Ren and Nora made excellent time through the tangled brush. Ren nodding his head as Nora recounted her victory over a pack of flying flame belching ursa. Ren rolled his eyes as the number of the foul creatures keep climbing by leaps and bounds. This was who she was and Ren knew that intimately. She was a bundle of energy, and kindness. Someone he was proud to be associated with. As Nora continued her rambling story the pair emerged from the forest into a large clearing dominated by a set of dilapidated ruins.
"This must be the place, the Headmaster told us about." Ren commented as Nora skipped ahead of him.
"Come on Ren!" Nora shouted as she twirled about on her way across the clearing.
Ren smiled his shy smile and picked up his pace, in an attempt to catch up to Nora. He stopped an drew his weapons at the sign of moving brush to his left. Nora noticed his motion and quickly followed suit. They had wandered homeless for years and learned quickly that you took no chances when in the wilds. Moving brush might just be the wind or it could be something far more dangerous. Both alert and ready they waited.
A few moments later a tall red head decked in bronze armour carrying a shield and short spear stepped into view. Nora bounced on her feet, her weapon raised high above her head swaying back and forth. The new girl returned the wave and jogged forward.
"I'm Nora, this is Ren. We're together, but not together-together."
"Pyrrha." the girl smiles and chuckled. Are we the only ones here?"
"So far." Ren replied.
As if magically summoned a pair of figures appeared, striding from the treeline. One with blonde hair and the other with black. Nora once again happily began to start bouncing on her feet. Pyrrha giggled at the energetic display as Ren sighed. The pair didn't seem surprised at finding other in the clearing and approached at a leisurely gait.
"Hi, I'm Nora, this Ren. We're together, but not together-together!"
"Yang, and this is Blake." the blonde greeted.
"Hi." Blake responded in a subdued tone.
"Pyrrha."
"So seen anyone else?" Yang asked as she walked over and grabbed a relic from one of the pedestals.
"Not so far." Pyrrha informed the two new members of the little group.
"Haven't seen much grimm either." Yang commented.
"I doubt the teachers would have thrown us into a grimm infest forest. They probably have been patrolling it and culling numbers." Blake offered.
"Still a shame. Momma could have used some..."
The quintet of figures whipped around weapons ready at the sounds of impact; and all watched stunned as a pair of blonde haired teens rolled to their feet, as if nothing had happened.
"I TOLD you Mistress wouldn't be in some hole. But NOOOOOO you just had to go in and check!" the blonde haired girl snapped.
"WELL excuse me!" the blonde haired boy retorted, "IF someone had have watched were Mistress was going I wouldn't wanted to check everywhere she could have gone!"
A monstrous screech echoed from the treeline, causing Blake, Yang, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora to jump back. The pair before them stopped yelling at each other and bolted forward in the direction the sound emanated from. A few heartbeats later the pair once again appeared from the treeline; tumbling, rolling and skidding across the hard packed earth. Once again the pair rolled to their feet, just as a car sized deathstalker burst from the forest.
/=/
"I'm informing Bart and Peter." Glynda rushed as she lifted her hand and started to type on her tablet.
"Tell them to hold back. Watch and only step in if things get too dangerous."
"Too dangerous?" Glynda responded, "That's too much of a risk. Look at the size..."
"There are seven of them. I feel they can handle it."
"Oz, this is too much of a risk..."
"I have seen the profiles on all of them except for the twins. They are capable of handling this situation. Inform Peter and Bart to hold, and only step in if things start to get out of hand."
"You better know what you are doing." Glynda snarled.
"Yes, I better."
/=/
"Joan. Jaune." Nora whispered, rooted to the spot as the blonde twins once again rolled to their feet and dashed forward into the path of the deathstalker. The others fanned out bringing their ranged options to bear. They held their fire fearful of hitting either one of the twin blondes who kept closing in on the foul beast.
Yang primed Ember Celica. The shotgun rounds it used having far less range than the weapons the others possessed. Rushing forward she dodged past the tumbling forms of the blonde twins. Closing for to melee range she hollered and chambered a strike. One of the deathstalker's pincers came down as Yang unleashed the bone shattering blow. She in a burst of blinding speed threw a follow up punch before the first had even landed. Even with the addition of several bursts from her gauntlets the pincer blocked the attack, showing no signs of any reasonable damage.
Dodging backwards she evaded the beast's follow up attacks as its other pincer cut through the space where she had been. Hoping further back and to the side she avoided it's stinger as it impaled the ground. A pair of blonde blurs passed by her. As if blessed by some form of uncanny intelligence the deathstalker brought both its pincers together to shield's its head. Yang from close proximity witnessed the shock waves of compressed air as a pair of pale fists, slammed home. Yang dive rolled away as the beast flung it's arms wide. The pair of blonde were sent tumbling, skidding and rolling across the ground before it.
Taking the opening while they could, Ren, Blake and Pyrrha opened fire. Their shots ricocheting off the deathstalker's armoured plates. The combined fire ceased as the pair of blondes once again dashed forward into the line of fire. Yang tried flanking the beast, unloading round after round. It was a gambit, an attempt to gather its attention and give her new found friends a chance to inflict some much needed damage. It ignored her. The armour plates covering its body absorbing the attacks without issue.
