Location: Beacon Ballroom…

Time: 5:10…

Kyle bolted up in a sitting position breathing heavy with fear in his eyes and sweat coating his forehead with his knife in hand. Once Kyle regained his senses he set his knife down and grabbed his scroll turning on the homepage finding the time to be only a little passed five in the morning.

It was just a dream Kyle you're still alive, Kyle reminded himself wiping a shaky hand across his face as he stood up slipping out of his sweat pants and tanktop and into a plain grey t-shirt and a pair of knee length running shorts quietly as to not wake Onyx or anyone else for that matter tiptoeing down and out the main doors quietly.

I've got to get that dream out of my head, Kyle thought taking off at a brisk non aura or semblance powered run as the door to the ballroom shut.

Kyle made it his goal to explore every portion of the outer areas of the academy during his early morning run passed the cafeteria, the classrooms, sparing rooms, library and the dorm areas. Kyle ran passed a few of the upperclassmen during his run before stopping at the cliff edge overlooking Vale breathing heavily with sweat stained clothes.

"Hey what are you doing up so early freshman?" one of the students called out to Kyle as she passed.

"You know getting the blood moving before initiation got to be at a hundred percent right," Kyle shot back with a smirk placing his hands on his wig covered ears and head for better airflow and the upperclassmen giggled continuing on to wherever she was going. When the upperclassmen was out of sight Kyle let go of his smile for a neutrally calm expression.

I should be getting back soon, Kyle thought looking at his watch finding it at 06:45.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Beacon Cafeteria…

Time: 07:20

Kyle walked into the cafeteria wearing his usual combat clothes consisting of an unzipped black leather jacket that stretched down to his knees, brown padded combat gloves, a white t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans and black steel toed boots. Onyx was paddling along side Kyle smelling at the air with hunger in his big green eyes.

"You hungry bud?" Kyle asked the wolf prowling the cafeteria to the food line.

"Excuse me but do you happen to have any spare meat for my friend here do you?" Kyle asked the cook as he took his tray and pointed down to a very hungry Onyx.

"I'll see what I can do kid," the cook said walking into the back room and returning with a bowl with chunks of meat in it setting it down, "will this do?"

"Yes, thank you," Kyle said taking the bowl and his tray. Kyle chose to sit well away from anyone in the cafeteria as to not draw any attention to himself as Kyle and Onyx dug into their food.

"Mind if I sit here?" Kyle heard an ominously familiar voice ask.

"Depends on who's asking," Kyle said making eye contact with Blake Belladonna automatically crossing his arms as she sat down in front of him.

"You're a site for sore eyes it's nice to see you again Kyle," Blake said with a slight smile.

"Oh really?" Kyle said with a heavy dose of sarcasm in his voice arching an eyebrow at Blake.

"Kyle I'm sorry for what I did back then," Blake said with a heavily sorrowful tone in her voice, "I shouldn't have done that."

"Done what? All you did was abandon my incapacitated and wounded body in a dark cave in a Grimm infested forest without even a goodbye or explanation why you left so I don't see why I'd be mad about that," Kyle said with an overly calm demeanor like he's compensating for something as he took a sip from his orange juice.

"Kyle please I'm trying to make amends for what I did to you," Blake pleaded her bow twitching a little bit.

"You really do?" Blake nodded pleadingly, "then answer me this one question and if I like the answer then all's forgiven," Kyle said giving Blake a calculated look, "deal?"

"Deal," Blake agreed, "what is it."

"Why did you do it?" Kyle said mournfully his expression changing from anger to one of the picture of a broken man and Onyx sensed Kyle's greef and sat his head on Kyle's lap whining his ears folding back against his head as he tried to comfort Kyle to the best of his abilities, "I thought you died Blake… I thought lost my last friend the only person left from the happiest point in my life."

"Oh Kyle I'm so sorry I thought it would be best to split away a group is easier to find than two separate targets… you're my best friend the last one I had left too I wanted to protect you," Blake stated tears threatening to fall from both Blake's and Kyle's eyes one from greef and the other from watching as her friend let everything out, "I never ever meant to hurt you the way I did… I just wanted to keep you safe."

Kyle sat there looking at Blake on the verge of tears his expression a mixture of shock and disbelieve. "Kyle please give me something," Blake pleaded in a small voice lowering her head forcing her gaze away from his judging silver eyes laying her hands on the table folded together.

"It's a start," Kyle said laying his free hand on her folded hands and giving a light squeeze, "I'm going to need time but you're forgiven old friend if you need anything I'm here just like old times." Blake smiled and grabbed his hand in hers holding it tenderly as she turned her head back up toward him finding Kyle smiling warmly at her.

