A/N:
Hiro: Okay, Weiss, wait! Before you all try and gut me like a fish, let me explain!
Weiss: And Why shouldn't we?! You've been missing for over six months!
Hiro: In my defense, I was extremely caught up in-
Weiss: It doesn't matter how busy you've been, you dolt! We both know that this chapter has been sitting around waiting to be uploaded for nearly three months!
Hiro: I-I just wanted to try and finish a few before I uploaded any and-
Weiss: And NOTHING! You're just lazy and don't think about how your readers must feel AT ALL!
Hiro: *sulks* Why do you have to be so brutal...?
Weiss: Until you've learned your lesson, I will be managing your Account, as well as your Author's Notes from now on.
Hiro: Wait-WHAT?!-
Weiss: HiroNinja does not own RWBY or any of its characters. He does, however, require a lesson in time management.
Hiro: *Sobs* So cruel!
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Chapter 15: Not Your Average School Part I
I was awake before the sun, once again unable to stay asleep as much as I wanted to.
Rubbing my eyes, I rose to a sitting position with a groan. Most of my injuries from the previous two days were still visible and my body was extremely sore. It felt as though I hadn't gotten any rest at all, but there was no use trying to sleep any more than I already had. I decided a shower was in order.
Naturally, my two teammates were still fast asleep in their beds, so I quietly collected my few belongings and went to wash up. The hot water from the shower helped relax my muscles as I let out a sigh.
Last night still weighed heavily on my mind, and even with everything that I had started to remember, none of it seemed to be relevant to my own past. I tried not to think too much about the memories I had regarding the others, but I kept them in mind in case it became important.
Upon returning to the room last night after some time alone, Romulus and I were brought to the front of the school by Professor Goodwitch to help Ema bring in her things.
Our jaws nearly hit the pavement at the sight of not one, but TWO large suitcases and an oversized trunk suitcase. Add that along with the smaller backpack she had slung over her shoulder, Ema had nearly four or five times more luggage than Romulus and me COMBINED! I didn't even know how she managed to get it all the way here!
It took us two long trips to get it all to our room. Luckily, our lack of belongings meant that there was plenty of space for Ema's suitcases in the closet. The trunk, being too large to cram into the remaining space, was placed at the foot of her bed for easy access.
After the situation was handled, Professor Goodwitch had informed us that we would be attending classes the following day as to not fall behind the rest of the students. We were each given a schedule, school uniforms, and our own Scrolls. After a brief explanation on its function and a verbal warning to not be late for class, she turned and left the room. The three of us collapsed onto our respective beds shortly after, and I fell asleep within minutes.
I finished my shower and brushed my teeth before making my way back to the dorm, where I found Romulus still fast asleep. Ema, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found.
I assumed she had gone to shower as well, and started to get dressed. I had little choice but to reuse the clothes I had worn the day before, which were in better condition than my initiation outfit. They were a little worn, but they would work for the time being.
We had combat class first thing this morning with Professor Goodwitch, so we didn't have to worry about wearing our school uniforms just yet. Unfortunately, I was still without my red jacket, which I had grown quite fond of. It lay in tatters near my bed, and I knew I'd have to get a new one at some point…
I turned at the sound of the door opening as Ema returned from her own shower. She had traded her old Signal uniform for her own choice of clothing for class. She was wearing a blue undershirt with a darker blue blouse that was open in the front and stopped just above where her midsection would be. Her black pants had an assortment of pockets, which resembled a mechanic's outfit, and a belt was strapped around her waist with a variety of tools attached to it.
"Good morning, Ema. Nice combat attire, it suits you." I complimented, causing her to blush slightly in embarrassment.
"O-Oh. Good morning, Hiro." She stared at the floor as she continued, "This is just what I wear when I'm working on different machines. I-I figured it would be best to wear this instead of my school uniform during combat class."
"Well I think it looks perfect then." I said, smiling.
Ema brought her head up to look at me, "You really think so?"
"Of course! You'll fit in here no problem!"
"Thank you for saying so," she finally let out a big smile, which is exactly what I was aiming for.
"Aghh… Get a room you two." Romulus groaned out as he rolled over in his bed. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck as Ema's face began to heat up at his comment.
"C'mon Romulus, we have class soon. Let's all go grab some breakfast before we head out." I attached my knife - still unnamed - to my back as I spoke. Nearby, Ema began equipping her bracers to her arms before placing her prototype on her back as well.
"What classes do we have to go sit through today anyway?" Romulus ran his hands across his face as he contemplated getting up.
"We have class with Professor Goodwitch this morning, as well as history this afternoon with Professor Oobleck." I recited.
Romulus grumbled and rolled back over away from me, "That sounds boring…"
I smiled and leaned over his bed, my face right next to his faunus ear, "Did I mention that Professor Goodwitch teaches the combat classes?"
Romulus's ears instantly perked up at my words, and a moment later the faunus boy had leapt from his bed and began rushing around the room to get ready for class. I could only laugh as Ema and I stepped into the hall.
