Ozpin's speech was dragging on.
HeHe had already given us all pertinent information about the initiation: we were going to be thrown into a forest full of soulless monsters. We were expected to land safely on our own without getting ourselves killed. The first person we made eye contact with would be our partner for our remaining four years in the academy, no take-backsies or crying to your mom about it. We'd have to fight off the aforementioned monsters and navigate towards the temple in the center of the forest in order to retrieve an unspecified relic. And at the end of the day, we would be assigned into teams of four.
Well, the survivors would, anyway.
It all sounded simple enough, and I couldn't understand why he was still going on about it. I guess he felt he had to add a motivational bit. In my opinion, it wasn't necessary, but most professors seem to like that part. It was the same in combat school: all that stuff about resolve and self-reliance but also teamwork and trustworthiness and all the other virtues a Hunter should possess in order to face the dangers ahead. Blah, blah, blah. Just throw us into the death pit already.
Some people seemed to like it, though. The girl with the bunny ears, a few spaces away from me, was eating it all up. It was kind of cute, actually: she was standing ramrod straight, keeping her eyes on Ozpin with this very serious expression, as if she expected to be called to attention and repeat the speech at any minute. Definitely a good little rule-follower, that one.
She looked vaguely familiar, too, though I couldn't quite place her at that moment. I can usually remember people from their outfits, but hers was too utterly plain to give me much information. A brown combat suit, with no ornaments or even a Huntress's symbol. It was not a fashion disaster or anything, it was just so… unassuming. It was complemented by a little box she was carrying on a shoulder strap, as well as a small sheathed dagger strapped to her waist.
Her entire outfit screamed "I want to avoid attention".
"All that said, you have all made it thus far", I heard Ozpin say, interrupting my train of thought on how I would rescue her style if I was given the chance. Wait, were we at the end of the speech?
"I am confident that you are more than capable of meeting our expectations", Ozpin said.
Sounded like it. He was expressing his belief in our abilities. This is the sort of thing professors usually say before tossing you off from a metaphorical cliff. Well, a literal cliff, in this case. Ozpin paused for a moment and then, rather casually, added "well, good luck then".
Finally, I thought, as I felt myself getting catapulted into the air, and then falling into the forest.
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I hadn't found any Grimm so far.
It was a bit disappointing, really. I'd hoped to get some target practice. Kick some Grimm ass, look fabulous while doing so, that sort of thing. What kind of Hunters' academy sends its initiates for a pleasant stroll into the forest?
I could not shake the feeling that it all seemed suspiciously easy. The road to the temple was supposedly infested with Grimm. I was pretty sure I was headed in the right direction, though. You can't graduate from combat school without having at least decent navigation skills.
That said, I didn't see any classmates either. It could be that they just hadn't made it that far into the forest yet, but I had to at least consider the alternative explanation, which was that I had somehow gotten lost.
I was about to take a break and consider my options when I saw him: a tallish, dark-skinned guy with red hair, standing with his back turned to me. He was wearing a pair of generic but not inelegant black jeans, as well as a sleeveless red top that showcased the scars on his arms. Going for that intimidation factor, I guess; not that I was judging. He had his right palm on his ear, muttering to himself.
"Hey", I said.
He held up his other hand. "Hold on a minute."
There didn't seem to be anything to hold on for, but I humored him and simply approached in silence. He remained quite still for a bit, listening to whatever it was that he had in his ear. After a while, he nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied with his conclusions. He lowered his hand and turned to face me. A pair of milky white eyes met mine.
"Oh", I said in surprise. "You're blind."
He gasped theatrically. "I am?" he exclaimed, in a tone of exaggerated wonder. "That explains so much about my life so far."
I smiled a little. "I'm Coco, Coco Adel."
"Fox Alistair", he replied with a nod.
"Have you seen anyone else? Grimm or person. The forest seems to be so empty, it's kind of eerie."
"The forest is not empty", he said. "Our classmates are still at a distance, but I can sense them approaching us, slowly but surely."
