A/N: Welcome back true believers, we have another update here that I hope you'll enjoy. I also want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review may work. The words of encouragement and the constructive criticism I receive helps me and drive. I hope I continue to entertain those of you who continue to return, read, and review. With all that said I hope you all enjoy the next installment of "It's Superman".
Nerves were nothing new to Clark. Most of his life had been shrouded in secrets and silence, and as such he had found himself worrying about one thing or another that would have caused most teens to crack under pressure. Constant thoughts of "Be Careful," "Do they know?" "What's happening to me now" had cycled in and out of his brain for most of his life. All that was to say nothing of always feeling like he would crush someone or something by accident. He lived in a world of what ifs and cardboard and he had shouldered the burden as best as he knew how.
Buy what he felt now as he soared through the skies over the Emerald Forest was a different. He felt nervous, that much was sure; he always did when taking a test, but there was something mixed in, a new sensation that had never been present alongside his anxiety, excitement. God forgive him, he felt excited.
So seldom were his chances to cut loose, even the smallest amount, the thought of being able to govern himself a little less wad terribly exhilarating. Now, he wasn't going to show off; his parents had taught him better than that, but doing well on a test, well, he couldn't be blamed for wanting to do that could he?
Clark couldn't help but grin a little as he rocketed past the others. He heard a small exclamation of of awed "Whoa" from a blur of red he knew was Ruby and shocked "What the?" in a voice he recognized as Yang's. He thought for a moment that perhaps he may have jumped too hard off the launching platform...no he was certain he had. The sound machinery crunching under him as he leapt and the boom of the shattering sound barrier made him sure of that, and felt a little abashed at his over eagerness.
There was no real need to for him to proceed with such haste, he knew he would get to the northern end of the forest long before anyone else and claim his artifact with plenty of time to spare. So he berated himself slightly and hoped Ozpin wouldn't be too angry about the damage he had caused. But he didn't let his mind dwell of that and he landed in the ruin's clearing with thunderous crash.
Standing up and dusting himself off he scanned the area closely, making sure he was alone. Ozpin had made it very clear he was not to interact with anyone else unless they already found a partner and he did not intend screw up anything for the others.
Once he was satisfied he was alone; not that he really thought anyone else would be here yet, he approached the crumbling structure and saw a series of pedestals. On each small pillar sat a chess piece that was either black or gold, all except for the center one on which stood a red king, the only one in the set.
"That one's mine," he said to himself as he reached out and pocketed it.
His task complete he glanced down at his wrist where he normally wore the watch his father had given him only the remember he had taken it off to keep it safe before initiation.
"Right," he mumbled before reaching into his pocket for his scroll.
He had never had a scroll back in Smallville, he had never needed one, but Ozpin had insisted they have a way to communicate privately and so now Clark was the owner a piece of technology he barely knew how to use. He could make and receive calls like he had yesterday, set the alarm and for his purposes now check the time. Fiddling with the small device he managed to turn it on without breaking it and saw roughly thirty seconds had passed since he had jumped.
Letting a long breath as he drummed his hands lightly on his legs. He had been asked to complete the task as quickly as possible and he had, so was he just going to head right back? No, he thought, he'd go and check on a few people first then he'd head back, but he wouldn't interfere, Ozpin had been very clear that the others still needed to complete their own trials.
Listening close he could heard the distant sounds of combat and could make out a few of the voices he was looking for. Turning towards the most frantic he took off and it the blink of an eye he was heading towards the panicked tones of Jaune.
As he traveled he dwelled on the the fact that; no matter how often he did it, the world appearing to stand still as he ran was oddly beautiful and a little scary. He still wasn't quite sure if his perception of time slowing to a stop was a subconscious effort on his part or if it was simply an automatic biological response to moving faster than the normal eye could perceive. But he wasn't allowed to think about it too long as he was upon his destination in moments.
Peering out from his cover in the brush he managed to lay eyes on Jaune as he stumbled to his feet and a fairly tall red haired girl Clark hadn't had the pleasure to meet yet. He listened to their brief exchange and was able gather her name to be Pyrrha Nikos and he could tell just by how she carried herself Jaune had found himself a good partner.
Every motion was smooth, determined, and almost seemed calculated. Her voice was even and so was her heartbeat, which was in stark contrast to Jaune's which sounded like a jackhammer. He was scared but he'd be alright with her, she was clearly in her element. Yet despite this Clark did follow them for a bit, just to be sure and as it turned out his he was spot on inn his observations of Pyrrha.
The duo met a pack of beowolves and even though Jaune seemed to have trouble finding his footing Pyrrha was a great aide. She dispatched her foes quickly and efficiently and more importantly she was able to help Jaune with what appeared his own lackluster skillset. She called out to him and he responded, her mere presence seemed to actually make Jaune perform better. So, with his concerns and worries satisfied he turned and headed towards the sounds of two young ladies bickering.
