(As the story keeps going I'm...slightly worried something came out...I'm scared actually. It maybe just spooks, but I'm worried about something tampering with the story here. The update is gone, but I didn't remove it. Ah, just look at me being paranoid. Don't mind me, just the story.)
Field Interviewing
"Come on! This is gonna be fun! Just you guys, me and Scaly here!" Professor Peach chirps putting her opposite in a headlock, "Isn't that great?"
"Thrilling as always Amber." Professor Scale mumbles, but he gets a smack on the head causing him to wince a bit.
"Shut up Gray." Peach scorns before looking back at the four of us, "So! Are you guys ready to get going? I got the sleeping bags!" She says turning around to show a backpack
Well, not like we have a choice really. They're good people but they're absolutely nuts, mostly Peach.
"We're all ready." I tell her with a shrug, she beams and rushes to us. Taking us by force to the Bullhead with us getting choked along with Scale, but once we're inside we all take our seats and put on our seat belts. Gotta have safety when flying through the air.
Doesn't this seem like fun?
Kinda. Hey, you know where Cain is at?
Doing shady shit, as per usual involving the baldy. Him and the tree jellyfish, and by that I mean the Elder Thing
Dula?
Yeah. Anyways, I'm gonna check out. Catch ya later mayfly!
Sure thing pyro.
So, time goes by once the door closes and the ride takes off. And it all comes down to waiting...and waiting...and more waiting. Until we stop, the door opens up and we get out of our seats after unfastening our seat belts.
"Alright gentlemen! Listen closely!" Scale announces loudly over the sound of the Bullhead's engine, "We will be entering wilderness several miles away from a ruined city! Ms. Peach and I will evaluate you each on your abilities and the like!"
"By the way!" Peach adds in, "Do any of you remember initiation?"
Oh God...OH GOD NO!
"Umm...can't we just use parachutes?" I ask nervously
"Nope! Can't do that!"
"Can we just land down first?" Silas asks with hands stretched out
"Nu-uh!"
"Landing Strategy?" Uriah sighs, Peach gives a nod. "Shit."
And so, one by one we all file out and make our decent, I end up speeding onto the ground first. Stopping by hooking Cerberus in scythe form onto one of the tree limbs before dropping to the ground itself.
Uriah comes in second by having a pair of portals on the ground, once he goes through the first he shoots out of the other right next to me. And the portals then vanish.
Silas comes in third due to hitting the brakes by digging his axes into a large tree, slowly coming to a halt. Once stopped he comes in and Roy finishes last by simply hovering to the ground.
"Nice form guys." Roy says in congratulations, "Really fine things you did there."
"We give you an A for making it down. And F for making us feel envy." Silas tells the tinkerer dryly.
"Well that's a bit bipolar don't you think Spot?" Roy asks the wolf Faunus back with his arms crossed and him leaning in. Thanks to me and Uriah we have corrupted an innocent mind into sounding kind of like an asshole.
I'm so proud.
Finally, our good teachers come in. Peach just crashes in, while Scale floats down with his umbrella extended out which he then puts away once he's touched the ground.
"Now then!" Peach exclaims pointing upwards, "We should go and find a place to-" she gets cut off by the sounds of growling and snarling, she just sighs irritably and tosses her head back. "For fuck's sake."
And out of the woods comes a pack of Beowolves and Ursi, I take a look to each of my friends and back up slightly. "Well, guess we were a little loud in our entrance!" Uriah says grinning
"Any orders?" I ask the two teachers, they look to one another and grin.
"Well, the answer is simple." Scale says with a tip of his shades
"Show us what ya got." Peach tells, pure and simple. I grin and look to my dear brothers in arms.
"Alright guys, LET'S DANCE!" I order with adrenaline rushing through me. The four of us scatter out, me and Silas leap into the crowed of Ursi where we immediately begin blocking and dodging swipes and bites. However I start spinning my scythe around like a turbine and cut down a pair quickly while Silas blasts others with his own weapons.
