Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own RWBY or any other media that may be mentioned. All rights go to their respective owners. The only thing I own are my OCs (which still have not entered the story)
Standing in the Auditorium is every first-year student of the four Hunter Academies that are currently at Beacon. All are waiting to choose their first training mission.
Rosa watches as Ozpin tiredly walks up to the microphone, he hasn't slept at all since the previous morning and despite the coffee he's drinking, she can still see the signs of exhaustion on his face.
He gives his speech, detailing the history of the alliance between the kingdoms, before instructing them on the structure of the missions they would be taking.
"Shall we go sign up for a mission?" Yang suggests as everyone mills around after Ozpin's speach.
"I wanted to see if we could go to Mountain Glenn. The history of the place is fascinating," Rosa remarks out loud.
"I was hoping to get a mission in the city. The death of that bookshop owner is still just... weighing on my mind," Jaune chips in.
"It's probably the closest you can get without self-assigning, but its not like we're stupid enough to risk getting kicked out for that," Weiss snorts.
A few people nearby look at them and nod in agreement with them. Self-assignment really isn't worth it... to most at least. Suspension is the official punishment - although threats of expulsion are thrown around occasionally - but the risks are much higher. Goodwitch lectured them about it at the start of each term. Students who self-assign missions usually end up dead or permanently injured.
The squad splits up into their two teams to go and pick their missions. RWBY goes to the missions board for Quadrant 5 - in the south-east and is inclusive of Mountain Glenn - and luckily for them, there is a perfect mission waiting for them.
"Quadrant 5, Mountain Glenn region, needs grimm cleared out. Perfect," Rosa says with a brief smile as she clicks on the mission... only for it to decline them after she puts in their team's code.
Ozpin walks over with an enlarged scroll in hand. "We determined that that region's concentration of grimm was too high for first year students. However, judging by your Team's placement in combat class - both together and individually - and Ms Calavera's extremely high capability in the study of Grimm Anatomy which she has been teaching you, I think that you four are capable of taking on this assignment," he tells them, tapping a few buttons on his scroll, making the mission board beep twice and accept their mission assignment. "Do be careful though. I do not want to regret this decision later if things go wrong."
"We will be careful, Professor," Rosa assures him as he walks away.
Blake rolls her eyes. "I guess you'll get to see Mountain Glenn's history firsthand after all," she quips.
The four walk off and meet up outside with the other half of their squad, as well as Sun and Neptune's team.
"So, where are you guys taking your mission?" Sun asks.
"We're going to be working with the police this week. We get to act as junior investigators," Jaune explains with a grin. "We've been wanting to look into the murder of that bookshop owner, and this gives us the perfect chance."
Nora squeals beside him. "We get Junior Detective Badges!"
"So cool," Neptune approves.
"What about you guys?" Yang asks the team hailing from Mistral.
"We've taken a mission just outside Vale. We're shadowing a sheriff there. Neptune and I figured we've seen enough of Vale with you lot, so we'd see some stuff outside the walls," Sun explains. "You ladies?"
"Rosa wanted to see Mountain Glenn for herself. If we were any other team, we likely wouldn't have gotten it, but Ozpin let us because of our stellar record in combat classes and our studies on Grimm Anatomy," Weiss boasts.
Jaune groans. "Even with Pyrrha on our team, my presence would negate that. Why am I such a weak fighter?"
Ren pats him on the back. "You're getting much better. You'll catch up to the rest of us soon."
"Anyways, we have to go report to our professional huntsman ASAP. See you guys when we get back?" Rosa asks.
"You can count on it!" Sun exclaims, punching the air.
The four girls walk to the bullhead docks and are met with the sight of Doctor Oobleck, and a dog - a corgi, Yang notes - sitting obediently at his side. "Hello girls! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" the history teacher asks them.
"Doctor Oobleck?" Weiss hesitantly asks.
"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you have opted to shadow a huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we won't be establishing a single base of operations, rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous waste land and making camp at any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all the essentials myself, plotted the air course and readied the airship," he informs them in his usual fast paced speech pattern.
They share glances with each other, silently asking if any of them had been expecting this.
"Come now children, according to my schedule, we are already five minutes behind... schedule," he exclaims before racing off to their airship, the dog following dutifully after.
"I never knew he had a dog," Yang comments.
"We better go catch up," Rosa tells them, already walking towards the airship.
"I guess I never saw you as much of a fighter," Yang admits as they fly towards Mountain Glenn.
"I'll admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure, as a huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussels," Doctor Oobleck tells her.
"And the dog?" the blonde brawler inquires.
"Ah, Zwei, he's been by my side for years. Very helpful to have a canine companion in the field. They are known for their perceptive noses and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours," he explains, with the dog in question yapping in agreement. "Zwei is very well trained and is the second canine companion I have had over the years. Even in a fight, he is an excellent addition to our group."
