Alright, the next update. The introduction is now over, so let's dive into canon. Hope you all enjoy!

Nora Valkyrie was having a wonderful day.

Stupendous, actually. She was skipping through the streets, humming a happy tune. She and Ren had gotten into Beacon! The bestest, coolest battle school on all of Remnant, and they'd gotten in together! It was all or nothing for them, but they got it all! Oh man, this was gonna be great!

It was so great, actually, that she'd decided to buzz around the neighborhood, skipping at twenty-miles an hour as she waited for the airship. Maybe Ren would be okay with sticking around with everybody else, but not her. No, Nora Valkyrie wouldn't be contained!

She sped down another street, a great big smile on her face. Then she saw someone, and she stopped.

There was a teen about her age, with blonde hair, a blue outfit and an awesome looking scar. To be honest, it was the scar that made her stop. It was cool! Like, really cool! Maybe she'd get a scar like that someday. Well... she'd wouldn't want it on her face. Maybe the back, or an arm, so she could conveniently show it off but not have to wear it all the time. Heh, he probably has a bunch of cool stories and stuff.

Welp, only one way to find out.

She skipped over to him. He had some sort of bulky, wrist-mounted scroll that was playing a radio, and she heard the last words of it as she neared.

"—and that concludes our marathon of 'World of Remnant'. If you stuck with us through the whole feature, then we hope that you now have a more comprehensive understanding of our world—"

The teen twisted a dial on his weird scroll and turned it off, then pulled out a book and started reading.

"Hey there!" She yelled, even though she was only ten feet away. "My name's Nora, what's yours?" Her smile was wide enough to span a continent, and it shone like the core of an explosion.

The young man looked at her from over his book, then raised it in front of his face and pressed himself against the wall behind him. Wow, he was just like Ren! Alright, that's no problem, she was used to dealing with these kinds of introverts.

"Soooo, watcha doing here?" Her smile failed to waver as he continued to say nothing. "Watcha reading? Oooh, Vale's Laws and Customs, a Guide for the Foreigner. That must mean you're not from around here, huh?" She hopped in the air and clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm not from around here either! I'm from Mistral, actually. Where are you from? What are you doing here?"

The teen flipped a page in his book.

No problem, he was just shy.

"I'm going to Beacon academy to be an awesome Huntress!" she continued. "Are you doing the same? I mean, you're right here by the airships, and you've got weapons and stuff. Are you a student too!?" She waved her arms in a blur, her smile somehow managing to become even larger and even brighter. "If so, that's awesome! Like, really, really, awesome!" She pressed up closer to him. "Ooh, maybe we could be on a team together!"

His hands shot out and roughly hit her shoulders, shoving her away. "Fuck off!" He spat.

Her smile evaporated as she stumbled a few steps back. Her aura protected her from the harsh shove, but she still felt its presence linger on her skin. The young man glared at her from over his book, a mean stare paired with a nastier snarl. She shrunk under the brutal gaze and the equally brutal message.

It looked like this guy wasn't like Ren after all. She gulped and looked down at the floor. Her first attempt at making a new friend; utter failure.

"Alright..." Her voice was despondent, light and almost hollow.

She felt his glare cut into her as she turned and walked away. She didn't skip anymore. A heavy feeling coalesced in her stomach. Well, a little bit ago, she'd seen a quaint ice cream store down the street. She'd go there now. Sweets always made her feel better.

Lie Ren sighed and left the airship station.

The ship would arrive in just fifteen minutes, yet Nora was still nowhere to be seen. She'd said she needed to burn off energy, that she was just too excited. It was true, and he'd been fine with letting her go off into Vale as a release. Gods forbid he make her keep it all in and she explode. Possibly literally.

But now it was close to the deadline, so he'd have to reel her back in. He just wished she hadn't caused any trouble. Oh, who was he kidding, of course she had. Leave her alone for twenty minutes, and Nora was liable to start at least one fire, likely more.

He strolled down the street, content to let Nora reveal herself through her innately boisterous attitude. Her personality was honestly the best thing about her, always fun loving and uplifting, no matter what.

Still, he'd have to step into whatever fun she'd made for herself, lest she get too caught up in it and end up missing the airship. The message from Beacon clearly stated they wouldn't give second chances to anyone who was late. Accordingly, he'd have to wrangle Nora into punctuality, at least this one time.

Curiously, he couldn't hear her yet. He looked around, seeing no one besides a young man sat against a wall. He was reading book, which he held right in front of his face, though Ren could still see his scar. He often glanced up to check his surroundings, and on one such check, his eyes locked on Ren. Well, now that he had his attention, might as well use it. He approached and asked, "have you seen a girl running around, orange hair, dressed in pink and white?"

The teen with the scar pointed down the street.

"Thank you."

Ren promptly strolled down the sidewalk. Now he at least had a direction, not like that would help much. Nora could be halfway across the city already, if she wanted to. However, he doubted she did, since she wasn't stupid. Her attention span was short, but she'd still know to stick at least somewhere close to the airship so she could get back in time, or at least somewhere close enough for Ren to get her and drag her back, as was now the case. That was usually the case, actually.

Honestly, it really shouldn't be too hard, considering she'd probably tackle him if she saw him. He looked over his shoulder after that thought, just in case. He saw nothing. That was a little weird. He should've been able to at least hear here, or someone yelling about her. He'd expected a noisy and easy to find target, but that's not what he got. Odd. She must really be preoccupied... and when he caught a glimpse of something down the street, he had a good idea of just what that was.

Sure enough, when he looked through the ice cream shop window, he saw her sitting down at a table. Huh, she was sitting down. With how energetic she'd been she left, he'd expect her to at least be standing, if not pacing around. She must be waiting for her order, which she would've scarfed down immediately as soon as she got it. Wait... no, she already has an ice cream cone, and she's just sitting there, licking it. Something's not right here.

Ren entered the store, the little bell above the door chiming as he did so. Nora didn't turn around. He walked up to her table and sat across from her. Her head perked up immediately, and a slight smile graced her face.

