Weiss watched as Ruby held her scroll up to the door that Glynda had told her would be her and her team's dorm for the next four years. Her duffle bag was slung over her shoulder and she shifted it as she pushed open the door.
Ruby walked in, Weiss, Blake, and Yang following her. Ruby and Yang both carried a duffle bag, Blake a worn out and patched up hiking backpack, and Weiss was lugging along two trunks. Weiss flicked the switch and the room's lights came on.
The room was decently sized and had two bunk beds. There was a small empty bookshelf situated between the beds, and four desks; two flanking either side of the door and one on either side of the wall. The floor was wood and so were the bunkbeds. A large red rug lay on the floor and the blankets covering the beds were red as well. There was a door on the either side of the wall; Ruby figured they were the bathroom and closet. There was a window above the bookshelf and moonlight filtered into the room.
"Dib's on bottom," Yang said, walking over to the bottom bunk on the right. She unzipped her duffle bag and started unpacking. Weiss stayed put as Blake and Ruby went to claim the top bunks.
"Are these safe?" Weiss asked. Ruby looked down, hair falling in her face.
"Of course they are! Yang and I used to use bunk beds all the time till we got our own rooms." Weiss hesitated before walking over to the bottom bunk on the left.
"Winter always told me they were dangerous," Weiss said to herself. Ruby ducked her head down to Weiss' bunk.
"You say something, Weiss?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just saying that it was so unprofessional for Ozpin to make us sleep in that hall again. Some of us have higher standards than a sleeping bag and a hard floor." Blake snorted as she climbed down and started filling the bookshelf up with her books. Weiss narrowed her eyes.
"What's so funny?" Blake didn't look up as she responded.
"Nothing. Just trying to imagine how we're gonna fit all our clothes in that little closet." Weiss eyed her as she put away her books; she didn't believe that was the reason but she wasn't going to push the subject. She opened up her trunks and started to move her clothes to the closet. She groaned with annoyance when she opened the door; Blake was right, putting all their clothes in there was going to be a pain. She stepped into the closet, looking at the coat hangers, trying to decide where to put her many jackets. She didn't hear Blake appear behind her. "Winter is your sister, correct?" she whispered.
"When did-? Yes, she's my older sister. How did you hear me?" she hissed back. Blake moved past her and hung up a white button down shirt.
"I have very good hearing. Why did you lie?" Weiss hung up the pea coat in her hands.
"Would you seriously want people knowing that you were afraid of bunk beds because you're older sister told you they were dangerous when you asked her to share one with you?" Blake hung up a pair of black pants.
"I suppose not," she said. Yang entered the closet, or tried to. The closet wasn't large enough to fit the three of them at the same time.
"Can you guys hurry up? And how in the hell are we supposed to fit all our shit in here?" Yang continued to grumble as she exited and waited at the door.
Blake and Weiss hung up their clothes, allowing Yang to put her clothes away. While Yang put her clothes away they claimed their respective desks, the ones next to the doors. Yang walked out of the closet, in her pajamas, dumping her bracelets on the desk closest to the closet.
"Ruby, it's your turn." Yang said as she sat down on her bed. Ruby didn't answer.
"Ruby, ya hear me?" A snore was her answer. Yang chuckled and lay on her bed, opening up her scroll and starting to watch a video. Blake went back to the closest and changed into her yukata.
She exited and went over to the bookshelf, staring at the well-worn spines before pulling out a book with a missing cover. She smiled and climbed into bed.
Weiss grabbed her night gown, toiletries, and went into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, the cool water shooting out. While the water warmed up she got out of her clothes and stood before the sink. She looked at the door and then back at the mirror before taking a deep breath.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall… what have I gotten myself into?" Her reflection stayed the same for a moment before she appeared. She wore her white dress and her face was clear of that ugly scar of hers.
"Whatever do you mean Weiss?" she asked, her voice sing song like. Weiss bit her lip. She looked at the door again.
"I mean," she sighed. "I never expected being a Huntress would be this…" she struggled to find the words. "Horrifying," "I know that Hunters have to kill Grimm but they're just so so…"
"Ruthless?" her reflection offered.
"Precisely!" Weiss said, her voice a bit too loud.
"Did you just expect them to roll over on their backs and let you kill them? They pushed us to the brink of extinction, did you really expect them to be as easy as the Knight?" Weiss trailed a hand over her face, the feeling of that brute's fist smashing into her face returning.
"I know that, but still. And I know that we're supposed to be a team but do I truly have to spend all my time with them? When I left Atlas I swore that I would be independent. How am I supposed to prove to Father that I can make it on my own if I'm stuck with three other people all the time?" Her reflection laughed, the noise loud and harsh.
"Yeah, because you going solo really helped with that Beowolf." Weiss grit her teeth.
"That was uncalled for." A knock at the door caused Weiss to yelp and jump back.
"Weiss? Who are you talking to?" It was Blake.
"I had a phone call! I'll be out in a bit," she shouted through the door. She looked over at the mirror to see the reflection had returned to normal. She sighed and stepped into the shower.
