Okay, so, here's the rest of the initiation chapter. As you can see, it's somewhat too long to have really been paired with the last chapter.

Hope you enjoy.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 5 – A Sheep's Mercy

"Don't!" Jaune's shout rang out right as the Ursa were about to give chase after their prey. The Grimm froze in place, and some appeared to strain against their natural desire to hunt and kill. He wouldn't allow it, though, not when it was just another student. "Don't chase them. Don't harm any students. Someone's bound to get hurt if you do," he sighed, then after a moment's thought added, "most likely you guys."

Remy hummed in approval in his mind, no doubt glad to see him using his head and not causing any more disasters for once. He hadn't really had the chance to get a good look at the person, but since he'd been surrounded by Grimm and in his transformed state, the chance they'd seen any of his clothing was pretty low. So long as they didn't end up dead, he'd probably be okay.

Still, it wasn't a risk he really wanted to continue. "I'd best change back," he whispered. "Hmm… Ursa – point me in the direction of the closest source of humans."

They sniffed the air and pawed at the ground for a moment, even if the senses they used to hunt humans didn't truly involve either of those. Eventually, however, they pointed toward the mountain itself.

They must mean there's someone on the other side. It couldn't be this side, since he was already beside the mountain's face and would have been able to see them. Either way, that gave him the safety net he needed to transform without being spotted. With a quiet sigh, he slowly released the power he had hold of.

A feminine scream split the air.

The power slammed back into him as he gasped and looked around. Had someone seen him? No… there was no one, but the scream – it sounded like it had come from the mountain itself.

"Someone's in trouble," Remy mumbled, utterly bored.

"We have to help them!"

"What? No, we really don't… Isn't this a test to get rid of the weak? Think about it, if we help them, then we're only enabling them to become hunters and they'll die in the field! Better they die now, right? That's probably the whole point of the test."

The parasite went on and on, but Jaune wouldn't accept it. He was going to be a huntsman and a hero, and the hero never left someone behind to suffer. They wouldn't be heroes if they did. "Hold on!" he called and rushed around the mountain to where he'd heard the noise.

Remy might have let out a long groan, but he'd gotten used to ignoring those years ago.

/-/

Really, as far as Pyrrha was concerned, the whole day had been a complete bust. She should have known it would be, frankly, especially after the horrific events of the launch. Now, she and her new partner were trapped in a pitch-black tunnel, unable to properly see where they were going, but nevertheless fleeing the glowing stinger of some giant Grimm. Also, if she lived and anyone asked, she was going to claim her scream had been from frustration and not panic.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby called in the dark, and she sought to find the girl. A brief flicker of light came from ahead, followed by a painfully dull ray of light from her partner's scroll.

"Good idea," she said, drawing her own and flicking it on. It wasn't much to go by, but it would at least let them see the ground ahead of them. The last thing they needed was to twist an ankle at this stage. "It looked like a Deathstalker."

"What's a Deathstalker doing in here? How did it even fit in here?"

She had no idea. The entrance had been far too small and if the Deathstalker had been trapped or sealed away, then why would anyone have even painted a warning at the entrance? If this was its lair… who had the time to sit outside and finger-paint literally outside of a murderous Grimm's cave!?

"It must have been smaller back then," she said. "Look, even now it's struggling to move in the limited space. This is our chance to escape."

"Shouldn't we try and kill it?" Ruby asked.

"There's not enough light. We're as likely to kill ourselves falling into a crevasse or hitting one another. Just run!"

Thankfully, her partner listened, and it turned out that running was a skill Ruby Rose had in spades, for she flickered through the air and out of the tunnel they'd come through almost too fast to follow. Well, at least she actually took my suggestion, Pyrrha thought as she chased after the younger girl. Jaune definitely wasn't in this cave, or at least she hoped he wasn't. Right now, she had bigger problems anyway.

A rock bit into her leg and another scraped her thigh as she pushed past it. The light from the scroll was so little and with the Deathstalker going crazy like that, there was a good chance it would bring the entire cave down on their heads. Haste over care was the name of the game.

Up ahead of her, there was a startled cry from her partner.

"Damn it," Pyrrha hissed and increased her pace. Ruby was small and slight so if she'd fallen it wouldn't be too much to carry her out. At least, she hoped not. With renewed fervour she rounded the corner.

And crashed straight into a monster…

It staggered back but stayed standing, while she bounced off and collapsed to the floor with a startled yelp. Her scroll struck rock and cracked, pitching the entire cave into darkness – except for a thin beam of light that came from Ruby's scroll.

It illuminated a deathly pale face with crimson eyes.

"Let go of me!" Ruby thrashed wildly, and as the light skimmed away from his visage, Pyrrha saw two black tentacles that bulged across the floor. One had Ruby by her ankles, having locked them together and lifted her into the air. "Argh, n-not again," Ruby howled. Her skirt fell down over her, and Pyrrha watched in shock as the creature's other tentacle touched it.

It pushed upwards.

"H-Hey," the girl yelped and squirmed, "W-What are you doing? Stop that!"

Maybe it was the surprise and shock that caused her senses to desert her, but upon hearing her partner's cry and seeing the monster do that, Pyrrha leapt into action. "Let her go!" she roared. Milo twirled in the air as she cut towards one of the black tentacles before it could defile her comrade.