"Hey Ren," she said, giving a weak wave as she did so. She licked a little bit of her ice cream.

"Hey Nora," he replied.

Nora continued to lick her ice cream. Her shoulders slouched, and her licks were small and despondent. Normally, she would've eaten it in just a few bites, brainfreeze be damned.

"Is something wrong?"

"I messed up."

Ren looked at her, saw the way her little smile drooped ever so slightly. "Well, what happened?"

"The same thing that always does." Nora half-heartedly licked her icea cream, which had started to melt and dribble down the cone. "I tried talking to someone, but it didn't work out. I thought it'd be different here, like you said. But it's just the same." She took another tiny lick, and the melted ice cream trickle onto her hand. "I'm not stupid. I know I put people off, but I thought that maybe, since everyone else here would be huntresses and huntsman too, maybe they'd understand, you know? I wish I could just be more normal like you." She threw her ice cream cone in the trash near their table. "This is the only way I know how to be." She sighed. "I just wish more people could put up with me."

"Nora, what exactly happened?"

"I saw this guy on the street. He had a really cool scar and stuff, so I thought I'd talk to him. But when I got up close, he just... told me to... eff off. He shoved me away. I thought I'd be able to make more friends once we got here." She sighed again. "You know how much that's bugged me."

Ren's hands clenched into fists under the table. His jaw was set into a straight line, like a calm visage carved from stone. His eyes stared into the distance, imagining that same young man he'd asked for directions. Even if he was out of sight now, he glared daggers at him.

"He obviously wasn't worth being friends with anyway, Nora."

"Really?"

"Of course not. He sounds rude and unamicable." He leaned over the table, closer to her. "Not everything is your fault, it was probably him." He only leaned back when she gave a slight nod. "There will be plenty of people at Beacon who will appreciate you for who you are, like I do, and even if there's no one, then we'll always be together."

"Yeah... yeah... but not together-together, right? Hehe..."

He smiled slightly, tension dissipating as he saw brightness return to Nora's face.

"Of course."

Even as he smiled, he couldn't help but feel a lingering sensation in his stomach, something ugly and heavy, something directed towards that young man with a scar.

Blake Belladonna just wanted her privacy.

Too bad she was on a cramped airship, where that was near impossible. People stood every few feet or so, and she just wanted to take a seat and read her book in peace. As such, she stalked through the crowd, weaving her way past the other students to find a nice little nook to seclude herself.

Eventually, she found a spot. It was at the back of the airship, near the large unfolding ramp that served as their entrance and exit. A short bench rested nearby, and it was probably the lack of windows that had left this back area relatively sparse. Most of the new students would undoubtedly want to stand and gawk at the view.

However, if she wanted a nice space away from the rest, then she'd have to share.

A young man sat on the far side of the bench, literally as far away from the others as possible without standing and pressing yourself against the wall. Clad head to toe in blue, with a sword and pistol at his waist and an ugly, painful-looking scar on his face, he'd already put Blake's plan into action for himself, reading from a small white book. That was alright, as long as both of them were quiet, then surely neither would have a problem.

Apparently, she was wrong.

She sat down on the side of the bench opposite to him and pulled her book, quickly flipping through to the spot she'd left off at, but a nagging feeling kept her from focusing on the reading. She flicked her gaze to the corner of her eye, at the young man to her right. He held the book before him, but over its edge, it was clear that he was staring at her. No, not staring, glaring.

She glanced back to her novel, but an indomitable crawling sensation writhed under her skin, and she snuck another look at him. He was still glaring. This time, she held the gaze, which told a story. The creases on his face coalesced and formed a single expression of accusation. His look held an intensity of distrust that made it abundantly clear he didn't like her sitting there.

She expanded her review, seeing how his shoulders were tensed, prepared to react in any way. Wasn't this one jumpy? Obviously, he wanted her to leave. Well, if he thought he could have the best spot in the ship all to himself, then he thought wrong.

Blake turned back to her novel. If he wanted to get up and leave, he could do so. As it was, she wanted to find out how the man with two souls dealt with his peculiar situation. She did, however, give him one small concession, an olive branch. She shuffled a bit further away on the bench, all the way to the end, such that there wasn't so much as an inch between her and empty space and turned, back facing him.

Her ears twitched imperceptibly in her bow as she heard him shift beside her, undoubtedly shuffling closer to his own edge of the bench. Good. They could share the spot and enjoy a mutual silence, reading.

She stared at the words on the page, but she couldn't quite bring herself to read. Something about this one put her off. Time in the White Fang had made her distrusting, but never to the degree that she would be so suspicious of someone just coming to take a seat and read next to her. Perhaps he'd been through some similar sort of experience, that might explain the scar. Ugh, her curiosity was getting the better of her.

There was a racist pun in there, but she refused to entertain it.

She also refused to entertain said curiosity and ceased brainstorming about whatever past had resulted in this current behavior. Perhaps he had a condition, or maybe he was just more antisocial than even her. If that was the case, then he was much more hostile about it than she, and he wore that hostility on his sleeve.

Well, it was none of her business, whatever it was. She got back to reading. She sensed the crawling sensation of being watched steadily drain, and a furtive glance confirmed that the young man had indeed gotten back to his own book. However, when he'd shifted closer to his own edge, he'd also turned to sit at an angle, but not away. He faced her.

Wasn't he paranoid?

Blake shrugged and got back to reading.

Ruby Rose hadn't known what to expect.

Maybe she and Yang would explore the campus together. Maybe Yang would introduce her to some of her friends. Maybe they'd look at clubs and stuff, try to carve out a place for themselves. Oh! Maybe they'd go out and find the Beacon armory and weaponsmith!

What she hadn't expected was for Yang to abandon her, then get berated by some snotty girl and literally explode.

As it was, she teetered on her feet, reeling from the shock of it all. The stench of burnt dust lingered in her nose, smelling like fire and humiliation. This was Beacon. This was her dream school. This was supposed to be perfect, fantastic. It was anything but. Alone and stunned by explosion and diatribe, fatigue gripped her legs.

