When Ruby returned to the dorm room, she found her teammates with their noses buried in their homework, reading an assigned passage or finishing up an essay so that they could have their weekend to themselves. They had been like this ever since class had gotten out and they had all gotten back to their room. Ruby, being Ruby, had decided that the homework could wait until later and told them she was going to go "get some air" so that she could actually go take a closer look at this new and interesting character in her life. When she came in the door, nobody looked up and nobody offered a greeting, as they were all forcing themselves to be completely absorbed in their studies in order to ward off thoughts of that morning's encounter.
"Hey you guys!" Ruby said as she made her way to her and Weiss's makeshift bunk bed and jumped up top. She laid down and took out her scroll, checking to see if she had any new messages. "I hung out with the soldier guy." She said after a couple seconds. Almost instantaneously, the heads of the three older girls appeared at the side of her bed.
"You did what?!" Yang asked, teeth gritted.
"Did he try to hurt you?" Blake asked.
"I bet he's a jerk." Weiss said.
"Woah, woah, woah guys. Back up." Ruby said, sitting up in bed. They all stepped back, giving her a bit more space. Ruby swung her legs over the side of the bed and faced them. "It's all good, I'm fine. He's actually pretty cool."
"How can you say that?" Yang blurted out.
Ruby just shrugged "Because he is…?"
"Yang, calm down." Blake said, "Ruby, why did you go and see that guy?" she asked.
"Because I don't think he's a bad guy," Ruby said, "and I wanted to prove it. And his name's Rocco."
"So what did you even talk about?" Weiss asked.
"Not much, music mostly. He was very polite. Has a mediocre handshake though." Ruby said, trying to remember any more details from the encounter. "I really do think that he was just scared when he first got here. He's harmless now."
Yang just turned and walked away. "I'm going to go study in the library," she said as she grabbed her books off the table. Her three teammates watched silently as she left, knowing there was nothing that could be done right now.
"We'll have to do something about that." Blake said, "Regardless of what this guy's moral character is like, we can't have Yang going off about it every five minutes."
Ruby shook her head and sighed, "Yeah." she said.
Weiss just gave an acknowledging "Hmpf" noise.
"What about you guys," Ruby said, looking at her two remaining team members, "are you on board?"
Weiss folded her arms and shrugged, "I guess," she said.
"Do you really trust him?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. Yeah I do." Ruby said.
"Okay then," Blake said, the bow that covered her ears shifting as she thought, "I'm okay with it, tentatively. But I want to have a closer look myself."
Ruby smiled "I'm sure you'll have a chance!" She said.
…
Cobin had a very accurate internal alarm clock, and it played music. When he went to bed at night, regardless of the exact time, it could be almost guaranteed that eight hours later he would wake up, accompanied by some song playing on loop in his head. He opened his eyes after his first night in the shop. The cot had been comfortable enough, kind of hard to complain after spending months on end sleeping in a HMMWV. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then it started…
A city full of people and my favorite is that waitress, and she treats me like some type of common vagrant…
He swung his legs over the side of the cot and looked around the small office space that was his living quarters in the shop. Along with the cot there was also a desk and a rolling chair. In the drawers he had found lots of old work orders for company vehicles, but nothing newer than six months old.
… I see her everyday, but there's nothing to say unless I decided to step inside of that cafe…
He stood and stretched, getting the blood flowing. With a yawn he stepped across the small room to the desk. He didn't have a lot of use for it but it did work nicely as a dresser for storing his clothes. The coffee maker sat on top of it as well, and Cobin made sure to hit the "on" button before he started getting dressed.
... I only get to sit if I buy something to eat, otherwise it's best to keep my feet moving down that street…
He took his time getting his work "uniform" on, wanting to make sure there was at least a bit of coffee ready to go by the time he tied his final bootlace. Afterward, he brought his hands up and rubbed his face again, feeling the prickly little hairs getting longer and more tangled. He made a mental note to try and get a razor from somewhere before the day was up.
… And god damn she's a hard bitch, talks at me like I'm the bad dog that got into the garbage...
He grabbed his coffee and sipped it as he walked out into the main shop area. He looked around the room full of tools completely devoid of any work to do. He would have to find some way to fill his days here, doing nothing didn't sit well with him. He was decent with his hands and if there was mechanic-like work that needed to be done he could probably pull it off, but so far it appeared like his days would be mostly empty.
