GIANT BAZOOKA!~ Hey everybody, the teams have finally come forth and I hope they were worth the wait.
So, to kick things off, in regards to Frowen's review, I don't know if Jaune necessarily possesses haki, as it's never been stated that Hawkins' tarot reading is related to the soul power. I've had ideas that Hawkins' fortune-telling is a form of observation haki, but until Oda says so the answer is kinda in the air.
And I know everyone is dying to know who's going to be a part of Jaune's team, but please be patient as the lineup I have will surprise you at least and two of the four members will be introduced during the Mountain Glenn Mission arc.
With that, cheers everyone, and happy reading!
The auditorium, the place where trophies, awards, and praise etched themselves in Beacon's history. While many searched for wealth, fame, and power, the majority wished for the peace and prosperity of their kingdoms. With a new generation of hunters and huntresses at hand, the esteemed headmaster of the academy cleared his throat, patted his chest, and tapped his trusty cane on the oaken planks of the platform.
Lined behind him, the first years, eyes burning with both excitement and anxiety, clasped their hands behind their backs and waited to be called. However, a single student, a blonde with a ponytail, in particular, appeared to be absent. High in the rafters, Jaune slumped against a wooden beam and sighed. His cerulean eyes on the verge of tears, he hastily brushed them away with his sleeve and forced a smile. Even if he failed to find a partner he wanted to support his new acquaintances, and most of all his beloved sister, in celebrating their accomplishments.
"May I have your attention please?" Ozpin's voice echoed through the mounted microphone and all heads turned towards the front.
"It is with great pleasure, to welcome each and every one of you to this grande new start." Waving his cane with a thin smile, he gestured to the young teens behind him.
"While the oncoming years will no doubt be difficult, mounted with hurdles that you must struggle past in order to grow as both huntsmen and people, I have confidence that the paths you choose will bring you to a brighter future."
Bright screens flashed behind the headmaster. On the screens, were a set of rectangles split into four groups.
"Before we get to the team reveals, it is custom that I announce the appreciation I have for my fellow headmasters and their respective students, along with the transfer students who have migrated here. It truly is a pleasure to house such a formidable group of future hunters." Ozpin stifled a yawn and took out a piece of paper. Truth be told, he found the old customs tedious, but a stern glare from Glynda was all it took to get him going.
During the speech, Jaune did his best to not fall asleep, but the lengthy monologue coupled with Ozpin's lackluster voice didn't help his resolve.
While the blonde sibling of the Hawkins children rested in the rafters, his sister below couldn't help but whip her head from side to side. Her crimson eyes on the hunt for her goofy brother, Emerald's mood dropped a tad when she realized he wasn't on stage with her.
"Pssst... Emerald." A little red reaper pulled on her acquaintance, but soon to be friend's, sleeve.
"Is something wrong?"
Emerald bit her lip and slowly shook her head. Her sights veering to the floor, her eyes widened when her shadow suddenly extended to form a flat, darkened image of her sibling. Sticking its thumbs-up, the doppleman pointed to the ceiling of the auditorium where Jaune waved to his little sister.
"That idiot..." Emerald said, but the corners of her lips veered upward while doing so.
"Emerald?" Ruby tilted her head. Before the young rose could catch what her fellow student was staring at, Jaune's shadow dispersed and fled to the eastern wall where it climbed back to its blonde owner without being seen.
"It's nothing Ruby, I'm just struggling to stay awake while Ozpin reads that boring speech." Emerald shrugged and veered her attention toward the headmaster.
"...With that final conclusion, I ask you all in the audience to hold your applause until the very end of the announcements. That said, allow me to officially announce our first team of first years and its proud leader!" After minutes of lazy talking, Ozpin's body whirred to life as he stuffed the speech paper in his pant pocket.
On the left side of the stage, Glynda held her collapsable tablet and tapped furiously. The image of a polished black bishop taking form on the screens, the face of a little reaper, red spartan, black bow, and mint-green hair popped up along with a loud cheer from the speakers.
"Congratulations Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, Emerald Sustrai Hawkins, and its new leader Ruby Rose! You four are now official members of team Raspberry or RPBE for short!"
