Team RWBY Dorm (Day)
"That was a risky move." Weiss told her partner. Ruby and Gregory had just come back from a meeting with Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Ironwood about what they saw last night. Ruby ended up lying and telling them that the masked woman hinted at a base in the southeast.
"I think you handled it well." Blake said.
"I hope so." Ruby said to herself.
"Well, look on the bright side. Now Ozpin knows where to strike." Dominic said with a smile. "Now we can just sit back and watch as the White Fang's plans crumble into... I had the perfect analogy ready. What was it?"
"Dust?" Ivy suggested.
"No, it was something else. It'll come back to me eventually." the pyromancer said, earning him an eye-roll from his teammate.
"Okay, then." Yang blanched. Then, she remembered something important. "Oh! Ruby, I know something that might cheer you up!" the Brawler said as she retrieved a cylindrical package from her desk.
"What's that?" Ruby asked.
"Dunno. Mom and Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together." Yang explained, unaware of her brother staring at the parcel.
'There's something alive in there.' Dominic realized.
"Ooh! A package from home!" Ruby said excitedly, using her Semblance to jump onto her sister's back. Yang, completely unaffected by the extra weight, shook the package, causing a black/white cylinder to fall out. The cylinder split in two, revealing two vastly different creatures. The first was a black/white corgi with beady eyes and pointed ears. The second was a round, white cat with no distinguishing features. "Zwei!" Ruby exclaimed, cuddling the dog.
"Schrodinger!" Gregory said, doing the same with the cat. Nobody noticed, but the feline's eyes narrowed once they saw Dominic.
"Your parents sent your pets!?" Weiss asked, not entirely able to comprehend the situation she was in.
"In the mail!?" Blake finished, wary of the canine.
"How is that even possible!?" Ivy asked, wondering what kind of people could do something like this.
"Oh, they do stuff like this all the time." Yang explained as Zwei licked his owner's face.
"Your parents or the animals?" Connor asked. Dominic responded with a shrug.
Weiss approached Ruby, then lowered herself to Zwei's level. "Are you telling me that this mangy, drooling, mutt is-" The Schnee cut herself off by doing a baby-voice, apparently now loving the dog. "Going to live with us forever? Yes he is! Yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable?"
"Care to explain?" Dominic asked his partner, who merely shrugged in response. "Touche."
"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake said, hiding on Ruby's bed.
"Would all first-year students please report to the Amphitheater." the intercom said, reminding the Teams about what they were going to be doing today.
"Well, we can't exactly leave them here while we're gone for a week." Weiss said.
"Look, there's a letter." Yang said as she reached into the package to get a small piece of paper. "Dear kids, we've got to leave the island for a few days, so we're sending Zwei and Schrodinger to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you all, Mom and Dad." Yang turned the package over, letting gravity empty it for her. As soon as she did so, hundreds of pet food cans fell onto the floor.
"What are they supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked, confused.
Yang shook the package a bit more, causing a can opener to fall out. "Well, that settles it! C'mon, they'll be here when we get back." the blonde said before leaving.
Once Weiss, Blake, Connor, and Ivy left, Dominic turned to his brother. "Don't." he said.
"Don't what?" Gregory asked, playing dumb.
"I've known you your entire life. You really think I wouldn't catch that look in your eye?" the Knight explained. "Under no circumstances can we bring Zwei or Schrodinger with us."
"Why not!?" Ruby asked.
"Did you already forget what happened the last time you brought them on a school trip?" Dominic asked rhetorically. Ruby and Gregory went silent at the reminder.
"In our defense, that kid was exaggerating his pain." Gregory said.
"He lost his arm!" Dominic scolded.
"They were able to reattach it." Gregory said, trying to win the argument.
"We're not bringing them. End. Of. Story." Dominic finished, walking out the door. After he was gone, Ruby and Gregory looked at eachother, then to their respective pets.
Amphitheater (Day)
"Quiet! Quiet please." Goodwitch said to the crowd, standing on the platform with Ozpin. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."
"Today, we stand together...united." the headmaster began. "Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly 80 years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: Color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first-year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you will be taken out of the Kingdom for several days, others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."
Dominic's eye flashed red while he processed those words. 'One day...' he thought silently as his eye returned to it's normal hue.
"This is perfect." Ruby said to her teammates, as well as Team XICR. "All we have to do is shadow Huntsmen working in the southeast."
"Yeah! We follow them around by day and give them the slip at night." Yang said, repeating a line she heard in an old spy movie.
"What are the odds we find two missions in the southeast?" Ivy asked.
"Slim. We should split up and check 'Search And Destroy'." Weiss said, leading the others to that part of the Amphitheater.
"Here we go. Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out." Ruby said, pointing to a mission that hadn't been taken yet.
"Well, it's in the southeast." Blake said.
"Sounds perfect!" Yang exclaimed.
Ruby typed in her Team's name, only for the system to block her out. "Wonderful." Weiss said sarcastically.
"Hey, guys." Dominic said as he and his teammates returned to the group. "You got locked out too?"