The steel bit deep and the monster recoiled in pain.

She paid no attention to it. With a furious scowl she danced close to the other, the one holding Ruby, and struck at that too. The blow wasn't powerful enough to sever the thick limb, but he must have felt it for it spasmed and twisted to the side.

"Gah! What the hell!?" the creature cried and stumbled back. The tentacle flicked and tossed Ruby backwards, and the girl – still half-wrapped up in her own cloak – slammed into a rock wall with a gasp.

She fell to the base and didn't move.

"Whoops," the evil creature spoke. "That wasn't my fault."

"Ruby!" Pyrrha whispered in horror. She transformed Milo into a rifle and squeezed a shot off at where she could see red eyes in the dark. They were obscured, the shot probably blocked by one of those prehensile limbs, but it still gave her the time she needed to crouch down and lift the small girl up over one shoulder. She glanced back, and felt like she might freeze when she met those evil eyes in the dark.

A flicker of light illuminated her, but left the monster in pitch black. "Don't you want your scroll back?" it taunted.

A scroll could be replaced. A life could not. Pyrrha turned and fled. The small form of her partner bounced up and down on her back, Milo sheathed – but Ruby's weapon clasped in her other hand. She had no idea if he chased after her, but dared not look. Keep running, she told herself. She had to escape, not only for herself, but also for the girl in her arms.

Ahead of her a speck of light slowly appeared. "The exit," she gasped and increased her pace. If she was caught then they would both be fed to that Deathstalker for whatever purpose that creature had. Human-like with white skin and red eyes… she remembered well the news reports. Hadn't it been this very girl it had attacked?

Had it come for revenge?

That didn't matter. What mattered was that she wouldn't let him take Ruby. The girl was unconscious but alive and groaned slightly every few steps to let her know. If she could get her to the ruins and get their relic, she would be safe. Jaune… she would have to trust in him. She couldn't risk Ruby's life too. Dark gave way to light suddenly, the bright sunlight filling her vision as she sprinted out of the cave - and straight into the furry chest of an Ursa.

She bounced off it like she had the monster only a moment ago, except that this time her weapon, Ruby's weapon and the girl herself all scattered onto the floor. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she stared up and into the monstrous maw of a huge Ursa. This really isn't my day, she thought, and then instantly wished her final thoughts could have been more meaningful.

The Ursa growled down at her.

And then… looked away?

What!? She crawled back, one hand reaching for her weapon as she pushed herself up onto her feet and staggered over to Ruby. Her fingers clenched around Milo when one of the Ursa reached down to sniff the girl, but her grip went slack when it too sat down on its haunches and didn't attack.

What the hell was going on here? It almost looked like they were waiting. She traced their gaze, and blanched when she realised they all stared towards the cave she'd just left. "They're waiting for him," she whispered, "He commands the Grimm!"

The headmaster, no, Vale had to be told. They had to know. Pyrrha knelt down to pick Ruby up once more, carefully watching the Grimm as she did. They regarded her, and she could see the hatred in their eyes, but not a one made a move to harm them. She didn't wait to see if that would change when the monster she'd wounded caught up with them.

She fled into the forest, partner in her arms.

/-/

"I guess she doesn't want her scroll," Jaune mumbled awkwardly, stood in the dark with the cracked device in one hand and his tentacles lazily oozing blood onto the floor. It had been Ruby and Pyrrha, against all odds, but the meeting hadn't quite gone as well as he'd expected. And to think, he'd tried to be really gentle too.

He'd lifted Ruby up so she wouldn't hurt herself on all the rocks, and then pushed her skirt up when it fell down. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea, after all, and she'd looked pretty uncomfortable trying to hold her skirt up with one hand. He'd lent her a hand... or a tentacle, same thing, right?

Pyrrha hadn't seemed to think so...

"And that's why humans can't be trusted," Remy grumbled. "I mean seriously, you help them out and they just stick a sword in your tentacle – how's that for rude!?"

"Remy, you don't exactly have the biggest pool to draw experience from. The only humans you know is big sis, my uncles and dad."

"Yeah, well… I'm just saying… and besides, you can't say Tyrian isn't another perfect example."

"You can't judge humanity based on Uncle Tyrian. You can't judge anything based on him." Jaune rolled his eyes and retracted his tentacles. They would heal in his body quickly enough and it wasn't like he needed them. In fact, maybe it's time to do away with these problems altogether. He closed his eyes and fully released his power this time, allowing it to wash away and leave him blue eyed and blonde haired.

Really, it had been necessary to get down the mountain in one piece, but right now it was just inviting disaster. The cave was as good a place as any to do it, since it was dark enough that he knew no one would have been able to see him.

I'll need to do something nice for Ruby and Pyrrha later though… I hope Ruby wasn't hurt when I dropped her.

A loud cracking noise from ahead caught his attention. A dull glow emanated from deeper within the cave, and he could hear constant scratching and clawing as something worked to dig itself out.

Hm, was there something there? With a little shrug he brought out his own scroll for light and started to move closer. The forest was Grimm-infested and probably the mountain too, so it was probably fairly safe. Hell, Vale was more dangerous than this area was. The scrabbling intensified, and the rock around him started to rumble and shake as a glowing carapace emerged from within the dark. It hissed and clacked at him, red eyes beady and mandibles covered in vicious razor-like claws.

