If you usually skip the end note, please read it this time. It concerns this story's future. Well, with no further delay:
Chapter 4 - Realization
Do I really wanna do this? Dove asked himself. He was reluctant to enter, because of all of the possible teachers, they chose...
"WellHelloMrBronzewing! AreWeReadyToStart?" Oobleck's speedy rant was meant to be welcoming, but it clearly had the opposite effect on the student.
"QuicklyTakeYourSeatMrBronzewing. Today'sLessonWillBeFocusingOnArmoredGrimms. IHeardYouEncounteredSomeOnYourLastAssignementIsThatRight?
The student nodded.
-WhatWhereThey? BeMorePrecisePlease! PrecisionSavesLives!"
Great... Dove was already starting to regret this...
Sky was going through the large shelves of the armory. "Equipment creation and maintenance." He murmured the quite long heading of this particular lesson several times, before stopping not far from the rows of workbenches forming the equivalent of a classroom.
"Mr. Lark?" Called Mr. Nibel, the teacher in charge of all manufacturing-related activities in Beacon. He had a similar build to professor Port's, but brown combed hair, a long beard, and had traded the academy uniform top for a white tank top. One could easily be intimidated by his bronze complexion, but his shiny brown eyes were fortunately telling people to feel otherwise.
"Yes" Sky straightened.
"Welcome, Mr. Lark!" He gave him a warm smile. "We don't often get students in this classroom outside of normal schedules!" He then turned to an already working form on one of the benches. "Mrs. Rose, could you greet our guest please?"
Ruby stopped in her tracks, then she and Sky looked at each other. He knew exactly who she and her dangerous teammates were, and maintained a facade, cursing inside.
"Oh hello, hum…" she stumbled, visibly trying her best to recall him.
-This is Sky Lark." Mr. Nibel introduced him.
"Uh, well... Hello Sky!" She gave him an embarrassed smile.
"She doesn't even remember me..." He was mentally cursing even further. Still, he sat at the workbench next to her, to make good figure. "H...Hello Mrs..."
-This is Ruby Rose. One of my top students!" He was now laughing like a loving grandpa, further embarrassing her.
They began to listen and take notes about some ammunition manufacturing and effects, when she whispered to him "Hey... Do... Do you like weapons?"
"... The fuck am I doing?" Russel was striving to not run away from this strange class. "How the fuck will dance help me anyway?"
-Mr. Thrush?" He jumped from the surprise call. The dance teacher, Mrs. Candela, seemingly appeared from nowhere. The woman had shoulder length orange hair with numerous blond locks, a lightly tanned complexion, and round cerulean eyes which were scrutinizing the newcomer from head to toe.
"Uuuh Yes!" Was the student's late answer.
"Please, come in, we were waiting for you" The teacher made a swift turn, her long white flamenco dress flying, following the momentum, before settling down with she entering the classroom.
"Wait, we?" Russel's eyes widened in fear.
"Yes, we! What? You thought you would be alone?" In fact, he never gave a thought at all. The less he did, the better he felt.
He slowly entered the room, trying not to appear too awkward.
"I see..." The woman was scanning him, clearly disappointed. "Well, I expect you to come dressed in your uniform next time, your true uniform! Or something a bit more fitting than this rustic battle suit...
-Okay..." He liked his battle gears, but he could admit that it wasn't the best for a dance lesson. He honestly didn't know whether or not to take "rustic" as a critic.
"And I'm sorry, but could you please do something about your haircut? I would not call that classy even under torture."
"Hey!" Russel took that blow hard, but what was the most upsetting was the sheer amount of laughter which emanated from the other students.
He was ready to shoot them the meanest look he could put on, but it quickly slipped into the most embarrassed, as he acknowledged all the number of girls.
He shifted his gaze to the ground. "Well, here goes the cool introduction..."
"Mr. Winchester..." Glynda Goodwitch granted him access to the now empty combat class room.
"Ma'm.
-professor Goodwitch." She said that calmly, but no student in all Beacon would have tempted her twice.
"Professor...
-I will explain the basis of this lesson, your partner already went through this presentation so it is important that I fill you in quickly.
-Wait, there's someone else?
-Yes, and you'll meet him in due time..." Glynda paused a moment. "Mr. Winchester, can you tell me what happened the day your semblance manifested itself for the first time?"
"I punched a wall." It showed that Cardin wasn't seeing the point of this question.
"That much I know." The sorceress sighed audibly. "I was talking about your mindset, your emotions. There are several triggers for a semblance. Some people can activate it conscientiously, some react to external stimuli like stress or aggression, and some need a particular state, be it physical or psychical, to activate it. I have reasons to think yours belong to the latter."
He took a moment before responding "I was angry.
-Why?
-Because..." he searched the words he would use, reminiscing the event. "People made fun of me, people belittled me." His face was starting to show the aforementioned anger.
"And then, there was a reaction I suppose? The wall wasn't belittling you after all?"
Cardin nervously smirked, then responded: "I wanted to show them... That I'm strong and that... They should shut their mouths."
Glynda frowned, took some notes, and then quickly resumed the conversation. "Mr. Winchester, I must warn you. You semblance may be powerful, but it seems that it is driven by dangerous feelings. Hate, Anger, Fury... They are indeed powerful tools, but...
-But?" He could already feet that it would not be so easy.
"Some people can turn those to the Grimm, but others... they will use them against their own kind.
-Well I won't, I'm not that stupid." There was honesty in his voice. Even Glynda could feel it, but she couldn't help but stealthily chuckle as she broadcasted a small part of CRDL's fight against Pyrrha.