"Yeah. Why would they put up the mission if first-years couldn't take it?" Yang complained.
"We could always mail ourselves there." Gregory suggested, his younger twin agreeing wholeheartedly.
"Well, that's one option." Ozpin said, walking up to the group from behind. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the eight of you will make your way there no matter which job you choose."
Yang, Weiss, Blake, Dominic, Gregory, Connor, and Ivy all stared at Ruby, who laughed sheepishly. "Whatever makes you say that?" she asked, trying to remain calm under pressure. Emphasis on 'trying'.
"I'm still curious how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a 'hideout' in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago." Ozpin said, referring to their past exploits. "I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for. So, how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" The headmaster got out his Scroll and pushed a few buttons, removing the restriction of who could take the mission.
"We won't let you down! Thank you, Professor!" Ruby said, surprised that Ozpin would do this for them.
"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you this far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care." the man warned. "Stay close to your Huntsmen at all times and do exactly as they say. They will be leading you on this mission and they can have you all sent back to Beacon if they find your skills unsatisfactory." That left the group unsure of themselves. The plan may be in jeopardy. "Good luck." he said before leaving.
Courtyard (Day)
"That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang said as she and the others walked to the Bullhead that would take them to their mission.
"But it's the truth." Blake said, knowing firsthand what lurked outside Vale's walls.
"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it!" Ruby exclaimed, trying to lift her teammates' spirits.
"Is that Team CFVY?" Connor asked, pointing to a team that slowly walked back to Beacon.
"Velvet, are you okay?" Blake asked her fellow Faunus.
"I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." the second-year replied, gesturing to her bulky teammate.
"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago. What happened?" Weiss asked, worried.
"Nothing happened. It was just...there were so many." Velvet said, oblivious of the horrified looks that Teams RWBY and XICR were giving her. "Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."
"Right." Yang said, knowing there was more to the story than that.
"I should go. Be safe, okay?" Velvet said as she left, going back to her Team.
"I don't think she knows the proper meaning of the phrase 'Don't worry'." Dominic said to himself, thinking about the oncoming battles they would inevitably have to face on this mission.
"We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now." Ruby said, trying to hype up her teammates.
"Right." Blake said, standing by her Leader.
"Besides. It won't be just us out there. We'll be fighting alongside genuine Huntsmen!" Ruby exclaimed, excited.
"Yeah!" Yang said in agreement.
"Who are we shadowing, anyway?" Dominic asked his brother.
"I'm checking. Looks like we have-" Gregory stopped suddenly after he read the name.
"Well, who is it?" Dominic asked, taking his brother's Scroll to read the name. His eyes went wide once he did. "Oh, we're dead."
The sound of footsteps alerted Blake to someone approaching the group. "Why hello, children! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Oobleck asked, leaving everyone speechless.
"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss said in disbelief.
However, he wasn't the only Huntsman who'd be joining them. From behind him, a thin, bald man wearing a basic green shirt, blue pants, and brown shoes walked up to Gregory. "OH, HI!" he said in a loud, nasal voice, greeting the boy, who was trying his best to not run in terror.
"Uh, Dominic, who is that?" Ivy asked, wary of the strange man.
"Ivy, meet Mr. Baldimore. He was our math teacher back at Signal. Gregory was his best student." the blonde explained, purposefully leaving out a very important detail about the man's teaching methods. "I guess he transferred to Beacon at some point."
"I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary. Seeing as you've opted to shadow Huntsmen on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission, I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations. Rather, we'll be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all the essentials myself, plotted the air course, and readied the airship. And, it's DOCTOR Oobleck." That last part was directed at Weiss. "I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much. Come now, children! According to my schedule, we are already 3 minutes behind...schedule." After that, Oobleck sped to the Bullhead at speeds no human should be able to move. Baldi followed soon after, not making any noise as he walked to the vehicle.
"Well, alright then." Ruby said, taking in this new information. "Looks like we're going to save the world with Mr. Baldi and Dr. Oobleck- Okay, yeah, when you say it out loud it sounds worse."
"SAVE THE WORLD!?" Nora asked, surprising the group as she walked with the rest of Team JNPR. "You're going on world-saving missions without us!? I'm hurt! Sad! Maybe a little hungry? The last one's not your fault though. Ren." The ginger-haired girl glared at her partner, who just ignored her.
"Sounds exciting! Where are you going?" Jaune asked.
"Oh, just outside the Kingdom." Ruby answered.
"Hey, so are we!" Nora said.
"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village." Pyrrha explained.
"We set out tomorrow." Ren said.
"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune said, walking up to the group with Sun. "We're shadowing a crimes specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges!" Unsurprisingly, this was enough to impress Jaune.
"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk." Sun said eloquently. "So, we thought this might be a better way to check out the Kingdom when it's-"
"Not seconds away from being blown into oblivion?" Dominic finished, guessing the strange Faunus' words.
