"Where am I?" Haiiden thought as he realized he was laying down on a couch in front of a fireplace. As he sat upright, his neck was stiff and it hurt as he tried to move it to look around. "How did I get here?"
As he began to scan his surroundings, whatever confusion he felt immediately had left him, and was instead replaced with a subtle warmth. He noticed that the room was lit by a fire that resonated with a comforting glow; however, something else added to the feeling of comfort that he felt the longer he sat there, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. All of a sudden, he heard the sound of humming nearby; it was a woman from the sound of it, and Haiiden was almost mesmerized by the melody. How harmonious it was! Like something from a fairy tale that you would recite to a child at night. The sound of the humming continued to warm his soul and Haiiden couldn't help but look around for its source. As he turned his head to the right he noticed that someone was sitting at the other end of the couch. He looked at this figure curiously, especially since there hadn't been anyone there before when he had first tried to look around. The person at the other end seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, which made Haiiden wince the longer he continued to look at it.
This mysterious person turned her head to face him, and at first, he couldn't make out was any of her features. Her hair and the light she emitted kept him from recognizing who she was. All he could see was a mouth, which turned into a smile; the gesture made Haiiden shudder in delight.
"Hello, sleepyhead," the person said to him, and he noticed how the voice seemed to match the same melodic tone as the humming; not only that, it matched the voice he had heard back when he was at Mountain Glenn. She reached out with an open palm, and Haiiden instinctively lowered his head, ready to receive her hand. Right as the hand reached Haiiden's head, the scene turned to white and he realized he was back in his dorm at Beacon Academy, laying in his bed.
0-RWBY-0
The next morning, he was simply polishing his sword, but he couldn't help but stare at his reflection in the blade. He was almost embarrassed to find himself daydreaming while performing his morning duties, as well as drifting off in front of his teammates. When the thought of his team came to mind, Haiiden stopped to look at everyone. Cecilia paid no mind to her surroundings while she sat on her bedside and sharpened her claymore with a whetstone. Zed was shadow boxing in the corner of the room next to the entrance to the dormitory while Vaughn silently calibrated his rifle as he sat next to his sister.
"This dream... Why am I seeing it again? Why now?" He knew who it was, and he wished that he could see her face again. However, there was a time and place for everything, and now was not the time to dwell on dreams; he then decided it was best to banish the thoughts from his mind for now. He reached for a bottle of oil, as well as a fresh cloth. As he grabbed what he needed to clean his greaves and gauntlet, he noticed the uncomfortable silence in the room; no words were exchanged between his teammates. The silence began to annoy him and he decided to break the ice by humming the tune that he heard in the little world he had stumbled upon during his dream.
Zed stumbled forward as the silence was broken and the sudden humming broke his concentration. As he looked to each teammate to find the source, he smiled and shook his head as he noticed that it was just Haiiden, and then he went back to his routine. The humming calmed his nerves and he decided to allow Haiiden to have this moment. Vaughn looked up as he stopped his calibrations to see Zed's and Cecilia's reactions, and was left slightly confused as to why his leader was humming. Even Cecilia had stopped sharpening her claymore, but she didn't look up from her sword. Instead, she shook her head and after a long, drawn-out sigh, she resumed her duties. She looked to be all right now, but Haiiden knew not to trust his assumptions when it came to Cecilia. She hid her feelings well, sometimes behind a smile, and sometimes without any expression at all. Haiiden was unsettled as he remembered her tirade from the night before.
0-RWBY-0
"I can't believe Ozpin would even let you back into Beacon, let alone continue to allow you to be part of this team, to say nothing of making you its leader again!" Cecilia growled as she stomped through the door and into their dorm after their visit with Ozpin. She paced back and forth in front of her bed while Zed walked in with Vaughn, and the pair both just jumped onto their beds. All the while, they both hoped that they would not be drawn into the argument. Haiiden was the last person to enter the room and slowly closed the door behind him before he turned to see that Cecilia stared at him intensely.
