Chapter 4
Child
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Metro games or books.
A/N: Dialogue in bold is in Russian.
As requested, a longer chapter. It started off canon, but I thought that it would be too short, therefore, I let the rest of the day happen. Light-hearted stuff, yadda yadda yadda.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if you hadn't guessed yet, I have pretty much no schedule for updating Rangers of Remnant. You could expect an update one or two days after or you could get it much later. I at least try to update weekly, but once again, no schedule, so don't count on it too much.
As always, R&R, constructive criticism is always welcome.
Teams RWBY, JNPR and AKUM are seated at a cafeteria table for breakfast. The Rangers were in complete ecstasy with their breakfast, slowly savouring it. Not like a certain pink girl, who is devouring her pancakes like a Lurker with a corpse.
"You still haven't answered the question," Yang declared.
"What question?" Miller asked.
"Where are you from?"
"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much…" Ulman started, cracking a smile.
"Uh-pup-pup-pup some of us are eating here!" Weiss interrupted.
"We're from REALLY far away. Trust us, you won't find it on any map," Artyom answered.
"That's not enough," Yang said, completely unamused. Ruby piped in, "Anyway, I had this really weird dream."
"Oh?" The eleven responded, eyebrows raised.
"Is my dear sister having some…special dreams?" Yang asked, and then sniffled a little, her voice breaking and wiping a fake tear, "She grows up so fast…"
"Yang!" Ruby whined, blushing as red as her cloak. She shrugged the comment off and continued. "Anyway, in my dream, I was on the top of this huge, broken tower, and below it, there was a city, all destroyed with some big weird hive-looking structure on one part. I saw this guy, all armed to the teeth, in front of this weird…thing…"
The Rangers immediately stopped eating, looking at Ruby, serious looks on their faces.
"Destroyed city? Was it Vale?" Blake asked worriedly.
"No. It looked nothing like Vale. The tower kind of looked like the CCT, but it was much taller than the one in Beacon.'
"Weird thing?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah, weird thing. Its skin was all greyish-black, its eyes were wide, all black. It was tall and thin, and looked like an alien from the movies, with what looked like two arms and two legs. It was reaching for this device which was shining a laser on the hive thing. The device then said 'Twenty seconds to homing procedure completion.' The alien was trying to reach for the device whispering stuff about wanting peace and stuff. The thing then died, then the device said 'Ten seconds to homing procedure completion,' and the guy was just standing there. The device then started counting down, and when it finished, three lights came from behind the tower, then crashed onto the hive thing and exploded."
"COOL!" Nora shouted.
"Then, the guy just sat there on the edge of the tower. Then I woke up." Ruby finished.
The eight shifted their attention to the Rangers, who were looking at each other, whispering loudly among themselves. They didn't need to know Russian to know that they were worried about something.
"How did she know about Ostankino Tower?" Artyom whispered.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Miller responded.
"Hey, the kids are looking at us. Act natural," Ulman interjected.
Khan was silent, deep in thought.
"So what were you guys talking about?" Pyrrha questioned.
"The mysteries of life," Ulman answered, laying on the sarcasm.
"Well, you didn't sound like you were contemplating our existence," Weiss said.
"Well, that's his job, Anastasia," Ulman retorted, pointing at Khan.
"What does 'Anastasia' even mean? And why do you keep calling me that?" Weiss asked angrily.
"Yeah, stop calling her Anastasia," Jaune added, "Snow Angel works much better."
Weiss groaned with frustration, her face and palm introducing themselves to each other.
"Well," Artyom finally said, glancing at his watch, "I think it's time for us to get to class."
The twelve stood up and walked to their first classroom.
"Monsters. Daemons. Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely prefer to them as PREY." Professor Port then started laughing a bit. "And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three Kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces, and that's where we come in. Huntsmen. Huntresses." He then clicked his tongue at Yang, the latter groaning and rolling her eyes.
"A bit young for him, wouldn't you think?" Ulman whispered.
"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
"EEEEEEEEEEYUP!"
"Well that was a tad awkward," Artyom commented.
"That is what you are training to become, but first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man. Me." The man then started rambling on.
"Well, someone's a bit full of themselves," Miller muttered.
"I think it's not just himself this guy is full of," Ulman quietly snickered. "Make of that as you will."
Khan was still deep in thought. "Don't tell me you're actually paying attention to this guy's story," Ulman told Khan.
