Here we go with yet another installment of Between Classes. This one was interesting to write since I spent time fleshing out a character I only originally intended to use sparingly for about two chapters and created by throwing literally a few random ideas together(most of which came from the real life actor he's based on). That being said it was fun taking the time to work on something that more focused on the various teachers at Beacon. If any you like this chapter thank potentialaunthor18 for giving me the idea.

Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth productions...if I owned it there would be far more teacher with drinking problems.

The sun had yet to rise as Sergeant Rlee pulled himself out of bed, not wasting time with so much as a yawn. The old soldier quickly got to his feet and began going through a series of regimented warm up stretches while keeping a mindful eye on the digital reading on the clock. After about 15 minutes Rlee finished his warm up and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt before exiting his faculty guest room and making his way to the school grounds. The early morning air still had a hint of heat from the previous day which suited him just fine as he took a minute to crack his knuckles and pop his neck before beginning his jog. While the five laps around the school paled somewhat to his usual morning regimen it was still enough to slake his need for discipline. It took just under an hour for him to complete his run and make it back to his room. He smoothly slipped into his morning ritual hopping into the guest room's shower, silently praising the fact didn't have to share the communal showers with the students. He cleaned himself thoroughly and stepped out before stepping in front the mirror to brush his teeth and shave. After several minutes of meticulous grooming he was satisfied with his appearance and stepped out of the bathroom and made his way to the closet. He selected one of his many identical uniforms and set it neatly on the bed before returning to the closet and pulling out the ironing board and iron they'd left him at his request. He quickly set up the board and set the iron to warm before making his way to the dresser where had an arrangement of bottles and glasses. He set about fixing himself a drink and refilling his flask, the simple gift from his subordinates had proven quite effective in easing the stress of dealing with students for the last couple of months. Once the iron was ready he took his drink and set about ironing his uniform.

Drink count: 1

After a few minutes of work the drill instructor was satisfied with his uniform and quickly dressed. Afterward he checked his bag to make sure he had all his papers in order before grabbing his hat and making his way out.

Beacon faculty lounge…..

Rlee sat in comfortable solitude enjoying his breakfast in peace, at least for the time being. After spending a few months at Beacon he had become accustomed to the school's various routines, and while they lacked the regimented military precision and discipline he found comfort in, they at least proved predictable. He pulled out his trusty flask and poured a generous helping scotch into his half-filled coffee mug. On cue Professor Arch strolled into the room with his usual smile on his face just as Rlee slipped the flask back into his coat. Arch made a beeline for the table and took a seat across from him.

While Rlee had no ill will for his fellow guest instructor, he never had much patience for egg-head types. Arch wasted little time before engaging him with conversation about lesson plans and his thoughts on curriculum. Rlee just nodded and kept his answers short, letting the intellectual do most of talking while he took solace in his coffee.

Drink count: 2

Later that day during class…..

Rlee scowled as he stood next to Professor Goodwitch. Despite her every intention of playing the role of the strict and stringent schoolmistress, he found her approach to be far too lenient. This had caused them to butt heads on more than one occasion and Ozpin's insistence on them sharing a class for his lecturing duties did not help. Today was a prime example. Goodwitch had insisted that she be the one to choose the students for today's combat demonstration, so now he was stuck watching Daedalus make a fool of himself and nearly destroy the stage in the process as he frantically scurried about the stage while Jackie cackled like a lunatic and showed she still hadn't taken his advice to improve her aim. Goodwitch just stood there taking notes on her Scroll and monitoring their auras. Finally he snapped.

"Damnit Verde stand your ground and fight, your opponent aim couldn't get any worse if you blindfolded her!" He shouted as loud as he could. Goodwitch shot him a look but he knew she couldn't stop him from giving his advice. "And Jackson! Verde is literally the slowest student in this whole damn school when he isn't wearing a 30lb metal backpack, you couldn't have an easier target unless he painted one on his chest!"

"Teach you're doing wonders for my self-esteem!" Dae hollered back hurling a grenade at Jackie which she shot out of the air. He took the opportunity to send three more shock grenades rolling across the stage. Jackie saw the move coming and launched herself into the air. Once she was airborne she readied herself for another shot only to find the stage covered in a thick cloud of smoke.

"C'mon Verde, dropping smoke won't save your ass every time." Rlee screamed before turning to Jackie. "Jackson this is your chance, he's cut his visibility so for once you're not the only one who's half blind up there!"

Jackie gritted her teeth clicking her heels together and firing another blast to keep herself in the air. "Screw you old man!" She screamed spinning herself through the air and swinging three shots at random into the smoke. As the shots cut through the smoke a loud cry pierced through the gray cloud giving away Dae's position. Jackie followed it like a shark smelling blood, angling herself midair and blasting towards him. She collided hard with him taking him to the ground with a heavy metal thunk. As the smoke began to clear the class could see Jackie standing over Dae with her boot hovering over his face and the barrel poised while he waved his hands nervously in surrender.

