Chapter 21: Antigravity
"Above the clouds, above the storm, above the earth I am transformed..."
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner in Beacon. And perhaps, for the rest of your careers as huntsmen and huntresses."
Nex poked said partner's hip.
Weiss flinched, her entire frame tilting. Almost falling over like a bowling pin. She huffed, frowning as her eyes darted between him and the Emerald Forest.
"Don't worry. I got the partner thing covered," Nex said, offering her a smile. "What's your landing strategy?"
"Hard light and gravity," Weiss whispered. Probably to angle her fall. "What's yours?"
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You'll meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."
Well, that was edgy—certainly more than what he could manage.
Did Ozpin really have an edgy streak?
Like him, even. Admittedly—if Yang, Roman, and Mekel were to be believed.
Nex shrugged. Whatever.
They were lined up on the cliff side, just under the ballroom's balcony. It was eight—a perfect time to go hoverboarding into the Emerald Forest.
Nex clutched his landing strategy, pinning the sleek metal under his arm. There was no point in deploying his armour. His coat and button-up would suffice until the stronger varieties of Grimm appeared. He held out his board and grinned. "You'll see. It's called inspiration. I just can't control it."
And sometimes, it was good for something.
"You're planning something," Weiss said, shooting his board a look. "And I'm not sure if I should stop you or not."
"You'll be monitored for the duration of the test. But our instructors will not intervene. There's an abandoned ruin at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We'll regard that item, as well as your standing, and evaluate you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Nex glanced at the headmaster—the one standing at the middle of their stick-straight line. "Hey, Oz. I got a question. Can I go now?"
Weiss twitched, shifting on one foot. Probably trying to avoid the headmaster's personal attention.
Well, good for her.
But there really was no point in doing it. Not when Ozpin hardly seemed to be present—if at all, judging from the blank eyes and the dreadful monotone.
Was the headmaster lost in his head or something?
"You may. If you are so inclined, Nexus Shade," Ozpin said, taking a sip from his mug. "The rest of you, take your positions."
The headmaster did not need to say anything more.
Nex rolled up his sleeve. He swiped at his bracer, smirking as his little inspiration whirred into life. It was at nine-tenths capacity, the translucent bar flickering.
Those tests in the bathroom were particularly harrowing—where harrowing was smack-dab between smashing into walls and almost getting my skull caved-in. Admittedly, he was insane. Crazy, even. But he was still sane enough to test out his gear before he entrusted his life to it.
Nex sprinted off the cliff, tossing the board. His feet smashed into the length of steel—practically a grey, corgi-themed skateboard.
It pushed back against his weight, sitting on nothing but air.
Dear gravity.
Fuck you.
"Hell yeah," Nex said, a grin stretching his cheeks. "Project Antigravity is a go."
The thrusters engaged, launching him towards the Emerald Forest. A dog barked as the AI took over. The wind blew and slammed into his extra pair of ears. His fringe whipped around his face, even as he squinted at the multi-coloured blurs.
Which one of them was Weiss Schnee?
That one.
The white streaked with midnight-blue, lagging behind the rest.
His hoverboard lanced through the gap.
Nex angled his body forward, much like how a swimmer cut through a pool. Only he was ploughing through air resistance instead of water. Hard light pinned the flaps of his trench coat, minimizing his drag force. As long as he went just slightly above his normal speeds, then he would be perfectly fine. He would eventually catch up with her, judging from their respective speeds.
Weiss pressed her heels into a blue glyph, leaping off towards another, the tail of her scarf fluttering.
"That's not fair," Weiss said, a black glyph spinning on her grass-stained boots. She pouted, even as her eyes met his. "That is so unfair, partner."
Well, that settled it then.
Nex kept up with her pace, making sure to avoid getting in her way. While the hoverboard could hold their combined weight, there was no point in messing up her plan. And well, it was easy enough. The protection AI calculated exactly where she would go next, along with where to shoot and move if someone just so happened to launch an attack—but that was neither here nor there.
"Life is unfair," Nex said, smirking as his partner slid off the last of her glyphs. "Live with it."
Weiss broke through the treeline, landing on the grass below him.
Nex jumped off his hoverboard, dead leaves and dirt crunching under his boots. He swiped at his bracer.
The corgi face plate blinked and barked out an affirmative, zooming off north. It moved at approximately three-hundred kilometres per hour, enough to kick up a tornado of leaves and sawdust. Without people riding it, the corgi hoverboard could use the full potential of its thrusters—free from the risks of having a human passenger. Inertia and all.
