Chapter 28

Guess who finally got out of the army? THIS GUY. Well, just for weekends, I have to go back in from Monday to Friday. My sad life.

"Search And Destroy"

'Professor Oobleck?' Weiss stuttered, staring at the hyperactive professor in disbelief. The members of team RRWBY were currently staring skeptically at the green-haired "Sonic The Hedgehog" reincarnate who apparently was the huntsman they were shadowing for their mission. Well, all were staring except for Jaye, who had already dropped his face into his hands like his fate was sealed.

'Yes I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary girls. Seeing as you've opted to shadow a huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations.' He announced, speaking faster than a machine gun, and pacing faster than the Flash. 'Rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland, and making camp in any inhabitable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all our essentials myself provided the air course and readied the airship. And!'

He zipped up to Weiss's face, the girl jumping backwards in shock. 'It's Dr. Oobleck. I didn't earn a PhD for fun thank you very much. Come now children, according to my schedule we are already 3 minutes behind…schedule!'

He zipped over to the airship, and Jaye wondered if it was his semblance, or if his body was naturally supercharged to move at those speeds.

'Well alright then looks like we're going to save the world with…! Dr. Oo…bleck okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse.' Ruby mumbled, dropping her hands dejectedly. The girls glanced across each other, and Blake patted the sulking boy on the back as he lamented his poor life choices and rotten luck.

'Save the world?' Nora's voice rang out behind the five, and they turned to greet the pink-clad, hammer wielding girl and her team. 'You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt and sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault though; Ren!'

The girl turned to glare comically at Ren, who turned away from her, arms crossed, with a huff. Jaune stepped forward, smiling at the five.

'Sounds exciting! Where are you guys going?' He asked, and Ruby rocked on her heels.

'Oh, just outside the kingdom!' She said, and Nora bounced into the picture.

'Oh! So are we!' She cut in. Pyrrha raised a hand.

'Ren and Nora want to shadow a sheriff of a nearby village.' She explained.

'We set out tomorrow.' Ren said, and jumped as a pair of boys seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

'Cool, then you can party with us tonight!' Neptune declared, and Sun nodded in agreement. 'We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges.'

Jaune's eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect, and Sun laughed.

'We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk.' He grinned, and the girls glared at him. 'So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, y'know, normal.'

'Four minutes ladies!' Professor (oh no wait, Doctor) Oobleck called from the ship. Jaye rolled his eyes at being addressed collectively as a lady, but relented knowing he was outnumbered in that department. He resigned himself to the fate of being included in the group as a "lady" by every person who would collectively refer to them for the next four years.

'Well, uh, wish us luck.' Ruby asked nervously, waving goodbye to their friends. The five boarded the airship, gripping on to the overhead handles. (Jaye, Ruby and Weiss had to reach up reaaaalllly far) As the sole male of the team, Jaye had been regulated to stand next to the Doctor, a fact that seemed to irritate him to a large degree.

'I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter.' Yang finally pointed out to the Doctor, and he turned his blank, seemingly opaque glasses onto the blonde girl.

'I admit I fancy myself more of an…intellectual. But I can assure you, as a huntsman I've had my fair share of tussles.' He declared, and Ruby glanced about in confusion.

'Like the mushroom?' She asked, and Blake leaned over.

'Those are truffles.'

'Like the sprout?'

'Those are brussels.' Yang whispered. Doctor Oobleck cut in.

'Besides, given my expertise in the field of history, as well as my dabblings in the art of archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular, assignment.' He said, and Weiss raised an eyebrow.

'What does history have to do with this?' She asked, and Doctor Oobleck scoffed at her.

'My, what a preposterous question you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society. And the liver! And probably the kidneys if I were to wager.' He said, touching a finger to his lips. Weiss flinched as he began to invade her personal space.

'And that means?' The doctor rolled his eyes.

'The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves.' He informed them. 'But, it is also the location to one of the kingdoms greatest failures.'

'Mountain Glenn.' Ruby murmured. Doctor Oobleck glanced at the red-hooded girl, and Yang chipped in.

'That's right, it was an expansion of Vale.' She said. 'But in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city.'

'Correct!' He declared, jabbing a finger at them. 'And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder.'

'And a likely place for a hideout.' Blake interjected, and Doctor Oobleck adjusted his round, opaque spectacles, grinning widely.

'Precisely.'

The airship dropped in height, passing over several decayed and decrepit buildings that once had been part of Vale. Jaye gazed at the magnificent sight. Miles of abandoned buildings and rubble stretched the landscape, forming a kingdom of desolation that stretched across the top of the mountain. The deserted place resonated pain and destruction, the wind echoing through the abandoned hollows.