Yang gasped as she bolted upright, almost hitting her head on the bunk above her. She was coated in sweat as she threw off the thick red blanket. She checked her scroll; five in the morning.
She climbed out of bed and walked over to Weiss and Ruby's beds. She stepped on the wood railing on Weiss' bunk and peeked up at Ruby's bunk.
Ruby was in bed, drool running down her chin. Her clothes were wrinkled and her cape was tucked around her. Her hair was sticking up in random directions. Yang smiled and sighed in relief; it had just been a dream. She returned to her bed and lay there, staring up at Blake's bunk. Sleep eventually took her.
Weiss had her pencil at the ready, waiting for the Grimm physiology professor to say something worth noting. He was an older man, with a large gut and a booming voice. His thick moustache obscured his lips and his thick eyebrows made it hard to see his eyes. His hair was gray and meticulously combed into place. He paced across the room, motioning with his hands as he recounted the time he killed a Beowolf with his bare hands. The classrooms here were different than the ones back in Atlas; the room was square and instead of having a multitude of desks there were wooden bleachers and instead of having a digital screen the professor had a white board and markers.
Ruby was busy doodling something or another, while Yang leant back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Blake seemed to be the only other one who was paying attention.
"So then! Who would like to volunteer to do righteous battle with the Boarbatusk I caught the other night?" Weiss raised her hand; this would be her chance to redeem herself in her teammate's eyes after needing to be saved by the Beowolf and getting caught by the Nevermore. This would prove she could handle things all on her own. "Ms. Schnee! Thank you for volunteering. Please go grab your weapon while I fetch the fearsome beast."
Ruby stopped doodling as Weiss stood up and left. She looked over at Yang, who had put the chair back down.
"Pst, Yang. Where is Weiss going?"
"Huh? Oh, she volunteered to fight a Boarbatusk." Ruby nodded her head. She had no idea professors could have students fight Grimm in a classroom.
Weiss returned a moment later, her sword in hand as Professor Port came out of a backroom next to the whiteboard, lugging along a large cage where a very angry Boarbatusk was thrashing about. Weiss took her stance as the professor came to a stop.
"Kick its ass, Weiss!" Yang shouted.
"Don't die," Blake said.
"Make us proud, Weiss!" Ruby shouted. Weiss seemed to ignore them as she kept her focus on cage. Professor Port smiled, or at least it seemed that way, as he said.
"Let the match, begin."
He opened up the cage and the Boarbatusk came barreling out, squealing with rage as it charged at Weiss. She ducked out of the way as it crashed into the wall.
"You can do it Weiss!" Ruby shouted. Weiss said nothing as she charged at the boar. The boar caught her sword with its tusks and started to jerk around. Ruby saw Weiss struggle to keep a grip on her sword.
"Come on Weiss, own that pig!" Weiss looked over at her, then back at the boar as it ripped her sword out of her hand, launching it across the room. Ruby saw Weiss' eyes go wide as the boar tackled her, knocking her to the floor.
"Taking a page out of my book eh?" Port laughed. Weiss rolled out of the way as the boar tried to tackle her again. She put a glyph on the ground below her, it looked like the gears of a clock. With amazing speed she sprinted over to her sword, picking it up as the boar shook its head trying to find her. It turned around a squealed and started to charge at her.
"Weiss, go for its belly. It's whe-"
"Ruby! Stop trying to help me!" Weiss yelled. Ruby frowned but closed her mouth; maybe she was distracting her.
Weiss laid a glyph on the ground in the way of the boar's path ad stood in place, baiting it. The boar ran over the glyph and was launched onto the air. Weiss leapt from her place and stabbed through the boar's soft belly. They landed on the ground and Weiss pushed her blade further into the boar. It squalled and squirmed as a pool of blood began to spread across the floor. It twitched for a few moments before Weiss withdrew her blade. She stood up, sheathed her sword, and turned around and left.
"Ms. Schnee? Where are you going?" Port asked. Weiss looked over her shoulder as she opened the door.
"Restroom," she said, and left.
Port cleared his throat and turned towards the class. "As Ms. Schnee demonstrated, the Boarbatusk is vulnerable to attack on its belly. I want you all to take note of that. For your homework I want to you to write an essay on what you would have done if you had volunteered instead of Ms. Schnee." He looked at the clock. "Ah, I still have time left for one more story. When I was a young lad-"
Ruby tuned the professor out as she looked at the door.
Weiss stormed into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink. Her reflection was there, filing her nails.
"What was that?" she asked the reflection. She blew on her nails before answering.
"You used helpful information from a teammate."
"But why? I was supposed to prove that I can fight Grimm on my own. That I don't have to be saved or helped every time." Her reflection rolled her eyes.
"You got yourself out of that Nevermore's talons."
"True, but I shouldn't have been in a situation like that to begin with. Getting scooped up by a Nevermore is hardly befitting of a Schnee." Her reflection seemed satisfied with its nails and dropped the filer.