"In the military, that would be considered desertion, you would be court-martialed and imprisoned for that! But here? You got away without as much as a slap on the wrist and the rest of us have already paid the price!" She yelled and Haiiden couldn't help but feel guilt swell inside him. Ozpin always wanted the teams to work together, so either every student in a team passed, or none of them did. However, he still felt that his reasons for leaving were sound and hope they would understand.
"I don't know how many more times I can say that I'm sorry, Cecilia," Haiiden said, and immediately regretted it, as he watched Cecilia's expression turn from mere anger to outright rage after hearing his words.
"'Sorry' isn't enough for us having to repeat another year!" She yelled out again.. Haiiden looked at her for a moment, cowed.
"Why do you think I left in the first place? Nobody wants to be here, we want to do what is best for humanity!" Haiiden replied.
"You should have thought about what was best for all of us first! We're your team! I would never have abandoned my team if I were our leader!" Cecilia shoved Haiiden back, and after he had regained his balance, he stood straighter and tightened his hands into fists, ready in case Cecelia's words turned to violence. However, he was no longer cowed and raised his head just enough to glare down at her.
"I don't know, I wouldn't like a leader who throws their weight around when they are mad. Especially when they easily angered," Haiiden said as he narrowed his eyes and made eye contact. Cecilia couldn't help but grin at that, especially since it gave her more of a reason to lash out at him, and she pulled her arm back, ready to strike. However, before she was able to throw a punch, Zed and Vaughn rushed in to intervene and held her arms back.
"Sis, stop! You're right: he did leave, but he is back now; if you're going to interpret his actions in military terms, striking a superior officer is insubordination and assault, and deserving of a court-martial as well," Vaughn pointed out as he tried to appeal to her prior analogy. Haiiden continued to stare daggers at Cecilia as her breathing became heavy and fast while she tried to wrest control of her arms from her brother and Zed. Once she realized that she couldn't wrestle out of Zed's and Vaughn's grip, and the fact she didn't want to fight Zed in any case, she took a deep breath and calmed down. Once they thought it was safe to release her, they let her go, and she immediately shoved Zed and Vaughn out the way; then she began to undress. Once she had dressed down, she immediately jumped onto her bed and went to sleep without a word.
"Let's get some rest guys," Zed said with a grin as he hid the fact that the moment had even made him nervous, but now he was relieved that things had calmed down. "Tonight was rather an eventful evening."
0-RWBY-0
Haiiden finished oiling his greaves and gauntlet, he stood up to test things out. He bounced in place to get a feel for his greaves and then flexed his left arm and the fingers at the end of the gauntlet.
No metal parts rubbed against one other to make the telltale sound of them scraping. The gauntlet merely made the satisfying sound of metal clacking together as the fingers moved. His observations were interrupted, as his personal Scroll pinged as it received a message, and he reached into his pocket to take a look. As he scanned the contents of the message, the rest of the team, even Cecilia, all looked up out of curiosity.
"It's Ozpin. The new students have already left on their initiation trial to determine the teams." The team corrected their positions so that they sat straighter. Knowing what this would mean, some would go home, only to be given another chance next year, while the others would stay, the chosen to join Beacon. Once he realized he had everyone's full and undivided attention, Haiiden continued to read the message. "He wants us to help the instructors finish up any final preparations. He has already given out assignments as to whom we are to visit."
"Will we be splitting up?" Cecilia asked, not looking up at her leader.
"Seems like it," Haiiden answered and didn't bother to question as to why she asked. While everyone stood up to get ready, Haiiden kept his eyes on the Scroll as he inputs the commands to send the list of assignments to his teammates one by one, each of their Scrolls received their assignments and they left the dorm.
