A/N and review responses at the bottom.
"This just doesn't seem right..."
"Jaune, relax," Peter chided. "Your stuff will be in locker 636, just like your note says."
The boy sighed and stuffed the sheet of paper into his back pocket as the two made their way down to the locker room. Dozens of other students were cramped in the same tiny hallway as the first years prepared for their initiation.
The morning of the initiation day was one of the fastest Peter had ever experienced. The students had woken up early, just like they had been instructed to do. They were then told to double-time on their morning routines in preparation for the upcoming initiation. The kids dressed fast, ate small breakfasts, and then made their way down to the locker room to retrieve the weapons they had left there the previous day. Since Peter had no such weapons, he hadn't stored any of his belongings in the lockers.
He did, however, run into Jaune in the cafeteria, and decided to accompany the boy to the locker room before heading to Beacon Cliff – the site of the initiation.
Except said boy apparently misplaced his sword and shield.
Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Ugh, I hope so. I don't have time to go looking for my stuff when the initiation starts!"
"Gee, not having weapons, that must suck," Peter teased with a wide grin. Jaune shot him a dry look.
"I know you know what you're doing here," the blond mumbled.
"And I'm glad you do," the young hero chuckled. "But seriously, don't sweat it. We'll get your gear."
"I hope so," Jaune replied. "I've been mentally prepping for this all morning. If I flunk out just because I lost my sword and shield at a dumb time, I'm never going to forgive myself."
"Yeah, well, you'll get the chance to find them in a second," Peter commented as the two strolled into the locker room. "636, yeah?"
"Eh," the blond began. "Yes? I mean, I'm telling you, I seriously don't remember having to count that high."
Peter sighed. "Let me see the sheet."
Jaune pulled the paper from his pocket and handed it to the brown-haired teen. Peter turned the paper in his hands, reading through the material. He blinked at an apparent stain. "You spill something on this?" he queried.
"Oh, no, not me," Jaune clarified. "That big kid with the mace – Cardin something or other – did. Why?"
"I think this is supposed to say locker 6-36. As in, isle six, locker thirty-six."
The blond blinked, his mouth slightly ajar in an 'o' shape. "Oh," he finally managed. "That- yeah, that makes sense."
Peter smirked and folded the paper back up before tossing it to Jaune. "You're welcome."
Jaune chuckled as he caught the paper and stuffed it back into his pocket. "Thanks, now let's just hope my stuff's where it's supposed to be."
The two were walking by isle two by then. Peter noticed Ruby and Yang talking to each other on the other side of the room. Somewhere past them, he caught Weiss quietly pulling items from her own locker.
Peter still wondered what the Schnee heiress was doing in Vale. His dealings with the White Fang as Spider-Man had taught him that they had a deep-seeded hatred for the Schnee Dust Company. Even much of the public knew this, but Peter had seen first hand some of their schemes. Had Weiss come purely based on Beacon's prestigious reputation?
The young man shook his head. He'd figure it all out later. Today, he had different problems.
"Aha!" Jaune happily exclaimed. "Isle six, locker thirty-six! You were right!"
Spider-Man crossed his arms and chuckled as Jaune brandished his shield and sheathed the medieval sword. "I aim to please," said the hero. The golden-haired boy readjusted the belt and sheath before collapsing the shield and glancing over Peter's shoulder. The otherworldly youth caught the look and followed Jaune's gaze, finding it resting on Weiss Schnee.
Interestingly enough, Weiss was talking to someone now. There was a redheaded girl next to her, dressed in Amazonian-style red and gold armor. For a split second, at the sight of the huntress-to-be, Peter was reminded of Mary Jane…
...and of the home he had left behind. The youth pushed the pang of pain down with the reassurance that his time as a huntsman would provide him with the things he needed to eventually try and track down someone or something that would lead him home. Spider-Man clung desperately to that hope, fickle as it may have been.
"Hey," Jaune whispered. "You guys were talking the other day before Professor Ozpin's speech...You know if Weiss is taken?"
Snapped out of his thoughts, Peter blinked. "'Taken'? You mean- oh." Well, the boy was certainly bold, Peter would give him that. "I have no idea, but you do know who she is, right?"
"Oh yeah," Jaune waved him off. "But it's worth a try, right?"
"Uh, sure? I guess you aim high, you score big, but- "
"I'm gonna try talking to her," Jaune declared. "Girls love confidence, right?"
"Dude, I am the last person you should talk to about what girls like," Peter disclaimed, holding his hands up. "I'm even less knowledgeable on what Weiss likes."
Jaune grinned. "Then watch and learn, my friend." With that, the blond began the short walk towards what Peter predicted would turn into a mess. The boy frowned.
Guess I'm on damage control when the deed is done.
Peter shuffled closer, just to get within earshot, and took his seat on one of the benches in the locker room. Their corner of the area was fairly empty compared to the hallway, and so he found himself resting alone on the empty bench. Now close enough to hear the group, Peter listened intently to the conversation.
"Hmm, I'm not quite sure," said the redhead. "I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together," Weiss said, the innocent smile on her face surprising Peter. He idly wondered what the redhead had done to earn the Schnee heiress' favor. Also, teams? He had only heard rumors so far.
"Oh, well that sounds grand!" the redhead chirped.
"Great!" Weiss beamed. There was something wolfish about her grin, and it made Peter wonder if she was up to something.
And then Jaune chose that moment to introduce himself.
"You know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet ya."
Peter blinked.
Wow. That ship sank before it even made it out of the harbor. Better luck next time, pal.
Again, the boy was bold. Peter had to give him that.
"Ugh," Weiss groaned. "You're that guy Ruby was talking to."
"Nice to meet you, Jaune!" the other girl happily greeted, ignoring Weiss' obvious distaste.
"Yeah, yeah," Jaune brushed the redhead off. "So, Weiss, been hearing rumors about teams, and I was thinking you and me would make a good one. What do you say?"
"Actually," the red-haired girl attempted to chime in again. "I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so- "
"You don't say. Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you can join up with the winning team."
"Jaune, is it?" Weiss interjected, gently pushing the two apart. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel."
Snow Angel! Oh I'm so using that one!
"This is Pyrrha."
"Hello again!" the newly-dubbed Pyrrha greeted with a smile and a wave.
"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum."
Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it."
Weiss' eyes widened at the boy's apparent ignorance. "She's won the Mistral regional tournaments four years in a row; a new record."
"The what?"
The heiress gave him an incredulous look before glancing around the room. Surprisingly, her eyes fell on Peter. "You!" she cried, gesturing to him. "You knew who I was, right?"
Peter blinked. "Um, yeah?"
"Do you know who this is?"
"No," he replied without hesitation as he stood up and walked over. "First time I'm hearing of her." He paused to smile and nod at the redhead, who happily returned the greeting.
The look of pure disappointment that Weiss gave Peter put the strictest parent to shame. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" the Schnee shouted.