"It's another matter that I am reflecting on," Khan responded.
Giggles sounded out from Team RWBY's spot, Weiss glaring at Ruby.
"Why do I get the feeling something's about to go down?" Artyom asked.
Professor Port kept rambling on. "The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honorable."
"Looks like Weiss is about to explode," Miller commented.
"Why am I laughing at this?" Ulman wondered, giggling a bit at Ruby balancing a book and an apple on a pencil with her index finger.
"A true huntsman must be dependable."
"I think I want to get under this desk now, Anastasia looks like she's going to shoot someone," Ulman commented.
"I know how she feels," Miller responded.
"A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated and wise."
"Holy crap, Anastasia is actually shaking right now," Ulman whispered.
"Not even taking your bullshit will make me do that, Ulman. I'm actually worrying about her right now," Miller quietly responded.
"Now, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
Weiss's hand sprung up so quickly, one might think her arm was spring-loaded. "I do, sir!" she said, gritting her teeth.
"Well then, let's find out. Step forward, and face your opponent," Port replied, pointing to a cage.
"Is he seriously going to release a monster in here?" Artyom asked, with a look of disbelief on his face. "Even Ranger training wasn't this brutal."
Weiss stepped out of the classroom for a few minutes, and returned with her trademark bolero jacket, combat skirt, heels and Myrtenaster.
"A rapier? Why would she use a rapier? Doesn't this world have guns?" Miller wondered.
"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.
"Fight well!" Blake added, waving a pennant.
"Yeah, represent Team RWBY!" Ruby shouted.
"Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" Weiss replied.
"Really? Of all the people in your team to snap at, you snap at the little one?" Ulman whispered.
"I get the feeling something is bothering her. Notice how she didn't mind anyone else's cheers but Ruby's," Khan commented.
"All right. Let the match…begin!" Port exclaimed, chopping off the lock on the cage. A boarbatusk charged from the cage at Weiss, who promptly sidestepped it, and delivered a quick slash to its side.
"The fact that she doesn't have a gun concerns me. These things are tougher than your average Watchman, yet you're fighting one with just a sword?" Artyom said in a low voice.
The boarbatusk turned to Weiss and stared at her.
"Haha, wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port proclaimed.
"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed.
Weiss propelled herself forward, rapier aimed for the beast's face. The boarbatusk deflected Myrtenaster, the sword caught in its long, curved tusks. Weiss struggled as she attempted to pull the rapier out of the beast's tusks.
"Hold your approach! I like it!" Port bellowed.
"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss glanced at Ruby, which gave the boarbatusk opportunity to launch her weapon behind it, clanking and sliding away to the opposite side of the room. The beast then launched Weiss off it, sending her flying on her back.
"As much as I'd like to say Ruby is distracting her, this is partly her fault for getting distracted in the first place. A battlefield is a shitty place to lose your concentration," Miller silently commented.
"Oho, now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asked.
The boarbatusk charged towards Weiss, who rolled away just in time, and ran for Myrtenaster. She slid towards it and picked it up.
"Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armour underneath!" Ruby shouted.
"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss screamed back. Ruby's expression looked like her heart was just pierced.
"Looks like there's some drama underneath this situation. I think I'm going to look into this," Artyom mumbled.
The boarbatusk hopped, and then started spinning on the ground like a yo-yo, its rotation accelerating all the while. The creature rolled towards Weiss, who blocked its advance with one light-blue glyph, knocking the beast on its back. She hopped onto a second glyph behind her, the circle turning black almost immediately, then she launched herself at the boarbatusk, impaling it in the heart with Myrtenaster.
"What in the hell was that? This is the kind of shit you'd see in fairy tales!" Ulman almost yelled, remembering where he was.
"I am just as dumbfounded as you are, my friend," Artyom responded.
Miller was speechless at the display. How did she create those strange circles?
"Bravo! Bravo! It appears that we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today." Port stated as Weiss stood up. "Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and…stay vigilant! Class dismissed." Weiss stormed off to the exit, Ruby giving chase. At the same time, the Rangers stood up, following suit.
If one were to say Weiss was upset, that would be an understatement. To say that Weiss was furious with the force of a universe being created…would also be an understatement. Ruby turned a corner behind Weiss, catching up to her, not knowing that there were four others following them.
"Weiss!" Ruby called out.
Weiss turned around and responded, her teeth grinding against themselves. "What?"
