Recording #301
November, 22981 AEA
"...
…
...Sorry, I think I need to take the day off again. I've… got a lot on my mind right now.
I'll be back with another recording tomorrow."
Beacon Academy
November, 78 AGW
A chill ran down Ruby's spine. It knew her name. How?
T̸͓̪̓̐R̶̺͚͑A̶̹̣͋I̷̥̍̉ͅT̶̲̫͗O̷̫̐̉R̴̞̒́
The Grimm spoke once more, a distorted amalgam of voices becoming ever clearer. Then, without warning, the abomination let out an ear-piercing shriek. Ruby staggered back as she felt the ground rumbling beneath her. She didn't exactly have eardrums to rupture, but she could still vaguely feel the physical effects of the sound waves nonetheless.
The same couldn't be said for her new companions. Ruby glanced back as the shockwave threw Pyrrha, Weiss, and Blake off their feet and harshly on their backs. All three were covering their ears, fear apparent on their faces. Guess it was up to her again.
Her weapon unfolded back into a hilt as Ruby activated her energy sword. Plasma projected from the top and bottom of the hilt, forming two ionized half blades that pointed forwards, stabilized by a magnetic field generated at the base of the weapon. With the blade stabilized, Ruby settled into her combat stance, shaking off centuries of rust.
That incessant screeching would have to go. She charged forward, even as the massive Grimm lumbered towards her on two feet, dragging its massive bone-plated right arm behind it. Planting her feet, Ruby allowed a swift upward swing to strike her straight in the chest.
Catching the blow, she gripped on to one of the arm's many spikes, and held fast as the monster followed through. At the apex of the swing, she kicked off the bone plating, flipping over the creature's head. Landing lightly on her feet, she launched herself onto its back as the abomination tried to twist around. It seemed maneuverability wasn't its strong suit.
The Grimm gave a futile attempt to shake her off as she zeroed in on the monster's neck. A single horizontal swing of her energy sword cut effortlessly through Grimm flesh, decapitating the creature. Ruby hopped off and deactivated her weapon, checking for any signs of damage on the hilt. These 'Grimm' functioned similarly to other living creatures despite their unnatural biology, and it seemed this one proved no differ—
*WHAM*
A spiked fist to the face sent her tumbling back, and farther away from her allies, who had just recovered from the monster's sonic assault. Ruby staggered to her feet as the headless Grimm once again split down the center of its torso, exposing its pulsing black heart, and the many strands that suspended it in place. Meanwhile, glowing red eyes peered out from the foliage surrounding the ruins. It seemed their little scuffle drew some attention…
Deep within her pockets, she felt her scroll buzz. Ruby pulled it out as the headless abomination pointedly ignored the other three trainees and charged at her again.
"Ozpin." She answered, while dancing around the Grimm's onslaught of attacks. The other Grimm were smart enough not to get close to the pair, lest they get caught by the creature's wild swings. "You seeing this?"
{I am. I've sent Qrow and Professor Goodwitch to help dispatch the Grimm assaulting you. For now, do your best to keep yourself and your teammates out of harm's way.} There was no hiding the concern in his voice.
"You know, this would be a lot easier if you'd just let me use—"
{Only if you four are in serious danger. Not a moment sooner.} He hung up before Ruby could get in another word. Idiothead.
She stole a glance at Pyrrha, Weiss, and Blake. Whatever Grimm they had attracted were relatively weak, but numerous, and the trio was holding out just fine for now, though Pyrrha had a panicked look on her face from leaving Ruby alone to handle the monstrosity. Slowly circling back to them while dodging the Grimm's attacks—were they getting faster?—she briefed the three on the situation.
"You three doing alright?" She shouted over the carnage.
Weiss gutted a Beowolf attempting to sneak up on Pyrrha. "We were doing just fine just a minute ago, before you somehow summoned that… that thing!" The heiress grit her teeth in frustration.
Ruby dashed away, throwing up her hands in mock surrender as she shifted her weapon back into pistol form. "Wasn't me! Just hold on a bit longer, Qrow and Glynda should be here any minute!"
She ignored Pyrrha's shouts of reciprocated concern and began firing uncharged shots at the abomination's exposed heart, which struck against its torso and heart ineffectively. It definitely wasn't her imagination anymore—the Grimm was getting stronger, tougher, and faster, with each successive swing of its massive arm. And how was it still tracking her after she'd beheaded it?
An overhead swipe finally caught up to her; Ruby threw her unarmed hand up in a futile attempt to block the attack as the spikes smashed her into the ground. She briefly caught a glimpse of her mortal allies gasping in shock before the Grimm's hand crashed down on her again.
