Hey guys! Hope you're all liking the story so far, all of your support is greatly appreciated. I don't have all that much to say this time around, but hope you all like this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Speech"
Thoughts
Chapter Six: Isolation
Slade stepped out of the doorway to exit the student transport, quickly pulling away from the other students. Looking up at the building in front of him his lips formed into a frown.
"This is it... the building responsible for training my family to be Huntsmen... Fate has a funny sense of humor" Slade's gaze darkened dramatically.
Until you embrace your full potential you will only be a pawn of fate, never it's master a dark feminine voice rang in his ears.
Slade quickly drew his weapon and turned around, coming face to face with Qrow Branwen "Woah there, kiddo" he put his hands up in surrender.
His eyes displayed his surprise at Qrow's presence "Sorry" Slade apologized placing his gun back into it's holster.
"You're fine, it's understandable for you to be a bit jumpy on your first day here... especially considering what you've already been through" Qrow waved his hand dismissively.
"Yeah..." Slade remained silent about the voice he heard perhaps it was just my imagination.
Qrow and Slade stood awkwardly not quite sure what to talk about, neither of them had seen each other since Elise's passing "Why don't I show you to the auditorium. Oz wouldn't want you to be late for his address" Qrow offered.
"Thank you, that would be helpful" he nodded stepping out of Qrow's path and following him.
"Don't mention it"
They both remained silent as Qrow led him to the auditorium , neither of them able to think of a good conversation starter. They arrived to find the building already full of students "Looks like your classmates are all very prompt" he smirked "Oz should be starting soon, we'll catch up later"
"I suppose I'll see you later then" Slade gave a small wave as he turned to leave.
"Keep out of trouble, kid. You'll do fine here" Qrow offered back with a matching wave.
"Do you think the rumors about the test are true?" Slade overheard Dusk's voice ask curiously.
"How should I know? We haven't even taken the test yet" Willow asked incredulously.
"Well the rumor going around is we get one partner and that's who you have to be with for the rest of the four years here" Hazel explained "If that is true, then one of us could potentially end up with another partner than the three of us here"
"Sounds like a stupid rumor to me" Willow laughed "What kind of a test would put you with someone else to pass? We're here to learn how to be Huntresses not hold hands and sing kumbaya"
"Perhaps a test looking to judge your ability to work with others" Slade answered leaning against the wall behind them with his arms crossed. The group turned to look at him in surprise.
"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Willow asked accusingly.
"It's not eavesdropping when you practically yelled every sentence" Slade replied "If you would like to know how long I've been able to hear you, I'd say about the past two minutes or so"
"Well next time don't!" Willow yelled indignantly.
"You do realize you're just proving his point don't you?" Hazel pointed out with a laugh.
Willow's eyes shot open in alarm "Shut up!" she yelled back causing her two friends to laugh.
What a bunch of idiots Slade thought with a roll of his eyes.
Ozpin took to the stage as they continued to argue amongst themselves, he cleared his throat into the microphone causing the students to fall silent in anticipation.
"Let's keep this brief shall we?" he smiled at the students in front of him "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. And when I look amongst you here today I see such raw potential in all of you, the potential for great things" Ozpin gestured to the students in front of him. Suddenly the room darkened and Ozpin changed from the man in front of them to a woman with deathly white skin, covered with deep red and purple veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. She wears a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes and a ring resembling an insect on her right index finger. She has white hair formed into a bun with six offshoots, three on each side from which ornaments are suspended.
That's the face I saw during our mission to Foxworth! Slade's eyes shot open in alarm, looking at the students in front of him they seemed completely unfazed by this transformation. The dark voice he heard moments ago began to speak from the woman's lips.
"You are mine" she grinned malevolently "Servants... Slaves... Weapons" she listed off gesturing to a particular group of students in the crowd, Slade was unable to see who she was pointing out through the crowd in front of him "And you will obey!"
"Stop!" Slade yelled at the top of his lungs dropping to his knees with his eyes shut and his hands on his head in searing pain, causing all of the students to look at him in shock. Ozpin stopped abruptly looking over toward Slade following the other students gaze, Slade opened his eyes to find he was still in the auditorium with all of the students staring back at him and Ozpin looking at him in surprise.
"Getup, kid" Qrow said pulling Slade to his feet "Come with me" he dragged him out of the auditorium with the students still watching in confusion and shock.
Ozpin cleared his throat "Probably just has a headache from all the speakers in here" he joked with a light chuckle trying to lighten the mood "To continue from where I left off-"
Slade sat silently in the chair opposite Ozpin's desk awaiting his arrival with Qrow watching him intently "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" Slade asked curiously.
