Grimm Lessons
It was the first day of classes, but Ruby tried not to let the prospect bring her down.
Getting their things unpacked the previous night meant they had plenty of time to get up, proof that she made the right decision!
So what if her partner had complained, they had time to sleep in before class. Not that she could, she was too excited by the thoughts of her first lesson in Beacon, what with it being Grimm studies. How could things be any better! Would they have the "queen of the Grimm" sharing the knowledge that earned her that title?
There were more boring lessons later, like the plant sciences class or the stealth lessons.
Pfft, what did she need with stealth? She could snipe Grimm too far away for them to respond, not to forget how quickly she could close with them. Or run away if she needed to. Stealth classes were unnecessary.
The timetable had been sent to her scroll overnight, alongside other information about the academy, including a map, which would have been so useful when she arrived and was separated from the other students.
There had also been an announcement, sent to her scroll, about an assembly for second years and above, but that was nothing to worry about. Probably just normal school stuff.
She checked her scroll. Eh, close enough to time.
Weiss had confiscated her whistle, which would have been the best way to wake everyone up for lessons, but Ruby had figured out a solution.
"Wake up, teammate," she whispered, stroking Dreis head. "I need you to help wake the team."
It had surprised her, when she brushed past her teammate last night, just how much Drei felt like a normal dog, like Zwei. If it wasn't for the bone spikes she could almost forget that this was, in fact, a Grimm.
Drei growled, but it didn't seem to Ruby that it was meant threateningly, more the Grimm equivalent of grumbling about having to wake up. One eye opened, staring at her.
"We just need a loud noise to get everyone awake..."
[]
"...therefore any Grimm you encounter within Beacon that possesses one of these badges is a fellow student and not an enemy," Ozpin concluded, standing before the students. In hindsight, he should have called an emergency assembly earlier. Having checked the security footage he had realised that several of his Grimm students had been outside their rooms overnight, as well as the occasional upper year student.
"And what happens if we delay when the Grimm doesn't have a badge?"
"If the situation is potentially dangerous we will understand you attacking before being certain about whether the Grimm is a student or not. Of course, that is only because these Grimm have their own version of aura, which will make it quite clear if they are friend or foe once struck. In any case, the current list of Grimm students..."
Velvet listened, slightly distracted, as the headmaster continued. He sounded different from last year, less focused or coherent.
She fiddled with her camera/projector. It had started acting weirdly since she woke up, and she hadn't wanted to leave it unattended until she knew what was going on with it. It was a good thing she wasn't in the habit of using her weapon in spars...
[]
It wasn't just team RWBY that was glaring at Ruby when they found seats in the Grimm studies classroom.
Apparently the walls weren't sufficiently soundproofed for a Beowolfs howl, and the way that the team with said Beowolf were glaring at their leader made it quite clear who to blame. This was not how Weiss imagined the leader of her team would be treated, even in the few imaginings she had where she was not leader. When she thought of following another it was always someone who had earned the role.
Surely they should have been able to tell she was more suitable as a leader?
That said, Weiss wondered whose idea it was to have the first lesson for the teams with Grimm to be in a room with fake Grimm trophies lining the walls, if it was the same person who assigned team leaders. Were they trying to upset the real Grimm?
Weiss was pretty sure nobody noticed her lay a comforting hand on Dreis side. It wasn't entirely his fault, the way he woke them up that morning. It was much more reasonable to blame their team leader instead. In any case, Drei was a teammate and clearly unhappy. It was her duty to help. And not because Drei made her think of the pet she had never been allowed back home.
Maybe this was the only room available for the class. After all it only made sense to teach the Grimms teammates what they needed to know about the Grimm on the team, what Beacon knew of their habits and desires.
"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! The creatures of Grimm have many names!"
This introduction was all Weiss needed to realise that she was going to learn nothing from this professor.
"Now including teammate," heckled one of the other first years, not one Weiss could recognise, bringing the portly man to a halt, as he apparently noticed the Grimm sitting at desks for the first time.
Weiss sighed and rested her head against the desk. "I should have stayed in Atlas."
Someone else sighed from the door. "I see Oz was right about needing me to check on the lesson."
It was Salem.
She walked down the steps to where the professor stood before the podium.
"Port, I know you were there when Oz explained about needing to change the lecture on the basis of our Grimm students."
"Ah, yes. I remember the headmasters wise words. I found the perfect story but it simply slipped my mind. It was when I was in my prime, my team having fallen behind, that I disguised myself as -"
"I begin to doubt your qualifications for this subject. Fine, 'professor' Port, I relieve you of this lecture."