Jaune and Peter both gasped.
"That's you?!" Jaune cried.
"You're Pumpkin Pete?!" Peter exclaimed.
"They only do that for- wait, what?" Jaune grunted, giving Peter a confused look. Weiss threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.
"Unbelievable," she muttered. "I give up. Pyrrha, come on, let's...go..." She trailed off when she saw Pyrrha desperately trying to hold a laugh back behind the hand she had clapped over her mouth.
"No!" Pyrrha managed out between giggles. "I'm not- no, he's the sponsor!" Her laughs only continued when she saw the playful smile Peter wore.
"Woops," he shrugged innocently.
Pyrrha got herself under control enough to begin to introduce herself. "Pyrrha Nikos," she stated, the grin still plastered on her face
"Peter Parker," the boy replied, mirroring the expression. "No relation to your sponsor."
"I imagined so," said Pyrrha. Peter didn't miss Weiss watching him with a curious look as he interacted with the redhead. "I take it you're here for the initiation as well?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yup, all suited up and ready to go. I'm not as popular as you guys, though, so I don't have people lining up to team with me."
"Well, perhaps we'll meet each other at the initiation," Pyrrha offered, beaming. "I'm certain you would make for an interesting partner."
"Please no," Weiss murmured under her breath.
The conversation was then cut short by the loudspeaker coming online as a female voice – Goodwitch's, if Peter heard correctly – began calling out instructions. "Would all first year students please report to the Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."
The group of students glanced up at the intercom before Weiss broke the silence that followed. "Well then, Pyrrha, it was a pleasure talking to you. I do hope we end up on the same team."
The redhead smiled politely. "Pleasure speaking to you as well," she replied before turning to Peter and Jaune. "And a pleasure meeting the two of you, too. Best of luck during the initiation!"
Spider-Man gave her a mock salute. "You too."
The redhead paused to give Jaune a polite smile before turning and hurrying towards the door. "So," the blond began as he watched her retreat. "You think I made a decent impression on Weiss?"
"I don't think either of us made a great impression," Peter admitted.
"If it makes you guys feel better, I don't think any of us made a great first impression," said a cheerful feminine voice that Peter recognized as Yang's. He shot a look over his shoulder, smirking when he saw the girl in question and her sister walking up to them.
"I was wondering if I'd run into the two of you," said the young man. "Sleep well?"
Yang grinned. "Nope! But it's more than enough to kick some Grimm butt!" She paused to nod at Jaune. "Vomit Boy," she greeted. "Hope you're feeling better."
Ruby giggled even as Peter turned to a groaning Jaune. "What?" the brown-haired boy grunted.
"Long story," the other boy managed out while rubbing his face in exasperation. "Can we maybe forget that little episode? Motion sickness is a real problem for some people!"
"Sorry," the scythe-wielder said, rubbing the back of her head. "Yang spent the other day cleaning off her shoe after you missed the garbage can. 'Vomit Boy' was the first thing that really came to mind after that."
Yang immediately dropped her smile and shivered. "Ugh, don't remind me."
"Suddenly, I'm kinda glad I didn't fly in on your guys' ship," Peter admitted. "Also, the Beacon initiation starts, like, now."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh crud! Yang!"
"I hear ya, I hear ya," the elder sister replied, arms folded behind her head as she walked leisurely forward. "We've got time, Rubes."
Peter and Jaune followed suit as the blonde girl led the way, Ruby scampered forward to walk next to her sister, but shot a quizzical look back at Peter. "Hey...where's your weapon?" she asked.
Yang signed and mumbled something along the lines of 'really, Ruby'. Meanwhile Peter thumbed his nose. "My rapier-sharp wit stays hidden until the time is right. The Grimm never know what hits them."
Ruby cocked her head to the side even as Yang laughed. "'Rapier-sharp wit'," the elder sister repeated mirthfully as she tilted her head back. "Guess you could say you're really killing your audience, then."
Jaune groaned.
"Most of the time," Peter shot back without missing a beat. Two could play at this game. "But Ursai are really bad at getting the joke. Those guys are unbearable!"
"Please, stop," Ruby and Jaune cried in unison.
Yang and Peter exchanged jubilant looks. "We need to continue this conversation later," the girl stated. "Ruby here doesn't give me much to work with."
"Only because, like, every other sentence with you is a pun!"
Yang's smile widened. "My last sentence wasn't a pun," she cackled. "Guess that means-"
"Anyway," Ruby pointedly interrupted, looking back to Peter. "Where is your weapon?"
"See, I don't actually have one," the young hero admitted. Ruby's expression grew confused.
"No weapon?" she grunted, the confusion evident in her voice. "But...what do you fight Grimm with, then? Just your Semblance?"
"Yup. All I ever really needed. I was never too handy with a sword or a gun or anything, but it turns out, my Semblance works better without them anyway."
"What's your Semblance?" Ruby asked almost before Peter could finish his sentence. Then, in a burst of rose petals, she suddenly appeared at his side. "Mine's speed!"
"Geez," Peter exclaimed with somewhat exaggerated surprise. Even though he had already seen her speed, it was still impressive nonetheless. "You must have been a nightmare to deal with in tag on the playground!"
"Oh you have no idea," Yang interjected. "Self-proclaimed champion of tag and cops n' robbers right here."
Ruby playfully stuck her tongue out at her sister before giggling and turning back to Peter. "So what's your Semblance?"
Peter smirked. "A secret."
Truth be told, the young man and Ozpin had thought of a perfectly good explanation for Peter's powers. Officially, his Semblance was supposed to be the ability to channel his Aura to supercharge his physical abilities. That would also explain why his ability to shield himself with his Aura – or, rather, his armor's fake Aura – was lackluster; he focused it on offense, rather than defense.
"Whaaaaa?" Ruby pouted.
Good grief, that pout is lethal!
"You'll see it soon enough," Peter reassured, grinning. "Just leave me something to punch when you're zooming around out there."
"Ugh, fiiinnnee," the youngest member of the group whined before glancing at Jaune. The group made it out the door when Ruby continued. "What about you, Jaune? Do you have- oh! Do you have some super sword Semblance?"
"Aha," the boy began, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "So...um, if by 'Semblance' you mean 'superpower', then I, err, sorta don't really have one..."
"What?" Yang asked, suddenly interested. "None? At all?"
"No," Jaune answered before hurriedly pointing forward. "Oh, we're here."
Ruby gasped. "Initiation time! Come on, Yang!" The girl then shot off in a burst of rose petals, kicking up a cloud of dust right in Peter's face. He waved it away with a cough.
"Rude," he grunted while waving away the dirt threatening to clog his nose. "She didn't even say goodbye! Also, can I ask about the rose petals?"
"Long story," Yang waved him off before giving both him and Jaune a nod. "Good luck with the initiation, you two. I'll see you at the end, and then we can compare how much more Grimm I've blown up than everyone else!"