"I see..." Blake drawls, slightly uncomfortable around the dog due to her own feline instincts.
Rosa on the other hand smirks. "Another canine, lovely."
"Ah, yes, you yourself have canine attributes due to your faunus heritage. That will only help us in our hunt," Oobleck muses.
"Doctor Oobleck, you said that this is now a reconnaissance mission. I thought it was just clearing out grimm. What changed?" Weiss asks.
"Hmm? Oh yes! A huntsman doing intel gathering not far away on a rather dangerous group noticed heightened humanoid activity. As such, we are required to keep a close eye on any signs of suspicious or criminal activity."
"What? Like... the White Fang?" Yang asks.
"Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, we will have to keep our wits about us. The area of Mountain Glenn we will be landing in has been marked as a recent hotspot for grimm activity as well. If there is other human OR faunus life, regardless of their actions - criminal or otherwise - it is our job to keep them safe and - if they are criminals or suspicious - apprehend them if possible."
Landing went without much fanfare. They land right in the centre of a pack of grimm that is prowling the wasteland of the abandoned city. The four huntresses-in-training get to work, slicing through the waves of grimm.
Rosa is sorely tempted to just pull out her scythes and be done with it all, but she keeps them hidden and continues with her swords, occasionally throwing a dagger at any grimm about to catch her team unawares. She's worked too hard to give up the illusion of being merely a very gifted fifteen-year-old huntress in training.
The brief breaks they get between waves is enough to take a sip of water from their drink bottles and wipe the grimm's sulphuric excrements off their weapons so any complicated mechanisms don't stick. Rosa spends the brief breaks surveying their surroundings, looking for clues of other humanoid activity in the ruins of settlement.
"You know, I was kinda hoping to see a pro huntsman in action, fighting, or at least helping us fight," Yang complains during one of the lulls in fighting the grimm.
"Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins for any signs of irregularities. Remember, not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, sometimes, it is just a heightened form of extermination. This is a job, and you all signed up for it. I... do hope you understand that," Oobleck exclaims, his enthusiasm fading towards the end.
"Well, yeah, of course I do!" Yang assures him.
A while later, Rosa overhears her favourite teacher asking Yang why she decided to be a huntress.
"I grew up with my Uncle Qrow. He told me all the stories about back when his hunter team was still together. Fighting for what's right and protecting people. He told me about my step-mum, well, she never married my dad, but she would have. Anyway, I sort of wanted to honour her memory. Most of all, I don't want a future where I know what each day will bring, where I'm stuck in one place and never getting away from monotony. Being a hunter means a constant flux of work, variety, and opportunity, and that will be a good thing," Yang says with conviction.
Next, he asks Weiss.
"When I realised I could fight, I took it as a sign that I could do more with myself. My father has disgraced the Schnee name, one he wasn't even born with. I want to show the world that he is not what a Schnee should be. I have a legacy of honour to uphold, my grandfather's legacy, not my father's. It is my duty as a Schnee to continue my grandfather's legacy, and from what my mother has told me of him, he would fight for equality, for the protection of the innocent. He was a huntsman before he was a businessman, and I aspire to follow in his footsteps. I chose to become a huntress because it is the best way for me to do that, and to repair the damage my father has done to the Schnee Dust Company," Weiss says with a 'duh' tone of voice. "There is no question with what I would do with my life, only how I would do it, it is my duty."
After her, Blake was questioned.
"There is too much inequality in this world. Crime, corruption, oppression. Someone has to do something, anything. I have always wanted to be the spark that ignites change, and I'll try my best to accomplish that. Even if I don't have all the answers, even if I can't solve inequality, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. I won't back down from that fight, I'll fight until inequality is solved, or I'll die trying to bring it about. There's too much wrong to just stand by and watch," she informs him.
Next, Rosa is questioned. She looks out at the herd of Goliath as she answers. "To fight the grimm."
"No, that is what you do, I want to know why you do it," Oobleck presses.
"That is why I do it," Rosa quips. "I suppose, if you're looking for a deeper reason, it's to do with worship. My family and I worship life. It is sacred, precious, beautiful in all its forms. Nearly all forms of destruction also bring rebirth. Fire and wind leaves way for new growth. Hail and ice melts and flows on to give much needed water to others. Flooding rains and volcanic eruptions seep nutrients into the ground. All of these things cause destruction, but they also bring about new life. Humanoids destroy each other, guns, violence, oppression. The needy are violent because they are clinging to survival, the rich are violent to keep their wealth of life. Destruction caused by a need for survival. We kill other living things, kill and eat others, to survive. Once again, the death of one creature gives life to another. All these things are sacred, even though the rich destroying the poor is unnecessary and cruel, against the sanctity of life."
