Ch.2

The New

Beacon Courtyard

"Hold on just a second, what the hell do you mean 'new member'?" Sasha asked in confusion and a hint of anger.

"Well, I'll say it again, I've been temporarily put on the team." Arin said as he sat down on a large,smooth rock.

"She means, why were you assigned to our team?" Riku said as he stood behind Sasha with his arms crossed. He had changed out of the hoodie and jeans and replaced them with crimson and copper samurai armor. Apparently, Marcus and Talon had played some kind of prank on the guy just before class and he was forced to borrow from Jaune Arc. Arin shrugged, he didn't really know the reason Ozpin put him with STRM, but he was happy that they were from a different country as well. Guess we're in the same boat together might as well make friends. Arin thought to himself as he returned his attention back to Sasha. His jets shifted slightly, reacting to the excitement he felt for this new adventure he was in. Marcus stared in awe as he watched them move without any known command. Talon was nearby, leaning on a column checking out some of the the girls that passed him by.

"I'll be honest with you, I have no idea why Ozpin chose to put me with you but as far as I'm concerned," Arin said with a grin as he looked at each member. " I rather like you guys, and before you ask, I have no interest in leading."

"Why didn't you get a team when you entered the school?" Marcus asked as he decided to sit down on another large rock. Arin chuckled before he answered. "No one caught my eye."

"So, you're either a jackass or a douchebag." Talon said with a chuckle. He turned his attention back to a particularly attractive girl in sunglasses and a dark brown beret. "Well hello there…" he began before Sasha knocked him in the head. "Shit, that hurts you know." Talon exclaimed angrily as he rubbed his head. Sasha ignored him as she turned back to Arin.

"It's actually traditional where I grew up to choose your team from people you have fought." Arin said as he mentally cringed from the memory of just how bad Sasha's punches were. "Wait just a second," Sasha said as she began to think. "Where are you from?" she asked with a suspicious look on her face. Arin tented his hands as he leaned in, a serious look replaced his smile. "Have any of you ever heard of the Mountains of Eternal Rain?" he asked as he leaned in, eyeing each member like a predator eyes it's prey. Sasha and Riku returned Arin's serious gaze with their own. Talon was pretending not to care but was actually listening carefully and Marcus was busy looking at Blake as she walked past, heading towards the library.

"No, we haven't, tell us about them." Riku said, arms still crossed. Arin chuckled as he answered.

"Well, for starters they don't exist!" Sasha released an aggravated sigh as she controlled the urge to knock Arin's head off as both Talon and Arin laughed. "OK, I'm from a village hidden in a mountain range in Mistral."

"Really?" Talon asked as he came to sit with the group. "What brought you to Beacon then?" Arin thought for a moment on how best to answer. "Well, my village just vanished." He said as he thought.

The team looked confused at what he had just said. It was Sasha who spoke first. " Your village just went missing?"

"Did you find any clues as to where they may have gone in the homes?" Riku questioned with concern.

"I would have looked if there was any homes to look through." Arin said. " I was traveling around the country at the time and had decided to come back home. When I got there, there wasn't even a hint that anyone had even built anything near the place." Talon was confused, clearly trying to grasp what Arib had said. Sasha and Riku were deep in thought. Even Marcus looked concerned, a serious expression replaced the usual layer back grin. "Hey, don't stress about it too much, I'm not expecting to find them any time soon." Arin said with a smile, his wings' shuddering betrayed his attempts to hide his nervousness. "You're not worried about your family?"

"Don't get me wrong, I am worried about them but there's no way I could find them at my current skill level." Arin shrugged as he got to his feet. "So, why Beacon?" Talon asked as he stretched out his tired muscles. "Well, a little bird told me that this was the place to go if I want to get experience." Arin said with a grin. "So, who's the bird?" Marcus asked as he got up as well. Sasha and Riku were whispering to each other, a sight Arin didn't mind, even if they were talking about him. He knew that they'd need to get used to the sudden stranger that was thrust upon them. "Hey, come on you two before we miss half of Oobleck's lecture." Talon called to the two as he and Marcus began to walk quickly to the lecture building. "Doesn't class begin in fifteen minutes though?" Arin asked Sasha and Riku. Riku simply started walking, Sasha just sighed as she followed after. "Trust me Arin, you'll understand when we get there." She quickened her pace to keep up with the other three, leaving Arin confused by what that meant. Arin's pack opened up and gently lifted him into the air. The gentle hum of the jets was lost with the wind as he flew after the others and towards the lecture building.

After Oobleck's usual fast pace class,STRM Dorm room.

"I have never written note so fast in my life." Arin said as he flexed his cramped fingers. Talon laughed as he crashed onto his bed in exhaustion. "Bro, I've given up trying to take notes for that guy." He said as he stretched out and pulled out his scroll. Riku took a seat at the work desk, rubbing his head to ease his growing headache. He looked tired, but after dealing with the insane speed of Oobleck's lesson that was understandable. Marcus crashed onto his bed and was quickly fast asleep. Arin looked around the unfamiliar room, the room of his new team and he wasn't disappointed. Talon's side was slightly messy, with clothes piled to the side, and a game console with holo projector at the foot of his bed. Riku's was nice and clean, Marcus' was just as bad,if not worse than Talon's. Then there was Sasha's, clean with only a little mess, her sword leaning against her bed and a picture of a large group of people, villagers by the looks of them, hung above her bed.

"Hey Talon, mind if I ask where you guys are from?" Arin said as he looked at the saw everyone smiling, some laughing, others gruff and serious, yet all seemed happy. "Yeah, it's no problem, we came from the Cradle Isles" Talon said as he sat up. Suddenly, Talon's scroll lit up and a picture of Sasha filled the screen. He grabbed the scroll and read the message that she had sent. He grinned,and looked at Arin who had already guessed at what was going on. "Pack up boys, we got a town to save."