"What's wrong with you? Why are you being-"
"What's wrong with ME? What's wrong with YOU? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"
Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?!"
Weiss screamed at her again. "That's just it – you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"
"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together?' I thought you believed in acting as a team…"
"Not a team led by you. I've studied AND trained. And frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss responded, and continued storming off.
"Hm. Weiss kind of reminds me of someone," Artyom stated.
"What do you mean, 'kind of?' It's blatant to say the least," Ulman commented.
"I'll go and talk to Ruby. Colonel, please handle Weiss," Artyom commanded.
"Consider it done," Miller responded.
"I think I'll go talk to Ozpin. What kind of kids do they train here?" Ulman chipped in.
"I think I'll follow Ulman," Khan added.
"Then it's settled. Let's go," Artyom replied. On that note, the four split off.
Ruby was heartbroken, to say the least. She thought that she can pull her team together, like one happy little sisterhood, but Weiss crushed that dream into a fine powder. She then started questioning her ability as a leader, trying to hold back tears, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"You okay?" Artyom asked with concern imprinted on his face.
"Weiss just told me that I don't deserve to be a leader," Ruby replied, sniffling after every few words. "Do you think she's right?"
"Try not to let her words affect you too much. I've seen her type before. Tell me, how did you get to this school?" Artyom questioned.
"W-well, I stopped a b-bunch of thieves who held up this Dust shop," Ruby answered, hiccupping a little every few words. "Because of that, I got moved two years ahead from Signal Academy to Beacon. Right now, I'm the youngest student here, at fifteen years old."
"Let me tell you a story. I-uh, I mean, my father once met this lady named Anna. He said she was…irritating…to say the least. She always talked down on him, despite the fact that his…accolades…would have earned him lots of praise." Artyom stated, the last sentence in a melancholy tone. "Her nickname for him was 'Rabbit' or 'Little Rabbit.' I didn't know why she thought of him as inferior to her. Maybe it was because he wasn't this guy they both knew. Anyway, they were both sent on a mission."
"Is this story going somewhere?" Ruby questioned.
"Yes. Anyway, they were sent out to…look for something. Anna was on top of this building, giving my father sniper cover. Well, he fell unconscious, to this day I don't know why, and he was taken by a bunch of guys. She told me she tried to save him, but she couldn't reach the truck they took him in on time. She told me that while he was still missing that she felt guilty about ridiculing him, and vowed to stop if she saw him again. Well, they found him again, but not before him and a bunch of other guys, including Anna, fought this huge monster. She apologized when they got my father to safety, both for making fun of him and not saving him when he got taken away."
"What happened to them?" Ruby's eyes now glittering a little, interested in the chronicles of Artyom, not that she knew that it was actually about him, and Anna.
"Let's just say…they made up. I'll leave it at that," Artyom answered, blushing ever so lightly. "The moral here is, you got here because of what you are able to do. What you deserve is determined by what you did to earn it. Weiss will warm up to you, trust me. Just like my father and Anna. All you have to do is keep trying."
"Thanks, Artyom," said Ruby, now in a slightly cheery tone.
"What are friends for? Now, let's go see about making that gun I promised you," Artyom replied. Ruby beamed, and the two walked off.
Weiss continued her stomping down the hall. If you look very closely, you might be able to see an imprint of her heels on the floor, albeit said imprint is just about a millimeter or so deep. She heard footsteps behind her. She shouted, not looking back, "Leave me alone, Ruby!"
A deep, gravelly voice responded. "I'm not Ruby."
Weiss turned around to see Miller right behind her. "What do you want, Miller?" she asked with a scowl.
"Your performance in that fight with the boarbatusk was terrible," Miller commented, shaking his head.
Weiss objected. "Well, it wasn't MY fault! Ruby was-"
"I agree. Ruby was distracting you."
"So you do get it," she responded, her arms crossed, chin raised.
"No. It was also partly your fault."
"What? How could it POSSIBLY be my fault?" Weiss asked to the point of yelling while glaring at Miller.
"You let yourself be distracted. A battlefield is the worst place to lose your concentration, and if ANYTHING succeeded in distracting you, you would have died right then and there!" Miller barked with a tone of authority he hadn't used since the last time he trained recruits long before he came to leading the Rangers. Miller let out a sigh and said "Let me tell you a story. I-uh-my father was once the leader of our Order, and he had the best of the best as his teammates. One day, he decided to give this guy who just came out of the blue a spot on his team."