"Save some for the rest of us," Peter chortled as Ruby's sister walked away. She winked, clicked her tongue, and went to take the vacant spot next to her sister. The first year students had gathered at the edge of a cliff, each standing on a gray, square pressure plate. Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stood at the front of the group. The former held a cup of coffee, and the latter, a Scroll.
Peter and Jaune made their way to a pair of empty pads and took their positions. Glynda momentarily made eye contact with him and reached into her pocket. A moment later, Peter let out an involuntary twitch as his armor buzzed to life with artificial Aura. Ozpin, meanwhile, sipped his drink, looked about, nodded to himself, and then lowered his cup.
"For years," he began, immediately shushing any side conversations some of the students were having. "You have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about teams," Glynda continued in Ozpin's stead. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teams. Today."
Peter stiffened at the thought. Teammates so soon?
Another problem to throw onto the pile. Great.
Somehow, life always seemed a little more difficult the more people got involved with him. He knew he couldn't avoid it forever, but still...
At least it beat poverty. And Beacon did give him a chance to try and work on finding a way home without the looming threat of hunger and dehydration stopping him. Not to mention the lack of shelter that sleeping on the streets generally left him with.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin stated. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone you can work well with. That said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
Wait, seriously?
Somewhere to his left, Ruby let out a terrified 'what'.
"After you've partnered up," the man proceeded. "Make your way to the northern end of the forest to retrieve the artifacts left there for you. You will know them when you see them. Each pair is to take one artifact and return to the top of the cliff. Opposition will stand in your way, and unless you destroy it without hesitation, you will die."
Ozpin paused to let that sink in. "There is also one more thing to note. This year, we are faced with an odd number of students – a very uncommon occurrence. Because of this, one student will be left without a partner. If you find the artifacts before making eye contact with an un-partnered student, then take the white pawn piece that you'll find among the other objects. If it is already taken when you get there, take any other piece; your partner will be decided at the end of the initiation. What happens to the person without a partner will be decided after the initiation."
Peter wondered if he should try and grab that piece.
A few of the students whispered among each other while Ozpin folded an arm behind his back. "While our instructors will not intervene, you will be monitored and graded throughout the initiation. Remember, treat this as though your life depends on your ability to fight the Grimm – because starting today, it does. Any question?"
"Uh, yeah," Jaune began. "Did-"
"Good," Ozpin interrupted. "Take your positions."
"Uh, sir," Jaune attempted, just as the first student in the line was launched into the air. Peter blinked at the sight.
Oh. That looks like it's going to be fun.
"I've got a question..." The boy shot a terrified look at the end of the line, where another student was launched into the sky. Pyrrha was the next to go. "Did you hand out parachutes or something?" Jaune asked hurriedly.
"No," Ozpin replied calmly. Yang shot into the air with a whoop. "You will be falling." Ruby was next.
"Oh..."
The student to Peter's immediate left was next.
"What exactly is-"
Peter didn't hear the rest of the question. The pad beneath his feet jerked with tremendous momentum, and the next thing he knew, he was sailing through the air.
Show time.
~X~
The first thought that that went through Ruby's mind when she hit the ground was the same thought that went through her mind when she began dashing through the thick, clustered trees of the Emerald Forest.
Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang!
"Yang! Yang?!"
No response.
"Yang!"
Man, this is bad, this is bad! What am I supposed to do if I can't find her? What if someone else finds her first?
"Yang! Are you out there?!"
Countless sounds greeted Ruby's cries. The wind, the rustling leaves, small animals scattering out of her way, and even a loud woohoo from somewhere above her when a student flew overhead. There was, however, no Yang.
Come on Yang, where are you?
The young girl wondered what she could do if she couldn't find her sister. She had met a few other people at the school, right? Surely there would be someone whom she could partner with.
Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice; he's funny! But...I don't think he's going to be too good in a fight...
The ruled out one of the first people she had befriended since coming here.
Oh! Peter! He's nice, funny, and he looked pretty tough!
Plus, he totally owed her. She had shown him her Semblance, but he had kept his secret!
That left her with two choices for partners so far. If she couldn't find Yang, Ruby would have to find Peter.
And then there's Blake. So calm, so mysterious. Plus, she likes books! But then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her for very long.
So that meant that, when it came to ideal partners, there was Yang, and there was Peter. Besides them, Jaune, and Blake, the only other person she really knew was…
Ruby skidded to a stop when a familiar white-clad figure came into view. She halted only a few feet from the other girl.
...Weiss.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Ruby attempted to put on a smile, but the look quickly vanished when Weiss turned on her heel and began wordlessly stomping away. "Wait!" Ruby shouted. "Where are you going?" Weiss didn't even look back. Ruby's gaze drifted to the ground where she scuffed her boot against the dirt.
"We're supposed to be teammates..."
Ugh, why did she have to be so bad with people?! Yang had told her that she needed to work on 'social skills' or whatever, but this was supposed to be a school for fighting Grimm! So far, Ruby's biggest problem had bee the other students, not the monsters that she would be learning to fight.
The young girl blinked when she saw Weiss stomping back towards her, muttering something to herself. Ruby gasped when the heiress took her by the shoulder and began pulling her along. "By no means does this make us friends," the white-haired girl grumbled.
"You came back!" Ruby cried happily, worming her way out of Weiss' grip and whirling around.
"The alternative was worse," Weiss growled. "Of course I'd get stuck between you and Jaune. I guess I should at least be glad that the jester isn't here too."
"The who?" Ruby asked, blinking in confusion.
"Nobody. Keep up, I want to get to this temple as fast as possible and get those relics."
"What's the hurry?"
Weiss shot her a frustrated look. "I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow. I swear, if I get a bad grade on- what the?"
The heiress jerked in surprise when Ruby suddenly appeared at her side, grinning madly. "I'm not slow, see?" she proclaimed. "You don't have to worry about me!"
"When did-?"
"Weiss, I might not know how to deal with people very well, but that doesn't mean I can't deal with monsters!"
Because monsters were a lot easier to deal with than people. Monsters didn't yell at you when you tripped over their luggage.
"I promise, today, you'll see a completely new side of me," Ruby continued. "And after you do, you'll be like, 'Wow, that Ruby girl is really, really cool…and I wanna be her friend!'"
Ruby finished the sentence by shooting forward. If Weiss wanted speed, then she's show her speed. They'd be at the temple within minutes!
And then hopefully Weiss will stop hating me so much…
Ruby froze when she heard a low growl. It was followed by another, and then by Weiss' voice. "Ruby!" she shouted.
The younger girl gasped. Weiss came barreling out of the underbrush a moment later. "Grimm!" the heiress warned, her eyes narrowed. "Stick together."
"Right," Ruby said absentmindedly while whipping out her scythe. The weapon unfurled, the blade slicing through a low-hanging branch as the first of the Grimm – a small Beowolf – crept into view. More began following suit, forcing their way through the trees. Ruby was about to attack when Weiss held out an arm.