"My good woman!"
Weiss felt that even her sister would have been proud of the look Salem gave him. For all the Huntsmans bluster he was reduced to silence instantly.
"F-fine. I will return to Fort Port. I have other things to do than give lectures."
The man marched stiffly out of the classroom.
It was only after he'd left that Salem started speaking again.
"It is common knowledge that Grimm are attracted to human negativity," she began, "but I doubt that you are aware of why. Grimm do not need to eat, instead they live off the negativity people give off, or more accurately the aura that contains such emotions. This is why they don't go after animals, unless said animal had its aura unlocked."
"Then why do they target civilians?"
Salem snorted. "Do you truly believe that aura doesn't exist until it is awakened? Of course the Grimm here are different. I won't go into details, you wouldn't understand anyway. Just know that they still do not need to eat but rather need proximity to living things, preferably those with unlocked aura. Of course, that won't be where the health risk comes from."
There was a shocked silence from the students, broken only when one of the students, who Weiss was unable to tell apart from the others, found the nerve to ask "what health risks?"
"Well, you are going to be sparring with them," Salem smirked. "The fact you'll be facing my Grimm doesn't reduce the chance of injury. Nor increase them," she added as an afterthought. "Their health risks are likely slightly lower than yours, given their 'aura'," her expression betrayed her amusement at some private joke. "Let me explain the other differences..."
[]
Salem maintained her façade of caring, unbiased teacher through to the end of the lecture, never letting slip the rage that built within her at the mere thought of the one she had taken over from.
It helped that she had practised controlling her emotions, the cost from the previous times she had lost control being so high.
At least none of her Grimm had been obviously mistreated, even if they were clearly disturbed by the rooms decorations. And she had even noticed a few students trying to help their teammates deal with the fake Grimm heads. Clearly not all these humans were as she remembered their kind.
One of them had delayed leaving, long enough now that Salem was no longer able to ignore her. She sighed. "Do you have a reason for staying behind?"
"It's just... do you know how team leaders were chosen?"
Salem thought back to initiation, trying to place the girl. She was the one who had some political importance, right? Whose team leader had skipped a couple of years? She shrugged mentally. It had been years since she had to learn to recognise anyone new, and it wouldn't really matter if she got them confused now and then.
"It was whoever came up with tactics that the team followed," she responded. "Well, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"There were a few teams where that wasn't enough to decide upon the leader. In those cases Oz went for whoever made the better team name. Now you'd better hurry or you'll be late for class."
Salem froze. "Um, sorry, but I've got to get to class as well. Upper years have different rooms for Grimm Studies."
She broke past the stunned girl, trying to remember the timetable the deputy had given her. She couldn't give Oz an excuse to fire her!
[]
At this time Ozpin was busy speaking with Ruby.
She wondered, if only for a second or two, whether the meeting was more than just a coincidence. He had brought her into Beacon early after all, he might have wanted to make sure she wasn't having any problems from skipping a couple of years or the encounter with a criminal that had allowed it.
"How are things with your team?"
Ruby scowled. She wasn't so blind to fail to realise Weiss thought she should be leader instead. And Yang might act like she had no problems following her lead, but Yang was the older sister. The only one she didn't think had a problem with her was Drei, and he was basically just a giant version of Zwei.
"It's just... are you sure you made the right decision?"
"Which one?"
"Making me leader. I'm pretty sure I made everyone mad at me already."
Ozpin took a drink from the mug he seemed to always have in hand. "Everybody makes mistakes. The only mistake you must avoid is to not learn from them. I've heard about what happened." Ruby winced. "You're not in trouble, after all you won't make the same mistake again. And in any case, things with your team aren't as bad as they were on your parents team. And they ended up one of the most famous teams out of Beacon. Give yourself the same chance to be a leader as your team is giving you."
[]
The cafeteria was packed when team RWBY made it to lunch.
Ruby hadn't wanted to eat without her team, well aware that meals could provide a perfect opportunity to apologise and start to make up for her earlier mistakes. Of course this had meant tracking down Weiss and Yang. Drei had been easy, the way he seemed to stick with a teammate at all times.
"I still say you should have let one of us come first and save us a table," Weiss complained.
"Nah, Ruby made the right choice. After all, the tables are too big to just seat a single team. Besides, don't you want to get to know the other students?"