"You can sense them?" I repeated skeptically.
"Their auras", he replied casually, as if it was no big deal. "My semblance lets me do it." He offered to further explanation, and I didn't want to press too hard; semblances are a very personal thing.
Fox kept on speaking. "As for the Grimm, I'm sure we'll encounter them sooner or later. There's only the two of us here right now, and we probably aren't that juicy. At least I know I'm not having any particularly negative thoughts."
He was probably right. "Well, we should be prepared for them anyway", I said. "But first, let's find the temple. I think we should be headed in that direction – um, behind you and a little to the right."
"Yeah, ADA agrees with you on that one."
"ADA?" I enquired, as we started walking together.
"Accessibility Dialogue Assistant", he replied, tapping his ear. "Uses sonar pulses to scan the area, similarly to what bats do. It lets me know where things are, as well as their shapes and sizes. It includes a compass and I paired it up with a map of the forest in my scroll."
"Cool." I really thought it was interesting, but I wasn't going to bombard a guy I just met with questions about his special device.
We walked in silence for a few more minutes. It didn't feel uncomfortable. Fox struck me as the kind of person who's content with their own thoughts and doesn't need much chit chat. That suited me just fine.
After a while, I discerned the temple at a distance. It was about ten minutes away: a roofless, elliptical construction made of either stone or marble, with a few large columns interspersed by several smaller pedestals. I informed my companion that we had almost reached our destination.
"I know", he said.
A few moments of silence passed, and then he added, very casually: "By the way, there is a pack of Beowolves headed our way."
I turned towards him. I suppose the dramatic effect of it was lost on him. "Pardon?"
"They are coming from the direction of the temple towards us", he said. "Should reach us in about two or three minutes, I think."
I blinked. "How-?"
"I told you ADA uses pulses to scan the surrounding area", he said. "For shorter distances, this creates a sort of artificial sight that I described before. It helps me not bump into things and such. For longer distances, I can set it to warn me of suspicious activity. I cannot "see" the Grimm myself, but ADA spots large moving creatures at some distance and sends me a warning. If I can't sense auras, they must be Grimm."
I paused for a bit, taking all this in. "Why Beowolves specifically?"
"That's just an estimate based on the size of the group and how fast they move… hold up." He covered his right ear with his palm and leaned his head a bit forward. "Ah. Yes. There are also a couple of Ursai, I think, coming from behind us. They weren't moving before, so they didn't activate a warning."
He seemed very calm about it. I liked that.
"Okay", I said. "You said two or three minutes, right? That gives us just enough time to form a simple plan…"
The pack emerged in the distance: a moving black cloud, several pairs of red eyes glowing on its surface. They moved fast, in deadly silence, charging towards us as a perfectly coordinated unit.
I blinked again. "Well then, I suppose we-"
I was interrupted by a deep growl from behind me. Though I usually pride myself in my composure under stress, I must admit the sound made me jump a bit. Turning around, I saw two small Ursai appearing from behind a cluster of trees.
Well, small by Ursai standards.
"I might have underestimated the time they would need to reach us", Fox said. He didn't sound all too bothered. Readying his weapons – a pair of bladed tonfas attached to his wrists – he turned to me and grinned. "So, what's the plan?"
"Uh…" Truth be told, I had hoped for a little more time to form a plan. Then again, Huntsmen who had died on the field would have probably said the same thing. "Alright. I take the pack – there's more of them, they're at a distance, my weapon makes more sense. Can you keep the Ursai off my back in the meantime?" It wasn't the most elaborate of plans, but it didn't need to be – it just needed to work.
Fox, at least, seemed satisfied with it. "Okay."
I examined them. "The bigger one is walking a bit weird", I said. "There's a slight imbalance… old injury at the left leg, I think. Might want to target that." I hesitated. "Do you need some help with them? They're closer, and I think I can spare-"
"Hey – get off my back, why don't ya", he cut me off, with no real animosity. Then he turned towards the Ursai, assuming a closed, cautious stance. He was assessing them before fighting. "Come here, teddy", he cooed to the bigger one.
