Chapter 27

POV: Rocket

Every person on the team fought mostly individually today. Yang engaged one of them, and started beating it up. Weiss was already getting chased by 9 beowolves, and was barely staying ahead. 3 of them, however, saw Blake and switched their attention off of Weiss. Blake didn't even look back, and partially drew her sword. When the first beowulf arrived and slashed at her. The shadow clone disappeared. Blake then came down on top of the monster, slashing it in half. Then, she shot at the next, one. She noticed it was doing almost nothing, so he threw the cleaver at it. That did the trick, and the next one fell, then, she threw her katana, but held onto the ribbon. As soon as the katana killed one beowolf. She use the ribbon, and used the katana, like a flail, swinging it behind her, stabbing another through the head. Weiss, meanwhile killed the 6 behind her with a complex combination of formes. Ruby was by far the one getting swarmed by the most. She had her sniper rifle almost constantly firing. Because of the noise, she didn't hear the beowulf coming up behind her. She saw a shadow, but didn't have time to react. Then, I had slashed through the beowulf, cutting it cleanly in two.

Rocket: Keep, firing, I got this side!

She kept firing, getting all headshots. She took down around 10, I took down around 9. While we were clean them all up, Yang had been busy beating the crap out of 1 of them. When she looked up, she was ready to fight some more.

Yang: Ok! Who's...

She realized we had killed the rest of them without her.

Yang: next...

Oobleck: Don't worry, Yang. I'm sure there will be plenty more chances to beat up grimm. After all, I'm certain this will just be the first bout of many.

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He was definitely right about this being the first bout of many. We were fighting for a solid part of the day. Around halfway through, we were already exhausted. Oobleck decided to try to take our mind off of the fatigue. First, he singled out Yang.

Oobleck: Yang. Why did you decide become a huntress?

Yang: Well, to fight monsters and go on crazy adventur-

Oobleck: No, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it.

Yang: The honest reason? I'm a thrill seeker. I love getting tied up in all these crazy adventures! Plus, I get to help people along the way. It's a win-win, you know.

Oobleck: Hmm…

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Oobleck: And you, Ms. Schnee! Surely you didn't need the extra money. Why have the risk of being a huntress over some cushy job in Atlas?

Weiss: As you said. I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. When I figured out I could fight, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life.

Oobleck: Ok…

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Oobleck: And what about you, Ms. Belladonna? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose. What is said purpose?

Blake: There's too much trouble in this world to standby and let it happen. I have to at least try to stop it.

Oobleck: Ok, but how?

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Oobleck: And finally, why did you do this, Rocket?

Rocket: I've felt emotional pain in my past that I don't want anyone else to go. This is the best way to defend who can't defend themselves.

Oobleck: Yes, yes…

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Ruby was playing with Zwei during a break, when she turned around and saw Oobleck. She quickly put the turkey away.

Ruby: Sorry! Are we ready to move on?

Oobleck: No, I think we've done enough for today. Go ahead and gather the team up.

Ruby went around gathering the rest of the team, and we met back up in front of one of the abandoned houses.

Oobleck: This seems like it can work as a home away from home. Your leader and I will secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby!

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POV: Omniscient

Ruby and Oobleck left the rest of the group and walked around a corner, Oobleck walked up to the edge of a cliff. When Ruby caught up, she saw a very unusual sight. There was a line of goliath grimm, walking across the horizon.

Ruby: Woah! What are those?

Oobleck: That, my dear girl, is a grimm.

Ruby: It looks awesome!

She unsheathed Crescent Rose.

Ruby: Let's kill it.

Oobleck: I'm afraid your rifle would do little more than anger a grimm of that size.

Ruby: But couldn't it attack us?

Oobleck: Not all grimm are mindless, or, more accurately, they aren't still mindless. After living for such a long time, these grimm have realized that, in even killing one human, they could lose many of their numbers, and that killing one human will just bring more.

Ruby: So, what is it still doing here?

Oobleck: Well, it is still attracted to negativity, and Mountain Glenn pretty well embodies negative emotion.

The silence between them stretched out as they watched those gentle giants in the distance.

Ruby: Doctor Oobleck?

Oobleck: Yes, Ruby?

Ruby: Why did you become a huntsman?

Oobleck: Look around you. What do you see?

Ruby: Um… Broken buildings… Empty streets…

Oobleck: I see lives that could have been saved. And even though I could do that easily with traditional weapons, I believe I can make a much greater difference with my mind. As a teacher, I get to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity. An opportunity to learn from the mistakes made in this place. I am a huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing I would rather be. Well,weshouldprobablygetbacktotherestofthegroup.

Ruby: Yep!

And with that, they walked back to the camp.