Ruby shivered slightly. She had been hoping to get away without socialising beyond her and her sisters teams, but apparently that wasn't likely to be an option. She looked around quickly for anyone she recognised (not that there was likely to be anyone) at a table that they could fit at.
To her surprise she did spot someone. The black-haired girl from before initiation. Wasn't she on team URBN or something?
Okay, she didn't actually know the girls name, but the only people other than her team she knew the names of where the teachers and Jaune, and his team was sat at a full table. For team RWBY to sit with them they'd have to ask the others to move, and no way was that happening.
"Over there," she called to her team, "there's space at that table."
Not hearing any complaints she zoomed over to grab a seat, claiming her teams place before anyone else could get in the way.
The girl looked up from the book she was reading. For a moment Ruby wondered why anyone would eat around the book they were reading rather than just put it down, but decided not to worry about it. All the Huntsman or Huntress graduates she'd ever met had their own eccentricities after all.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting lunch," she responded cheerily. "There was space at the table for my team and we've met before. However briefly."
The girl sighed and looked round the room, possibly trying to spot somewhere else they could sit. "I guess I can't really complain. There isn't anywhere else. Just... don't be too noisy."
She glanced at the rest of the girls team, waiting for her team to show up. They were certainly quiet.
"Is there a reason your team isn't speaking?"
"Aside half the team being disappointed and me reading? Our team leader doesn't seem able to speak."
"That's no reason to give up on your team," Ruby responded, indignant. "Your team is too important for your time here, if not beyond, to give up before even giving it a chance."
"Well said sis," her team had caught up with her and apparently overheard at least some of what had been said. "Besides, so what if your leader doesn't speak, you don't rely on your leader to make all your decisions for you."
"Although you do need to be able to trust your leader to do what they can for the team."
One of the other members of the Ursas team, the red-haired girl, hesitated. "He did find a way for us to take down that Deathstalker..."
Weiss facepalmed heavily. "Don't tell me Ozpin just chooses team leaders for combat situations. I mean, sure we should not need someone to tell us what to do in day to day situations... why did I choose Beacon again?"
The black-haired girl sighed and put her book away. "You're going to keep talking aren't you? Fine, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Blake. Blake Belladonna."
Weiss looked at her and frowned. "Belladonna... I am sure I have heard that name before..."
Blake seemed to tense slightly, but Ruby ignored that, in favour of getting the teams properly introduced to each other. It couldn't be anything serious after all. And it could be good to have two teams with Grimm getting on.
[]
It was time for the last lesson of the day, and Jaune was quite proud of himself for not being found out so far. Of course, this lesson was a practical combat one, so he had to hope that he wouldn't be called up to fight.
Miss Goodwitch was waiting, impatiently if the way she twitched her riding crop was any indication, while the class entered the room.
"Professor Ozpin has taken an unusual interest in who I call up to the spars," she began once she was sure everyone had arrived. "Now, these spars have certain rules. First, spars will end once one participants aura enters the red or is otherwise rendered unable to fight. This will be enforced," she stated, slashing her riding crop through the air. "If either participant leaves the arena they loose as well. Second, explosives and other highly dangerous weaponry or semblances are not permitted. These are the basic rules that must be followed at all times. Now, Ozpin has determined the order of fights for this lesson. We will start with team leaders. First shall be Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc. Will they retrieve their weapons and get ready?"
Jaune did his best not to groan. Of course he would be up first.
[]
Cardin grinned, twirling the Executioner, his mace, as he as he faced his opponent.
It should be interesting to see the skills of someone else who got into Beacon without a fancy mechashift weapon. After all, he already knew the skills and fighting styles of his friends.
The grin turned into a frown as he saw how Jaune stood and held his weapon and shield. The only reason for a competent fighter to act like that would be to trick their foe into lowering their guard, which would only be effective against someone who didn't already know they were skilled enough to be in Beacon.
"Begin," called Goodwitch, and Cardin launched into an attack, clearly broadcasting the strike. He knew full well that he left an apparent opening on his left side, but only a fast or skilled opponent could hope to take advantage and most would be better served dodging and getting a better idea of his skills.
Executioner hit the shield dead-on, driving Jaune to his knees.
Something snapped within Cardin. Jaune was making traditionalists, like him and his team, look bad.
"Angle your shield," he roared, swinging again, this time sending the shield out of his hand.
Jaune tried to get his sword ready to block, but Cardin just changed his swing, avoiding the sword and driving the air out of Jaunes lungs.