"Oz is going to want to hear it from you as well, better to wait for him instead of repeating it twice" he answered.
"I suppose you're right" he sighed "I hope he can help me"
"I'll certainly do my best" Ozpin assured him as he stepped out of the elevator with Glynda not far behind him. Ozpin sat on the front of his desk looking at Slade intently "What happened back in the auditorium? You almost seemed like you were... suffering"
"I was" Slade replied his hand reaching up to his head as he remembered the agonizing pain "When I first got off the transport here at Beacon this morning I heard a voice speaking to me, I assumed it was someone behind me as I had felt a presence... it felt wrong... out of place... When I turned I found Qrow to be the only one there, that's when he guided me to the auditorium"
"That's why you were pointing your gun at me?" Qrow asked surprised.
"Please continue Mr. Stroud" Ozpin implored.
"I... When you were giving your speech Professor, you changed into the one we saw in our mission to Foxworth"
"The one in the hood?" Glynda asked curiously.
"No" Qrow breathed out in fear "Salem" he answered her question low enough so Slade couldn't hear.
"The one who's face appeared once we closed the portal" Slade answered "You turned into her and said something to specific students in the room but I couldn't see who"
"What exactly did she say?" Ozpin asked leaning forward.
"She said they were hers, her servants, weapons, slaves, and they would obey" he answered, looking at the floor between the two of them "That's all I heard before the immense amount of pain in my head began"
"Interesting" Ozpin contemplated the words briefly before asking "What about just before you met with Qrow? What did she say then?"
"She said until I embrace my full potential I will only ever be a pawn of fate and never it's master" he answered "What does this all mean, Professor?"
"I wish I knew for sure, the little that I do know I cannot tell you. It would put you in more danger than it would serve to help you... why don't you rejoin the students so you can get some sleep for tomorrow. You're going to need it for your-"
Reckless pride, limbed by self-righteousness... the voice echoed as she once again appeared before Slade staring down a frozen Ozpin You are master of nothing she suddenly disappeared.
"-Test tom-" Ozpin suddenly stopped looking around somewhat alarmed.
"Professor?" Glynda asked surprised.
"Apologies I thought I heard something" he answered with a soothing smile "As I was saying your test tomorrow is going to be rough so you're going to need to rest up for the morning. Ms. Goodwitch will show you to where you'll be sleeping tonight"
"What should I say if anyone asks what was wrong in the auditorium?" Slade asked.
"Whatever you feel comfortable with" Ozpin answered "Honestly there's not a lot of ways we could spin this that would paint you as mentally sound" he continued with a small frown.
"Understood" Slade answered standing from his chair "I'll see you tomorrow, Professor"
"You can count on that" Ozpin waved lightheartedly as Slade and Glynda entered the elevator and left the room. The moment he exited earshot Ozpin's expression dropped into a concerned frown "I felt her, Qrow... heard her. Salem was here"
"How?"
"I don't know, but I can tell Slade saw and heard everything I did. I knew I felt something off in the auditorium but I thought it was just Slade when he had his outburst. Now I know what it really was"
"Salem"
"I don't know how or why, but Slade is able to see and hear her even when she isn't present"
"Do you think it has something to do with our mission to Foxworth?" Qrow asked curiously.
"It's possible he was close enough to the explosion of energy when Viridian set off her explosives and was the only one affected by it" Ozpin concluded "I will have to consult with the other Headmaster's before anything else. Perhaps Leonardo could shed some light on the situation before it becomes out of hand"
"What about the students Salem pointed to in the auditorium? Do you think there's some students here that are working for her?" Qrow asked concerned.
"I don't know, it could be nothing or it could be something detrimental to all of us, I want you to keep an eye on the students of Slade's year. I want to know who has infiltrated my school before they have a chance to do anything"
"Understood" Qrow nodded in agreement "What about Slade? Should I keep an eye on him?"
"Glynda and I can do that ourselves" he assured him "Don't concern yourself with it, if there's anything we can do to help him, we will do it"
"Thanks, Oz" Qrow smiled lightly.
Glynda led Slade into a large room with several large windows along the wall to his left. There were several rows of students in their bedrolls already with many empty ones belonging to the socializing students around the room.
"This is where you will be staying tonight. Tomorrow if you pass the test you will be assigned dormitories" Glynda explained.
"Thank you"
"What do you plan on telling the other students if they ask you what happened?" she asked curiously.
"Seeing as Professor Ozpin would probably prefer if I downplayed the situation, I will tell them the truth. I honestly have no idea what caused what happened during his speech but it was painful and I forgot where I was for a brief moment" he explained before entering the room without another word.
"I see..." she replied barely above a whisper "What an interesting child" she mused to herself.
