Emerald Forest
It had been over two years since Ruby and Neo, who were now fourteen, returned to beacon.
Things had become so much different for them now. Ozpin had deemed it necessary for them to learn to fight even more now, as now a valuable source of protection for them had become a threat. So they spent even more time training.
But this had led to something unforeseen. Overconfidence in their abilities.
This manifested in them rigging Beacon's initiations directly and determining partners and teams beforehand.
Thus they now found themselves walking through the Emerald Forest waiting for the initiates to all land after being flung from the cliff.
"Got the list?" Ruby sent through the bond.
"Yea, still don't understand why we keep doing this," Neo sighed.
"HEY, Don't you remember when we saved that girl," Ruby retorted excitedly.
"Okay, that was once and from what I can tell all you want us to do is partner up two people together that in all likelihood could never hold up a single conversation in any other scenario," Neo sent back slightly annoyed.
"Yea, I don't see a problem," Ruby looked away from Neo noticing that the freshmen/fresh meat had set up in the cliff. "Okay so we pair up the attraction semblance girl with the mimic semblance faunus, The blind guy with the burly one and the rest later."
"I wonder if this is how most kids our age spend their time,' Neo thought to herself as she headed off in the general direction of the rabbit faunus that had just launched.
Ozpin's tower
"So is everything going smoothly," Glynda looked at the security screens.
"Yes, Ma'am," a faceless intern replied. Glynda nodded before walking away, the faceless intern gave a sigh of relief only to notice rose petals fill his screen, he internally freaked out before heading towards Ozpin's office.
Emerald Forest
Ruby unfolded her scroll and looked at the gigant map of the emerald forest "okay remember what grandpa said make it believable that this totally isn't rigged and make it so it doesn't end in tragedy," Ruby folded her scroll and jumped on to the treetops as she noticed the girl with an odd looking purse.
'I'm gonna have trouble, Ruby. My target is a lot more perceptive than any other faunus I've ever met." Neo mentally sighed. 'Okay, plan B it is then. I'm bringing my target to yours.' Ruby sent back.
Ruby did the one thing most other faunus considered offensive and demeaning. She acted like her animal counterpart, more or less. Really, she was just trying to sound like a beowolf. She scratched on trees and growled.
Her target reacted immediately. She transformed her purse into a light machine gun and began firing at the bushes next to Ruby. She yelped and bolted in Neo's direction unceremoniously.
"Oh, no you don't! Get back here!" The girl yelled and ran after Ruby.
'Neo, I need a Glynda special as soon as I reach you!' Ruby all but mentally screeched. 'Really? What did you do?' Neo asked. 'I literally just made grimm sounds for three seconds, and now she's chasing me with a machine gun!' Ruby mentally screeched as a bullet whizzed passed her head. 'NEO HURRY!'
'You have super speed, the hell are you complaining about,' Neo kept on moving towards Ruby
'OH I'M SORRY BUT ARE YOU THE ONE GETTING SHOT AT RIGHT NOW,' Ruby dodged another volley of bullets
"GET BACK HERE YOU, GODDAMN MUTT!"
'How can someone in designer heels run this fast?' Ruby thought as bullet nearly took her ear off this time.
Ruby saw Neo in the distance and added her semblance to her sprint. Once she was close enough to Neo, she dropped into a slide. Neo caught her and put up the illusion of a bush around them.
"Dammit! Where'd it go?" Coco growled as she walked dangerously close to Neo's illusion.
"Hello? Who's out there?" Velvet called out now that the shooting stopped.
Coco's head snapped to the voice. Realizing what just happened as she set her eyes on the direction of the voice leaving Ruby and Neo the chance to escape. Coco transformed her machine gun back into a briefcase and walked towards the voice
"Nailed it," Ruby smiled satisfied as Neo looked at her dumbfounded
"You were just being shot, you're lucky you weren't nailed," Neo glowered.
"Whhaaaaat your crazy," Ruby said waving her off.
Neo rolled her eyes, "so, who's next?"