She fell back onto the ground and closed her eyes with a put-upon sigh. This sucked. It really, really sucked. She just wanted to lie here and do nothing, let Yang and the mean girl do whatever it was they wanted, as long as they did it away from her. Ugh, why couldn't things-

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice appeared above, alongside prodding hands that quickly grabbed her. Her eyes shot open, seeing a young man who couldn't have been too much older than her. Concern gripped his face, mixed with determination. He poked and probed her in a way that was actually familiar. She'd seen the nurses back at Signal do it, whenever they rushed out to check over students who'd been hurt. "Were you caught in that explosion? Does anything hurt?"

"Huh? Wuh?" She couldn't form a single coherent word, between him lightly jostling her around (which was a little weird, to be honest) and the immediacy of the questions. She managed to bat his hands away, though, red in the face. If Yang found out a boy had crouched over her while she laid on the ground, hands all over her, then he'd be dead and she'd be mortified. "N-no! I-I'm fine!" She finally stammered. "I... I'm just having a really bad day... I'm fine, I..." she sighed. "I just needed a break."

"You... were just resting?"

She nodded.

He looked in her eyes. Actually, he stared into her eyes. She gulped. He was certainly just examining her face to make sure that she was really okay, checking her eyes for any sign of concussion, but a strange intimacy persisted nonetheless

After the pang of embarrassment subsided, she stared back, but at one eye in particular. The entire eye was a deep, murky red. Only the pupil stood unharmed, like a little black pearl in a bloody sea. Around it crept burned and scarred flesh that stretched out across his cheek bone, as if whatever had hit him did so at an angle, scorching his eye and blasting across his face. It honestly looked a little cool, just a little. It made her wince more than anything else. That must have hurt.

Oh great, she was staring, and he'd obviously noticed, if the scowl was any indication. She really must've made it look like the scar bothered her, since he abruptly got up and stomped away. Crap. Crap. Crap, crap, crap! Someone had come up out of the blue to help her out, and she'd repaid him by making him feel like a freak! Ugh, how crappy was that? Really crappy, that's the answer.

Well, she'd just have to do something about it.

She left a cloud of rose petals behind her as she blurred up and ahead of the young man, before twirling and sticking her hand out for a handshake. Her smile was wide, and her eyes sparkled. "Hello, my name's Ruby!"

He'd clearly been caught off guard by her speed, but he quickly composed himself. Once he did, he took one look at her hand, then he took one step to the side and walked past her.

Ruby's brow twitched. Alright, not good. No, not good at all, not one bit. She'd made a mistake, and she planned on rectifying it! Persist! Maybe he was still upset, yeah. If she'd rushed out to help someone, only for them to insult her, then she'd be pretty mad, too. No problem, just explain yourself. She jogged up beside him.

"I'm sorry for staring at your... face. You, I mean, you have a pretty good face, aside from the whole... you know. Well, not like it's bad or anything." She waved her hands in front of her. "I mean, I didn't even notice it! Well... except that I did..." She gulped. "But I didn't mean to! It was just... sorta... there..."

His scowl deepened.

She looked away and let out a brittle chuckle, nervously poking her fingers together.

Oh, the joys of being socially awkward. Great, first she makes a problem, and then she makes it worse. Okay, probably just didn't like it getting brought up all over again, fair enough. Well, if that's the case, just talk about something else. Yeah, something else... something... anything. Anything else. Why couldn't she think of literally anything else?

She looked at him, hoping there'd be something on his person that could prompt some sort of conversation that would turn this train wreck into something better. Then she spied it. On either side of his hips were two weapons, one sword and one pistol. Aha! Weapons! They were better than people, and if she had to talk, then she'd talk about them.

"So, you have weapons too, huh? I mean, of course you do, you're a huntsman after all!"

She bounced on her feet. Excellent! Something nice and safe that they could both relate to! And weapons were awesome. It'd be so cool to hear about what he had. In fact, Ruby was so excited that she didn't even notice the way that his face finally boiled over into an uninhibited snarl. His mouth opened.

Ruby talked first. "Yeah, I spend all my time looking at weapons, tinkering with them, making them. I'm pretty good at it, too!" She faltered for a second and awkwardly kicked the ground. "I'm not anything special, though, pretty normal, heh. Normal knee—um, normal. Just normal. Normal girl." She looked back up to him and smiled nervously. "I'm sure you're great with guns too, and swords, and gun-swords. " Her smile gained some confidence. "I mean, you have to be if you made it into Beacon, right?"

His mouth closed; hostility drained from his face.

Please... come on... I'm not a bad person, I swear!

"I think I'm pretty good with weapons," he said.

YES!

"You're good with them?" he asked.

"Huh? Yeah, totally. It's like, all I ever do. I mean, I read comics and stuff too, but weapons are my passion!"

He hummed.

"Yeah, here, let me show you Crescent Rose!" She hopped back and reached behind her, deftly swinging her scythe up and into the air, where it unfolded before crashing back down in a wide arc, lodging itself into the stone. Ruby smiled wide, taking pride in how he reacted with such awe, stepping back several paces. He must be really impressed! Oh, and now he's taking out his weapon too, he must want to compare. I wonder- holy crap!

"A chainsaw sword? That's so cool!" It looked worse for wear, covered in grime that reached into every crack and scratch, impossible to clean. Still, she'd never seen anything like it! Ruby squealed and gushed over his sword, which he'd conveniently brandished in front of her. Inspecting the many sharp, small teeth that lined the blade, she completely missed his scowl, as well as the way his entire body tensed, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Man, that's really, really awesome! Did you make it yourself?"

The young man shuffled on his feet, some of the tension draining from his figure. Ruby was still too busy scrutinizing his sword to notice. She even reached out a few times to poke it, eyes glazed over with fascination. The young man looked at her inspecting his weapon, and he sighed.

"No, no I didn't make it. It was a gift."

"Wow, some awesome gift, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"What's its name?"