"That's enough students." Goodwitch called ending the match and displaying the results on the screens above the stage along with a few looped clips from the fight.

"I hope you were all paying attention!" Rlee yelled turning his attention to the class. "As you can see, you can't rely on the same tricks for every opponent. Verde!" He yelled turning towards the young inventor as he took his seat next to Robin. "You had every advantage in this fight. Your opponent may have you beat at range but everyone in this class knows she can't hit the broadside of a barn at ten paces!" He ignored the vulgar obscenity Jackie shouted at him from the back of the class as he continued his tirade. "If you'd took the initiative at the start instead of retreating you could have kept her from taking to the air, I know you've got grenades that seal your enemy's movements!"

"Hey that's easy for you to say." Dae piped up. "You weren't the one being shot at."

Rlee could feel a vein in his beginning to throb as he fixed the boy with a menacing glare. "My job maggot!" He shouted stomping up to Dae making him almost fall out of his seat. "Is to teach you to keep your cool under fire!"

"That's enough!" Professor Goodwitch interrupted moving between them just before the bell rang. "Alright students, the lecture as well as footage from the match has been uploaded to your Scrolls, review them before next class." Dae scurried away while Rlee was distracted leaving his partner to catch up. Rlee stood there massaging his temples until the last of the students exited the class. "That was completely uncalled for." Goodwitch said turning her attention to the older man.

"It was completely called for." Rlee seethed. "I'm not gonna stand there and take lip from one of my students, and I stand by every point I made. And what kind of match was that, what were you thinking?"

"They were evenly matched in terms of…."

"Of being last in the class. They're never gonna get better if you don't challenge them! Jackson needs to fight someone who she can't scare into game of cat and mouse and Verde needs someone who will force rely on instinct instead of one of his crazy plans!" Rlee yelled reaching for his flask. Before he could unscrew the cap Glynda levitated it out of his hand and into her own while giving him a venomous glare.

"You can question my decisions as an educator but I will not tolerate this." She hissed.

"Ma'am." Rlee said in an even but commanding tone. "You better hand that back to me." He stared the taller woman down for a few moments until her Scroll beeped.

"Glynda would you please send Sergeant Rlee to see me." Ozpin's voice asked breaking the tension.

"Right away sir." Glynda replied as Rlee quickly closed the gap and snatched his flask back. "Why you…"

"Sorry, but it sounds like the CO wants to see me." Rlee said already making his way out of the room.

"This conversation is isn't over Sergeant!" The blonde instructor fumed.

"I bet it isn't." Rlee muttered under his breath before taking a long swig.

Drink count: 5

In Ozpin's office…..

Ozpin was busy going over paper when Rlee saw himself in. "Ah, good you're here. Please take a seat." he said with a courteous gesture of his mug.

"If it's all the same sir, I'd rather stand." Rlee said fixing himself at attention.

"Very well." Ozpin said setting down his paper and leaning into his seat. "Sergeant, with the Vytal festival approaching I was hoping you could give me an estimation of our students capabilities."

"I don't think it's my place to say sir."

Ozpin leaned forward on his desk, setting his mug down and clasping his hands in a thoughtful manner. "Please Sergeant, this is an informal discussion. I value your opinion."

"Well I can't speak much for the older students, but I can think of a few noteworthy students sir." Rlee said in a reverent tone.

"Please, go on." Ozpin instructed.

"Well for one Windsor is still one of the best students the academy has to offer. He's smart, strong, and soaks up tactics and strategies like sponge if what Arch says is true. He's a real loner, but with a team like his and a partner like Gawaine I think his need to assert his authority will help shape him into a good leader with time."

"And what of the rest of his team?" Ozpin queried.

"Well I think they have potential to be the strongest team out of the entire freshman class. Gawaine tenacious and a good offensive powerhouse, Scratch is always up to something but that can be an asset in a tough situation, but a team is only as tough as its weakest link. That being said if Jackson can get her act together in time for the tournament then I think Team SPDN has the best chance out all the others to take the gold." Rlee explained.

Ozpin was silent for a moment, seemingly mulling over what he'd been told. "Anyone else?"

"Argo is a model soldier and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous he enrolled here instead of enlisting." Rlee said with a bit of a grin. "He tries just as hard if not harder than the rest my students. He has a lot of potential, but he's got a lot of conflicting personalities on his team."

"Yes, Mister Argo has quite the task ahead of him, but I think he's more than up for the challenge." Ozpin nodded. "Is that all?"