It only took Clark a moment or two to zero in on Ruby's location. She seemed to be having a tough go of things. Not from the trail in and of itself, but she and her partner seemed to be butting heads.
Laying eyes upon the pair Clark had to suppress a grin. It appeared as though Miss Rose had;by some twist of fate, been paired up with the rather icy demeanored girl she had inadvertently blown up the day pervious, and the other girl didn't seemed to be too terribly thrilled either.
Yet despite their obviously dissatisfaction with one another there was little doubt that they were effective. Granted, they didn't seem to work together particularly yet, but they were able to dispatch any Grimm encountered with minimal effort. They may clash with one another but they were performing well enough, and Clark felt his mind ease a little. He'd be lying if said he hadn't been worried about Ruby, she was a good deal younger than everyone else, but that was clearing an unfounded concern. She was a more than competent fighter.
This train of thought was interrupted by the distant sounds of explosions and exclamations of excitement. He knew exactly who that was. Turning around he went towards the his last stop before heading back to the cliff face where Ozpin was waiting.
Yang was by away and far the easiest one to find. Her very bombastic nature mix with an obvious delight and thrill for combat made locating her an extremely simple task for someone like Clark.
Upon finding her he thought; at first, she was still alone as tore through a small horde of Grimm. But a burst of fire from the tree line disproved that. A flurry of shots peppered the beowolf about to strike Yang and the beast tumbled to the ground. From the shadows walked Blake.
"Nice shootin' partner," Yang said happily raising a fist and offering it to the other girl to bump.
"Thank you," she responded kindly, but did not return the gesture.
"Well, should we get…" Yang began but Blake held up a hand to silence her as Clark saw her body tense.
Not quite sure what was going on Clark paid close attention but couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. Then; for the second time since meeting her, Clark swore he saw the bow on Blake's head twitch. His time to consider this was somewhat limited however as, without warning, Blake spun around and let loose a short burst of fire in Clark's direction.
The bullets whizzed over his head and disappeared into the brush. She wasn't trying to hit him, but she was trying to spook whatever it was she had sense into action.
"I know someone's out there, a Grimm would have charged. Come out and stop stalking in the shadows," Blake called out her guns still trained in Clark's general direction.
Clark had to weigh his options here. On one hand he could just disappear into the forest before they could react, but that might just put them on high alert and make them more paranoid for the duration of the test and could potentially cause more problems than good. On the other hand if he did reveal himself it would be a lot harder to not interfere.
"I won't ask again," Blake called out again.
"You sure there's someone out there?"
At this point Clark had made his decision. Putting his hands up over his head and forcing himself to stumble out of his cover he walked out into the clearing.
"It's okay, don't shoot," he rambled out as he made himself trip again.
"Clark?" Blake said as she lowered her weapons.
"Hey Smallville, whatcha doin creepin' in the bushes," Yang said with a laugh.
"Smallville?" Blake said in a questioning tone turning from Clark to Yang.
"Oh, yeah, Blake this is…" Yang began but was cut off by Clark and Blake.
"We've meet," they said in unison.
"Oh, that's cool," she said distractedly as she looked past Clark into the wooded area behind. "Still by yourself Smallville?" she asked as Clark grimaced at her persistent use of the nickname.
"Uhh, yeah, haven't run into anyone else yet," he mumbled trying to hide his mild irritation.
"Well, you better hurry up or all the good ones will be gone," she said chipperly as she wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulder and giving her a friendly shake, much to the others girl's clear displeasure.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind,"
"Do you want to come along with us? It might be safer, the Grimm here are unusually bold," Blake offered as she pulled away from Yang's grip.
"Thanks, but I think I should try and find a partner and I really don't want to slow you two down," Clark said trying to remove himself from the pair without appearing rude or ungrateful for offer.
He began to silently berate himself for not just heading back once he had completed the task at hand. But no, he couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to go poking around. His parents had told him that; while good intentioned, this habit of his of trying to watch over and help every single person he met would eventually put him in such position.
"You sure Smallville? We don't mind helping you out," Yang offered her voice lacking it's usual snark.
"Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine, you two take care of what you need to, maybe I'll catch up later," he said with a small nervous chuckle.
Both Yang and Blake looked him up and down as he adjusted his glasses before looking at each other. The looks on their faces said everything, they had serious doubts about his abilities to make it out of the forest. Ozpin had said there was a possibility they could die out here and they were clearly concerned, and Clark understood why.
He very much looked the part of a bumbling fool. He appeared for all the world as a scrawny and uncoordinated farm boy who had somehow landed himself in a situation we was not prepared. To them he must look like some poor soul well out of his depth.
"Well...if you're sure…" Blake started but trailed off.