It was adorable.

"Hey there," Jaune greeted the cute thing. It was pretty big, though nothing compared to the ones back home. "Oh wow, is this your home? It… it doesn't look well-suited to you, to be honest."

"Jaune, something's not right," Remy warned.

"Huh? What do you- whoah!" He dodged back as a pincer snapped for him. The Deathstalker screeched in fury and reached out once more but Jaune fled back. "Stop that," he ordered. "Bad Deathstalker, bad!"

It didn't react as he expected it to, and instead it dragged itself further forward. The very rock tunnel around them began to crack and splinter. The Deathstalker's eyes were red with hatred and fury. Both of those emotions seemed to be aimed at him of all people.

"What the hell?" Jaune moved further back and reached for his sword. "What's wrong with you? Don't you recognise me? Calm down or you'll bury us both!" It didn't stop, and he scowled and pulled out the big guns. "In the name of Salem, I command thee – halt!"

A pincer slammed into the ground where he'd once stood.

"It's gone mad," Remy gasped. "It's gained intelligence, but used that intelligence to lose its mind!"

"What?" Jaune leapt back as the pincer tried to impale him once more. "Is that even possible? How can you just gain and lose intelligence!?"

"It didn't lose it. It must have gotten trapped inside of this cave back when it didn't have sentience. Then, several hundred years later, it becomes aware – only to find itself forever trapped and alone, unable to hunt or move. The isolation must have driven it insane."

"And now it's trying to kill me," Jaune said, backing away with his hands held before him. "Okay… good Deathstalker… be a good boy and stay there."

The creature screeched and began to trash from left to right. It was too much for the cave to take, and the walls began to crumble as the beast's frantic movements dislodged stone and rock. A cloud of dust rained down to the floor, but it was nothing compared to the stalactites that slammed down on either side of him.

It was going to kill them both! Panic gripped him as he turned and fled. There wasn't the time to transform, not as stone and rock rained down atop his head. Instead he kept his legs pumping as Remy wailed out for him to `keep running`. Rocks exploded on either side of him, chips striking against his breastplate as he covered his face with both arms and kept on going. The cave entrance appeared ahead, and he dived through it with a cry of relief.

Behind him, clouds of dust and rock poured fourth, obscuring the entrance from view. Only when they'd cleared and he'd finished coughing and hacking was the damage revealed.

"And now it's sealed away again," Jaune said. The fate seemed almost too cruel…

"There's nothing you can do for it now, Jaune. Not every story has a happy ending."

He knew that… he knew it.

But wasn't it the hero's job to try and make one? Somehow, leaving this poor creature behind seemed like a poor end to its tortured life. He sighed and turned to the Ursa, who watched patiently. "Show me to more humans," he said, heart heavy, "I've got an initiation to finish."

/-/

Ruby came to in time to see her sister's worried face above her. "Yang," she whispered groggily. A second later, her face was squashed into the older girl's cleavage and she wasn't able to whisper anything at all, let alone breathe. This is how I die!

"Oh gods Ruby, I was so worried!"

"Y-Yang!" She tried to push her sister aside, but that only made her hug tighter and tighter. Her vision dimmed for a second and she thought she might collapse, but luckily Pyrrha appeared behind the girl and helped to pry her off. "What happened?" Ruby asked her… well, she supposed it was her partner now.

"I was able to cut you free from that monster," Pyrrha said, "but you hit your head when you fell. I carried you away and well… we found our way here. We have one of these by the way." She held up a small chess piece shaped like a horse.

All fatigue was lost in an instant as Ruby pushed herself up. "Is that one of the relics!?" she asked – and whooped when she received a pleased nod from the redhead. "We did it," she gasped, "we actually did it!"

"Hey now sis," Yang laughed, "Cool your jets a little. Oh right, this is my partner, Ren. Say hi."

The boy dragged unceremoniously before her looked resigned at best. He had black hair with a single streak of pink, and his eyes were the same colour, except for a single abnormality. "What happened to his eye?" Ruby asked. The skin around it was swollen and discoloured. It looked like he'd been hit really hard.

"A Grimm." Yang said, far too quickly.

"A yellow Grimm," the boy sighed.

"But enough about that," Yang laughed nervously and helped Ruby to stand. "The orange-haired girl is Nora, the black-haired one is her partner Blake."

Nora waved happily at her, but Ruby couldn't help but think the other one looked almost aggrieved at her choice of partner. Well, she supposed some people were going to end up with partners they weren't keen on, but wasn't it a little too soon for this Blake person to judge her? It wasn't like this Nora girl was insane or anything, right?

"And then there's Pyrrha, your partner… and currently lacking a partner – your best friend from before initiation!"

Her best friend? Wait, did she mean Jau- Ruby's heart fell as she turned to look at the white-haired girl, who looked equally unimpressed.

"We are hardly friends," Weiss Schnee snapped, arms crossed.

Ruby couldn't find it in herself to disagree.

"Has anyone-" she paused and took a deep breath, "Is Jaune here?"