Slade silently walked through the room, finding a corner unoccupied by the other students he decided that would be where he slept. The student's eyes were on him the entire time, faint whispers could be heard as they gossiped amongst themselves about the incident that took place a mere hour ago. Slade sighed in annoyance with a slight shake of his head.
"There's that guy again" Dusk pointed out.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be partnered with him" Willow said with a slight frown on her face.
"He seemed different back in the auditorium" Hazel reminded them "Almost like a completely different person"
"Yeah, that's why we don't want to be partnered with him, Hazel. His plug doesn't quite reach the outlet" Willow explained "You never know what to expect from someone like that"
"I certainly never would associate with the guy we met on the ship, his eyes told me everything I needed to know about him right there and then. So how could his eyes change so drastically in the spawn of fifteen minutes?" she wondered aloud.
"Because the guy's screws are loose?" Dusk offered with a shrug.
"Thank you!" Willow half yelled.
"I'm not so sure" Hazel crossed her arms deep in thought "I'm gonna go talk to him" she announced as she approached the boy in question sitting down in the corner with his hood pulled over his face.
"Are you insane!?" Willow and Dusk quietly called after her simultaneously.
"Hey" Hazel greeted with a small smile "I'm-"
"Hazel" Slade said interrupting him "It's a pleasure to meet you" he replied standing up from his place on the floor.
"How'd-"
"I know your name?" Slade asked "Your friend talks pretty loudly" he answered gesturing to Willow with his head.
"I suppose she does" Hazel laughed.
"Slade" he greeted extending his hand for a handshake.
"Pleasure to meet you Slade" she shook his hand firmly "Those two idiots over there are Willow and Dusk" she explained pointing back to them.
"We can hear you!" Willow shouted earning several annoyed hushes from the other students "Make me!" she yelled at them crossing her arms in annoyance.
"She seems like a fun one" Slade joked.
"Willow has her moments, though she prefers to be loud and obnoxious" Hazel chuckled, she gestured for her friends to come over. Dusk quickly walked over while their mutual friend Willow begrudgingly followed behind him, mumbling all the while.
"Hi" Dusk greeted.
"Yo" Slade waved.
"Say hi, Willow" Hazel elbowed her.
"Hi" she hissed.
"Pleasure to meet you both" Slade smirked slightly.
"This is Slade" Hazel introduced the newcomer to his friends.
"Nice gauntlets, did you make them yourself?" Dusk asked curiously.
"I did indeed, though with only minor assistance from my mother on the right one here" he admitted "Yours are also well crafted"
"Thank you" Dusk smiled "Slade doesn't seem so bad, Willow" he said turning to his friend.
"Tch… whatever" she scoffed "Doesn't change the fact he had a mental breakdown during Professor Ozpin's speech today" she added rudely.
"Willow!" Hazel yelled incredulously.
"It's fine" Slade waved his hand dismissively "I've dealt with far worse in this world already than any insult your friend could throw my way"
"Well that's... unfortunate?" Dusk asked not quite knowing how to respond.
"What exactly did happen back in the auditorium? If you don't mind me asking that is" Hazel asked cautiously.
"I'm not really sure" Slade answered "One minute I was intently listening to the Professor and the next I had an incredible pain in my head that I couldn't shake. It was so bad I forgot where I was for a brief moment and couldn't even stand through it" he explained further.
"Wow, that doesn't sound like fun" Dusk commented.
You have no idea Slade thought to himself "Yeah, hopefully whatever caused it was just a fluke thing and won't be happening again. Can't have that happening in the middle of a battle or anything now can I?" Slade asked rhetorically.
"No I imagine not" Hazel agreed.
"Lights out students" Glynda called from the doorway causing all of the students to quickly return to their bedrolls.
"Guess that's our cue to get some rest" Slade smiled at the three students in front of him "Good luck on the test tomorrow"
"To you as well" Hazel waved as she turned to leave.
"We don't need luck" Willow deadpanned before quickly leaving.
"Willow" Dusk groaned "Can't you try and be nice for five minutes?"
"Not to some mentally unstable lunatic" she replied.
"Becomes redundant once you said mentally unstable, Willow" Hazel chuckled.
"Shut up! Don't correct me dammit!"
Slade smirked at their odd way of interacting what a strange group of friends they are he thought to himself.