The airship descended, hovering just above the ground. The six Beacon academy members dropped off the ship, landing silently on the deserted ground. A cloud of dust shot up when Jaye's boots hit the ground, getting in his nose and eyes, making him sneeze. Doctor Oobleck promptly took a massive draught of coffee from his thermos.

'Ladies, you still may be students, but as of this moment your first mission as a huntress has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?' His eyes came to a stop on the red-hooded, scythe wielding girl. 'Ruby!'

The girl started, dropping her scythe. The green-haired doctor zoomed in on her, glaring her down.

'I thought I told you to leave all your bags back at school?' He admonished, and Ruby laughed nervously.

'But uh…you hadn't told us to listen to you yet.' She said, raising a finger in the air. 'So I didn't.'

'She's not wrong.' He declared. Jaye slapped a hand into his face, wondering how on earth this person had ever become a Doctor. 'Very well Ruby leave your bag here we can pick it up upon our return.'

'But I–whaa' She protested, and flinched as Doctor Oobleck raised his voice.

'Young lady what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important for you to bring it–'He stopped short as the bag rustled, and a furry head popped out of it. The dog panted, observing everyone quietly, turning his black and white head about in curiosity.

'Get back in the bag!' Ruby whispered to the creature, to which Zwei responded with an excited woof.

'We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility and you brought, a dog?' He bore down on the girl, who glanced at Jaye nervously. He promptly ignored her, keeping his eyes fixed on the dog which was now staring at him like he were its next meal.

'Genius!' The Doctor zipped past Ruby, swiping the dog out of her bag. Ruby dropped to the ground with a thud, eyes spinning. 'Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound. Making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours!'

The doctor spun the canine in circles, while the five looked on. Ruby jabbed a thumb into her chest.

'I'm a genius.' She declared, and the others dropped their faces into their hands. Blake stepped forward, ignoring the situation.

'So, what are your orders doctor?' She asked, and Doctor Oobleck stopped instantaneously in his tracks. Jaye wondered how the whiplash hadn't already snapped the hyper-active doctor's neck.

'Ah! Yes! Straight to the chase, I like it! As you have been informed the Southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior. One of which being, Grimm.' He declared. The five glanced across each other for the umpteenth time that day in confusion.

'Grimm, a creature of Grimm approximately 100 yards from us at this very moment.' He informed them, and Yang spun around.

'What?!' She exclaimed, extending Ember Celica. A grimm stalked its way out from behind a building, sniffing and pawing at the ground. Jaye instantly drew Excalibur, but Doctor Oobleck held up a hand.

'Stop!' He whispered, and the five turned to him quizzically. 'There are a number of reasons why Grimm would congregate in this particular area. The most likely of which would be their attraction to negativity. Sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred, all qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent.'

The four girls instantly turned to glare at Jaye, and he glared back, deadpan, flipping them off in turn. He returned his attention to the grimm, which surprisingly hadn't noticed them, and began to plan an attack.

'So, what now?' Ruby asked, and Doctor Oobleck stood up straight, eyes locked onto the grimm.

'We wait, we track, if the specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey.' He declared, and Yang crossed her arms.

'And how long do we wait?' She asked, and Doctor Oobleck shrugged.

'It's uncertain! Hours, days, weeks? Why, lone Grimm have been known to stand isolated from the pack for months- and there's the whole pack.'

'What?' Weiss exclaimed. Approximately twenty grimm emerged from around the nearby buildings, congregating nearby where the group were standing. The four girls once more turned to Jaye, and he glared back.

'Okay, seriously?' He spat, and Doctor Oobleck piped up again.

'And now they've seen us.' He mumbled, and Weiss glanced back at him.

'What?!' She started, and Professor Oobleck zipped over to her.

'AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!' He yelled. Jaye groaned as several grimm turned their beady eyes on the group. He locked gazes with one, staring it down with intent. Ruby turned to the doctor, raising a hand.

'I take it tracking is out of the question then?'

'That is an accurate assumption.'

'What's the plan then?' Yang waved a gauntlet in the air, and Jaye drew Caliburn.

'Attack.' He spat, charging the grimm. Doctor Oobleck watched the boy charge in, before turning to the girls.

'Show me what you're capable of.' He declared, as the pack closed in.

'Cover your ears Zwei!' Ruby shouted, slamming the point of her scythe into the dirt. The dog dropped to the ground, placing his paws over his fluffy ears and covering his head.