From what I can see Roy is smashing his fists through the heads of Beowolves while Uriah either climbs onto them to put a round into the back of their heads using his weapon's revolver form. Or just simply cuts them to ribbons with the other function of knives.
As the fight progresses, something comes in. Looks human enough: except for the fact that it's covered in an orange chitin, the thing rushing the Grimm and just being down right cruel for them. Tearing off their arms to just beat them around with them, tripping them to the ground before crushing their heads, splitting their heads open with it's bare hands.
"I'm...I'm a tad bit afraid of that thing." I say more than a little uncomfortably, watching it chase a Beowolf with a missing leg. The thing catches up and tears the Grimm open at the midsection, tossing both sides away. The thing looks at us and waves, the sound of cracking and the chitin sheds off quickly to reveal...professor Peach?
"Whoops! My bad kids!" She says apologetically, "Semblance!"
"If I may cut in!" Scale calls out before walking past us, "We should keep progressing, find a place to camp out. Wouldn't want to have to deal with being in the dark, has to be a place where the Grimm wouldn't really go near due to a lack of interest."
We look to one another and nod, we march off through the woods. Looking around in case of more Grimm popping up.
"Hey uh, professor Scale?" Roy speaks, "I don't mean to sound rude but I didn't really expect you to be beyond the staying back kind of Huntsman."
The professor just chuckles, "My boy fighting is an art, one I love to partake in. The battlefield and it's combatants are a canvas to be painted upon, the weapons and skills they have are the brushes they have, when two people fight against one another it can have many emotions arise. Anger, Joy, Sorrow, Fear, they are all the paints the artist has in possession. Win or loose, a painting is made in the hearts of the two warriors."
"IIIIII...I don't think I'm following." Uriah says utterly confused, I'm with him there
"Don't listen to him kids he's just full of crap." Peach verbally jabs her partner, "A fight is a fight. Simple as that."
"Philistine." Professor Scale shoots back at her utterly cool and calm
"Hippie." Peach replies dryly, however we come upon a clearing. Some trees and a small and clear pond, twigs all around. Place seems like a good spot to camp.
"Anyways." Scale sighs, "Some of us should probably split up for now. Uriah, you may come with me."
Uriah's expression turns a bit sour, "What for?"
"For a more private viewing of your combat skills, and I'll ask a question for you there." Scale explains, and Uriah darts his eyes around nervously
"This better not be code for 'I'm gonna murder you in the woods as part of my evil plan'." Uriah drawls out
"I'd say I'm on the opposite spectrum of murdering." Scale states factually, dry
"Aaaaanyways!" Peach cuts in awkwardly, "How about you come with me Roy? It'll be like what Scale has in mind, but better!"
"How so?" Roy asks tilting his head
"Because it involves me!"
"Don't mean to cut in, but what are Axel and I going to do?" Silas asks with his lupine ears twitching
"Yeaaaah I think I got any idea." I say pointing to my dear Faunus friend
"You and Axel will be setting up a campfire, once we come back here you two may come with us." Scale says with a tilt of his triangle shades, I look to Silas and we both grimace
"Can we at least have a lighter for starting a fire?" Silas asks, "Pleeeeeeeeeease?"
"A true Huntsman must use whatever resources he or she may find!" Peach proudly states with a fist over her chest
"So you don't have one?" I ask, professor Peach just gives me a narrow glare sharp enough to split hairs. Eeugh.
"Alright, off we go." Scale says, "We'll be back in a few hours."
"Good luck guys." Silas says
"Thanks Wolfy." Uriah replies with a grin, Silas just shakes his head and smirks
"Be safe." I add in
"We more than likely won't!" Roy says cheerfully, with our temporary goodbyes said. The two huntsmen, the gunman and tinkerer set off.
"Wanna wait a few minutes?" I ask Silas curiously, he shakes his head
"Maybe an hour."
"Sounds good."