Weiss smirked, shaking a few leaves loose from her tussled hair. "Our poor dog. I should be mad, Mr Shade. But I think I can forgive you. Just this once."
Nex shrugged, keeping his eyes peeled on the lush, overgrown trees. Their leaves swayed under translucent shafts of light. So far, nothing seemed to breathe in the shadows.
Good. Maybe they could get away without needless fighting. Not that a fight was particularly unwelcome. Of course not.
"Shall we set a record, Miss Schnee?" Nex said, smiling.
Weiss nodded, grinning as she dashed off north.
Apparently, she expected him to follow. She totally missed the context behind what he just said. But still, it was probably his fault for forgetting to tell her.
Curse his brain.
"Well, shit..." Nex said, his smile dipping into a frown. "She's not going to like it."
No choice then.
His calves tensed, his aura breathing warmth into his bones.
He blurred through the trees, tracing the path of his partner. Hrunting and Vigilance was ready to be drawn from his hip. Oathkeeper rested in his locker, as the sword's extra weight would have only slowed him down. The race was expected. Well, even anticipated. But it was a race he already won before it could even start.
After all, why race when you could take a leisurely stroll through the Emerald Forest?
Fuck.
If only his partner knew that, instead of breaking into a dead sprint.
Thus, they broke into a clearing. And it was empty—the first thing that made Pareidolia twitch. The second was the cawing of a bird.
A big, black bird.
Weiss skidded to a halt, brandishing Myrtenaster against the Grimm.
The Nevermore dived.
Bone-white talons extended, the giant bird looked like a literal monster—a monster straight out a fairy tale. The ones parents probably used to scare their kids. Well, not that Amariss ever did with him.
Weiss lunged to the side, letting the talons miss her head. Spikes of ice harried the monstrous bird.
It shrieked, the cry echoing through the trees—across the forest definitely crammed with agitated Grimm.
"Damn it," Nex said, his extra pair of ears flattening. "We gotta move."
Weiss frowned, fire gushing from her rapier—straight at the bird. Gods forbid it lit up a tree or something. "Why?"
Hrunting and Vigilance left his hip.
He squeezed, unseen gears clicking and whirring. The barrels groaned, fusing with the scabbard. Black embedded in midnight-blue.
Nex lifted Hrunting and Vigilance, its sheathed tip staring at the skies. He squinted, tracing the sleek barrels—the cannon's mouth, and the weapon of the wall. His finger twitched, his aura calling on nature's wrath.
Screw it.
More destructive methods were necessary, right?
Hrunting and Vigilance screamed, blasting thunder straight at the giant bird. His entire arm shook as his ears rang. The golden, electrified shell smashed into its chest, clouding the trees with smoke—smoke that smelled like rotten chicken and day-old vomit.
His nose wrinkled.
Apparently, the supercharged shell fried a hole straight through the Nevermore, turning it into barbeque with one shot.
Well, Hrunting and Vigilance did have the raw range and firepower. Along with all the drawbacks.
"That bird just alerted its friends," Nex said, flexing his wrist. The heat was starting to creep into his palm. "We should go before this place gets surrounded."
Growling.
Beowolves.
Just past the thickets bounding the path.
Nex gripped Hrunting and Vigilance, weaving around the twigs littering the grass. His partner's footsteps followed behind, along with a lot of cracking and crunching.
There were others nearby, judging from the gnashing of steel and the rattling of gunfire.
Well, his pre-gaming worked then.
He would have told her to avoid stepping on anything that could give them away, but that would have slowed their pace. Walking the woods was something one did not learn on a whim. And it was better to be followed by the Beowolves north than to be trapped south away from their objective. Or worse, be slowed down by their fellow-
"Weiss?! Watch out!"
Nex spun on his heel.
A red blur crashed into Weiss, tackling her into a thick brush.
An Ursa Major tumbled out of the thicket, roaring at the downed huntresses-in-training.
A familiar, black-haired woman burst through the shadows, weaving circles around the ten-foot, bear-like Grimm. She was probably distracting the thing before it could capitalize on their mistake. Two blades inflicted cuts on the monster's hairy thighs, but it would not be enough to end it.
Hrunting left Vigilance, eased into a two-handed grip—his left hand above, his right hand below. Perks of being ambidextrous and all.
Nex leapt, parrying the bone-white claw, his blade flashing silver—brimming with light. Light capable of splitting a blade of grass in half.
The arm and the blade collided.
Tremors pricked his arms, his longsword shaking under the Ursa's limb. The metal dug inches into black flesh, blood dripping over the silvery steel.
The black-haired woman lunged and flipped over the appendage. A ribbon looped around its thick neck.
Apparently, his new ally saw the opening.
She twisted, her swords tearing off the monster's head. Blood spilled over the grass, smoke rising from the headless corpse.
Not bad. It took only five seconds. Maybe three.
"Ruby, you clumsy dolt," Weiss said, patting away the dirt from her coat. "You have got to stop bumping into me."
Ruby grimaced, her ears burning the colour of her cloak. "I'm so, so sorry! It won't happen again, I promise."
"See that it doesn't," Weiss said, huffing. "We shouldn't be so clumsy."
Nex planted Hrunting into Vigilance, sheathing the sword in its rightful scabbard. "Well, can't cry over spilled milk. You've already found a partner then?"
The black-haired woman peered at him with amber eyes—eyes that lingered on his extra pair of ears.
Huh.
She looked away, sheathing her weapon.
Pareidolia deduced the sword, almost a dagger really, had a semi-automatic attachment. And its sheathe—a cleaver, was as sharp as the sword. The ribbon was there to add versatility to her attacks.
She probably used her weapons to outright overwhelm her opponents with speed and dual-wielding. It was the exact opposite of his style, but to each their own.
"Yep. This is Blake Belladonna," Ruby said, smiling at the amber-eyed woman. "She doesn't talk much."
"We can see that," Weiss said, shooting him a smirk. "My name is Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Blake shifted on her legs, saying nothing. But still, she bobbed her head into a nod. Her amber eyes turned to stare at him, her stone-carved face betraying nothing.
Was it even possible?
It truly was, apparently.
Ruby Rose found another recruit for their high society—the society of socially challenged elites. It was just his fellow member's luck she partnered with someone who seemed even more awkward than her. Quieter, even. Maybe even a shy, socially-awkward stalker—the very same one from the auditorium, then the rest of the day after.
Blake Belladonna challenged his position as the silent, mysterious guy in the upper echelons of their society. And there was no way he was going to lose the war. But just for this battle, just this once, she would have her victory.
Nex shrugged, offering her a polite smile. "I'm Nexus. Nexus Shade, but you can call me Nex like everybody else. Nice to meet you."
Blake glanced at his partner. "It's nice to meet you, Nex."
"Well, let's go," Ruby said, coughing into her sleeve. "The relics won't get themselves."
Blake frowned, her eyes staring into his. "Weiss is your partner?"
The question was definitely addressed to him, judging from the lack of Nex and the presence of your.
"Yes. Nex is my partner," Weiss said, her eyes narrowing. Twisting into daggers. "Something wrong, Belladonna?"
But still, there was no beating Mt. Weiss. Not when she wanted to speak. And certainly not when she wanted to explode.
Blake shook her head, her black bow dead-stiff. Unmoving. "No. It's nothing. Schnee."
Blake Belladonna loped away, further across the clearing, towards the relics and their objective.
Ruby Rose smiled—a thin smile caught between this is my life now and send help.
There was nothing to do about either of them, so he shrugged and followed after Blake.
Weiss kept his pace, cracking even more twigs and branches.
What did the poor, poor things ever do to her?
Their impromptu quartet jogged through the Emerald Forest.
Ruby and Weiss were competing for the noisiest award in their group, judging by the fact that they never watched what they stepped on. But he and Blake moved on a seemingly equal wavelength, the amber-eyed stalker practically ghosting over both grass and dirt as she jumped down a slope. Nothing looked out of place where she passed. No sounds, no nothing. Just like his mother when they went Hrunting. Or just him, in hindsight.
Was she a ghost?
Or a ninja?
Maybe a ghost-ninja then.
The ghost-ninja walked seven feet ahead, leading them around the other students clashing against Grimm.
It was definitely a good idea. The other students could distract the packs of Grimm, so they could pass without fighting. Not that said agitation was his fault.
Of course not.
Weiss justified it by saying the initiation was a test, and the pairs were expected to arrive at the objective on their own.
Ruby simply went along. She stared at the ghost-ninja, contemplating her rear with puppy-dog eyes. Well, puppy-dog eyes that might as well have been mercury, but puppy-dog eyes nonetheless.
"Nex," Ruby said, frowning. She glanced at his partner. "How do you talk to Weiss?"
Weiss opened her mouth.
He nudged her hip.
She shot him a look, her lips pursing into a flat line.
Nex smiled, quirking an eyebrow.