"Okay I'd like that," Blake said and jumped as something brushed against her stocking clad leg, "what was that?"

"Oh the day you left me to fend for myself I found this little guy without a pack so I'm taking care of him until he decides to leave me to find his own pack or if he stays he's a permanent addition to my family and I've named him Onyx," Kyle stated as Onyx poked Blake with his snout smelling her.

"What's he doing," Blake asked turning stiff as a board as her cat instincts kicked in.

"He's getting acquainted with you," Kyle said taking another bite of his breakfast.

"And that means?" Blake asked carefully looking down at the young wolf sniffing around her at the table.

"He's getting your sent so he knows you're not a threat," Kyle said looking Blake over with a cocky grin, "what are you scared of a little wolf?"

"W-what? No," Blake defended her cheeks turning crimson in embarrassment, "how are your instincts not kicking in when you're around this wolf?"

"I don't know maybe I can control my instincts better than you can," Kyle laughed at Blake's expression toward his comment before being kicked in the shin.

"All freshmen report to the weapons lockers and then to the eastern cliff," Glynda's voice boomed over the intercom in the cafeteria and students started filing out in droves.

"Well duty calls I'll see you at the cliff," Kyle said whistling as he stood up patting Blake on the arm as he and Onyx walked out of the cafeteria feeling something strange stir in his gut but passed it off as first day jitters.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Beacon Cliff...

Time: 07:45…

Kyle stood with the rest of the first years and Onyx rechecking over his combat gear for the fifth time in ten minutes before stopping at the sight of Glynda and Ozpin walking up and inspecting the class that has seemed to have gotten smaller between last night and this morning.

What in the world happened to the rest of the class it seems to have been cut in half, Kyle thought looking around before giving his full attention to the instructors as others did to.

"For years you have trained to become warriors and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald forest," Ozpin stated taking a sip from his coffee mug directed the attention to Glynda.

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda stated as Kyle found Blake looking at him from about three people down before sending their attention back to Goodwitch, "well allow us to put an end to your confusion, each of you will be given teammates... today."

And the catch in three… two… one, Kyle thought frowning as the headmaster continued where Glynda left off.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon so it is within your best interests to be paired with someone with whom you can work well," Ozpin lectured waving his cup toward the students in front of him, "that being said the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

But there's an odd number here, Kyle thought counting every student in line.

"After you've partnered up make your way to the northern end of the forest, you will meet opposition along the way do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die," Ozpin warned with an air of cool calculation that said that it has happened before causing a small shiver to go down Kyle's spine, "you will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple containing several relics."

His cane is missing maybe that's one of them, Kyle thought looking the headmaster over quizzically squinting at him.

"Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff, we will regard that item as well as your standing and grade appropriately," Ozpin finished instructing, "any questions?"

"I've got one why is there an odd number of students here today sir or am I just miss counting?" Kyle said looking the headmaster in the eye.

"Very observant of you mister Kyle," Ozpin said with a proud almost strange smile, "well it is because a large number of students had to be expelled do to their preferred after hours activities."

"Onyx stay," Kyle ordered and the wolf sat down looking up at Kyle with confused eyes, "well I can't risk you out there so if I'm not back by sun down come drag me out of the woods got it?" Kyle rubbed Onyx's head in a show of good faith before flipping his hood over his head and bending his knees being launched high into the sky with all the other students.

"Well it looks like he's made a very loyal friend hasn't he?" Glynda gestured over to Onyx sitting patiently his ears twitching and tail swaying slowly side to side as he tracked Kyle's flight pattern.

"That he has," Ozpin agreed sipping from his mug with a smile.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Deep in the Emerald Forest…

Time: 08:00…

Kyle was spinning in the air for what felt like an eternity before stabilizing in the air with his arms and legs stretched out in spread eagle as he started falling toward the tree line his hood coming off in the process of the spin but thankfully his wig stayed in place.

Three… two… one, Kyle unsheathed his sword pressing the button in the grip to make the two blades of Mau Maka detach from each other so he could hold his swords in both hands in a reverse grip stabbing them through a tree branch to stop himself from splattering into the ground as Yang flew over his head using shotgun shells to keep airborne almost taking off his head with a round.

"Hey watch where you're shooting those things!" Kyle yelled but Yang was already too far away to hear him. Kyle flipped up to land on the tree limb he stabbed pulling Mau Maka out of the limb as he did so.

Let's see if anyone's close by, Kyle thought pooling his aura through his hand and into the tree when he set it pom down on the trunk forcing his aura out through it catching eight aura signs that were close by but all already teamed up.

Fuck guess I'm alone out here, Kyle thought hopping out of the tree and rolling to his feet to spread out the impacted from hitting the ground.

