*Author's Note*

Hey, guess who?

Anyhow, I see you guys like this story, and I'm surprised. Then again, some, if not quite a few of you read Love is a Knight-mare and seemed to like that. If you haven't read, you're either an Arkos fanboy, or not interested in Rose Arc. Either way, didn't see that's popularity blowing up, so meh.

I'm still deciding on which direction I'm going to take this. Some of you savvier folk out there may have guessed my intentions. Others might not have. And some are so far off course that even Weiss would still comparatively have better navigation skills. Anyhow it happens, it's the same deal. So, without my rant lasting much longer, here's chapter 3.

"Wait, what?"

"Ahh, mister Ren? We are waiting for you up front."

Oh shit! You have got to be kidding me! King Taijitu? Those things are not an easy opponent to combat. Ren was frantic. He was wondering what he had done to get roped into such a demonstration. Port, as a teacher, was boring. But his 'hands on' lessons were known to be insane, and nearly to the point of causing some students to be hospitalized. According to him, "it builds character."

Stepping around to the front of today's classroom, Ren noticed that the class this time was larger than normal, which should have given away the sheer size of the opponent this time. Preparing his StormFlower for the coming battle, Ren took the time to calmly survey the classroom. His friends on team RWBY; Ruby smiling and cheering him on, Weiss looking haughty as usual, Blake giving a thumbs up and waving a small JNPR flag (where the hell did she get that?), and Yang strangely enough being impassive. As for his own team, Pyrrha was trying to look supportive, Jaune look terrified, and Nora was bouncing in her seat. Her expression was slightly different than normal, but whatever. She was probably just excited.

"Don't you dare harm him, you filthy legless lizard..."

"Did you say something Nora?"

"Yeah, Jaune. I said 'Go Ren!' Taijitu leather purses sell for a boatload of Lien!"

Yup, figures. Nora cares more about the possibility of money than of me being harmed. Still though, she's probably worried about me in her own way. As Ren tried to rationalize the situation with his childhood friend in his head, Port came out with a rather large crate.

"Well mister Ren, are you ready? This King Taijitu, which was captured after so much effort, I have named Edgar. Now, face Edgar with the strength of a hunter!"

"Wait, wasn't Edgar the one in the cage last week?"

"Hohoho, you have much to learn my boy. You see, Edgar is the one in the cage." Just as a feeling of slight terror crawled up his spine from the way his teacher just said that, Professor Port's Blunder Axe came down on the lock holding the cage, releasing a massive black snake. Each fang, positively dripping with a paralyzing venom so powerful that a single scratch could render one lame for an hour, was as long as one of Ren's arms, and then some. His scales, each the size of dinner plates, could block most small arms. Shit.

Fast as a whip, the great snake struck. Were Ren a lesser man, he would have been chow for a very happy Taijitu. As it were, he managed to keep himself alive with sheer reflex. The snake's fangs had pierced the area his body had been mere seconds prior. Not resting on his small victory, Ren got up and put some distance between him and the snake. Channeling his aura through his dual bayonet mounted SMG's, Ren released a steady stream of aura bullets into the beast. They were doing damage, but not as Ren had hoped. They seemed more like a nuisance to the Taijitu; rather than hurting it, they seemed to be angering it.

"Well, shit."

Ren barely had time to react as the Taijitu struck at him once again, bringing down its fangs with a force that could have shattered a Boarbatusks armor. Again, Ren managed to get out of the way barely in time. But what got him next was the second Taijitu that appeared. No, rather the Taijitu's other half finally decided to step in. Ren was in a situation most would consider hopeless.

"Go Ren!"

"Represent team JNPR!"

"Remember to make me a snake skin wallet!"

Ren heard his teammates giving him support, and thought about how annoying they were. At the very least, team RWBY was actively encouraging him, with their small leader giving some good advice and keeping him alert. He'll have to remember to thank Ruby somehow. For now, the Siamese snakes were not letting up.

"You can do it, Ren!"

Ren's attention fumbled for a second. Was that Velvet who just cheered him on? Regardless of what Ren was thinking, the snake was not some kind anime villain. He did not wait for Ren's brain to settle down, and struck at the now distracted hunter. Whipping the darker head around, the King Taijitu struck Ren and sent him flying, separating him from his StormFlower. Weaponless, Ren's situation seemed hopeless. Especially with two massive snake heads bearing down on him.

"Watch out!"