Uriah's POV, one hour later
I slide under one of the Beowolves and slice it in the gut, forming a portal underneath before flipping back from the second Grimm's claw strikes. I form another portal underneath that one, it drops through to the other side where I twist my body around to shoot it. And a fine landing.
"Excellent performance Mr. Greene!" Scale congratulates
"Thanks. I just do what I do." I tell him simply and humbly
"Now tell me Uriah: Why pick this as a line of work?"
"What?" I ask, he takes off his shades and just gives me a nod. "Ah, well I fight these monsters here and save a few-"
"No. That is what a Huntsman does. I'm asking why you want to do this." Professor Scale corrects, "Honesty is the best policy. So don't lie to me."
"Hmm...let me try and put it into words for a moment." I mutter, it takes me around five seconds but I got it. "Well this here is just a job." I tell him, "Something that I gotta do: I come in at a certain time, I do a certain thing, rinse and repeat. This is a paycheck for me. I'm not too shabby with a weapon, so I figured that I could do this."
"Uh-huh, I see." Scale mutters
Do you really believe that Uriah?
...I don't wanna talk about this Yig. Not yet.
Of courssssse. I underssssssstand.
I gotta think on this.
Roy's POV
"So Roy, you've shown yourself to be a great guy involving tech and the like. Why pick this instead of being an engineer or an architect?" Professor Peach asks me
"It's easy really: I'm sure that I'd end up being picked up by some weapons manufacturer or something like that, I'd certainly be paid well but I don't want to use my knowledge for making the world that much more miserable." I tell her, "I just hope one day that someone will hear out the ideas that I have and will at least try to help me make them come true. I just wanna help people."
"Interesting!" Peach says scribbling down something
So that's what you really believe?
Yeah, that's what I think'll happen. Why ask?
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT SOMEONE WON'T JUST LAUGH AT YOUR IDEAS?
I...I-I haven't thought about that...huh.
Silas' POV
After Uriah and Roy came back, Axel and I had a fire set up. Peach got out some sleeping bags and I got pulled away by professor Scale. So now he and I are just searching through the woods for Grimm.
Nothing yet.
"I asked Uriah about why he wishes to be a Huntsman, Peach asked Roy. So what about you? Why do this? You seem to be an apathetic sort."
Guess it was coming eventually, I sigh out before speaking. "To me the world is a glass that's half empty on the best of days. Everyone is dragged kicking and screaming into it, no matter what position in life you hold." I take a look at him and give a shrug, "I just want to show people that the world isn't so bad. Fill the glass a little more. Give hope."
"Admirable. How will you do it?" Professor Scale asks, I can feel myself paralyzed for the moment. How will I do it?
"I...I'm not sure." I tell him, he frowns sadly looking disappointed
"Very well then."
You will find how to fulfill your goal one day
Will I though? I'm not so confident about that...
I see it in my dreams.
Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong. Maybe it's something I'm not meant to know for now.
Axel's POV
"Alright, I think we should probably head back." Peach says rubbing her hands together, "Your friends and Scale are probably going to be wondering what's happened with us."
"Are you sure about that?" I ask her
"Yeah, I'm sure. C'mon." She says throwing a hand forward, I nod and begin to follow her. As we walk I notice something in the distance, I squint my eyes and see somethings that are black.
I jump up into the trees, climbing high enough until I can see them. A herd of black and white elephants marching in a line, and beyond them the ruins of a city.
"Wow...what are those?"
"Those my student." Peach speaks scaring the crap out of me, "Are Goliaths. Grimm, old ones at that."
I smile to myself and ready my rocket launcher, "Well...the bigger they are-"
"Your rockets won't do anything to them, it'll be like a small shove to those damn things." Peach scorns me lightly, I look at her in a bit of concern.
"Won't they notice us? And...y'know, try and kill us?" I ask her, she chuckles
"No, with age comes knowledge. And experience. They won't bother us, we don't bother them." She says simply
"Then...where are they going?"
