Chapter Four of The Heroes of Remnant. Re-Write Published as of: 6/6/19
Song of the Chapter: Academic Decommitment - Composed by Michael Giacchino
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
Two Weeks After the Fall of Gaea
Nine Months Before the Battle of Beacon
-Leonidas Valdez-
Leo found himself standing amongst charred earth. He looked around and shuddered as he felt an uncomfortable feeling seep into his chest. He took a second to grow accustomed to it before he began to march through the familiar burnt ruins and toward the last remaining tower in the castle.
He passed through the ruins, and for some odd reason they started to become a bit more familiar to Leo. A smashed statue and destroyed dining hall that he could have sworn he'd seen somewhere before. However, he continued on approaching the ruined elevator shaft that was blocked by debris.
Without even having a chance to inspect it, he heard a growl behind him that he had become all too familiar with. This time Leo didn't even bother turning around, he had this dream so many times that he knew when the beast would be close enough to serve its purpose.
At the last second, Leo used his fire powers to launch himself into the air and over the Ursa that was charging at his back. With a crash the monster barreled into the debris, moving it out of the way and allowing for Leo to rocket himself up the shaft and away from it. He made it as far up as he could before suspending his fire powers and grabbing onto the ladder rungs that lined the inside of the shaft. After taking a moment to catch his breath he began to make his way toward the top, steeling himself for the gruesome sight he knew was waiting for him.
Eventually he came to the last ladder rung and he pulled himself in to the room's tallest tower. However, what he had been expecting... wasn't there?
Instead of the dead faces of six of the seven demigods he would call family, there were only two bodies. One was Percy's and the other was his best friend, Jason Grace. The positions they were in were no different from the previous dreams. Jason was lying face up on the ground. His stomach had a brutal slash across his stomach and the most horrifying thing was that instead of his right eye being slashed to hell like in his previous dreams, his right arm was nothing more than a stump, the appendage completely removed and burnt just barely below the shoulder.
Leo had to try and stop himself from throwing up at the sight and smell of Jason's new and gruesome injury. He had seen amputees at camp before, but their life changing injuries were healed and those people were smiling and moving forward with their lives. But this injury here and seeing it in person… it was horrifying.
Leo quickly averted his eyes from his friend and looked at the raven haired boy next to him. Unlike Jason, Percy's position remained unchanged and he had no new injuries. The fragments of a celestial bronze weapon laid around him on the ground and a sword made of glass still remained in the center of his chest. Leo took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, then he moved forward and crouched down, putting his fingers on Percy's neck, hoping to find a pulse.
However, he was met with the same reaction he always got. He almost jumped out of his skin when Percy's hand snapped up and grabbed on to Leo's wrist.
Percy looked into Leo's eyes, and his voice was ragged through the pain, "You could've… saved us."
The small amount of life that was in Percy's eyes disappeared and Leo could only be described as distressed. He looked up from Percy and looked out to the view the tower offered, only to see a city being burned to the ground and a gigantic roar filling the air.
Leo snapped awake and the first thing that he noticed is that he could barely breathe. He tried to throw the covers off, but accidentally fell out of bed during his struggle. He laid flat on the ground on his back and tried to just consume oxygen, but it was just so… difficult. He had thought he had started to get a handle on the hellish nightmare, but his condition had only been worsening the past few nights.
However, while Leo was concerned about the nightmare, the thing that bothered him the most was the sudden change in his dream. Maybe it was a good thing that the four of the seven were no longer there, but the fact that Jason remained and his wound was so gruesome puzzled Leo.
He couldn't dwell on it long as a rapid beeping noise went off next to Percy's nightstand. He heard a groan next to him and when he looked over he saw his roommate reach over and almost smash the alarm clock with his hand. He sat up in bed and gave a yawn before swinging his feet over and onto the floor. Percy blinked a few times as if he wasn't sure if it was really Leo laying on the floor.
"You good?" Percy asked, the grogginess clear in his voice.
"Yeah… yeah I'm good" Leo said as he sat up, thankful that he had managed to get his breathing under control.
Leo's elder just nodded his head and stood up. He moved toward his closet and removed his attire for the day, the ugly uniforms that Beacon's students were required to wear, and headed to the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on and Leo knew he didn't have long.
Leo ran a hand through his curly black hair and picked himself up off the floor. He knew he wouldn't have long before the day began so he started to prepare his things. He loaded a few pencils and pens into his bag and double checked to make sure he had his notebooks.
Behind him, he heard the shower turn off so he moved to grab his uniform from his closet. As he pulled his necessities out, he heard the bathroom door open and the room's lone occupant emerged. Leo had to hold back a snort as he saw Percy dressed up for the first time in his life. He had grown so accustomed to seeing the teen dressed in an orange camp shirt, ripped jeans, and Reebok shoes that this new Percy seemed like a made up, fictional character.
The younger of the two got up and slipped past the demigod. He quickly turned on the water and was pleased to find that Percy hadn't used all the water up. He quickly shed his layers and hopped in. With a quick shampoo and conditioner, the rats nest that was his bed head quickly disappeared and was replaced with his signature look that he liked to call 'the Hot Stuff'.
Once he was done, he turned off the water and stepped out. He quickly wiped himself off with his towel and began to change into his assigned uniform. When he had finally finished, he stepped out only to see Percy tapping his foot by the door, patiently waiting.
"Hold your horses amigo" Leo said as he sat down on his bed to as he slipped on his dress shoes "What's got you in such a rush?"
"Nothing really" Percy said as he checked his watch "You know me. I just get bored standing around."
Leo nodded his head in understanding. He finished tying his shoes and grabbed his satchel from next to him. He slung the leather harness over his should and walked toward the door, signaling he was ready to go.
Percy held the door open for Leo and the pair walked through. As they maneuvered through Beacon's hallways, Leo started to chat with Percy.
"So what's on tab for us first today?"
Percy pulled out his scroll from is pocket and opened it. The screen revealed an image of the two's shared schedule.
"It looks we got Grimm Studies with Professor Port" Percy said as his eyes scanned the image "Basically Monster 101."
"Ohhh useful" Leo said as the pair turned the corner of a corridor "Do you think they have an index for all the types of Grimm in the world?"
Percy furrowed his brow at the question "Weird question… but I don't think so. There are probably so many types of Grimm out there, but I doubt they've actually found them all."