"Hm?"

"It's name? It does have a name, right. Like, my baby here is Crescent Rose. She's awesome. She's a high-impact sniper rifle and a scythe."

"Sheesh... of course it is... the weapons in this place..." He shook his head.

Ruby looked at him expectantly, glancing between him and the sword.

With a sigh, he obliged, hefting It into the air and pulled the trigger, making it roar and shudder as the teeth ground around the central frame, catching flashes of sunlight as they sped by. Ruby hopped up and down and clapped her hands together, smile wide. He let go of the trigger, and the blades slowed to a halt. "It's called Crocea Mors, named after the sword of a famous warrior."

"Ooh, cool. I just called mine Crescent Rose because the blade is the shape of a crescent and, well, my name is Ruby Rose." She thrust one fist in the air triumphantly, as if her name was an accomplishment. Her expression turned sour, however, when she realized one important fact. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to ask your name!"

"Jaune Arc," he said mechanically.

"Well Jaune, it's nice to meet you. Again, sorry about the whole..." Oh crap, why'd she have to bring up his face again? Abandon ship! Resort once more to plan B! "So, what's your other weapon?" She pointed to his hip, where his pistol rested.

He sheathed the totally awesome chainsaw sword and drew his gun, which had similar wear. Weird, he must go outside a lot, because they were both obviously well-kept and in good condition, just dirty and worn. If anything, it gave them both character, real character that said they'd been used. Again, pretty cool. The more she learned about him, the more she liked this guy. Him and his weapons both.

The pistol was a revolver... a big one. Man, that thing might even be able to shoot a rifle's bullets. It held a unique finesse, with something about it suggesting power, like a coiled spring, or the tensed muscles of a beowolf about to leap.

"And what's this one's name?"

He looked down at it, thinking for a few seconds. "This... this is the Mysterious Magnum."

"Ooh, why's it called that?"

"Well, I got it from a Mysterious Stranger."

"Oooooohhhh," she cooed. She reached forward to get a better look at it, but he pulled it back and holstered it immediately.

"Hey Ruby..."

"Yeah?"

"So you're good with weapons of this world, right?"

"Yup! I mean, what other world's weapons would I be good with?"

He gulped.

"But yeah, I love working with, making and tuning guns and gun hybrids."

A glint appeared in Jaune's eye, a conspiratorial flash. "I'm new around here, and I've never gotten a chance to really work with proper tools for my weapons. Would you like to work with me? We could work together."

Wait. Was he... was he... was he suggesting they hang out? Did he want to do something with her? This... this was what friends did! Haha! Take that Yang! She could totally make friends all on her own, who needed big sis when social expert Ruby was around? Hooray! The very first day and she made her very own friend without Yang's help. This was awesome!

"So, would you mind spending some time at the armory with me?"

"Yes, yes I would mind!"

"Oh, fine," he said, voice suddenly becoming granite.

Huh? Why was he... oh crap! "Oh, no I mean yes! Wait, no, no, no. Yeah, I meant to say no."

"No, you don't want to work together?"

"No, I mean I wouldn't mind, so yes!"

"Wait, no... yes?"

"Yes!"

He stared at her, face the picture of confusion.

"So... is that a no?"

"No to what?"

"No to my question."

"Yes!"

"Wait... so, no?"

"Yes!"

"No, you don't want to help?"

"What? No! No, I mean, yes to that, but no to the other thing, and, umm..."

Ruby smiled, although it was fragile. Honestly, her head was a mess and she had no idea what they were talking about. Judging from his own quizzical look, Jaune was no better off. He squinted and tried to concentrate, before giving up and starting anew.

"Okay... do you want to help me or not?"

"Yes, yes I want to help. I'd love to help! Weapons are so cool, it'd be awesome to work together."

Jaune sighed deeply, letting go of his accrued frustration. "Alright. We can meet up in the armory sometime soon. I'd like to go as soon as possible, actually."

Ruby nodded excitedly, her smile settling into a more natural state. This was great! This was sooo good. She'd managed to make a friend right after getting into Beacon, and he had awesome weapons and wanted to go over them with her! Interacting with people was always better when you could do it relative to a gun or a sword or a gun-sword. Heh, maybe Beacon wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

"Well, we should probably get going," he said.

"Hm? Oh yeah, probably." She looked around her. "Wait, where are we supposed to go, exactly?"

Jaune opened his mouth to answer, only to shut it a second later. He peered around them, seeing no one else in sight.

"That... is a good question."

Yang Xiao Long lay in her blankets, a smile on her face.

First, she and her friends from Signal had gawked at the sights together, leaving Ruby behind. It wasn't like she wanted to just abandon her baby sister like that, no matter how much she'd like to hang out with her own pals. She'd never just abandon Ruby, but it was for her own good, really. Okay, maybe she didn't exactly want little sis to tag along with her every step, but Ruby did need to learn some independence.

And it worked!

Even if Ruby would rather hole up in her room with comics and gun magazines, she managed to make a real, live friend. Her little sister was the opposite of gregarious, so getting even one friend was a pretty big accomplishment. Well, there were those people back at Signal she'd been writing to, but...

Yeah.

Anyway, this could finally be her chance. Someone who apparently had a cool pistol and a chainsaw sword. Yang had to admit that that was pretty cool, even if she wasn't quite as infatuated by it as Ruby.

Right now, this 'Jaune' guy looked like her sister's best option at having a real pal. She'd have to check him out for herself. Normally she'd be perfectly fine with letting her have her own social life, ecstatic, actually. This guy, though, there was just something about him, and she didn't just mean how he sorta looked the villain from a saturday-morning cartoon. She wasn't shallow enough to judge him by that nasty scar, even if it was a little evil looking. Just a little bit.

No, she was more concerned by how he always scowled, or how he never talked, or how he kept to the outskirts (or even beyond the outskirts) of the group. He just didn't at all seem like the type of person to go out and make friends, even less so than Ruby. And that begged the question: how did a socially-awkward person and someone who seemed straight-up antisocial even become friends in the first place?