… Yeah I know the toilet is for customers, you ain't got to tangle up the strings that make this puppet work…
"Good morning, Sergeant." Someone said from behind him.
Cobin was mid-sip when this happened and he was so startled the coffee almost came out of his nose. He quickly turned to see a light blond-haired woman in glasses leaning up against the wall, right next to the door that he had exited moments before.
… it doesn't have to be a game of patty cake, but it ain't like you don't know I sleep in that alleyway…
"Um… who are you?" Cobin coughed, wiping coffee from his face.
"I'm Professor Goodwitch." She said, stepping forward, "And we've met."
"We have?" Cobin asked, raising an eyebrow.
… and by the way, I can see it your eyes, you're angry with your life, not a stranger to the fight…
"Yes," Goodwitch said, smiling, "I kicked you in the back of the head the day you arrived here."
Cobin cringed a little bit, remembering the event. "Well, um… thanks, I guess?" He said.
"Hmm. Ozpin told me you had a sarcasm problem."
"Yeah but did he really refer to it as a problem?" Cobin asked, half-smiling.
...I bet you hate every man that you date and you're probably addicted to all types of escape...
Goodwitch frowned. "I've been instructed to give you a tour of certain facilities we have here. I protested, saying that a grown man like yourself should have no problem finding his own way, but Ozpin insisted." She rolled her eyes, "So we're stuck."
Cobin nodded. "In the Army we would say that you got 'volentold'."
"Sounds about right," She said. She moved forward and walked past him toward the door. "Well, come along, lets get this over with."
"Yes, ma'am." He said.
… you take it out on me that you're all alone when you know that you got your own closet full of hollow bones. Watch your tone when you speak too old folks, I'm groan just trying to get out of this Minnesota cold…
They walked down the street side by side, away from the shop. Cobin just looked straight ahead and stayed silent, slouching a bit and keeping his hands in his pockets, still tired from having just woken up. Cobin couldn't place his finger on it, but Goodwitch had this weird energy about her, the air around her seemed to buzz like she was electromagnetic or something; a mass of potential energy waiting to be released.
… I'm waiting for a city bus to flatten me and transport me to the ever-after happily…
"So what exactly do you do here?" Cobin asked, "Besides, you know, curb-stomp people."
"I serve Ozpin in an advisory and organizational capacity and instruct at higher levels." She said, ignoring his extra comment. "I'm very, very busy." She added.
"I can imagine." Cobin said.
… Maybe reincarnate with luck, come back to earth as a cockroach in your tip cup…
There was a couple seconds of silence before Goodwitch spoke again. "Do you find yourself missing your home yet? Anything about where you were from?"
Oh, so that's what this is about, Cobin thought. "Shit, I don't know… beer and pizza?" He said, dismissively.
"We have those." Goodwitch said.
"Cool, then I'm set, no need to worry." Cobin said.
...She said she's had it up to here, she's gonna call authorities if I don't dissapear…
Goodwitch shook her head. "Look, we understand that what's happened to you must be traumatic. But you're here now, indefinitely." She sighed, "It's necessary that we ensure you're in a healthy psychological state."
"Hmm," Cobin said, shrugging off his sarcastic mask, "Look, I can understand why that's important, I really can. But I just don't know myself right now. Losing someone you care about, going to war, contracting some awful illness, those are things that are 'traumatic.' But that word just doesn't do it for this situation. I'm sure I'm in some kind of shock over all of this, but there's really nothing I can say because the weight of it hasn't hit me yet. I'll let you know when I figure it out."
Goodwitch turned to look at him and nodded, showing her appreciation for his honesty. "Let's head to the combat arenas first." She said, turning and heading toward one of the academic buildings.
… I love her threats it rejuvenates my breath, I give her stress for the reaction that it gets…
Once inside, Goodwitch used her scroll to access the arena for the both of them. Cobin took note of just how absolutely large it was. It was like the Colosseum, complete with the circular stands surrounding the battle space. The door they went in deposited them right at the top of the stands, looking down into the arena itself. Down there, he could clearly see two groups of students all armored-up and waiting to go at it.
"We keep this one open on Saturdays, but you have to reserve a time slot." Goodwitch said, "Only team leaders can reserve it, either for practice or a challenge against another team. Looks like we're just in time for the show to begin."
Cobin looked around, taking a mental measurement of the diameter of the arena as well as its high ceiling. "Do you really need all this space just so the students can box each other out?" He asked.
Goodwitch actually laughed. "Just watch, Sergeant."
...I got a pocket full of clean handled money on a cup of bad coffee and a stale honey bun. In front of everyone she calls me bum, but she notices my absence on them afternoons I don't come…
A horn signaled the beginning of the match, and the two groups of students ran at each other from either side of the ring. It all seemed pretty standard for the first couple seconds until the students collided. What followed was the most insane combination of acrobatics, speed, and violence that Cobin had ever seen. The battle even took to the air, filling the entire battle space as the students jumped, kicked and spun into and around each other. In the midst of all of this they were swinging swords, shooting guns, and deflecting bullets with a speed that Cobin would never have thought humanly possible. It was hard for his eyes to keep up. His jaw hung open in awe.
"How… how…" He managed to get out.
"Not how people fight where you're from?" Goodwitch asked.
… So here I am, thorn in her hip, holding down the corner table all morning with some corn chips...
Cobin shook his head violently. "Definitely not. How is this possible?"
"Everyone on Remnant has the potential to generate an Aura, a manifestation of one's soul as energy that creates a protective barrier around them." Goodwitch said, "This Aura can be improved and worked like a muscle, making them stronger and faster as they develop themselves and their own style of fighting."
"Okay, doesn't matter what else happens, that will be the craziest thing I've ever seen or heard in my entire life." Cobin said.
…. Ignoring the insults and evil eyes, I feed off of 'em, I wonder when she'll realize...
"In addition, they all have a Semblance" Goodwitch continued, "which is related to their Aura, but is a stronger manifestation of their personality and personal power. This special ability is unique to an individual, and can be nearly anything. I understand that you've met Ruby, who's Semblance allows her to move at incredible speed over short distances."
Cobin just looked down and shook his head. "I stand corrected." He said. After a moment of looking at his shoes, thinking, he looked up and turned to Goodwitch. "How… how did I survive the first time?" He asked her.
Goodwitch allowed herself a small smirk. "You were very, extremely lucky."
Cobin nodded, "Guess I can't argue with that."
...That she's the only reason I visit, the only woman in my world that acknowledges my existence…
"Come on, let's go next door to the gym." Goodwitch said, beckoning him to follow. As they walked back out the door, Cobin looked back at the human blender of violence that was the student's friendly competition, and silently thanked God or whatever had been watching over him that day.
Goodwitch led the way down the long corridor inside the school building. Cobin looked at how well kept and decorated the interior was. The place looked more like a palace than a school. He could tell just by looking that this place was really, culturally important. Attending was an honor. "Ozpin said something about 'Grimm' when we spoke last. That have something to do with the reason for all of this?"
"The Grimm are the reason for all of this." Goodwitch said.
"And what are they?"
...and if my ship ever comes, I'll miss it, 'cause I'm getting old and I got much left to give it. So there it is and I have to live with it, I had the chance to make a difference but I didn't...
Goodwitch remained silent for a moment, before saying "A lesson for another time, Sergeant. I think you've had enough shocks for today."
Cobin shrugged. "Whatever you say, Ma'am."
Goodwitch stopped at a door a bit further down the hall and waved her scroll in front of the scanner, unlocking it. "It's obvious that physical fitness is important to you," she said as she pushed the door open, "so I'm going to have your security clearance modified so that you have access to this facility as well."
Inside it was a pretty standard, but well equipped gym. There was some equipment that was rather alien to him, but basic weight lifting stuff was universal. The gym appeared mostly empty, which made sense given that it was saturday morning and anyone that might be using it was a high-school aged student. But there was one student, in the corner where there was a ring, some punching bags, and other boxing equipment. She was pounding a bag hard and fast, wailing on it with a never ending series of hooks, jabs and kicks. Cobin's brain was probably a bit damaged by the punch he had taken the previous day because it took him a few moments to recognize the long, tangled blond hair. Then she noticed him.
"Oh shit," Cobin said.
The blond immediately stopped what she was doing and glared at him from across the room. They locked eyes for a couple of seconds before she began moving toward him. Cobin wasn't sure what would happen next, but he locked his jaw, tightened his stomach, and hoped for the best, as Ozpin had instructed him the previous day. She got within a single stride of him and stopped.
… In the cafe bathroom, drinking free tap water, thinking 'Damn, I should've been a better father to my daughter.'
"What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded of him.
"Language, Miss Xiao Long." Goodwitch said.
Yang ignored it, "Did you come here to torment me?" she asked him.
Cobin gave her a bemused look, "Yes, because my entire life revolves around fucking up your day." He said, giving her a knife hand.
"Sarcasm, Sergeant Cobin." Goodwitch said.
"Oh, so it's just one big joke to you, isn't it!" She yelled in his face, "You almost hurt my family and I'm just supposed to shrug it off because you think you're so damn funny!"
Cobin folded his arms, "You're mad because you thought I was going to kill your sister, right?"
Yang was stopped dead in her tracks. "What… how did you…" she couldn't believe that he had been able to tell that her and Ruby were sisters by looks alone.
"You called out for her, that day when we were trading bullets." Cobin said, "She rushed in to try and take me all by herself, and you couldn't see her through the smoke screen. You thought I was going to kill her, and you called out for her. The tone of your voice told all." The blond just continued to glare at him, but it was more forced now. "I have two older sisters, they looked after me all my life," Cobin continued, "When I joined the Army, part of it was about being able to protect them, to pay them back. I'd never forgive anyone who laid on them."
"So now what, I'm supposed to sympathize with you?" She asked, scowling.
"No," Cobin said, "I don't expect you to just forgive me, so why don't we box a bit so you can get it out of your system?"
"What?" The blond asked, taken aback.
"Let's trade some punches until we can't move our arms anymore. You'll probably beat the crap out of me, but oh well. If we can't coexist after that, we'll have to fake it because I don't have the energy it takes for this relationship." Then Cobin turned to face Goodwitch, "That is, if it's okay with you."
Goodwitch gave Cobin a funny look. "You did just bear witness to what my students are capable of. If you really want to take on Miss Long, one of the best fighters in the first year, be my guest, but this time we won't be accountable for your injuries."
Cobin gulped, he was sure the nervousness was at least minorly visible on his face. "Sounds reasonable," he said. Then he turned back to the Blond. "So, what do you say?"
She diverted her eyes and crossed her arms. "Fine," she said, "but I'm not going easy on you." She turned and made her way toward the ring.
"Please don't," Cobin said, following.
It would have been a lie to end all others to say that Cobin wasn't afraid. He now knew that this woman, fully kitted and armored up could rip him to pieces with about as much effort as it took to squash an ant. But now it was just fists, no weapons. What Cobin was really banking on was the the limited available space in the normal boxing ring versus the huge arena he had been in previously. He figured that because there was so little space to move around she wouldn't be able to take advantage of how much faster she was than him. Of course, despite Cobin's greater mass she still had more brawn than him. So what it would boil down to was simply blocking and avoiding getting pulverized until she made a mistake he could take advantage of. That was the plan, and he was quite possibly betting his life on it.
The blond jumped into the ring and Cobin followed in after her. They stood on opposite sides and faced each other. "Yang Xiao Long," she said, "what's your name?"
"Rockland Cobin," he said, nodding.
"Alright, lets get to it." Yang said, as she raised her fists and got down into her fighting stance.
Cobin did the same, and they approached each other slowly, circling a bit before Yang threw a few quick punches to test the waters. Cobin swatted them out of the way easily; it only takes a small amount of force to divert a straight punch, and more or less boils down to slapping someone's fist as it comes out you, as long as you're fast enough. Cobin didn't really get a feel for how much more powerful she was than him until he had to block a hook; the force of her arm connecting with his rattled his entire structure and actually pushed him back a bit. He had boxed with other SF guys that were built like brick shit houses, but that was definitely the hardest hit he had ever had to absorb. Yang started to mix it up a bit, throwing in a few kicks here and there and picking up the pace of her attacks. Cobin made no offensive moves and focused all of his attention on blocking, dodging, and diverting without ever running away or having put extra distance between himself and her. Even quicker than he was expecting, he found himself becoming fatigued. But at the same time, he could see the frustration growing in Yang's face. She wanted to hit him real, real bad and he wasn't letting her do it.
The mistake came in the form of something seemingly trivial to anyone who might have been watching, but it was deciding. Yang swung at him, and in her frustration leaned into it to try to get just a bit more distance, putting her off balance. This time, instead of just diverting it, Cobin grabbed her wrist and pulled down and back. Yang's own momentum carried her past him and put her face straight into the padded floor of the ring.
Cobin stepped back as Yang picked herself up. When she did, she locked eyes with him and bared her teeth, neglecting to wipe away a bit of blood that was trickling down from her nose. She got back into her fighting stance, ready to go at it again, but Cobin remained standing tall, just facing her with his arms folded.
"Come on," She snarled at him, "aren't you going to squat up?"
"No," Cobin said.
The anger in Yang's face became suddenly replaced by confusion. "Huh?" she said.
"I gave you three freebies, yesterday," Cobin said, "you only took two, so come get your last one."
Yang just looked at him for a second or two, before standing up to her normal height. She walked calmly over to him, and he braced for impact. When she reached him, he was ready to shit himself and was sweating even more than he had when they had been fighting. While looking him in the eyes, Yang raised her hand slowly, and then flicked Cobin in the forehead. She put her hands on her hips.
"You're really fucking stupid, you know that, right?" She asked him
"Yes," he said, a feeling of relief washing over him, "I know."
"You're alright," Yang said, giving a sly smile. "Not going to lie, there's still a part of me that's hoping you burst into flames the next time you go to take a shit, but you're alright, Rocco."
"It's 'Rockland,' actually," he said.
Yang gave him a big grin this time. "Well, Ruby say's it's 'Rocco,' and I still trust her more than I trust you, so deal with it," she said.
Cobin shook his head and sighed. "Right," he said.
Yang laughed, "I've got to get going now, but I'm sure I'll see you around." And with that, she turned and jumped straight out of the ring from where she stood, once again exhibiting just a small dose of that superhuman power that Cobin couldn't believe he had survived. She walked out of the gym without another word, and it was silent for a few moments after the door clicked.
"You have a very interesting way of making friends, Sergeant." Goodwitch said from where she stood on the outside of the ring.
Cobin turned to her and shrugged. "Yeah, well, for the past ten years every friend I had was issued to me by the Army, so I'm a little rusty."
Goodwitch allowed herself to chuckle at that. "Shall we continue the tour?" She asked.
He laughed, "God, there's more? How many times do I have to risk my life this week?"
"All in a day's work, Sergeant." Goodwitch said.
…
At the end of the day, Cobin laid on the floor of the shop, underneath the open skylight and looked at the stars that filled the sky. He couldn't sleep, his mind was too busy, too noisy to shut down and let him get some rest. He brought his hands up above his face and looked at them. He thought about all that he had been through with those hands, the training, the push-ups, the deployments, SERE school. Oh God, SERE school. He thought about all this experience he had, and this endless effort he was expected to put forth in his career as one of the elite in the U.S. military. It was a never ending cycle of self-improvement, always evolving and getting better to keep up with those around him. He was a good soldier, a leader, and maybe looking at an early promotion. He was at the top of his game and now, it all meant nothing. In this new world, he was so utterly outmatched and outclassed in every conceivable way that all of his skills were null. There was a fifteen year old girl floating around that could jump in through the window and probably beat him to death with her bare hands if she so chosed. What he could he possibly add to this world?
He let his hands fall back down to his sides. He looked at the stars and silently wondered if one of them was his home galaxy. As he looked, he thought about how everything that had happened was so bizarre, so completely from the left-field of the universe. Tornados and earthquakes were meaningless, random tragedies, but this couldn't be that. This had to mean something. There had to be some goddamn reason why he was here. He just had to figure out what it was. Then he yawned, the weight of how tired he was overcame him as the noise in his head subsided.
Cobin stood, and made his way to the cot. The search would begin tomorrow.
…
Oh my god I'm so tired I'm seeing things but I'm impatient and wanted to finish this. Hope you enjoyed reading it!
-Wahs.