"No," she commanded. "There's not enough room here; we need to move."
Ruby glanced about and silently decided that the heiress was right. The area wasn't clear enough to comfortably swing Crescent Rose. Ruby could make do here, but the key word was 'comfortably'.
The young reaper nodded wordlessly as her weapon compressed into its more portable state. She gave Weiss a thumbs up and the two huntresses-to-be began moving. The moment they began running, the Grimm followed, dozens of Beowolves barreling out from between the trees and foliage.
Weiss unsheathed her weapon – Ruby spared a moment to 'ooh' at it because weapons and awesome went hand in hand – and swung it low to the forest floor. A white, circular symbol appeared on the ground, and torrent of ice abruptly flowered from the glyph across the ground.
One of the Grimm was caught in the rapidly-formed ice crystals, its legs suddenly encased in frozen water. Several others failed to slow down enough to avoid slipping and falling.
Ruby's attention was then abruptly stolen by the clearing that they had blundered into. The scythe-wielder grinned and skidded to a stop. Weiss did the same next to her. Ruby giddily tore her weapon from her back, allowing it to extend to its impressive length as the bladed end unfolded. She could have sworn she heard Weiss curse under her breath.
"Watch where you swing that-!"
Ruby didn't hear the rest. The first of the Grimm charged into the clearing, howling wildly as they found their targets. "No time! Grimm here!" She shot forward in a burst of rose petals, although not before hearing Weiss groan. Ruby ignored her and instead focused on the nearest Beowolf. It roared and swung a gnarled, boney arm at her, but Crescent Rose was longer.
The young redhead swung her weapon, letting the momentum from her speed carry the attack when she planted her foot. The resulting strike cut through the Grimm's torso as if it were made of butter. Ruby shot away as another Beowolf tried to tackle her. It missed hopelessly, failing to match the girl's speed.
Somewhere to her left, a pair of Grimm fell under a shower of razor sharp icicles. Ruby paid them little mind and went to work cutting another Beowolf in half, then another.
When she had cut down the sixth or seventh Grimm, she heard a surprised yelp from behind her, turning just in time to see Weiss fire a torrent of flame at a nearby tree.
The lapse in Ruby's concentration was all the nearest Beowolf needed to launch a wide swipe at her head. The young reaper gasped and raised her scythe just in time to block the blow, but the force transferred through the hilt and launched her backwards, straight into a confused Weiss.
"Oof!" Ruby grunted. "Hey watch it! Don't stand right behind me."
Weiss shot her a furious look."Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "You'll have to try harder than that..."
The Grimm that swiped at her took a daunting step forward before pausing to glance at a flame-engulfed tree – a product of Weiss' attack. Ruby's eyes narrowed as the Beowolf turned back to them, baring its vicious fangs at her. Weiss shifted to face opposite Ruby, the two girls' backs practically pressed together.
Ruby loaded a new magazine into her weapon. It slid in with a satisfying click, just as the burning tree began cracking under its own weight. The ancient growth gave a final groan before tipping over and falling to the ground.
Ignore it, Ruby told herself.
Weiss, apparently, thought otherwise.
"We need to leave," the heiress warned hurriedly. The Grimm howled as the flames began to spread.
"What?" Ruby asked. "Why? There's only-"
"Just move it!" Weiss prompted, dragging Ruby along. The younger girl blinked in confusion before begrudgingly moving along.
The heiress spared a look over her shoulder to create an ice wall between the two huntress-in-training and the Grimm, but otherwise kept running.
Eventually, the two came to a halt, far from the fire, and far from the Grimm. It hadn't been a short run, either; both girls could feel the effects as they panted for air.
"What was that?!" Ruby managed out through her breaths. "That should've been easy! Why are we running away?!"
"Well maybe," Weiss began icily, "if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your attacks, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ruby shouted.
Weiss crossed her arms. "It means I'm surprised that someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter."
"Well I'm sorry that you need my help to win a fight; I'm just fine one my own!"
Weiss threw her hands up. "Well congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon." The girl shoved past Ruby. "Bravo," she finished dryly.
Ruby couldn't take it anymore. Why was this girl such a jerk?!
The redhead let out a frustrated shout, unsheathed Crescent Rose, and let her anger loose on a nearby tree. The thick trunk, sturdy as it was, posed no challenge to her scythe's honed razor blade. The weapon sliced through the trunk in one clean movement.
The Schnee heiress looked over her shoulder and scoffed. Ruby glared back at her, still panting from releasing her pent up anger. There was a moment of silence between the two.
"Um, this looks like a bad time. I'll come back later..."
Ruby whirled around and gasped when she saw the newcomer.
"Peter!"
~X~
Peter's trek through the forest had been woefully uneventful. Almost boring, even. He had landed and made his way through the forest for a good few minutes without any meaningful encounters. He heard gunshots at some point and tried to angle himself in their general direction, but hadn't come across anyone. That eventually changed when he saw a column of smoke rising into the air not far in the distance. When he moved towards it, he ran into none other than an arguing Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose.
Huh, should've figured they'd run into each other. Probably the same law of the universe that decided to launched me into this world.
The argument, meanwhile, was getting rather heated. Weiss began stomping past a furious Ruby, who sliced a tree in half and begrudgingly followed. Peter flinched when the two girls exchanged glares.
"Um, this looks like a bad time. I'll come back later..." he said, just loud enough for them to hear.
Ruby spun around, her eyes widening. "Peter!" she exclaimed when she saw him. In a flash, she was in front of him, smiling. "Hey!"
The young man grinned down at her. "Hey there. You two look like you've been busy." He gestured to the rising smoke. "You guys have barbequed Boarbatusk over there or something?"
"Ugh," Ruby groaned. "No. Weiss started a fire."
Peter blinked. "What?"
Weiss let out a thunderous sigh. "She's neglecting to mention the part about how you can thank her for that."
Ruby shot the heiress an annoyed look. "You can thank your aim for that."
The Schnee looked like she had readied an angry reply, and Peter felt the need to cut in. "Right," he interrupted. "I'm guessing you guys haven't really made up since yesterday…?"
Weiss snorted and crossed her arms. Ruby let out a subdued sigh and shot Peter a helpless look, exasperatedly gesturing to Weiss. He gave her an apologetic smile. "You two will warm up to each other eventually," he quietly reassured her before raising his voice. "Anyway, do you guys mind if I travel with you? I haven't run into anybody yet."
"Sure!" Ruby chirped before Weiss had the chance to refuse. He heard the white-haired girl mumble something to herself before she began marching off.
"Whatever," she grunted. "Let's just get to this temple."
Peter flinched as he watched the heiress storm away. "You guys had another fight, didn't you?" he asked quietly. "She seems particularly...unhappy."