Okay, maybe she was just being paranoid, but after sneaking a few looks at the guy, she was pretty confident that some of it may be justified. Hey, she was the older sister and this was her job, alright?

Ugh, she'd never be able to sleep with this still on her mind.

Yang shifted up from the blankets and looked around the auditorium. It was covered in swathes of darkness, like the part that she and Ruby rested in, but much of it still comprised dim light and wakeful students. She looked around, on the off-chance that he was still awake, too.

Huh, can't see him... where is—ahah!

There, in the furthest corner of the room, literally as far away from everyone else as you could possibly get without leaving the auditorium, he sat, illuminated only by moonlight come from a nearby window. He using that light to red from a small white book.

She moved her blankets aside and stood up, but before she walk any closer to him, she turned and looked back down at Ruby. Her sister dozed in her blankets, wrapped up cutely and peacefully. Should she really be doing this? Ruby was in her teens now, and she should be able to make her own friends without her big sister lording over her.

Yang hummed. No, it was her responsibility. Wasn't it? She gnawed at the inside of her cheek. Was this really okay? Ruby needed to be independent... but it wasn't like she was telling her what to do. She was just checking things out for herself.

She stretched out a few kinks and shivered ever so slightly as the warmth from her blankets dissipated. She really did want to go back to sleep, but this nagging feeling just wouldn't stop bugging her, scratching at her thoughts in a way that made rest impossible.

She padded across the floor and into the darkened, largely empty section of the far room, eventually getting covered in wash of wet moonlight that reflected softly off her skin and sharply off her hair. He noticed her, and he glared.

"Hey there, name's Yang," she said with a smile and wave.

His eyes narrowed, glare intensifying.

Her smile became a little brittle.

"What do you want?" he asked, tone harsh like sandpaper.

"Uhm, I just came by to say hi, introduce myself, you know."

"Fuck off."

"What!?" She actually took a step back from that.

"Get the fuck away from me." He sneered at her. One hand fell to his waist.

Wait, he still had his pistol there, weren't they already supposed to drop those off at their lockers? Did he really keep his gun on him? And was he seriously going to shoot her just for saying hello!?

"Did you not hear me? Go fuck yourself."

She put her hands out in front of her, trying to defuse any violence even as she adopted a scowl of her own. "Fine, asshole." She turned around and stomped away, though she couldn't help but take a few glances over her shoulder. He continued to glare at her all the way she walked, and even when she finally got back to her blankets and pulled them over herself, she felt his hostile gaze digging into her.

What that Hell was that guy's problem? She looked over at Ruby, who slept peacefully in her blankets, sleep mask pulled over onto her face. Her light breathing sounded like a wistful breeze, the sort of thing you'd feel and smile at while on a nature walk. Her little sister. Sweet and nice and way, way better than that random asshole. She leaned up and shot her own nasty look at him, even if he now looked back to his book.

He had an angle. He had to. He'd rebuffed her instantly, with her attempt at a greeting lasting just a few seconds. And she was someone fully accustomed to social interaction, who wouldn't make the sorts of mistakes that Ruby undoubtedly would. There was just no way that the girl who would stammer, get lost and talk about weird things would be able to finesse her way into being that guy's friend. She'd said that they'd only talked about weapons, which was Ruby's strong suit, but even then, that wasn't enough to explain how she'd actually managed to get him talking in the first place.

Whoever this guy was, she'd be keeping an eye on him. Whatever reason he had for hanging out with Ruby, she doubted it was because he liked her character. She'd just have to tell Ruby about this, then continue to keep an eye on the guy, just to make sure Ruby was safe.

After all, that's what big sisters do.

Weiss Schnee was in an excellent position.

For one, she'd managed to avoid that stupid brat in the red hood, who'd nearly gotten both of them killed with a careless sneeze. Really, how was it possible for someone to be that irresponsible? Ugh, never mind. Even if the first day hadn't turned out quite to her liking, things were already going much better.

"And that's why I think we'd make the best team in all of Beacon," she said.

Oh yes, she and Pyrrha Nikos would create an incredible team indeed. She honestly couldn't think of any better partner in the entire school than the masterful champion. That she'd managed to corner her in the locker room just before initiation began? The very same initiation where they'd be matched with their future partners and teammates? This was fantastic!

"So, what do you think, Pyrrha?"

"Why... yes, we might," Pyrrha said.

Might? Might? Why, it was a certainty! Perhaps Pyrrha thought that the two of them would overshadow the other members of their team. While that was a magnanimous method of thinking, it lacked one key point: anyone who entered their team with them would certainly be honored! After all, the chance of being so closely affiliated with legends such as Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos? The other two would definitely be incredibly grateful for the chance to associate with them, for their names would become known across all of Remnant. Indeed, it was already the case that everyone knew who they were.

Someone bumped into her from behind.

"Ugh, excuse you!" she said. It was a young man about her age, obviously another student, who'd apparently not been watching where he'd been going. He glanced at her, huffed, and walked away.

WHAT!?

"Uhm, are you not going to apologize?" She asked. Well, it was more of a demand, but she was a Schnee, she had every right to demand!

He didn't so much as spare her another look as he looked down an aisle of lockers, counting through them.

"Wha...? Do you not know who I am?" She stamped down on the ground with one foot and gave him the nastiest glare she could possible conjure, the very sort that had made unruly servants melt, which had even cowed Klein when he teased her at an inopportune moment.

Finally, the young man turned around, and Weiss's furious glare locked with one equally hateful. Neither backed down. After a few seconds of tense ocular sparring, he said, "no, no I don't know who you are."

"Well, you should! I am Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Comp—"

"And I don't care either," he spat. "I never care about who people are, I just learn about them myself. Now screw off and never talk to me ever again." He promptly shoved her aside and pushed past, putting Weiss on the back foot as she stumbled. She was left aghast.

The nerve!

Pyrrha Nikos was in luck.