Emerald crossed her arms and smiled. Truth be told, she was thankful she wasn't the leader. Besides, being a leader sounded like a tough job stacked with responsibilities, and excess work was a topic the greenette wanted to avoid at all costs.
As for Pyrrha, the spartan couldn't be happier for her partner, but a part of her glee came from the hope of avoiding the spotlight. Sure, it was easy to smile and wave to fans and potential business partners, but with Ruby as team leader, perhaps the fans and spectators would veer their attention toward the little reaper instead of her?
Next came Blake. Her stoic visage held firm after the announcement, but she congratulated her new leader in a polite tone all the same. Besides, as long as Blake could help those in need and play the part of protecting instead of destroying, she didn't care what role she played in her team.
"I-I'm the l-leader?!" Ruby sputtered. "But I can barely keep Zwei in line when I walk him!"
The weapon fanatic shook her head and pulled her hood over her face. Ruby wasn't fit to be in such a position! She could barely lead a conversation for Oum's sake!
Giggles and snarky comments muttering in the audience, Pyrrah did her best to comfort her partner, but no matter what she said Ruby refused to listen. Stuck in a depressed stupor, a flimsy paper airplane collided against the young reaper's forehead. Ruby blinked and snatched the plane before it touched the ground.
"Well, are you going to open it?" Emerald nudged her leader's ribs with her elbow.
"U-Um..." Ruby's unfolded the note and widened her eyes at what she'd read.
Don't look so down Ms. Rose! This is an opportunity you can't afford to miss! You're team also supports you 100%!
From your friend, Jaune F. Hawkins.
The edges of her quivering lips curling upward, Ruby folded the note and shoved it in the gray pouch snagged around her waist. She couldn't see where the blonde goofball resided, but she made a mental note to thank him later.
"Next comes our second team!" Ozpin said with a bit of force to silence the rude remarks aimed towards Ms. Rose.
The sound of keys from Glynda, the picture of a glowing white rook popped on the screen.
"With great pride, I applaud, Neo Politan Crocodylus, Nora Valkyrie, Mercury Black, and its stoic leader Lie Ren! You four are now official members of team Luminant or LMNN for short!"
Mercury offered a thumbs up and pat on the back for his partner. From his short interactions with the calm Mistralian teen, he knew he'd do a better job of managing the differing personalities of his new group. Not to mention a secret agenda he needed to attend to both outside and inside of Beacon.
Speaking of the little ice-cream lover, Neo clapped her hands and smiled. She didn't want to be hampered with tedious jobs, and avoiding her annoying hyperactive partner whenever she could is a priority she'd struggle with if she was the team leader. Nope, the only things Neo cared about were making her father Crocodile proud, and getting that special ice-cream recipe the hooked man had kept hidden for so long.
"Yeah, that's awesome Renny!" Nora cheered and wrapped both arms around her best friend's waist. She lifted him off his feet and spun him around like a top.
Nora didn't care about being a leader, all she wanted was to be with people she could spend the next four years making fantastic memories with, and having Renny at her side was the best gift she could ask for.
In Ren's case, a hint of doubt racked his mind. Could he truly be the leader his team needed? He got along with Nora and Mercury, and Neo didn't seem like she opposed the idea of him being in charge. In fact, as Ren locked sights with his fellow teammates, their pearly smiles wiped away his negative thoughts and the magenta-tinted boy straightened his back and lifted his head.
"Onto the next reveal!" Ozpin raised his cane and nodded at Ms. Goodwitch.
A glimmering gold queen on display, the speakers buzzed to life and declared the new team.
"All hail Sky Lark, Dove Bronzewing, Russel Thrush, and its fiery leader, Cinder Fall! The four of you have come together, and are now members of team Crusade, or CRSD for short!"
Blinking, Sky slapped on a grin and praised his partner and new leader. While he wished for the role himself, he didn't feel like he stood a chance against the black-haired girl, nor did he entertain the idea of challenging her for the position. Sky clapped his hands but tilted his head at Cinder's frown.
For Dove, he joined Russel and Sky in their kind comments. Dove was a proud hunter in training to be sure, but after that experience in the ruins, deep down, he didn't feel like he deserved to be the one leading his team. However, that didn't mean he'd sit on his butt and not contribute to his team.