Ruby pulled out her scroll to check the list before realizing an issue, "So how do we have a blind guy coming to Beacon, is he like one of those blind monks from those cheesy Mistral B-flicks?" Ruby giggled only to have Cherry thrown at her face "Okay okay no more blind jokes."
Ozpin's tower
"SIR SIR WE HAVE A PROBLEM," the intern yelled out of breath as Raven, Glynda and Peach turned around.
"What seems to be the problem," Ozpin sipped his cup not even looking up from his tablet
"It's Ruby and Neo, they're in the Emerald forest," The Intern expect to be shaken only to see Raven trying to choke out Ozpin
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT," Raven yelled as Ozpin tried keyword tried to defend himself. Glynda, Amber and Peach stood to the side with a bowl of popcorn and a couple of drinks as they waited for either Ozpin to die or Raven to get tired, probably the first.
Ozpin managed to survive the strangling and coughed a few times so he could explain himself. "Yes I sent them in there with a mission that includes them staying near groups of initiates. Besides, you know I had the forest culled of any truly dangerous grimm two days ago," Ozpin finally said in his defense.
Raven seethed still, "why?"
Ozpin sighed at his daughter-in-law. He partially hated this arrangement too, but it was better than the alternative. "Because they would have done it anyways, at least now I know exactly where they are and can keep them safe," Ozpin said evenly. He then took another sip of his coffee and looked at his own tablet, which showed him the girls' position.
"And you sure they are safe?" Raven finally asked. Ozpin grimaced at that, "not exactly."
The room went silent for a moment.
"What?" Raven asked coldly.
"So bets on either choking him or snapping his neck," Amber looked to her sides to see both woman pulling out 50 lien each. Peach mumbled something about needing fundings for her experiments and replied choking, "hoping for the neck snap, but I know Raven better. She'll strangle him."
Glynda shrugs, "I'll go with her accidentally snapping his neck."
Emerald Forest
Ruby and Neo sat there playing on their scrolls, waiting for Ozpin to message the coordinates of their next targets.
"Is bunny still being a socially awkward mess?" Neo asked after she got a game over screen on her scroll.
Ruby popped up to find the rabbit faunus still whimpering out answers to her partner who kept firing questions at her. Ruby decided to focus her ears and listen to the questions being asked.
She made it halfway through one before dropping down with a vibrant blush across her face. "Does that girl have no shame?" Ruby thought.
Neo cocked an eyebrow, "What happened?"
"Let's just say, bunny isn't being socially awkward with the questions she's being asked," Ruby responded with a faux thousand yard stare.
"Yikes."
"Yeah."
"Okay but seriously the blind guy might be an issue," Ruby exhaled
"Simple guide the giant to the blind one and hope that he can keep the other safe,"
"Alright let's move," Ruby and Neo both hopped to the next tree not noticing a pair of eyes following them
Ozpin's tower
Raven had finally tired out as Ozpin laid unconscious on the floor. The intern wanting nothing to do with this went back to his job leaving a joyful Peach and Amber with Glynda feeling a little sour but considering she just saw her co-teacher choke out the biggest asshole in Vale she couldn't really complain. 'I wonder if my kitty would want some pictures,' Glynda thought in a very unglynda way. As her thoughts wandered to her less wholesome areas she felt a buzz in her pocket and she had to keep the blood from splattering on the floor as she saw a scantily clad tanned skin tiger faunus with the text 'miss you ;),' underneath it. She immediately sent a text
Glynda: why now?
Kitty: so you didn't like it;-;
Glynda rolled her eyes at her wife: No I did, just don't send them while I'm working, please
Kitty: but that's the best timeeeeeee
Glynda rolled her eyes again gaining a small smile something not gone unnoticed by the rest of the people in the room. Peach and Amber shared looks at each other "Is she smiling," Amber whispered as she kept looking between Peach and Glynda checking that she wasn't crazy
"Yes she is," Peach whispered back.
"Should we be worried?"
"Probably."
Raven, unlike the other two, was far too busy strangling Ozpin to take notice of her surroundings. At least until Ozpin started tapping out, which Raven only slightly loosened her grip.
"I'm doing this for their own good Raven. They're my granddaughters. I won't let them just get into any serious danger, but they need to learn that they aren't all-powerful." Ozpin managed to choke out.