The young man who had just thoroughly trounced Weiss walked away from the former heiress, and she stepped to the side to let him pass. He glanced at her as he walked by, but the look didn't last half a second before his eyes flicked away, further down the hall. He muttered something about lockers and numbers. He was probably just lost, trying to find his way.

As he walked down the row of lockers and disappeared around the corner, Pyrrha couldn't help but feel something coalesce in her chest. Light and airy. Hope. When she'd left Mistral, she'd been filled with hope, mainly that she'd finally be able to be a normal person. Vale was far from her home, where literally everyone knew her. She'd thought that she would be unknown here. What a foolish thing to think.

She still got recognized on the street, and especially here in Beacon. Every student she'd talked to had immediately known who her, had put her on a pedestal. They revered her, exclaimed her prowess. In effect, they immediately pushed her away. She looked sidelong at Weiss, who'd continued to babble about why they should be together.

"Your combat prowess mixed with own incredible capabilities..."

Yuck.

Pyrrha had wanted nothing more than to find someone who didn't know who she was, or who would at least treat her like a normal person. Her hope died quickly. Well, at least until now. He hadn't given her the time of day. He'd completely ignored her. That was fantastic!

If he wasn't even able to recognize the famed Schnee heiress, known for her distinctive look, singing abilities and acumen as a huntress, then how would he know anything about her? He'd practically proved his ignorance by his non-response to her. She wpre her battle armor, vibrant red hair up in the usual fashion. Pyrrha Nikos. There was no mistaking her. Yet he hadn't batted an eye.

Then, his final words. He got to know people himself. He didn't care about who they were. He would care about who she was. He'd get to know her. Her chest felt ever lighter as a smile graced her face. That meant he wouldn't put her on that pedestal; he'd appreciate her as a person.

Certainly, this was a wholesome habit of his born from a desire to be sociable and respectful.

Sure, he seemed a little... rough, but who wouldn't be when accosted by Weiss like that? Pyrrha would never act out quite so boldly to anyone, but even she had to admit that a good bit of frustration had built up while talking to the Schnee. Besides, maybe he'd just had a bad morning? Alright, perhaps she was desperate. Oh, who was she kidding, of course she's desperate! She just wanted someone, anyone, who'd treat her like a normal person, and he seemed to be the only person in all of Beacon who might do that.

Her one-sided conversation with Weiss was cut off when an announcement ordered all students outside of the locker room and to the cliff. The heiress stuck by her side even then, but Pyrrha scanned the crowd.

There. The young man with the scar, who'd apparently found his locker, if the sword at his side was any indication. He had a straight face cut from stone, an expression that made him seem somehow older than his innate, youthful vitality would suggest. He hovered outside of the group, headed towards the end of the cliff where they were supposed to meet, eyeing his fellow students with a scrutinizing gaze. Huh, perhaps he was just looking out to make sure Weiss didn't try to confront him again?

Well, no matter what he was doing, no matter who he was, Pyrrha Nikos had found her partner.

The Lone Wanderer walked to the edge of the cliff.

He took his place on the final of a long line of steel pads, immediately getting as far away from the others as he could. Dozens of these same pads line the edge of the cliff, and he couldn't help but wonder what they were for. He leaned over and looked over the edge.

A slight smile touched the tips of his lips. Green, all of it, all so green. Green and bright and alive and beautiful. This world was so strange in so many ways, but he'd never trade it out for his old one, if only for this incredible green. The blue, too. He looked up, up at the sky. Clear and pretty, devoid of the smog and debris that characterized the sickly roof which had dominated his life back in the wasteland.

Something moved to his side, a shift in his periphery that knocked him from his musing and snapped his head in the direction of whatever had approached.

"Heeeelllloooo," Ruby said. She drew out the word into several more syllables than was at all necessary, waving her hand and flashing a smile as she did so.

God damn it.

Of all the people he had to choose, why her? She was so... annoying. Yes, that was it. That was definitely it. When she'd first approached him after he left her lying on the floor, he figured that just saying nothing would make her get the message, but she persisted. He had no idea what she'd been talking about with his face, but just the fact that she'd wasted his time by taking a nap after that explosion, making him think she'd been hurt, had frustrated him beyond belief. He hadn't been more than a second away from telling her to go fuck herself just as he had a few others, but then she'd gone and mentioned her love for weapons.

The Wanderer needed that. As much as the radio and the book had helped him, there was still plenty in this world that he was left in the dark about. Weaponry was his top priority when it came to information. What better way to learn than to take advantage of some random girl who was apparently a gun nut? He'd work with her as long as he needed to sort out his armaments. Then, once he was well armed and well trained, he could leave her and the whole school behind.

He just wished she'd shut the fuck up.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

Wait, had she been talking to him? Damn, he needed to keep her in his good graces. For now. Just make something up, give a safe answer.

"I don't know."

"Yeah, me neither. I mean, it's kind of impossible to know, isn't it?"

"Yeah... "

"Welp, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what 'initiation' is gonna be like, huh?"

"Sure."

Ruby finally seemed content to idly rock back and forth on her feet to pass the time. Thankfully, she turned out surprisingly easy to lie to and manipulate, which was good, since he'd probably need to do a lot of that to keep her in his good favor, from pretending to pay attention to her to mustering the strength to be nice.

He looked at her, the young girl who was much more dangerous than she appeared. He tensed again, back into his usual cautious stance. Wait, had he relaxed? Yeah, he had. As much as she'd annoyed him, she still had a strangely calming air about her.

Then he'd need to be doubly careful around her. She was obviously extremely deadly given the way she'd handled that scythe of hers. It reminded him of Qrow, and if this girl was half as good as the drunk, then relaxing should be the last thing he does around her. Maybe she was connected to Qrow in some way... nah, probably not. There were likely a ton of scythe-wielders in this crazy world with its crazy weapons. Besides, that didn't matter. That she could get him to let his guard down like this? Worrying.

There was just something about her, something disarming, something safe.