"Well there is Team RDCP." Rlee sighed seeming to pick his words wisely. "They're one of the most hodgepodge bunch of kids I've seen here. Eristone is almost as big a trouble maker as Scratch and Jackson, Bagheera has some good training but she's naïve to a fault, and Verde is a mess and honestly I'm nervous being alone with him, but Cappson continues surprise me." Rlee admitted.

"Yes, he was a special case." Ozpin added.

"He's shown some solid improvement, and he seems to be the only one out of the new crop who's really taken to leading. He thinks quick, leads by example, and has a way of gaining people's trust even in the heat of a fight." Rlee said showing just a hint of admiration.

"That's good, but you don't seem to have a high estimation of his team." Ozpin pointed out.

"Don't get me wrong sir, they all have their strengths. Eristone's a fighter with plenty of grit, Bagheera's hand-to-hand training is nothing short of amazing, and while he's a bit of an oddball when it comes to teamwork Verde is one of the best. But they're all still too rough for my tastes." Rlee took a minute to clear his throat before going on. "At least that's my take on things as it is sir."

"Thank you Sergeant, your evaluation has been enlightening. You're free to go." Ozpin said with a smile as he returned to his papers.

"Sir." Rlee gave a quick salute before he headed for the door.

"Oh, and Sergeant." Ozpin called before he opened the door. "I would appreciate if you refrained from indulging in certain…habits until after school hours if at all possible."

Rlee regarded the knowing stare Ozpin shot his from just over his spectacles. "I will keep that in mind sir."

Later that evening….

Drink count: 7

The last of the day's classes came and went and after dealing with Djack's scheming antics during his survival course Rlee was hoping to unwind over a nice hot dinner and a couple of beers. He'd claimed a table in a secluded corner of the cafeteria in hopes of eluding Glynda and avoid the lecture she inevitably prepared for him. The students gave him a comfortably wide birth which had allowed him to enjoy his meal in peace, that is until HE arrived.

"Rlee, well aren't you a rare sight today." Professor Port boomed making his way to Rlee's table. Rlee tensed up as the stocky old huntsman approached. The last thing he needed with was Beacon's very own blowhard bending his ear for the remainder of his meal. That being said there was little he could do, Rlee didn't believe in letting students see disagreements between teachers if at all possible for fear of undermining their collective authority. "I was under the impression you usually took your meals in the lounge." Port said as he plopped down across the table from the perturbed soldier.

"Felt like a change of pace." Rlee answered simply as he finished his second beer.

"A fortuitous decision considering Glynda seems to be on the war path this evening." Port chuckled knowingly earning a glare. "In fact I haven't seen her this mad since the time I brought in a fully grown Deathstalker for a pop quiz." Rlee sighed as Port lapsed into the story without missing a beat.

"You don't say." Rlee said feigning interest as he moved on to his third beer.

Drink count: 8

Later that night….

Rlee groaned leaning back in his chair. He managed to survive Goodwitch's scolding after dinner, but he had to hand it to her, she knew just the right punishment to put him in his own personal hell. She decided since he felt the need to become more involved in the class besides his duties as a lecturer he should have no problem grading this week's combat theory assignments. With a grunt he leaned back towards the desk and picked up the answer key while examining Nidhogg's paper. "Ugh, I am not cut out for this crap." He moaned trying to make heads or tails of the young brawler's explanation of how to handle being outnumbered in a pincer maneuver.

"Having some trouble Sergeant?" Professor Oobleck asked zooming down from the loft above to stand beside Rlee.

"It's these blasted papers Oobleck." Rlee explained unfazed by his fellow professor's sudden arrival. "I'm a Drill Sergeant, I don't know the first thing about grading homework." He said reaching into his desk and pulling out a bottle of scotch before topping off what little remained of his coffee.

"Indeed I can see where you'd have trouble, but it's simply a matter of liberally interpreting the answer key." Oobleck explained snatching up Nidhogg's paper and the key while Rlee took a sip of his drink.

Drink count: 11

"There, simple as that." Oobleck declared swiftly placing the papers back on the desk, Nidhogg's completely graded. Rlee nearly spat out his drink in awe as he examined the paper.

"You…you…you…" Rlee gasped as he examined the paper covered in red inked corrections.

"Yes, it was nothing really." Oobleck offered zipping over to the far wall to fetch a book.

"Wait!" Rlee called to the green haired professor. "Uh, Oobleck, um y'know I realized I haven't done much to make friends here." He went on as plan slowly formed in his head.

"That is true, some would say your attitude borders on anti-social." Oobleck ventured while speedily flipping through the pages of his book.

"Well I guess I'm in the mood to turn over a new leaf." Rlee grinned. "I was thinking of making a pot of my Gran-gran's famous coffee, how bout a cup?"

"Hmm, that does sound appealing. What brought this on?" The glasses wearing professor queried.