Rosa pauses as she lets that thought process sink in. "The grimm destroy without thought. They hunger for it, but they do not need it. Intelligent grimm like the Goliaths we are watching right now are proof that they do not need to destroy and kill, but they are waiting for a chance to do it. Grimm destroy. They are not a path of new life. They do not raze the ground so that it may bear new life. They raze the ground and metaphorically salt the earth so that nothing can ever grow there again. It is the worst thing any creature can do, to destroy so absolutely. It goes against everything I believe in, everything I have been taught about the sanctity of life. I cannot stand by when I can fight, when I can defend life against these... agents of pure destruction. I could have become a doctor and tried to find a cure for cancer, yet another form of destruction that goes against my beliefs and my worship of life itself, but I chose to become a huntress because I can fight against the grimm."
She smiles for a moment. "My Abuela told me that is why she became a huntress too. I always wanted to be like her. Nonetheless, I chose to become a huntress to fight the grimm."
"I didn't know that you were religious," Oobleck comments.
"I don't exactly advertise it. It isn't even religious. Not like how some worship the Brother Gods of Light and Dark, or the Church of Dust. I don't go by scripture, I don't worship some deity or otherworldly figure. I worship the beauty, diversity, and the utmost preciousness of life. There is no way to bring back the dead, so once we die, that is it. A life can be lost in an instant, which makes it so very precious. All life is beautiful, and the diversity of life makes it even more so," the young huntress-in-training attempts to explain.
"I see..." he muses.
That night, the four girls quietly bemoan that they had found nothing of any hidden base, any sign of the attack the tip off had warned them of, but otherwise passes uneventfully. The group getting the precious rest that they would need going forward.
During her watch, Rosa begins to piece together why they hadn't found anything.
At day break, just as they are setting out, Rosa clears her throat.
"I think I figured out why there are no signs of humanoids in the area. We're looking in the wrong place," she tells the group.
Doctor Oobleck looks at her strangely. "Whatever do you mean?"
Rosa sighs. "Yesterday morning, I received an anonymous tip off, saying that there would be a grimm attack on Vale using the train system between Mountain Glenn and Vale. The four of us were hoping to find it and stop it before it happened. I think I know where they are."
"Where?" Blake and Yang demand simultaneously.
"Right under our feet! Of course!" Dr Oobleck exclaims.
"Exactly." Rosa pulls out one of her swords and plunges it down into the asphalt beneath them. "Get ready for a drop."
Using her semblance, she digs into the crack she had created, and widens it considerably, leaving the five of them (plus Zwei) to fall down into the cavern below them.
The drop is harsh. Good news is that they all manage to land safely. Bad news, they land right in the middle of a group of White Fang members that are busily preparing explosives.
The White Fang members scatter, and an alarm goes up.
"Pack your things, we are leaving now!" Torchwick's voice comes over the loudspeakers in the area. The groan of the train starting up fills their ears.
"We have to go after them, get on that train. So let's move," Rosa commands before running in the direction of the sound of the train. The rest follow her.
Once on the now-moving train, they're faced with a new dilemma. How to stop the train.
The train car they are perched on detaches and they scramble onto the next one. Looking back at the detached car, they wince as it explodes.
"Bad connection to the rest of the train?" Yang cautiously suggests as Blake opens the hatch to get down into the car.
"No, I think that's their plan. There's a bomb on this car too," the cat faunus announces.
"Move forward! We can't afford to get stuck down the back, and we have to get as far forward as we can before we get stopped!" Rosa yells over the sound of the train screeching along the tracks.
Leaping over gaps between train cars, they move forward, on top of the very front car even. Looking backwards, Rosa notes the grimm pouring out from the new cavern openings.
"What do we do?!" Weiss yells out.
"We have to stop this train before it breaches the seal and lets all these Grimm into the city!" Rosa calls out.
"HOW?!" Yang yells.
"Still working on that plan!"
BANG!
"Oh no…" she mutters.
"What is it Rosa?" Dr Oobleck askes her.
"Stakes just got a whole lot higher."
"Why?"
"Because of those." She points at the slowly ambling grimm pouring out of the newest cave opening.
"I'm afraid I don't know what type of grimm they are," he says darkly.
"I do. They are called 'The Apathy', and they completely drain you of the will to live, let alone fight."
"I see. Any ideas on how to combat them?"
"Fire is the best choice I can think of, but even that is shaky," she replies while turning to face the bomb that had yet to go off. "WEISS! Shield us!"
"On it!" she cries out and Rose stretches out her hand and levitates the bomb just in front of the train. As ice covers her vision, she ignites the charge and an explosion ripples through the train, destroying everyone and everything outside of their shield of ice.
