Complications
At the cafeteria of Rhodes Island, Team RWBY decided to eat corn flakes for their breakfast. While the other three had finished their meal, that was not the case with Weiss. She has never eaten any cereal before and thus wanted to enjoy her first time.
While they were still wearing their usual clothes, there an additional accessory; namely, the ID tag which showed that they were now working for Rhodes Island.
"So, what's the plan for today, Rubes?" Yang asked her sister.
"Well, first, we go to the forge to retrieve our weapons," Ruby said. "After that, we go to the training room where we will meet with Instructor Dobermann, who will test and determine our role as combat operators."
"There are different roles of operators?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. There are Vanguard, Sniper, Guard, Defender, Caster, Medic, Supporter, and Specialist. They're then split into their own subclasses." She explained. "After that, the operators are also split depending on their experience: reserve, standard, and elite."
"I see," Weiss commented. "So, unlike huntsman that's well-rounded, an operator is instead focused on specialization."
"Well, not really." Her leader said. "I have heard that there are Medic operators that could act as Guards if needed."
"Ah, so they are more like soldiers then." The heiress stated. "Winter once told me that a soldier is required to be able to do many things, but usually is only tasked to use one of their skills or two."
"By the way, Rubes," The blonde changed the topic. "Do you know who Instructor Dobermann is?"
"Hmm…" Ruby took out her scroll and activated it. "Wait for a moment…here it is. Operator Dobermann, the starter instructor of Rhodes Island, is a veteran of Bolivarian Civil War. She's known to be tough to her trainees, resulting in them quickly learning to fear and/or hate her. She's also the instructor of Rhodes Island Operations Reserve Team A1, A4, and A6."
"So, someone like Professor Goodwitch, eh?"
"If Professor is a war veteran, yes." The faunus said. "You know, I wonder what roles that we would have as operators?"
"Considering that we're still students, likely reserve operators," Ruby said. "To be more precise, all of us can become Guard and Sniper. Well, except Weiss; your glyphs make you more of a Caster."
The white-haired girl simply nodded. She then asked, "What kind of test should we expect?"
"Likely just physical tests. Things like our endurance, skill in using our weapon…"
Before she could finish what she said, Ruby's scroll suddenly let out a noise which she immediately turned off. The girl looked at the time displayed on the device, realizing the cause of the sound.
"Well, girls," The leader of the team stood up from her seat. "It's time for us to go."
The first thing that they noticed when entering the workshop was that it was hotter compared to the hallway. Not to the point of being uncomfortable, but it was nonetheless a noticeable temperature change.
"Ah, you girls are here."
The team turned their eyes at the caller, a grey-haired hooded woman with a pair of horns, though the left one was chipped. However, the most eye-catching part of her was the fact that her right leg is prosthetic.
"Hello, Miss Vulcan." Ruby greeted her. "Are our weapons done yet?"
"Almost. Just a little bit." The operator stated, holding Crescent Rose in her hands. "So, Ruby, your weapon can be transformed into sniper rifle and scythe, right?"
"Yep!" The red-haired girl excitedly said. "I made her based on my uncle's weapon."
"I see. Can you explain how you make sure the barrel doesn't crack?"
"Well, technically, I don't do anything. My…Arts allows me to coat my weapon with a protective Aura."
"Ah, that explains it." Satisfied, Vulcan put down the weapon on the table. "Well, while that is solved, there's still yet another conundrum."
The woman picked up a paper on the table and gave it to Ruby. The latter accepted it and immediately read the content.
There was no response after several seconds had passed.
"Um, Ruby?" Weiss approached her, worried. "Is there something wrong?"
Her partner didn't say anything. However, the heiress noticed how her eyes appeared to be…dead, for the lack of a better word. Wondering if it was because of the paper, Weiss turned her attention towards it.
Upon reading it, she was immediately choked by air.
Seeing both of their reaction, Blake and Yang looked at each other worriedly. The former decided that it was better facing whatever it was that shocked half of their team now than later.
"Weiss, what's wrong?" The black-haired girl immediately asked.
"It…it…" She tried to say something but was unable to. She decided to take the paper from Ruby's hand – who was still frozen – and showed it to Blake. "Read this!"
The faunus did as she was told and managed to find out the answer; it was a list of the calibers of the bullet that Team RWBY used along with their prices.
"This…this…" As she tried to rein in her shock, Blake turned her attention to Vulcan. "This is…just a joke, right?"
"No, that's indeed the costs of your bullets." The operator answered. "Laterano is the only place that produced bullets, meaning that they could dictate the prices of the ammunition."
