YOOO NEW CHAPTER. I spent quite some time on this one, so I hope it is to your liking. Looking forward to progressing this story. Hope ya like it!


Chapter 6: The Search Continues

"Cover your ears, Zwei," Ruby said, prepping to fire Crescent Rose.

More beowolves charged towards them. Aside from Ruby and Oobleck, the rest pressed on towards the creatures. Lance readied his first attack as he closed in on the Grimm. He leapt forward, meeting one of the beowolves in a jump as well. Using his semblance, he shot forward, slicing the Grimm in two before it could attack.

Two more Grimm tried to attack as soon as he landed from his leap. Using the momentum from his first swing, he spun, attacking the two Grimm. Another tried to swipe down with both claws. They were met with Regalia's blade. Lance used both hands to push back against the beast. It snarled and snapped the air, but Lance kept his ground.

He mustered the strength using his aura to propel the attack to the side. In the same motion, he positioned the blade so the beowolf would fall onto Regalia. The blade pierced the creature as it released a roar. Lance further sunk the blade into it. He then stepped back, pulling the blade out of the beowolf, spinning, and decapitating it. He looked for the next immediate threat, but saw that his comrades have dispatched the rest of them.

He placed Regalia on his back, regrouping with Oobleck.

"Heh, piece of cake," Ruby said.

"Do not celebrate yet. For I am certain that this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" Oobleck said.


Lance sighed, resting Regalia on his shoulder. The slain Grimm began to disintegrate, emitting a dark smoke that dispersed shortly after it rose.

"Man, there's a whole lot more than I thought there would be."

He caught his breath and moved back to regroup once again.

"Unfortunately it doesn't seem that there's any sign of criminal operations in this sector. Oh well, moving on," Oobleck said.

Lance once again placed Regalia on his back and followed Oobleck.

"Hey doc, y'know I was actually looking forward to seeing a pro huntsman in action. Like, fighting or at least helping us fight," Yang said.

"Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once great city for any signs of irregularity."

He stopped, turning to face everyone.

"Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination. Remember, this is a job and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that."

"Well, yeah. O-of course."

Oobleck hummed his reply, raising a brow from behind his glasses. Without another word he turned and began to press on. With a sigh, Yang started to follow as everyone else followed suit.

"It's alright, Yang," Lance said, giving a smile.

"Yeah, if by 'alright' you meant totally lame, then yeah. It's alright."

"Remember why we're here, Yang," Blake chimed in.

"I get it, but still. Why are we stuck doing all the work?"

"Well, because we're students I guess. I trust Oobleck knows what he's doing, and honestly I don't mind the extra fighting. I get to brush up on fighting Grimm," Lance said.

"I guess… Still, I can't help but feel kind of disappointed. And tired," She said.

"We still got time. Maybe we'll see Oobleck in action soon enough."

"Who knows? We did just start this mission," Blake said.

"It's something to think about. Until then let's do the best we can," Lance said.

Yang smiled a small smile.

"You guys are right. Thanks."

"No problem, Yang," Blake said.

"Anytime," Lance added.

They caught up with the rest of the group and continued searching the area.


Lance sat on a curb, his weary arms resting on his knees as he looked over at his team and Oobleck. Ruby was playing with Zwei. Oobleck scanned the perimeter, looking for anything of interest. Weiss, Blake, and Yang stood together, resting and waiting for orders. Lance shut his eyes, taking advantage of the peace they had for the moment.

"Sorry! Uhhh, are we ready to keep going?" Ruby asked.

Lance opened his eyes and saw Oobleck standing over by Ruby.

"No, I believe that'll have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon," Oobleck said.

He threw a bag towards the three standing close by, which Yang caught.

"You four, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure no more of those… creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come Ruby!"

He walked off, Ruby and Zwei following.

Lance stood from his curb. He walked over to join the rest of the group.

"I'll check for Grimm. I know they said they'll check the perimeter, but I'll do a quick sweep. You guys just take care of setting up, okay?"

"Sure thing, Lance," Blake said.

"Just don't take too long. You better not be slacking off," Weiss added.

"Trust me, I won't be. I'll be back as soon as I can," Lance said taking a few paces away from the group.

He took brief mental notes of the location before walking off on his route. Lance walked on, checking alley ways and streets as he continued. He took a breath looking up at the sky. Thoughts and daydreams rushed through his mind, but before he could delve any deeper into them he heard the growls of more Beowolves.

He drew Regalia and followed the sounds. As he rounded a corner four Beowolves were sniffing out their next prey. Their attention turned to him as he stepped out in the middle of the street. Their growls became louder as they began to move in closer. Lance took a deep breath. He raised his blade and took a fighting stance. The Grimm began to pick up their pace. As they did, Lance began to run towards them, Regalia at the ready.

Using his aura, he propelled himself even faster. Before the creatures could unleash their first attack, Lance slashed through the first one. Using that same momentum, he spun and beheaded the second. He took out the third on the upswing of his sword, jumping in the air. He then slashed through the arm of the last Beowolf as it tried to defend itself.

It let out a roar, reeling back. It regained its composure and lifted its only arm to attack, but Lance was at the ready, plunging his sword into its torso. The beast went limp on Regalia. He put his foot on the corpse, pushing it off and pulling his sword away.

He looked at the four lifeless Grimm. He walked along back towards his original path, sheathing Regalia as he did.


"I can't believe we didn't find anything," Yang said.

Blake, Yang, and Weiss stood around a fire made inside of the building they'd call camp for the night. The sun was already setting and orange light spilled through the windows and few openings in the walls.

"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side," Blake said.

"That's not what I meant," Weiss said.

"Huh?"

"Earlier. About upholding the legacy. When Oobleck asked about why I wanted to be a huntress. There's more to it than just that."

"He asked me the same question too," Yang said.

She looked into the fire, taking a moment.

"Y'know, yeah. Me too. I said I was a thrill seeker wanting to help people along the way, but… I dunno…"

"I don't know either. I know that I want to make a change, but I figured I'd just take things one step at a time," Blake added.

"Well, it doesn't matter. We know why we're here. Right…?"

They all stood, staring into the fire. Silence washing over them.

"Ah, wonderful! A textbook campfire!" Oobleck said rushing to the fire.

"Fire! So warm," Ruby said, kneeling towards the fire, holding her hands towards it.

"Very good! Now eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Now, any volunteers for first watch?"

Ruby held up a hand.

"Yo."

"Wait. Where's Lance?" Oobleck asked.

"He said he was going to patrol. We setup camp and he's still not back yet," Weiss said.

"Hmm, something could've happened to him. You all eat and get rest. I will scour the area and find Lance. The last thing we need is for all of us to get separated. Keep watch and I should return shortly!"

They nodded their response and Oobleck bolted out the door. They gave concerning looks, but settled in and did as they were told.

Yang knelt next to Ruby, seeing a similar concerned face on her as well.

"He'll be fine, sis. I know it…"


Lance cut down yet another Grimm. He rested his blade on his shoulder, breathing hard. Sweat was forming on his forehead and his muscles burned from over exerting them. Lance turned to continue his path, but he stopped when he saw Oobleck standing there to meet him.

"Out a tad bit late I see."

Lance placed his sword on his back.

"Sorry. I lost track of time."

"And busy. It seems as though something's on your mind. Tell me, Lance, what brings you out here so late?"

"Nothing. I just lost track of time when I was clearing the area."

"Don't lie to me, Lance. For starters, I doubt that you'd have known you lost track of time with it already being sunset. I also know that you weren't given specific orders to check the perimeter. That was your leaders and my job. Furthermore, this is unnecessarily far from camp; so much so, that the Grimm shouldn't bother us or be aware of our location."

Lance turned his gaze downward, heaving a sigh.

"I just want to be stronger. I want to be the best hunter I can be and be the hero I always wanted to be."

Oobleck raised his eyebrows at him.

"I know it's lame and childish, but it's what I want to do… I don't really feel strong enough."

"So you come out here and slay Grimm in hopes of miraculously gaining this strength you seek?"

"Well…" Lance trailed off, grabbing his arm with his hand.

"There is more to being a hunter than just physical strength. Endangering yourself like this is simply foolish."

Lance lowered his head, his grip on his own arm growing tighter.

"With that said, you show much prowess."

Lance looked up at him with confusion on his face.

"You didn't need to dispatch all these Grimm for me to see that. You're heading down a proper path, Lance. Your goal is a noble one and I see a spark in your eyes. You show that strength other than just the physical you may be trying to attain," He continued.

Lance couldn't find any words. He just stood staring at his teacher.

"Well, enough dilly-dallying. We should hurry back to camp post haste! We have an early day tomorrow and we wasted enough time out here already."

Oobleck turned, starting to make his way back towards their camp. Lance stood for a second before snapping out of his own head and following him.


Lance rolled on top of his bed roll, attempting to pull his jacket tighter for more warmth. The sleep he managed to get left him. He opened his tired eyes to see Ruby on watch, perched with her rifle at the ready. He stared at the ceiling, seeing a beam that ran across it where Oobleck slept. He looked towards the fire, then to the rest of his teammates near him. The fire's warmth still emanating as the tongues of flame licked the air.

Lance watched the fire dance as he remembered Oobleck's words.

"Blake, are you awake?" Yang asked.

His eyes darted over to her, flinching a bit at the suddenness of her quiet voice.

"Yeah," She replied.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?"

Lance searched his memory for what she was talking about. He thought about what she had said and it raised questions in his mind.

"Maybe he was just curious?"

"Ya think?" Yang asked as she rolled to her side to see Blake.

"No…"

She let out a sigh, rolling over to her back once again.

"Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking!" Weiss whispered back.

"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 grey area," She continued.

"That's putting it lightly," Blake said.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right."

Weiss sat up on her bed roll. Her glare towards Blake softened as quick as it came, turning downcast away from her.

"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 lied back down after her words. Lance felt a twinge of a mix of sympathy and empathy towards Weiss. Memories of his father came back to him. Most good, some bad, and then that fateful moment back at Beacon's courtyard popped into his head. He frowned at the thought, which opened flood gates to more feelings. Thoughts of when he hurt his sister, Crystal. Thoughts of Yang and his relationship popped into his head and all the mix of emotions it brought. Thoughts of whether or not Sora and Sonia were safe, or even alive.

He did his best to brush those thoughts aside, but they welled in him. He rolled onto his side to face them, propping himself up as he did. First Blake noticed, followed by Weiss and Yang turning their attention to him at the sound of him rolling over and seeing Blake's eye line trail towards him.

"I understand what you mean, Weiss. Maybe not to that extent and I don't have a grandiose title to live up to. I do understand wanting to honor your family though."

"Lance? I figured you were asleep," Weiss said.

"Yeah, you were out later than all of us. You probably should be asleep," Yang chimed in.

"I wasn't much later. I went to bed close to when you guys turned in."

"What do you mean though? What you said earlier," Weiss asked.

"Well, when I was younger I always worried about living up to expectations. Maybe honor is the wrong word, but I wanted to make my family proud. I felt like I always had this pressure to succeed and usually ended up kinda… giving up."

Silence swept over the group, listening to Lance as he continued.

"I thought it better to not try at all than fail."

"Isn't it failing if you don't even try?" Blake asked.

"Yeah… Dad told me that. Never really wrapped my head around it until recently."

"What's not to get? Seems pretty straight forward to me," Yang said.

"It is, but I was fairly, uhh… apathetic. When it came to fighting and things I enjoyed, I pretty much was focused on that. Honestly though, even when I was in my element, I felt off. I guess it's hard to explain. It's not too hard to see, I'm sure, but even now it nags at me here and there. Doubt, stress, pressure, all that."

"It gets to us all," Weiss said.

Blake nodded in agreement as she rolled over to stare at the ceiling.

"Did Oobleck ask why you wanted to be a hunter?" Yang asked.

"No, not really. I kind of just told him. I take it he asked you guys?" Lance said.

"Yeah. I just sort of told him I was a thrill seeker. If I could get my fill of excitement and adventure all the while helping people along the way, it just fell into place."

"What about you guys?" Lance asked.

"I told him that I was a Schnee. I had a reputation to live up to. You heard what I said about honor and what not," Weiss said.

"I wanted to make a difference in the world. He asked how and… I didn't know," Blake said.

Lance just listened to their tellings of their answers.

Moments passed before she continued.

"All my life. I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam. 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."

She let out a sigh before continuing.

"I joined the academy because I knew 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'll figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake," Yang said.

"But I am! I do it all the time. 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."

Lance felt that same mix of empathy and sympathy towards her.

"I ran too…"

He felt their eyes turn to him.

"That was the past though. I'm learning… struggling to learn that my mistakes are in the past and I can't change them. We just have to… move on. Look to the future."

After the words left his mouth, no one else spoke up.

Yang let out a sigh after a few moments passed.

"At least you all have something that drives you. I've just kind of always gone with the flow, y'know? That's fine, I mean, that's who I am… But how long can I do that for? I want to 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."

She rolled back over, resting her head on her hand as she laid on her side looking towards the fire.

"I'm not like Ruby. She's always wanted to be a huntress. In a way, Lance, you and Ruby are pretty alike."

At this, Lance made eye contact with Yang. It then shifted to Ruby on her post. He couldn't hide the sincere smirk on his face. His gaze returned to Yang as she continued.

"It's like she said, ever since she was a kid she dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

"Well, she's still just a kid," Weiss said, sitting up.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids," Blake said, rising as well.

"Well… Not anymore. I mean, look where we are. In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth," Yang said.

"It's the life we chose," Blake said.

"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a huntress in our heads. It seems like not all of us have quite learned that lesson," Weiss looked over at Lance, who gave a shy smile.

"Regardless, at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people; and whatever we want will have to come second."

Lance nodded his head.

"I don't disagree with that. I mean, that's the ultimate goal, right?"

He got nods of agreement from them all.

"We'll just keep doing the best we can. I know we'll figure it out," He continued.

"Right. In the meantime, we should get some shut eye," Yang said.

"Agreed. Tomorrow will probably be another full day of Grimm slaying," Blake said.

Lance laid back down, looking up at the ceiling.

"G'night," Yang said.

"Good night," Weiss said as well, followed by Blake.

"Yeah. G'night," Lance said.


Lance woke in the middle of the night. The others were still asleep and Yang was on watch. He rolled over, ready to go back to sleep, but he noticed something was out of place. He leaned up from his resting position and looked at the bedroll not too far from him. Curious, he got up to get a better look at the bedroll. As he drew closer, his tired eyes shot open.

"Where's Ruby?"


Hope ya liked this chapter! If ya did, leave a review! I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time!