Sense s teammate is out of question I believe the ruins were on the left when I was still flying, Kyle thought and planned as he moved along a hunting trail until he heard two female voices bickering not that far off do to his heightened Faunus hearing before an explosion rang out.

That can't be good, Kyle thought breaking out at a sprint toward a pillar of smoke to find himself standing in a burning clearing a rather large pack or two of beowulf's standing at the burning side in one huge pile of black fur and white masks with Kyle blocking their only exit looking at him hungrily.

By the gods, Kyle thought grabbing Mau Maka from his hip splitting them apart and fastening both hilts together to form a sword with a blade on each end of the overly extended hilt twirling it like it was nothing. This pattern of Kyle's sword increased his range in close combat allowing him to make deadly precise finishing blows, when in very close proximity with a large group of hostiles he could take droves of them out with the sipple swirl of his wrists Kyle also used this to disorient single combat target his. Kyle also uses a twin sword fighting style when he feels threatened enough to do so or if he wanted to get the job done faster, but in this case he felt like playing with these Grimm before finishing them off completely. The Grimm howled as they charged at Kyle furiously as Kyle charged yelling with silver eyes shining bright like a miniature sun sprouted in his eyes causing some of the Grimm to disperse and the rest to be hacked to pieces. In the blink of an eye Kyle had cut a twenty foot wide gap all the way through the large pack of Grimm sending those smart enough scattering which was oddly a lot of them leaving only fifteen Beowulf's holding their ground against Kyle who soon enough returned Mau Maka to it's single bladed form and threw his combat knife at one sinking the blade deep into the Grimm's temporal lobe causing it to hit the ground hard and the rests of it's brothers to howl in anger and charge Kyle each one of the charging Grimm either getting hacked in half, decapitated or shish kabobed by Kyle's unflinching resolve and unchecked speed with his weapons.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Beacon Cliff…

Time 09:00…

Glynda and Ozpin are standing on the cliff edge overseeing how the students are going along, "All pairs have been formed, sir, except for mister Kyle he's making his way alone to the relics," Glynda informed Ozpin.

"Is there anyone to team him with?" Ozpin asked calmly looking over the forest where some minor skirmishes could be heard where students advanced to either the relic location or on their ways back to the cliff.

"No but I've found something you might want to see," Glynda stated showing the slaughter of a large pack of Grimm by Kyle with his eyes channeling a very bright silver light.

"He's been unlocked," Ozpin said a little bit startled by what the footage showed, "looks like it's time to reconstitute single person teams."

"Yes it would be a shame to let a Guardian of this caliber go unnoticed and with the queenpin out there somewhere he won't be safe," Glynda agreed as they both returned their attention to the rest of the students.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Emerald Forest…

Time: 10:00…

Kyle sighed as he continued on the hunting path his hands in his coat pockets his head drooping in boredom.

"Yo Kyle over here!" Kyle heard Yang yell from behind him causing to stop and turn to see Yang waving as she approached followed by Blake on her left side.

"Hey what are you two doing here?" Kyle asked as they stopped in front of him.

"Oh you know taking a stroll down an old path before running into you handsome," Yang winked at Kyle, "where's your team member? Has he gone and hid because he's nervous of a couple of cute girls?"

"No I don't have a partner I've been on my own for quite some time now," Kyle said folding his arms and looking at Blake with a look that said 'this is your partner?' as Blake returned saying 'not my fault.'

"Hello~? Remnant to Kyle and Blake come in Kyle and Blake," Yang said waving her hands slowly in front of Kyle's and Blake's faces knocking them out of what she perceived as a staring contest between the two dark clothed people.

"What, Yang?" Kyle and Blake asked simultaneously directing their gazes to the blonde brawler.

"I as I was saying shouldn't we get a move on before Grimm come along to eat us or are you two just going to stare at each other all day long?" Yang said tapping her foot on the ground.

"Yeah let's keep moving," Kyle said as he turned and started walking along the path again.

"So Blakey are you and the 'lone wolf' dating or something?" Yang whispered to Blake pointing with her thumb at Kyle as they kept walking along the path.

"What no we're just really old friends that's all," Blake blirted out as her cheeks turned crimson.

"So he's single," Yang asked with a glint in her eye with a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Yeah I'd guess so," Blake said solemnly as she looked at Kyle leading them through the forest at a strict and fast pace unnoticing Yang's wide grin turn into a simple gleefully happy smile.

"Hey girls I found it," Kyle said waving them over pushing away a bush to show a crumbled ruin with a long row of pedestals arrayed in a circle.

"Cool," Yang said as she followed with a skip in her step as they walked into the clearing.

"They're chess pieces?" Kyle stated befuddled by what the relics were supposed to be looking around a the pedestals.

"Yeah this is strange," Yang said stopping at a knight piece.