0-RWBY-0
Haiiden headed towards the receiving dock at the Academy, where most shipments of the school's supplies came in. He watched as a VTOL lowered itself close to the ground, and dropped a large container which had a burlap cloth draped over it. It slammed into the ground that seemed to shake the earth slightly, and the impact made a loud thud, even over the din of the engines; generally, the campus was normally quiet, and such noise was usually only found here. Out of curiosity, Haiiden stepped closer to examine the container as he walked around it. Strangely, he noticed that it had no markings on it, no name for who it was addressed to. His curiosity got the better of him and couldn't help but reach out for the cloth, and just as he was about to touch it, he was stopped by a loud voice that boomed above all of the other noises in the landing area.
"Splendid!" The sudden voice made Haiiden jump and he turned to see that it was none other than Professor Peter Port, a short, stocky man who wore a red tuxedo, and his white hair was combed neatly. He also had a large, white mustache that seemed to cover his mouth, and you could tell when he spoke by the rise and fall of that white, walrusy mustache.
"I was delighted to hear that you would be returning this year, but I had to see for myself! That is why I asked for YOU specifically to assist me in this matter!" He exclaimed and stepped up to Haiiden to place both hands on his shoulders and embraced him.
"It's good to see you again, Professor," Haiiden replied, as he smiled while he likewise embraced Professor Port. After a few seconds, they finally pulled away but ProfessorPort still kept his hands on Haiiden's shoulders and looked at him silently. It seemed out of character for Port; he always liked to make a big show of things, but his silence seemed eerie and was making Haiiden uncomfortable.
"Is everything alright, Professor?" Haiiden raised a brow and lowered his head as Peter stared for a few moments more. Finally breaking his gaze, he looked from side to side with a sigh and brushed something off Haiiden's shoulder.
"It's nothing, my boy, just glad to see one of my star pupils return!" Professor Port roared as he slammed a hand onto the young man's arm. With his hands behind his back, he slowly stepped back and motioned towards the large container. "Now please, grab hold of the container and we shall deliver it to my classroom!"
"Sure thing," Haiiden replied, and immediately went to grab hold of the container, luckily there were wheels underneath it, which made pushing it around much easier. "And what do you mean by, 'one of your star pupils'?"
"You show amazing fighting capabilities," Professor Port remarked before he turned back to Haiiden and peered at him through the corner of his eye "But don't let that go to your head. There are many other exceptional students in this school, but with the new year, you will have some real competition. I hope you are ready for it."
"Yes Professor, I am ready to give it my all," Haiiden replied, and with renewed strength and optimism, he pushed the container further.
"What's in here?" It was almost hard to push since Haiiden had to constantly correct his own trajectory in order to better move the container. It was as if something inside was rolling around, and its weight altered its course with nearly every step that Haiiden attempted to make. He continued to listen to Peter talk about his exploits during the break in between school years.
Having been hired by the Kingdom of Vacuo to deal with a Grimm threat. Haiiden had to pay close attention to his story, not only because he had no choice but to listen, but because it was probably going to be on a test specifically for him later. Professor Port's voice boomed throughout the corridors as he spoke, and his laugh echoed through the hallways. The Professor would take momentary breaks in between his stories to stop and talk to the new students as well, as well as to ogle the female students that would pass by. It was a nice break for Haiiden too, since the container was much heavier than it looked, and normally wouldn't be this hard to push.
Haiiden breathed a sigh of relief as they finally made it to Professor Ports classroom. He entered the lecture hall and became even more ecstatic when he noticed the stairs leading down to the floor of the classroom had been converted into a ramp. Haiiden now had to merely press against the container and to counteract the downward force as it slid down the ramp so that it wouldn't roll too fast and slam into the far wall; braking every so often so as not to lose control, they slowly made their way down the steep ramp that ran between the rows of auditorium tables and pews. Right as they were about to reach the bottom, he let it roll down whatever was left of the ramp, which gave him enough inertia to bring it around to Professor Port's desk.