"I am sorry," Weiss didn't believe what she had just heard. "Did you just said that Laterano is the only place that produced bullet?"
"Yep." She sounded rather confused. "It's common knowledge. After all, Laterano is the only place that produces firearms. Not that other countries don't try, but so far none succeed."
The faunus realized that that could explain why the gangsters that chased them back at Siracusa were armed with crossbows instead of guns. Still, it was surprising that only a single country that knew how to make firearms.
Considering that Vulcan had the list of the prices of ammo that meant Laterano exported their bullets which in turn meant that they sold their firearms as well. All that other countries need to do was to buy one and then reserve-engineered it. The principle behind the firearm was quite simple.
Yet no one managed to do that?
"SO EXPENSIVE!" Ruby suddenly shouted, finally (somewhat) recovering from her shock.
"Y-Yeah…" The grey-haired woman could feel her ears were ringing. "That's the conundrum. The cost of buying ammo for all three of you is beyond the accepted limit. If you want Rhodes Island to supply you with bullets, then we need to deduct it from your salary."
Hearing that, the members of the team looked at each other. Their leader raised her hand before opening her mouth.
"Give us some time, please." She asked.
"Sure," Vulcan replied before gesturing at a rack of weapons. "I'll be there when you're finished."
With that, the team gathered around, making sure that they have some privacy.
"OK, team, we're in big trouble." The red riding hood stated. "We used a lot of bullets in our fighting style…"
"Except me." The heiress reminded her.
"Except Weiss and the only way to get them is by spending a lot of money; more than we could ever acquire."
"Actually," Blake gave her opinion. "Even if we have the money, I don't think it would solve the problem."
"What do you mean?" Her blonde partner asked.
"Well, as we all know, instead of Dust, the Terrans use Originium. From what I read about the mineral, it's similar to Dust if slightly more dangerous." The faunus explained. "That means Laterano likely use it in their bullets as well. And if it doesn't, that still means the bullets wouldn't be the Dust ones."
The other three realized what she was talking about. If the bullets weren't made from Dust, then they wouldn't have the same property as Dust bullets, meaning that even if they managed to acquire them, it would be useless since the bullets would be different from the ones they used in their fighting style.
"Well, at least that solves one dilemma," Ruby commented. "That also means whatever Dust bullet we have would be irreplaceable, however."
The rest of the team nodded their heads in agreement. They then walked towards the operator who was inspecting a crossbow. Seeing them approaching, she put it back to the rack before facing them.
"So, what is your decision?" Vulcan asked.
"Well, we decide that the bullets aren't…necessary." The red-haired girl said in a pained voice. "Not only it will be too expensive, our guns use…different types of bullets, so we don't think it would work."
"Very well then." The Defender stated. "If that's the case, then everything is done. You could take your weapons and go to the training room now."
"Great. Thanks for the help, Miss Vulcan." She offered a hand.
"No problem. Just come back any time you have a problem." She accepted it.
When the team arrived at the training room, they saw that there was already a female in a uniform waiting for them. After seeing her photo, they admitted that she indeed showed some resemblances to the famous guard dog, now that they saw her with their own eyes.
"Hello there, Instructor Dobermann." Ruby greeted her as they approached the operator.
"Greetings to you as well." She replied with a serious face. "You're Team RWBY, I presume?"
"Yep." The red-haired girl said. "Ruby Rose, Weiss Schene, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long."
"Affirmative." The Perro stated before focusing on the blonde girl, seemingly trying to figure out something.
"Is…Is there something wrong, Instructor?" Yang asked.
"Ah, pardon me." She spoke. "You might not have heard this, but Rhodes Island is planning to go to Lungmen in a matter of weeks."
"Now that you mention it," Weiss looked at Yang. "Your name does sound like the names of the people of Lungmen. Or rather, Yen to be more precise."
"I…I see." The brawler nodded. "So, is there something important about that?"
"I am wondering if you're indeed a Lungmenite." Dobermann explained. "Since that mobile city is our next destination, it will be helpful to have someone that knows the place."
"Oh, no. I never set a foot in the city. Well, not yet, at least."
"Ah, forgive my presumption then." Dobermann cleared her throat. "Now, shall we start our test now?"
""Yes, Instructor!""
"Deploy your weapon!"
With the order given, the team showed their respective weapon. They also transformed their weapons to show the alternate forms. Well, except Weiss, whose weapon was just a simple rapier with a revolver mechanism for Dust.
The operator looked at each weapon closely. When they were done giving a demonstration, she walked closer towards Ruby, who started to become nervous due to becoming the center of attention.
"Miss Rose, it comes to my attention that your weapon can only be turned into a scythe and a…rifle of a sort," Dobermann stated. "Am I correct?"