Like his partner, Russel approved of Ozpin's decision to have Cinder lead the team. She seemed capable, a tad hotheaded, but capable nonetheless. Not to mention the young hunter's shortcomings. He was hoping to thank Jaune for getting him this far when he got on stage, but to his surprise, his blonde friend was nowhere to be seen.
In the burning, golden eyes of the new leader of team CRSD, Cinder felt cheated by her new headmaster. What was this... this fodder that she'd been given?! The four boys seemed like run-of-the-mill weaklings, hoping to muster whatever pitiful power they had and try to make something more than garbage with it.
A hiss seeping past her delicate lips, Cinder huffed and put on a plastic smile. She'd figure out a way to use these new pawns one way or another, but she needed to keep her true intentions hidden until she located the fall maiden. Sigh... at least she had a position of power on her new team...
"Let's not forget the last team enlisted in Beacon's ranks!" Ozpin tapped his cane and whistled. His brown pupils twinkling like stars, a radiant gold knight took the stage along with four new faces filled with ambition.
"Last but not least, put your hands together for Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, Roman Torchwick Crocodylus, and its leader, Cardin Winchester! You four have come together to create team Crossway or CRWY for short!"
If Weiss were drinking water she'd have done a spit-take. This muscle-headed doofus is her new team leader?! Sure, he was a noble and his family did have hunter ties, but how could the esteemed headmaster of Beacon choose Cardin over her?! If it weren't against good manners and Weiss being in public, she'd have rebuked Ozpin's choice right then and there. The heiress decided to cross her arms and look away but gave her supposed leader a lackluster congratulations through clenched teeth.
Much like his partner, Roman showed a visage of disappointment. He wanted to make his pops proud and flaunt his ability to lead. With the position as leader, he could sway even more people and Faunus under the workforce of the RDI and establish business ties with potential hunters and huntresses from around the globe. His plans skewed, Roman shrugged and clapped for his new leader. After all, the bowler-hatted gentleman had a plethora of back-up plans up his sleeve.
"Not too shabby Cardin." Yang smacked her partner's back and smiled at him.
The blonde brawler, while dubious about her cohort's capability to hold the mantle of leader, chose to be positive about the situation and make the most out of it. Besides, with Cardin in charge of the team, Yang would be able to enjoy her school years to the fullest with fewer restrictions and focus on her duties as a huntress in training and as a doting older sister. Also, she'd be able to let loose in Vale's shopping district more often.
Meanwhile, in the mind of a ginger-haired noble, Cardin Winchester felt his chest rise and his posture straighten. He... He did it! After years of the great name of Winchester being dragged through the mud, Cardin had managed to make his ancestors proud! A smirk crossing his features, Cardin glanced at his teammates but was disappointed and slightly miffed that Yang was the only one truly supporting him.
A roar of cheers and applause ringing within the auditorium walls for the potential beginning for the next generation of first years.
"Haha, yeah!" Jaune whistled with his hands between his lips from atop the auditorium, his voice drowned by the crowds, the blonde teen sighed and texted his sister they'd meet in the cafeteria for dinner.
"Hm, why aren't you on stage Jaune-un?" A proud voice asked.
His hairs standing on end, Jaune clamped his hands on the wooden beams and steadied himself. Turning to face the man who addressed him, Jaune couldn't help but smile at his cool beetle-themed armor, but the helmet was the cherry on top for him.
"M-Me? Well, I don't have a partner or team, so I didn't think I belonged on the main stage." Jaune chuckled and rubbed his neck.
"And why is that-un?"
The blonde teen blinked. "U-Um..."
The man introduced himself as Heracles in an over-the-top manner and shook hands with Jaune.
"I didn't tell you this, but before I fetched you from the emerald forest ruins, I saw how hard you fought to protect your fellow students from the Deathstalker-un! Have some confidence Jaune, you might be a mere seed now, but I'm certain after you graduate from this academy you'll be proud of how far you've come as both a hunter and as a man. After all, I'm your homeroom teacher and I intend to pass you on as a mighty forest warrior-un!"