"Like I said, it's in the spirit of friendship. Friends do things for one another don't they?" Rlee said glancing between Oobleck and the stack of papers a few times for effect.

Oobleck didn't miss the poorly veiled intent of Rlee's actions and gave the older man a knowing smirk. "Of course, that's what friends are for."

"Great, then I go get started on that Joe." Rlee chuckled making his way to the coffee maker.

Later out on the grounds….

Drink count: 13

Rlee grinned happily as he breathed in the night air. While Oobleck hadn't actually graded any of the papers for him, his assistance in the grading helped him get through the stack in record time. He'd also found the fast talking caffeine addict to be surprisingly good company in spite of his refusal to share a drink with him. By now Rlee was feeling a little more than pleasantly buzzed and decided to enjoy the walk around the grounds before heading back to his room for the night.

As he was passing by the path towards the cliffs he heard an explosion off in the distance. On instinct he shot down into a combat stance and reached for his hatchets. When his hands found only air where he typically holstered his weapons he remembered where he was and his sense of danger passed. It wasn't unheard of for students to train into the night, but still he felt the need to investigate the origin of the sound. As he got closer to the cliffs he continued to hear sporadic explosions and as he drew even closer he began to hear curses following them leaving him to believe whoever was behind the ruckus was not having much luck in their training.

Soon he exited the wooded path and could make out the familiar form of Daedalus standing in front of the schools skeet launcher hurling grenades at the fast flying pucks. Rlee held back for a minute watching as Dae once more fruitlessly chucked a grenade at one of the speeding clay pucks and missed it before the grenade even went off. "Oh c'mon!" Dae shouted in exasperation.

"You're doing it all wrong." Rlee called exiting the forest startling the young inventor.

"Pro-professor Rlee, what are you doing here?" Dae asked taking a cautious step back.

"Take it easy Verde, I'm off the clock." Rlee eased as he walked up to the boy. "Now listen you're going about this all wrong, you need two people if you're gonna shoot skeet. Now go take your mark over there, should be platform in the grass a few yards down. I'll stay here and do the launching."

"N-no, it's okay teach, I was just about to head back." Dae said laughing nervously.

"I said take your mark maggot!" Rlee barked as Dae ran toward the small concrete slab several yards away. "Alright you ready?" Rlee called down the line. "Ready!" Dae shouted back sinking into a readied stance. "Pull!" Rlee shouted launching the next skeet. Dae readied a grenade threw it at the puck, missing again but by a much smaller margin. "Again!" Rlee called repeating the process several times noting what he could from each of Dae's attempts. "Alright kid come back her for a second!" He called waving Dae back. Dae returned with a dejected expression but that didn't stop Rlee from giving his explanation. "Your timing is all off, you're spending too much time trying to account for your grenade's detonation and not enough on where the skeet's gonna be." Rlee lectured while tracing the skeet's arc through the air. "You should know better than anyone how much time you've got before they go off so trust your gut and just focus on the skeet, got it?"

Dae mumble something under his breath but nodded his agreement and headed back to his mark. Rlee gave the boy a few moments to clear his head before he called out once more. "Ready?" Dae shouted back his acknowledgement. "Pull!" Rlee watch as this time Dae held onto the grenade as he tracked the skeet through the air until he hurled the grenade just ahead of the skeet. The grenade missed the skeet again sailing just below it, but at the last second it exploded and shattered the clay disk to pieces. Dae jumped with elation while Rlee just crossed his arms and tried to hide his grin. "Don't celebrate just yet kid, next we're gonna work on how you throw. Just because close counts in horseshoes and hand grenades doesn't mean you shouldn't work on your placement. Then we're gonna keep going until you can get ten shots in a row!" Rlee shouted from his spot stopping Dae in his tracks.

"What!?" Dae screamed in dismay.

"Next I want you to try throwing underhand, ready!" Rlee grinned more as the young hunter fumbled to resume his stance. Sure he wasn't much of a teacher, but he knew what it would take to whip these kids into shape. "Pull!"

Well I hope you liked that one. When PA (Yes that's how I remember your name and I know you're reading this) first put the idea in my head by suggesting an Rlee chapter I tinkered around with a few ideas until I realized something. Rlee isn't a standard Beacon professor or even a teacher for that matter, he's a military man who's job has nothing to do with kids, so it would be fun to just see what Beacon is like for someone who is still technically an outsider, thus the chapter and more importantly the ideas of a drink counter were born.

As always if there's someone you want to see more of let me know by reviewing or voting in the character poll on my profile. So far I have a few SPDN stories in mind as well as one for Dae but if someone asks for something different or more interesting I might change my mind.

Also I'm starting work on the next chapter of the main story as we speak so keep your eyes open.

Ta-ta for now