GOMU GOMU NO!~ Wassup everyone, a fresh chapter to start off the month, and a new sub-plot for the three active members of SRTQ.
First off, I apologize if there have been quite a few grammar errors in my writing recently. I don't know what's going on, but whenever I proofread and allow Grammarly to change a sentence, it messes up the entire paragraph and I gotta try to retype what I put down.
If anyone has a better substitute than Grammarly, one that's free is preferable, please let me know in the reviews or PMs!
With that, have a good day everyone, and happy reading!
The first week of classes passed, and while the thrill of Beacon was an all-new experience Jaune was eager to be a part of, he couldn't help but mope at the amount of homework the school administered. Ciel managed just fine, but Vernal's poor grades threatened to put the team under Doctor Oobleck's extra classes. While Jaune admired the enthusiastic history teacher, he had trouble keeping up with his quick tongue.
Nevertheless, the first-years managed and made it to the end of the week. Now huddled in their homeroom class, all eyes stared at the front where Heracles' took in the afternoon attendance. However, there was another subject the pop-green teacher had to cover.
"Our first mission?" Muttered the students of Heracles' homeroom.
"Indeed-un! While it is important to gather knowledge from class and textbooks, a veteran hunter cannot ignore the necessity of field experience. Tell me, has anyone here encountered Grimm that is above the tier of Beowolf? If so, please raise your hand."
Heracles puffed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips. The young teens who formed the armored teacher's homeroom consisted of teams RPBE, RCWY, LMNN, CRSD, and the not yet formed JCV who were still missing a fourth member.
Everyone raised their hands, and Heracles stepped back, clearly surprised.
"Hm, this is quite a development! I planned to take each team to the outskirts of emerald forest for group training, but I now have to adjust my curriculum-un!" The armored professor strutted around the desks of his students with a thick stack of paper between his arms.
He passed around the flyers, and when Jaune got him, he curled a brow at the boldly written title: Rank C missions.
Said missions, varied from humble detective work to small Grimm exterminations within Vale. His ocean eyes landing on a particularly interesting case, Jaune cupped his chin at the Grimm activity near the abandoned train stations.
"Does that task seem interesting to you, Jaune?" Ciel leaned over and inspected her teammate's flyer.
"Well, it's the only one that involves combat. Also, it's been available for a whole five months so you'd think somebody would have completed the job by now."
"That's true, with it being a class C mission, most hunters in training would jump at the opportunity for such a mission. I wonder why it's gone off the radar this long." Ciel commented.
A lightbulb dinged above Jaune's head. This could be the chance he needed to start off his first year with a bang. With the subpar reputation he'd built up, perhaps this easy mission could open a doorway to new heights.
"Hm... How about it you guys, should we take this mission?" The young magician turned to both Ciel and Vernal who in turn tilted their heads.
"I'm not interested in doing manual labor for the weak," Vernal grunted.
Jaune puffed his cheeks. "Aw, come on, Hedgehog. This job should suit you just fine, it's not like we're doing community service or anything. Heck, you get to slice up Grimm and get paid. That's gotta be better than killing those boney creatures for survival right?"
That got the delinquent intrigued. Vernal yawned lazily into an open palm, but by the glint in her eyes, she was on board.
"How about it, Ms. Soleil? Are you up for the task?" The blonde waved the paper in front of the time checker's face and she agreed with a sigh.
With a triumphant fist-pump, Jaune jumped off his seat and strutted over to Heracles. With a confident nod, the proud professor stamped the form and assigned it to him.
"Um, Professor Heracles, why is my name the only one you approved for the mission? What about Hedgehog and Ms. Soleil?"
The beetle-themed man wagged a finger while clicking his tongue.
"I'm sorry Jaune, but since your team is incomplete, the headmaster and I agreed that it would be best for your odd-numbered team to split up and join a higher grade of students. Don't worry though, the team and headmaster who you'll be joining has a great reputation-un!"
Heracles asked for Jaune's scroll and the blonde handed it over without question. A few taps here, and a few taps there, Jaune's name was registered under Ms. Goodwitch's name along with the members of team CFVY.
"Wow, there's a lot of missions here. Which one should we choose, Renny?" Nora's turquoise eyes sped through the words on her paper like a laser scanner.
"Why don't we take this one?" Mercury tapped his finger on a rank C mission that required muscle on a simple investigation in the commercial district regarding recent dust thefts.