Yang's face fell. She looked aside and tried to catch herself, but that simple reaction was enough to make Ruby's stomach drop. So he hadn't made it then...

"Excuse me! Can anyone provide directions to some ruins!?"

The voice called out over the clearing, and it was enough to make Ruby's head snap up. Yang, stood before her, stared over her shoulder in shock – and she heard Pyrrha whisper a name she didn't dare believe to be true.

She turned around and begged her mother's memory to not let it be a lie.

"Oh hey," Jaune Arc said. He waved one arm, "Hi Ruby. You holding up okay?"

Holding up okay!? Was she holding up okay? Her-? She tried to form an answer but the words clogged her throat. A moment later she'd crossed the distance between them and slammed into his chest. "I thought you were dead!" she wailed, arms wrapped around her best - and still very much alive - friend.

"Huh? I-"

She pushed him back and her eyes scanned up and down his form, just to make sure he was still there. Oh gosh, his clothing was ripped in so many places, and it looked like scrapes and bruises littered every bit of skin she could see underneath. He smelled of blood too and it was clear he'd been in a fight. "Are you okay?" she gasped, "Does it hurt? Somebody bring medicine!"

"Hey Ruby," her sister called, "You might want to let him go before someone gets the wrong idea. Or is it the right idea?"

Huh? What did Yang mean? Ruby looked down at herself, only to gasp and step back when she realised just how close she was, and how her hands had started to touch one of his bruises beneath his shirt. She also recalled their first meeting, how he'd stared into her eyes, called her pretty and how he maybe – "Ah-I-uh- I didn't mean," she stammered and backed away, cheeks crimson.

Yang, the big meanie, burst out laughing. "Ah, too precious," she wiped a tear from her eye. "Good to see you in one piece lover-boy. I thought the worst when you got snatched by that Nevermore."

Ruby hid behind Pyrrha in embarrassment, but still poked her head around to listen to her friend's answer. How had he managed to survive that?

"Ah well, it was no big deal," he shrugged.

"No big-?" Yang shook her head. "Did it drop you by accident? Is that why you're clothing's ruined?"

"No. It took me to its nest," he shrugged. "I think my hoodie got ripped when it pinned me down with its beak. That thing was sharp."

Ruby gasped and felt her heart constrict. He's alive, she reminded herself – but it still didn't get rid of all her fear. "But you got away," she had to know. "You escaped, right?"

"Yeah," he laughed and scratched the back of his head. "For a minute I thought it wouldn't let go of me but I managed to make it fall asleep."

"Fall asleep?" Yang asked. "How did you manage that?"

"Eh, with my sword," Jaune hefted the thing, and there was an impressed silence. "Not the best tool for the job but it wasn't like I had much else to hand."

"Damn." Yang grinned. "Just you and your sword, atop a mountain and in its very nest?"

"It wasn't that hard. Honestly, I got most of these injuries when I fell."

Ruby gasped.

"You fell down the mountain?" Blake asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah," Jaune sighed and shook his head, as though somehow disappointed with himself. "I mean, it got me down quicker, so result, I suppose. I tried to climb but slipped. I'm… not exactly one for mountain climbing." He looked embarrassed when he admitted that. "I did catch myself, though. The last bit was controlled, so it came out okay."

"What about the rest of the Grimm?" Weiss asked, pushing forward to address him. "The entire area was crawling in them when we arrived. How were you able to get through it all on your own?"

"Grimm?" He cocked his head to one side. "Well, I mean, they're just Grimm… what are they going to do?"

Weiss gaped like a fish.

Just Grimm… Ruby shook her head in awe. Was he so strong, so skilled and powerful that he didn't even fear them? Was it even arrogance when he'd single-handedly killed the Nevermore that picked him out of the sky, climbed down a mountain and covered a Grimm-infested forest, all in about the same time it had taken them?

"G-Geez," Yang laughed, though it was clear even she was surprised. "You sure don't mess around, do you? I guess I can see why you got into Beacon by just applying the day before. You some kind of super-trained prodigy?"

"W-What?" he asked, suddenly nervous, "No. I'm just a normal guy."

"Normal…" Ruby heard her partner whisper. It sounded like the word meant something to Pyrrha, for she straightened up.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby whispered.

"Ah, Ruby, nothing… don't mind me." The redhead smiled down at her before she turned back to the others. "So, if Jaune is here and everyone else already has partners…" she trailed off. The crowd turned as one to look at Weiss.

"No." The white-haired girl crossed her arms. "I refuse to be partnered with that… that ignoramus."

"I'll volunteer to partner with hi-hrk!" The black-haired girl's offer was cut off as Nora's arms wrapped around her throat and pulled her back into a hug.

"Oh silly, Blakey," she laughed, "You already have a partner, remember? We'll be besites. Well, not bestie-besties, since I already have Ren, but you can be second-bestie. Bestie-in-chief. First mate Bestie. My very own bestie-kick. You're so quiet but I'll soon show you how to spread your little voice's wings and fly free! Be free little Blakerfly!"

Ruby watched the display for a few seconds, head tilted to one side as the unfortunate girl struggled to escape the grasp of her partner and self-proclaimed `new bestie`. Okay, well, at least she was friendly, right?

"She seems excitable." Jaune sounded as confused as she felt.