"Look, shit happens, okay? And I know we swore that we would be independent and prove our mettle to father but it's impossible to truly work alone in this world. Why do you think they have us working as a team in the first place?"
"So what would you have me do then?" Weiss huffed.
"Listen to any advice your teammates have for you. Let them help you. Hell, maybe even try to befriend them." Weiss laughed.
"Friends, that's a laugh. But if the best way to prove that I don't need Father is by being a good teammate then I am going to be the best teammate this world has ever seen." Her reflection smiled.
A large buzzing noise sounded; signaling that the first class was over and the students should move onto their second. Her reflection had returned to normal. Weiss washed her hands and left the bathroom.
Jaune stepped out of his dust theory class, his head hurting as he tried to remember all the information the professor dumped on them. Nora skipped past him, humming as she made her way towards her second class. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked behind him to see Cardin standing behind him. He had a gentle smile on his face.
"Hey Jaune, noticed you seemed sort of out of it after the lecture. You need any help with this stuff?"
"No thanks, I should be okay. Thanks though."
"Don't mention it buddy. My dad works for the SDC so I know a lot about Dust." Jaune nodded his head and started walking down the hall. Cardin went the other direction, chatting with one of his teammates.
Jaune noticed Ozpin walking through the halls, hobbling along on his cane. Jaune chewed his lip before walking over to Ozpin.
"Uh, Headmaster, sir?" Ozpin looked back at him.
"Ah, Mr. Arc, what can I do for you?" Jaune scratched the back of his head.
"If you don't mind me asking, did you make a mistake making me the team leader? I mean, why not Pyrrha or Ren? They seem better suited for that kind of thing." Ozpin took a sip from the near empty coffee mug he had with him.
"I have made a great many mistakes but I don't think appointing you as a team leader is one of them. The future might prove me wrong but at the moment it seems like a good decision."'
"But sir, I don't have any experience leading a team."
"Neither did your sister, and she turned out to be one of the best students I ever had." Ozpin tucked his cane into his arms as he pulled out his scroll. "And if your transcripts are to be believed then you should be our most talented student this year." Jaune laughed
"Yeah, my transcripts…" Ozpin narrowed his eyes as he looked at his scroll.
"You have a lot to live up to Mr. Arc. Don't disappoint me." Ozpin began to leave but stopped. "Mr. Arc, which combat school did you go to again? In my old age, my memory is starting to wander."
"Uh, the good one, sir? You know, that one my sister went to." Ozpin chuckled.
"I see," he said. Ozpin left and Juane exhaled.
Ruby ran the brush through the barrel of Crescent Rose. She and Yang had a free period and she was using that time to clean her baby. She loved the smell of gun oil and disassembling and reassembling weapons was so relaxing for her. She felt her scroll start to vibrate and she put the brush and barrel down on the table. She pulled the scroll out and saw that it was Weiss who was calling her. She hadn't seen her since Port's class that morning, not even at lunch.
"Hi Weiss. Everything okay?'
"Yeah I'm fine. Where are you?"
"In our room; I'm cleaning my scythe," she said. She heard Weiss say something away from the phone. It was noisy, like she was in a crowded room.
"What kind of coffee do you like?" Ruby scrunched her eyebrows.
"What kind of-? Why do you want to know that?"
"Just answer the question," Weiss said.
"One shot of cream and five packets of sugar." Ruby said. She heard Weiss sigh.
"Seriously? You don't want a cappuccino or a latte or something like that?"
"I have no idea what any of those are." Weiss sighed again.
"I'm going to have to treat you guys sometime then. Get a taste of some real coffee." Weiss hung up and Ruby returned to cleaning Crescent Rose.
Weiss opened the door to her dorm, a Sundoe cup in each hand. She couldn't believe that she had to spend most of her free period on the shuttle just to go get a decent cup of coffee. She saw Ruby hunched over her desk, weapon parts and cleaning materials spread over the desk. Weiss walked up to Ruby and set her coffee down on the desk. Ruby looked up from the weapon part she was cleaning.
"Oh, hi Weiss, didn't hear you come in." She picked up the cup and took a sip. "Thanks Weiss. What's the occasion?" Weiss drummed her fingers over her cup before responding.
"I wanted to thank you. For helping me with that Boarbatusk."
"You don't have to thank me for that," Ruby said. Weiss sipped from the straw in her coffee, iced white chocolate mocha, before continuing.
"But I do. It was rude of me to snap at you like that. And I also wanted to thank you for saving me from that Beowolf, and for not telling anyone about… me, crying." Ruby drank from her cup as she listened to Weiss. "When I came here I decided that I would do everything on my own, that I wouldn't accept anyone's help. I realize that that's impossible now and I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be the best teammate you have ever seen. So thank you, Ruby." Weiss turned to leave but stopped and pointed at a part of Crescent Rose. "You missed a spot," she teased.
Ruby smiled and set the coffee on the desk before getting back to cleaning. She still had a few minutes left before she had to go to Glynda's class.