"Hm, the white fang?" Ren rubbed his eyes and blinked at the form his partner raised.
"Sorry, but we'll be taking that mission." A girl with a black bow snatched the paper from Mercury's hand but found another set of fingers grasping the other half.
"Hey, we're still looking at that, you can't just take our flyers and claim the job that you want! This is supposed to be a team selection, so we all should get the chance to pick what we want. Besides, did you even ask your team about your choice?" Nora grumbled with puffed cheeks.
Blake narrowed her eyes on the ginger, but the bubbly valkyrie stood her ground and crossed her arms. The staredown lasted a good minute, but Heracles broke it up before things could get ugly.
"It's clear you both want this mission, but only one team can claim it. I've given you all the chance to deliberate with your teams, but I don't want unneeded tension over something as trivial as this. Ms. Belladonna, if it's a mission regarding the white fang that you desire, I suggest this one here-un."
The armored teacher revealed another sheet of paper filled with missions regarding the white fang. While the majority served as crowd and protest control, one stood out to the bow-wearing girl. Blake sighed and turned to her team who were all looking at her with worried faces, though Emerald's held a more curious expression than her cohorts.
"Thank you, professor." Blake sighed and accepted the piece of paper held in front of her. Quickly making her way back to the table of RPBE, the amber-eyed girl tried to shut off the bombardment of questions from a pesky little reaper and polite mistral champion. Only Emerald kept her mouth shut, but she did glance at her partner from time to time.
"And why should we take this mission?" Weiss huffed and put down her paper.
Roman perused the sheets with a meticulous eye. "I'm surprised your father taught you so little Icequeen. Everywhere you look there's a deal waiting to be struck. If you spend too much time dawdling, the opportunity will pass by you like a fast wind. It's important we check which one of these missions is willing to pay the highest price!"
"That I can get behind." Mused Cardin as he flipped through a few papers.
"Why don't we take one of the Grimm exterminations? Those kinds of jobs always attract a good amount of praise, and we'll be helping out a bunch of folks too while we're at it." Yang offered with a jolly grin. Though her motivations may have been in the right place, she couldn't deny the urge to smack a few Grimm with a hot rush of adrenaline pulsing through her veins.
"Easy there, blondie, we want to show the people of Vale that we're more refined than the common group of brawlers searching for a fight. Why don't we take this mission instead?" The bowler-hatted student smirked at a high-paying mission that asked for temporary guards who'd be responsible for goods traveling to a neighboring town outside the main kingdom of Vale.
"I don't understand, if the client wants quick transport, why don't they use an airship?" Weiss frowned.
Roman waggled a finger. "And here I thought that the Schnee's were well taught. Don't you see what the client is registered as a Faunus? While Vale might not be as blatantly racist as Atlas or Mistral, they've still got a few dirt patches if you look hard enough."
The heiress fumed at the rude remark, but a grunt from Cardin ended the petty dispute.
"I'm not taking a mission from a Faunus."
Roman curled a brow, Weiss gave the armored teen an indignant glare, and Yang threatened to punch him again. However, Cardin's resolve remained firm and for a brief moment, his teammates hesitated under the fire that burned in his eyes.
"Excuse me, Mr. Winchester." Hummed a calm voice.
The heads of team RCWY turned to meet the gaze of a mighty forest champion who had his hands on his hips.
"I understand that you come from a troubled background, but the way you are advancing in your career as a huntsman is most underwhelming."
The ginger-haired boy threatened to shout, but Heracles' next remark shut him up.
"I'm not talking about your physical strength mind you, more so your weak mindset. Compassion can come from anywhere, and it's the same in regards to humans and the Faunus. While one race bears a few animal traits, that does not mean the Faunus cannot comprehend complex emotions. It's this fact that separates us all from the malevolent Grimm, and is a lesson I hope you learn sooner rather than later-un."
"...Hmph, whatever," Cardin's shoulders slumped. "Just pick whatever mission you guys want, it's not like you care about my opinion anyway."
With that, Cardin asked to be excused and shoved his way past Roman in a huff. Yang tried to join him, but Heracles told her to remain in the classroom.
"Give him time, Ms. Long. He's not the first boy I've met who has a sour history with the Faunus, but you'll need to earn his trust if you want him to open up to you-un."
"I tried doing that already." Yang groaned. "But no matter what angle I take Cardin shrugs me off like I'm some sort of pest."
"Perhaps It would help if you weren't the only member of your team who tried to believe in him-un?" Heracles shot a surprisingly harsh glare at Weiss and Roman.
