was cleaned, the strawberry blonde looked at her with warm smile on his face, "Vincent Helsing, nice to meet you."

"Teresa Belmonte. But please, call me Terri." Teresa returned his smile as his last name registered "Helsing? By any chance are you related to…"

"I'd rather avoid dredging up my family history right now." Vincent cut her off with an apologetic look, "Time and a place, you know?"

"Of course, my apologies." Teresa replied with a nod. She was curious why her new partner was so quick to cut her off, but he was right. The middle of a grimm infested forest probably wasn't the best place to discuss family histories. "So which way are we heading?" Vincent took a moment to examine their surroundings before pulling a small object from a pocket on his vest.

"Ozpin said that the temple was located in the northern part of the forest." he recalled as Teresa walked up behind him and saw he was holding a compass. "Which according to this, is that way." Vincent continued, pointing to the right of their current position.

"But that's east." Teresa pointed out, "The sun's still rising in that direction."

"Right, which means it's not 'true' north but 'magnetic' north." Vincent agreed as Teresa started to walk off in the direction that the compass pointed. "There's a fair chance that the temple might have some magnetic properties to it. Or it could be a decoy to throw people off."

"Come on, what're you waiting for?" Teresa called over her shoulder, "A written invitation?"

As she continued on she heard Vincent chuckle, "Heh, yes ma'am."

'Smart, good in a fight, open to taking orders. I think we'll get along just fine.' she thought as he joined her.


"You sure we're going in the right direction Yuri." Roland asked while once again twirling a pistol around his finger. This time it was Thunder being spun on his left hand.

"I'm sure." was Yuri's short reply as the giant led them through the forest.

"You don't talk a lot do you?"

"Not when I'm deep in a grimm infested forest."

"Right, cause the measly little grimm in this forest totally pose a threat to great hulking bear faunus like you." Roland had to smirk at the look on Yuri's face when the giant turned to face him.

"How'd you know?" he asked, kneeling down to be eye level with Roland.

"You've got some rather pronounced canines, Yuri." the gunslinger said while reaching out to inspect Yuri's teeth. "Also I saw your little, fluffy, tail last night. Just barely poking out the top of your pants." Yuri looked more annoyed at the horrible pun Roland just made than at his exposure. "So I guess a better question would be, why were you trying to hide the fact that you're a faunus in the first place? Afraid the people won't accept you otherwise?"

Yuri just sighed and shook his head, "I wasn't trying to hide it." he replied rising to his full height again. "The tail's just more comfortable tucked down than propped up."

Roland shrugged, "Fair enough partner." He gestured for Yuri to continue with his right hand.

"May I ask you something?" Yuri started.

"Shoot."

"What's with the spinning gun?"

"Just something I do when I'm bored." Roland replied, while holstering Thunder and drawing Lightning to spin.

"You've been doing it ever since you've shot that Beowolves." Yuri pointed out.

"And I've been bored ever since then." Roland moaned in complaint, "God damn we need to find something to shoot already."

"You may be about to get your wish." Yuri stated as he turned around, hands clenched into fists. When Roland to see whatever it was that his partner noticed, a wide smile appeared on his face.

"That'll work."

Not twenty feet away a beringel was staring them down, challenging one of them to make a move. Roland was all too happy to oblige, drawing Thunder and firing his two pistols one after the other, starting with Lightning.

Six shots flew at the grimm's face and would've hit their marks had the beast not protected itself with its forearm. The bullets bounced harmlessly of the gorilla's thick hide as the creature roared and charged them. Roland stood his ground, firing shot after shot at the monster's knees. They had little effect on the charging beast as it closed the distance and cocked its fist. Ready to punch Roland into orbit.

Before the beringel could make contact with him however, Yuri shoved Roland out of the way and took the blow himself. Roland laid there, amazed, as the ground behind Yuri cracked and the faunus only slid back a few feet. Kicking up to his feet, Roland holstered Lightning and moved beside his teammate.

"I think we might need some help with this one." he told Yuri, who simply nodded in agreement. The giant faunus turned to run as Roland hopped on his back, hooking his right arm loosely around his neck. Yuri started running in the direction he hoped the temple was while Roland fired Thunder at the pursuing beringel the whole way.


Velvet panted heavily as she sprinted through the forest, a herd of boarbatusks in hot pursuit. Her lungs felt like they were on fire as she missed a step and stumbled to the ground. Behind her the lead boarbatusk rolled its body up before charging for her. It would've gotten her, too, if an orange blur hadn't burst from the underbrush and intercepted the beast. Velvet turned to see a dark skinned, orange haired young man wearing a dark orange sleeveless shirt, black pants, and bracelets with long blades reaching along the outside of his arms, fighting through the pack of grimm.

Acting quickly Velvet shifted her box into its camera mode and snapped a picture of the young man fighting, before stowing her camera and activating her semblance. Hard light copies of the young man's weapon formed around her wrists as she leapt into the fray, slicing into a boarbatusk trying to flank her rescuer. The young man cut open the grimm he'd been wrestling with and stood next to her and they struck identical stances.

"Thank you." she breathed, still trying to catch her breath. Her rescuer merely nodded in response.

Fighting a very large group of boarbatusks by herself may have been too much for her, but with a teammate by her side, Velvet felt they could manage.

She was wrong.


A/N: Well there's chapter 2. Our heroes all have their teammates and we've met two members of Team CFVY, on a side does anyone know if Fox is a mute or just doesn't like talking? Anyway, I've given out some hints for Vincent's, Roland's, and Yuri's semblances. Anyone have some guesses? As always thank you for reading and for any reviews.