Ruby's shoulder slumped. "Yeah. Weiss doesn't think I can handle myself in a fight. Says I don't communicate enough." The scythe-wielder shook her head before turning to Peter as the two walked. "I just don't get it. She hates my guts and every time I try to show her that I'm not just a kid, she finds someway to complain about it."
Peter clicked his tongue as he glanced between the two girls. He knew they didn't get off to the best start, but the continued friction wouldn't bode well at Beacon. "I think you two have just been hitting a series of rough patches," he began carefully. "Part of this whole exercise is to learn to work with people you just met. Weiss seems like a fairly clever girl; she's probably figured this out. She can't stay mad at you forever."
"I hope not," said Ruby.
The duo slowed their pace when they saw Weiss looking to her left and right, one hand on her chin and the other on her hip. Ruby and Peter came to a stop behind her. "Something wrong?" asked Peter, following Weiss' gaze. There was nothing noteworthy in either direction.
"I think the temple's this way," Weiss declared, taking several steps to the left. Suddenly, she paused. "Actually, no. I think it's this way." She moved to the right.
"It's actually straight," Peter offered. "You were on the right path before you stopped."
Weiss turned to face him, a suspicious look on her face. "And how do you know that?"
Peter blinked when he realized both girls were staring at him expectantly. "You guys did hear Ozpin when he said the temple was in the northern end of the forest, right?" They both nodded. Peter raised an eyebrow when he realized they hadn't caught on yet. "...We're also doing this exam in the morning. Sun's still on the rise, meaning that," Peter paused to point at the sun, "is east. That would make this general direction north." Peter accentuated the claim by pointing straight ahead.
Of course, the young man had long since double checked these laws. Remnant, in displaying yet another uncanny similarity to Earth, had a system of naming directions that mirrored Earth's. North, south, east, west; all existed on Remnant with the same law regarding the sun's cycle. The sun rose in the east and set in the west.
"Huh," said Ruby. "I hadn't thought of that, but you're right!"
Weiss pursed her lips. "Yes, I do suppose you are correct. Very well, straight it is."
The heiress didn't say anything to add onto that. Instead, she spun on her heel and continued forward. Peter and Ruby followed closely behind in a minute of silence before the red reaper spoke up. "You know, we could try to get a better view of the area to find the temple faster."
"I guess I could climb a tree or something," Peter mumbled almost to himself. He'd have to make it look harder than it really was for him, of course.
"Weeeeeeellll," Ruby began with an innocent smile. "I was thinking we could maybe hitch a ride on something that flies..."
"Like?" Weiss asked from up front.
"...A Nevermore?" Ruby offered with a shrug.
"Absolutely not," Weiss answered automatically. Ruby pouted before glancing at Peter expectantly.
The chocolate-eyed teen blinked at the redhead. "You want us to ride on a giant, flying, man-eating bird?"
"I mean when you put it that way..."
"Sorry Rubes," Peter chuckled. "I was actually hoping to survive this initiation."
Ruby let out a playfully exaggerated sigh. "Fine. You're both party-poopers."
"I didn't say we'd never try flying a Nevermore," Peter added with a cheeky smile. "Maybe one day."
Ruby grinned at him before pumping her fist in silent victory. Peter shook his head.
Crazy girl.
"Guys," Weiss began, peering through a pair of bushes. "I think we've found the temple."
Both Peter and Ruby snapped to attention and hurried forward. Sure enough, beyond the bush Weiss was looking over, the treeline ended, revealing a large clearing. There was a stone structure at the far end of the clearing. Peter squinted; he could make out two figures at the front of the temple. One was dressed in blacks and whites, while the other was a yellow mass of-
"Is that Yang?" Ruby vocalized, her eyes widening. "It is! Yang! Yang!"
The youngster shot forward, leaving Peter and Weiss to eat her dust – literally, as she tended to kick it straight up into their faces. Heiress and inter-dimensional visitor coughed in unison. "I really do not like her," Weiss growled. Peter winced.
Glad to see their partnership is going so well…
"Come on," said Peter as he vaulted over a fallen tree. "Relics await."
Weiss wordlessly followed behind him as he made his way down to the temple. Ruby was already there, happily speaking with her sister while the other individual – a girl dressed in an even mix of blacks and whites with a dark bow in her raven hair – stood by, silently watching the sisters interact. The unnamed student then turned to look at Peter and Weiss with piercing gold eyes.
Yang seemed to notice the action because she, too, turned to look at the newcomers. A wide grin spread across her face. "Look what the cat dragged in," she laughed. "So, which of you partnered with who?"
Peter gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm the oddball out." Yang blinked before her eyes widened and she looked between her sister and Weiss. She visibly flinched.
"Yikes," she said quietly.
"Indeed," Peter said absentmindedly while his gaze hovered over the relics. His eyes fell upon the white pawn piece.
Looks like I'm the first to show up here without a partner.
Yang went back to Ruby – Peter heard her mention something about Weiss – while the young hero went to retrieve his relic. The observant girl with the golden eyes watched him closely.
Peter picked up his relic and pocketed it before turning and offering the unnamed girl a smile. "Hey there," he greeted. "I'm Peter. You're Yang's partner?"
She seemed almost startled when he abruptly began talking to her, but she recovered rapidly. "Yes...Blake."
"Nice to meet you! I- "
The group paused when a scream echoed through the forest. Blake reacted first, her head snapping in the direction of the sound. Peter was a fraction of a second behind her in the action.
"Some girl's in trouble!" Yang shouted, her gauntlets sliding forward. "You guys heard that?!"
"Yup," Peter grunted, eyes scanning their surroundings. "Anybody know who that was?"
The answer was a series of shaking heads. Peter pursed his lips. Then, abruptly, his attention was drawn to another terrified shout and-
On reflex, Peter jumped to catch the figure that came sailing over the treetops. He caught a glimpse of blond hair before the other student collided with him midair, sending them both across the clearing. Peter grunted, but kept his balance, landing firmly on his feet with stumbling minimized by years of experience.
The blond student ended up draped across Peter, but better him than a tree. Glancing down, the young hero recognized Jaune. The knight groaned as Spider-Man set him down. "Easy there," he mumbled as he lowered the boy to the ground. "You alright? Nothing broken?"
"Ugh," the boy managed out while propping himself up. "I think I just got flung halfway across the forest by a giant scorpion..."
"You what?"
"Rwaaaaaaaah!"
Both Peter and Jaune looked up, eyes widening when they say an Ursa stomping into the clearing through the trees. It reared up on its hind legs, flailing angrily for a moment before collapsing. Peter blinked when he watched an orange-haired girl cheerfully hop off the creature's back.
Now I know what New Yorkers must have felt like when I rode the Lizard into Times Square...
The orange-haired girl pouted at the Grimm that had fallen behind her before immediately switching gears and rushing to the relics, cooing at a white rook before eagerly swiping it from its pedestal and singing a tune to herself.
