Episode 2: Beacon Academy
The ships that were carrying various students are docking at the entrance of the school. As soon as one lands, a boy named 'Jaune Arc' emerges and goes over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he loses his lunch.
Ruby and Yang, alongside several other students, walk out of the ship and head down the paved path to the front of the school. They were amazed as they take in the entirety view of Beacon Academy. "The view from Vale's got nothing on this!" Yang exclaimed.
"Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!" Ruby said as she tries getting closer, but Yang pulls her sister by the hood back into realistic proportions.
"Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!" Yang said.
"'Just weapons'? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!" Ruby argued.
"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" Yang asked.
Ruby looked at her weapon and transformed it into a scythe. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..." Ruby said.
"Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?" Yang said as she playfully pushing her sister's hood down over her face.
Ruby takes her hood off and spoked. "But... why would I need friends if I have you?" Yang was speechless as she remembers something about her being surrounded by a group of other students and they all dash down the road.
"Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!" Yang said before rushing off from Ruby, which made her spin and dizzy.
"Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" Ruby asked before stopping for a moment, still reeling. "I don't know what I'm doing..." Ruby falls backward and bumps into a luggage cart, sending cases flying When someone is standing over her.
"What are you doing?!" A white-haired student yelled.
"Uh, sorry!" Ruby apologized and get up on her hands.
"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?" The white-haired student asked angrily. Ruby remained speechless as she was holding the case and it made the student more furious. "Give me that!" she snatches the luggage from Ruby and opens it to reveal its twinkling-sounding contents. "This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"
Still not understanding the topic, which infuriates the student. She holds out a vial of red Dust and shutting the case, pointing out each element of dust. Ruby finally found her voice to speak. "I... I know..." Ruby was interrupted by her own cough from the Dust pouring into her face.
"Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!" The student was fed up with Ruby's stupidity and unfortunately for Ruby, who had been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezes, which erupts into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto Weiss.
The bottle she had been holding flies over the courtyard and at the feet of a fair-skinned young woman with wavy black hair and amber eyes, who picks it up and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene. Another person behind her followed as well, It was Gwen as she notices the someone who she is not pleased to see.
The student was covered in soot, though it quickly disappears. "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" The student ranted.
"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby quickly apologized.
"Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?" The student continues to rant.
"Well, I-I..." Ruby stuttered.
"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!" The student cried angrily.
"Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!" Ruby said, being fed up.
Until another voice joined in the conversation. "It's heiress, actually." They both turn to the black-haired woman next to them, who was holding a bottle. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
"Finally! Some recognition!" The student who was named 'Weiss' said smugly.
"Though your families' company is infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." Another voice came in to see it belonged to Gwen. Weiss widened her eyes at the presence of Gwen. "Hello Weiss, good to see you."
"Wha-What are you doing here?!" Weiss asked shockingly.
"Why are you asking?" Gwen asked sarcastically. "Am I not allowed to attend such a place?"
"But you're not-" Weiss said.
"Not what?" Gwen's face was inches away from Weiss with her glare. "Not capable of fighting monsters? Well, let me remind you that my father is a high commander. This means he enroll me in a few combat schools and he believes that I am capable enough to join the academy. So I would watch your mouth if I were you." She finished her sentence and walked by to Ruby's side before continue speaking. "Oh and Weiss? Fix your attitude, would you? You look act like a child who's teddy bear being stolen."
Weiss looked at Gwen angrily and Ruby chuckled. "Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!" Weiss growled as she gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow. Ruby tried to apologize to Weiss again but she ignored her.
"I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day..." Ruby said with a sigh.
"You're not wrong there." Gwen comment back. Ruby was about to talk to the black-haired woman until she saw her, walking away then Ruby collapses to the ground on her back and startled Gwen. "You okay?"
"Welcome to Beacon..." Ruby mumbled and remains this way until another shadow comes over her.
"Hey... I'm Jaune." Jaune said and offers his hand to Ruby.
Ruby took his hand and gets up to introduce herself. "Ruby," She said. They both looked at Gwen, who's identity yet to be introduced and she finally got the message.
"Oh, where are my Manners?" Gwen said with a chuckle. "Stacy. Gwen Stacy." Gwen then looked at Jaune to study him. "Say...Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"
*Timeskip*
Inside the walls of the beacon academy was scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, down which Ruby, Gwen, and Jaune are walking. They conversing with each other. "All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune explained.
Ruby laughed and instantly felt guilty. "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."
"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" Jaune said challengingly.
"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" Jaune proudly said.
"Does your mom say that to you a lot?" Gwen asked with one eyebrow raised.
Jaune looked at Gwen with a surprising look. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"As a daughter who has a brother that is been told by his mom the exact same thing, I know what it's like," Gwen explained. Ruby giggles at Jaune until she stops to a short awkward silence.
"So... I got this thing!" Ruby said as she pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground.
"Whoa! Is that a scythe?" Jaune asked.
"Yes. It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby replied.
"You mean it can also be a gun?" Gwen asked and Ruby nodded as she cocks her crescent rose.
"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune complimented.
"Impressive," Gwen said lowly.
"So what've you got?" Ruby asked Jaune.
"Oh! I got this sword!" Jaune said as he unsheathes the blade. "Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" He gets his scabbard, raises his arm, and expands the metal into his defense.
"Oooh! What do they do?" Ruby asked.
Jaune fumbles with his shield as it retracts off his arm, expands, and retracts again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..." Jaune explained.
"But does the weight of the weapon make a difference in its small mass?" Gwen asked.
"No, it does not..." Jaune said dejectedly.
"Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it." Ruby explains with a giggle.
"You made that?" Jaune and Gwen asked in unison though Gwen's voice was calmer than Jaune.
"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons!" Ruby said and looked at Gwen. "What's yours, Gwen?"
"Yeah! We want to know what's your semblance." Jaune said excitedly. Gwen looked at both at them nervously, not knowing what to say. What is her semblance? She doesn't how to present it to them. They will see her as a freak or monster if she shows them.
"I-I can't..." Gwen said with hesitation. "Not now... maybe another time." Jaune and Ruby looked at Gwen suspiciously but decided not to question her further. They moved on to another subject.
"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" Ruby asked.
"Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'" Jaune said, walking alongside Ruby and Gwen.
"Hmm, Your mom must be a great person," Gwen said, indicating her first few signs of showing humanity to others.
"She really is," Jaune said until he noticed that they were still not the hall, the destination they were supposed to be. Even Ruby noticed it too.
"Hey, where are we going?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, I don't know! I was following you." Jaune said with panic. They tried to find any direction or something that could help them. Gwen groaned and cleared her throat.
"Guys, why not asked the right person?" Gwen asked sarcastically, pointing to herself. "Come on, follow me," And they did so follow her.
"Wait! how do you know the way?" Ruby asked.
"To tell you the truth, I have been to beacon twice when I was 10. Being the daughter of the high commander has privileges," Gwen answered and continues to walk. Ruby and Jaune were surprised by her twice already. They thought of her as a woman with surprises. Maybe she was not a bad person after all and they were glad they met someone like Gwen.
End of Episode 2