"Hmm I think you're wrong" Leo challenged "I think they definitely have. The brochure for Beacon literally said that Humans and the Faunus have been fighting the Grimm for thousands of years. They must've seen them all."
"Fine, friendly bet. We ask Professor Port when we show up to class. If I'm right, I get your dessert tonight, but if you win then vice versa. Deal?"
"Deal" Leo said as he shook Percy's outstretched hand.
The two then continued to walk until they entered the lecture hall. The room was lined with rows of desks stacked upon one another, which each one higher than the one in front of it. In front was a teacher's desk and a man Leo assumed to be Professor pair approached the desk and Percy was the one to get his attention.
"Excuse me, are you Professor Port?"
The portly professor looked up from the paper he was reading and toward the two teenagers now in front of him.
"I am in fact Professor Port" the man said as he eyed the two "And you two must be Perseus Jackson and Leonidas Valdez. Ozpin was quite taken with the two of you during your initiation exam in the Emerald Forest."
The pair of demigods shared a looked before turning back to the man.
"Well we had a bet that we wanted you to settle" Leo said.
"Is there an index that contains all the known species of Grimm? Your answer is of the utmost important because we have tonight's dessert riding on your answer" Percy added in.
The professor chuckled at the two demigods, "There is in fact an index of all the species of Grimm…"
"HA! I told you" Leo said as he started to do a tiny victory dance.
"However!" Port said, stopping Leo mid Cupid Shuffle "The collection of all known Grimm species is known as the Grimmdex, and it is constantly being updated by hunters and huntresses around the world. New Grimm appear all the time and it's some huntsmen's lifelong task of finding and defeating every single species."
"So then it's both?" Percy asked.
Port thought for a second, his hand rubbing the silver beard on his face.
"Yes it would be correct to state it is both. The creation of new Grimm is not uncommon, but they tend to come in droves, meaning that the Grimmdex has to be updated every two to three years."
"AHAH!" Percy said triumphantly "You're not getting my dessert any time soon Valdez."
Leo groaned as he realized he had lost his chance at double dessert "I was this close to getting a double chocolate pudding pie tonight. You've ruined me Professor Port."
The Professor let out a booming laugh, "I'm sorry my boy, but I had to be honest. I'm sure you can bet with another student and win a second dessert."
The two demigods thanked the professor for his answer and retreated toward the desks where they continued to debate Port's answer. A few minutes went by and students began to trickle into the class. Team CRDL rolled in and took seats in the back of the class while a lone Faunas girl with rabbit ears took a spot in the very front row.
Time continued to trickle down until it was five minutes before the start of their 9 A.M. class. The room was mostly full, with the exception of eight seats. However, Percy and Leo knew exactly who the seats belonged to. Team RWBY and JNPR were running fashionably late, and if they weren't fast, they'd get detention on the first day of classes.
The clock continued to wind down until there only remained one more minute in which Team RWBY and JNPR could make it. However, at 8:59, the doors to Professor Port's room swung open, and Team RWBY and JNPR scrambled to get into the room, tripping over themselves during the process..
Percy and Leo chuckled at their friends' antics. Team RWBY moved toward the front row with four empty seats in front of the two while Team JNPR filled in the back row behind the demigods.
As soon as the two teams got seated the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.
"Monsters! Deeeeemons… Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I prefer to refer to them as prey!" Professor Port said as he gave out a hearty laugh.
However, his joke was met with silence by the rest of the class.
Percy leaned over and whispered to Leo, "His jokes are almost as bad as Apollo's haikus.
Leo tilted his head and glanced at Percy, "Dude, is there any greek god you haven't met?"
Before Percy could reply Professor Port started up again, "Uhhhh, and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear us to pieces! And that's where we come in! Huntsmen! Huntresses! Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what you ask, why the very world! But first... a story! A tale of a young and handsome man… me!"
Port then proceeded to tell his story to the class. Pyrrha, Ren, Blake, and Weiss sat in their seats respectfully, trying their best to not get bored by the professor's story. However, the other six consisting of Percy, Jaune, Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Leo had stopped paying attention entirely, instead opting to doddle, sleep, or fidget with gears in their tool belt.
Throughout Port's speech, Leo split his time between focusing on his random creation in front of him and Ruby. He laughed at Ruby doing childish things, such as picking her nose, making a paper airplane, and even her briefly snoring in class. However, he also noticed Weiss growing increasingly more annoyed with her partner, and Leo knew that this wasn't going to end well.
"The moral of the story?" Port said as he began to finish his speech "A true huntsmen must be honorable! A true huntsmen must be dependable! A true huntsmen must be strategic, well educated, and wise! Now who amongst you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
At that moment, Weiss snapped her hand toward the sky and Percy raised his hand as well, albeit much slower than Schnee heiress.
"Ahh Miss Schnee and Mister Jackson! Well then step forward!"
Port then motioned to two sets of cages behind him, each revealing a two pairs of crimson eyes that seemed to be locked on to Leo.
"Gather your equipment from your lockers and meet us back here for your tests! Miss Schnee you will go first and then Mister Jackson" Port instructed.
The two then left the classroom for their lockers and during their absence, Leo leaned forward to Ruby, Yang, and Blake who were in front of him.
"How do you think the fight is going to go?" Leo asked.
"It's gonna be awesome!" Ruby said cheerfully "Weiss is totally going to kick mystery Grimm's butt."
"Yeah she is" Yang said agreeing with her sister "Heck I bet she'll beat it up faster than Percy."
With that Leo smiled, "Wanna make a bet out of it? You get my dessert tonight if Weiss kills the Grimm faster, but if Percy kills the Grimm faster, I get yours."
"Oh yeah you got a deal shorty-stack" Yang said as she smiled evilly "Your dessert tonight will make a fine addition to the contents of my belly."
"HA! We'll see" Leo replied back.
A short while later, Weiss and Percy returned in their battle gear. Weiss in her white combat skirt and her matching white top and bolero jacket while Percy in his form fitting, black armor.
Percy stood in the aisle of the desks while Weiss took up position in the middle of the classroom, the Heiress preparing himself for the fight ahead.
Port swung the axe portion of his weapon and it shattered the lock holding the gate closed. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then a Grimm burst through.
It was definitely an ugly Grimm in Leo's opinion. The monster resembled a giant boar with the exception of its bone armor, larger than normal tusks, and a pair of fangs in front that resembled something that belonged on a saber tooth tiger.