"Nora!" shouted a new voice. Peter watched as a young man stumbled from behind the fallen Ursa. His green clothes were slightly disheveled, and he certainly looked like the more unwilling passenger aboard the beast.
The newly-named Nora grinned and saluted before skipping over to her partner.
"Did she...did she ride that thing here?" Jaune grunted weakly, hauling himself to his feet.
"Arriving in style must be a strong suite of hers," Peter commented. "Come on."
Jaune stumbled slightly upon getting to his feet but regained his bearings quickly. He jogged beside Peter as they regrouped. "Hey," he began suddenly. "Where's Pyrrha?"
Weiss, who had been close enough to hear them, turned around. "Pyrrha?" she asked "What about Pyrrha?"
"She was with me right before we ran into...the..." Jaune trailed off when the redhead in question burst from the trees, followed closely by a giant scorpion.
"...The Deathstalker," Jaune finished, wide-eyed. "Crap, Pyrrha!"
The Spartan-like girl sprinted frantically, but the massive Grimm was faster. It gained on her and lashed out with its claws. Pyrrha dodged one swipe of the beast's pincer, then a second; the third, however, connected with her side and sent her flying across the clearing. She cartwheeled away from the group, landing some distance away before scrambling to her feet. Meanwhile, the Deathstalker raced towards them.
Jaune moved to help Pyrrha while Peter pushed his way to the front of the group.
Hey Mac, I see the Red Bull's been doing wonders for ya, Peter thought, sharing the reference with no one but himself, even as the massive scorpion Grimm closed the distance. He had been on the verge of offering a plan of action for the students when Ruby let out a battle cry and shot forward, Crescent Rose unsheathed and ready for action.
"Ruby!" Peter and Yang yelled in unison. The youngest student present either didn't hear them or didn't care; instead, she rushed the approaching Deathstalker and swung her scythe, the bladed end bouncing harmlessly off the Grimm's armored exoskeleton.
Yang moved forward and grunted, "What is she- Ruby, get out of there!"
"D-Don't worry, everything's fine!" Ruby shouted back. She whirled around when the Deathstalker continued its approached and fired a bullet straight into its head. There was sharp crack and a spark, but the Grimm didn't even falter. Ruby jumped slightly and then ran for it. Yang cursed under her breath and charged forward.
The moment she took her first steps, Peter's spider-sense went wild. He inhaled sharply. "Above us!" he roared as he jumped out of harm's way.
No sooner had he said that than a storm of massive, razor-sharp feathers rained down on them. Weiss, who had been next to him, yelped and dodged to avoid a projectile that had nearly punched through her head.
Peter rolled from his dive and shuffled to his feet before chasing after Yang. He glanced over his shoulder at the sky to find a gargantuan avian Grimm descending upon them.
Nevermore, he realized.
The hail of feathers moved in a straight line, directly over Yang, forcing the blonde to dodge frantically to avoid being hit. One of the Nevermore's feathers landed right in front of the huntress-to-be, and to avoid running into it, she dropped on her back and slid to halt her momentum.
Ruby, meanwhile, tried to move out of the way, but through a stroke of bad luck, one stray feather shot straight through her crimson cape, effectively pinning her to the ground. She grunted when she suddenly found herself unable to run.
The Nevermore flew over them and began a wide returning arc, but the Deathstalker plowed on forward, even when a few feathers bounced off it.
"Ruby!" Yang yelled as she jumped to her feet. Peter shot past her while she did so. "Get out of there!"
The boy was faster than the Deathstalker, but it was already almost upon Ruby. Peter gritted his teeth and plucked a Nevermore feather from the ground. His super strength made the task trivial, but before he could try to lob the thing at the lethal stinger the Deathstalker was raising above Ruby's head, a white blur shot past him.
"Weiss?" he grunted when a wall of glimmering ice suddenly popped into existence between Ruby and the Deathstalker. The Grimm's tail was lodged firmly in the mass of freezing crystals.
Ruby blinked in confusion before raising her head to find the Schnee heiress standing in front of her, blade planted in the ground. Weiss slowly turned her head and said something to Ruby. There was a scolding frown on her face, but the expression softened after a moment. She said something else before helping her up.
Somewhere behind him, he heard Yang breathe a sigh of relief before rushing past him to her sister. Peter let out a breath himself and tossed his impromptu javelin aside. That had been closer than anybody would have liked.
Above him, the Nevermore shrieked. Its massive form was beginning to circle around – thankfully, the beast's size made its turn arc wide and slow.
"Girls," Peter called to the trio by the Deathstalker, eyes fixed on the Nevermore. "Big flying thing up there is coming around again."
That got them moving. Weiss, Yang, and Ruby quickly worked to get the feather out of Ruby's cape while the scorpion-esque Grimm struggled to free itself. The ice began to crack, but the girls were already on their way back.
"That thing's getting close," Jaune warned when they regrouped. Pyrrha and Peter shared a nod of greeting when they did so.
"You alright?" Peter asked quietly.
"Yes, thank you," Pyrrha responded, her eyes shifting back to the Deathstalker. Peter followed her gaze. The ice continued to crack.
"There's no sense in dillydallying," Weiss said hurriedly. "The objective is right here."
"She's right," Ruby added with a nod. "We just need the relics. There's no point in fighting these things."
"Run and live," said Jaune. "That is an idea I can get behind."
"The Nevermore will follow us," Peter mumbled, drawing their attention. "Gonna have to move fast if we want to outrun it."
"Grab the relics, then. Fast," Weiss ordered as she got to work. The other students moved to grab their chosen pieces. Peter double checked his pocket to ensure his piece was still there.
There was a loud crackling sound when the Deathstalker furiously jerked its tail about. The ice continued to weaken. "Time we left," said the boy who had arrived with Nora. Ruby voiced her agreement and moved forward, waving for the group to follow. Peter didn't miss the proud look Yang gave her sister when he jogged after her.
The young man wondered if Ruby knew that she had seated herself into a position of leadership. Peter wasn't unaccustomed to the idea, but Ruby? Who knew.
Seeing some of the other students hesitate for a moment, Peter moved forward, along with Jaune, who waved for the others to follow. Seeing nearly half their group begin to disperse, the others fell into line, and the run for the cliff began.
~X~
Even though he abstained from his web-shooters and his ability to cling to just about any surface, Peter still found himself to be one of the most mobile members of the group. While running, the only person who could outpace him had been Ruby.
Once they had made it to the gorge that separated them from the cliff side, however, maneuverability became key. When Weiss began using her glyphs, she and Ruby became the most mobile members of the group, with Ruby dominating in horizontal movement, and Weiss in vertical.
Peter followed closely behind them, with Blake and Yang not too far behind. The remaining members of the group, on the other hand, weren't quite as lucky. Pyrrha and the boy who came with Nora – Ren, he called himself – were fast, but couldn't attain the altitude some of the others could. Nora was clever in the way she used her hammer to catapult herself, but Jaune seemed lacking in both speed and maneuverability.
