Chapter 3: The Emerald Forest Doesn't Look That Green

Okay. A little more feedback and a couple handfuls of views and follows. I'm feeling confident about this. Shout out to Johnwolf234, who seems to have taken a liking to my new series. I will try to update Multiverse Effect after this chapter just for you my good man. If you think I own RWBY, any of its characters or anything else in this fic aside from me, the main character, well, I'm flattered. But, sadly, it isn't so. Now more of the story.

'What. The. Hell.' Were Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose, and Weiss Schnee's thoughts.

Here they were, about to begin their initiation to Beacon, when the lazy swordsman they just met yesterday turns out to be the mysterious stranger they had all individually seen the past few months.

Blake was shocked, and was blushing a bit, remembering the 'my fair lady' comment he said a couple months ago.

Yang was intrigued. She was still a little wary, this guy having seemed to have me her little sister before her. But the intrigue overwrote that for the most part.

Ruby was outraged. She finally meets the guy, and she still doesn't get a closer look at his badass arsenal.

Weiss, well, she still appreciated the small help he quietly gave her a few months ago. 'But why did he have to be a jerk in person.' So she was just suspicious.

"Now, any more questions?" Ozpin asked the remaining students, not even acknowledging the boy that just sprouted wings from his back while music played around them, which got quieter the farther he got.

"Um, sir. I've got, uh, a, question." Jaune tried to ask.

"Good!" Ozpin said, just as the Blonde swordsman finished his sentence. "Take your positions."

All the remaining students, after composing themselves, took up their stances to prepare for launch. Except for Jaune, who still tried to voice his question to Ozpin.

"So this, landing strategy, thing? Ugh, what is it? You're like, dropping us off or something?"

"No. You will be falling."

"Oh. I see. So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh huh. That."

Unbeknownst to Jaune, all the students to his left had already all launched as he tried to not get shot up into the air. And was about to be flung in…

"So, uh, what exactly is a landing strategyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?"

Now.

Once all the students landed, the four girls that Duncan took to aiding all thought…

"I need to have a word with Duncan."

Back with Duncan, he was still flying thanks to his Night-Sky Wings, far away from the others eyes and Sharp Dressed Man just finished its second and last guitar solo.

"Yeah, that song was a better choice than my original idea." I said to myself out loud. "I'm probably gonna have to land sometime soon."

With that thought, I dive-bombed into the ground, my fist softening the blow for me, and creating a large crater in the earth.

"Probably just overdid it a wee bit." I noted.

Not letting myself get distracted by the sheer awesomeness of that landing, I walk toward the temple, where all the pieces laid. Which, by the way, was ten meters away from where I landed. Grabbing the white king piece, I walked over to the ruins that future Teams RWBY and JNPR would end up at. First, I sat myself up on a pillar. Then, I waited.

I wasn't a stranger to waiting. I could keep myself distracted for hours on end with my phone. And besides, when your conscience has existed for over seven trillion years all by itself, you tend not to care about waiting for a few hours.

And thankfully, it was only like, two hours until I saw the others. Death Stalker and Nevermore in tow.

'And there's my queue.'

Once they reached the bridge, I pulled a Weiss, as in I erected a wall of ice between the two groups and the enormous scorpion. It wouldn't hold for long.

Seeing as how that was weird, random, and didn't come from Weiss, there was only one explanation. My lovely voice being heard above them confirmed their suspicions.

"Well now, isn't this familiar. You four are in trouble, and I, the mysterious hooded man watching (from a distance) is here ready to lend a hand."

"Yeah. What's up with that anyway?" Yang asked me.

"Drama. I'm strange like that. And even you have to admit, the times you four saw me, I looked awesome."

"You are so full of yourself." Weiss interjected.

"And damn proud of it."

With that, the Death Stalker broke through the ice wall, me already on the ground, in my combat stance and shooing the others away into safety.

The first twelve strikes came from the monster, using its claws and stingers to try and vivisect me. Eventually, I decided to throw it a bone before I killed it. So, I move my sword so that it seems like I'm gonna block the stinger, but it's a little bit above the tail's target. And with that, the tail goes right through my chest.

"DUNCAN!" The girls scream. 'Aww, they really do care.'

I stare down at my chest, not fazed even the slightest by the gore, and grab the tail and pull it out. Now, the hole is still there, leaking blood. And the others are watching in morbid fascination as the huge gaping hole closes and the fabric of the jacket stitches itself up.