"If I may be frank, I was sorely disappointed when you left." Professor Port suddenly said, which caught Haiiden slightly off guard. Professor Port stood again and his head held high as he looked at Haiiden, which felt strange to him since he was taller than the Professor, but Port was standing on a platform and knew he could afford to look down at Haiiden. There was a reason why his name was well known, and why people asked him for assistance. Haiiden sighed and rolled his eyes as he realized he had to sit through another lecture. First Bartholomew, Ozpin, and his team; was he now going to have to hear it from all the other instructors?
"I thought better of you, perhaps that you had a bit more integrity." Professor Port added as he waved his hand at Haiiden, or perhaps as he waved his previous comment away dismissively.
"I left because I wanted to make a difference in my own way, Professor," Haiiden responded, knowing full well the situation and how being recognized as a Huntsman worked, but he still stood by his decision.
"Unfortunately, that is just the way it is. You are no exception to the rule." The Professor responded, having not moved from his position and he chose his words carefully, which made the mustache move only slightly as he spoke.
"I know, Professor," Haiiden muttered.
"Besides, we all had a hand in training you, and it was difficult to get you into this school. What with your family's 'history'," Professor Port said as he shook his head with disappointment and turned to walk around to his desk. Haiiden winced at that word, 'history', as he walked around the container. To keep his mind off the subject, he turned towards the container, then back to Professor Port.
"So, what's in here?" Haiiden asked then knocked on the crate. As he did, it shook violently and a squealing sound emanated from it; Haiiden instinctively pulled back. After he took a few moments to eye the container, he looked back at Professor Port with a surprised expression while the Professor's mustache slowly rose, a sign that he was smiling.
0-RWBY-0
Vaughn knocked politely on Doctor Oobleck's door and stood for a moment as he waited for a response. The corridor echoed as he began to whistle whatever it was that Haiiden had been humming. It did sound nice and it kind of stuck with him, but then suddenly the door swung open, which almost hit him, had he not jumped out of the way. Almost as fast as the door was opened, he was immediately yanked into the room with such force that it was almost like he was lifted off his feet and thrown inside; the door slammed shut behind him.
"Good timing, lad! I was just wondering when you'd arrive!" Oobleck told Vaughn in a patter that was so rapid that Vaughn could barely keep up with his cadence, and then took a sip from his thermos before he continued to zip around the classroom. He was out of his surveying gear, instead, wearing brown pants with a white shirt that was almost tucked in all the way, except for his left side, which hung out of his pants. His tie also seemed to be a mess, and his hair spiked in all directions.
"I came as quickly as I could, sir," Vaughn explained, taking slight offense while he dodged the Professor's movements, and did his best not to get in his way. Papers flew behind him, leaving a trail wherever the Doctor had been, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice, instead, zipping around from desk to desk to collect more stacks of papers. He then stacked them on top of each other and tucked them under his arm before he took another sip from his thermos.
"Ah yes, but as you can see, I am almost done here! So your help is now ALMOST unnecessary!" Just as Oobleck had finished, he then threw his thermos to Vaughn who almost fumbled it out of his grasp for a second but managed to catch it before it hit the floor. He looked at the thermos curiously but then realized what Oobleck was about to request
"Fill that up, please!" asked Oobleck as his movements were now a little more sluggish now that he was left without his brew. Vaughn shrugged before he walked over to the coffee machine and poured a fresh batch into the thermos. However, when Oobleck wasn't looking, Vaughn took a quick whiff and realized that there was no scent. He pondered whether or not to take a quick taste, then quickly changed his mind as whatever gave Oobleck this much energy was probably best left a mystery; he proceeded to close the lid. Oobleck suddenly snatched the thermos from behind Vaughn and nodded to him while he motioned for the young man to accompany him. After they left the classroom, Oobleck quickly locked the door behind them. It wasn't until he saw the state of Oobleck's classroom again that he realized how clean the school was in comparison. Piqued, he noted the stacks of paper everywhere, with most of them having brown rings from Oobleck's coffee cups.