"Oh, that's Nora for you," Yang laughed. Much like she had with Ruby earlier, she introduced him to the assembled people. He nodded at each one, waving at them in turn. "You should have seen her entrance though. She came in riding on the back of an Ursa. Blake looked like she was going to pass out when it stopped. It was crazy."

"Riding an Ursa?"

"Yep!" Nora appeared between them with a smile, and Ruby caught sight of Blake coughing for air on her hands and knees. It looked like Yang's partner had gone over to speak to her, the boy's face curiously sympathetic. "Mr Mittens was our faithful steed," Nora went on, "He carried us here though Grimm and forest and delivered us unto this ruin like a true hero."

Okay, Ruby hadn't seen that, but it sounded bizarre. Was this girl for real?

"I knew I should have ridden an Ursa here," Jaune grumbled. "And he said it would look weird…" He seemed to notice everyone was watching him and coughed into his fist. "So," he said, "what happened to Mr Mittens? Where is he?"

"He... died." Nora looked down at the ground, one shaking hand held before her lips.

"Oh I'm… sorry. Did he… was it an accident?"

"It was, please believe me! I didn't realise how tired he was and he collapsed after bringing us here. If only I'd known, I would have let him rest. I'm the worst kind of person..."

Jaune sighed and shook his head. "Look, Nora… I'm sure it's okay. It was an honest mistake and… and I'm sure Mr Mittens would forgive you. I will, in his place."

"Really?"

Ruby's face kept turning to look at each as they spoke, and as their faces became more and more serious, she wasn't sure she could keep up with the conversation. She wasn't the only one, apparently, since the high-strung girl nearby growled into her hands.

"This!" she howled, and pointed at Jaune. "This is why I can't be his partner. He's clearly insane, damaged in the head or just… just… plain stupid!"

"He's also a certified badass," Yang said, crossing her hands behind her head. "I mean, look at him… a Nevermore just caught him out of the sky and his reaction is to murder it. That's like... hell, you don't even see that in movies."

"I wouldn't say murder," Jaune cut in.

"Put it to sleep, then," Yang grinned. "Either way, you said you wanted someone strong, right? He fits the bill."

"I think it would be a wonderful choice," Pyrrha said. Ruby looked up at her in confusion, but the redhead simply flashed her the horse piece in her hand. Ruby looked towards Weiss and saw the same one in hers.

If Jaune's her partner, then he's on our team! She realised.

Wait… he would be on her team. Did... did she want that? Her cheeks flushed and she hid herself back behind Pyrrha as she tried to think of an answer. He was her best friend, true, and even if she'd only known him for a day, he was funny and not just in a way that teased others. He didn't just focus on Yang, but instead felt like someone who could be her friend too.

But he also said things that made her feel funny and she had no idea what to do if her suspicions were true. She was fifteen, she wasn't ready for someone to have those kinds of feelings for her. Dad had said she wouldn't be until she was thirty-five at least.

She'd asked Yang and she said fifty!

Okay, it's fine… I just need to think about this. Jaune can still be my best friend if he's on Yang's team, and I can figure out what to do in the meantime. All I need to do is convince Weiss not to-

"Oh, fine," Weiss scowled, "But if you dare call my family normal again, there will be trouble."

Wait, what!? Ruby's face fell as she realised she'd spent so long panicking and trying to come up with a plan that the others had already convinced Weiss to let it go. Jaune walked up to the white-haired girl with an awkward smile. Along the way he spotted her and waved.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered when she pressed her face into the taller girl's back.

"Nothing," she mumbled. Her cheeks were still red. "I just… has anyone ever mentioned how comfortable your back is?"

"Um… no?"

Someone shoot me…

/-/

Well, out of all the people he'd expected to end up with, he hadn't thought it would be the one person who seemed to really hate him. "Aw man, why couldn't it have been Ruby, Yang or Pyrrha? They all got on with me… or Nora. I mean, did you hear that, a human who understands the values of co-existence and co-operation with Grimm?"

"She rode a Grimm to death, Jaune. I wouldn't call that co-existence and certainly not co-operation."

Well, true… but she seemed awfully beat up about it. That kind of grief couldn't be faked and as far as he was concerned, she could be the first step in Grimm and humankind living in harmony. Er… the second step. I guess the first would be to convince mom not to make them all with a mindless desire to kill all humanity.

Still, it was progress!

But no, despite the wide array of people he could have been partnered with, he now had Weiss Schnee – the girl who looked as beautiful as his mother, but had so few of her redeeming features. Salem was kind and sweet, soft and loving… this girl was just pure evil!

"What are you looking at?" the evil witch scowled.

"N-Nothing!" The girl scowled and stomped away. Jaune looked at Yang. "She's scary…"

"Hah, the guy who kicked a Nevermore's ass thinks a girl half his size is scary. That's rich."

He wasn't sure why she kept saying that. He hadn't kicked its ass, or even kicked it at all. Didn't she know you never kicked a sleeping Nevermore? Besides, that would have been a poor way to repay it for catching him before he splattered onto the forest. He made to follow after Weiss, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'm glad to see you're okay Jaune," Pyrrha said, a wide smile on her lips.