Velvet again. Her voice snapped Ren from his daze, and before the Taijitu knew what was going on, Ren was up and charging it. Deciding to go for broke, Ren jumped over the snakes lighter head making a dive for him, and ran along the back of the beast. Reaching the black snake, he increased the aura output to his hands, and smashed down on the snakes head. Dazed, the beast let out a rather sinister hiss, during which Ren grabbed one of the things' teeth. With a great heave, he pulled out the fangs of the snake, and threw them aside. The Taijitu, now unable to use its venom, was in the same boat as Ren; weaponless.

Behind Ren, the Trinity's other head had finally decided to step in. Avoiding an incoming strike, Ren leapt onto the black one's back. Without even considering what he was doing, he grabbed the beast by one of its scales and held on for dear life. The Taijitu, sensing its new rider, began to shake violently. Ren held on, his grasp tighter than Yang's jeans. As it thrashed around, the other Taijitu followed along, keeping its eyes on Ren the entire time. Finally, it decided to strike. This was what Ren had waited for. The Taijitu tried to grasp Ren in its great maw, exposing its fangs. Timing it right, Ren used the thrashing Taijitu he was currently mounting to throw himself up, and out of the White one's path. Increasing the aura in his legs, Ren came down spinning, his foot connecting with the White Taijitu's head. The snake, who's mouth had been open, and which had its fangs exposed, had its head slammed down, fang impaling the skull of its brother below it.

Despite being meant for paralysis, the Taijitu's venom will kill anything if injected in a larger dose directly to the brain or heart. Nothing was exempt; human, Faunus. Even Grimm. Having two fangs in its skull, and the venom going directly through its head, the Black Taijitu was dead in seconds. With one down, Ren retreated from the now pissed White Taijitu. Weaponless, Ren was in a bad position. But backing up, his foot hit something.

The White Taijitu was not very patient, and having just killed its other half, was not very pleased with the green clad hunter below him. Without even a thought, the snake struck, hoping to end this cursed hunter and fill the hole now left by his other half being destroyed with a tasty morsel. Unfortunately, he did not see the two foot long white object in his hands.

When the Taijitu struck, Ren maximized his output and blocked the creature's fangs with his right arm, and using the left smashed one of the previously discarded fangs into the throat of the Taijitu. Reeling from the pain, the Taijitu tried to retreat, but Ren grabbed its fang and pulled down, dragging the creature's head to the ground. Before it could get up, Ren palmed the fang deeper into the snake's throat, causing it to erupt out the back with a force comparable to Nora's grenade launcher. The force tore the snakes head apart, blowing the skull to pieces.

To a stunned class, the sight was amazing. A student had just destroyed the King Taijitu unarmed, and using pure martial arts and aura. The only people not stunned were the members of teams RWBY and JNPR. And Velvet Scarlatina. These eight knew of Ren's prowess, as his friends have sparred with him before, and Velvet had complete faith in Ren.

"Splendid mister Ren, simply splendid! That was a masterful example of how a hunter should be. It reminds me of the time I was dispatched to handle a nest of King Taijitu..."

Ignoring Port's now overly embellished story of his own exploits, Ren made his way back to his seat, and to Velvet. Sitting down, Ren just let his head drop to the desk, tired from the ordeal he had just faced. He just wanted to sleep, and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Good job Ren. You are amazing."

Comforted by this, Ren lapsed into a nice, well deserved nap. He was out so quick, he didn't hear what Velvet had said next.

"Really amazing. Maybe you could understand me...?"

*Afterword*

Yeah, I'd gotten some PM's asking me to hurry with Down the Rabbit Hole, so I'm going to try and get more of this out. I'm still surprised you guys seem to like this. Makes me feel nice.

Anyhow, I'd like to address some things here. First, I have been misspelling Velvet's last name. It isn't Scarletina, its Scarlatina. So that will be changing, starting this chapter. Second, currently, Ren isn't aware Velvet is a Faunus. I know a lot of you will say that isn't possible, but too bad. For the sake of the story, she's kept her ears well hidden since arriving at Beacon. Problem? Oh well. And third, sorry my releases are so damn wild. I know that with Love is a Knight-mare, I was doing roughly 1 a day. That was before I entered the military. I'm trying here, honestly I am. But between work, studying, sleeping, and computer problems, this is tough as hell. So, be a little patient. These stories won't stop. Not yet, anyways.

That's all. Dravyn, out.