"And this relates to me how?" Weiss impatiently asked.
"Now, this guy was a still a rookie. Sure, he knew how to fight, but he wasn't as properly trained as they were."
"If this 'Order' of yours only picked the best of the best, how did this guy get in?" Weiss questioned, now curious about this unknown newbie.
"Well, this man, let's call him Ivan, lived very, very far away from our headquarters. Where we're from, traveling between sta-I mean-villages never meant travelling in a straight line. He went through countless hardships to get to Polis, our headquarters, to deliver the news that one of my father's friends who had gone missing to fight off a…threat…and most likely, he was dead. My father's friend had trusted Ivan to go to Polis and look for my father if he didn't return. He went through long, dangerous roads, killed a massive amount of Grimm, and escaped from so many dangerous situations. He kept going on his treacherous journey just to tell him about what's threatening his home. They managed to solve his problem, but the solution was not easy to get to, but they did it, and the facility that they found to solve the problem also served as a great base of operations. My father inducted him on the spot that day. To this day, he's still in that team, laying down their lives for the safety of the people."
Weiss was speechless. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that a rookie, who had simply appeared out of the blue, managed to get into the best team of this unknown Order.
"My point is, never underestimate the people you work with. Granted, Ruby seems childish now, but you can expect that from someone her age. It only takes time to whittle down those flaws and polish them," Miller said, then walked away, leaving Weiss standing there, appearing to be in deep thought.
Ozpin was sitting on his desk, his trademark mug in arm's reach, trying to make a dent in today's paperwork, when the elevator door opened.
"Ah, Mr. Strugatsky and Mr. Aitmatov. What brings you to my office today?" he asked the two that had just entered his office.
"We only have one question. What kind of kids are you training here?" Ulman asked.
"What do you mean?" Ozpin responded.
"During class, we saw Weiss create two strange circles out of thin air. In our world, this is the kind of thing one would only see in fairy tales and fantasy stories," Khan answered.
"Ah, that would be Ms. Schnee's Semblance." Ozpin replied, and then took a sip from his mug.
"Semblance?" The pair questioned.
"To explain the concept of a Semblance, I must first explain Aura to you. You see, every person and animal on Remnant has an Aura. It is the manifestation of our souls. To put it simply, if you have a soul, you have an Aura, although, only humans and Faunus can weaponize Aura for their own protection. It is also required to trigger the use of Dust."
"So since we were able to put Dust in our grenades and use them…" Khan said.
"Therefore, you have an Aura. The four of you do," Ozpin answered back.
"So what did you mean by 'weaponizing' our Aura?" Khan asked.
"Aura is a great utility for Huntsmen and Huntresses. It can heal minor wounds and can defend from attacks. Most people use Aura for defending, but it can be channeled offensively."
"Does this mean that theoretically, if I give Khan a cut right now, he won't be harmed?" Ulman asked. Khan glared at Ulman for a second.
"Not necessarily. You four have lived your lives without knowing the existence of Aura, and thus, you either have your Aura fully or partially locked. In your case, your Aura is most likely partially locked, to a certain degree that you can only channel an unnoticeable amount, but enough to use your Dust bombs."
"What about the Grimm, sir?" Ulman questioned.
"The Grimm are incapable of using Aura. They do not have souls."
"And when do these 'Semblances' come into play?" Ulman asked.
"A Semblance is the manifestation of a person's innate and personal power. It is essentially an ability that is unique to each person, and is a more tangible projection of your Aura. It usually ties into one's personalities, but there have been cases of Semblances becoming hereditary to an extent."
"Surely there is a limit as to how much one can use this Semblance that you speak of. After all, nothing is free," Khan commented.
"And you would be right, Mr. Aitmatov. Prolonged use of one's Semblance will drain that person's Aura, and effects can range from fatigue or worse."
"This is really interesting stuff. So, how are we supposed to have our Auras fully unlocked?" Ulman asked.
"Unlocking one's Aura usually means rigorous training and willpower, although someone else with enough training can unlock it manually. I can do it for you right now if you wish," Ozpin remarked.
"What about our Semblances?" Khan queried.
"That you must find out for yourself. The use of your Aura can help you discover your Semblance," Ozpin answered.
"Alright, let's do it. If you don't mind, sir, could you call the rest of our team over here?" Ulman requested.
"Of course," Ozpin replied, and did just that.