The five smashed their way through the army of grimm, punching and slashing their way through their enemies. Jaye spun rapidly, his dual blades cleaving through their bodies like butter, leaving behind numerous cleanly split grimm corpses smoking in the dust behind him. He ducked a paw, throwing a spinning back kick into its face. Carving through the beast, he activated his semblance, creating a deadly encirclement of ice that speared the beasts surrounding him. Yang promptly punched her way through a miniature horde, while Weiss and Blake opted for rapid strikes to defeat their adversaries. Ruby fired from a distance, zipping in as they entered her effective range to cleave through them with her massive weapon. Jaye had to say, a scythe was an efficient weapon to use on grimm. The girl decimated them easily, spinning the blade in circles around her petite frame. Zwei ran in circles, barking at his tail. The battle over, they returned to the doctor, who was watching their performance with marked curiosity.

'Heh, piece of cake.' Ruby shrugged, grinning at the huntsman. Doctor Oobleck stared back impassively.

'Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many.' He told the smiling girl. Ruby's face fell, and a small smile crested his face, and the doctor pumped a fist in a surprisingly calm manner. 'Shall we continue?'

Several battles, and several inactive Doctor Oobleck moments later, the five finished off yet another horde of grimm. The girls leaned on their weapons, panting in exhaustion, while doctor Oobleck continued to observe the flora and fauna. Jaye breathed deeply, letting the tips of his swords rest on the ground. He had far more endurance as compared to the girls, but the continued battles were starting to take a toll on him as well. Doctor Oobleck looked up from a plant he was examining.

'Excellent work girls! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector.' He declared, dropping a leaf he was holding. 'Oh well, moving on!'

The girls recovered, making after the doctor, Zwei trailing behind. Yang raised a hand in annoyance. 'Hey doc you know I was actually looking forward to seeing a pro huntsman in action. Like fighting or at least helping us fight?'

The doctor glanced over his shoulder at the blonde, not in the lease fazed by her comment.

'Ah, but I am in action, scouring the ruins of this once great city for any signs of irregularity.' He said, grinning at the sour blonde. 'Not every mission is filled with terror and heroism girls. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination. Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that.'

Yang glanced at her feet, mumbling a response, and the team moved on.

Jaye fired Hesperides, dropping the transformed shield from his eye. Spinning it back onto his wrist, he spun Excalibur into an approaching grimm, slicing it in two. Drawing Caliburn from his waist, he stabbed another that attempted to blindside him. Spinning Excalibur onto his back, he yanked his shield off his left arm, transforming it into its gun mode, firing off a few shots at the approaching horde. He blinked as they vanished in a ball of fire, and Yang smirked at the boy. He smiled back, returning his shield to his back. Splitting back up to take care of the rest, Yang charged up the side of an abandoned high-rise carpark.

'Tell me Yang, why did you choose this line of work?' Doctor Oobleck asked, as she finished off the last of her grimm. She turned to him quizzically.

'Huh? Well, to fight monsters and sav–' She began, but the doctor cut her off.

'No, that is what you do, I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a huntress.' He clarified, and Yang glanced at him, punching an approaching grimm from over her shoulder.

'The honest reason? I'm a thrill seeker. I wanna travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way then that's even better.' She admitted, cleaning off her gauntlet. 'It's a win-win y'know?'

'I see.' The doctor muttered, jotting rapidly in his notebook.

'And you Miss Schnee, a girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So, why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?' He asked, perched atop a seat of concrete, writing in his notebook. Weiss stabbed a grimm, pulling Myrtenaster out of its belly.

'It's exactly as you said, I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold.' She said, flicking her blade. 'Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty.'

'Interesting.' The doctor slipped his notebook into his coat pocket, dropping down from his perch.

'And what about you Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose.' The dark-haired girl glanced at the professor, sheathing Gambol Shroud.

'There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption, someone has to stop it.' She said firmly, clenching her fists. Doctor Oobleck observed her curiously, placing a hand on his chin.

'Very well. How?' He posed, and Blake did a double-take. She stared blankly at the doctor, her mouth agape.

'I…uh…' She mumbled, and the doctor grimaced. He zipped away wordlessly, and Blake turned her gaze downcast.

'Woof!' Zwei barked, hopping up and down to get at a whole roast chicken that Ruby was dangling over it on the end of her scythe. She started as Doctor Oobleck approached her, returning Crescent Rose to her back, the chicken vanishing in the process (how–?).

'Sorry! Uhh, are we ready to keep going?' She asked nervously, but Doctor Oobleck shook his head.

'No, I believe that will have to do for today.' He declared, casting his eyes to the sky. 'It's going to be dark soon.'

He chucked his backpack over his shoulder, and it slammed into Yang with an "oof".

'You four set up camp in that building.' He called over his shoulder, sipping once more from his ever-present thermos. 'Oh, and please do make sure that there are no more of those…creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby.'

The four remaining members glanced across each other, and Jaye shrugged uncaringly, taking the backpack from Yang. The four made their way inside, weapons drawn, while the doctor and Ruby made a trek down around the expanse of their new, temporary base.