"FOUR MINUTES!" Oobleck yelled, still at the Bullhead. Team JNPR, Sun, and Neptune all gave the main group sorry looks.
"Well, wish us luck." Ruby said, turning around and making her way to her instructor, an action that was taken by her allies as well.
Bullhead (Day)
"I guess I never saw you as much of a fighter." Weiss told Oobleck as their transportation flew above the Kingdom.
"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual. But I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles." Oobleck said, calming the Schnee's nerves a bit.
"Like the mushroom?" Ruby asked, not having heard the word 'tussles' before.
"Those are truffles." Blake said, only serving to confuse the Rose further.
"Like the sprout?" Ruby asked.
"Those are brussels." Yang answered.
"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history, as well as my dabblings in the archeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular assignment!" Oobleck said, rather enthusiastic about the situation.
"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asked.
"Everything." Dominic said. "I saw our destination on the horizon. If I had to describe the place to you in one word, it'd be history."
"Indeed, young Xiao-Long." Oobleck said to the blonde, commending his thoughts on history. "The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves. But it is also the location of one of the Kingdom's greatest failures."
"Mountain Glenn." Connor said, looking into the distance, almost as if he was remembering something. "Vale tried expanding to a nearby mountain range, but the population of Grimm eventually overpowered the Huntsmen there. Now, it's just a husk of what could've been a great city."
"Correct. And now it stands, abandoned. Serving as a dark reminder." Oobleck said, staring down at the ruined structures.
"And a likely place for a hideout." Blake added, thinking back to her time in the White Fang.
"Precisely." Oobleck said, adjusting his glasses. After a few minutes, the Bullhead was close enough to the ground for the two Teams, plus their teachers, to safely exit. "You may still be students, but as of this moment your first mission as Huntsmen and Huntresses has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as Mr. Baldimore and I say. Do you understand?" Everyone nodded at that. His eyes then turned to Ruby. "Ruby, I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."
"But you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't." Ruby said, producing a half-baked explanation for her disobedience.
"She's not wrong." Oobleck said to himself, shocking Weiss that her partner's idea actually worked. "Very well, Ruby. Leave your bag here. We can pick it up upon our return." Ruby stuttered a bit, trying to convince the doctor to let her keep the backpack. "Young lady! What in the world could you possibly have in your bag that could be so important to bring it with-" At that exact moment, Zwei and Schrodinger poked their heads out of the bag, surprising everyone and enraging Dominic.
"What! Did! I! Say!?" the blonde yelled, sweltering heat pouring from his body. It was only thanks to Gregory's presence that none of them burst into flames.
"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle, teeming with death and hostility, and you brought a dog and a cat!?" Oobleck asked, surprisingly intimidating. "GENIUS!"
"Who-in-the-what-now?" Dominic asked, confused by the professor's mixed signals. Oobleck sped past the group, grabbing Zwei and knocking down Ruby in the process.
"Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of smell, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours. Felines possess these traits as well, but to a lesser degree." Oobleck explained, leaving everyone dumbfounded at the radical shift in tone.
"I'm a genius." Ruby said to herself, making Yang face-palm.
"So, what are your orders, Doctor?" Blake asked.
"Ah, yes. Straight to the chase. I like it." the man said, dropping Zwei onto the ground. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being...Grimm."
"Wait, what?" Gregory asked, unsure of what the professor meant.
"Grimm. A Creature Of Grimm, approximately 100 yards from us at this moment." Oobleck said, instantly putting everyone on their guard. The group turned around to see a lone Beowulf making it's way across the street. Weiss prepared to attack before Oobleck put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "There are a number of reasons why Grimm would congregate in this particular area, the most likely being their attraction to negativity. Sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent."
"You want to use it to find where the White Fang is hiding." Connor deduced.
"Yes. If this specimen can lead us to the rest of it's pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." Oobleck explained, gazing at the ebony beast as it moved about the area.
"How long do we wait for that to happen?" Blake asked.
"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months- And there's the whole pack." Oobleck said, a horde of Beowulves appearing in the desolate road. "And now they've seen us."
"Oh, sheep." Dominic said, knowing that a pack of this size would likely result in some injuries.
"I take it tracking is out of the question?" Ruby asked.
"An accurate assumption, yes." Oobleck confirmed.
"Then what's the plan?" Ivy asked, getting her knives ready as the Grimm ran closer to them.
"Show me what you're all capable of." Oobleck said, making Dominic smile in anticipation.
"Cover your ears, Zwei." Ruby said to the dog, who crouched down, covering it's ears.
Zwei
Age: 5
Gender: Male
Species: Corgi
Semblance: Living Ammunition
Element: Fire
Battle Class: Bazooker
Schrodinger
Age: 3
Gender: Male
Species: Normal Cat
Semblance: Meatshield
Element: Undead
Battle Class: Brawler
Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Semblance: Manic Speed
Element: Fire
Battle Class: Bazooker
Professor Micah Baldimore
Age: 12+30
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Semblance: Math
Element: Magic
Battle Class: Smasher