It obliged, swinging a massive paw at Fox's head. He jumped aside, getting in a slash at the monster's exposed stomach. It roared in pain and lashed out, shaking the earth with its stomping. Its companion turned its soulless gaze on Fox and charged.
I forced myself to look away. Fox had seemed perfectly competent so far, and he had gotten into the same academy I had. Besides, we could not afford to focus on the same targets; I had my own task to attend to.
And so, trusting that this guy I'd just met would cover my back, I turned my attention to the Beowulf pack.
They had spread a little: still charging as a unit, but coming at me from slightly different directions. The leader covered the middle, flanked by companions right and left. They were a lot faster than me: if I let them get any closer, I'd soon be dead.
I took my handbag off.
"Hey", I called out to Fox. "I'm gonna shoot some rounds at them. It'll be loud, so don't be startled. And don't get in the way."
He grunted in response. I took it as affirmation that he had comprehended my instructions and agreed to follow them.
Hopefully.
Planting my feet on the ground, I pressed the transformation button on my bag. Gianduja, my trusted gatling gun, took its place.
"Come to mama", I muttered.
They did.
The closest one charged from the left; it was met with a bullet to its chest midjump. The bullet, enhanced by dust, exploded from within the Grimm's body. Bits and pieces splattered in all directions, then faded into nothingness.
The sound was deafening as I moved my gun around in a semicircle, mowing the charging pack with a barrage of fired shots. There was a lot of aggressive growling followed by pained yelps and explosions.
When the last Beowulf vanished into thin air, I scanned the area one more time to make sure it was really the last. That's the thing about battling Grimm: most of them are not very smart, so their attacks are usually predictable. But their sheer strength and savagery mean that you can't afford to let even one of them catch you by surprise. The slightest mistake in an engagement could be fatal.
After I was satisfied that the area was clear, I collapsed my gun back into its handbag form and slung it over my shoulder.
I turned around. Fox was standing there, arms crossed, an eyebrow quirked. The Ursai were nowhere to be seen.
"Good job", I said.
"Thanks", he replied. "And likewise. Those are some really strong bullets you got there."
"No, that's my semblance", I explained. "It helps me amplify the effects of dust. The bullets contain dust, and, well, you get the idea. I call it Hype."
"Of course you do", he teased, laughing a little. I was not offended by it. My three younger brothers had all made relentless fun of me when I'd first announced the name of my semblance. Because that's the sort of disrespect a big sister gets nowadays. Cheeky little shits.
I missed them so much.
"Shall we get moving?" Fox asked. He hadn't asked where the gun had even come from. I wasn't sure if his device allowed him to take in the transformation. But then, he was training to be a Huntsman. He was probably used to the concept that any object could transform into a gun.
"Yeah, let's go", I agreed.
We walked in silence until we reached the temple. On top of each pedestal lay a thin stone tablet with a card symbol on it.
"I suppose these are the relics then", I said.
"I need a little help here", Fox admitted. "I can discern rough shapes, but I can't tell where the relics are supposed to be."
I told him about the tablets. "Shall I pick one or do you want to do it?" I asked. "There's one on every pedestal, so you can chose whichever you want. Then we can make our way back."
"Hold up", he said. For the first time since we met, there was something like insecurity in his voice. He pointed to his eyes. "Do you suppose this counts?" he asked. "Since, y'know. We never technically made eye contact." He paused for a brief moment. Then, a bit stiffly, he added: "It's fine if you don't want to. We don't have to… I mean, I get it. No hard feelings."
I frowned. What was he talking about? Did he not want me as a partner? I thought I was pretty awesome, if I might say so myself.
It didn't sound like that, though. It was more like, he sounded worried I might not want him for a partner and was trying to give me a face-saving way out. Which was, of course, utterly ridiculous. What reason could I possibly have to-
Oh.
I chose my next words very carefully.
"You just had my back in a fight", I pointed out. "You warned me about the Grimm and then fought them with me. And you were the only one of our classmates that could keep up with my pace."