"Pathetic," he muttered as Jaune fell to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Jaune unable to fight, Cardin wins," Goodwitch announced as the lights turned back on.
Cardin glared at Jaune for a second or so, then hauled him to his feet and strode back to the lockers. He was going to have to train Jaune to prevent him making traditionalists the laughingstock of Beacon.
"That fight was clearly a bad matchup," Goodwitch was telling the class, "over too quick to properly gauge the skills or weaknesses of the participants. Our next match will be..." she paused and sighed. "Ruby Rose and the Ursa."
[]
Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose as fast as she could and raced back into the room, not wanting to keep anyone waiting as, after all, her opponent didn't have any equipment to collect.
This would be an interesting match, she realised. Her training had been all about killing Grimm, so she would be better prepared than against another person, but then she wouldn't be worried about trying to kill her opponent.
Just a few days ago she wouldn't have been too concerned about accidentally killing a Grimm, even one that was somehow studying at Beacon, but after her time with Drei she was changing her mind about that.
When they weren't trying to kill people Grimm were just like animals after all.
She took her place opposite the Ursa and offered it a nervous smile.
"I'll try to be careful," she assured it.
"Begin," miss Goodwitch announced, and Ruby dashed towards the Ursa, angling Crescent Rose to target its front paw, so that if something went wrong it should be able to recover.
The Ursa had also taken the announcement as signal to lunge, getting the timing to catch the blade of Crescent Rose and push it to the ground, a grey-brown glow sparking around the contact point.
It was much stronger than she had expected, and it was only now Ruby realised how a Grimm so much slower than a Beowolf could be dangerous.
She ducked its other paw, trying to pull Crescent Rose free, but to no avail.
With only a brief window before the Ursa would hit her, and unable to fight without a weapon, Ruby did the only thing she could think of, and fired.
The recoil, one of the main reasons she had chosen a sniper for Crescent Roses gun form, threw the Ursa sufficiently off balance for her to get free, swinging Crescent Rose entirely around her body to land a solid blow upon her opponent.
The Ursa ducked back, then caught another strike by blocking the main body of Crescent Rose with one paw while swinging another to land a blow of its own.
Ruby dodged by swinging herself over her weapon, managing to land a kick on its head by sheer chance, falling back to the ground. She leapt back to her feet, minimizing her vulnerability to attack, only to see the Ursa falling back.
Ruby frowned. There had to be some reason the Ursa kept retreating rather than going on the offensive. Why would...
She grinned.
It was obvious.
She dashed forward, but was ready for the Ursas attempt to throw her from the ring and instead spun Crescent Rose, braced the stock against her opponent, and pulled the trigger, letting the recoil push the Ursa off balance and out of bounds.
She had kept hold of Crescent Rose, of course, and added her momentum to the force pushing the Ursa out of bounds, but with the Ursa going first she surely won!
"Match over," miss Goodwitch announced. "Miss Rose wins through ring out. I must say, I wasn't expecting such use of tactics in a match like this. As you all no doubt saw, the Ursa, unable to match miss Roses speed, chose to try and force her out of bounds, which left it vulnerable to such a tactic from miss Rose herself. I advise you all to take onboard the lesson that there is often another way to win. Next up is..."
[]
Jaune had barely returned to team ANVLs room when he was dragged back out by his team, in order to train him to fight.
"Aura may let you endure hits," Ren began, "but it is usually better not to take the loss if at all possible. Taking a hit straight on your shield bares very little difference to just tanking the hit with aura."
"But then what is the point of having a shield?"
"Angle it to merely deflect the blow. That way you may also create an opening. Try against Nora."
Jaune barely managed to get his shield in the way of the blow, by chance deflecting Maghnild rather than absorbing the hit like he had in the official spar.
He had to admit that the impact was a lot less painful, and given Noras attitude in general he doubted it would be because she held back. Even if he was still forced to step back.
Ren sighed. "You're not standing properly. You need to brace yourself to use a shield well. Like this..."
Jaune groaned as he followed Rens instruction. Who knew his teammate could be such a taskmaster?
AN: and so my brief hiatus is over. The plan had been to create a backlog of chapters to publish, but alas the situation altering work schedules has rendered me unable to do so. My secondary objective, to start publishing a second fanfiction, has also been delayed. It will probably still happen, and soon, but not quite yet. To explain my plan for multiple fanfics; no two shall use the same source (to avoid confusing versions of characters), there shall be a main story (this one) that shall be my focus with the other worked on only when I feel the main has made enough progress over the period.