"Out of all the teams in my homeroom class, yours happens to be the most inconsistent when it comes to teamwork and general collaboration-un."
The members of RCWY furrowed their brows.
"How do I know this you ask-un?" The armored professor cupped his chin. "As your homeroom teacher, I am provided important notes from my fellow staff in regards to my student's performances, both their individual skills as well as their ability to perform tasks as a team. To keep things short, I am disappointed with team RCWY as a whole-un."
The classroom fell silent, Heracles' stern criticism making no room for retort as he continued to number of the poor displays of RCWY.
In the second row of desks, Cinder giggled as her fellow students were humiliated for all to see, but Heracles' tirade did not end there. In a magnificent leap, the professor landed himself in front of Cinder and scoffed.
"And what's so funny about this situation, Ms. Fall?"
Cinder smirked and waved her hand nonchalantly. "Nothing Professor, my partner made a joke and I thought it was humorous."
Sky's posture jolted straight. He snuck glances at Dove and Russel for help, but the boys preferred to twiddle their thumbs and stare at the ceiling. Heracles leaned back and scratched his head.
"Glynda told me to be sterner with my homeroom students, but this rigid approach just isn't me-un." Heracles sighed and crossed his arms, his mind in deep thought, he failed to notice the ringing of his scroll.
"Um, aren't you going to answer that professor?" Sky asked dumbly, latching onto whatever chance he had to divert any attention directed toward him.
"Hello, this is Heracles speaking-un!"
"..."
"Hm, I see-un." The armored man's gaze drifted away from Cinder.
"Excuse me, Ms. Rose and Ms. Long, but it appears that your parents have come by to see you."
Ruby rattled in her seat, her hands clammy, the young rose sped out of the classroom after snagging her sister by the wrist. Gone in a blurry wind of blonde and red rose petals the two girls reached the elevators to Ozpin's office in record time, but before Ruby could press the elevator button, the tip of a golden hook beat her to it.
Stunned by the stranger's towering figure, both the blonde brawler and the little reaper felt their blood run cold under his scarred and stoic glare.
"Are you brats headed for the old geezer's office too?" His low voice spoke volumes as he took a drag from his cigar.
Her elder sibling instincts tingling, Yang positioned herself in front of Ruby with narrowed eyes. Though a thick cloud of tobacco forced her stare to waver and Ruby to hack in the background.
The man dwarfed a Beowolf at full height, with a black shirt, a green scarf tied in a similar fashion of a cravat, a black overcoat with a light brown fur trim that ended with dark grey slacks, and golden buckled black shoes.
The elevator doors dinged open, and the man stepped inside not even giving Ruby or Yang a second glance. However, he paused at the two fidgeting girls as they appeared to be in a mental state of turmoil.
"Well?" The man curled a brow at the dumb expressions showed toward him.
"Are you brats going up with me or are you just gonna stand there and wait like a couple of door pegs?"
With a hesitant step, Yang entered first but made sure to keep her sights on the daunting man while keeping her sibling close behind her.
The elevator doors creaked shut. While Ruby and Yang did their best to stare at the wall, they couldn't help but feel their gazes linger on the man who shared the space. There was something about him that didn't sit right with Yang, while he didn't look like he'd try anything, he seemed prepared for a brawl at any given moment.
As for Ruby, she preferred to huddle in the protective shadow of her sister's back and sneak glances at the sharp instrument that covered where his left hand should be.
"Maybe he's got a bunch of secret weapons in there..." Ruby mumbled, but her voice had been heard in the still silence.
The man turned his head and puffed on his cigar. He didn't recognize the blonde brat, but something about the little girl with red-tipped hair seemed familiar.
"Did you say something?"
"N-No!" Ruby squeaked in a cowardly pitch.
Gears gently rocked against one another in smooth unison as Ozpin sipped from his mug. An open folder on his desk, the papers within held the details of team STRQ's next mission, minus the R of course.
"I don't like it, Ozpin, who's this temporary fill-in that you're making us work with?" Qrow grunted and crossed his arms.
Tai on his left, and Summer on his right, they both had curious expressions plastered on their faces as the headmaster sighed.
"I've been asked for a favor, and the man who demanded it is not someone who I completely trust. However, his past deeds with his company have been generally positive, and I cannot deny that getting on his good side could tip the scales of our secret war in our favor."