He was glad to see she and Ruby were okay too. He hadn't meant to scare them in the tunnels but it had been dark and well, now that he thought about it, even if it had been bright they'd have probably have still been scared.

"Ruby and I tried to find you upon entering the forest," she went on, pushing the girl behind her in front. Ruby's silver eyes were wide (and scary), but her cheeks were bright red. Had he hurt her when he knocked her against the wall? She didn't look injured, but her face was so red. Could someone get a fever from banging into something?

Wait... they'd tried to find him?

"You did?" he asked, "Why?"

"W-We wanted to help you," Ruby said, eyes on the floor. "We thought you were hurt. I- we thought you might die."

They thought that-? Jaune's eyes widened as he looked down at the girl. No, his friend. Without really thinking about it he knelt down and drew her into a hug. She stiffened in his arms but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry," he said, releasing her and offering Pyrrha one as well. "I didn't mean to worry you all. I'm fine, though. I was more worried about you."

"About us?" Pyrrha shook her head with a small smile. "I can't believe you'd worry about someone else in that kind of situation. You really must be skilled."

"Nah, I'm just a normal guy."

The answer seemed to please her.

A great crash from the nearby forest had them all scrambling for cover, however. Weiss shouted a warning, but the effort was wasted, for at that very moment, a familiar shape barrelled through trees and bushes alike. Two, giant claws pinched at the air, and steam poured from its furious maw.

"I think it escaped."

"Such insight, Remy... you've outdone yourself."

"Did it follow?" Pyrrha gasped. "No… he must have sent it after us."

He? Who was she talking about? Was there some kind of sick and evil person torturing Grimm and releasing them into the wild? He didn't have the time to ask, for the Grimm tore across the clearing at the three of them and slammed a pincer down into the soft ground. Dirt and rock pelted against the arms he'd crossed over his face, and he landed a good five feet back with a wince.

The Deathstalker screeched and went after him. It ignored Pyrrha and Ruby on either side of it, and even seemed uncaring of all the others arranged around.

"It's just going for me. What do I do?"

"Kill it!"

Jaune nodded and drew his sword. He couldn't transform… not with everyone watching. Instead, it was all he could do to fight it like any other human would.

"Oh," Remy deadpanned, "Now I see the problem."

With a roar of his own, Jaune slammed the blade his father had given him into the Grimm. The sound it made echoed across the clearing, but that was the only thing it really did. He bounced away from the armoured carapace, arms vibrating.

"You know, sometimes it's easy to forget how you're basically useless with a sword."

"Could you actually help, please?" Jaune growled as he ducked under a claw that would have torn his head off.

"R-Right," Ruby nodded, having overheard and apparently mistaken him as talking to her. She cut across the clearing with her scythe deployed, but her attack was about as effective as his. With her smaller frame, she was flung back to land in the grass – and it was to his horror that he saw the monster turn to her.

"Ruby!" He dashed forward, eyes already shifting as he prepared to transform. Screw his disguise and screw what the others would say – he'd save her.

White flickered past him, and the decision was taken out of his hands.

"Don't just charge right in," Weiss rebuked as she blocked the Deathstalker's pincers with a wall of ice. "Seriously, I know you're just a child but have you even heard of strategy?"

"I-I just wanted to help Jaune!" Ruby cried.

"I know," the older girl sighed, "I can't fault you for helping my partner. Just… be careful and work as a group. You don't need to prove yourself to me."

"Ruby," Jaune gasped as he reached her. He pulled her up and inspected her for injuries, but apart from looking a little embarrassed and shuffling her feet beneath his gaze, she seemed uninjured. "Thank you Weiss, thank you."

"W-Well, I was hardly going to allow her to be killed."

"Less talk, more fight," Nora yelled as she slammed a hammer down atop the Deathstalker's skull. The back of weapon ignited and an explosion rocked the Grimm's shell. That did little to stop it, however, and as the three of them rushed back to stand with the others he saw it continue to flail and hiss.

"It's huge," Blake whispered, "I've never seen so large a Grimm."

"I have," he whispered without thinking. "Ah, it was a while ago," he added when he noticed her shocked expression. "S-Shouldn't we focus on putting this one out of its misery first?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Yang grinned. "Let's go pound it."

She was yanked back by her partner, who shook his head. "It's well-armoured and protected but only has its tail and claws to attack," Ren said. "We should split up and attack it from both sides, looking for weaknesses."

Weiss nodded to the plan. "Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and I shall take the left flank. The rest of you take the right."

"Remy?"

"Might as well go along with it," the parasite said, "They know more about fighting as a human than you do."

That was true, and with a mental shrug he chased after his partner as she dashed to the left of the Grimm. Her height looked so small compared to it, and yet her speed was enough to lift her away from its claws when it turned to her.

He readied Crocea Mors in his hand, his shield in the other. He didn't think he could actually swing at it… it was sick, not evil. It felt too cruel. But if it tries to hurt my friends, I'll have no choice. From the flash of fire he saw from the other side, it looked like the rest had already gotten involved.

"Jaune, keep its attention," Weiss called, "Pyrrha try to hit the tail, Ruby – you're the fastest so go for any weak points you can but be careful."

"Got it," the two girls said and leapt into action.