"I guess we'll have to pick one," Blake said folding her arms over her chest.

There has to be something about these pieces like a test, Kyle thought grabbing the only single piece a white king piece that seemed to emanate a soft yellow glow to it and placed it in his pocket.

"Yang, Blake I'm going to scout out a little further and see if this is the write place," Kyle said walking off the ruin.

"Okay would you like some company as you search?" Yang called after Kyle starting to walk after him.

"No I'm good you two decide which piece to grab," Kyle said waving heYang off, "I'll catch you two in a bit."

Kyle started walking off again clutching the strange king piece in his pocket as a translucent yellow line of dust appeared and started heading toward the tree line.

Well that's new, Kye thought following the yellow trail deeper into the forest until he came across a dark hatch in the ground.

"What the hell is this?" Kyle asked himself running his fingers over the runes on the dark metal hatch. Kyle examined it a little bit more unable to find an opening hatch in it thinking about blowing a hole in it using his aura before screams and gunfire came from the way he came causing him to jump and run off after the sounds thinking the worst has happened to the others. When Kyle got back he saw a Deathstalker trapped in ice a Nevermore circling above Yang and Blake accompanied by Jaune, Weiss Shnee and Ruby along with three others he didn't know. One wore brown leather high heeled boots with a gold trim, bronze armor about her legs up to about three fourths the way up her thigh, a brown miniskirt cover over by a bright red sash, a light brown leather corset covered her chest modestly with a gold colored stripe down the middle of it, both her arms had elbow high brown gloves while her left arm supported bronze forearm armor and a bronze bracelet over her right bicep just above the gloves. She also sported a bronze head piece in her bright red hair that reached down to the small of her back in a ponytail. Another a male with black hair with a pink stripe running through it wearing a traditional green and black temple monk top with pink at the ends of his sleeves and gold embroidering the outlines between each color, white khaki pants, and black dress shoes. The final a rambunctious girl with short orange hair wearing a black and silver vest over a white blouse with a heart in its center just above her breasts, cut off white sleeves are on her arms with pink fingerless gloves, with a pink and white knee length skirt and white boots with pink laces.

What did I miss? Kyle thought emerging from the tree line.

"Kyle get over here we're leaving," Yang called out spottin Kyle first as he came out of the tree line.

"What happened Kyle asked hiking his finger behind his shoulder toward the Deathstalker trapped in ice.

"Long story," Blake said with a slight grin as howling came out of the forest.

"That's not good," Jaune stated gulping, "who brought Beowulf's?"

"That was me," Kyle paused for a second his face hard as stone, "you guys get moving I'll meet you all at the cliff."

"What?" everyone asked at once except for the green and white clad guy, the Spartan and the Shnee.

"Look someone has to draw the Beowulfs away, you guys can handle the other two larger Grimm while I take care of the smaller ones," Kyle said folding his arms stubbornly.

"He's right if he's able to lure the ones that are more numerous away we might have a chance of taking care of the Deathstalker and the Nevermore without being overwhelmed by the packs of small Grimm coming in from the sides of behind," Weiss said with a long sigh.

"Well good luck lone ranger because if you die out there I will kill you," Yang said patting Kyle's shoulder playfully with a rueful smirk.

"Same with you goldy locks," Kyle said shaking in amusement before he ran off into the woods at a full aura enhanced sprint.

It didn't take long to find the Beowulf pack and distract it before long. Kyle lopped off the head of the last Grimm with a quick two handed strike clearing the area quickly with heavy breathing as he looked at his scroll finding it a razors edge away from fall into the red when he was finally clear of Grimm.

"That was fun," Kyle said to himself as he sheathed Mau Maka and started off back toward the cliff.

XXXXXXXX

Location: Beacon Auditorium…

Time: 16:05…

Kyle waited in the back of the room against a far wall next to the door as the the teams were formed with Onyx sitting quietly next to him. He was the first one called up thinking he was going to be assigned to a team down a member or be kicked out but instead he was assigned as a solo team with all the same perks as any other team was allowed to have. His team name was KO since Onyx was technically staying at the school with Kyle.

I guess we got lucky, Kyle thought as he lugged his personal bag and school bag through the hallways of the first year dormitories heading toward his designated dorm room 557 as it was numbered with the activation key programed in his scroll.

"This is going to be a fun year right Onyx?" Kyle asked the wolf next to him whom gave a yawn causing Kyle to chuckle, "yeah you can repeat that again bud."

Kyle walked into his room setting his bags down next to the door as he closed it and fell onto his bed. This is going to be interesting, Kyle thought as he faded from consciousness.

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There you go guys I hope you all enjoyed this chapter don't forget to follow and review…

Iron Warriors signing out…