Heracles slapped a hand on the boy's back for support but unintentionally hit him off the wooden beam they shared. With a loud scream from above, the students and staff veered their undivided attention to a blonde projectile that landed face first in the middle of the room. Brushing away the dust and debris, Jaune cracked his neck and shook his head.
"I-I'm okay, no need to worry about me..." Jaune grunted.
"Are you alright, Jaune-un?!" The beetle professor jumped down and landed beside his stumbling student.
Heracles guided his dizzy cohort onto the stage and asked Ozpin to give him similar praise like his peers. His ocean eyes snapping open, Jaune wanted to run, but another hand gripped his trembling shoulder.
"M-Minty?" Jaune sputtered.
"Don't ruin the moment Gold Nugget." His sibling teased and pushed him toward the front of the stage.
Clearing his throat, Heracles asked for the spotlight and Ozpin complied wholeheartedly.
"While this young lad may not have a team yet, I must congratulate Jaune F. Hawkins for his brave and powerful display against a deathstalker three times the size of the regular adult!" These words alone shut the rude mouths of the spectators and earned a muddled expression from his fellow teachers and superior headmaster.
"So I hope the best for you Mr. Hawkins, and perhaps the roles for your future teammates will be filled sooner than you think!" Heracles boldly proclaimed and motioned for Ozpin to take charge once more.
"Students will gather their belongings and head to their assigned dorms. Please refrain from entering the cafeteria until you are summoned!" With that, the silver-haired headmaster and his fellow professors strolled down the steps of the stage and exited the room in an orderly fashion.
"Huh, this place is a lot smaller than what the pamphlet showed." Emerald pursed her lips as she and her team entered their temporary home.
The humble space provided all the basic needs for the average person. An electronic stove with a mounted microwave beside it, a polished sink shined under a rectangular pendant light, its design used for every room the dorm had to offer.
"At least the beds have a good amount of leg space." Ruby skipped past her teammates and plopped face-first on the bed beside the window.
"Hold it." Emerald snapped and dropped her suitcases by the door. "Who said you could take that spot?"
Ruby lifted her head from the smothered blankets and pillows and narrowed her eyes. She didn't mind sharing the dorm with her beloved teammates, but having her bed beside the window reminded her of her log cabin in Patch.
"First come first serve!" Ruby lifted herself and sat cross-legged on her claimed territory.
"No way, Jaune always gave me the bed beside the window at home, and I don't plan on giving up on it." The mint girl growled.
"Jaune? But I'm Ruby," The little reaper tilted her head as did Blake and Pyrrha who'd settled for the beds on the west and eastern walls.
A tint of red dusting her cheeks, Emerald shook her head and resumed the battle for the northern sleeping place. The petty banter lasted a good five minutes until the introverted book lover of the group had enough.
"Why don't you guys just move your beds beside ours? If you can't settle to share the window spot then you might as well settle for a ceasefire." Blake grumbled and slipped off her combat boots.
"Nu-uh! I'm team leader so I get first pick!" Ruby, now standing about a foot away from Emerald, put her hands on her hips and puffed her cheeks at the greenette. In turn, Emerald crossed her arms and cracked her neck.
A fiery crimson clashing with a stern silver, Pyrrah decided to play peacemaker and offered, what she found, to be a reasonable outcome.
"If you can't decide on who should take the bed, why don't you share it and set up a schedule?" The spartan slipped off her bronze armor and fiddled with the clasp of her red bra behind her back.
"I'm not sharing!" Emerald and Ruby huffed.
"This is going to take a while..." Pyrrha sighed, she glanced over to Blake who had a mixed visage of annoyance and spite.
While the members of team RPBE settled the officially proclaimed bed wars, things were not looking up for a young man by the name of Sky Lark.
"C-Come on, Cinder, we need space to sleep too!" Sky begged as the black-haired huntress in training took her place on the northern bed and crossed her legs.
"What are you talking about? You do have space to sleep." Cinder said smugly and pointed to a cluster of beds huddled in a corner of the room.
"W-We can't have a peaceful sleep in conditions like that! I'm gonna have a sore back if I have to contort my spine every night!" Russel said with a raised fist and dropped his bags on the floor.