They're knocked around and the ice is destroyed, leaving them defenceless to the faster grimm closing in on them.
"We're not going to survive this, are we?" Blake whispers.
"Maybe, but I'm going to go out fighting. Calaveras fight till the end, no matter what. No aura? No problem. Outmatched? Outgunned? Never out of determination. Let's give these monsters a fight they'll. Never. Forget," Rose tells them, gripping her swords tightly.
"Going out fighting is the only way I want to die. Let's beat the fuck out of these things," Yang grunts, pulling herself to her feet.
"This is a mission, and we all signed up for it. Not all missions end in glory… but I'm not in it for glory," Weiss says, readying a glyph and pointing her rapier at the grimm that are only a click away.
"If I'm going to die, I'm going to die as myself," Blake says, taking off her bow and letting out her cat ears.
"Girls, it is my honour to fight alongside you in our final moments," Dr Oobleck tells them, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Let's move!" Rosa orders as she charges towards the grimm.
Its dark, their auras – though replenished by sleep – are dropping by the second, but their determination is undiminished. They really do give it their all. Rosa cuts through Death Stalkers like they're paper while Weiss takes on King Taijitus with dizzying speed. Yang bashes the shit out of Ursa after Ursa. Blake zips around the battlefield, lending a hand and taking out Beowulfs. Oobleck and Zwei are a fiery combination that rips through the Creeps.
Weiss is the first to fall back to the train wreck, Zwei following her, her arm pierced by a King Taijitu fang that broke through the bone.
Doctor Oobleck falls to the ground with a snapped leg and Blake sprints him back next to Weiss, getting her back shredded in the process.
Yang lets out a horrifying scream as her shoulder is shattered by an Ursa and she rushes back to the rest of her wounded teammates as Blake tries to keep the other grimm away from them.
Rosa tries to hold a line of defence, but without someone on her side, she can't do much that wouldn't give herself away.
The Apathy are getting closer.
The first screech rips through them and Rosa retreats to close ranks with the others, their backs protected by the train wreck. Only their remaining will power keeps them upright despite their heavy wounds.
Second screech, Zwei, Dr Oobleck and Blake fall unconscious.
Third screech, Weiss drops unconscious and Yang is on her knees barely holding herself up from the ground. Rosa closes her eyes behind her goggles and focuses on her semblance.
On the fourth screech Yang is out for the count, collapsing onto the ground. Rosa flies forward, scythes flying into her hands. Her team, her friends, are on the brink of death. Her scarf becomes larger, turning into her signature black cloak. Her goggles expand into her mask. Her corset shifts into the white boning that wraps around her torso.
Her scythes are wreathed in fire and she expertly dodges around their extending arms, cutting them off before they can touch her teammates.
"Remember, my dear. When you need to call upon the power of your eyes, remember all the lives in the world. All the people you hold dear. Bring forth your desire to protect them and reflect that light on to the darkness that is the creatures of Grimm."
Her world turns a blinding white for a few seconds and she can almost feel the massive waves of Grimm being turned to ash. When it subsides, the grimm are gone, no more of The Apathy, no Creeps, Beowulfs, Ursai, Death Stalkers or King Taijitus. Just an empty cavern with five heavily wounded people and one unconscious dog.
She limps to her teammates and slowly takes them up one by one through the hole at the top of the tunnel. When it's just her left, she reverts her attire to her 'civilian form' and lets herself fall down beside them.
Just as she feels herself about black out, she hears the sound of approaching airships.
The sight those airships - on which, Team SSSN was getting a lift to their own mission - find is startling: the Schnee heiress with a quickly dissolving King Taijitu fang sticking out of her arm; a Beacon professor with a snapped leg; a blonde-haired girl with a bloody shoulder that has been shattered; a black haired cat faunus with red blood coating her back; and a black haired wolf faunus with blood pouring from a gash across her forehead.
Gathering up the injured team, they rush them back to Vale for treatment desperately needed. The question on the airship crew's minds is the same for all of them.
What happened to them?
A/N: Welcome back to the Grimm Reaper! Sorry it took a bit longer than usual to get out. I'm pretty convinced that Qrow isn't too happy with what I've been writing for him and is punishing me with his semblance. I actually got my computer back mid-late-week but it had traded its battery problem with a keyboard connection problem, making it pretty much useless in the long run, so I spent 2 days trying to fix it but it ended up getting sent off... again.
As for me putting The Apathy in this chapter, well, when the protagonists get stronger, so too must the threats. This also plays into how things add up differently for canon for Volume 3 (most notably) and going forward. So, yeah, that's that.
Anyways, leave a review letting me know your thoughts, I love getting to hear them. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to PM me and I'll get back ASAP. Otherwise, I'll see you next week with another chapter.
- RebeccaMagic9