'I can't believe we didn't find anything.' Yang kicked at the dirt at her feet, her boot scrunching in the gravel. Jaye used his semblance to run water over their camp area, lifting the dust and gravel away and into the corner. Blake poked at the fire.

'We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side.' She said, throwing another stick in. Weiss stood quietly, staring at the corner, arms crossed.

'That's not what I meant.' She murmured, and the three glanced at her. She turned back to them, letting her arms fall to her sides. 'Earlier, about, upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that.'

'Yeah, no, me too.' Yang watched her quietly, nodding in agreement. 'I mean, I don't know.'

'I don't know either.' Blake admitted, rubbing her arm. 'I know what I want to do but, I figured I'd always take things one step at a time.'

'Well, it doesn't matter, we know why we're here. Right?' Yang glanced over at Jaye, who avoided her eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. Doctor Oobleck zipped around the corner with Ruby in tow.

'Ah! Wonderful! A textbook campfire. Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?' He asked, and Ruby raised a hand in acknowledgement. He zipped off to an unknown area of the building, presumably to do teacher stuff. The girls watched him go, rolling out their sleeping bags while Jaye busied himself with dinner. He threw ingredients into a pot, hanging it over the fire, the girls watching him work.

'We have rations you know.' Weiss pointed out, and Jaye chuckled.

'Well, we have time tonight. Might as well have proper food.' He said simply, adding spices and water to the mix. A delicious aroma wafted through the air, and the girls' stomachs growled. Two hours later, he had finished a savory beef stew, and spooned out generous portions for everyone.

'This is really good!' Yang complemented through a mouthful of food, and the rest sounded out in agreement. Jaye smiled at them, grabbing seconds for himself.

'Thanks.' He said, dumping the thick gravy over his rice. He grabbed a spare plate out of his bag, filling it, and brought it back to the doctor, who was still jotting in his notebook behind a wall some ways behind the five.

'Ah, thank you Mister Ryder. I must say, this is the most glamorous meal I have received on a field study.' He received the plate graciously, watching the boy with interest. 'Now Mister Ryder, before you go, I would like you to answer one question.'

Jaye glanced back over his shoulder at the professor. He observed the pile of leaves, berries, and other plant parts sitting next to him, and turned away.

'Those are hydrangea leaves.' He said. 'They're poisonous, but only in very large quantities. they're relatively harmless. The berries you have under those are white baneberries. They're extremely potent, and can cause cardiac arrest. Keep those away from your food.'

The doctor glanced down at the berries, a look of mild surprise on his face. 'I see. Thank you, Mister Ryder, but while that was indeed helpful it was not the question I was about to ask you.'

'I know.' Jaye murmured, scratching his head. 'I don't really feel like answering, at least not to you. For now, I mean. The girls? I owe them that much, but I hope you understand.'

Doctor Oobleck shut his notebook, tossing the berries into the corner. He waved the boy away, turning his attention to the food.

'No matter, no matter. It is only a passing interest of mine, and a desire to help if necessary. Sharing is entirely up to you. So, if you do feel fit to do so, my ears are open.'

Jaye left the doctor, making his way back to the girls. He stared at the foreboding walls, the dust and grime coating them, and sighed. Glancing out from a hole in the wall, the moon loomed over them, cutting a crescent shaped wedge out of the night sky. He squinted at it, rubbing his eyes, and shuddered slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, however much he tried.

He rounded the corner, pausing as four eager pairs of eyes stared up at him. Ruby had deserted her post at the entrance, and they were now huddled around the fire. Jaye plopped down on his bedroll, prodding the fire.

'Well now, Mister Ryder, don't you have something you want to tell us?' Jaye started as a stick was shoved into his face like a microphone, a marshmallow stuck to the end of it. Ruby wiggled the stick, grinning at the boy, and the girls crowded closer to him. He flinched back reflexively at their gazes, and sighed in exasperation.

'Do we have to do it here?' He groaned, and flinched again as Yang jabbed a finger into his face.

'Oh no, you're not weaseling your way out of this one.' She declared, waggling her finger. 'You said "later" at the party, then we got delayed by projects, assignments, and now this mission! You're not putting this off any longer.'

Jaye sighed in defeat, hanging his arms. Yang waved a hand carelessly at their surroundings.

'Besides, this is basically a camping trip! What better setting to dig into a person's soul and have them spill all their dirty secrets!' She grinned maliciously. 'Besides, for the setting your story's likely to have, this is a great atmosphere!'

Jaye slapped a hand into his face, shaking his head in disbelief at their ridiculous reasoning. He peeked through his fingers, staring at the girls, and sighed again.

'Alright. Where do I begin?'

END. Get ready guys, it's gonna be Jaye's backstory next chapter!