"T-That's right." She answered. "I made her based on my Uncle's weapon, which can turn into a scythe and a shotgun. Oh, and also sword!"
"Yet yours only have two."
"I made Crescent Rose years ago when I was less experienced. I have considered adding another form, now that I am more experienced, but so far, I see no reason to do that."
"Very well." The former soldier now turned her attention to all of them. "I have been informed that all of you already receive basic training. Thus, we will go straight towards the live testing."
"Live testing?" Blake spoke.
"Nothing difficult. Just defeat some Originium Slugs."
Being the team leader, it was natural for Ruby to be the first one who had the test. She looked at her teammates, who were encouraging her in their own way; Weiss simply nodded, Blake gave her a small smile, and Yang grinned at her while showing both of her thumbs. The girl turned her attention towards the Perro operator, a remote in her hand.
"Are you ready?" The woman asked though it sounded more like a demand.
"Yes, Instructor!" The red-haired girl shouted.
"Begin!"
From the distance, she could see several animals approaching her position. Ruby had to admit that they looked more like snails due to their shell-like body. Though considering their name, it was likely that those "shells" were actually Originium.
When a pair of them were within range, Ruby swung Crescent Rose on one of them before immediately swinging the blade towards the other slug. Due to lacking any means to acquire Dust ammo, she was limited to just the melee option.
As she killed the Originium Slugs one by one, the girl couldn't help but feel that she was acting like a farmer; she was using Crescent Rose as if it was a hoe, hitting the ground repeatedly.
"Done!" Dobermann declared when the last slug was killed. "Well done, Miss Rose. Return to your team now."
"Thank you, Instructor," Ruby replied as she folded her weapon before walking towards her team.
"Nice showing, Rubes!" Yang shouted before frowning when she noticed that her sister was rubbing her back. "Hey, is there something wrong?"
"I think I need to modify Crescent Rose." She stated. "I am going to need something more suitable next time I face the slugs."
"Yeah, Aura might be able to mitigate some of the pain, but there would always be a pain," Weiss stated. "Furthermore, I believe that you haven't done something like that, correct?"
"Nope. I think now I understand how those farmers feel."
"Miss Schnee, your turn," Dobermann called out.
"Well, that's my cue." The heiress said as she pulled out Myrtenaster. "Wish me luck."
Weiss had it much easier compared to her partner, thanks to her weapon. It was also the same case with Blake.
Yang, at first, had some difficulty as well – just like her sister - since she needed to squat to hit the slugs with her fists. However, she then realized that she could just stomp them and proceed to do just that.
Because of the face she had after the test, though, the blonde likely regretted her decision due to the condition of her boots.
"Damn, I am gonna need to clean these." She commented on the state of her footwear.
"Well done all of you." The former soldier told them. "Our next test will be about your special abilities. One similarity that all of you have is to create an aura to protect yourself, correct?"
"That is correct, Instructor," Ruby answered.
"Confirmed." The operator stated as she took out a walkie-talkie. "Weedy, get your ass over here now!"
In less than five seconds after the order was given, a white-haired woman barged into the training room; likely the one that Dobermann called. She looked around for a while until she walked towards an empty spot, putting down a turret at the location.
"Just give me a minute…" The woman, Weedy, stated as she set up the turret. "And done! This water cannon is now able to knock out an adult!"
It didn't take a genius to figure out what kind of test that Team RWBY would do, especially considering the conversation not even five minutes ago.
"Um, Instructor Dobermann?" Blake raised her hand. "While indeed our Aura could prevent us from being knocked by the…water cannon, it would do nothing to prevent our clothes from becoming wet."
"You can use these then." The white-haired woman said as she showed them something that was made from plastic.
There were four of them, meaning that each member of the team received one. When they unfolded the items, they found out that they were a transparent raincoat, which they immediately put on.
"Ruby Rose, step in front of the water cannon." The Perro operator gave the order.
The girl did as she was told to. As she stood in front of the device, the red riding hood could hear it being activated.
"Begin!"
When the word was spoken, the water cannon fired its projectile. Ruby was not exactly the best when it came to endurance and expected that she would almost lose her balance by the shot. However, her Aura would act as a dampener, making sure that she was not knocked from her feet.
She didn't expect to be pushed so far to the point of almost hitting the wall.
"RUBY!" Yang shouted as she and the rest of the team ran towards her.
"Stop the test!" Dobermann shouted with Weedy immediately taking out a remote and turned the turret off.
"I don't understand," Weiss commented as the girls gathered around their leader. "Ruby should be able to handle more than that, right?"
"Depends on how strong the cannon is," Blake stated.
"Ow…ow…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head as she tried to sit up. "D-Don't worry, girls. I am…"
She was about to assure her teammates that she was fine until she put her hand forward; the same hand that she used to rub her hand earlier.
There was blood on it.
"Alright, this should be enough."
"Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit." She said as she rubbed her recently-bandaged head.
When Ruby was brought to the infirmary, the one currently there was none other than the head doctor herself. After being told about the former's injury, the latter told the other Rhodes Island staff to get out of the room, saying that the situation was beyond their paygrade. She also told the rest of Team RWBY to get out as well. Any protest they had was silenced by the stare that she gave.
"So, the wound on the back of your head is caused by hitting the floor?" The doctor asked.
"Y-Yeah. It's very strange." The red-haired girl replied as she took out her scroll. "I have checked my Aura and it's still full."
"Let me see."
When she looked at the screen, Kal'tsit saw the photo of Ruby Rose alongside a green rectangle which reminded her of the HP bar in the games that children loved to play. It didn't take long for her to figure out that the bar indicated how much Aura that her patient had.
"Let's do some test, shall we?" The Feline stated as she went towards a table and picked up a small hammer.
"Oh, isn't that the hammer doctor uses to test reflex?" Ruby said.
"Indeed, Miss Rose." The green-haired doctor replied. "I will use this to test the strength of your Aura. There's little possibility of me harming you even if – however unlikely that is – I manage to break your shield."
"OK then, Doc. I am ready."
With that, Kal'tsit struck the girl with all her might using her hammer. The latter only felt a little bit of pain, but that was not what they were looking for. Instead, their eyes were focused on the Aura bar that the scroll displayed.
It dropped. Significantly.
"W-What?!" Ruby took the scroll away from the doctor's hand in disbelief. "How could such a light strike cause my Aura to…?!"
Before she could finish her sentence, the leader of Team RWBY watched as her Aura bar filled up again. Her shock was now replaced with confusion.
"OK. So, my Aura is now super weak," She spoke. "But it could rechange way faster than usual as well."
"Hmm…" The head doctor of Rhodes Island put her hand on her chin, trying to figure out the cause. "Miss Rose, if I am not wrong, Aura is not just a protective barrier around the body, correct?"
"Yep." Ruby then explained. "Aura can also be used to strengthened one's weapon, to power-up Semblance, healing any wound sustained…"
"What about illness?"
"From what my Dad said, Aura could boost the immune system. However, it's…"
At that, the girl closed her mouth, realizing what might happen to her.
"Could it be because of my Oripathy?" She asked.
"I am not sure. You're the first person with Aura who's only very recently got infected that I've met." Kal'tsit stated. "It's usual for people who recently got infected to have problems using their Arts. However, after a certain period, their infection would stabilize and allows them to once again use their Arts normally. In fact, some receive a boost from the extra Originium in their body."
"But Aura and Arts are not the same things," Ruby said before realizing something. "Right? I mean, does Arts use soul as Aura does?"
"Unknown. The many different cultures of Terra have their own interpretation on the meaning of the soul, thus it's hard to say if Arts have any relation to soul, if it even exists." The doctor explained. "The existence of powers other than Arts, Aura, and Semblance just complicate things."
The red-haired girl simply nodded. She had a feeling that asking for more explanation would just result in receiving more information too complex for her to comprehend.
"So, what now?" The huntress-in-training asked.
"Considering the status of your Aura, I would suggest testing the condition of your Semblance." The Feline said. "However, we should do it at a later day."
"Of course, Doc." She replied.
"You should go to the cafeteria now, by the way." The green-haired woman suddenly said. "I believe it's about time for you to drink your medicine."
Upon hearing that, Ruby looked at the clock. Once she saw that it was almost time for lunch, she immediately ran towards the direction of the cafeteria.
So fast that she left rose petals in her wake.
"Well, at least that answers the question," Kal'tsit commented as she closed the door.
Answers to some reviews:
Artyom-Dreizehn: Yes, it is. It's in the chapter where Patriot is introduced.
Kurosu Cross: No, it's "20 times." The number to indicate the amount of Originium in the blood doesn't use percentage.
Tiresias: Lappland's infection is more visible. She has a lesion on her leg.
3697014: Unfortunately, no. Kal'tsit hates Doctor and she only tolerates her Babel-era coworker because of Amiya.
Indigo One: Well, not really. 8% is in the same range as the infection of the Reserve Team operators.
BTW, I want to inform your guys that my college is about to start. It's one of the reasons why my writing slows down.
If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me.
Review, please!