"Nora you have to do something." Ren whispered as he pulled his guns up as Jaune and Joan once again dashed into the line of fire, "They're losing."
"He asked my not to." Nora replied, her grip so tight on Magnlihd's grenade launcher form that the weapon shook.
"I..."
"Nora!"
/=/
"Tell Peter and Bart to step in. I was mistaken this is proving too much for them to handle."
"Right away." Glynda replied as she started to type on her tablet.
"Wait!" Ozpin shouted.
"Ozpin! Now is not..." Glynda stopped her rebuttal in mid sentence. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw. Nora Valkyrie had raised her left hand aiming it towards the two blondes. Her mouthed moved as if speaking a single word. The pair of blondes suddenly shot forward towards the deathstalker. Their speed at least twice that of which they had been originally doing.
/=/
Yang fell back away from a strike, and then moved back even further. The blonde teens she had been supporting suddenly threw a frenzy of blistering attacks. Their hands and feet were a blur as the deathstalker shielded it's head, and was forced back.
Ren had heard the single word command, "Blitz." that Nora had uttered; even though no one else did. The effect was instantaneous. Making a quick assessment of the situation he raised his voice and yelled.
"Flank it!"
Pyrrha and Blake nodded and quickly moved to separate sides of the beast. Their weapons barking to life. Not to be out done, Yang rushed in between the pair as they unleashed blistering strikes; adding her own explosive ones to the onslaught. She couldn't take the time to count, but for every one of her strikes the pair was landing four each. The deathstalker continued to be forced back. Its pincers and stinger covering its head, as dust rounds impacted its exposed sides.
"Nora!" Ren shouted as he squeezed the triggers of Stormflower.
Nora raised her left hand a second time, aiming it at the pair of blondes.
"Spike."
Yang hopped backwards only a second or two after the pair of teens, avoiding the counter strikes of the massive grimm. Landing between them, she was suddenly unsteady on her feet as the ground to either of her cratered slightly. The combined weapon fire stopped as everyone watched the pair sail into the air. Pyrrha estimated at the apex of their jump they must have reached almost ten metres in height. The pair linked hands and suddenly the male twisted in the air pivoting his body to thrust the female towards the ground; directly at the deathstalker's exposed back.
Blake was not an expert, but she instantly knew what the purpose of the complicated move was meant to do. With the added force of the throw and the girl holding herself in a streamlined position. They were trying to achieve as much downward force as they could generate in such a short distance. While it was not a perfect situation as the male who did the throw had nothing solid to push off of. Still his added weight , muscle force and pure momentum would propel the girl downward faster than just falling would achieve.
The girl struck the deathstalker with flat feet in the centre of its back. Armour plates bent inward with an audible crack, causing the beast to rear its head and tail upwards in a screech of pain. The girl rebounded off the creature and after twisting into the air landed a short distance away. The boy also landed on the ground just in front of the deathstalker. He hopped back even further as the enraged and injured grimm lashed out driving its stinger into the ground where he once stood.
A series of grenades flew of his head to impact the beast. The others quickly followed suit unloading round after round into the now compromised armour. It writhed, screeched and lashed out as armour finally broke free exposing the soft insides.
"Yang!" Ren shouted.
Yang clued into what the teen wanted and dashed forward her fist chambered for a devastating blow. Putting all her weight behind her considerable strength; she landed an uppercut on the distracted grimm. The mass of the creature was lifted into the air, only its back set of four legs touching the ground. Firing Magnhild one handed Nora stretched out her left hand again.
"Sledgehammer"
The pair of blondes who had circled around to each other, while looking for and opening; suddenly surged forward. Before the deathstalker could recover from Yang's strike the pair hit. Each driving a knee into the exposed belly. The hits buckled the body, bending it almost in half. There was an audible snap as the grimm slid backwards and then flexed forward. The trio of blondes jumped backwards as it crashed to the hard packed earth. pincers and front legs splayed on the ground.
"Nora!" Ren called out; prompting the orange haired girl to dash forward, her grenade launcher, transformed into a massive hammer. She hopped into the air, hauled back and then spun. Using her considerable strength and momentum to bring the hammer down squarely upon the injured creature's head.
Compromised armour gave way and the insides unable to withstand the force of the blow, compacted and burst. In a spray of black ichor, the grimm shuddered and then fell limp. A couple of heart beats later, it started to fall apart, black flakes of its once powerful form dissipating into the air. However before the group could celebrate two shouts came from above followed by a screech of anger.
/=/
Peter and Bart watched from the sidelines as Ozpin and Glynda watched the video feed. They saw Nora sail through the air and catch Weiss. Effortlessly landing on her feet and depositing the Schnee heiress upon hers. They witnessed the group of nine dash off avoiding the aerial attacks of the giant nevermore. Until they finally end up cornered at the edge of a chasm, and base of a cliff.
