"What?"

Velvet and Coco just stared at the crumpled heap of armor that was the source of the pitiful groaning noises.

Coco was stunned. It had just happened so fast, that idiot was standing one moment, and after she blinked, was crumpled on the floor. Maybe these froshies weren't half bad.

Velvet thought back to the first time she had met Carolina. She should have known that Carolina was this fast, as those gunshots had come almost simultaneously. But that meant that Washington was just as capable, if not more.

Meanwhile, the Reds and Blues were just laughing at Tucker's pain, Grif especially. While Dr. Grey was a little more sympathetic, the others just basked in the glow that washed over them while watching someone else suffer.

"How much does it hurt?" asked Dr. Grey, crouching next to the tangled heap of armor.

"Uuhh. On a scale of one-to-popped, everything!"

"You know that doesn't make any sense, idiot." said Grif.

Wash managed to stop shaking, and reached down to Tucker. "Okay, enough laying around."

Tucker just groaned and curled up.

"Now this is just starting to get pathetic."

Tucker still didn't move.

"Get up."

Carolina took off her helmet, and with the scariest expression she could muster, crouched next to Tucker, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Get. Up. Now."

Once the others saw the dark look on their leader's face, they all wisely shut up and backed away.

Impatient, Carolina grabbed her fallen comrade by the shoulders and began shaking him violently, while repeating her last sentence.

Velvet felt she had to intervene on the poor man's behalf.

"Um, Carolina? I don't think he's in any condition to move."

"He will if I force him to!"

After half an hour of constant shaking and death threats, Tucker was back on his feet and the group was touring Beacon Academy. Having been on spaceships and leapt of skyscrapers before, nobody was really impressed with much. Except for Tucker, that is. It is probably obvious what he was impressed by.

Velvet showed them the important parts of the school, such as the classrooms, the dorms, and the cafeteria.

"And you're saying, we don't have to pay for food! That all the food is paid for by the school! Awesome! I'm gonna eat so much!"

Velvet looked askance at the enthusiasm Grif displayed when she told him that the meals were essentially buffets. Then again, maybe she shouldn't have been surprised. As they were walking, Carolina leaned over and whispered to her.

"Don't be surprised if Ozpin decides to change the free food policy."

The day passed quickly, and soon it was time to go to sleep.

"Well, you guys have fun. I'm going to my dorm room."

"Wait, don't we have dorm rooms?" asked Grif.

"Were you paying attention?" said Simmons.

"No. Does it matter?"

"It does! The headmaster told us where we were sleeping!"

Sarge yelled, "Aha! Ignoring the wisdom of the elderly! Now you face the wisdom of my shotgun!"

"Eh. As long as I sleep, I'm fine." said Grif.

"Sleep!? You can sleep with the fish!" said Sarge.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Enough!"

Everyone shut up after Carolina shouted.

"Tonight is the night before initiation. For tonight, and tonight only, we sleep in the ballroom."

"Is that where they keep all the balls? I need to get a ball for Freckles."

"Shut up Caboose."

Velvet looked at the arguing group of freshmen. She pulled Wash aside, and made sure that at least one of them knew how to get to the Ballroom before going to her dorm to sleep. It had been a long day.

"Guys, it's this way." Wash led the group to their rest.

"Is this like follow the leader? I really want to win."

"No Caboose, it's the quiet game." said Wash.

"Oh! I want to win."

Entering the ballroom, they saw a large multitude of students in their various states of sleepwear.

"Oh man! This is like heaven! So many-"

"Don't even think about it Tucker."

"Aw."

A lot of stares were directed towards them as the entered, and soon people began whispering.

"Who are they?"

"Students?"

"Naw, look at their armor."

"Yeah, it looks really high tech. Atlas soldiers?"

"Doubt it. Why would they be here?"

Ignoring the many stares and whispering, they quickly found an empty area near a window. The Reds and Blues immediately laid down, with Dr. Grey setting an alarm inside her helmet to relieve Carolina and Wash of their guard duty. The two ex-freelancers sat next to each, both leaning against the wall. Carolina pulled out a few sheets of paper that Velvet had given her. They were her notes for the year before, detailing the types of Grimm and their weak spots. Wash merely surveyed the room.