"I knew it wasn't a good idea to wander around the campus before dinner..." Dove grumbled and jabbed Sky in the ribs.
"Can't you get a hold of your partner's antics Sky? At the rate she's going, we won't even be able to fit a single shirt in our closets!" The squinty-eyed boy gestured to a mountain of brown leather suitcases beside Cinder's bed that dwarfed the belongings of her team.
Sky gulped and slapped on a trembling smile. Cinder might be the leader of team CRSD, but she needed to understand there were borders she must respect.
"Please, Cinder, we're a team and we need to cooperate if we're going to be friends." Sky's voice cracked as his partner shot him a disgusted glare.
Friends? Cinder and these peons? Please, the best fighter among the three males before her was Dove, but even he paled in comparison to Cinder's standards.
Flicking a stray hair behind her ear, Cinder retrieved a thick booklet from one of her suitcases and began to list off what she considered to have utmost priority.
"I will not be disturbed while sleeping by any means, and anyone who so much as glances or touches my undergarments will be expelled from the dorm..." Turning the page, the male members of team CRSD cursed their poor luck and racked their minds to somehow even the playing field with their leader.
"Sky, you've gotta man up and convince your partner to share!" Russel whispered and punched the blue-haired teen on the shoulder.
"Are you kidding me? I can't even get a word in without having my life threatened." Sky mumbled back.
"Well, we'd better think of something you guys, or else we might have to beg the headmaster to give us another dorm." Dove sighed.
"Are you boys listening?" Cinder snapped her fingers with narrowed eyes.
"U-Um..." The three males sputtered.
Her aura flaring, Russel, Sky, and Dove got down on their knees with clasped hands and begged for forgiveness.
"That's better. Now, on to bathroom rules..." Cinder hummed with a smirk.
Unfortunately, team Crusade wasn't the only one having a hard time establishing order among their group. In the confines of their dorm, team Crossway found two members bickering among each other.
"How are these conditions fair?" Weiss bit back a snarl as Cardin rubbed his temples.
"I don't see the problem with this setup. We all own a closet and bed, how else would you split the cramped space we have to share?" Picking through his large suitcase for his sleepwear, Cardin turned his head to a tapping foot of the newly dubbed Ice-queen behind him.
"How do you expect me to get along with you if I have to deal with Roman on a daily basis? That lout takes every chance he can get to insult me!" The heiress huffed.
The bowler-hatted individual was lucky to not have heard his partner's petty remarks for both he and Yang were busy socializing in the hallways outside the dorm with a group of their fellow first-years.
As for Cardin and Weiss, the two hoped to get a quick nap in before dinner in the cafeteria, but a dispute about bathroom rules and changing times proved too difficult to settle in a quick conversation.
"Can we not do this now?" Cardin whined. "I don't want to use my authority as team leader to shut you up, Weiss."
The heiress balked at the tall student's comment.
"Excuse me? As a team, we need to collaborate and consider all the possibilities before we make a decision. Despite your ineptitude as a noble I might add..." Weiss paused at the sour face of her supposed leader.
"Oh, just shut it, Weiss!" Cardin barked and pounded the mattress of his bed. The springs and wooden frame creaking from the impact, Cardin stomped over to the white-haired princess and scowled.
"I don't like this situation any more than you do, and believe me, I would have been fine with any other snooty noble, but it had to be a damn Schnee!"
It took all of Cardin's willpower to keep his clenched fists in check. Before he could blow his top, the muscular boy made for the door and almost broke the handle when he opened it.
"And don't you dare insult the name of Winchester! If it weren't for my noble family, your older sister wouldn't be alive!" His yells rattling the floors, Cardin shot the trembling heiress one last glare before heading out.
However, a head with long blonde locks and lilac eyes bumped into him when he tried to leave.
Yang curled a brow when she heard her partner shouting, she figured it was petty banter, but as she got closer she realized the situation was a lot more personal than she initially thought. Crossing her arms, Yang tilted her head in a way to tell Cardin to speak up, but the orange-haired teen was in no mood to converse.
"I'll see you at dinner." Cardin managed to mutter and briskly shoved his way past Yang.