The quartet of adults continued to watch as the group of nine teens quickly assembled a defence and then offence against the monstrous grimm. Ozpin's brown eyes scanned the feed taking in each and every, motion, action and gesture of the gathered teens. Slowly his faith, and assumptions of the group were proven true. Those with ranged options harried the beast, while the three melee focused members gained advantage through Miss Schnee's glyphs and fell upon the nevermore from above. Their attacks forced the grimm lower, well with in the effective range of the remainder of their allied forces.
His smile grew, as he watched Lie Ren and Ruby Rose rise and direct the flow of the conflict. His faith in their skills and abilities rewarded. As the youngest ever student accepted into Beacon; with the assistance of those who joined her severed the massive creature's head from its torso. Its body slipped down the cliff face disintegrating well before it hit the lip of the chasm. Ruby standing atop the cliff, with Ren at the base. The adults could see the joy and elation on all their young faces.
But something also drew the headmaster's attention. The unknown blonde twins who had moved to surround Miss Nora Valkyrie; crushing her in a tight embrace. They knew her, and she them; as he could tell by the relived and apprehensive look on her face. There was more to their story, and he would much like to hear it.
"Glynda take the twins to the infirmary upon their return. They need to have a medical examination."
"I doubt they will comply, seeing as how they refused the last time we tried."
"Ask Miss Valkyre to... advise them that it is necessary."
"Miss Valkyre? Why?"
"Yes, Miss Valkyre. It appears to me, she has some sway in regards to their actions."
/=/
Glyna dropped the pair of teens, who she now knew as Jaune and Joan at the infirmary, into the care of Kitsunne. The pair had followed her without comment after Nora suggested that they do as Professor Goodwitch instructed. The pair regarded the fox faunus doctor with some interest. The one called Goodwitch had informed them to follow given instructions. As directed the pair stripped to their underclothes without an issue, even though they were standing right beside each other.
After getting them both into medical gowns, Kitsunne tried to separate the pair. They steadfastly refused to separate from each other, going so far as to even as to link hands together; while putting their backs up against a nearby wall. Unable to talk them out of the behaviour, Kitsunne relented. The need to examine them trumping the issue of separating them.
The examine and subsequent tests were routine, and progressed quickly. Though when she tried to question the pair in an attempt to get a more complete medical picture she met a brick wall. The pair just refused to answer her questions in regards to their medical history. Kitsunne chalked it up to the teens maybe not knowing their medical histories; which wasn't too uncommon for many people.
Upon completion of her examines Kitsunne found herself faced with a pair of teens still dressed in medical gowns; their blue eyes fixed on her.
"Where is Mistress?" they asked in unison.
/=/
"Doctor." Ozpin greeted as he answered the video call, using the terminal on his desk. "I take it you have some information about our guests."
"Well I can say with out a doubt they are healthy. They did have multiple bruises and scrapes, which were easily treated."
"I doubt you would be contacted me if that is all. What is the issue."
"There are several."
"Like?"
"Well for starters they both have a brand on the back of their left shoulders."
"A brand? You sure?"
"I know the difference between a brand and a tattoo. This is a brand. Here's an image of it."
Ozpin opened the uploaded file. Two images of a double crescent moon appeared before him, and he frowned. It was as Kitsunne said, a brand. Someone had marked the pair's pale flesh through the medium of red hot metal. Something caused Ozpin's frown to deepen. He knew this symbol, he was sure of it.
"You said there were other issues."
"They are too healthy."
"Too healthy?"
"I don't know how long they were outside of civilization, or the range of Beacon's cameras, but they show really no signs of exposure. Even if it was only for a few days there should be some indication, bug bites, rashes. All their injuries; as minor as they were, are conducive of being combat induced." Kitsunne continued after a short pause, "And though I'm not an expert, just from the grime on them and the state of their clothing they had been out in the wilderness for more than a few days."
"I see. I assume there is more."
"They don't have aura, and I don't think they are human."
"So they are faunus? I didn't notice..."
"No, not faunus either."
"Explain?"
"Well while plenty of individuals do not have aura unlocked, we are still to a slight degree able to detect it. It's there, just not active. Those two don't have any, and I mean that. There is no indication at all."
"I'm not sure I am following, but please continue."
"They are also dense."
"Please, even if they appear a little slow, we shouldn't..."
"I don't mean it like that!"
"Then what do you mean?"
"Well for starter's they weight much more than their physiques imply. Their blood is much thicker than normal. Even their skin and muscles felt thicker. I mean to even draw a blood sample I broke two needles, before having to move to a heavier gauge." Ozpin watched as Kitsunne took a pause and rubbed her face with her hands, "I'm still waiting on the blood work and x-rays. But if I didn't know that it was impossible; I would swear that those two were built to withstand damage."
"Interesting. Please keep me informed if you discover anything else."
"I will."
Kitsunne ended the video call, and Ozpin let his mind wander as he looked at the images of the two brands. He knew that symbol from somewhere; but for the life of him he couldn't recall where. Standing up from his desk he clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. He focused his mind on digesting the information Kitsunne had provided. It all pulled at something from deep inside his eons of memories. He just couldn't quite grasp it.