"SO YOUR SENDING THEM INTO THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN VALE," Raven kept choking him now shaking him violently
"You think I don't know that but their overconfidence needs to be curbed or they will die," Ozpin locked eyes with Raven his face morphing to one of surprise as she let go of him and tears started to well up under her eyes. "you don't think I don't know that."
Emerald Forest
"So what do we do here," Ruby has been running the scenario through her head and noticed quite a few flaws. "What do you mean," Neo bounced back. "Well at best the blind one just uses his other sense to guide him instead of just sight," Neo had slowly but surely caught up and made an 'o' with her mouth, "and at worst and most likely he uses aura as a radar and if he notices ours, then the jig is up."
The two continued to walk in the general direction of there targets. "Yeah, let's just focus on the big guy, less risk there," Neo thought and slumped. Ruby just shrugged in response, "that's probably for the best."
"Okay then let's do this!" Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed Neo and activated her semblance.
Schnee Mansion
Court Yard
"Explain to me how this is any sort of training again," Emerald had no idea how she had been dragged into this mess "Fucking Drunk asshole,"
"Simple this is your first infiltration mission," Qrow replied taking a swig from his flask.
"Okay then why here," Emerald looked back
"Because fuck that prick, Jaqass. Also, don't question me," Qrow said sagely.
"You can kindly fuck off, dad," Emerald spat at the man.
"I'll give you fifty lien to go in there and put pink hair dye in jaqass' shampoo bottle, a hundred if you shave half of his mustache, two hundred if you come up with something more creative on top of those two things," the drunkard said dryly.
"Alrigth-,"
"I will also be following you with my semblance at max," Qrow added with a shit eating grin. Emerald just stared in disbelief, 'You are trying to kill me.'
"Fine, let's get this over with," Emerald sighed.
Emerald Forest
"Wow, we screwed up," Ruby thought as they were being interrogated by the giant guy and blind guy.
"Yep," Neo shot back.
"They are doing that thing again," Fox sighed as he watched the tiny bits of aura shooting back and forth.
"I don't think we're going to get anything out of them… Let's just pick them up and take them with us," Yatsu said calmly.
"Why?" the blind asked.
Yatsu shook his head, "They're obviously not part of the initiation, which means that these girls wandered into the forest alone. As such, I will not be responsible for them getting hurt through my negligence."
"Hey, we're training to be huntresses and are probably better than anyone in this forest," Ruby barked out defiantly.
"Oh, so now you pay attention to us," Fox huffed. Neo and Ruby stuck their tongues out at him.
Yatsu only sighed as he grabbed onto both girls and lugged them over his shoulders winching as the two girls screeched and fought him. Just as he got them roughly situated, Yatsu felt a barrel pressed to his back.
"Put them down. Now." Coco growled while Velvet tried to pull her away.
"He's not trying to do anything to them," the bunny faunus pleaded.
"She's right, we found these two out here messing with the initiation," Fox sighed getting increasingly more irritated by the constant pings from Ruby and Neo's bond.
"Let me taze him!" Ruby pleaded through her link.
"The deal was no maiden powers. So unless you have lightning dust, no," Neo grumbled back.
"But we're not allowed to carry dust after last time...which was still no one's fault," Ruby pouted.
"I don't care, he doesn't have to manhandle them to get his way. Now. Put. Them. Down." Coco growled.
"Alright, I will just put down your gun," Yatsu replied slowly getting on a knee as Coco changed her gun back into its briefcase form.
"Just a little bit longer," Ruby replied.
"Wait you're just gonna let them go," Fox asked noticing the ping.
"Almost there," Ruby thought as Yatsu's grip loosened. As soon as the hold was loose enough, Ruby activated her semblance and spun out of his grip while delivering three kicks to his head.
"Nice one," Neo chortled as she walked away from a stunned Yatsu.
"Oh, I like these two," Coco snorted.
"And we like you too...when you're not trying to mow us down with machine gun fire," Ruby grinned back.
"Wait, that was you?" Coco blinked owlishly.