He smiled a bit. "I was actually a little faster", he pointed out. "You were the one who caught up to me when we met."
"Hey – get off my back, why don't ya", I said mildly. His smile grew wider at the throwback, and he raised his hands up in the air in a peacemaking gesture. "My point is", I continued, "we worked well together, and we both got into the same academy. As far as I'm concerned, we're partners. It counts. Unless you don't want it to." He remained silent, so I pressed a bit. "Do you want it to count?"
He seemed more relaxed now. "Well", he said, "we did work well together. You have an absurdly strong aura and an absurdly strong weapon, and you make tolerable conversation."
"Thanks", I said dryly.
He grinned. "And you don't take offense easily. I think this can work." He extended his hand and I shook it firmly.
"Okay", I said. "Enough chit chat. Pick a card, partner. We still have to make sure we beat everyone else on the way back."
"Do we?" he asked. I'd have to cultivate his competitive spirit. "Oh well." He picked the card on the pedestal closest to him and showed it to me. King of Hearts.
"We'd better get moving then. Two of our classmates have already caught up to us."
"Huh?"
I looked at the direction he was pointing at. I only saw some bushes and trees. Then I heard a slashing sound followed by a thump, as a large tree branch fell to the side. The bushes moved, and the girl with the bunny ears emerged from them, followed by an entire goddamn giant samurai.
"Sorry", the samurai said.
I looked around in confusion, searching for the offended party. Bunny girl didn't seem upset with him, and he couldn't be addressing me or Fox. Then I realized. He was talking to the tree he'd cut the branch from.
He was apologizing to the tree. Facing it remorsefully and everything.
"Hello", Fox said.
The samurai sheathed his longsword back in and turned towards us. Bunny girl was also looking at us, a nervous expression on her face.
They were the weirdest pair I'd ever seen.
"Hello", the samurai replied with a smile. "I'm Yatsuhashi Daichi."
Fox and I introduced ourselves. I expected bunny girl to do the same, but she just looked away, her face carefully void of expression. Staying quiet, as if she didn't think anyone would be interested in her name.
"Hey – I know you, don't I?" I asked her, after a few moments of awkward silence. I did my best to sound friendly and non-threatening. She looked like she really needed encouragement. An unusual demeanor for a Huntress in training, admittedly. But, I reminded myself, she too had gotten into the same academy I had.
She looked up, her eyes assessing me. "I was in Pharos", she said finally. "I'm Velvet Scarlatina. We were in the same year, but not the same division."
"Right", I said. Of course. Pharos. Combat schools were a lot less selective than Hunters' academies, resulting in much larger student bodies. As a result, students in the same year had to be grouped into divisions to make class sizes more manageable. I vaguely recalled seeing the girl around a few times, but we didn't move in the same circles and I'd never seen her fight. And, in fairness to my memory, she seemed like the type who actively avoids attention.
Naturally, she must have known who I was.
"You want to pick a card, Velvet?", Yatsuhashi asked her. He was aiming for the same tone I did: calming, friendly, non-threatening. Trying to make her comfortable. He even crouched a bit, in what was probably an extremely unsuccessful attempt to make himself look smaller.
Velvet gave him the same assessing look she'd given me, then hmm'ed and walked towards the pedestals. Unlike Fox, she took some time to decide, picking up several cards and putting them back doubtfully before settling on one.
"Alright", I said after she was done. "I suppose it makes sense to head back together. Strength in numbers and all that."
The boys agreed. Velvet said nothing, but she followed the group regardless, silently and with her eyes lowered. It was weird, I thought, the way she was acting. But maybe she was just incredibly shy, and anyway it was not my business.