Her lips softened, glistening pink under a shaft of light.
Huh.
Was she wearing some lip gloss? Or maybe some lipstick?
That was definitely new.
"I just talk to her," Nex said, shrugging. Whatever. It was none of his business what she chose to wear, anyway. "Right, Weiss?"
Weiss smiled, shaking her head. "Yes, that's right. If this is about you and your new partner, then don't be disappointed. It takes time to develop chemistry between pairs."
Time, indeed. They attended the same school for four years. But they only really talked a few months ago. And maybe it took a White Fang attack, a Sanus Festival and an extended stay in the hospital to solidify their partnership, but it was definitely worth it. There was no way he could trade her for any other person in the world.
"Really?" Ruby said. "How long?"
Weiss shot him a look, snapping another twig. Ugh. Except for that part. "We've been partners since... Well, the second semester of our fourth year. I'd say a lot of time."
"Half a year or so," Nex said. But no one was really counting. Right? "Maybe Blake's just shy. Give her time."
Ruby smiled, pumping her fist. "Thanks, guys."
Blake Belladonna broke past the treeline.
They followed.
There, in the distance, lied the ruins.
A rickety, old bridge led over the long fall down. Cracks ran along its length, the dusty stone one shotgun shell away from annihilation. Or even one supercharged bolt.
But still, they had to proceed.
"Alright," Ruby said, waving at the bridge. She grinned. "Who wants to go first?"
The ghost-ninja hopped on the bridge. Apparently, she was the type to volunteer. She sprinted to the other side, her feet gliding over the cracked stone.
The bridge did not collapse.
Gods forbid.
Blake would have turned into a very real ghost-ninja if it had.
But still. Great. Thank you, ghost-ninja.
They followed, straight into the familiar ruins.
The relics sat on the altar. Chess pieces. Most of them were already missing. Well, partly his fault.
Nex fingered the piece of wood in his pants. He pulled it out, fiddling with the black knight.
Why chess, though?
Maybe Ozpin really had an edgy streak.
"I want this thing," Ruby said, facing the ghost-ninja. "It matches the colour of our clothes. And knights are awesome. Any objections?"
Well, she was right.
The ghost-ninja did wear black and white.
Ruby wore black, complete with red accents.
Obviously, black was the common denominator between them. Come to think of it, the ghost-ninja and his partner had the same colour scheme. Black and white, even. But that was probably just a coincidence. The knights are awesome part was debatable—bards were definitely cooler.
Well, what could he possibly say?
His mother was a minstrel—a bard, before she became a huntress. Or even a knightess. Amariss Shade—wanderer of the endless frontier, up until she winded up in Beacon Academy for some reason or another.
Blake shook her head. "No. Take whatever you want."
Weiss strolled towards the altar, her boots clacking over stone. Probably to take a chess piece.
Nex patted her shoulder. She stilled, shooting him a questioning look—arched eyebrows and all.
"No need," Nex said, breathing a sigh. He palmed the black knight, holding it out towards her. "I got ours."
"What? How could—" Weiss said, glaring at the black knight. "Don't tell me you were out all night. Alone."
Her eyes swerved from his palm towards the altar. There were no other black knight pieces left. And there had only been a single chess set. She was definitely intelligent enough to count the remaining pieces, and arrive at the right conclusion.
Oh well, oh well.
Weiss Schnee was going to find out eventually.
Nex shrugged, putting on his best smile. "What can I possibly say? I had a lot of trouble sleeping."
Weiss heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I should be mad, but I can't argue with results. And, it does speak volumes about your initiative. Ahead of time even. Well-played, partner."
Yeah, what she said, even if she seemed a little out of breath. But still, it was definitely debatable—whether Weiss being acclimated to his particular brand of crazy was a bad thing or not.
Blake and Ruby hopped away from the altar, the latter holding up a black knight similar to theirs.
If the boisterous professor could be trusted, then the pairs who retrieved a matching relic formed a four-man team—a team like Team SSJW. And there were probably worse people to live with than Ruby and Blake. Gods forbid he ended up on a team with Yang or Jaune. There was no way they would not be tempted to sneak out—especially for a couple of drinks. Even worse, on a team with both Yang and Jaune. He could not have possibly lived with them without turning into his father.
Case in point—when a pair of blondes crashed through the far wall, demolishing the cracked stone.
Ugh.
What did the poor, innocent wall ever do to them?
Fun Trivia: The design/concept of Hrunting and Vigilance is based on Excalibur and Avalon from the Fate franchise.