The next morning Slade awakened from yet another nightmare, sweating as he quickly took in hid surroundings. Sighing with a small shake of his head he watched as the other students all had awakened and began getting prepared for the their upcoming exam "Time to get ready then" Slade stood from his place in the corner and quickly moved to the bathroom getting himself ready for test. Slade took little more than a couple of minutes to prepare as several other students came in and out of the bathroom preparing for the day. The bathroom was empty as he finished up, rinsing off his hands in the sink he stared down somewhat surprised at his hands. There was blood covering his hands instead of the water her had anticipated, but it wasn't coming from the faucet. Perturbed, he quickly began scrubbing his hands together in the running water, trying desperately to wash the blood from his hands. The faces of his family flashed in his mind as he did causing him to growl in annoyance, slamming his fist onto the counter with enough force to crack it.
We don't understand what she is, What she can do an unfamiliar feminine voice said in his ear. Slade turned confused looking around to find no one there with him.
She will cleanse the world of our impurity another claimed.
All she feels is cold rage his mother's voice spoke "Mother?" Slade asked looking in the mirror to find no one there but himself.
I saw everything... every life his father's claimed fearfully.
There will come a moment a deep masculine voice spoke
Every life she took his father's continued.
When she is vulnerable the deep voice added.
Every last death you've caused Ozpin spoke.
Do you believe you're making a difference? Qrow's voice asked In the end... she wins
She will destroy the entire world, and everyone you love along with it Ozpin explained.
It is you who fears death! Qrow's voice yelled in rage deafeningly.
Slade dropped onto his knees in pain once more unable to bear the searing pain seemingly drilling it's way into his brain as the voices continued to yell and scream unintelligibly until they suddenly came to a stop, as Slade dropped onto his hands in relief.
There is no death... only darkness... and I am it's master the voice from the auditorium said as a presence was felt in front of Slade kneeling down in front of him.
Slade looked up ready to strike only to find Hazel staring back at him "Are you alright?" she asked "Hello? Anybody home?" she waved her hand in front of his face.
"I'm fine" Slade answered standing up abruptly "I merely slipped"
"Ah, well you must've hit your head on the way down then. I asked if you were alright a few times before you even looked at me" she explained.
"Yes, the counter is a lot harder than it looks" Slade agreed gesturing to the cracked spot on the countertop.
"Seems like your head is just as tough" she laughed "Are you ready for our test today?" she asked curiously.
"I was born ready" Slade answered with a confident smirk.
"That's what I like to hear" she smiled brightly at him. They remained silent for several seconds as Slade began to chuckle "What?"
"Did you hear me fall down or did you just walk into the men's room on accident?" he asked causing Hazel to blush madly from embarrassment.
"I-I heard you fall!" she answered indignantly as she quickly left without another word.
"Uh-huh, don't worry I believe you" Slade replied unconvincingly.
"Screw you!" she called back as she left.
Slade shook his head with a small laugh as he exited the bathroom as well and headed to find something to eat. Upon arriving in the cafeteria he saw a brief flash of light, the very air around him felt still and cold. Looking in front of him he found four girls in Beacon uniforms walking toward him, one with a red hooded cape hanging off the back of it. The hooded girl had short dark red hair that looked practically black out of the light and silver eyes, the one next to her had long dark black hair with a bow tied in it and amber colored eyes, while the third had long white hair tied back in a ponytail and light blue eyes. Slade's eyes were fixated on the final girl of the group, she had long blonde hair and a pair of stunning Lilac colored eyes, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was by far the most beautiful girl he had ever set his eyes upon. Then suddenly the room shifted into a destroyed mess with fire burning everywhere and Grimm running rampant outside the shattered walls, the black haired girl was lying beneath a male Faunus with bright red hair and a sword in his hand preparing to strike though her outfit had changed from the uniform she had worn earlier. Looking behind him he found the blonde flying through the air prepared to strike only to have her arm sliced off by the blade before the room returned to normal as several students pushed their way past him to get to the nearby tables.
"What the..." he remained silent for a short period as he collected his thoughts What the hell is going on around here? he asked himself confused.
Ozpin stood at the edged of the cliff looking at the students in front of him with a warm smile "Good morning students" he greeted cheerfully before taking a sip from his coffee mug "For years you have trained to become warriors" Ozpin began as all the students stood at the cliff with him and Glynda. Slade stood between Willow and Dusk "Today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest"
"Now I'm sure you've all heard rumors about teams, let us put your concerns to rest" Glynda explained "Each of you will be given team mates... today"
"These teammates will be with you throughout your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well" Ozpin added. Slade chuckled at the nervous groans around him "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years" he finished.
"What!" Dusk shouted in shock.
"After you have partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest, you will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple containing several relics. Each pair must choose one then return to the top of the cliff, we will regard that item as well as your standing and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin finished explaining.
"This sounds practiced" Slade noted silently to himself.