"Goooooo Weiss!" Yang cheered as she raised a fist into the air.
"Fight well!" Blake encouraged as she waved a small flag that had RWBY printed on it.
"Yeah represent Team RWBY!" Ruby cheered.
"Ruby!" Weiss hissed back at her youngest teammate "I'm trying to focus!"
Leo narrowed his eyes at Weiss' comment toward the girl he had a crush on, but he let it go. After all, everyone did respond differently when in the middle of a fight.
The monster then charged at Weiss, but she deflected its attack with Myrtenaster and rolled to the side as she prepared herself for her next move.
"Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby called from her seat, but Weiss ignored her.
Weiss must not have been in the mood to sit around because she charged toward the Grimm sending an attack at the creature's head. When the strike reached, the tip of Myrtenaster deflected off the creatures bone armor plating and lodged itself between its tusks, leaving Weiss extremely close to the beast with her hand still on her rapier.
"Come on Weiss! Show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered from the stadium. Weiss snapped her head back to say something to her, but as she did, the Grimm started to thrash about. Sending Weiss stumbling backwards and Myrtenaster was sailing through the air, and landing behind the Grimm.
"Oh-ho!" Port observed from his desk "Now what will you do without your weapon?"
Weiss retreated back a few steps and observed the situation. The Grimm charged again and the Heiress rolled to the side, just barely dodging its razor sharp tusks. She then toward her weapon and slid into a baseball slide as she quickly retrieved her life line.
"Weiss go for the Borbatusk's belly! There's no armor-" Ruby began.
"Ruby!" Weiss hissed from the middle of the room "Stop telling me what to do!"
However, before Ruby could offer some type of response, Percy yelled at the W of Team RWBY.
"Weiss!"
Weiss glanced at him for a second and then turned back to the Grimm. However, the monster did something Leo wouldn't expect. It leaped into the air and curled into a ball. However when it hit the ground, it began to roll toward Weiss, picking up speed every second.
Weiss had a plan though. When the beast got within striking distance, she summoned a blue snowflake glyph in front of her, shielding her from the Grimm. Once the beast struck it, it flew backwards, landing onto its back.
After that Weiss jumped into the air and the blue snowflake glyph she had previously summoned moved from in front of Weiss to behind her. As soon as the tips of her high heels made contact with the glyph, it turned to black and launched her toward the pig Grimm. With Myrtenaster outstretched, the tip of the blade pierced it's belly. The Grimm let out a shrieking noise, but as soon as it began it quickly stopped, and the monster began to disintegrate into black dust.
"Bravo Miss Schnee!" Professor Port said from his desk "That was very resourceful of you to take down the Boarbatusk with such bravo! Please take your seat. I believe that it is now Mister Jackson's turn."
Weiss began to walk back toward her companions, but before she could turn down the aisle and make it to her seat, Percy grabbed her by the wrist. He leaned down and whispered something into the girl's ear, but Leo couldn't quite hear what it was from his spot in the middle of the room. However, when Percy let go and made his way down to face his Grimm opponent, Weiss returned to her seat, clearly annoyed by whatever it was that Percy said to her.
Leo eyed Weiss until she sat down and then turned his attention back towards his partner who had now taken the proverbial center stage.
Percy had already pulled his shield off his back and the straps were placed snugly around his wrist and Onyx was already in hand. He prepared himself and nodded toward the professor, signaling that he was prepared. With a head nod of acknowledgment, Professor Port swung his axe, shattering the lock. Another Boarbatusk came barreling toward him in the form of its strange rolling attack. However, as soon as the Grimm was close, Percy merely stepped out of the way, using technique similar to that of a bullfighter.
The Boarbatusk didn't have much time or brain power to realize it had missed. In its stupidity, it kept speeding forward and crashed into the wall behind Percy. The Grimm attempted to recover, but it began to stumble around, clearly disoriented after colliding with the durable surface.
Percy took advantage of the situation and sprinted toward the Boarbatusk. Once in close quarters range, he launched a shielded uppercut at the beast's head. He connected with the bottom of the Grimm's jaw, the force of the blow lifting it off it's front legs and sending it into the wall.
He covered ground quickly and once he was in range, he threw a quick left jab with his shield arm, nailing the Grimm in the throat and pinning it to the wall. He then expertly twirled Onyx in his hand and stabbed the beast in the stomach. The Boarbatusk let out a squeal like the one Weiss had killed and Percy let it drop to the floor as he removed his shield from its throat. The Grimm began to disintegrate and disappeared into black dust.
Professor Port was the first to speak, "Excellent work Mister Jackson! Now class can you tell me the differences between Miss Schnee's and Mister Jackson's approach to fighting the Boarbatusk?"
At first not a single hand was went up. But eventually, Pyrrha raised her hand from her spot in the back of the room.
"Ah yes! Miss Nikos! Can you tell me?" Port asked.
"Weiss showed how important it is to adjust in the middle of a fight when things go wrong" Pyrrha pointed out "Her quick retrieval of her weapon through the use of her semblance is testament to that."
Weiss had a smug look on her face. After all, it wasn't every day one was praised by the four time Mistral Champion. However, Leo chuckled as Weiss's facial expression morphed from prideful to horror as Pyrrha continued her examination of the fights.
"The only problem with Weiss and her fight with the Boarbatusk is that she allowed herself to become distracted. If one becomes distracted in battle, the enemy can quickly gain the upper-hand and defeat you."
"Very good!" Professor Port congratulated "And someone else for Mister Jackson. Miss Belladonna?"
Leo half expected Blake to not be paying attention, instead expecting her to be reading a interesting book of some kind. However, he was pleasantly surprised that Blake was paying attention and even gave a gave a great answer to his question.
"Percy never allowed himself to become distracted and he beat the Boarbatusk using it's own stupidity. He was relentless when given the opportunity, and he finished it with an amazing blend of power and precision." Blake answered in her normal, monotone voice.
"Yes absolutely outstanding Miss Belladonna!" Port bellowed, praising the ninja like girl "Focus is one of the key elements in battle. One must be focused on their enemy as well as be resourceful during a battle. If not, you will find yourself struggling to keep up with your opponent. And that is something we simply cannot allow."
After Port's analysis of Pyrrha and Blake's answers, a sharp ringing sound filled the air signaling the end of class. Students began to pack up their belongings and Percy made his way back to his desk to get his bag. When he got there, he was congratulated by Team JNPR, Blake, and Yang, but Leo had slipped outside, where Ruby and Weiss had escaped the droves trying to exit the classroom.