"Somewhere that isn't here, nor that city in the distance. Mountain Glenn...God that was a nightmare and a half."
"What happened?"
"You should ask Oobleck on that one, I can't explain it as well."
"Right...so what are the Grimm there doing? Why be so near there?"
"...Waiting."
"For what?" I ask her quietly, she turns her head to look at me in the eye. She looks at me, something about her look says that she's seen it happen before.
"Something bad to happen...something really bad."
Ominous.
"Hey uh, professor? I was wondering-"
"Why I haven't interrogated you yet? Well, tell me then. Why do you want to become a Huntsman?"
"Ok...well, I want to do it so I can do some good in the world. One step at a time, might as well start with this." I tell her. "What about you? Why did you want to become a Huntress?"
"You see that city?" She asks, I give her a nod. "I want to be sure that what happened there doesn't get to happen. To teach people the ways to survive in case the Grimm do steal their homes, their friends and families...so they don't have to end up hurting any more than they should."
Oddly noble for her.
I give a nod in understanding, she grin and pats my back. "Alright, time to get going." She says dropping down, I go with her after looking to the city for a few moments more.
We return back a while later, everyone sitting by the fire.
"And there you two are." Scale says with open arms, "Now everyone. Eat on up, and someone has to take guard. Anyone want to volunteer?"
"Aye." I say raising a hand, Scale gives a nod. And he and Peach make their way away from the campfire strangely enough.
"So Ax." Uriah speaks up, "Did Peach ask why you wanted to be a Huntsman? Er...what'd you tell her I mean."
"Not really in the mood for talking quite yet Uriah." I tell him simply, "Maybe in the morning." I tell him before getting up into one of the trees. I end up skipping dinner, and watch as my teammates go to sleep one by one...but there's something nagging at me.
"Hey...Silas?" I ask aloud, "You awake?"
The wolf Faunus wakes up with a half hearted yawn, "I was having trouble sleeping actually."
"Any idea why Peach and Scale asked why we want to be Huntsmen?"
"Not a clue...Roy?"
The tinkerer sits up, "Maybe they were just curious about us?" He suggests, I frown and climb down from the tree and take a knee next to the fire.
"Is that what you really think?"
"No...Uriah are-"
"Yeah, yeah I'm awake!" He groans out and sitting up as well, "What with you three jabbering."
Roy pulls out his Scroll and starts typing into it, "What're you doing?" Silas asks him curiously
"I'm going to see if I can get video feed for RWBY." He says, Uriah scoffs
"We're in the middle of the woods Roy. We're not gonna-"
The Scroll starts to show feed: Yang and Blake are awake, Weiss asleep and Ruby's out of the shot. "Oh...hey you guys." Yang says half heartedly with a wave
"Hey Angel." I say with a small smile, Uriah sighs and shakes his head.
"It's like the entire world wants to tell me I'm wrong." He complains
"What's going on? Why call us?" Blake asks us
"Did you...did you guys get asked why you wanted to be Huntresses?" Silas asks back, the two give a nod
"Yeah, Oobleck asked all of us except for Ruby." Yang recaps before looking to a sleeping Weiss, "Weiss, are you awake?" Yang asks, Weiss turns over to show her eyes open and she sits up
"Of course I'm awake! You all are talking." She says sounding a bit tired yet more annoyed, "And I think he... When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area."
"That's putting it lightly." Blake says plainly
"No kidding, more of a dark gray area." Silas adds in sarcastically, Weiss looks between the two and lets out a sigh. They're right, she knows it.
"Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it." She says, I figured things for the SDC would be bad but sheesh. If Weiss is worried he'll be the end of it, might be true.
"Well...I think I'll tell what I want if you guys don't mind." Roy says holding up a hand
"Go on ahead." I tell him, he gives a nod and looks down
"I told professor Peach that I wanted to be sure to protect regular people. And hope that someone will come to me and ask if I have any ideas for what're somethings that could be made to just improve everyone's lives." He says wistfully, he frowns and looks away. "Tsath asked if I thought of when someone would laugh at my ideas...I didn't even consider it. If I had just stayed in the workshop I would just be doing nothing but playing around with metal and wiring. I just wanna make the world better for everyone, doesn't matter who they'll be."