"I'm sure, I really appreciate, sincerely, but you don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine," he responded, but this time when he spoke his voice carried a confidence and power neither had heard before, and much to his surprise it seemed to put them at ease.
"If you say you got this Smallville, you got this. Good luck out there," Yang said cheerily as she walked over and punched Clark lightly on the arm.
"Ow," Clark said on reflex as he rubbed the spot where her fist and struck.
"I hope you do well," Blake said with a small nod.
"Thanks, you too, hey maybe I'll see you guys at the finish line," he half joked.
With a small wave both turned away and began to head north once more. As they left the clearing Yang turned around and Clark was gone.
"Mister Kent, welcome back, I was wondering when you'd return," Ozpin said calmly though there was a tiny sense if mirth in his voice.
"Sorry, I was…"
"Checking in on your friends?" he joked.
Clark was silent for a moment, he knew he was expected not to interfere, and he hadn't, but his conservation with Yang and Blake may have been pushing it. What if he had delayed them, what if they did make it through because of his own desire to check in. What if he had cost them what they had come here for?
"Sir...I didn't mean to...I was just…"
"Do not fret Mister Kent, you have done nothing wrong. You have done exactly as I have asked and despite your delay you have still completed your trial much faster than anyone else in Beacon's history. So I believe congratulations are in order, you are now officially a student of Beacon," he said coolly and offered Clark his hand, which he took and gave a firm shake.
"So...now what?" Clarked asked awkwardly.
"Well, you have gone through the motions required to quell suspicion on your being here. The rest I will take care of, but you Mister Kent may head back to campus I'd you wish, or you may stay and observe, the choice is yours," he told Clark rather matter of factly.
Clark began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt and then began to wring his hands. He knew he couldn't help anyone, but at the same time he could just leave. What if something happened to someone and could have done something? With everything he could do wasn't it his responsibility to aid those in need?
"I think I'll stay and watch...just in case," he mumbled as his eyes focused on the forest below him, and while he couldn't be sure he thought he saw a small smile spread across Ozpin's face.
"I thought so," was all he said in response as he faced the woods as well.
So they both stood there and watched. Ozpin in a cool, calm, and stoic manner. Clark in a slightly fidgety and almost nervous state. He was not used to hearing sounds of chaos and not acting, it was simple not in his nature but still he abstained, but everything became harder when he saw a massive shadow swoop down into the forest.
"That's not quite normal," Ozpin said in a curious; though unconcerned, tone. When a burst of dirt and dust exploded out of the tree line followed by what; to Clark, sounded like an insect scuttling Ozpin turn toward the new disturbance "Nor is that," he murmured, still not sounding concerned.
Clark took a single step forward but a firm hand on his shoulder caused him to halt. Clark sent him and almost panicked look but the gaze Ozpin sent his way told what he already knew.
"I know it's hard Mister Kent, but I cannot allow you to interfere. This is as much test for them as it was a cover for you. They need to do this on their own," he told him sternly and Clark nodded.
While he knew Ozpin was right he also knew he had no idea what it was like for Clark. He could actually see what was happening, smell the sweat of panic, the scent of dust, and hear the frantic heart beats. Yet, despite all this, Clark he stood his ground atop the cliffside.
His resolve was tested however when he saw it was Ruby, Blake, Jaune, and Yang in the direct middle of the fray. There were others as well and Clark still felt a spike of panic whenever one of them came close to harm, but it was particularly bad when one of those whom he knew was in danger.
Despite his stress however he couldn't help but marvel at how skilled they all were. They would harass the beasts and control the pace of combat. There were a few close calls but they were clearly handling themselves very well. Even Jaune; who's combat skills weren't quite as strong, proved himself to be a remarkably strong field commander.
A handful of times Clark almost ran to their aid despite Ozpin's wishes. When they seemed trapped at the bridge, when Ruby was pinned, or when their backs were against the mountain wall. But each time they seemed out of options they always seemed to pull something out.
That was until near the end of their fight. The giant scorpion he thought was called a deathstalker had been dealt with and it seemed as though Ruby was about the finish off the the great foul bird. But as she ran up the mountain side and leapt to deliver the finishing blow Clark noticed something that made his stomach drop.
'She can't make it' he realized as she her approach began to slow. Glancing over quickly at Ozpin before looking back, he took in a depth breath and let it out in what he hoped was a convincing sigh . A powerful gust of wind flew out over the treetops and caught Ruby and managed to push her up just enough for her to deliver a savage slash the loosed the birds head from its neck, and Clark let out real sigh of relief. The battle was over and they had won and Clark felt his nerves begin to ebb away. A small chuckle off to his side caused him to turn and look at Ozpin.
"Hehe, I'll let that one slide Mister Kent," he said with a sly grin and Clark flushed with mild embarrassment.