"""Ruby!"""
An unfamiliar feeling stirred within the Eternal. There was just something visceral about the frantic way in which they called her name; the raw emotion in their voices rattled her very bones. How could one be so concerned for a stranger they'd known for only a few hours, at most? Ruby panicked, and it wasn't because of the giant Grimm currently punching her into the dirt. At least she knew Ozpin had an ulterior motive for showing concern, but these three? She didn't know what to think.
Ruby stowed those distrustful thoughts for later and scrambled to her feet, narrowly avoiding another blow. To the side, she could see that the number of lesser Grimm that Pyrrha and company had to deal with had gradually increased. She was beginning to lose patience, and with the group sufficiently distracted, now as her chance.
"To hell with your rules, Ozpin!" She snarled, raising her fist to the sky.
Three swirling balls of ice formed above her hand almost instantaneously. As the creature brought its arm down once more, one of the frozen spheres moved to intercept it, shattering on impact. The second barrelled towards its legs before violently exploding. The final launched itself towards the monstrosity's black heart and detonated, scattering frozen shards all over its torso. Ruby watched in satisfaction as heavy chunks of ice engulfed every part of the Grimm's body, its movements grinding to a halt just as it was about to strike her.
'Right. That should hold it long enough.'
Her plasma pistol hummed with energy as it began charging up, having just enough power for one final shot. Ruby made a mental note to upgrade her weapon once she had access to better materials and a proper lab to work in.
The frozen Grimm shuddered in front of her, cracks appearing in the ice as it struggled to break free. Ruby took a small step back as the monster's arm broke free, her expression undeterred; its legs remained immobilized, making for an easy shot at its heart. As she took aim, the Grimm's arm thrashed wildly around its torso, indicating that it could still sense her. Still, it didn't matter what the monster was trying to do. It was too late.
Ruby's finger closed around the trigger.
Weiss didn't want to admit it, but they were starting to lose. Long, drawn out fights were not her forte, especially not brawls of this magnitude. It got even worse after Ruby took a hit from that thing. Pyrrha's composure all but crumbled upon seeing her partner get smashed into the ground, and Weiss could practically feel their morale dropping when a wall of Grimm fodder rose up afterwards, keeping them away from their fourth member.
From there, Weiss suggested they enter a defensive formation: Pyrrha at the front with her shield, and her flanks supported by Weiss's glyphs, while Blake took what was left of her Dust to run interference with her clones. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have lent out Dust so frivolously, but she didn't need Ruby of all people to tell her that this situation wasn't normal.
Her Aura flickered, signaling that it was low. Weiss mentally cursed herself for not watching how much her Semblance required. Where were the professors?
Suddenly, the air grew very cold.
"What?" Weiss shivered, seeing her breath condense in front of her. Pyrrha and Blake shook as well, their Aura likewise too low to protect them from the cold. Even the Grimm around them slowed down, unused to the extreme drop in temperature. Weiss silently thanked the Gods they weren't fighting Grimm from Solitas.
The battle fell into a brief lull, as the Grimm around them grew cautious and spread out. A bright green glow pulsed on the edge of her peripheral vision, drawing everyone's attention. Weiss whirled around just in time to see Ruby let loose another astonishingly powerful blast from her pistol, aimed directly at the Grimm abomination who was trapped in some miniature glacier. Weiss's eyes widened in realization. What on Remnant was Ruby thinking? If the shockwave created by the recoil came into contact with a brittle surface…
She tried summoning a few defensive glyphs. The air shimmered as circles began to appear, but her Aura gave out and they dissipated. No, there wasn't enough time! Weiss shut her eyes and braced for impact.
But it never came. She tentatively cracked one eye open to see a spiky haired man with a tattered red cape guarding the trio. Professor Goodwitch was next to him, levitating the stray shards of ice that had come their way. With a flick of her riding crop, the ice flew straight into the stray Grimm not caught up in the blast, killing them all instantly. Weiss took a deep, shuddering breath. It was over.
"Students!" Weiss snapped to attention as Professor Goodwitch addressed them.
"Initiation is now over. Mr. Branwen and I will escort you back to Beacon. Do I make myself clear?"
"""Yes, Ma'am!"""
Weiss panicked briefly when she noticed her relic was missing. Did she drop it in all the chaos? Professor Goodwitch seemed to notice her predicament, and gave her a warm smile.
"Don't worry about the relics. You all passed."
Weiss sighed with relief. She supposed that the battle was a bit out of the scope of an Initiate. Okay, a lot out of scope; seriously, what was that? They had been utterly swarmed with Grimm the moment that monstrosity appeared. Weiss shivered again, this time from remembering its ghastly appearance and subsequent behavior. Weaker Grimm she could handle. But that thing? How had Ruby managed all on her own?