"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right." Blake speaks up softly, "I had a partner named Adam...he was Silas' partner as well." She says with a pause, the mere mention of the name causes Silas' face to twist into a hateful sneer. "For me he was more of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?"
"I'm sure you'd figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake." Yang tells the feline Faunus, patting her back.
"Yeah, you'll find a way at some point. And for you it may be sooner than you think." I add in to tell her, "You don't run, you're not a coward."
"But I am! I do it all the time!" She snaps sounding with a mix of self-hatred and disappointment, "When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!" She says sorrowfully
"At least you're not a monster." Silas whispers, "For me my Semblance just turns me into what the bastards who caused the White Fang to be born think." He says before clenching his teeth, "A rabid, angry beast that needs to be put down!" He seethes out, "I wanna do the same as you Blake, but I...I don't think that I can. You have a better chance than I do...because who'd want to follow a monster?"
"I think you two are reading waaaay into it. Your Semblance doesn't mean anything really." Uriah says, we all take a look at him
"You've been quiet so far." Weiss points out, "What about you?" She asks, he flinches and takes a deep breath.
"Well...I decided on this because it's the only thing that I actually could do." Uriah tells us, "I got roped in by Ozpin and now here I am...I think he realized I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else to get a job, plus...I've done a few thing that I'm not so proud of. Once I was a lying, thieving, cheating bastard. I just hope that maybe doing this will clean my conscience." He says, sounding small and afraid. Weiss looks somewhat sad, "I don't want my past catching up with me any time soon." Uriah adds in
"At least you two have something that drives you." Yang cuts in dryly, "I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that."
"Better then me." I speak finally, "For me it just feels like I'm...like I've got no choice. Your mom and dad, Qrow. They took me in. I feel like if I don't do this I won't be giving back for what they've done to help my worthless hide."
"Don't say that." Yang says sourly
"You know it's true Yang." I mutter, "I'm sure if what happened to me never happened...I don't think I'll have ever met you guys. Just been another face in a never ending ocean of people going on with their lives. And this whole Arrival thing I just-..I can't- I." I say tensed, stuttering at the end. I just let out a shaky sigh and lay my head down. "I hate fate, I really do...but I think it's laughing it's ass off at me." I mumble, I'll do my job even though I may not like it at times...Ruby's been up for this though.
"I'm not like Ruby. She wanted to be a Huntress since day one, she's dreamt about it being like the heroes in books our parents read to us when we were little. Fighting monsters and villains, helping people, saving the day, never asking for anything in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. And so she trained as hard as she could to get to where she is today."
"Well, she's still a kid." Weiss points out. True.
"She's only two years younger. We're all kids." Blake replies, also true.
"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!" Yang says excitedly
"You're right!" Roy replies, smiling brightly. "A few hours ago we all were just killing Grimm, we were slicing, blasting and smashing them."
"It's the life we chose." Blake says softly
"Well if this is the life we chose, we better get busy livin' or get busy dyin'." Uriah replies dryly with a wolfish grin, "And I'm not feeling ready for the coffin just yet."
"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress and Huntsman in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second." Weiss says with a determined, upbeat tone
"We have power. Unlike the White Fang assholes, or Cabal pricks, or some other faceless wanna be ruler of the world. We'll be sure to use it to keep people from getting hurt." I add in wistfully, Silas gives a nod and a smile. We all share our goodbyes, Roy turns off his Scroll, and we all start to sleep.
Mom, Dad. Where ever you guys are, alive or...dead. I just hope that you know that I'll be doing good.
(That's that then, I still feel a bit...why hello there readers. Your author must take hiatus from giving these messages, I shall take over instead...who am I you ask? Hmhmhmhmmm...you'll learn soon enough.)