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Yatsuhashi slammed his blade on the Boarbutusk's back, sending it flying into a tree. It got up and charged at him again, a few others at its flanks. Fox stepped in, slicing one with his tonfas. I took on another, pummeling it with my handbag. Transforming it into a gun wasn't worth the effort for this fight. The Boardbatusks had strength in numbers, but the blind, impulsive way they charged suggested they were young and inexperienced. The ones that had survived the slashes of Yatsuhashi's sword charged at him again. He didn't even bother fighting them individually: he just stomped heavily on the earth, causing a shock wave that shattered part of the ground underneath us. Fox and I jumped a few meters away, regaining our balance; the Grimm didn't. They fell to Yatsuhashi's feet in piles, and he just whacked and slashed them into nonexistence as if he was swatting away flies.
I considered myself a heavy melee hitter, but this was just ridiculous. This guy had obliterated everything that had dared crossed our path on the way to school. Of course, he hadn't been alone. Fox, an efficient speedster, complemented Yatsuhashi's tankiness quite nicely. I wanted to conserve my ammo, so I'd been mostly using my weapon in its bag form; but I provided ranged support when it was really necessary. All in all, we made a pretty good team.
And after every curb stomping session, we stopped and stood there for a while so Yatsuhashi could apologize to the local wildlife for disturbing it.
"Alright", I said, after the last Boarbatusk had vaporized. "Good work. We're almost at the school now."
Fox nodded. Yatsuhashi didn't respond: he was preoccupied with a baby bird he'd picked up from the shattered ground. He whispered sweet nothings to it for a while, then carefully placed it back into its nest.
"Um", Velvet said timidly.
"What?" I asked, a little snappily. She hadn't done anything while the rest of us had been busting our asses. Admittedly we were never in any real danger, but it's the principle of the thing. You can't just stand there while your fellow Hunters are doing all the work.
She'd reached to touch her box a few times; but she'd seemed uncertain about it, taking a while, as if she was trying to convince herself to do something. And by the time she'd finished whatever mental battle she was having with herself, the rest of us had taken care of the fighting here in the physical world.
"A… a Roc is flying towards us", she said apprehensively. She was primarily addressing me for some reason. "I can hear it. I think… I think it's really large."
I was still a little irritated with her, but I couldn't disregard such a warning.
A Roc. The giant bird of prey Grimm, the Nevermore's eagle-like cousin. Insanely fast and somewhat smart, making it able to pull off ambushes on professional Hunters despite its massive size.
Sounded fun.
"Okay", I said. "Weapons at the ready." I scanned the area: we were surrounded by trees, with a few clear spots towards the sky. But I couldn't see anything there, not right now. "Fox, can you sense it too?"
"No", he admitted. "But ADA is not ideal for detecting aerial threats. It could simply be too high up at the moment – or flying too erratically."
I turned to Velvet again. "What exactly can you hear? A Roc's cry can be heard kilometers away. I know faunus have enhanced senses, but I think we would all have heard that."
She winced. "Sorry", she whispered. It was honestly a little irritating: I hadn't spoken harshly to her, merely questioned her. But showing irritation wouldn't help. "But, um… I can hear the flying."
I took a breath. "Which direction-"
"Coco!" she interrupted. I frowned, barely registering surprise at her sudden outburst. Her expression hardened and she assumed a battle stance, feet wide apart, hand hovering over her box. Instead of saying anything else, she silently pointed at my back.
I turned around, too late.
Excruciating pain burst through my spine as a shattering force collided with my back. The collision threw me forward, flailing, and I landed face down on the ground with a hard thud. The handbag flew off my shoulder and disappeared into a thicket some distance away.
"Look out!" Fox yelled.
I looked up. Yatsuhashi was getting up from where he'd fallen, a few meters away from me. Standing in front of him, Fox was still on his feet, tonfas at the ready; and a giant Roc was flying towards them at full speed.
I sprang to my feet as Fox jumped high up in the air and slashed downwards, at the sensitive area above the beak. A shrill cry pierced the air; talons and beak lashed out at Fox, trying to rip him apart. But he landed on the surface of the beak, crouching; then pushed against it with his hands and feet, boosting himself away. Yatsuhashi, having gotten up by then, got a hit in with the sword; the Roc flapped its giant wings and flew towards the sky.
But it did not leave. Instead, it hovered above us, flying in circles. One moment visible, the next hidden by trees.
It was assessing us. We'd managed to damage it and it had made a tactical retreat, but was now looking for an opening to come back. This was an older Grimm, with experience in battle. My limited experience so far involved younger Grimm, that tended to have no concept of danger and charge blindly into your attacks. The notion of a Grimm with some semblance of tactical awareness had always freaked me out a little.
It was freakishly large, too: about twice the size that Hunters' manuals described as average for a Roc.
"Keep your weapons ready!" I yelled. The boys gave me looks that meant "no duh". Well, Yatsuhashi mostly. Fox couldn't technically give a look, but his expression still somehow managed to be sufficiently sarcastic.
To be fair, I'd already told them to do that. And it was obvious, too. But I couldn't take any chances. It was bad enough that I wasn't in a position to follow my own order; but that, at least, I could remedy. Keeping one eye on the sky, I started running towards the thicket where my own weapon had fallen. I had to get it back.
I'd crossed about half the distance when the Roc swooped down again. Something this big had no right to be so damn fast: it dove from the clouds to the ground in what felt like a couple of seconds. This time it stayed a bit higher above the ground and flew towards Fox at high speed, talons extended. He ducked, landing face-first on the ground. The Grimm charged again; Yatsuhashi pushed Fox out of the way of the second attack, and sharp white talons gripped him instead.
For a tiny, critical moment, I froze.
Then Fox yelled out, and time resumed. He threw himself at the Grimm, trying to pierce its foot; but he was knocked away by a flick of one of the massive wings, and landed, dazed, a few meters away. Yatsuhashi was putting up a titanic fight in the Grimm's talons, but his longsword lay fallen on the ground under him, and the grip he was battling against was unyielding. There was no time to retrieve my weapon. Abandoning the search, I started running towards him instead; but, of course, there was no time for that either. I was simply too far away. The Roc raised its wings, ready to fly.
Then a flash of brilliant blue light shot through the air, and the arrow made of that light pierced through the Roc's wings.
It thrashed wildly, releasing Yatsuhashi from its grip and throwing him away at a distance. A second arrow landed on its foot; a third on its chest. Hard light dust, it looked like; but I had never seen it used that way before. It was expertly yielded, too. I turned around sharply, expecting to see a professor: Ozpin had said they would not interfere, but - I thought - it looked like that he'd been bluffing. But when I turned around, I saw only Velvet. She had a bow on her back, made of the same blue light as the arrows. But as I looked at her, the bow vanished into nothingness, and a pair of grappling hooks took its place.
She lunged at the Grimm and jumped, using the hooks to anchor herself on its back. It tried to fly away, but its wings wouldn't carry it: the arrow seemed to have done its job in that respect. Still, the fight was far from over. A vicious beak snapped at Velvet; she dodged it, kicking against the head to catapult herself into the air over its head. At the highest point of her jump, the hooks disappeared, and radiant dual blades materialized in her hands. The blades shone blindingly against the Roc's black plumage as she brought them down on the back of its head.
I started running towards them. I wasn't sure martial arts were going to cut it for this engagement, but I couldn't just stand there.
Yatsuhashi had the same idea. He'd recovered from his fall, but he was still weaponless, his longsword laying on the ground under the Roc. We exchanged a look of understanding, then lunged at the stomach and chest. Like we'd been taught: when fighting larger things, aim for the soft spots. Strike, get out of the way. Rebalance yourself. Repeat.
It wasn't sustainable long term, though.
"Grab your sword!" I yelled at him. In the edge of my field of vision, I caught Fox running towards us to help. "I'll cover you."
He obliged. Slashes replaced hits, Fox joining the party and adding his own. I backed up for a bit, trying to see how Velvet was doing. She was still holding on for dear life; she'd somehow managed to get a noose – a real, physical one, not one made of hard light - around the Roc's neck. It twisted and turned its whole body violently, trying to get rid of her; but she was a persistent little thing. She held out her free hand, the one not holding the rope. A small hard light pistol met her palm. She gripped it, slid downwards towards the beak that was trying to break her in half, and kicked against its moving surface. She spun around midair to face the Roc, pistol extended. She only had a moment before she'd have to land, but a moment was enough.