"I heard your team has been reunited! Good! I knew the lad would heed my words!" Oobleck exclaimed with an air of pride while he broadened his shoulders and held his head high. Vaughn immediately smiled to himself upon hearing this and scratched the back of his head as he continued to trot behind the speeding Doctor.
"Well, from what I understood, it wasn't your words, but Ozpin's that finally convinced him to come back, sir," Vaughn interjected and gave off a soft smile he hoped that he hadn't ruined Oobleck's moment of pride. For a moment, the Doctor's pride seemed shaken but he then shrugged it off and zipped along with a grin.
"Well, he does have a way with words. Nevertheless! I am sure my wisdom was a factor in it as well!" Oobleck said as he bounced back.
"Maybe. However, it almost sounded like he was forced to, though," Vaughn added but this time with a hint of concern in his voice, while Oobleck thought on this comment.
"Perhaps. The way things are now, his only choice was to either strike out on his own or come back to Beacon. Huntsman are needed but the requirements to be recognized as one are strict. However! I would like to believe that he understood what his choices were, and he chose to come back of his own volition!" Bartholomew corrected while he waggled his thermos at Vaughn like as though a parent shaking a finger to discipline an insolent child. Vaughn merely nodded and walked with the Doctor for a while; however, he struggled to keep up as what the Doctor considered "walking" was more like running.
"Ummm, I'd like to ask: is it true that Haiiden has been helping you with your research?" Vaughn asked as he pushed his glasses higher up on his nose in an attempt to hide any signs of concern. Anyone who wasn't certified, or at least recognized, as a Huntsman or Huntress could get another Huntsman into a lot of trouble just for accompanying them on a mission. However, one possible exception was in the event that an Academy student was selected to shadow an instructor. However, Haiiden had technically dropped out, so Vaughn considered the circumstances a very grey area.
"Yes, he has," Oobleck replied as he straightened himself while he walked. Vaughn smiled in response, but whatever made him smile was interrupted by what the Doctor said next.
"How do you feel about this reunion? Surely there is some bitterness with regard to his leaving, especially given the fact that your team must repeat your first year?" Oobleck asked, and the question made Vaughn frown slightly; he turned away to adjust his glasses again, but this time out of nervousness.
"I am just glad we have our Captain back. I know that his intentions were good, and to be honest sir, with Zed's carefree nature, my military-inspired follower mentality, and Cecilia's aggressiveness, I think, he is the best option to lead us," Vaughn answered hesitantly. He was glad to have his Captain back, but with the rather weak excuse that Haiiden gave, it left it hard for Vaughn to sympathize with him.
0-RWBY-0
"But isn't that illegal?" Cecilia asked Glynda, her face showing disapproval as well as disbelief upon having hard what Oobleck and Haiiden had done over the summer. "I mean, why would the Professor risk his certification just to bring him along?"
Glynda didn't immediately turn to face Cecilia, as she was lost in thought as to how to arrange the dining hall. She experimented with different table arrangements and used her magic to quickly change their positions. She would occasionally check her Scroll for the time as well as to peek at her list of duties. Once she realized how late it had already gotten, she concluded that the current arrangement would have to suffice, and she turned around to see that Cecilia was still there. She expressed surprise, as she had expected Cecilia to have departed by now, but then she remembered that they were talking about her leader.
"Maybe Professor Oobleck used the opportunity to talk some sense into him. He definitely needed it." Glynda said and walked past Cecilia in a dismissively.
"But now we have to repeat another year because of him! He left us; why should he get to come back and why should he get to be leader again? If you ask me, he abrogated that position when he abandoned us!" Cecilia said to Goodwitch, but in a tone that made it sound like she demanded an answer, which Glynda noted with exasperation, and turned again to face her. This time, she took a couple daunting steps towards Cecilia with a stern expression on her face, which made even the combative and confrontational Cecilia back down.