"Weirdos."

"Who sleeps in their armor?"

"Bet they rely on that junk. I doubt they can even fight."

Thanks to the helmet's built-in audio receptors, both agents heard everything. Carolina ignored it, merely promising to herself that she would show them up in class. Wash pulled out a throwing knife that was once the property of a now-deceased Felix and began spinning it in his fingers. After a few rotations, he began to sharpen the knife on his gauntlet, the quiet scraping noises drawing half of the room's attention.

He laughed coldly, a harsh grating sound that seemed to slash at everyone's nerves. Turning his head to look at the people who laughed at him, he taunted them.

"What's the matter? Lost your nerve?"

The people who had been laughing now looked afraid. Eyes darting between the faceless helmet and the knife, they quickly shook their heads and looked away. Carolina elbowed Wash.

"We're not here to make enemies. I don't care if they laugh."

"Wow, that was surprisingly mature from you."

"Besides, we can show them we can fight when we crush them in training."

"And that's the Carolina we all know and love."

" More like fear and obey without question."

They both chuckled at each other's friendly banter, then fell silent, each going to their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, a red-haired celebrity felt odd. Across the room, there was a group of heavily armored figures. Two of which were staying awake. As she watched, she heard a group of initiates muttering uncomplimentary comments and rudely insulting the ten suits of armor. She was about to ask why they were acting in such a manner and go talk with the armored people, until the grey-and-yellow one pulled out a knife and began brandishing it in a terrifying display of skill. Spinning the knife in one hand so fast that it seemed like a liquid blur of light. Scraping the blade across his gauntlet, the rasping noises chewing and fraying her nerves. Pyrrha Nikos wondered if the man had hear them. It would make sense for someone to react like that. The man confirmed her suspicions when he coldly taunted them, sending a clear message of "Leave us alone".But how did he hear the other students? Maybe it was the helmets. As she watched, she noticed the teal armored figure...wait...that one was a female. The two appeared to be talking to each other through a radio or something, as she couldn't hear anything from them, but saw their heads bobbing up and down. It would make sense for their armor to have radios built in, but where did they get that armor? Who were they? In the end, she just decided to go to sleep and think about it in the morning.

Carolina was almost finished reading Velvet's notes. For some odd reason, she felt on edge, as if someone was watching her. After a while, the feeling went away and she relaxed slightly.

Wash had noticed the girl. Strange, for a second, before she turned away, he almost thought he looked like Carolina. He figured it was probably time to go to sleep. There was no way someone with Carolina's face would wear something that showed so much skin.

Hours later, everyone but the two freelancers had fallen asleep. Carolina gazed out an open window, looking at the shattered moon. She'd removed her helmet, as had Wash. He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the moon.

"Huh. The moon she's looking at, it perfectly reflects her. Strong. Shining when you least expect it. Constant. Whole once, but now broken. Beautiful. Wait what! What the hell am I thinking!?"

"Hey Wash, it's me Tucker."

"What-"

"Bow Chicka Bow Wow."

"Go to sleep."

"Dude, I am asleep. I'm communicating through my dreams."

"How are you even doing that?"

"Call it a gift. Or maybe because I'm awesome."

"It's definitely not either of them. I call it a problem."

"Wash?"

"Huh!"

Wash fell over in surprise. Remembering his previous thoughts, he scrambled and backed away. Because of the lighting, Carolina didn't see the blush that stained her friend's face.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Perfectly fine. I'm fine."

"Wash. You're babbling. What's wrong?

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

Clearly not convinced, Carolina gave him a sideways look, and then resumed her staring contest with the moon. Wash did what he could to slow his jackhammering heart down and then leaned back against the wall. What was with him? During Freelancer, everyone knew Carolina was attractive, but everyone was just too afraid to hit on her, except York. But now they were both seventeen, barely of of their teenage years. F*cking puberty.

The part about Tucker complaining is real. A friend of mine shot himself with a nerf gun, and it took half-an-hour of coaxing to get him to stop complaining. What Tucker said is what he said, almost word-for-word.