She aimed for the eyes.
A shriek of intense pain shattered the air. The Grimm roared and thrashed; I ran away to avoid getting stomped, promptly followed by Fox and Yatsuhashi. Velvet jumped out of the Roc with a backwards somersault, releasing the rope and landing on the ground next to us.
She raised her hands once more. Her blue light rose at her command, swirling in her hands. When it settled, there was a new weapon shining in her hands. A large machine gun. A familiar shape.
Gianduja.
"Stand back, please", Velvet said, very calmly.
Then she turned my weapon's copy towards the Grimm and unleashed a furious round of bullets all over its body. The bullets didn't seem to be as strong as mine: they lacked the dust-enhancing effect of my semblance. But after the damage we'd already inflicted, they were enough.
The Roc's massive body collapsed with an earth-shattering thud, then vanished in a gust of thin black smoke.
Velvet and I exchanged a look. Mine must have been full of wonder and awe. Hers was calm, confident.
Was this the same girl who'd waited to be asked for her name and could barely look any of us in the eye before?
"So", I said, after a pause. "That was a thing."
Behind me, Fox coughed. "Excuse me", he said. "Could someone please explain what the fuck just happened?"
Oh, right. Fox was blind.
"I mean", he continued, addressing Velvet, "ADA could register your shape and movements. And I could tell the Roc was having a bad time, so I figured you were beating it, somehow. But, uh… it seemed like you weren't holding anything."
"Hard light projections?" I asked.
She gave me an apprehensive look and nodded hesitantly. Apparently she'd gone back to her default extreme timidity, now that we weren't fighting for our lives.
"That's really cool, Velvet", Yatsuhashi told her. "How does it work, exactly?" He gave her a warm, encouraging smile, to which she responded by flinching a little and reflexively taking half a step back. His face fell, and he backed off as well, wrapping his arms around himself.
She answered his question, though. "It's my weapon", she mumbled. At his quizzical look, she unstrapped her little box from her waist and opened it in front of us. "It's a camera", she added, for Fox's benefit. "It can make copies of weapons I've taken pictures of." Seeing the raised eyebrows her statement had caused, she blushed furiously and started stammering out qualifiers. "There are some technical limitations… like, they don't last very long. And it's only one use per copy."
"That's still impressive", I said. "Back in Atlas, I've seen hard light used for projections, but it was an experimental thing… you know, just some basic holograms. Nothing with practical utility yet. Definitely nothing so advanced as that. Where did you even get this camera?"
"I kinda… um… made it?" At my stunned look, she nervously added "I thought everyone made their own weapons."
"Not everyone", Yatsuhashi said. "Some people inherit or buy them. It's encouraged to make your own weapon, but, you know. Not everyone is skilled in that area."
"And your weapon is kind of unique", I added. "It's a different type of engineering than… hold up." I frowned. "The machine gun. That was my weapon, right? Gianduja. Did you take a photo of it today? I didn't notice you doing that."
She blushed even harder, if that was possible, and looked at the ground again.
"It's okay, I'm not mad", I added pacifyingly. "I was just wondering is all."
She nodded in acknowledgement, but made no response. I decided not to press. The poor kid looked like she'd had more than enough social interaction for the day; if we ended up on the same team, we'd have to seriously work on the shyness.
"We should be heading back", I said after a short pause.
"Sure", Fox replied, smiling mischievously at me. "Otherwise we risk the horrific misfortune of finishing second, or something. We wouldn't want to entertain the possibility of such a tragedy."
I laughed. "You got that right."
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"Casey Williams. Brandon Scott. Lydia Abernathy. Tybald Stein." Ozpin's voice rang loud and clear across the great hall, invoking the attention of the four named students. "The four of you retrieved the Queen and King of Spades. From this day forth, you will work together as team CBLT (cobalt); led by… Casey Williams."