The red cloaked girl in question wandered up to them, evidently having taken the time to brush off her clothes of any debris. "Glynda. Qrow. You two certainly took your time."
Weiss balked at her disrespectful, nonchalant attitude towards Professor Goodwitch, then did a double take as she got closer. Not a single scratch marred her doll-like face. How?!
Her head spun, and she felt a headache coming on. It must be some sort of healing Semblance, or maybe she was an axolotl Faunus—were those even a thing? There was simply no way she could have just walked away from those attacks completely unscathed.
Mr. Branwen—the Qrow Branwen, Weiss realized—just sighed at the girl's flippant greeting. "This applies to you too, Ruby. Anyways, we should head back to Beacon." His gaze flitted over Weiss, then Blake and Pyrrha. "Everyone good to go?"
Blake was panting heavily; like Weiss, it seemed she wasn't built for extended fights. The black haired girl simply nodded in response, trying to catch her breath. Bruises and claw marks dotted her body, but it was nothing a bit of Aura couldn't fix.
Pyrrha groaned in exhaustion. "Y-yes, we're fine."
She had taken the brunt of the aggression and it showed. Her sword and shield were littered with dents and scratch marks; her armor and exposed skin fared no better. A nasty gash streaked down her left arm which looked like it required some additional medical attention. Weiss held back a gag. She was used to Atlesian simulations and friendly spars. It was another thing entirely seeing the bloody consequences of battle in person...
Qrow gave the redhead a disbelieving look, and took out an emergency medkit. "Don't be so cocky, kid. You three are clearly in no condition to fight, so if we run into any Grimm on the way back, let us handle it." He gestured to Professor Goodwitch, who was in the process of dressing down Ruby in hushed whispers. There was something odd about her behavior, but at this point Weiss was too tired to think it through properly.
Letting a professional Huntsman and Huntress walk her back to Beacon, though? That she could do.
The trip back to Beacon was equal parts awkward and confusing, which was saying something, given Pyrrha's many experiences with some of her more… eccentric fans. Mr. Branwen had forged ahead, citing something about clearing a path and working better alone, leaving Professor Goodwitch with them. This wouldn't normally be a problem; Pyrrha was familiar, and even comfortable, with the professor's stern, strict attitude, as it reminded her of her old instructors.
But it seemed, as with the case with Weiss, that Ruby had a predilection to get into arguments with these types of people, as she had begun quarreling with the professor almost nonstop since they first left the ruins.
"I hope that you realize that your actions today will not be taken lightly, Miss Rose. You put yourself and others in great danger."
"I still don't see what the problem is!" Ruby exclaimed. "No one got seriously hurt or died, right?"
Pyrrha held back a grimace. Her partner didn't need to know about how Pyrrha thought she had been grievously injured when the unnamed Grimm smashed her into the ground. Pyrrha's own performance afterwards was… embarrassing, to say the least. How could she be a Huntress if she couldn't keep it together during a real fight?
Compared to Ruby, who was as upbeat and energetic as when they first met—not to mention completely unharmed—she felt inadequate.
"That doesn't discount the fact that your last attack was far too reckless. Not to mention you violated your… agreement with Headmaster Ozpin."
There it was again. Pyrrha, Blake and Weiss—well, mainly Weiss, had tried asking Professor Goodwitch about the events of the battle, only to be met with vague responses and deflections. Hell, they didn't even know the name of the Grimm that started the whole thing! And her argument with Ruby made sure they couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"No one saw me! Right, guys?" Ruby turned towards the trio, lightly skipping on her back foot.
"...Saw what?" Blake was the first to respond.
"I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, unless you count that incredible weapon of yours." Ruby tittered at Pyrrha's comment.
"Hmph! I saw how you nearly got us all killed, if that's what you're referring to." Weiss fumed, evidently still upset over the way Ruby was treating Professor Goodwitch.
Ruby deflated a little, but perked up again once she realized her point was made.
"See?" She turned back towards the professor and resumed her argument. "So we're all good!"
Professor Goodwitch became tight-lipped and shook her head in response. The pair then began to argue over semantics, and something about Headmaster Ozpin, but Pyrrha tuned it out as she shared a look with Weiss and Blake.
Their eyes indicated they were thinking the same thing. Their fourth was hiding something, something they had all missed during the battle. Could it have something to do with her uninjured state? And why was the Beacon staff seemingly in on it too?