"Good, now take your positions" Ozpin added within a second of asking his question. Slade smirked, preparing to be launched into the forest below as the other students were launched one by one. Slade was thrown through the air toward the forest below away from the group of students behind him.
"You know what to do" Ozpin said to the crow sitting on the edge of the cliff overlooking the students soaring through the air and landing into the forest beneath them. The crow dropped from the cliff and soared through the air after Slade watching him closely as he implemented his own landing strategy.
Slade stabbed his gauntlet's blade into a nearby tree branch swinging around it before launching himself forward onto another branch, then jumping through the trees in front of him using his semblance and rolling into a landing as he reached the earth below him. Slade took off as fast as he was able through the forest as he searched for his new "Partner" for his time at Beacon.
Hazel stood in the small clearing she landed in, looking around cautiously as she searched for her friends. Hoping to be partnered with one of them before someone else found her or them.
"Hazel!" Dusk called out as he entered the clearing "Looks like we're partners" he pointed out.
"Looks that way, I'm just glad it's someone I know and not a stranger I wouldn't get along with"
"Yeah, I just hope Willow ends up with someone she can stand" Dusk mused aloud.
"You know Willow, Dusk. She hates everyone" she laughed.
"Damn right I do!" Willow yelled as she dropped down from a nearby tree.
"Nice of you to drop in" Dusk joked.
"Oh haha"
"Unfortunately you're late, Dusk and I have already partnered up. You're gonna have to find somebody else to partner with" Hazel explained.
"Yeah, yeah, fine. As long as it's not-" Willow was interrupted by a gunshot ringing through the air as a bullet soared past her ear, she stopped dead as a loud thud could be heard from behind the group. Turning around she found a dead Ursa slowly disappear before her eyes "-Slade" she finished breathing in relief.
"How unfortunate for you that I was the first one to find you then" Slade replied from a nearby tree branch as he flipped the gun in his hand before holstering it.
"Ugh" Willow groaned in annoyance "Why do you have to be so annoying?" she asked not expecting an honest answer.
"Likely the same reason you're always such a bitch"
"Excuse me?" she asked in shock.
"We have a test to pass, if you wouldn't mind. I don't want to fail on your account"
"My account? Look here you little-"
"Willow, just let it go" Hazel sighed "Slade's right, we have a test to pass"
"Where exactly is the temple then? I'm sure you don't even know so why should I listen-"
"It's this way" Slade answered without turning back toward them as he continued on.
"How do you know that?" Dusk asked curiously.
"Because I know where the temple is Professor Ozpin spoke of before we even started the test" he answered "My sister and I came through here fairly often once I began training how to fight. We often practiced on the Grimm, we always used the temple as a place to rest and eat before making the long walk back home" he explained further.
"Oh" Willow relented genuinely surprised.
"I'm glad you're partnered with Slade" Dusk smiled brightly as he followed with Hazel shortly behind him.
"I have to agree there" Hazel laughed.
"Whatever" Willow sighed following behind her two friends.
The group came upon the temple not long afterward "There it is" Slade pointed down the hill beneath them "If this isn't the temple Professor Ozpin wanted us to find then I don't know where it would be"
"You mean you don't know this is the right temple?" Willow asked incredulously.
"Not for certain, no. Though I know this forest like the back of my hand, if there is another temple in this forest I've never seen it. Although there was this one structure not far from here that could be it"
"Were those there before?" Dusk asked pointing to the chess pieces.
"No, these must be the relics we're supposed to collect" Slade answered.
"Which ones should we take?"
"What about this one?" Hazel asked picking up the gold knight piece.
"The pony?" Willow asked crossing her arms over her chest "At least I know I'm not going to get a stupid piece like that-" Willow stopped upon seeing Slade holding up the matching piece in his hand with a cocky grin "You're doing that to piss me off aren't you?" Willow asked with a sigh.
"Yup" Slade smirked.
"I hate you" she groaned.
"Don't care" Slade replied with a chuckle.
"Dick"
"I've been called worse"
"I'm sure you have" she laughed.
"This wasn't as hard as I thought it would be" Dusk pointed out surprised.
"I must admit, it is surprising to have only run into that one Ursa throughout the whole test so far" Willow agreed.
"Well we still have plenty of time to find Grimm on the way back to the cliff with Professor Ozpin" Hazel offered "We'll probably have the roughest go once we start getting close since we're the first ones here" she added thoughtfully.
"Let's get started then. The faster we get there, the less time we have to run into issues" Slade said leading them back toward the cliff, Slade stopped suddenly as they reached the tree line.
"Something wrong?" Hazel asked mildly concerned.
Slade suddenly spun around with his gun in hand aiming for a nearby tree branch and firing, causing a lone crow to chirp in surprise and quickly fly off further ahead of them.