"Because at some point, you all worked as a team, and you all need to figure out how to do that again. Now, you are here to learn how to fight, to protect humanity, and to become Hunters! Now so figure it out, Miss Sceryei, as it's not within my job description to babysit you!" Glynda yelled, and Cecilia backed away in horror at Glynda's reaction; the harshness in her tirade had visibly upset Cecilia, and she tried to reply, but all that came out was a few broken phrases as Cecilia couldn't find anything coherent to say.
"Thank you for your help, Cecilia. That will be all." Glynda finished before walking away; Cecilia's expression turned to anger again before she stomped her foot and cried out in bitterness and frustration.
0-RWBY-0
Zed looked along the right side of the corridor, scanning each door as he tried to figure out where he was supposed to go; Zed wondered what this new classroom was, and who their new instructor would be.
"Ossea. Who is that?" Zed thought as he tried to figure out what would be the best way of introducing himself. How to make the best first impression. If the teacher was male, should he act tough and witty? If it was a woman, should he be clever and flirty?
"Ossea sounds like a woman's name, but it could also be a man's," he let out a frustrated grunt as the confusion made him slightly nervous.
He stopped in front of the door to the new classroom and took a moment to breathe. After fixing his hair he grinned, but it was a fake, as he still felt uncomfortable and uncertain. As he opened the door, it creaked loudly and opened enough for him to poke his head through. Just as he peered in, three knives pierced the door frame beside his head. Frozen in place by this sudden attack, he then looked around and couldn't help but notice that there was barely any light in the room. However, whatever light there was just enough to allow one to see the glimmer of the strings to which the knives were attached. And to whom the strings were attached. As Zed stepped in, he could see an arm being extended from the darkness of the room, which was only being lit by the small crack in the doorway.
"Turn the lights on, please," the figure asked him. At first, Zed hesitated for a moment, and slowly reached for the light switch, while still keeping an eye on the arm. He flicked the switch to the 'on' position, and illuminated the room; he could then see an average-sized person standing there, wearing a bone-white trench coat. It seemed to be a bit too big for its wearer, since it hung down to this person's feet, and the sleeves extended almost enough to hide the hand. It was buttoned all the way to the top so that the collar of the coat was also sticking up and covering the person's face to the nose. The figure had white hair that covered the rest of its face and extended to the waist.
"Thank you," the figure said before recalling its knives back into the coat's sleeve. The strings seemed to cut through the air and made a sound similar to a fishing rod when you reeled in a catch.
A soft chuckle was all that Zed was able to express while looking at the new Professor, and the visage only added more to his discomfort.
"This is even worse, now I really can't tell if it's a man or woman!" Zed thought to himself as he scratched the back of his head and then fixed his hair by messing it up again. He thought the voice would help, but it was a neutral tone; not too feminine, nor too masculine.
"Howdy," Zed finally said to Ossea and almost froze again in embarrassment that this was all he was able to say. Ossea looked up at him and Zed was not able to tell what facial expression Ossea had, and its staring made him swallow nervously.
"Grab the broom. Help sweep up." Ossea said as it returned to its own duties. Zed looked around and closed the door behind him, only realizing after a few moments that the broom was next to the door. After Zed had regained his composure was he able to look around the room, only to see that it was in complete disarray. He thought that perhaps the school just forgot about the dorms and classrooms that were not in use, which seemed strange to him since the school was always so clean; to see this made Zed feel slightly disgusted. Disgusted at all the dirt and the thought that he would have to soil his outfit to clean it.
"I hope everyone else is having a better time than I am," Zed thought.
0-RWBY-0
A few hours later, team HAVC had already returned to their dorm and were awaiting the results of this year's teams. Zed had fallen asleep at his desk while Vaughn attempted to discuss strategies with Cecilia, but she paid her brother no mind as she sat silently and stared into the distance. Haiiden was in the corner, on his knees, lost in silent contemplation. When the team had returned to the dorm, Cecilia exploded into a rage again as she saw Haiiden, but had enough restraint to keep herself from attacking him. Then, out of curiosity, he looked up at Cecilia, and to see her with a scowl upon her face made him feel upset. He knew he had to fix this somehow, but didn't know how, so he decided to slowly approach her with just a whiff of hesitation on his face.