"Why are we headed to your locker?" Ruby asked Artyom.
"Because, if I've read you correctly, you're not the one to stand perfectly still, especially with excitement over, let's say, a new weapon. So, to alleviate your boredom, I will let you use mine."
Ruby started shaking. To say that she seemed like she was having a seizure is an understatement. To say that she is having a sort of religious fervour, as if she was being visited or possessed by the God of Weapons and Arms…would also be an understatement.
"Take your pick," Artyom told her as he opened his locker. In a flash, the Volt Driver disappeared in front of him, a flurry of petals flying to the back of his head. "How did you do that? I haven't seen someone move that fast since…nevermind." He closed his locker, and the pair walked off.
They arrived at the machine shop, and Artyom gave Ruby a crash course in using it, leaving out the detail of electrocution by prong, then handed her three cylinders worth of ball bearings, and she sped off. 'Just like Sasha,' he mused to himself, recalling the curious and talkative little boy he carried from a mutant-infested station to his mother's arms, and set to work on the Bastard gun.
After some time, Ruby returned, Volt Driver in hand, all three cylinders emptied out. "This thing is so cool! It was all Zap! Kzzzt! Of course, I still love my Crescent Rose."
Artyom was slightly confused. "Crescent Rose?"
Ruby smiled. It was time to show off her sweetheart. With a flourish, she unfolded Crescent Rose in its scythe form, Artyom jumping back in surprise.
"Holy shit! Why do you have a scythe?"
"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle. I made Crescent Rose myself." She then folded it back to its inactive state.
"Such a large weapon can be folded into something remarkably small for its size…I need a favour. But first, a promise is a promise." Artyom stepped aside, and picked up the weapon. It was a submachine gun of a simple design, the body being a simple cylinder, getting narrower as one would reach the end of the barrel. A seemingly out of place hollow rectangular piece was on the body, making room for the mechanism that chambers each round. Right now, the mechanism was elevated a little. There was also a seemingly out of place cylinder on the body of the barrel, which had a hole on the top. If an old Earth historian were to look at it, he would say that this was more or less a Sten gun. Artyom also picked up seven rectangular metal frames, all loaded with thirty bullets each.
"What is it?"
"This, my friend, is the Bastard gun. I'll explain the name later. For now, to the range." Artyom then grabbed his weapons, and the two headed off to the range.
"Now, how to use this humble submachine gun. It takes 5.45 calibre bullets." He then handed the unloaded Bastard and a magazine to Ruby. "To load it, simply push the magazine from the right side of the gun into this rectangular piece, push it down, and pull the slide. To remove the magazine, slap it from left to right." Ruby slid the magazine into the gun and pulled the slide, chambering a bullet. "Fire a few rounds. Semi-auto." Artyom ordered. She then aimed the Bastard downrange and fired. She noticed that the magazine port moved up and down with each shot she took, and it the rectangular frame of the magazine to the right. "This chambering mechanism is pretty cool," she commented.
"Now go nuts. Full auto. Use it all up," Artyom said, handing Ruby three more magazines.
Ruby happily complied, squeezing the trigger. "The fire rate on this thing is insane!" she yelled over the roar of the Bastard. She emptied the first magazine, reloaded, and emptied the second one. Steam hissed from the vent on the body. "Why is steam coming out of the gun?" she asked as she reloaded.
"Don't mind it for now. Keep firing," Artyom replied, trying to conceal a smile.
Ruby squeezed the trigger once more. The magazine was almost empty, when she suddenly stopped. Ruby was shocked, her face looking like she just destroyed a priceless artifact. Her hands started shaking, the same thought rushing through her head; she broke the gun Artyom made for her right in front of him. Artyom's face was twitching. Her knees started getting weak, and she was starting to feel faint.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" Artyom screamed at her.
"No-I-uh-I-didn-no-uh I'M SORRY!" Ruby cried out.
Artyom's face was still twitching, then stopped. He suddenly dropped the angry look and gently smiled. "You jammed it," he said nonchalantly, and started laughing. Hard.
"I-it wast just j-jammed? WHY MUST YOU TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS?! WHAT KIND OF A PERSON ARE YOU?!"