The chances of her attacking him seemed low. She was child-like in her manner and her attitude, maintaining an aura of innocence. Maybe that was it. The way she walked and talked expressed an innocence and honesty that he hadn't seen in a long time. Only children possessed that sort of demeanor in the wasteland, though Ruby was far more dangerous than any child he'd ever seen.

He looked at her fully, now. She definitely wasn't a kid. Young, certainly, even younger than him. Another reason to look out for her, having apparently been skilled enough to already be able to attend. Still, her body was developed to a degree that bellied any possible confusion for her being a child. She was pretty in a way no kid could be. She wasn't beautiful like all the other girls here (who were all more stunning than anyone he'd ever seen, a not unwelcome development), but Ruby was distinctly cute.

Her eyes were especially interesting. He'd noticed their uniqueness back when he'd been checking her for a concussion. Silver. An interesting color, made more interesting by the innate innocence that they contained. He liked the way they sparkled.

Wait, had he relaxed again? Ugh, she'd started humming, too. Between that and his absentminded thinking, he'd let his guard down yet again. He'd need to be wary. Definitely, he'd have to pay careful attention around her. Actually, he'd need to pay special attention to many people.

He looked back over the cliff, looking at everyone he'd met.

For starters, there was that orange-haired girl. She'd been the first for him to talk to, the first for him to rudely dismiss. Honestly, he'd been content to just stay silent and let her babble until she left, since she didn't seem like the type to let her attention stay where it wasn't wanted.

Then she mentioned a new team.

He gritted his teeth at the memory. His reaction at that had been automatic, and it'd set the tempo for the rest of his day. At least it had the desired effect of getting her to leave. Swearing and snarling always worked, a tried and tested model. She'd promptly left. She'd also let that impossibly large smile droop into something saturnine, and the memory of that degradation, a degradation caused by him, made him shuffle uncomfortably.

That girl wouldn't have the highest opinion of him now. He'd need to be wary of her.

He refocused his attention, gaze falling on the man beside her, the same person who'd asked him for directions on how to find that girl, so they were presumably affiliated in some way. Oh well, not like he cared. Still, he'd probably need to keep an eye on him if he was connected to her, since he likely wouldn't appreciate the way he'd treated her. Another person to be wary of.

He saw that girl who'd sat next to him on the bullhead. Her proximity had at first been disconcerting, quite so. For a few minutes, he hadn't been able to focus on his book, only sneaking furtive, suspicious glances at her. Soon enough, however, he became inoculated to her presence. She'd been content to sit in silence beside him and read her boo, seeming to honestly want nothing to do with him.

Perfect.

In fact... she almost reminded him of himself. Wait, that was bad. If she had a past even slightly akin to his own, then that meant that she was probably a ruthless killer. It always was the quiet types you had to worry about. Now that he thought about it more, then she could be dangerous.

Imperfect.

Oh well, he'd just have to be wary of her too.

He switched his gaze over again, to the girl who'd approached him the night before. She had to have angle. 'Just wanted to come over and say hi'. Sure. That's why you got up in the middle of the night and walked all the way across the room just to talk to some random guy you hadn't met before. There was something there. Maybe it was impetuous to throw her back so quickly, maybe he should've tried to find her real reason. Whatever it was, he'd need to keep an eye on her. Yet another person to be wary of.

Then there was the girl he'd run into in the locker room... alright, he kinda wished he'd been nicer to her. She was beautiful. Like, really hot. Really, really hot. Maybe it was just how pure she looked, that porcelain skin, white as snow, far purer than just about anything you could find in the wasteland. However, that stupid voice of hers and its ingrained pretentiousness quickly cancelled out the attraction. He'd made another enemy there, undoubtedly. Also, if she really was someone worth knowing, then perhaps she'd have the resources necessary to harm him. He'd have to be wary of that one, too.

Then there was that girl she'd been talking to, the one with the red hair. He had no idea who she was, but if she was friends with that white-haired girl, then she might hold a grudge for the way he treated her friend. He'd need to get to know her. He'd been honest when said that he liked to know people himself. You couldn't trust reputations. He researched everyone on his own to determine how dangerous they were, a habit born from paranoia. Once more, someone to be wary of.

Damn it, literally everyone he'd met threatened him!

"Ahem, if I may have your attention." The Lone Wanderer turned. Headmaster Ozpin appeared once more, with Miss Goodwitch by his side. She stepped forward and took the initiative in speaking.

"I'm sure you've all heard rumors about team assignment, well let me put those to rest." She cast a sweeping look over the crowd. "You will be assigned teammates... today."

The Lone Wanderer's hands curled into fists.

"Your teammates will stay with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin said.

The Lone Wanderer's hands began to shake.

"That being said, your partner will be the first person you make eye contact with."

Beside him, Ruby squawked. He only simmered, clenched fists continuing to tremble.

Team. Assigned a team. Assigned a new team.

Ozpin went on to explain their goal in reaching the temple and achieving the relics, but the Wanderer could hardly hear him. Team. Team. Team. He didn't want a team. Miss Goodwitch had mentioned this to him, but at that moment, faced with the assignment of teammates...

And what a terrible way to form a team, anyway! You can't just assign a team! People need to fight together! The need to kill together! They need to save each other's lives! This is nothing! Nothing compared to... to...

A young man finally stopped running. Still panting, he turned behind him and pulled out his monocular. Scanning the horizon and even the skies, he saw no further sign of pursuit. Still, he looked for a few minutes longer as the people behind him panted and founds seats on the scattered rocks. His dog dutifully stood beside him.

Eventually satisfied that they'd finally lost their pursuers, the young man put the monocular away and took a seat of his own. He had blonde hair and two blue eyes. His face, though covered in scrapes and some bruises, lacked any major blemishes.

He smiled broadly. "We did it!"

His companions whooped in victory, even Dogmeat barked in accompaniment.

"That bastard said he killed you guys... I really thought I'd lost you."

"Oh come on, these Enclave pricks haven't got anything on the regulators," the girl said. "Hell, even with John weighing us down, we managed to get out of there and track you back here."