Seconds later Roman returned with a jolly smile, but it vanished as he passed a grumpy Winchester and met up with a bewildered Yang and silent heiress.
"So, is anyone going to fill me in or am I gonna figure all of this out eventually?" Roman asked, but all he got was a shrug from Yang and the typical pout from his white-haired partner.
While the heated flames of team CRWY whittled to fleeting embers, the sun shined on the happy atmosphere of team Luminant.
"Is this enough space for you guys?" Taking a practical approach, Ren opted to split the dorm into four equal spaces.
He was lucky that Mercury and Nora didn't really care as long as they got a bed and closet all to themselves, but Neo proved a tad difficult as she possessed the most clothing among the group.
"Renny, when can we eat?" Nora said lazily as she splayed her limbs on her bed.
"Patience Nora, we can't enter the cafeteria until the headmaster says so."
"Awww..." Shifting in her blankets, Nora veered her attention to a slumped Mercury. The boy appeared to be fidling with a screwdriver and... his legs?
With a look of wonder on her face, the bubbly valkyrie rolled off her comfy mattress and planted herself beside the gray-haired student.
"Um, can I help you?" Mercury grunted.
Nora shook her head and pointed a finger at her teammate's left leg. "Watcha doin' with that screwdriver? Doesn't it hurt when you jab your skin with it?"
A smirk crossing his features, Mercury lifted his pant leg and exposed the mechanized prosthetics which doubled as his weapons that he named: Talaria.
Nora's jaw hit the floor and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, that's so cool! It's like the acceleration devices Germa 66 uses to fly!"
"You got that right." Mercury chuckled and got back to work. Though the task increased in difficulty when Nora tried to lend a hand with Magnild, which by some twisted logic, the ginger tried to coerce her teammate it was also a tool instead of a giant weapon.
Observing the scene with a thin smile, Ren veered his attention to the ice-cream girl who rivaled him in the silence department. Munching on a bag of yogurt flavored snacks, Neo stretched her arms and leaned back on her bed's headrest. Her earphones plugged in, Neo turned her head toward her approaching team leader.
"So, we didn't get a proper chance to greet each other the whole day, but my name's Lie Ren, it's a pleasure to have you as my teammate, Neo." The stoic teen held out a hand but instead of a shake, he got a handful of sweets.
Neo shot him a playful wink and waved her hands in a shooing manner. Ren curled a brow but allowed Neo her space when she lifted her scroll to show that she was busy in a group chat at the moment.
"Oh well, at least I can rest up a bit before dinner." Ren sighed with a grin.
As the teams settled in their respective dorms, Jaune sat on a bench in Beacon's courtyard with his scroll in hand. His ocean pupils focused on the electronic device, Jaune's lips stretched from ear to ear when his good friend picked up his call.
"Hey there Vomit boy!" A monkey Faunus along with a blue-haired teen greeted along with two other students behind them flashed on the screen.
"Give me a break you guys and please drop that stupid nickname? I only puked once on the bullhead three years ago..." Jaune sulked, but his actions only increased the witty remarks of his pen pals, Sun and Neptune.
"Don't be such a spoilsport Jaune, besides, you're looking at the new leader of team SSNN!" The monkey Faunus pulled the collar of his uniform toward the sky with a pearly smile.
"His leadership could use a lot of work though." Neptune huffed which earned a punch to the shoulder from Sun.
"You got that right Neptune." Two more students entered the picture, one with green eyes and red hair combed over his right eye. The other, a dark-skinned teen with spiked green hair and golden pupils.
Sun shook his head but slapped on a smile and introduced the recent additions to the group. "These guys next to me are Scarlet David, and Sage Ayana. They fill up the other two spots of team Sun!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Jaune F. Hawkins." The magician in training greeted with perfect manners.
"Wow, you weren't kidding Neptune, the guy really does look like a sword-wielding wizard," Scarlet said while stroking his chin.
"I know right?" Neptune and Sun laughed as Sage opted to remain silent but it was obvious he was enjoying Jaune's fumbling for words.
"So, what are your teammates like Jaune?" The rambunctious leader of SSNN asked.
Jaune gulped then rubbed his neck.
"Well, It's kind of a long story... you see..."