That one part where he clearly gave Dove a Mace blow while charging at the warrior girl...
Cardin understood right away her insinuation. "Oh, right...
-I think that you honestly would not harm your companions, nor humans. But would it be the same with our fellow Faunus?
Cardin hissed at the mention. "Only if they stay put..."
Glynda was obviously not liking this answer, however she continued: "Anyway, I want to search another way for you to use your semblance. One which would be more stable.
-Is there one?
-I think so, and I suspect that it may be similar to your partner's."
At that moment, they heard several knocks on the door.
"Speaking of which..." and with that the door opened.
"H... Hello...!"
Cardin's eyes went wide upon hearing that familiar voice. "You've got to be kidding me..."
It's been one week since CRDL started the supplementary lessons. Now that they had to work harder and longer, it drastically reduced their normal evening discussion time. They often would often fall into their beds right away, only for sleep to gain them the following minute.
The first Saturday came, and as they woke up they found themselves silent. But in fact, all of them could see that they had something on their mind.
It was Russel who broke the shell. Well, in fact it would be more exact to say that he helped Cardin break his.
"Soo, Cardin, how's all this Semblance thing going?"
-Unpleasant..."
The others were surprised by the response, Sky wanting to know more. "H... How so?"
They didn't even have so the couldn't understand his struggles. Was it really this hard to train? To use?
"I could have had any partner. Any partner to help me train, and they chose him!
-You mean...?" Russel inquired.
-The Jauney boy..." Cardin was visibly angry. "He can't even put on a fight, and Goodwitch is always telling me to go easier! I don't want to! I'm here to become stronger! He is... He is slowing me!
He understood, just from Dove's interrogating frown, that the latter wanted to know why their old favorite target was training with their leader.
"Goodwitch said... Well hinted that he had one too.
-No way!" Cardin's three teammates were clearly upset by the news. They couldn't help but panic a little at the prospect that he was ahead of them?
"I thought so too, but she was serious. She even said that we would have the same 'trigger' to use it. Well I'm not like him, I want my own way to activate it!
Dove pointed out the name Oobleck's name on his scroll, half-laughing, half-sighing. At least, you don't have to be verbally assaulted without being able to defend...
"Yeah..." Cardin was forced to approve, at least he could swing his mace during his lessons. "At least, you didn't have to cut your hair." And with that, they all laughed at Russel's absent mohawk.
"Fuck, man! We already went over this!" He responded, sinking his new black cap deeper on his head. "I'll have you know that I'm doing great! You won't laugh when..." Again, he should have used another kind of response, or just shut up.
"What's her name again? Emerald?" Sky slyly added.
"What are you talking about!?
The silent boy showed him from afar the results of the research they had done. He happily joined Sky on this one.
"Tssk!" Russel was between anger and embarrassment. "At least I'm not into children!" He shot an accusing glare at Sky.
"Ooh?" Cardin saw here a new file to add in his blackmail possibilities. "Tell us more?
-He's taking class with Blondie's little sister. You know, with the oversized scythe? I saw them exiting the armory!
-Leeeeeeeeewd!" The leader grinned wildly at the tomato red and wide-eyed Sky.
"Nonono! It's... She's a weapon freak! She always talks about them so much it's nauseating!" He then proceded to mimick her. "Oh this cooling chamber is amaziiiiiiing!" He emphasized the squeal. "Oh this ammunition, did you know that it could blast an Ursa's mask in one hit?"
Dove interrupted him, silently asking details about the last bit.
-Uuh, it's a Vacuo military model if I recall correctly. Why?"
The silent boy did a "Nothing..." shrug.
"Someone has problems with Ursai?" Russel grinned, somehow able to retaliate.
Dove glared at him with a dead-serious face. He pointed alternatively at his comrade and he.
His mohawk-less teammate understood his wordless claim. They nearly died that time, so he would not joke anymore on that one.
The silent boy then drew his weapon, and eyed it thoroughly with a concerned expression.
"Your weapon is… Weak? But I heard that you did quite fine against the invincible chick!" Sky's question was full of honesty. The word "heard" being the right term, since he had been knocked out early during that fight.
"She's human." Said Cardin. "A sword can do the work. But be it her shield or an Ursa bone armor, his firearm is useless"
Bullseye. Dove was now frowning heavily. And then he stared at the ground. I would be useless...
If the room was lively a minute ago, it was now full of a heavy atmosphere. They all knew that Dove had quite a good level, so for him to be confessing a weakness was a serious matter which impacted all members.
It took a moment before Russel could manage to speak again. "So you're saying... That you need a new weapon?"
Dove stood silent, Sky however responded. "Not just him. I've been thinking about that during my lessons."
He positioned himself so he could face all his team. "I observed this Ruby girl's weapon. She even went all the way to show some of its mechanisms to me... And it was... Good..."
They all frowned, Sky then searched how to put this a better way. "It's art, guys! Honestly, her weapon is a kickass one. It put all of ours to shame! It makes me think that we did only the strict minimum our teachers back at the combat school demanded..."
They all shot embarrassed looks to the floor, facing the truth.
"So... Better weapons?" The leader spoke after a while.
"Better weapons." The rest responded.
Better weapons, yes! You'll need at least that to stand a chance!
Please: review - favorite - follow!
So, I was wondering if I should still follow the main storyline, knowing that RT will certainly not give CRDL a major/good role. Instead, I could use an original path, using some OCs, which should part sometime along the tournament arc. To the few readers who are still there: Which one should I follow? I'm waiting for your answers, PM or review!
Fed up with mistakes? I'm still searching a beta, PM me if your eyes are bleeding.