The Death Stalker, shocked by this (that is going in my feats book) just stands there. At least, until I start slamming it into the ground by the tail with one hand. A lot like how the Hulk did to Loki in The Avengers. Then, I started spinning around, and release the arachnid into the air. Once it's a ways up, I jump up and start slashing with the sword. The amount of blood flying around me was quite a bit sickening. Not to me, of course. But to everyone else, well Jaune definitely threw up. The more stoic members of the group were just wondering why I was overdoing it.

I'm back on the ground, flicking the blood off my blade with one swing. The giant bird, seeing me as the only real threat right now, starts launching, feathers?, at me.

"Aw, you use your feathers as weapons. That's cute."

I quickly form my wings again and take to the skies. I'm just floating there, holding a staring contest with the big raven. Just staring.

And staring.

And staring.

And, yes, you guessed it, still staring.

Then shouting.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

With those few words, the bird is now ashes, flowing in the wind. Then I just land in front of the two teams.

"Well. That was a thing." Said Yang after a few moments.

"We could've taken them." Ruby says, contradicting what they all thought earlier, even though they actually could have and would have had I not intervened.

"I know. I was just bored." I deadpanned. With that, the whole group face-palms. Except for Blake, who actually managed to sneak up on me while I was grabbing one of the Nevermore's feathers. 'This is SO gonna be my new pen.'

"So. 'My fair lady', huh?" Was all Blake said.

'Oooooh crap. I'm never going to hear the end of this.' I thought to myself as my eyes widen and a blush spreads across my face.

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Skye Lark." Ozpin announced to the aforementioned students in front of the rest of the school. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as, Team CRDL. Led by, Cardin Winchester." Ozpin told the new team of bullies. Next up was Team JNPR.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie…." He began.

Meanwhile, I and what was about to be team RWBY stood waiting for us to be called up to the stage, being the last students. And I'm trying to avoid Blake's teasing. I mean, I like her, but I didn't expect a stoic girl like her to be capable of making a guy like me blush this much. And I've lived in a Japanese HRPG without batting an eyelash to the majority of all those girls.

And the things they'd do. Whoa! They'd make any serious chastity ring-bearer spin their heads, let me tell you.

After Team JNPR was formed, the girls stepped to the stage.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long." He called. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as, Team RWBY. Led by, Ruby Rose."

Yang instantly hugged her little-turned-team-leader. Weiss was shocked, she expected herself to be leader. And Blake was indifferent.

"And finally, Duncan Verser." Ozpin called out. 'My time to shine.'

"I must admit, I didn't expect you to not get a partner. Regardless, you retrieved a white king piece, alone. From this day forward, you will be, Unit VRSE."

"Thank you, sir."

"However, you still need to work with a team. And given how you seem to know them so well already, you will work alongside, Team RWBY. Congratulations, Mr. Verser." He said.

'Work… with Team RWBY?' I turned around to face said team.

Ruby seemed excited. I can only assume she's looking forward to having me show her my weapons to give her an idea how to improve her own.

Weiss looked in between thoughts. She didn't really seem to trust me, but she looked like she wanted to give me a chance.

Yang was giving me this look. I'm pretty sure I know that look. And it was both awesome, and concerning.

And Blake. She was giving me a similar look. It was only different due to how she looked as if she knew she already had power over me.

And dammit, she does.

"Looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year." Said Ozpin.

"Oh, you're telling me." I said, loud enough for his mic to register.

Meanwhile, in the city of Vale. Crime Lord Roman Torchwick was at his current base of operations. He looked as though he was having trouble with something after hanging up his cell phone. He sighs.

Then, a member of the White Fang enters the room, carting a large container. Torchwick flicks a stack of Lien in his hands a couple times and lays it on the table for the Faunus to collect.

"Open it." He tells the man. And he does so.

Inside is a large number of dust crystals. But not enough for whatever their plans are.

He turns back to the strategic map of Vale on the wall. Arrows are pointing toward Beacon as their primary target. He sighs again.

"We're going to need more men." The criminal states.

Meanwhile, I'm there in the back, hidden where no one sees me.

'Your plan may need more men Torchwick. But, come a few weeks from now…" I make a death motion with my thumb.

"You won't be one of those men." Was all that I said.

Then I disappeared, returning to my new dorm next to Team RWBY's at Beacon.

And the plot thickens. I am on a roll. Like I said at the beginning, I'll try and update my Multiverse Effect fic by tomorrow or the day after at the most. If anyone has anything constructive to say about how I'm doing, please do so. The short comments are great, and they encourage me to keep writing. But I need to know that I'm doing well with more than just a few words. Until next time, I'm VindictiveDunc, and THIS….. is the best Fan Fiction site ever. Later.