"Wait, did you just say I weighed you down? Jane, you do remember how I stabbed a stimpak into you right? I ran out of cover to do it, too! I totally saved your life!"

"Yeah, well I got hurt being a badass, and I had to be a badass because you were weighing us down!"

The two continued to bicker, and the young man only shook his head, smile widening. He chuckled lightly under his breath at the entertainment. Even dogmeat's tail was waving as he looked at their spate. The young man glanced over that the final member of his group and said, "in case you can't tell, Fawkes, they do this a lot."

"Oh, I can tell," the supermutant replied. "Aren't siblings supposed to act this way?"

"Yup, and it's only made worse by the fact that they're twins." Same age. Same brown eyes. Same black hair. Same stubbornness. Same desire to make the other miserable. That was John and Jane for you. They may be his own age, but when they were arguing with each other, they might as well have been five.

"Hey, come on. We aren't that bad!"

"Yeah, we're great. Well, I'm better, but still!"

The young man laughed again. "Man it's good to be back with you guys. Raven Rock was filled with all sorts of awful crap. I was afraid I might never get out." He sighed and stood up. "But there's still a lot for us to do. They've got the GECK, and we've got to report back to Lyons. I learned some stuff that I'm sure he'll want to hear."

"And what would that be?" Fawkes asked.

"The Enclave's got some major internal divisions. Apparently, President Eden's been robbed of a lot of power by some guy named Colonel Autumn. That piece of shit, Bishop, is the colonel's right-hand man."

John and Jane both snarled at the mention of Bishop Beauvais.

"Listen, there's a lot of crazy stuff going on. I'll explain it all once we get back to the Brotherhood. We've got to get going right away."

Even if they groaned, the twins dutifully rose from their seats. Fawkes rose as well, but he uncomfortably shifted from one foot to another when he did.

"I suppose that this where we part ways," the supermutant said.

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

Even Dogmeat whined at the change in mood.

All three of them turned to look at Fawkes in surprise, but it was the young man who spoke first. "Fawkes, what are you talking about? You're planning on leaving?"

"Well, yes, since I obviously can't come with you."

"Huh? Why not? Is it because you're a supermutant? Don't worry about it, we can just cover you in a cloak or something, no one will care if they can't see you." He patted one hand on the large, green arm. "And once they see how smart you are, everyone's sure to accept you. If they don't, I'll have a word with them."

"Me too."

"Me three."

Fawkes took a step back, stunned as if he'd just seen an explosion. "You all... you're really willing to have me?"

"Duh, that's what we just said, numbskull."

"For once, I agree with my sister. You got the GECK for us, you helped us get to Raven Rock and bust our pal out. Why wouldn't we want you to come with?"

"Yeah," Jane said. "Who cares if you're a supermutant? We've fought together, and the bonds of battle are the only bonds worth caring about."

John stepped up beside his sister. "We're not racists, you know. There are a few ghouls in the regulators, too. You'll be the first supermutant regulator, but that's not bad, just awesome."

Dogmeat got up and padded towards Fawkes, stopping next to him. He leaned forward and licked the large man's hand, as good a show of support as the dog could ever give.

Fawkes looked between them all, one after the other. His face was tight and featureless due to the taut skin and bulging muscles, but it wasn't hard to guess how he was feeling. "I... I would be honored to continue fighting alongside you all."

Jane hopped in the air and let out a high-pitched sound of delight, John clapped a hand against Fawkes's arm, Dogmeat howled and the young man nodded approvingly. He'd already been with the twins and his dog for a good while now, but in the short time he'd spent with Fawkes, it was obvious that the man had a good heart. He'd make a great addition to their group.

"Alright then. John. Jane. Fawkes. Dogmeat. From here on out, the four us are going to be a team," he said, smile wide.

"Jaune? Jaune?"

The Lone Wanderer snapped back into reality. His smile disintegrated.

"Huh, what is it?"

Ruby had leaned over and was poking his arm, presumably because she hadn't been able to alert him just from words. It was a testament to how far gone he was that she'd been allowed to touch him at all. Now that she had, he could still feel on his skin where she'd contacted, a violating tingle. He rubbed his arm to get it out.

"I just wanted to say good luck and all, since it's about to get started!"

It was? But didn't they need to get down into the forest? They were still up on the cliff—

The platform underneath him shifted, and the Lone Wanderer was flung in the air.

Oh my, the Lone Wanderer is... not very nice. He had a vested interest in at least being polite to both Glynda and Qrow, but that no longer applies. I hope that this doesn't just come off as edgy, I'm just portray the type of person I believe he'd be at this point. I like to think of him as Schroedinger's Douchebag, in that he's simultaneously an asshole and a legitimately nice guy. He tries to help Ruby, then immediately leaves her. He saved those villagers, then had every intention of taking a reward and leaving. Don't worry, there are legitimate reasons for him being mean. Everything he does has a specific motivation, which may differ greatly from what other characters interpret. Pyrrha thinks he wants to know people because he's kinda nice, when he's just paranoid. Ruby thinks he wants to go to the armory because he wants to be friends, when he just wants to use her for her abilities.

Man, EIGHT POV's this chapter, don't expect any future updates to be so varied, since it really limits how in-depth I can go. It was also tough to juggle so many personalities and express my interpretations of them. I took a bit of liberty here and there with things not explicit in canon, like Nora's discomfort with her social abilities. I just wanted to capture everyone's impression of Jaune and Jaune's impression of everyone. I focused on the parts that changed because of Jaune's differences, so always assume that anything which happened in-canon that isn't directly portrayed in this fic just occurred the same as it did in canon. It's pointless for me to just rewrite the show.

Also, a reminder: this fic is based off of vanilla Fallout 3 and its DLC's, thus nothing from the other games or any mods will be included, at least for now.

Aside from that, I also have a question for you all: I'm thinking of maybe adding in titles for each chapter, would you guys care for that?

Anyway, expect the next chapter next weekend, where we'll cover the events of initiation. As always, any and all reviews and/or questions are encouraged and appreciated!