"Cobalt is not a bad name", I muttered to Fox. "But I can't get over how silly some of these acronyms are. Like team CBBG (Cabbage), for example. Imagine getting stuck with a name like that. Like, they put you in a sparring match or something against another team, and they announce you like… roar! It's team cabbage! That strikes fear in the heart."
He snorted and nodded. Yatsuhashi, on my other side, gave us a disapproving look.
"These people are our fellow Hunters-in-training", he said. "And the naming theme deserves respect. It symbolizes-"
"Yeah, yeah. It symbolizes individuality of expression." I cracked my back lazily. "Relax, big guy. I'm not making fun of our fellow Hunters-in-training. I'm making fun of some of these acronyms. Hopefully we don't get stuck with something ridiculous for the next four years."
We were standing together, the four of us, in the back of the crowded school hall. I expected we'd be on the same team: pairings seemed to be based on matching card pairs, and, as it happened, Velvet had picked the Queen of Hearts.
She was standing next to Yatsuhashi, quiet and withdrawn: I couldn't remember if she'd said two words since we'd reached the school. Part of it was probably just her usual demeanor, but I could think of another reason.
We'd arrived first, of course, and waited as more and more people gathered. Team announcements hadn't started immediately. While we were waiting, clips from the initiation had been shown, playing on the giant screen behind the stage. Our team – if we were, in fact, going to be a team – was generally prominent in them. Yatsuhashi's fighting was featured again and again, earning unanimous admiration. Fox's technique and agility was showcased. I was repeatedly shown blasting things confidently from cool-looking angles.
But Velvet's takedown of the Roc had not been shown.
Sure, it had only been one fight; but it had been by far the hardest fight of the initiation, the only time when I felt we were in real danger. And Velvet had played the most important role in it. She'd even seemed a little excited, for the first time, when the clips started playing.
I'd heard people whispering about it: how it was weird that she hadn't done anything, how they felt sorry for us because we'd probably get stuck with her. And if I could discern some of the whispers, Velvet, with her enhanced hearing, must have been getting the whole public opinion.
No matter. If we were placed on the same team, I'd make damn sure she – and everyone else – got all the recognition they deserved.
"Coco Adel", Ozpin's voice called, as if in response to my train of thought.
I looked up.
"Fox Alistair."
Next to me, Fox tensed a little.
"Velvet Scarlatina."
She raised her eyes, hesitantly, as if she were forcing herself to do it.
"Yatsuhashi Daichi."
Yatsuhashi stood at attention, his expression earnest and focused.
"The four of you retrieved the Queen and King of Hearts", Ozpin continued. "From now on, you will work together as team Coffee (CFVY); led by… Coco Adel."
Okay, CFVY wasn't too bad. I could work with CFVY. It wasn't nearly as silly as-
Wait. Led by whom?
It had not been entirely unexpected: I'd kind of taken charge I the forest, and the leader assignments so far seemed to be based off on who had taken initiative and coordinated the attacks. It was a logical criterion to base the decision on; and yet, my feelings were mixed. There were so many things I could have done better. My first plan had been too simplistic, and would never have worked if Fox hadn't been so adaptable. I'd over-relied on Yatsuhashi's raw power for many of our battles. And during our most dangerous challenge, Velvet had taken over, and I'd only contributed towards the end.
If I was going to lead these people, I'd have to become better at leading. For their sake.
Then again, I do love a challenge.
I turned to face them. Yatsuhashi met my eyes and nodded, a serious expression on his face. Velvet was looking down again. My eyes hovered on her for a moment before turning to Fox, who slapped me companionably on the shoulder.
"Congratulations, partner", his voice echoed in my head. "This is going to be a fun year."
His lips had not moved.
For a moment, I just stood there as my brain processed what had happened. I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I turned to Velvet and Yatsuhashi for confirmation I was not going insane, and this time they both returned my look, looking equally aghast.
Fox smirked. "Yeah, that's a thing I can do."