"Great job, you not only missed what you were shooting at but you shot at a bird" Willow smirked.
"I didn't miss" Slade replied "If I wanted the bird dead I would've shot it. I wasn't aware it was a bird of course" he explained before turning to keep his eyes on the crow.
"Sure, whatever you say" she rolled her eyes in annoyance "Can we get moving already?" she asked impatiently.
"By all means, lead the way" Slade stepped back gesturing for her to pass him. Willow scoffed but nonetheless did as he said, the group walked in relative silence for a time until the cliff came closer into view.
"We're close now" Hazel pointed out.
"Indeed, there should be some old ruins just below the cliff we can use to get high enough to reach the top" Slade explained.
"That's good to know, I really don't like the idea of climbing up the cliff ourselves" Willow admitted.
Dusk approached Slade from behind with Hazel right behind him "So... Slade" Dusk began.
"Something bothering you, Dusk?" Slade asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"Not particularly" he answered "Just wondering what made you want to be a Huntsman"
"Hmm..." Slade thought about it for a short time "I suppose... mostly because of my family" he answered.
"You come from a family of Huntsmen?" Hazel asked curiously.
"Yes" Slade answered "The Stroud's have been Huntsmen and Huntresses for generations" he added.
"You're a Stroud?" Hazel asked in shock.
"Is that a big deal?" Dusk asked confused how Hazel knew the name.
"They're some of the most powerful Huntsmen to ever live" she answered.
"Wasn't there someone a few years back that won the Vytal Festival tournament here at Beacon?" Dusk asked.
"My sister" Slade answered "Elise Stroud"
"That's the name!" Willow snapped her fingers as she turned back to Slade "You're related to her?" she asked almost excited.
"Yes, what of it?" he asked curiously.
"I've always wanted to meet her, she's my idol. I've committed my whole life as a Huntress to her ideal-"
"Well I'm glad someone appreciates her memory" Slade sighed, turning back toward the group "We should keep moving, the best way to get ambushed is staying in one place for too long" he began walking toward the ruins, he recognized the sensation of being watched and knew it was the crow from before. Slade wondered why a lone crow would be watching him so intently for this test but chose to ignore it for now I should ask Ozpin about this, he might be able to shed some light on the matter Suddenly a pack of Beowolves surrounded the group forcing them into combat.
"I was wondering when you would be showing up" Slade sighed, unsheathing his gauntlets blades.
"Guess we're gonna have to deal with this first then" Dusk's gauntlets changed, encasing his hands "Ready?" he asked looking to Hazel.
"Always" she smirked unsheathing her blade from her back, setting the blade ablaze.
"We'll take the front if you two cover the back" Willow called out removing her double-edged spear from her back, transforming it into a sniper rifle.
"Sound's good to me" Hazel agreed.
Slade charged forward, cutting through several Grimm with ease. Willow fired several rounds from her rifle as Slade danced through their ranks gracefully, removing their heads with each shot. Hazel leapt into the air above them swinging her blade through the air, launching fire toward her intended targets burning their bodies away as the flames dissipated. Dusk slammed his fists into each Beowulf, proceeding to beat them into the ground with his massive gauntlets. Several Grimm reached Willow, she changed her rifle into spear form as she spun upward cleaving their head's from their bodies. Turning toward the final Beowulf as it prepared to strike she attempted to block the attack with her weapon, only for the beast to drop instantly as a gunshot rang out through the forest. Willow turned to find Slade standing atop a corpse with his blade embedded in it's chest with his left hand and his right hand held his revolver in her direction with smoke seeping out from the barrel.
"Nice shot" she sighed in relief as she looked down to notice the precision of his shot "Clean shot, right through the head"
"I've had a lot of practice"
"I imagine you have, no one gets that good naturally" she smirked. Slade smiled lightly back at her.
"Nice to see Willow
"We should keep moving, we're close to the cliffside"
"And finally but most certainly not least we have our final team" Ozpin announced gesturing toward the screen "Slade Stroud, Hazel Conway, Dusk Forman, and Willow Griswald. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, from this day forward you will be known as Team SHDW (Shadow) led by..." Ozpin hesitated as he looked between the four of them "Slade Stroud" he finished with a small smile.
"Me?" Slade asked surprised.
"Congratulations, Mr. Stroud. You've earned it" Ozpin replied with a comforting smile.
"T-thank you, Professor. I promise I will do everything in my power to lead them well" he replied.
"I'm sure you will" Ozpin turned toward the crowd of students "That will conclude the team announcements for today. Your team leaders shall be receiving your room numbers for your accommodations for the year shortly, until then take this time to enjoy the rest of the day off. Tomorrow you're going to have to hit the books" he finished turning to leave the stage.