Summer spoke next. "Please, Ozpin, we trust your judgment, but you've kept us in the dark on this special mission for a whole week. What is it about this job that's so important?"
Before Ozpin could answer, the elevator's bell brought forth a reply.
"Mom, Dad, Uncle Qrow!" Yang and Ruby cheered in unison. They'd spent a lot of time talking on their scrolls after initiation, but to see them in person was a different experience.
"Did you miss us?"
"Nope~" The three adults popped the P with jolly smiles.
An abrupt grunt garnering all attention toward him, the scarred man dropped the bud of his cigar on the ground and squandered the feeble embers with the heel of his shoe. A condescending smirk on his grayish skin, the former warlord strutted into the room as the elevator doors closed behind him.
"Crocodile?!" Shouted the members of STRQ. Summer grabbed Yang and Ruby by their shoulders and pulled them behind her while Qrow and Tai stood in front of them.
Their weapons drawn, sharp steel raised themselves in Crocodile's direction, but the owner of the RDI shrugged and positioned himself in the middle of the room.
"I'm not here to fight, believe it or not, but if you want to end up as dried skeletons then go ahead and take a swing at me." The warlord hummed with a smug face.
"What's a guy like you doing here?" Qrow growled. Having the worst history with the golden-hooked man after their confrontation in Mistral, the spiky-haired hunter didn't buy Crocodile's words for a second.
"Didn't your former headmaster tell you about our meeting? Or did he skip out on a few crucial details like he usually does?"
Qrow collapsed his scythe into its sword form and pointed its shotgun extension at Crocodile's head.
The warlord rolled his eyes. "Come on, are you really that dense you drunk bird? You tried blasting my head off before and how did that turn out?."
Qrow grit his teeth and stepped closer to Tai.
"I'm shocked that you still hold such hostility towards me, I even let you live after our encounter in Mistral. Doesn't that already tell you that I'm not after blood?"
"Everyone has motives Crocodile, and unless I know yours I'm not trusting you for a second." The spiky-haired hunter growled.
"Easy everyone," Ozpin stood from his chair and twirled his cane.
"Unlike before, Crocodile is telling the truth when he says this meeting is official."
STRQ plus Yang and Ruby shot the silver-haired man faces mixed with disbelief and confusion.
"Truth be told, Crocodile's right hand sent me a letter not too long ago saying his boss was coming here for a visit. However, Mr. 1 didn't provide any details on the matter. Perhaps now would be a good chance to fill us all in?"
His lips curling to a smirk, the golden-hooked man stepped forward, and the members of STRQ backed up in response.
"I hear you lot, despite your lacking of a fourth member, are good at sneaking in the shadows and obtaining information."
"That's more of my specialty." Qrow collapsed his weapon and holstered it on his back.
"Really? You could have fooled me."
Qrow's hand reached for his weapon despite putting it away seconds ago, but a grip on his sleeve from Summer ceased his attempt.
"It's true, Tai and I prefer missions that regard Grimm exterminations. We haven't taken a task of espionage in quite some time." The rose huntress said firmly.
"Is that so?" Crocodile hummed. "Then I guess I only need to talk to the drunkard."
"Summer, Tai," Ozpin gestured to the elevator with a stern visage that opposed any argument.
"Um... Mom?" Ruby whispered and tugged on her mother's cloak.
Her expression softening, Summer glanced to Tai who nodded in understanding. The two lovers guided their children toward the elevators but made sure to check on Qrow. The spiky-haired hunter smirked and crossed his arms, assuring that all would be well. The steel barriers closing, the elevator's bell dinged leaving one warlord, a veteran hunter, and a calm headmaster to discuss business.
"Our meeting was scheduled after school hours, why did you drop by so early, Crocodile?" Ozpin said sternly.
The warlord rolled his eyes. "I show up to places when I want whether people want me there or not. Besides, if you don't have hunters willing to do the job, I can always ask Theodore if he has anyone available."
"Yet you chose Beacon to select your team despite having a hunter academy near your office in Vacuo. Please, tell me what the job is Crocodile, and I might consider assigning a team to do it." The headmaster replied, pushing up his glasses as he did so.
The golden-hooked man sighed. "I'm sure you're both aware of my reputation in the world of hunters."
Qrow scoffed. "You rose from the ranks of nobody's to the leagues of legends in the span of a few months, but whenever you were interviewed, you made sure to do the interview alone. Heck, I've never seen the other members of HVCK on any newspaper or internet discussion."