Pyrrha's attempts to pry were fruitless, and they eventually made it back to Beacon without incident. Professor Goodwitch instructed them to get ready for the 'post-Initiation ceremony', and specifically sent Pyrrha to the infirmary to get her arm looked at, separating her from the rest of her team. It wasn't anything too major, according to the physician, though he did end up putting her arm in a sling, and advised her not to partake in Combat Class for at least the first week.
She shifted uncomfortably as she made her way back to the auditorium. Her sling stuck out against the rest of her outfit like a sore thumb. So much for not drawing any attention.
The amphitheater was mostly empty, save for a few upperclassmen who'd arrived early to watch the ceremony, and her partner, who was leaning against a wall near the entrance, engrossed in reading something off of her Scroll. It seemed they were the first to 'complete' the Initiation, though she did have some reservations about how they ended up doing it.
She froze up awkwardly when she realized Ruby was too engaged in reading to notice her. It wasn't everyday that Pyrrha was the one to initiate a conversation; she was used to others asking her questions, so it felt weird to just walk up to the girl and start firing away. Not to mention she could already feel several eyes on her, whispers about her injury echoing around the auditorium.
"H-hello again, Ruby." She sidled up to the red cloaked girl, their backs facing the wall.
"Hmm?" Ruby looked up from her book, startled. "Oh, Pyrrha!"
The red cloaked girl deactivated her Scroll and locked eyes with her partner, clearly concerned.
"Are… are you alright?" She gestured towards the sling.
Pyrrha gave a small smile. "Yes, Beacon's medical staff were quite capable. I'll be back to normal in a week."
"A week?" Ruby blanched and looked away pensively. "I see…"
Pyrrha frowned at Ruby's guilt-stricken face. Was it because she was relatively unhurt compared to the rest of them? How had she managed that anyways? The redhead brought it up with her, hoping to get some answers.
"No, it's nothing like that. It's just…" She paused, eyes drawn to Pyrrha's arm once again. "Glynda informed me of your… vulnerability at the time I had disposed of that Grimm. I was careless, and could have gotten you three killed. I'm sorry! I should have been able to recognize the signs by now!" Ruby blurted out at once.
Pyrrha was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Sure, they were in serious trouble back then, but she wouldn't have attributed it to Ruby's actions like Weiss had. Pyrrha was confident she could have deflected any icicles that had been sent their way. And what was that last statement?
"The signs?"
"The signs of an injured mortal." Ruby relaxed a bit, and held up her fingers.
"Abrasions, unwanted and uncontrolled bleeding, limb deformities, excruciating pain, screaming, and the like." She listed casually, as though they were discussing favorite foods.
"Ruby… you've never been hurt before?" Pyrrha was incredulous.
"Hmm?" Her expression said it all. "I'm tougher than I look, you know."
Pyrrha pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Maybe the doctor had secretly slipped her painkillers or something when she wasn't looking. It would help if one of the others were here to corroborate what Ruby was saying.
"Uh, I see. Anyways, where are Weiss and Blake?"
"They left to freshen up, seeing as our group was the first one here. Also, I think Weiss had something she wanted to ask of Ozpin."
Deeming the conversation over, Ruby reopened her Scroll, revealing a wall of text. It looked like she was reading a long form essay on some website, but Pyrrha couldn't tell what it was about.
Time passed as Pyrrha attempted to make small talk with her partner, though she only managed to elicit one word responses from the girl, who was too focused on reading for anything else. Honestly though, it was still a better conversation than any she'd had since her rise to fame, which left Pyrrha oddly content.
Students and other successful Initiates began trickling into the auditorium. Weiss and Blake eventually joined them, bumps and scratches apparent but otherwise lively. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was too uncomfortable for any real discussion about what happened. Plus, Pyrrha could tell there were already too many rumors surrounding their group, and with the high concentration of potential classmates around them, they didn't want to add fuel to the fire.
At some point Ozpin took the stage, and began announcing teams.
"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Yang Xiao Long. Nora Valkyrie."
"Oh hey, it's Jaune and Yang." Ruby piped next to her, as the four took the stage. "I wonder how their Initiation went."
"You know them?"
"They met the night before." Weiss supplied.
Blake tensed up a little at that remark, for some reason.
"...led by Jaune Arc!"
The blonde in question gaped in shock at the declaration, though his teammates were not as reserved.
"Yeah! Way to go, Jaune!" Yang grinned, slapping his back in encouragement. It seemed she was a little too forceful, as Jaune ended up falling face first on stage, to the amusement of many.
"How undignified." Weiss huffed in annoyance, contrasting the rest of the audience.
"And finally: Weiss Schnee. Pyrrha Nikos. Blake Atropos. Ruby Rose."