Ruby petted her ears defensively, "Yeah, and you nearly took my head of a couple times," Coco stared at the two before grabbing both.
"Alright you two are coming with us," Coco replied as she slowly walked away holding onto both girls
"What happened to 'manhandling is bad'?" Ruby glowered at the chocolate-themed girl.
"Hey, it's called manhandling, and if you two haven't noticed, I don't have a dick. I can show you if don't believe me," Coco retorted, making Velvet blanch.
'Yea but you are still being hypocritical,' Neo's sign read.
Coco shrugged, "I'm a woman, I can't be hypocritical."
"That is literally not how that works," Ruby pointed out, to which Coco only shrugged again.
There was a rustling in the bushes several yards in front of them, but no one noticed.
"At least let us walk on our own Coco," huffed Ruby.
"Nah," was the curt response before Coco stopped, "How did you know my name?"
Neo and Ruby both sucked in their lips, realizing they screwed up. "Ummmmm….Velvet said it back there?" Ruby said sheepishly.
Coco just stared at them, "No, she didn't, nor did anyone say her name."
Unbeknownst to anyone Coco's semblance had begun to attract unwanted attention. Velvet was the first to notice the low scratching and cracking of twigs. "Guys?" The girl squeaked, but was ignored.
"We guessed?" Ruby tried again.
"You guessed? Unlikely, and your change in story makes it less credible," Coco shot back with her arms crossed.
Suddenly a shadow darted out of the bushes, careening straight for Coco. Ruby saw it out of the corner of her eye and instinct kicked in. She shoved both Neo and Coco away, but forgot to do one crucial thing in the heat of the moment. Her Aura was down when the beowolf's attack hit her. She felt the beast's claws and teeth dig into her flesh before she was flung at a nearby tree.
"RUBY!" Neo screamed through the link as she dashed to the fallen faunus.
"Oh fuck, you didn't!" Coco barked as she whipped out her LMG and opened fire. The grimm was shredded by the barrage, but Coco didn't get the chance to relax as the rest of the pack came out of the woodwork.
"FUUUUCCCK!" the designer screamed as she began mowing down what grimm she could.
Unfortunately, one got past her fire. She was about cuntpunt the beowolf, but a massive sword came down on it. After watching the thing get bisected, she turned her attention back to the pack.
"I totally had that one," Coc scoffed after letting another burst loose.
"I have no doubt about that, but you still need help," Yatsu shot back to Coco's chargin.
"Fine, but no manhandling anymore girls," Coco spat at him.
"I probably could have acted better in that situation, I'll admit," Yatsu glanced over at Ruby, who was being tended to by Neo and Velvet and protected by Fox. "Though it looks like I may have to carry the wounded to safety," He sighed.
Coco grit her teeth when she looked over at them. Velvet was doing a good job for having no first aid kit, but aura or not, the girl's life was in danger. "No, I'll carry her back to the cliffs, she needs help now… No reason for all four of us to fail this, right?" Coco said mirthlessly.
Yatsu regarded her for a moment, "We'll come with, we won'y let you bear this burden alone."
Fox gawked at his partner, "What's this 'we' shit?"
"Are going to actually let them walk through a grimm infested forest carrying a girl in near critical condition by themselves?" Yatsu asked venomously.
"Of course not, but you could have had the decency to ask me first," Fox huffed back.
"Fair enough," Yatsu shrugged.
"Are you two done having a moment, we have a girl fucking bleeding out right there!" Coco shouted at them, getting their undivided attention.
"Right, pick her up and we'll go," Yatsu said sheepishly.
Coco walked over to Ruby, Neo, and Velvet. Neo was bawling her eyes out over Ruby so Coco put a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her. "Hey, we're going to get her to Beacon as quick as we can, she'll be okay, alright," Coco tried to talk as soothingly as possible, which earned her a sniffle and a nod from the small fox faunus.
Coco gently snaked her arms under Ruby and picked her up bridal style before looking at the rest of the group, "Let's blow this shitshow."
A.N
[Eden]: WE ALMOST THERE BOYS.
Next time we get to the actual story yay yay :3 Seraph sends his regards for he is lazy when it comes to the A.N :3 I kidd