As soon as he made it out, it wasn't too hard to find the pair. Leo heard the shouting from a distance and he approached cautiously, not wanting to interrupt their spat unless absolutely necessary. He peeked his head around the corner and he saw Weiss berating Ruby.
"That's just it! You've done absolutely nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child!" Weiss said as she belittled her partner.
"Weiss where is this coming from? What happened to all the 'working together' stuff you were talking about? I thought you believed in being a team…" Ruby said, clearly confused and hurt by her partners words.
"Not a team led by you." Weiss sneared "I've studied and trained and quite frankly, I believe I deserve better."
Ruby tried to reach out to Weiss, but her hand fell as soon as Weiss uttered one sentence.
"Ozpin made a mistake."
And with that the Ice Queen stormed off, leaving Ruby alone in the hall and on the verge of tears. She leaned against the wall that was next to her and slumped down. When she reached the bottom, she pulled her legs in tight and Leo could hear the sound of sniffling.
Leo took a deep breath before he turned the corner. He walked over next to Ruby and when he reached her, he slide down the wall until he was sitting on the floor next to her. As soon as he got comfortable, he sat there in silence for a few seconds while Ruby tried her best to hold back her tears.
Eventually, Ruby sensed a presence next to her and she peeked her head up and looked at Leo. He could see a tear in her silver eyes, with one slowly streaming down her face.
"Go away Leo" Ruby muttered sadly as she put her head back down, "I just wanna be left alone."
"Heck no I'm not leaving" Leo said as he continued to look at Ruby "I'd be a pretty terrible friend if I left you here by yourself."
Ruby didn't say anything, as she continued to sniffle beside him.
Leo didn't know what to do. He had never really been in a situation where it was just him and a girl who was crying. Then again, he had never really been alone with a girl ever.
"You know what Weiss said about you was wrong right?"
Ruby didn't respond.
"You are a capable leader Ruby." Leo continued "You proved it when you came up with you plan to defeat that giant chicken during initiation."
The sniffles had stopped, but the young Rose's head was still between her knees.
"It's hard to be a leader. I've never really been one, but it's something I know for sure. However after watching Percy and my friend Jason, I know that it takes a strong person to be one. Ruby, you might not think so, but I think you're a strong person. I have faith that you'll use that strength to lead Team RWBY regardless what Weiss says. It's not going to be easy but that's why you have me."
With that Ruby looked up with a hopeful look on her eyes and a slight blush on her cheeks.
"… and Percy and everyone in Team JNPR" Leo muttered out quickly "But the point is, you don't have to do this alone. We're going to be here with you every step of the way, whether you like it or not!"
Ruby let out a small laugh and did something that surprised Leo. She leaned in slightly and rested her head on Leo's shoulder.
"Thanks Leo..." she said softly with a small smile on her face "I really needed that pep talk."
Leo's face then turned the same shade of red the Ares kids used when painting Cabin Five, "No problem Ruby. I'm glad I could help."
The two then sat there in silence for a few seconds until Leo made a suggestion.
"Hey why don't we go to the cafeteria and get some food? If my Scroll timer was correct, your sister owes me her dessert and I'd be more than happy to cash it in during lunch."
Ruby then picked her head off Leo's shoulder, much to Leo's disappointment.
"Only if it's cookies!" Ruby said excitedly.
Leo then picked himself up off the floor and held a hand out to Ruby, "You got yourself a deal Miss Rose."
A smile appeared on Ruby's face and she took Leo's hand as he pulled her up.
The two then set off for the cafeteria, with Leo trying his best to keep up with the rose petal girl.
-Yang Xiao Long-
"Dude! That was totally awesome!" Jaune said as he gave Percy a fist bump once he had reconvened with his friends after his brawl with the Boarbatusk.
"It was certainly most impressive Percy" Ren said as he gave Percy a smile.
"Thanks guys, but it was really nothing" Percy said humbly, trying to advert attention from himself.
"Nothing?" Blake asked inquisitively "You made that Boarbatusk look foolish, and it was at least twice the size of the one Weiss fought."
"Yeah Percy! Don't sell yourself short!" Yang said as she slung her arm around Percy's shoulder, "You'll have to show me some of your moves sometimes."
Percy just laughed as he had gotten used to Yang's flirtatious personality, "I doubt you'd even be able to keep up with me goldilocks."
"Oh yeah?" Yang challenged as she tilted her head to look at Percy.
"Yeah" Percy challenged as he tilted his head to look at hers.
"I love violence!" Nora yelled from in front of them "Break his legs Yang!"
Percy's chuckled a bit at Nora's comment and Yang started to giggle. Once the two's fit of laughter had died down, Yang removed her arm as she felt Percy began to move away.
"Hey I'll catch up with you guys later. There's uh… something I need to take care of real quick."
The group muttered their goodbyes as they watched Percy began to head down the hall. The teenager had some pep in his step, as if he was determined to get somewhere… or catch up with someone.
"Man I'm starving" Jaune said as his stomach began to grumble "Let's get some food."
Team JNPR muttered their agreements and as Blake was about to open her mouth to agree, Yang cut her off.
"Sure! We'll be right there. Me and Blakey have to take care of something real quick and then we'll see you in the cafeteria. Save us a seat!"
As she finished speaking, Yang grabbed Blake by the arm and began to pull her partner by the wrist in the direction that Percy had gone.
"Whoa Yang… slow down!" Blake said as she tried to pry her wrist from her arm "What has gotten into you?"
"Just come with me Blake! I wanna see where Percy is going, and as my partner, you're required to help me. It's in the syllabus for Beacon."
"Syllabus? What? Yang just slow-"
However, the raven haired girl was cut off as Yang whispered for her to shush and motioned for her to take up position on the other side of the door that lead to an empty classroom. Inside, they could hear Weiss and Percy's voices, and it seemed like they were in the middle of an argument.
Originally, Yang had wanted to go after Weiss with Blake and confront her about how she treated Ruby during class. She knew Ruby could handle her own battles, but Weiss had rubbed her the wrong way today. Ruby was young and trying her best to be a supportive team leader. However, it seemed like Percy had beaten her to the punch.
Yang and Blake began to listen intently from their side of the door. Their voices slightly muffled, but the pair could still hear the other two classmates inside the room. It seemed like the two had made it just in time for the shouting match.
"So are you like a professional asshole or what?" Percy yelled, as the argument began to heat up "Your whole team was cheering for you, but you only snapped at Ruby? "
"She doesn't deserve to be leader of Team RWBY" Weiss hissed in response "She's childish and frankly, I think we both deserve better."
Yang almost charged into the room and was ready to knock some sense into Weiss, but Blake stopped her by placing a gentle hand on the wrist. It was a simple gesture, but Yang understood the meaning: wait and see what happens.
"Well first of all, Ruby is still fifteen. She's allowed to be a kid. And what do you mean by we?"
"You and me are easily the most suited for being leaders. We're easily two of the best fighters at this school. I'm more mature than Ruby and you're clearly more skilled than that dunce Arc."
Percy just stared at Weiss his mouth slightly ajar and began to shake his head in disappointment.
"Weiss it's not about maturity or skill. You don't have the slightest clue what it takes to be a leader."
"Excuse me?" the heiress snapped back.
"You're painting this picture where being a leader is some... glorious thing! Let me make it clear right now. It's not. Not at all."
"And how do you know that?" Weiss scoffed "We've been at Beacon for four days. The only leading you've done was lead Leo to class."
"And who have you lead Weiss?! Huh?!" Percy fired back "It was Ruby's plan that killed the Nevermore and Jaune's leadership that helped us kill the Deathstalker! If you're this great prodigy, why didn't you come up with a plan?"
Weiss was visibly taken back. The girl having never been challenged so directly by someone who wasn't her kin. Her mouth was agape like a fish, trying to think of something she could say, but it was clear Percy had backed her into a corner.
"There is no glory in leading. If you make a bad call, people could get hurt or even worse. You have to live with that on your conscious. Everyday." Percy said as he got in Weiss's face "So don't ever think you know something about leading, because obviously you don't."
Weiss' meet his eyes in a firm glare that Percy did not yield. Stormy green challenging frozen ice. For a moment, it seemed like neither was going to yield, but Weiss broke her gaze and smoothed her combat skirt out. softened and her anger started to disappear as she realized what Percy was alluding to.
"I... suppose I have been cold to Ruby and that it may have been... excessive." Weiss said, clearly not wanting to admit her guilt.
Percy gave Weiss a look.
"Fine" Weiss said with a huff "It was excessive, and I promise I'll make it right."
Percy gave her a small smile, "Good, because I expect you to. You should probably apologize today. It would make Ruby feel a whole lot better."
Weiss gave Percy a smile and Percy gave her one in return. However, Weiss' stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl.
Percy laughed, "Jeez I didn't know you stomach sounds like a growling Ursa when you get hungry Weiss."
Weiss slapped his arm, "Be quiet! I didn't have time to eat this morning."
Percy then motioned to the door of the classroom "Come on Weiss, let's get that stomach of yours some food. To the dining hall!"
Weiss gave a small laugh at Percy's antics and the two began to move toward the door.
Yang and Blake saw it as their cue and the two quickly fled from their spots. Blake stealthy took the lead and before they knew it, they were in the cafeteria and seated next to their teammates. When Percy had arrived, he sat next to Yang and Weiss sat next to Blake. The group went about their normal lunch. However, Yang had begun to stare at Percy out of the corner of her eye.
She wouldn't tell many people, but Yang was honestly taken with Percy. He was cute, sweet, and definitely could take more than a few punches if they ever spared together. However, the thing that made Percy stand out from the other boys who had flirted with her, was his genuine care and concern for Ruby.
Her sister had told her her multiple times about the night where she had proved herself and stopped Roman Torchwick and his goons. She had described the two boys who had helped her, how they were both ferocious fighters, with one fighting with a traditional sword and shield and the other with a pair of plain old screwdrivers and a futuristic looking glove. So when they had fought in the Emerald Forest during initiation, Yang had come to to the realization that it had been Percy and Leo who had helped Ruby that night in Vale. With that, Yang owed them a big, fat I.O.U. Ruby meant the world to her, and if anything had happened to her? Well… Yang wasn't sure and she didn't really want to think about it.
After that, Yang started to like Percy a little bit more. During their battle with the Nevermore, he had entrusted Ruby, a girl he barely knew, with his life along with everyone else that was at the ruins that day. He didn't doubt and he certainly didn't put her down, and for that, Yang was grateful. Percy, Leo, and Jaune may have been Ruby's first friends at Beacon, but Percy had been the one to get Ruby to believe in herself and show everyone what she could do.
And lastly, Percy had stood up for Ruby and knocked some common sense into Weiss in a much friendlier manner than she would have herself. Sure, she didn't like anyone criticizing and picking on her sister. Afterall, Ruby was a big girl and could fight her own battles, but having a watchful friend like Percy there to keep an eye on Ruby when she wasn't around certainly helped her sleep at night.
It seemed like the good things about Percy kept pilling on, and that honestly made Yang more intrigued. However, she wasn't crazy though. She had known Percy for a week, maybe even a little bit less. She'd play it cool like she always did, and use the Xiao Long swagger to get to know him better. Yang finally stopped looking at Percy and looked toward the muscle of Team JNPR. Nora was in the middle of telling a story that seemed too good to be true and Yang didn't want to miss out on it.
"We were in the middle of the woods, surrounded by Ursai…" Nora began.
"They were Beowolves" Ren interjected .
"Dozens of them!" Nora yelled as she stood up and waved her arms for effect.
"There were only two."
"But they were no match! Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursai skin rugs!"
Nora's story got an assortment of chuckles from the group. Yang heard Ruby's squeaky giggle, Pyrrha's muffled laugh from behind her hand, and Leo's devilish cackle that she was sure had been the bane of many teachers existence.
However, her attention had drifted from the laugh's of her friends to Ruby her was staring worriedly at Jaune. The lady-killer had been awfully quiet and was pushing his food around on his plate with his fork.
"Jaune are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, drawing the tables attention to knight.
Jaune refocused and quit playing with his food, "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine! Why?"
"It's just that you seem a little… not okay." Ruby admitted.
"Yeah dude. You used to be funny and awkward Jaune who threw up on people, now you're just depressed Jaune. What's been bothering you?" Leo asked.
"Guys! I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" Jaune said as he held two thumbs up and gave a weak smile. However, his facade couldn't fool anyone that was sitting at the table.
Yang shifted her attention from Jaune and looked behind him to see the sight of Team CRDL, Beacon's resident first year assholes, who were picking on Velvet Scarlatina. Yang only knew Velvet because of Weiss. After initation, Weiss had dragged them all to the library, demanding that they read up more on Nevermore's and Deathstalkers, that way they would never be caught off guard again. There, the newly formed Team RWBY had been lucky enough to met Velvet who had been in the library reading. The girl was exceptionally sweet, sharing her love of her photography with them. So when Yang saw that Team CRDL were pulling her rabbit ears, her blood began to boil.
"Jaune, Cardin and his cronies has been picking on you since you first got to Beacon!" Pyrrha pointed out.
"Yeah he's a bully!" Ruby agreed.
"Who Cardin Winchester? Nah… he just likes to mess around that's all!" Jaune tried to plead in his defense, "Name one time he's bullied me!"
"Well there's the numerous times he's knocked your books out of your hands" Blake said.
"The time he expanded your shield so you got stuck in the doorway" Yang pointed out.
"And the time he locked you in a rocket locker and you got shot into the air" Ren added.
Jaune let out a forced laugh, "I didn't land that far from school!"
"Jaune" Percy said getting his attention, "Cardin is being a jerk to you. You should tell someone."
The group then heard Velvet cry out in pain, "Ow stop it! It hurts!"
"See I told you they were real!" Cardin said to his team as he pulled on her ears.
"What a freak!" Russel laughed.
Pyrrha just glared, "Atrocious. I can't stand people like that."
Blake was staring daggers at Team CRDL, "You're not the only one…"
Yang bean to stand up, but Percy put a hand on her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. He glanced at her, "Don't worry, we got this."
Percy shot a look toward Leo, and the curly haired boy met his eyes and the two nodded simultaneously. The both stood up from the table and began to walk towards Team CRDL and Velvet.
Yang wasn't sure what they had planned, but she was certainly hoping that whatever it was, it was good.
"CUT!" Leo yelled as he approached Team CRDL
The short teenager was waving his arms around and Yang had to suppress the giggle that was rapidly developing. It might have been a serious situation, but she'd be damned if she didn't laugh at Leo's acting.
"Mr. Winchester! This is not what you're supposed to be doing in this scene!" Leo said as if he was fashionista movie director "Ruby! Pyrrha! Oh where are those dang assistants!"
The two girls shared a look, but they quickly got up from their lunch bench and moved to stand next to Leo. Both curious to see what he had planned.
"Will you two please escort this young lady to our table. She needs to get familiar with her lines for her next scene!"
The two girls then walked Velvet back to their table, with Blake sliding over a bit so she had a pace to sit. Ruby on her other side of her new Faunus friend and Pyrrha stood behind her protectively with crossed arms.
Cardin stood up from his spot at the table, clearly unhappy that his toy had been taken away. The bully rose to his full height and he easily stood a foot taller than Leo and was maybe three or four inches taller than Percy.
"Losers standing up for animal freaks now huh? Never thought I'd see the day that'd happen" He said with snicker.
Leo just rolled his eyes, "No, no, Mister Winchester. Me and Percy are just here to remind you of your lines." Leo then gestured his partner beside him "Percy if you would?"
Percy nodded and moved toward Cardin.
'Whoa what do you think you're -" Cardin began but he was stopped mid sentence as Percy launched a devastating uppercut that sent the bully into the air and crashing down onto the table his team had been sitting at. The whole dining hall became quiet at the sight and only hushed whispers could be heard.
'Whoa did you see that?" a second year student whispered.
"Yes you moron everyone in the cafeteria saw it"
"Well jeez, no need to be rude about it."
The rest of Team CRDL rushed to their leader and tried to help him off of the table, but Cardin shook them off as he got up.
"You're gonna regret that you piece of shit" Cardin said angrily. With Cardin charged toward Percy and Leo, with the Russel, Dove, and Sky not to far behind.
Without anyone seeing, Percy willed a small cup of water that was sitting on a table to fall out of the cup and trickle onto the floor and Percy willed it to freeze. Cardin, in his blind rage, didn't see the newly formed ice upon the ground and he fell forward in front of Percy. The rest of Team CRDL didn't have enough time to react as they tripped over their humongous leader. The raging boys had very quickly become nothing more than a body of limbs, tangled up on the floor.
Cardin tried to push himself up, but Percy stepped on his hand. The bully looked up only to see Percy's eyes, now the color of a storming sea.
"Let us be very clear Cardin" Percy said coldly "If you try to harm us or anyone else we know..."
Percy then began to move his boot heel back and forth on Cardin's fingers, and the boy grit his teeth, refusing to show pain in front of the whole school.
"It won't be pretty."
Leo then squatted down, becoming eye level with the other boys. He may not have been as scary as Percy, but he certainly wasn't willing to back down.
"And we'll make sure you never touch anyone ever again. Understood?"
All the boys except Cardin shook their heads quickly, while their leader merely glared daggers at the partners.
With their acknowledgement finally made, Percy lifted his boot up off of Cardin's hand and the boy was quick to grab and massage his fingers.
"Good. Now you all should go. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourselves anymore than you already have today." Leo taunted.
The group of boys got up from the floor and turned for the door, trying their best to save face. When they were walking away, Cardin looked at Russel, "I'm gonna kick that boy's ass."
Percy and Leo turned around and made their way back to their table. Team RWBY and JNPR began to cheer for their friends, giving them high fives and first bumps when they sat down.
"That was really brave of you guys." Blake said before the boys even had a chance to sit down.
"It was nothing" Percy said modestly as he placed himself next to Yang.
"We just tried to do the right thing." Leo said proudly.
Then Velvet, the girl CRDL was bullying, spoke up.
"Th… Thank you for helping me" she said quietly.
"Anytime" Percy said happily "If they ever pick on you again, you come get anyone sitting at this table right now and we'll make sure we…"
"Break his legs!" Nora yelled with a crazed look in her eyes.
Everyone at the table eyed Nora for a second then burst out laughing.
Amidst the laughter, Percy turned to the girl, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name?"
She reached out her hand, "It's Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."
"It's nice to meet you Velvet" Percy said with a smile and he shook her hand "I'm Percy Jackson."
"And I'm Leo Valdez! The better looking and funnier member of Beacon's two man Huntsmen team."
Percy rolled his eyes and Velvet covered her mouth with a hand to stop herself from giggling.
Meanwhile, Yang was watching the exchange between the three. She was glad to see Percy had helped Velvet, the Faunas girl clearly appreciating being able to sit and talk amongst friends, even if they were new. However, the thing that surprised Yang was how… intimidating Percy and Leo had been to Team CRDL.
Percy had stomped on Cardin's hand pretty hard, but the bully had deserved it. Sure it may have tinkered on the edge of being cruel, but it was justified. Percy and Leo embarrassed CRDL because what they had done was wrong and they helped a person who needed help. She smiled at that. Percy was brave enough to stand up to Grimm and racists, and that just made him all the more attractive.
-Qrow Branwen-
Qrow hadn't been expecting Ozpin to recall him back to Beacon. He was hot on the trail of Salem and was close to learning something about her associates. However, when he got the call to come back to Vale with the news that something important had been obtained, Qrow doubled back immediately. He trusted Ozpin, and if ol' Oz found something important, it was worth coming back.
He had gotten in late the night before. About one or two in the morning. It was too late to go see Ruby or Yang and Patch was too far away for Qrow to visit Tai. So he decided to let himself into one of the empty dorm rooms that Beacon had and enjoyed a nice pleasant rest as most of the kiddos started their first day of school. It had been too long since he had slept in a real bed, and Oum knew how long ago since he was here at Beacon with Team STRQ.
At about 8:30, Qrow awoke to his Scrolls alarm clock, his meeting with Oz scheduled for 9. Qrow sat up in the dorm bed that he now realized was much too small for him and he moved his feet out onto the floor and he looked around. Being in a dorm like this brought back lots of memories. Tai's flirting with his sister and Summer making cookies, desperately trying to get everyone on their best behavior. However, Qrow's small smile quickly disappeared as the good memories were washed away by the bad.
Qrow grabbed his flask from the nightstand next to him and took a swig. The familiar burning taste of whiskey sliding down his throat, providing him a small escape from the endless nightmare that was his semblance. He finally stood up from his bed and the reaper ran a hand through his black greasy hair. He moved over into the corner and grabbed his trusty weapon, Harbinger, and slung the enormous sword across his back.
Qrow quietly exited the room and made his way through the familiar halls of Beacon Academy. Once he had made it outside of Ozpin's tower, Qrow took a quick look around. After seeing that there was no one in sight, he took off at run and took a leap into the air. The transformation of turning into a crow had been strange to him at first, but now it was simple to him. Like wielding Harbinger or dealing with Yang when she was on a temper tantrum.
Qrow flew his way up to the top of Ozpin's tower. He circled it once, twice, and then finally landed himself on the third time around. Before Qrow even hit the ground, he was back in his human form and began to strut toward his friends desk.
The headmaster was sitting, going over some paperwork. A bit of steam rose from the fresh hot chocolate that was resting in the mug that was on the table. Qrow's footsteps echoed on the ground, causing Ozpin to glance up. A small smile appeared on Oz's face as he saw one of his closest allies and friends. Oz rose from his seat and made his way over toward Qrow. The headmaster reached out his hand and Qrow grabbed it, firmly shaking it.
"It's good to see you again Oz" Qrow said.
"Likewise my friend" Ozpin replied "I apologize for pulling you out of the field, especially when you were so close to finding something."
Qrow just waved Ozpin's apology off, "It's fine. You know how these things go. More whispers will pop up eventually."
Ozpin nodded at his friend, and grabbed his mug off his desk. Taking a sip before placing the mug back down on the iron and class table.
"We've been lucky Qrow. Very lucky over these past few months." Ozpin said.
"How so?"
"For starters, the first year teams have shown to be resourceful. You should be proud of your nieces."
Qrow gave a small laugh "Little Rose and the Firecracker sure have come a long way. I'm proud of them."
"As you should be" Ozpin said stoically, "However… something else has come into the light. Something that may very well turn the tides in this war."
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Did we find another maiden?"
"Unfortunately no, we did not. But we found people who share our ideology. Powerful people who's strength has the potential to rival that of a maidens' " Ozpin said cryptically.
"People?" Qrow asked, clearly confused. "Oz what are you getting at?"
At that moment, the elevator door dinged. Qrow and Ozpin turned to face the now opening doors and two teenagers Qrow was unfamiliar with emerged along with Glynda Goodwitch. The kid on the right was tall, easily above six feet, but still shorter than Qrow. He had raven black hair, sea green eyes, and a laid back demeanor, similar to the vibe Tai had given off when he had been a student here. The kid was dressed in a green long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a tattoo on the inside of his wrist, a pair of dark blue jeans along with black sneakers.
Next to him, was another teenage boy, except this one was significantly shorter than his counterpart. The teen had curly black hair, brown eyes, and was dressed in a white long sleeve shirt with black suspenders going over both of his shoulders, connected to his brown pants. He was wearing a white pair of shoes that had been dirtied, more than likely from dirt or coal.
"Who are the kids?" Qrow asked.
"We're not kids" the shorter one said "Neither of us have been one for a long time."
"Qrow, this is Leonidas Valdez and Perseus Jackson. Students here who know about our... situation."
"What?!" Qrow yelled as he whipped around to face Ozpin, "Oz you can't be serious. They're kids! You told some random kids about what's at stake?!"
"He didn't tell us all of it." Percy said coming to Ozpin's defense "He wanted to wait until you came back from wherever you were."
"You stay out of it kid" Qrow said harshly "I trust you about as far as I can throw you."
"Qrow you need to be reasonable. They may be able to turn the tide in this fight. They…" Ozpin began but he was cut off by Percy.
"We're part god."
Qrow quickly turned back to face the kid, clearly annoyed "Yeah? If we're playing the make believe game, then I'm the King of Vale."
"He's not lying Qrow" Ozpin pleaded "And given all we've seen and know, could you really dismiss it so easily?"
The reaper let out a sharp breath of air from his nose "I don't believe it Oz. You told me the Brother's of Light and Darkness disappeared after they made humanity. It shouldn't be possible that they came back, let alone had kids? Let me get this straight, you're a godling?"
"You see… that's where it gets complicated." Leo added in.
"Then uncomplicate it" Qrow said harshly.
We're children of gods...from another world" Percy said "Which doesn't really make much sense when we say it out loud."
"Yeah no kidding" Qrow said turning back to Glynda and Ozpin "They're wasting our time. And you might have told them about the most dangerous thing in all of Remnant!"
"Qrow please" Glynda pleaded "Let them try and explain it to you. It is very hard to take in I know, but when they explain it, it will make sense. Of that we promise to you."
Qrow let out a huff and rubbed the bridge of his nose "Fine. Tell us your stupid story then."
"Well like we said, it's complicated." Percy said "But in our world we have a lot of gods who come in lots of different forms. However, there are twelve of them who are significantly more powerful than the rest. They're called the Olympians."
Leo then picked it up from there, "Each Olympian controls aspects of the mortal world. For example, my father is Hephaestus, God of the Forge and Fire. While Seaweed Brain over there is the son of Poseidon, the God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses."
Qrow turned to Ozpin and Glynda, "And how do the two of you know any of this is true?"
"Mister Jackson has shown us his ability to control water, moving it as if it were another appendage of his. And for his unique claim over earthquakes and horses, that was on display for us during his initiation. Glynda if you would?"
The headmaster's right hand gave him a nod and placed her scroll on Ozpin's desk. The Scroll lit up as it successfully synced with the desk and the hologram system that it was paired with. After pressing a few buttons on her scroll, the Good Witch navigated toward the recording of Percy's abilities.
The five in the room watched as the hologram recording of Percy laid his hand on the ground and forced a small, continuous earthquake that kept the ginormous Grimm off balance and allowed Team JNPR to defeat it. The clip then fast forwarded as it showed Percy quickly explaining to Team RWBY and JNPR what his pegasus was before the Nevermore could return.
Upon the revelation of the footage, Qrow was in a bit of a shock. He turned toward the demigods, mouth slightly agape and his eyes wide. "You really are the kids of gods?"
"Half-bloods, if we want to put a name to it" Percy corrected "And yeah we are. It's okay to be shocked, you should be. I know I was when I found out, and I was 12."
"Yeah don't worry about it old man" Leo said as he tried his best to put Qrow at ease "I only found out I was a demigod eight months ago and trust me, it took a lot of getting used to."
"I'm not old" Qrow said as he took out his flask and took a swig "But if you're the kids of gods from another dimension-"
"Another world" Leo pointed out "Another dimension would imply that Remnant is a mirror that parallels our Earth. And that would imply that there are multiple versions where…"
"Dimension, world, parallel whatever!" Qrow said, cutting off Leo's rambling "All I wanna know is how you got here."
Leo and Percy looked at each other. Neither one of them really knew how to explain it, so they'd have to try their best.
"That part is what we don't understand. We think it was some form of magic, but magic is a fickle thing. There is no rule book or guide line for how it works, and last I checked there was no spell for bringing people back from the dead."
Glynda, Qrow, and Ozpin were visibly caught off guard by that.
"You died?" the blonde haired professor asked.
"I did" Percy said solemnly. He then used an arm to lift up shirt, revealing the huge scar that was in the middle of his chest "Stabbed by a monster with my own sword."
"It's true" Leo added "I went to his funeral, but if we want to figure out what happened, I might be able to explain it."
Leo began to dig into his tool-belt that was around his waist and he pulled out his Archimedes Sphere. He tapped it twice before tossing it into the air, where the spheres propulsion system kicked in, keeping it suspended.
"A.S. playback the footage from my last night on Earth before arriving in Remnant."
The machine let out a little beep before displaying an image from the small camera it had built inside of it. The hologram expanded, filling up the entire room to show an image of Leo standing on a hill, holding a shield while speaking to a marble statue of Percy. The footage then began to roll. It showed Leo talking to statue, and as he turned to leave, his right hand began to turn to cinders. It spread throughout his whole body, until he fell to ground, the demigod staring dumbfoundedly at his missing parts. However, the recording shut off and the feed turned to static as the embers crossed his midsection where the Archimedes Sphere was stored on Leo's person.
The group stared dumbfounded at the recording, with no one clearly sure of what had happened.
Qrow was the first to speak and he turned toward Ozpin, "Any ideas?"
The Headmaster had sat down at his desk. His fingers were intertwined and he looked to be thinking hard, but about what, Qrow wasn't sure.
"Oz you with us ?" Qrow said again, albeit somewhat annoyed.
Ozpin peaked his head up, looking at Qrow, "Apologies, but yes I am with you. I have no solution to this, and in all my years I have never seen anything like it."
Qrow was unsatisfied with the answer. Ozpin didn't get lost in thought often, but if he did now, then maybe he was a chance he knew something. However, he made it clear that now wasn't the time to share. Qrow would have to get his answers another day.
"Fine. Well I guess the good thing out of this is that I'm convinced you're who you say you are, and I'm not one to trust easy. But just know I'm going to keep my eye on both of you."
"That's fine with us" Percy said, agreeing to the terms.
"Seconded" Leo added.
Ozpin then leaned back in his chair, sitting up straight. "Gentlemen, as I told you a week ago, there is much more to this world than meets the eye. Evils that threaten to turn this world to ash. But the people in this room, and a few select individuals scattered across the globe know the truth… the horrors hidden behind the curtain."
Ozpin the quickly removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before placing them back on, "But before we continue, I need to know that you're ready to hear it, the truth."
Leo and Percy shared a look, and the two boys nodded their heads.
"I… I need to hear you say it" Ozpin pleaded.
Qrow knew that tone of voice Ozpin had used all too well. It had been the voice he had used when Team STRQ had graduated from Beacon and had been indoctrinated into the fold. Tai-Yang had readily agreed, clearly ready for a new type of challenge. Raven and Qrow had been hesitant, but they had to know what it was. At the time, the only thing that had mattered to them was protecting their tribe. And if Ozpin had known about a dangerous threat, they had to know too.
Lastly, their super leader, Summer Rose, slayer of monsters and baker of amazing cookies, had only agreed because the rest of her teammates had. Like her daughter, Summer only wanted to help people and keep them safe. However, she had been unwilling to make a decision until the rest of her team did. She had felt that her choice carried weight, and she didn't want to influence someone into doing something that they weren't ready to commit to.
Qrow smirked at the memory. It had been so long since they stood there that day, only mere hours after graduating. He had been young and naive, focused only on his teammates and a team leader he had had a crush on for years, but could never act on because of his semblance. Everything had changed for better and for worse when Ozpin had told them and when they had said those damned words.
"We're ready." the duo said in sync.
God I hate having to rewrite the most basic scenes and establish all the rules and introductions of world hoping and all that garbage. I can't wait to get to the juicy parts.