These varying levels of mobility became a concern when Peter's prediction became true: the Nevermore had followed them. The massive creature made its presence known when a shadow passed over the group. Many looked up, gasping sharply as the Grimm flew overhead.
It circled and landed on a half-destroyed pillar some distance ahead, directly in their path. The avian let out a thunderous screech.
"Well that's great," Yang muttered as the students began taking cover behind the pillars. Peter could practically feel the Grimm's gaze sweeping the area.
Can't effectively fight that thing down here without web-shooters, Peter thought, frowning to himself. He'd have to somehow get onto the Grimm if he wanted to do any work.
Heck, maybe he and Ruby would end up riding a Nevermore earlier than either of them had thought.
"Oh crap!" Jaune shouted when something crashed through the trees behind them. The group turned to see the Deathstalker stomping out from the edge of the forest. "Run!"
There wasn't much time to react. While some of the students rushed forward, Peter made a split-second decision and turned around, slowly approaching the charging Deathstalker.
"What are you doing?!" he heard Weiss shout from up ahead.
"Deal with the Nevermore!" Peter shouted back without looking over his shoulder. "Bigger threat! I'll distract the Deathstalker."
"By yourself?" a new voice, Jaune's, added. "Didn't we already try that and learn that it didn't work?!"
"No choice!" Peter shouted firmly. The Deathstalker was getting closer. "Just go!"
The young hero didn't wait for further conversation. He sprinted forward, honing in on the Deathstalker. He reminded himself that Grimm, by definition, were soulless creatures, proven to be relentlessly hostile to humans and faunus.
It's like a machine programmed to hunt people, Peter told himself. It's not an animal. Don't try to subdue it.
Ozpin had been very thorough in his explanation to Peter that Grimm were not to be treated as anything less than that which needed to be eradicated. Back when Peter had believed the creatures to be strange animals, he hadn't wanted to kill them – it wasn't in his nature. His research, however, had likened Grimm more to machines than anything living.
Ozpin had made sure to reinforce that belief after he found out that Grimm were not a problem on Earth.
Right before Peter closed the distance between himself and the Deathstalker, he heard Ren shout Nora's name. He paid it no mind as he flipped over the scorpion's swipe and cocked his arm. His fist crashed into the thing's armored head. For discretion's sake, Peter didn't hit with his full strength, but the power packed into the blow was enough to stagger the Grimm, cracks spider-webbing from where he had hit it.
Peter jumped when his spider-sense alerted him to the Deathstalker's tail. As he dodged it, he caught sight of Nora and Ren rushing towards him. The former had a massive hammer in her arms while the latter sported dual submachine gun-like firearms.
Huh, guess they're not very well equipped to fight a Nevermore either.
"Give me a second!" he shouted to his approaching classmates. "I'm gonna get a hold of its tail!"
The young hero stayed true to his word and immediately went to work grabbing the Deathstalker's tail at the base of the stinger. He catapulted off the monster's back and landed behind it, its tail held firmly in his grasp. Planting his feet, Peter tugged, and the Grimm let out a confused shriek when it was suddenly pulled backwards.
"Go, now, hit it now!" Peter yelled.
Ren unloaded his SMGs' clips into the creature to almost no effect, but it did provide minor cover for Nora to close the distance. She grinned and swung her hammer, bringing it down on the spot where Peter had punched the Deathstalker. The blow struck and the Grimm flailed furiously. However, while Peter had a firm grip on its massive tail, its claws were still free to swipe at the other students.
Peter tried to jerk the massive Grimm back further, but he was a second too late. One of the claws caught Ren in the side. The boy grunted when the force of the blow sent him sailing over into the nearby ruins where he crashed into an ancient, crumbling wall.
"Ren!" Nora gasped.
Peter winced and dragged the Deathstalker further back before its pincers could reach Nora. "Check on your friend!" he ordered. "I'll keep the Grimm bu- "
"I'm fine!" came the weak cry from Ren's direction. The boy was hauling himself to his feet. The orange-haired girl shot her friend one final look before whirling around, her weapon letting out a series of mechanical groans as it compacted into a grenade launcher.
Geez, these kids would make the Autobots jealous with the amount of transforming going on here.
The Deathstalker brought up its claws to block the projectiles that Nora fired. They impacted and exploded upon its armor, but the Grimm held strong. Peter risked a look over his shoulder in the moment of the Grimm's distraction. The gorge made way for a steep cliff not far to his left. There was a shattered bridge leading across the chasm, beyond which the Nevermore battled the remaining students.
Peter resisted the urge to make a quick headcount of the students he saw and instead huffed and began sprinting to the cliff. The Deathstalker, massive and heavy as it may have been, wasn't beyond what he could haul. In didn't even approach the maximum amount of weight he had supported over the years, if he was honest with himself.
Of course, the other students didn't need to know that.
The Grimm roared and tried to turn around to snap at him, but with its tail unable to bend far enough to allow it to rotate, the beast couldn't reach Spider-Man. He felt the tail jerk angrily in his grip but made sure to stick to the ground to help maintain his balance.
Despite the Deathstalker's struggles, Peter made steady headway towards the cliff side. He heard a battle cry from Nora and felt an impact shudder through the Grimm when she hit it with her hammer. Its struggles weakened, and Peter's run to the cliff sped up.
And they say scorpions are a spider's natural enemy, Peter thought with a wry grin as he approached the cliff.
With a heave, the young hero planted his feet and pivoted, dragging the Grimm with him. Nora's second strike on the creature made the movement that much simpler when the blow took the Deathstalker off its feet. With one final burst of movement, Peter hauled the monster over the edge of the cliff.
It let out one more furious roar as it went over the edge, its limbs flailing helplessly as it tried to latch onto the cliff. Gravity, however, allowed no such thing, and Peter watched as the Grimm disappeared into the misty abyss below.
Spidey and friends, one, giant Mac Gargan knockoff, zero.
A split second later, there was a thump beside him when Nora landed to his right, a wide smile plastered on her face. She took one look over the cliff before pumping her bicep and winking at Peter. "Now that was something!" she cheered. "Good throw!"
Peter offered her a smile of his own. "Couldn't have done it without the help," he shot back before glancing at Ren as he slowly limped towards them. Nora's eyes widened when she remembered her injured friend and immediately rushed to his side, looping his arm over her shoulders. Peter, satisfied that the two were okay, turned around to check on the Nevermore fight.
His eyes widened when he saw Ruby Rose sailing towards the massive Grimm. Her scythe hooked around its neck, and the impact dragged the monster against the cliff side. A series of white glyphs appeared on the rocks before her, and Ruby sprinted up, firing her gun for extra momentum.
Peter couldn't stop the impressed whistle that left his lips when the girl dragged a monster multiple times her size and weight up a vertical surface before jumping over the edge of the cliff, her weapon slicing clean through the Nevermore's neck. Its severed head and evaporating body rolled down the plateau.