Artyom was laughing his sides off. "The kind-AHAHAHA-that's gonnaHAHAHAHAHhelp you unjam it. Sorry, I just needed a good laugh," he said. 'God knows how long it's been since I sincerely laughed.' "See the knob at the end of the barrel? Twist it and pull it out, then give the chambering mechanism a good whack and pull the slide. That's how you vent out the steam from the water jacket and unjam it, in that order." Ruby did as she was told; pulling the knob out, giving the chamber a good whack with her fist, then pulled the slide, clearing the jam. She then closed off the vent, and twisted the knob, locking it in place. "So why do you call it the 'Bastard?'" the hooded girl asked.
"One of the reasons is that this gun is actually made of parts from different guns and other miscellaneous parts one could scavenge. See the barrel shroud? That used to be a flashlight. The foregrip used to be the handle of a kitchen knife. The other reason is this: you already know about the fire rate, now take a look downrange," Artyom said. The range was a mess. There were bullet holes pretty much everywhere, almost as if the gun itself tried its absolute hardest to miss. "It's got poor accuracy and it overheats every two magazines. It's a real bastard to use, hence the name. It's at its greatest in close quarters fired in short bursts, and you can add stuff like a silencer, a heatsink, sights and so on. You're going to have to ask someone else about the heatsink, because I have no idea how to install one. Now, onto the favour."
"Which is….?"
"You have shown me that you are capable of creating a large scythe that can be compacted into something significantly smaller. I want you to do something for me." He unholstered his revolver, twirling it like a cowboy from an old movie. "I want you to put a stock and a foregrip on my revolver. You see, I want the stability of the stock and foregrip, but I don't want it to take up space in case things get too close for comfort and I can't draw it because it's too long."
"So you want a retractable stock and foregrip, but you want to keep the pistol grip?" the redhead asked.
"Exactly."
"That...is...a cool idea! You want to be able to switch between pistol and carbine!" Ruby responded with a smile on her face. "I'd be happy to do it. I kind of feel that I owe you."
"No, no, you don't owe me anything. I'm just trying to be the good person my mother always believed I could be," Artyom replied, with a smile, but his voice was slightly melancholy. He then took out a magazine and a clip of military-grade bullets and handed it to Ruby.
"Uhh...why are you giving me bullets?" the redhead asked.
"Oh, oops. Sorry, old habits." The Ranger returned the ammunition in his pockets.
The PA system sounded out, "Would Artyom Glukhovsky and Miller Strugatsky please report to the Headmaster's office? Artyom Glukhovsky and Miller Strugatsky to the Headmaster's office."
"Ooh, that's my cue. I'll leave you to it. Maybe just drop by our room later when you're done?" Artyom asked.
"Consider it done," Ruby answered, and as the Ranger left, she set off to work, still wondering why he was going to give her a bunch of bullets, and why her new gun was made of scavenged parts, not that she was complaining.
A few minutes later, Miller and Artyom arrived at the office, escorted by Professor Goodwitch. "Professor Goodwitch, you and I will be unlocking the Auras of these four students. After all, we can't have them running around without it, right?" Ozpin asked.
"Knowing their past, it makes sense that they wouldn't have it fully unlocked," Goodwitch commented. After a quick explanation of Aura and Semblances from Ulman and Khan to the other two, the staff set to work.
Ulman, Miller and Khan started experimenting a bit with their now unlocked Auras.
"Well, thank you for unlocking our Auras. We'll be taking our leave now," Artyom said. The Rangers and Khan exited the office.
"Did you notice it too?" Ozpin asked Glynda.
"Yes I did. Artyom Glukhovsky's Aura has already been unlocked."
The Rangers were excited to try out their newfound powers in their room. They were experimenting with it, doing all sorts of things to test it out, which included giving themselves cuts on their fingers to have their Auras heal it, among other things. "Holy crap, this Aura stuff is amazing! I wonder what our Semblances could be…" Ulman wondered.
"I'm curious as well," Miller commented.
Khan was sitting on the windowsill, staring out into the night, questions still ringing in his mind. How did they get to this strange world? How did Artyom get that Ursa Major off him without touching it, bullets notwithstanding? How did a little girl who they have never met beforehand have dreams of Artyom's memories?
"Hey, let's have a spar. Knives only, right here, right now. Let's test this Aura stuff out," Ulman declared, a grin plastered on his face.
"It doesn't sound too safe," Miller answered.
"Since when did our spiritual leader get scared of a little knife, huh? Besides, Professor Goodwitch told us we can track our Auras on our Scrolls anyway. What do you say, tournament style?" Ulman teased.
"Well, if you put it that way, bring it on. I'm not getting any younger…again…" Miller replied.