Jaune… was less sure. Distract it? How was he supposed to do that? He jogged forwards but came to a slow stop a little out of its reach. "Hey," he called, feeling more than a little useless, "Look at me."

It did. With a twist so sudden he thought he might have imagined it, its eyes seemed to shift over to him – before its entire bulk followed. Weiss cursed at the sudden change and dodged back, but it gave the girl with the black bow a chance to cut a shallow line in its stinger. Orange liquid oozed out, but the Deathstalker hardly seemed to register it.

It was focused wholly on him.

It… recognises me? It seemed too strange to be true, and yet there was that spark of intellect in its gaze. It knew who he was, and yet in direct contrast to every other Grimm, it felt no desire to be subservient. It didn't bow or wait, but rather sought to rip and tear the flesh from his bones. He hefted the shield before him and prepared for its attack.

The blow struck him like a hammer. The force of it had his bones rattling, yet his unique physiology, so similar, but just a little tougher, than a human's, had him able to grit his teeth and bear through it. The stinger didn't puncture the steel and instead slammed into the ground beside him.

"I've got it!" Ruby yelled. She streaked over his head like a red comet, and there was a flash of silver as the Grimm's tail was severed in one, wicked slice. It screeched in pain, and the pure agony in that sound was enough to make his eyes water.

It has to be this way! Weiss locked two legs down with ice as the Grimm tried to chase Ruby, and the moment's distraction was all that was necessary for Lie Ren to dash in and fire a shot into one of its eyes. The organ popped and disappeared as another roar sounded. I'm sorry!

"HA!" Yang yelled and slammed a fist into another leg. A blast of fire and air came from her fists, and the limb shattered with a horrific crack.

I didn't mean for this to happen.

The hunters plucked and plucked until the threat was destroyed, like so many smaller insects crawling over a wounded predator. One leg after another was disabled, and with its stinger already transfixed into the ground, the beast fell down with a mighty heave. It tried to rise, but it had lost too much and collapsed with a sigh.

Jaune stepped forward.

"Are you mad?" Weiss grabbed his sleeve. "It's unable to move and dying. There's no need to risk ourselves any further."

His breath hitched. "Look at it," he growled, and glared at her. "It's in agony. I'm not going to let it end like that. I'm going to put it out of its misery."

"It's a Grimm," Blake pointed out.

"It still feels pain… or did you not hear the way it screamed?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked away with a conflicted expression. It didn't matter, and no one tried to stop him as he strode forward, Crocea Mors in hand.

"This is what you want to be," Remy whispered, "You can't act out like that if you want to avoid suspicion."

"I know…"

He knew. It was just so hard.

The Deathstalker's lone eye followed him as he approached, and this time it made no real effort to attack him. It breathed out once, a long, rattling hiss. To his surprise, its claws remained on the grass, and its red eye didn't seem angry at all. It didn't seem mad, either. It looked tired.

Relieved…

"You wanted this," Jaune whispered, "didn't you?"

Its carapace heaved.

"That's why you attacked me… because you knew I could end it. You followed us because you wanted the pain to stop."

Its lone, red eye closed, and it lowered its face down onto the grass.

Something angry burned behind his eyes, but he took a deep breath and settled his sword point on the middle of its head. It hadn't asked for this. It hadn't wanted to be trapped in a mountain all its life. It hadn't wanted to learn to live and feel, only to perceive its tiny, lonely cage. He wrapped both hands around the hilt and thrust it down.

The Deathstalker sighed.

Jaune sighed too, and turned back to the others as he slowly sheathed the blade. They watched him. No weapons were drawn, however, so at least they weren't about to attack. In fact, they seemed more shocked than anything... wide eyes and curious gazes as he walked back to them with a weak smile.

"That was a kind gesture," Pyrrha said.

"Kinder than it would have shown any human." Ren added.

He shook his head and tried to banish his fatigue. "That doesn't make it okay for us to do the same. If I can show mercy, I will."

"And if it had attacked you?" Weiss asked. "What if it had killed you?"

"It wouldn't have been able to."

The heiress' eyes narrowed. "What on Remnant are you?" she asked.

"Me?" Jaune said, with a tired smile. "I'm just a normal guy."

/-/

Pyrrha looked to her new teammate once more, now back at Beacon but still just as concerned as she had been before. The look on his face, what he'd said and the actions he'd taken… she couldn't fault him. She didn't think any of them could. Phrased like he had, and with how the Grimm had looked, killing it had been a mercy it perhaps didn't deserve. But he felt it did… and that was all that mattered.

He stood with them now, and his expression seemed easier than it had before, somehow more relaxed. Ruby whispered something to him and he laughed in response and nudged her back. Those two were close, even if Ruby had a strange tendency to suddenly blush and stammer around him at random moments.

Perhaps she could come to know him better too. The thought pleased her, since she'd thought that avenue lost when she took Ruby as a partner.

But the headmaster called them up together, which meant that much like the others before them, along with the newly named Team RYBN, or Ribbon, led by Ren, they were going to be a team of four themselves.

"Me? I'm just a normal guy."