"Wow, I can't believe we all managed to get on a team together" Dusk said happily.
"I know! I thought for sure I was gonna be stuck without you guys for the next four years" Willow agreed in relief.
"Yeah, you know how much Willow hates new people" Hazel laughed.
"Hey!" Willow yelled feigning annoyance "I don't hate new people, new people hate me!"
"Mr. Stroud" Ozpin called grabbing his attention "Come speak to me in my office once you're done socializing with your team members" he passed the group, heading toward the entrance of the auditorium.
"What was that about?" Hazel asked curiously.
"Not quite sure, honestly" Slade answered "Originally I planned on speaking to Professor Ozpin after this ceremony anyway. I suppose that just makes this easier"
"Well you shouldn't keep him waiting if he wants to speak to you" Dusk pointed out.
"I imagine not" Slade sighed before quickly leaving.
"Dusk!" Willow snapped smacking him in the back of the head "You didn't need to make him leave so quickly! Now he might think we don't want him around" she chastised.
"I'm sure we have plenty of time to let Slade know he is welcome among his own team" Hazel laughed.
"That's not the point" Willow sighed.
"Slade has been hiding his abilities ever since Elise's death" Qrow reported with disappointment.
"So he didn't use his semblance at all during the exam?" Ozpin asked curiously.
"Not once" Qrow answered "I question whether or not he is even aware of his abilities. His semblance seemed out of control when he used it against Elise's captors"
"Almost as if he wasn't controlling it?" Ozpin asked.
"Exactly, his emotions seemed to be the catalyst that sparked his abilities as he fought"
"Slade did show his semblance off when he passed through the walls of my office here , hmm... was there anything else?" Ozpin asked.
"Yes, Slade was aware I was watching him"
"What?!" Ozpin almost yelled standing abruptly "How could he-?"
"Slade fired his weapon at me while I was in my animal form. I don't believe he was aware it was me, however I believe he's aware someone's eyes are on him"
Ozpin shook his head lightly, sitting back into his chair "I'm concerned about his connection to Salem that we discovered yesterday, hopefully he didn't experience anything too abnormal today" Ozpin sighed "Though I am impressed by his observational capabilities"
"Slade is quite impressively aware of his surroundings" Qrow agreed. The elevator opened behind Qrow allowing Slade to enter the room.
"Mr. Stroud... you arrived much quicker than I anticipated"
"I didn't have anything pressing keeping me with my team. I do however know I needed to speak to you about some things I don't fully understand"
"Truly?" Ozpin asked surprised "What were they?"
"They can wait, Professor. You asked me here for a reason I assume"
"I did" he sighed "I was hoping to ask you if you had seen anything like you had before with the woman you spoke of?"
"No and yes" Slade answered.
Ozpin's brow furrowed "Explain"
"I haven't seen anything of that woman since yesterday, however I did see something else entirely this morning just before the test and again just after awaking" he explained.
"What exactly did you see?" Qrow asked concerned.
"First thing this morning I entered the bathroom to prepare for the day and I began hearing voices" Slade answered becoming significantly uncomfortable with the conversation.
"What did you hear?" Ozpin asked curiously.
"I don't remember everything or recognize all of the voices I heard but it didn't make a lot of sense" he answered "Most of the things they said seemed unconnected excluding the mention of a woman"
"Was that all you heard?" Ozpin asked curiously.
"It was all I was able to understand. The voices continued to speak so loudly I couldn't differentiate what was being said clearly, my head started hurting so much I couldn't even stand" he explained "But yes that was the last thing of that instance... although..."
"Mr. Stroud?"
"Before I heard these voices I was washing my hands, they were completely covered in blood... I saw Elise's face... Malachite's, Mother's, Father's... I know it was her blood on my hands"
"It's not your fault, kid" Qrow sighed "Elise made her decision for you when you refused to kill her, what happened to your brother was unfortunate but he also made a choice to save you and your sister. Your parents are no different, they both stayed behind to ensure you were safe while destroying a threat to everyone" Qrow explained "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to them, there was nothing you could've done differently that would've changed what happened"
"Yet here I am... alive, while they're dead..."
"What about the other instance you spoke of? What did you see then?" Ozpin asked trying to refocus Slade's mind.
"Right... As I walked into the cafeteria for breakfast this morning, the room shifted into a hallway of this very school around me. Of course I was confused at first but I watched as four students walked toward me. I couldn't make out what they were saying but they looked happy, laughing together as friends... I assume they're a team here at Beacon but..."
"What did they look like?" Qrow asked curiously.