The crowd became a cacophony of whispers as they walked onstage. She knew they looked ridiculous: from Ruby's aloof and flawless appearance, to Blake and Weiss's slightly battered but proud looks, all the way to her trying her hardest not to adjust her sling. Pyrrha cringed internally as she heard the peanut gallery begin tossing around theories, ranging from 'Pyrrha took one for the team' to 'maybe the Invincible Girl isn't all that after all'. She hated it, and she hated that she couldn't do anything about it either.
"...Weiss Schnee!"
Pyrrha snapped out of it when she realized she'd missed most of Ozpin's speech. It seemed like Weiss was made leader, something she could tell by the way the heiress' chest puffed up with satisfaction. Blake held a neutral expression, and Ruby looked like she'd rather be anywhere else than onstage.
"Congratulations, Weiss." Pyrrha offered, filling in for the other two.
Weiss turned to her, ecstatic. "Thank you! With your skills and my leadership, there's no doubt we'll be the strongest team in Beacon!"
"Um, aren't you forgetting about—"
"Come on, you two." Blake interjected. "We were the last ones up, so the team ceremonies are over." She ushered them offstage, where Ruby was already waiting, foot tapping impatiently.
"Let's get this over with so I can get back to researching." The red cloaked girl stated curtly. "Classes start tomorrow, so I'm supposed to show you three to our new room. Follow me." Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and began walking.
"Wait!" Weiss called after her, as the trio attempted to catch up to her. "I swear, are all Faunus this rude?"
"...What's that supposed to mean?" Blake responded, a hint of anger in her voice.
Weiss turned to her as they rounded the corner. "You didn't know? Ruby here looks down on us 'Humans'." She gestured with air quotes.
Their leader turned away with a huff, not noticing a brief look of shame appearing on Blake's face. Pyrrha supposed she ought to mediate before things got out of hand.
"I'm sure there's more to it than that, Weiss." Pyrrha said in her kindest tone. "Besides, Ruby seems to like reading quite a bit. I'm confident we'll find some common ground with her in no time."
"If you say so." Weiss replied, clearly not convinced. Blake seemed placated for the time being, though.
They spotted Ruby waiting in front of a dorm room at the end of the hall. Seeing them approach, she brought her scroll up to the electronic lock and scanned it, opening the door.
"The desk with all the papers is mine. I left the rest of the room untouched." She spoke rapidly. "Feel free to divide up everything else by yourselves. If you need more space, just throw out one of the beds. I don't need it to sleep anyhow. Okay, I think that covers everything. I'll be in the library if anyone needs me!"
She sped off again, leaving Pyrrha extremely bewildered. Just what was she so keen on researching? Weiss and Blake's expressions told a similar story.
"That… that brat! We're supposed to be a team!" Weiss seethed.
"I'm sure she's just nervous about class…" Pyrrha attempted to defend her partner, as the trio took in their new dorm.
True to Ruby's word, the room was spotless, save for a massive stack of papers on one desk in the corner. There was a small bookcase under the singular window, while shelves lined the walls near the bathroom. Four beds lined against the back wall faced them, each sporting a generic red and white sheet and pillow combo. It was a bit cramped, but nothing Pyrrha hadn't handled before in tournaments.
"Guess we should get unpacked." Blake stated plainly.
Their luggage was being stored elsewhere for the time being, making for a round trip as they brought their belongings to the dorm. Beacon was rather large, though, and the sky was dark by the time they got all their suitcases and such into the dorm.
"...Maybe we should save this for tomorrow?" Pyrrha suggested. She was already quite exhausted by today's events, even if her Aura had recovered somewhat. Weiss and Blake readily agreed, which only left her partner, who was still missing...
A traitorous thought occurred to her as she climbed into bed: maybe Ruby just didn't like her? Pyrrha shook her head. No, she was just tired from lack of rest. And even if her partner was a bit rude, Pyrrha vowed to push past that and become friends with her anyway.
Her eyes drifted close as she promised herself this. A golden opportunity lay in front of her; to make a genuine friend for once, not tainted by fame or expectation. Pyrrha wouldn't pass that up for anything in the world.
A/N: Schools out! Now that I'm back to being an unemployed bum, I think I'll celebrate by releasing more chapters. And maybe start up another story so I don't get burnt out writing just this one. Though, it's a 50/50 shot at that, I'd wager.
This was the first fight scene I've ever written, so let me know what needs work. This chapter in general was pretty fragmented while I was writing since I kept getting interrupted by life, but hopefully things held together.
Next few chapters will focus on our main squad of characters getting used to Ruby's eccentricities, then Atlas and Penny, which I think will be fun.
If you see any inconsistencies or errors, be sure to point them out in the reviews. Thanks for reading!