The way he'd said it, so exhausted and soft - like he had barely expected them to believe it... the words had stuck with her. He was anything but normal. The fact he'd survived the Nevermore said as much, and she could see people in the crowd gasp and whisper as they realised just who he was. Some pointed, others whispered, and he ignored it all with ease, eyes focused on the headmaster. It wasn't just the Nevermore, though. The way he'd taken the Deathstalker's stinger with ease, or the complete lack of fear he'd shown when he approached the injured – but still very dangerous creature.

He wasn't normal.

He was compassionate, sweet - and so very powerful. He had to be, to have had so little trouble with the initiation. She didn't even think she could have fought off a Nevermore once it had her in its claws. It was a surprise she hadn't heard of him before, perhaps in the tournament circles. Someone so skilled must have been as famous as she wa-...

Her heart skipped a beat. Could he be… was he…?

"I'm just normal."

"There's nothing unusual about me."

"I'm an ordinary guy."

And her own response…

"I'm a normal girl too." She hadn't said that because she was... but because it was what she desperately wished to be. And he'd smiled when she'd said it, as though enjoying some secret joke. Was he the same as her? Had he come to Beacon hoping for a new start, to avoid the fame and expectations of his past? Was that the difference between them, that where she had simply attempted to fade into the background, devoid of any hope of it actually succeeding, he had gone out of his way to appear unassuming, to appear idiotic and simple?

Was it all a ruse, just to try and appear like a normal person and not the prodigy he was? The thought of it made her throat go dry.

And perhaps he had known her too, for it certainly seemed unusual that he'd failed to recognise either Weiss or her by name, suspiciously convenient, now that she thought about it. Weiss had been right - the SDC were known everywhere. You couldn't not know them. But Jaune, in his compassion, having realised what she was trying to do… had pretended not to know her. Because he understood what it felt like to want to be a normal person.

Had he done all of that, just for her?

Yes… that had to be it. His strength, his skill and his ability to survive the Grimm all spoke of advanced training, but for some reason he wanted to hide it. He wanted to be normal. For that, and for how he'd offered her the same courtesy, she would keep his secret. She would keep it... but she would get to know him better too. Perhaps they could share stories. Perhaps she'd finally found someone who understood.

"And for collecting the knight pieces," Ozpin orated, "We have Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose and Pyrrha Nikos. Henceforth you shall be known as Team WJRP – or Team Whirlpool, led by Weiss Schnee."

Team whirlpool… it was a creative use of their names, but not one Pyrrha found herself too displeased with. At least they hadn't been called Team wrapping paper or something similar. The headmaster finished with an explanation of their dorms and lessons, ending with congratulating them on their success and wishing them well. Weiss preened through it all, clearly pleased with having been selected to lead them.

Well... I suppose the team isn't as bad as I first feared.

"Hey," Jaune grinned and turned to them. "We're sharing a room, then? I guess I get to sleep with you after all, Ruby."

Pyrrha blinked as she felt Ruby disappear behind her once more.

Poor Rubaby. She isn't ready for this, even if it's not this and neither of them truly know what `this` is. I had fun messing up the teams here, though I do know a lot of people were commenting or suggesting Nora for his partner. It would be easy for me to say "Nah, I chose Weiss," but I thought I could take a second to explain it too - just so everyone can understand why. It's spoiler free and might be useful advice for other writers.

Mini-lesson, or "Why Weiss"

Believe it or not, but comedy comes from conflict and it's necessary that there be conflict in order for comedy to exist. For instance, Mr Bean is comedic because we see a strange and oblivious man in very serious and normal situations. Kingsman is also comedic because the main character is a chav in a posh world (again, conflict of character).

If we were to see (or read) about an idiot character going through normal life while people laugh at them, that would be quite an upsetting story - but take that same character and make them Prime Minister, and then have them somehow save the world through their idiocy and prove everyone wrong - and that's comedy.

In this story, it's perhaps obvious why Ruby and Pyrrha are on his team, so that only leaves one person left. Nora is the easy and obvious choice for more comic relief, but that leaves the team without a normalizing agent, something for Jaune's awkwardness to clash and conflict with. In a sense, Nora would encourage and enable Jaune to be a bit of an idiot and wouldn't give him the chance to learn or improve in any way. The team would also face the same issue, with no one to act as the rock which grounds the team in reality. A lot of the comedy in this story comes from Jaune (the outsider) reacting and learning what it means to be normal, but if the team blindly accepts all of his faults without comment (as Nora would), then that conflict is lost. Jaune does something silly and everyone laughs about it and it's forgotten.

With that in mind, Weiss was really the "only" person who could fit. Ren would surrender to Nora, Blake would be quiet and Yang might just laugh and find it funny - but Weiss is the only one controlling and disciplined enough to try and change things - to create that conflict between Jaune the outsider and the normal world. Yes, Jaune could conflict with other teams and people like Ozpin, etc, but that would still leave the comedy within his team as a little weak - basically watered down to Jaune says or does something that he thinks is normal but everyone else finds awkward but Nora leaps in and supports him with her own madness. They all accept it and move on with a laugh.

Sadly, that drains a lot of the comedy away - especially if his awkward words have no consequences.

So, the lesson in a sense is that sometimes when you're writing a story you need to think further ahead, for while Nora and Jaune would have made an amusing and explosive partnership early on, it would have complications later that leave the story dragging on.

Next Chapter: 15th February

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur