Nigel took his stance and inhaled. He waited until he heard a blade slice through the air. He parried and struck the training robot with his fist, destroying its head. Three more took its place and attacked in unison. Nigel effortlessly parried a barrage of metal fists. He thrust his hand through the chest of the nearest robot. He tore his hand free and kicked it away. He kicked down at another robot and broke its leg. He raised his own and buried his heel in the fallen machine's head. He suppressed a smirk hearing the crunch of metal underfoot. The last robot drew a rifle and opened fire.

Nigel inhaled sharply and everything seemed to slow down. He could see the bullets flying toward him. He diverted their path with his hand and they sailed into a far wall behind him. The rifle's click told him the gun was empty. Nigel chopped at the robot's neck, severing its head. With a shout, he roundhouse kicked the head off, sending it flying and crashing into a wall in a pile of scrap.

Nigel looked around at the scattered parts and sighed. This wasn't what he was looking for. He took out his scroll and adjusted the difficulty of the training robots. He moved the slider to the maximum threat level, ignoring the warning that popped up. Five more robots walked up to him, all brandishing rifles. Nigel's face broke out into a smile. He waited for the right moment. The room exploded in gunfire. Nigel leapt over the speeding bullets and landed in front of the group. He grabbed the nearest rifle and crushed the barrel in his grip. His elbow crashed into the chest plate of the nearest robot and sent it flying. The other robots dropped their guns and pulled out their swords. Two blades came speeding towards him. He turned to his side and kicked his attacker in the midsection, tearing it in half. He ran up to the next one and grabbed it by the neck. His knee flew upwards into its chest and dented the metal. He crushed its head with an elbow and let the machine fall to the ground.

The last robot stood and stared at Nigel. After assessing the threat, it picked up a sword from one of its fallen comrades. The two blades flew in every direction, getting faster with each swing. Nigel turned and dodged with ease, letting the blade tips brush up against his skin. But eventually, the machine reached its limits. There was only a certain number of moves it was programmed to do. With enough time, Nigel saw all of them, and was able to counter them. The two blades soared toward him in a cross pattern. Nigel saw the gap in the attack and struck with his hand. His fingers tore through the metal in the head. The machine crumpled and fell to the ground.

Nigel sighed. He had managed to work up a sweat, but it wasn't nearly enough. This wasn't any way to test his skill. He needed to fight something that could actually think.

He put that out of his mind for the moment and went to the showers. He closed his eyes and felt the scalding water wash over him. To him, there was nothing more relaxing than a hot shower after training. It was one of the only ways he even could relax. It was like peeling off dead skin, all the things that were tying him down were washed away.

Nigel spent so much time enjoying his shower that he didn't realize that he was going to be late. After checking the time he hurriedly got dressed and ran from the locker room. Today was another class with Professor Alder, and he didn't want to be late. He rounded the corner and crashed into another student. The student yelped in surprise as they fell to the ground.

"Oh man, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Nigel asked. He extended a hand to help them up. It was then that Nigel noticed that the student was a girl. Their brown hair went down to their waist, and they had a pair of rabbit ears on the top of her head. She opened her eyes and they were the same shade of brown as her hair.

"Wow," Nigel said. He couldn't help but stare at the girl. She squirmed beneath his gaze. Nigel quickly turned away.

"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" Nigel asked.

The girl nodded. "It's fine, it was an accident. I've been hit harder than that anyway."

Nigel laughed. "Yeah, I'd imagine."

The two of them stood in awkward silence. Nigel scratched at the back of his head. He drew a blank whenever he tried to think of something to say.

The girl seemed to think it was just as awkward.

"So, are you on your way to class too?" she asked.

"Yeah," Nigel answered. "Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be late."

"Well that's no good. You should always try to be on time."

"Yeah."

The awkward silence returned with a vengeance. The two stood there in silence, until the girl turned around with a slightly panicked expression.

"No, really, it's fine. You don't have to worry," the girl said.

Nigel wondered who the girl was talking to. For a brief moment he thought that she was the same as him, but then he heard footsteps. He saw three people approaching the two of them.

The one in front was another girl with brown hair. However, this one wore a beret and dark sunglasses. There were two boys behind her. The first was a dark skinned boy with red hair and eyes that reminded Nigel of Yasmin. The one in the back was a massive man who walked with a calm stride.

Nigel's brow furrowed. All three were incredibly powerful, and their animosity was pointed directly at him.

The girl in front stepped up to Nigel. "You got some kind of problem?"

Nigel scratched at the back of his head. "Not with your friend, no, but I guess if you were asking a general question then the answer would be yes. Though doesn't everyone?"

The rabbit eared girl got in between them. "It's fine, Coco. He wasn't bothering me."

"Are these your friends?" Nigel asked.

"Yes. These are my teammates Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi. We're Team CFVY."

"That's cool. I'm Nigel, part of Team VNGR. It's nice to meet you."

Fox suppressed a laugh. "Vinegar? Man, you really drew the short straw."

Yatsuhashi nudged Fox in the side. "Don't be rude. This boy doesn't mean any harm. We should show him the same courtesy."

"I don't know," Coco said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Something about this guy seems off."

"I get that a lot," Nigel said. He looked at his scroll and felt his eyes bulge out. "Oh crap, I'm gonna be late."

Nigel ran down the hallway. As he was leaving, Fox's eyes narrowed.

"Is something wrong?" Yatsu asked.

Fox shook his head. "No, thought I saw something."

XxX

After sprinting full speed to the hangar Nigel boarded a ship bound for the Forever Fall forest. It was one of Beacon's designated training grounds. The forest leaves were a reddish brown all year round, hence the name. Nigel was so taken in by the sights he failed to notice his team leaving him behind. They had gone to join the rest of their class for today's lesson.

The students crowded around Professor Alder. He looked as weary as he always did, but he delivered his lecture all the same.

"Hello class. I hope you're all doing well. Today we are going to test your tracking skills."

"What kind of test is it?" a student asked.

"We are going to play Hide and Seek," Alder replied.

The students stood in silence. Part of them hoped that the professor had misspoke.

"What's 'Hide and Seek;?" Lucia asked.

"It's a game played among children. One of them will hide and their friends will attempt to find them. It is quite fun, though it has been some time since I played myself," the professor answered plainly.

"What does that have to do with this class?" Rock asked.

"It's simple; in your hunter career you may be tasked with more than just destroying Grimm. There will come a time where you will be forced to hunt down another human. The ability to find someone who does not wish to be found is indispensable. To that end, I will hide somewhere deep within the forest. After ten minutes, you all will attempt to find me. The first students to do so will receive full marks for this assignment. You have until the end of class."

The class stood there looking confused. Ignoring them, Professor Alder turned and sprinted into the forest. The ground ruptured beneath him, and in seconds he disappeared.

It took several seconds for the students to process what had just happened. In their minds, Professor Alder had simply taken a leisurely stroll through the forest.

Once the ten minutes were up, the students began searching for their teacher. The forest was large, and no one had even a hint of his whereabouts.

Team VNGR began their search, but after several minutes none of the students were any closer to finding their teacher.

"This place is huge. How are we supposed to find him?" Giallo said.

"Beats me. How about we just wait for another group to get close, then cut in front of them?" Rock said.

"Would that even work? What if they find him first?"

Giallo sighed. "The least he could have done was give us a hint or something."

Nigel pounded his fist. "Oh, I get it now." He tried to feel a specific presence among dozens and dozens of others. It was like groping around in the dark.

"He's nowhere near here. I can sense some of the other students, and some Grimm, but not the professor. I can feel something off in this direction. It's faint, but it's really strong. Let's go towards it."

Nigel's aura faded and he sighed. He waited for the others to travel in the direction he pointed and followed behind them.

"What was that back there?" Rock asked.

"Well, the book called it 'Scan'. It's like when you use your aura to detect someone's presence, but over a wider area. It's really useful, but it leaves you vulnerable while you're doing it."

Rock stared unblinkingly at Nigel.

Nigel blushed slightly. "I read ahead in the book."

They continued their search, stopping every now and then to scan the area. Every time they thought they were getting closer to the professor, they would get attacked by Grimm and his presence would vanish. This process repeated several times, much to the frustration of the students.

"This sucks," Nigel said as he pulled his fist out of a Beowulf's skull.

"I suppose this is part of the test," Lucia said, tearing an Ursa's jaw apart with his bare hands.

"The easiest way is the way that causes the most trouble. That sounds about right," Giallo said.

Nigel fell to the ground. "At this rate we'll never find him. We're gonna fail."

"How about a Hail Mary?" Rock asked. "One last shot, bigger than all the others, and whatever happens, happens."

Giallo pondered it for a moment. "That actually sounds like a good idea, but it's dangerous. There's no telling what kind of Grimm are in this forest. If you guys want to try it, then let's do it."

"I'm in," Rock said.

"I would very much like to know what happens next," Lucia said.

Nigel nodded and summoned his aura again. He could feel nearly all of the students and Grimm in the forest. Something stuck out to him. He focused on it and saw that it was a human.

"I found the professor. Wow, his aura is huge. He's not moving, I think we can find him this time." He started to frown. "Wait, there's something else, something big. Oh crap, I think it knows I can see it. It's coming straight for us."

Nigel fell to the ground, exhausted. Off in the distance a tree fell and crashed to the ground. Loud, heavy feet stomped toward them. A large, black hand parted a branch to reveal a large bull like Grimm. It stood as tall as the trees, with a white bull head and glowing red eyes. Its upper body was humanoid, rippled with muscles like corded steel. Its lower half consisted of bovine legs that ended in black hooves. It held a large axe made of bone in its right hand that protruded from its wrist. It roared and gripped its axe tight. It swung its weapon and leveled several trees in one strike.

"How spirited," Lucia said, smirking. He jumped up to attack. The Grimm intercepted him, and in the next instant Lucia was struck on his side by a massive fist. He was sent flying into a tree and went limp.

Giallo shook his head. The large axe came speeding towards him. His fist flashed out and crashed into the axe. The blade cracked and broke apart. However, that only served to enrage the Grimm. Its body swelled and began to glow red. It punched down at the ground and the ground exploded. Giallo jumped up and punched the Grimm in the stomach. He left a dent in the Grimm's body, but wasn't able to kill it. The Grimm's body was like steel. The Grimm threw Giallo into the ground. Giallo felt his mouth fill with blood. He tried to get up, but couldn't put any strength into his limbs. However, he did find the energy to crack a smile. The only other person to hit him that hard was his mother.

Rock stood there watching. He couldn't move. His body refused to listen to his commands. This was not something he was prepared for. He had fought Grimm before, a Beowulf here and there, a couple Ursa, but this was different. He was hopelessly outmatched. There was no way he could kill it. There was only one move he had that could kill it. But it was impossible. That move needed time to charge, and that monster would kill him before he got the chance.

Rock's face was covered in sweat. He shook with fear. In the corner of his eye he saw someone stand up and walk forward.

Nigel made no attempt to hide his fear. His legs were shaking, his hands were covered in sweat, and he couldn't even look directly at the Grimm. Even so, he walked forward, until he stood toe to toe with the beast. The Grimm's fist came crashing down, but missed as Nigel diverted the blow. Nigel's right hand glowed black, and with a chop he severed the Grimm's arm. The Grimm recoiled and screamed in pain. It tried to stop the bleeding by clamping down on the stump, but the black blood flowed freely. Nigel's right arm glowed with aura. His elbow flew upward, and the Grimm was split open up the middle. Blood and entrails spilled all over Nigel. It burned his eyes and stained his skin. His hair and clothes were soaked, and the smell nearly knocked him out.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" he cried.

Nigel went to check on Lucia and Giallo. The two of them stirred, but remained on the ground.

Nigel heard footsteps behind him. Without thinking his fist flew backwards and smacked into something. He realized what he had done and turned around petrified. Professor Alder was holding Nigel's fist in his hand, a small frown drawn across his face.

"Professor Alder!" Nigel shouted. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to attack you, it's just that whenever someone sneaks up on me I lash out. Everyone has been telling me that it's a real problem, and I've been trying to work on it but it's really difficult. I don't think I'll ever solve it for good. I just wanted you to know that I didn't want to attack you. Not like this, at least."

The professor coughed into his free hand. "I understand you mean me no harm. I came this way to see what the commotion was. You have performed admirably. As well, you were able to ascertain my location. Well done. Your team will receive full marks for this assessment."

"Thanks, teach," Giallo said, still lying on the ground.

An alarm rang. The professor looked at his scroll. "And that marks the end of class. I will see all of you tomorrow. And Nigel, please take a shower."

XxX

At the end of the day the four members of Team VNGR were relaxing in their room. Except for Rock. He was pacing back and forth grumbling to himself. For the entire day his mind went back to the forest, to the moment where he froze. His teammates were in danger and he was completely useless.

Giallo looked up at Rock. "Are you done moping? I'm trying to pray over here."

Lucia giggled. "Don't be too hard on him. If I couldn't fight because I was too scared I'd be upset too. The way he was shaking was so adorable, like a puppy."

Rock made a move towards Lucia, but Nigel jumped in between them.

"Don't be like that, you guys," Nigel pleaded. "Anyone would be scared of a Grimm like that. I nearly peed my pants when I saw it."

"But in the end you acted," Lucia said. "That's the difference." He looked directly at Rock. "This school is no place for cowards or weaklings."

For a moment it seemed like Rock was about to attack Lucia, but instead he stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Nigel sighed and laid down on hi s bed.

Lucia's disappointment was written all over his face. He shook his head sadly. "I expected more from him. How dull he turned out to be."

"Did you really have to say all that?" Nigel asked.

"What good would it have done to lie? Would you place your life in the hands of someone you couldn't rely on?"

Giallo shook his head. "Lucia's right, god help us. If Rock can't pull through in a training exercise how can we count on him when it really matters? I've met plenty of people like him; overestimating their own strength only to hit a wall. They always end up burning out and dying. He wasn't the first, he won't be the last."

XxX

Rock didn't remember how he got into the city, all he knew was that he was wandering around the same part of town that he used to. It was the part of town that the lowlifes and scumbags flocked towards. It was full of people like him. His head was clouded. Lucia's words still echoed in his mind. Weakling, coward, worthless. He would prove him wrong, he'd prove them all wrong.

He ducked into an alley where a group of men were gathered. He pulled up his hood and walked up right up to them.

The one who looked like the leader stared down at Rock. This older man was broad and muscular. His arms were covered in tattoos, and his face was crossed with scars.

"The fuck do you want?" he spat

"I felt like kicking someone's ass and you just happened to be nearby," Rock replied.

The older man scowled and swung his fist, but Rock was faster. Rock felt the man's jaw shatter upon impact. He fell to the ground, limp. The others went down just as easily. After he was done Rock's clothes were covered in blood and he was pulling bits of teeth out of his fists. Rock stepped over their bodies and went to clean up. He found a restroom at a service station and washed his hands. The brief elation he felt earlier had already faded. He looked at his hands, covered in fresh cuts, and wondered what the point of all this was.

Did he want to prove his strength? No, that couldn't be it. Those men were far too weak to test him. Was he just blowing off steam? It didn't work since that feeling he had still had yet to go away. Something was gnawing at him. He splashed some water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked at his hair, and his eyes, and was reminded that he looked exactly like his mother. That's when it hit him. What Lucia had said, his mother had likely said something similar. What other reason could she have for abandoning her son like garbage, for not even trying to raise him? She took one look at him and saw his worthlessness. And now, years later, he wasn't any closer to proving her wrong.

XxX

Somewhere, in an isolated location, a computer monitor suddenly glowed red.

Prototype 002 – eliminated

One of the men monitoring the lab grinned. "Someone killed our prototype."

Another person looked up from their desk. "Are you sure? Maybe it's a malfunction."

"No, I'm certain. It fell in the Forever Fall Forest near Beacon."

"Beacon? You don't think that they're aware of our plans, do you?"

"Of course not. Hunters kill Grimm, this was just one more. By the time anyone realizes anything it will be too late. Besides, that was just a prototype, the completed models are much more powerful."

His gaze turned to the dozens upon dozens of large glass tubes, each one filled with a greenish liquid and a writhing mass of black flesh.

"I can't wait to show the world what we have accomplished."