"My cohorts prefer privacy, I'm sure you understand being a spy and all that."
Qrow's lips moved for a witty remark, but a cough from Ozpin sealed them shut.
"Nevertheless, I'm not going to offer your assignment to any hunters or huntresses unless I know what you expect of them. So please, tell us what you want or I'll have you evicted from the premises."
Crocodile laughed and wiped a false tear from his eye with the tip of his hook.
"There's a man on the run who I want removed." He said sternly. The warlord's calm demeanor returning in an instant as his cynical gaze landed on Qrow.
"You're aware of Phantom Gun Vito correct? Well, he's responsible for the death of one of my teammates and I want him dead. Name your price, lien is not a problem." Crocodile took out an envelope and handed it to Ozpin.
Within the envelope, was an image of a very tall man with a long tongue that stretched past his chin. He wore small rounded black shades and wore a magenta suit with black pants and a yellow cravat.
"Yes, I am familiar with this hunter. He registered and earned his license from Lionheart over a decade ago. From what I've heard, he's a capable man with a kind heart. Why would a man like him take the life of your friend?" The headmaster asked.
"Those reasons are elusive even to me. All I want is to avenge my fallen ally." Crocodile's sights shifted back to Qrow and pulled out a fat stack of 100 dollar lien bills.
"This is for accepting my mission. There will be a lot more if you can prove to me that Vito's dead. Anything will do, his severed head would be optimal, but a photo of his corpse is suitable."
The spiky-haired hunter glanced to Ozpin, and the headmaster tapped the hilt of his cane with his index finger.
"Alright, I'll bite, Crocodile. Where should I start looking for this alleged criminal?" Qrow grunted. He brought out his flask and took a swig of whiskey.
"Last I heard he was in Kuchinashi." The edges of the warlord's lips curling up to form a smug smile.
"Kuchinashi? That place is swarmed by thieves and criminals. You're asking for quite a lot there, Crocodile." Qrow pocketed his flask, his arms now crossed, he made no effort to take the lien extended toward him.
"This matter is a lot more serious than you'd expect. Before I took charge of the RDI, I heard many rumors during my time as a freelance mercenary. In fact, I heard that he's a part of some secret circle with a weird pale woman in charge of it."
This made the other two in the room tense.
Clearing his throat, Ozpin took charge and answered. His voice the definition of calm.
"While unexpected, I believe this mission could help us both." His brown eyes narrowed on the confident-looking warlord, the headmaster turned to Qrow who nodded slightly in response.
"I'm glad you see things my way." Crocodile grinned, his expression seemingly maniacal for a glimpse of a second before returning to its cynical roots.
As the new mission of STQ became official, the heels of knee-high combat boots owned by a woman with long blonde locks and blue eyes waltzed through the dim doors of Salem's fortress.
"My lady, it's been quite some time. How are the daily invasions of Grimm?" Carmel giggled as her master in question rolled her eyes.
"Things have been moving swimmingly. Doflamingo has taken hold of a vast majority of Faunus who understand his views of aggression. However, you didn't come here for a trade of reports did you, Carmel?" The pale witch rested her head upon a dainty hand and motioned to the small bag held possessively in the holy mother's arms.
"Your Grace, I have achieved what you, Doflamingo, and Merlot have desired."
Strutting close to her respective seat, Carmel dropped the bag on the table and out rolled a small fruit. It was bigger than the holy mother's palm, but not big enough that it needed to be carried by two hands.
Colored a light tan with the base appearance of a mango, the fruit had a long green stem that protruded upright with its tip shaped like the end of a wheat stalk. However, it was the unmistakable swirls that garnered Salem's attention.
"Is this what I think it is?"
Carmel's lips curled upward.
"Unlike the difficult fruit that I gifted to Merlot last year. This one has been experimenting on in his labs, this particular fruit is a paramecia. A type which is much more pliable than a logia, but not in the same league as a zoan."
The witch picked up the fruit and inspected it with a meticulous eye.
"This one doesn't glow like the ones Merlot has created. Nor does it resemble the we let Tyrian eat."
Carmel giggled with an open hand over her mouth. "That's because this fruit is one-hundred percent genuine."
"Does it have a name?"
A visage that betrayed her holy facade, Carmel cracked a sinister grin and tilted her head in an innocent manner. A devilish glint in her blue pupils, she declared the devil fruit's name in a meek whisper with her hands clasped behind her back.
"It's called... the straw-straw fruit..."