"You alright?" Haiiden asked her softly, as he did not want to set her off again. However, Cecilia just shook her head, her mouth covered by her hands that she was slowly wringing together.
"I am fine, thank you, sir," she replied quietly, as though she was barely maintaining her composure.
"You sure? You don't appear to be 'fine'." Haiiden asked and cringed as he expected the worst, but genuinely wanted to redeem himself in the eyes of his entire team, especially Cecilia.
"I said I'm fine!" Cecilia yelled out but did not look up at him. Haiiden flinched at the explosive response and nodded as he slowly backed away to give her space, but then a knock on the door startled everyone. Zed almost fell out of his seat as he was suddenly awoken, and it even made Cecilia look up as the door opened; Goodwitch stepped through and stood quietly.
"You have an innate sense of timing, Glynda: you always come in here when it's most dramatic." Zed joked with an almost cheesy grin. Apparently, he hadn't really been asleep, and instead had listened to the exchange between Haiiden and Cecilia. Glynda returned Zed's attempt at a joke with a glare, as she didn't find it funny, nor was she amused at the use of her first name. However, today she was especially exhausted and not in the mood to deal out some magic to punish Zed for his bold attitude; instead, she waved for the team to follow.
HAVC, along with Glynda, made their way to the school's presentation area. Where Glynda's class would ordinarily take place, but also where the teams were to be announced at the beginning of the school year. There were only a few teams left behind, and all waited for Ozpin to personally greet them and to send them off. Ozpin continued. "Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the Black Bishop pieces.
"From this day forward you will work together as Team CaRDinaL, led by Cardin Winchester." He paused as the faces on the screens above his head changed from the four men' to show two men and two women. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces. From this day forward, the four of you will work together as Team JuNiPeR, led by Jaune Arc." He tilted his face toward a blonde man in classic armor, obviously the leader of Team Juniper and said, "Congratulations, young man." A long-haired redhead wearing gold and scarlet armor and a golden headdress slapped him on the back so hard that he toppled over. The audience laughed at this, and Haiiden couldn't help but suppress a chuckle.
The faces on the screen changed once again, this time to four women, including the petite girl with the black and red hair and the long-haired blonde, both of whom he had seen on the airship. "And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the White Knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose." The blonde cried out and embraced the petite girl happily, nearly knocking her over. Ozpin finished with the statement, "It looks like things are shaping up to be… an interesting year."
Glynda motioned for Team HAVC to step forward, which they reluctantly did. Ozpin spoke again. "This is team HAVC, one of our senior teams and a well-rounded group of warriors," Ozpin announced; Zed was the only one who smiled at that comment, while the rest of the team stood at attention and kept their hands behind their backs. Haiiden looked at the new teams and noticed that one of the larger males had a grin that was eerily like Zed's. However, this one wasn't filled with verve like Zed's was, but rather he seemed cockier and full of himself.
"Their leader, Haiiden, will be escorting you to your dorms," Ozpin continued before turning his attention back to HAVC.
"I want you to take Team CRDL and Team JNPR to their dorms. Show them a bit of Beacon hospitality," Ozpin requested and he motioned to two of the teams, who waited patiently for him. "Team CFVY will show the remaining teams off."
"Yes, Headmaster," Haiiden replied before turning to lead the two new teams assigned to the school's West Wing. They quickly picked up their bags and followed behind Haiiden and his team, but the journey was quiet and felt awkward. His Scroll buzzed, and Haiiden saw that Glynda had given him a diagram of all the rooms that were available and the ones that were assigned to the new teams. Once they had made it to the first stop, Haiiiden turned to face the first team.
"Okay, so... you what is your name and team name," Haiiden asked, pointing to a large male who looked at him with a quirked brow.