The two took out their knives and started lunging at each other, causing a ruckus at every swipe. A knock sounded out from their door. Artyom walked up and opened said door. "Oh, hey Ruby," he greeted.
*thump*
"I finished with the stock and foregrip on your revolver. Here you go," she responded with a smile, and handed the revolver over to its rightful owner.
"Strange, it doesn't look too different," Artyom stated as he twirled it around. There was a little black shape right in front of the trigger guard, and it feels slightly heavier, but that was it.
*thok*
"Oh, just turn that knob on the grip," Ruby commanded.
The Ranger did as he was told. The black shape sprung out, forming the foregrip, and the bottom of the pistol's grip opened, and a rifle stock unfolded itself from it.
"This is exactly what I had in mind. Thank you," Artyom said.
*crash*
"No problem. What are friends for, right?" Ruby answered. "Oh, and press the button again to retract it!" She then walked off, going back to her room. The Ranger went back inside, drew his knife, and shouted, "ALL RIGHT BITCHES LET'S GET IT ON!" The other two roared, and the three started fighting.
Meanwhile…
Ruby walked back into her dorm room, a smile on her face. Her sister noticed this, and said "So, you look surprisingly cheery today, Rubes."
"Well, I couldn't without some help," Ruby replied.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked.
"Well, after the whole thing with Weiss, Artyom came by and cheered me up. He made me a gun, too."
"Wait, he made you a gun?" Blake asked.
"ALL RIGHT BITCHES LET'S GET IT ON!"
"URAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Why are those dolts making so much noise?!" Weiss asked no one, completely annoyed.
"Yeah. But not before he let me play with his gun."
Yang was not really paying a lot of attention, until Ruby mentioned that the Russian let her play with his "gun." Her lilac eyes flashed a very dangerous red.
"What did you say?!" Yang yelled, her anger starting to build up like air in a shaken bottle of soda.
"He let me play with his gun. It was big and heavy, but it was fun," Ruby replied nonchalantly.
Blake was blushing. She was not expecting Ruby, the sweet, innocent little girl that she called leader to be involved in such a matter, and her description of-NO. She needed to stop right there.
Yang was livid, her hair blazing like a sun was just born in her golden locks. "Hold. That. Thought." she growled, gnashing her teeth, and went next door. Blake followed suit, hoping to complain about the noise the Rangers were making before Yang beats their leader into a pulp. "Yang, wait!" Ruby shouted, chasing after her. The blonde pounded on the door. No answer. 'No doubt because of the noise they're making,' Blake thought to herself. At that moment, Team JNPR stepped out of their room, also hoping to complain about the noise. The furious blonde pounded on the door again. The door swung open, and out popped Khan. "Hello everyone, I apologize about the noise, the other three should be just about spent by now."
"Never mind that, where's Artyom?!" Yang gnarled.
"Please, do come in," Khan opening the door wider, letting the two teams behold the room. The three Rangers were panting, knives in hand. Artyom was lying on the floor. Ulman was leaning on a desk, while Miller sat on a bed. There were a few throwing knives stuck on the walls and floor as well. "Well, that was kind of fun," Ulman panted. "Oh, we have guests," Artyom glibly stated, still panting, and stood up. "So, to what do we owe th-"
A fist launched itself at his face, sending him flying across the room. The sheer power of that punch reminded Artyom of the Rhino Nosalis's charge before he killed it. "Ah fuck, that hurt," he muttered, and stood up again. "What was that for?!"
"That was for defiling my little sister!"
"What are you talking about?"
"How about the fact that you let her play with your 'gun?'" She spat out, cocking her arm for another punch. Ulman burst out laughing. "Man, that is low. I was not expecting you to hit on her, but come on!"
Ruby grabbed Yang's shoulder and spun her around. "I was talking about THIS gun!" she clarified, pointing at the Volt Driver. "What were you thinking when I said I was playing with his gun, sis?!"
"I was just being nice. Especially since she decided to break in here to look at our firearms..." Artyom said.
Yang's fervor finally settled down, and she helped Artyom up. "Sorry about that," she chuckled awkwardly, playing with her hair a little.
"Ugh, what you've done is understandable," Artyom responded, brushing himself off.
"So...you snuck into the bedroom of four boys, Rubes..."
"I'M NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS!" Ruby screamed, speeding out of the room.
"What else were you doing in there, my dear sister?" she shouted, giving chase to the hooded girl.
"LALALALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Ruby's voice faded as she sprinted down the hall. She was not going to take Yang's teasing. She's not having any of it.
"What were you doing that made so much noise? Pyrrha asked.
"Oh come on, the noise wasn't that bad. I actually liked the noise. Can we bring the noise back? Ooh, ooh, can I add to the noise?" Nora asked in her usual fast paced speech.
"No!" the six replied in unison.
"Well, we just had our Auras unlocked, so we tried it out," Miller responded.
"Wait, so you fought off a massive horde of Grimm at the initiation WITHOUT Aura? Are you insane? Pyrrha questioned.
"I have to say, that was pretty suicidal," Ren commented.
"So we decided to test it out. And by test it out…" Artyom added.
"I meant start a three-way knife fight," Ulman chuckled. "Don't worry, we were keeping track."
"Why do I get the feeling you guys will be doing something weird every time we decide to visit this room?" Jaune asked.
"That...is...AWESOME!" Nora shouted.
"Oh, would you look at the time, it's almost lights out," Artyom commented, looking at his watch. "Good night, everyone." The two teams filed out of the room back into their own dorms.
The man walked through the crowded station, when he heard crying from around the corner.
"All right, it's okay, alright, hush, baby, hush. What happened?" The woman told her child, trying to comfort him.
"I lost my teddy bear!" the little boy cried.
"Hush, baby, it's all right. We'll find your teddy bear, don't cry... Where did you walk today?" The mother asked, her voice sounding like it can soothe a storm.
"I wanted to show him the shooting range, but I got yelled at and ran!" the boy responded and started sobbing again. The man walked away from where he was leaning and approached a man in a leather jacket.
"The rules are simple. You take position and kill all the critters," the range master told him. "If you make it before the signal, you can collect your winnings."
The man nodded and gave the range master something.
"Come on in, take position!" the range master said, moving out of the way. The man smiled, walked up to the raised platform and cocked his Kalash. He heard four beeps, and the sheet metal wall in front of him moved out of the way. On the floor below his shooting balcony, five rats scurried out. In a blink, the man snapped his aim at one of the rats and fired, and proceeded to make short work of the four. The spectators who were directly under the shooting platform groaned, losing bets to someone who said that he wouldn't hit anything.
He approached the range master. "Great! Here's your winnings," he told him and handed the rifleman some bullets. "How about a raise?" The man smiled and doubled up, reloading his Kalash as he walked up to the platform. The sheet metal wall rolled down, and five rats scurried out. The man took aim and fired at each rat, the spectators both complimenting and cursing his great aim. Five more rats scurried out, and he made short work of them as well. He approached the range master again, took his winnings, and doubled up again at the range master's suggestion. This time, there were fifteen rats to take care of. Each bullet found its home in each rat's body, with great speed and sharp aim from the man. The people who bet against him were going home empty handed tonight.
"That was something," the range master told the man as he handed him his winnings. The range master opened a drawer behind him and took out a stuffed bear. "Here's a special prize for you. The targets usually last til the evening...well, our barbecue is going to be busy for a little while." The man took the toy, walked back to the mother and her child, and gave the boy his bear.
"My teddy bear! Mom, the teddy bear is back! Where have you been? Were the buns good? Don't leave me again!" the child exclaimed happily, speaking a mile a minute as he hugged the stuffed animal.
The mother stood up and faced him. "Oh, thank you so much! I was at a loss," she said with a relieved sigh. She faced her son and asked, "What should you say? This person helped your teddy bear come home, so what should you say?"
The child faced the man and thanked him. The mother faced the man as well, and said "Thank you so much, you're a Godsend. Simon brought that teddy bear from the surface. Toys are scarce here, as you know, so he grew really fond of it." She knelt down in front of the boy again and asked, "How about we go home now?"
"Can I play here some more?"
"Alright, but not for long. We'll go home soon." And with that, the child sat down, and played with his reunited friend.
Ruby opened her eyes, now tearing up a little.
The rest of her team heard the commotion and approached Ruby's bunk. "What's wrong, Ruby?" questioned Blake.
"I just had...*sniff* the most touching dream..." Ruby replied. "I'll tell you *sniff* about it later..."
"Touching, huh?" Yang sweetly asked, drumming her fingers together, stroking her chin.
Weiss and Blake groaned. "Only you can ruin a moment like this, Yang," Weiss chided.