"Whoa," Peter mumbled. That was impressive.
Ruby huffed atop the cliff, sheathing her weapon. A silence descended upon the gorge with the two monsters finally defeated. The young reaper looked about, threw her hands in the air, and shouted.
"We did it!"
A/N: Good ole' Theorems, coming at you one Saturday evening (or super early Sunday morning, depends on how you look at it) with a massively overdue chapter. In all honesty though, I had some back luck with trying to put this chapter out. After posting a chapter for my other story, which took about a month, I started work on this chapter. However, I got sick – twice – and lemme tell ya, when you've got a fever, writing becomes a pretty taxing thing. Here's hoping the next chapter comes out before we've all got gray hair.
Regarding this chapter, I don't think there's much to explain. Peter fights without web-shooters or his stick 'em powers (shout out to those who catch that reference) to help hide his identity while making good use of his strength and speed. Character interaction is slowly picking up, and I plan on having it peak in coming chapters when the action goes down in favor of the students' getting to know each other. As for teams? Well, next chapter, you guys will know, and I think I have a solution that fits most needs. Till then, ladies and gents!
Review Responses – I read all reviews, but I respond to those that seem like they are asking a legitimate question or bring up something that I'd like to address. If you stopped by and said something like 'good work' or 'good story', then know that, even if I don't directly respond to you below, you have my thanks!
Miltonius: Because I found it a little difficult to believe that an Aura engine could be crammed into a wristband. Armor felt like it would be more realistic.
Demidragon: I'm not sure yet. There are a lot of ways to take that subplot, but we'll see where it leads.
seem14: Glad you're liking it. Yeah, if superhero work doesn't fit, Peter really could just become a scientist. Couple his genius with his Earth knowledge, and he could offer Remnant some improvements to some of their technology.
Marius Dragomir: From a realistic standpoint, we could point to vocal inflections, the adrenaline from the Torchwick encounter, and Peter's mask muffling his voice. Imagine remembering the voice of someone you met once while you were in the middle of a life-or-death battle. Also, I double checked Qrow's initial fight with Winter, and the only concrete-shattering moments were from melee strikes, which is a result of weapon durability and the user's actual strength. There's definitely a risk when Peter fights Grimm without his mask, since people might pin him as Spidey, but he is taking measure to prevent that. That will be expanded upon in future chapters. And yes, I agree with you that this story should take steps away from the main plot line to explore Peter's butterfly effect on Remnant.
Bucky749: Maybe! Thanks for answering the question!
BlueSynth: This chapter may have clued you in, but Peter will not be receiving an OC team. Glad you enjoyed what Chapter 6 offered! As for Pyrrha vs. Peter, I've actually thought about it, and I've got some decent ideas. I will say this: Peter's armor has metal in it.
Spiderman-fan98: I believe in growth as well, but I think we can improve Peter's powers without having to add new ones, just to keep his powers close to home. I'm also going to point out that this Spider-Man has also spent years practicing with his powers. I, personally, thing Aura acts like a second skin that shields against a given amount of damage. Imagine energy-based, skin-tight armor. People can still grab Aura-encased opponents, so it can't be a repelling force field bubbling someone. At least, this is my interpretation of it. Peter's current gauntlets can actually be thought of as weapons of sorts because they reinforce his already durable hands and wrists. The ideas you presented regarding other weapons are very interesting, though. And thanks, you too!
AsouShibata: Oh, most definitely!
mmh: Not quite what I had in mind, but I think I have an all-purpose solution.
mrfugen01: Hey, they're both pretty fair game. Who knows?
MajorBrony95: No Spidey during initiation, but they'll meet eventually. Very accurate ideas regarding how the main cast will respond to our protagonist! As for who Peter will team with...well, after seeing this chapter, take a guess :P
Laxard: For the most part, ammo in RWBY actually doesn't destroy environment. But then again, RWBY isn't the best at consistency, if we're going to be totally honest.
cpritchard326: No harems planned at this point, so welcome aboard!
shadyxlr: No plans to mix up teams so far! Sorry for the late chapter, but hey, better late than never, right?
Croniklerx: Ya got a PM waiting for you in response to this, as usual, good sir.
BisonMan: Oh stop, you're making me blush haha. Either way, glad you're enjoying it!
Moss Stories: Thanks!
OtakuHazelEyes: Heh, he'll figure out soon enough.
RockinRobin1234: Then you read it right, because that's exactly how I tried to write Peter and Ozpin's conversation. So far, there is no harem planned, so you can rest easy, friend. Peter won't be getting an OC team, but he won't be just a fifth tack-on to an existing team (partially because 'P' doesn't fit in RWBY, and I like JNPR's existing 'P' too much to replace her).
Exanime Draco: Thanks! Maybe one day, we'll see a crossover like that, who knows?
Gr8nTrbl: I think Ozpin looks like he's in his late 50s or early 60s, at best, but, in the interest of not spoiling RWBY for you, just in case you haven't seen the later volumes, I'll just say that Ozpin is older than he looks. Mostly because I forgot to write that joke in (funny, because I had it in mind the moment I began drafting Chapter 1), but it'll come up eventually. Ohhhh, that Scarecrow/Tinman comment is golden! Yes, I need to include that at some point. And glad you enjoyed the talks between Peter, Jaune, and Yang.
95Thegamer59: Your idea works too, honestly. I think I'd prefer for him to have a more measurable amount of (fake) Aura, but still.
gabe. d. clark. 1997: I mean, it could work, but so far, I'm pretty dead set on Peter having no real Aura, but instead getting stronger in different ways.
Axccel: Who said Peter would stop being Spider-Man? Also, the room never had a mirror or security cameras. Ozpin actually interrogated Peter not for saving people, but because of the portal through which he arrived in. Peter certainly took a risk in removing his mask, but it was for a good cause. He risked making an enemy out of a good man. Also, given Peter's current situation (or, at least, the situation at the time of his talk with Ozpin), revealing his face didn't actually create too many immediate consequences for him. Honestly, he'd be able to live his life like the other 99% of the huntsmen/huntresses on the planet and just do his job without the mask if he really needed to. I'm pretty confident in Peter's reasoning behind both his revealing himself and his joining Beacon. True points about Grimm vs. the enemy within, but the police exist to fight criminals; huntsmen exist primarily to fight Grimm, and Peter, based on his powers, is more the latter than the former, even if he can do both duties. Plenty of canon huntsmen did both, actually.
TheWovenMantis: And here I am, a whole two months late! And thanks :)
graysean86: You're actually right about that. Lots of the RWBY villain are very similar to the Marvel universe. Cinder is also like a fiery version of Electro, while Salem is loosely similar to something like Venom from Web of Shadows. Adam can sort of be compared to Deadpool, but with all the comedy and fun stripped away.
Obsidian Prime: Ohh, I like that! And thanks for answering the question!