The larger student, still grinning, stepped forward, the one who had a grin that was too cocky for Haiiden's liking.
"Cardin Winchester, Team CRDL. Remember it," Cardin replied. Taken aback, Haiiden was left speechless but next to him, Zed scoffed loudly and shook his head.
"Well, we are team HAVC, as you already know. We are one of the senior teams at Beacon, so if you need any help, don't be afraid to come to us," Haiiden replied. Although Cardin did respond with a chuckle before picking his bags up, he walked into his dorm, but not without body checking Haiiden as he walked past.
"We won't be needing any of your 'help'," Cardin replied, and the rest of the team snickered as they followed behind him. Haiiden looked to the next team and noticed one of their members, the female with red hair who had earlier knocked Jaune Arc to the ground; she was glaring at Team CRDL and was clearly enraged at their blatant disrespect.
"Well, don't they seem like a bunch of upstanding gentlemen," Haiiden remarked and then smiled confidently at the second team. Likewise, he lead them to their new home and likewise, he turned and asked the same question. "Name and team name?"
One of the students hesitantly stepped forward, a blonde male who wore a black hoodie with pieces of armor covering his chest and shoulders.
"Ummm, Jaune Arc, and this is Team JNPR," Jaune replied and in return, Haiiden stretched out his hand in greeting.
"It's nice to meet you, Jaune," Haiiden said with a smile which calmed Jaune down, somewhat.
"Welcome to your new home. Like I told team CRDL, if you ever need any help, don't be afraid to ask." HAVC smiled at them softly but one of their other teammates, a girl with orange hair was a bit more enthusiastic.
"Yeah, I don't think we need any help, thanks though," She pointed out happily as if she felt excited to be accepted into the school.
"I bet, otherwise you wouldn't be here. I just say it as a formality but if there comes a time when you do need help, we are here," Haiiden replied. "And the rest of you?"
Then the quieter and almost expressionless one of the group spoke. His style of clothing was different than the others, as it seemed more Eastern, and he wore a long green tunic. "Ren."
"Pleasure to meet you, Ren," Vaughn answered.
"Nora!" the cheery, orange haired girl said as she jumped with excitement.
Finally, the redhead who tried her best to contain her laughter after having witnessed Nora's outburst. "Pyrrha."
Pyrrha. Cecilia's and Vaughn's faces lit up, and they looked back at each other with disbelief; they hoped that what they just heard wasn't just their imagination. Zed just gave his usual devilish smile while Haiiden straightened up and breathed in deeply. "Pyrrha? Pyrrha Nikos?"
Her facial expression changed when she realized that she had been recognized. It changed from surprise, and then to a frown as if she wished to hide who she was. Team HAVC took that as a sign that Haiiden was correct, and the twins just stared in disbelief.
"Damn!" Zed said, and chuckled. That was all he managed to get out before he whistled in amazement, while Haiiden burst out laughing, and tried to get back into a more professional mindset.
"Then you definitely won't be needing our help, then," Haiiden replied. "I hope you don't mind me saying, Ms. Nikos..."
"Pyrrha is just fine," she replied warmly.
"Pyrrha. I hope you don't mind me saying, that I look forward to our time in the sparring hall together," Haiiden said with a grin.
"Likewise, Haiiden," Pyrrha replied before she bowed.
Haiiden stepped out of the way, giving them clear access to their dorm and he watched as one by one, they entered their dorm. However, his gaze was especially fixed on Pyrrha as she entered, and the door closed behind her.
"What is she doing here?" Cecilia asked, amazed that someone so famous in Mistral would come all the way across the world just to attend Beacon.
"Does it matter? I think she's a great addition," Zed responded, to which Vaughn nodded in agreement. "Imagine how she will represent us in the Vytal Tournament."
Haiiden continued to walk silently as he grinned at the thought of one day fighting Pyrrha.
"Pyrrha Nikos," Haiiden thought to himself. "I do hope we get to fight one day. I will absolutely beat you."