"They were all girls: The first one had dark red hair that looked almost black when out of the light and silver eyes with a red hood over her uniform, the second had white hair tied back in a ponytail and light blue eyes, the third had dark black hair that went down to her back with amber eyes and a black bow in her hair..." he stopped when he thought on the final girl from his vision "...The last one had long blonde hair and lilac eyes" he continued.
Qrow looked at Slade in surprise with the descriptions he gave out about the girls "Was that all you saw?" he asked.
"No... the room changed into the cafeteria at night with the walls broken down around me and fires burning outside and inside the school, there were dozens of Grimm and some type of soldiers running around outside but not fighting each other. The girl with black hair was on the floor with her bow removed to reveal her cat ears, marking her as a Faunus and a deep wound in her abdomen causing her to bleed all over the floor. There was another Faunus who stood over her in all black with a white mask on and blood red hair"
"Don't tell me she died" Ozpin sighed in disappointment.
"Couldn't tell from what I saw, the blonde girl from before came tearing through the room after the man and prepared to strike as her eyes seemed to blaze red only to have her right arm removed with his blade just as my vision faded.
"Slade... you're sure that's what you saw?" Ozpin asked concerned.
"Yes, Professor. I know I saw it... Am I going crazy?" Slade asked nervously.
"I don't believe so, I think you have a deeper connection with the woman you saw before than we originally thought"
"You know who she is don't you?" Slade asked.
"I do, unfortunately I won't be revealing anything I know about her to you at this time as I cannot be sure she cannot see what you're seeing. For now we're going to keep an eye on you and possibly figure something out with my trusted colleagues to discover the truth behind these visions" Ozpin explained.
"Thank you, Professor" he said turning toward the elevator "There was one more thing I wanted to ask before I leave" Slade stopped just in front of the elevator.
"What is it?"
"Why was there a crow following me throughout the forest today?" Slade asked raising an eyebrow toward him.
Ozpin chuckled lightly "Mr. Branwen over here has the ability to shapeshift into that of a crow when desired and I asked him to surveil you while you partook in the exam to ensure nothing happened as your connection with this woman raised some concerns. I asked him to stay in that form as to ensure he didn't get in your way" he explained, knowing lying to him would do no good.
"How? Is that his Semblance?"
"My Semblance is causing bad luck, it doesn't discriminate between who it affects and I can only increase the level of bad luck. My ability to shapeshift into a bird was given to me by Oz. His power is something much different than yours or mine, it's magic"
"Magic?" Slade asked in shock.
"Let's just say the reason I have my power is far different from your Semblance" he explained "One day soon I will tell you how I acquired my power and why no one else seems to have it"
Slade nodded in understanding "Alright then" he chuckled lightly "Sorry for almost taking your head off" he threw back toward Qrow as he entered the elevator.
"No hard feelings, kid. I would've done the same thing if I thought something was following me, keep this just between us though would you? I don't want everyone knowing about that"
"Your secret is safe with me" Slade laughed as the doors closed.
"You've gotta be shitting me, Oz" Qrow said as soon as he turned around to face him.
"I'm as surprised as you, Qrow"
"Slade just described Ruby and Yang with perfect clarity"
"I know-"
"He's never even met them!"
"I-"
"He said Yang gets her arm cut off-"
"Qrow!" Ozpin cut him off "I understand your frustration and confusion but I don't understand anything more about this than you do" Ozpin explained.
"I... I'm sorry I just-"
"I know, Qrow. You're understandably concerned, but you need to calm down"
"How would Slade even know anything about them?" Qrow asked.
"I have no understanding of this at all, it seems he not only has a deep connection to Salem but is somehow able to use this connection, or possibly even his Semblance allows him to see the future or possible futures"
"The more we seem to know about his Semblance the less it seems to make sense. Slade can pass through walls and seemingly control some type of telekinetic power and now he can see the future?" Qrow asked perplexed.
"Several Huntsmen have multiple semblances although they usually are more closely related such as the Schnee's genetic semblance has multiple uses though none of them quite as diverse as Slade's" Ozpin pointed out.
"It doesn't make this any less abnormal"
"Quite right" Ozpin sighed "We need to keep an eye on Slade's growth here as he progresses through his classes and trains with the other students"
"It's going to be a long four years" Qrow sighed.
"You've got that right" Ozpin agreed.
That's all for now guys, I hope you all like it. The next chapter will be coming soon and it's a bit of a long one. As with before I have all the names listed below from the new team with their associated colors to their names for anyone interested. Thank you all for reading!
S: Slade Stroud (Slate)
H: Hazel Conway (Hazel)
D: Dusk Forman (Dusk)
W: Willow Griswald (Wellington)