"Hey, Romulus, once you're all set, go ahead and meet us in the cafeteria! We'll save you a seat!" I closed the door behind me, confident that he could manage himself as I led Ema towards the cafeteria.
Once the two of us had received our trays of food, we made our way over to find a table. The room was mostly empty, so there was plenty of space to choose from. As I surveyed the room, however, I caught sight of Ruby waving us over.
"C'mon, Ema. We can sit with Team RWBY." I pointed in the direction of their table, to which Ema nodded and followed behind me quietly.
I took a seat at the end of the table beside Ruby while Ema sat across from me next to Blake; Yang sat next to her sister with Weiss across from her.
"Hiya, girls. Having a good morning I hope?" I took a bite from my food as they responded.
Ruby gave me a nod "It's going much smoother than yesterday, that's for sure."
"Really? What happened yesterday?"
Ruby flashed a grin in Weiss's direction, "Let's just say we worked out a few things as a team."
I nodded, forcing myself to maintain my expression as a few images of what they did yesterday slipped through my mind. Ruby and Weiss had a bit of trouble with each other, Weiss more-so by the looks of it. It seemed like everything was patched up between them now, but that's only if my 'mental-visions' were accurate.
I noticed Weiss's eyes flash in my direction a few times. Before I could ask what was wrong,Yang took that moment to interject, "So, Hot-Shot, who's your friend?"
Ema visibly tensed at her mention, hoping to have remained out of the topic of conversation.
I cleared my throat, taking it upon myself to introduce her, "This is Ema Terrawood. She's the newest member of our team as of last night."
Everyone began to introduce themselves as Ema waved shyly, barely maintaining eye-contact with anyone at the table.
Ruby's eyebrows rose at her name, "Ema? Is that you?"
"H-Hey... R-Ruby…" Ema stuttered out, pushing her clasped hands into her lap.
Ruby's expression glowed as she leaned closer to the faunus, "You made it into Beacon too?! Congratulations!" A blush crept its way onto Ema's face, but I could see a small grin appear as well. "So did you ever finish that project of yours in weapons class? You were working really hard on it last I saw you."
Ema nodded, "W-Well I finished the prototype the other day. I actually was able to test it out yesterday for the first time."
"That's amazing! So you actually managed to find a way to lower the chance of injury during use?"
Ema nodded and showed Ruby her bracers. Soon the two of them were chatting up a storm about their weapons and weapon ideas. Ruby, naturally, did most of the talking, but Ema didn't seem to mind, and actually appeared to be greatly interested in what she was saying.
"Okay, you two, calm down." Yang chuckled and held her hands up to stop the never-ending exchange. Ruby turned to Ema and mouthed 'later' to Ema, who promptly nodded before returning to her meal. "So, Hiro. Where's Romulus at?"
I swallowed a mouthful of food before answering, "He should be here any minute. He woke up later than the two of us, so he was going to meet us here."
"Great! I really want to spar with him during class today." Yang punched the air a few times for emphasis.
"Heheh, I'm sure he'd love to accept your challenge."
It was at this point Blake decided to enter the conversation, "I didn't see either of you in class yesterday. Did something happen?"
I shook my head, crossing my arms before responding, "Yes and no. It's kind of a long story, but I guess I can try and explain." Everyone turned their attention to me as I recounted everything that happened from when Romulus and I left for Signal, the match between the three of us and 'Team Lileth', and Ema being transferred to Beacon for our team. I left out the part where I passed out and when I went to the music room, not wanting to bring that up quite yet.
Yang was the first one to say anything, "Ugh… Lileth? Still the same overconfident little twerp as always, I see." She crossed her arms under her chest in frustration as she spoke, and I averted my eyes quickly.
"She's nothing but a bully if you ask me." Ruby added, duplicating her sister's actions. Weiss simply nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. I was actually surprised that she didn't start bombarding me with questions herself.
Blake brought her hand up to her chin in contemplation, "I'm a little confused about a few things though." We all looked at her in equal confusion before she continued, "You mentioned that you used Ema's prototype weapon, as well as a bit of explosive Dust to take down Lileth, right?" I nodded, wondering where she was going with this. Suddenly realizing her implication, my eyes shot open.
"If both of those things are true, how were you able to prevent your arm from being obliterated in any way?"
I froze up as everyone's eyes turned on me.
"That's a good question! How did you manage to do that, Hiro?" Ruby asked.
Yang nodded in agreement, "Yeah, by the sound of it you should at least be covered in bandages or something, right?"
"I agree." Weiss fixed her eyes on me and crossed her arms.
"U-Um…" I turned my gaze towards Ema, who was nervously covering her mouth with her fist. "I-I was a bit curious about that as well…"
My eyes shifted between everyone at the table, all of which were staring straight back at me, waiting for an explanation. "I… Um… Well…"
Frowning, Blake firmly placed her hands on the table, "You also haven't explained to me how you were able to know my name back during initiation. You're hiding something." She pointed her finger in my direction.
I still couldn't even explain to myself how I knew what I did, so I wasn't about to try and answer that. It wouldn't be much trouble to show them the secret behind my arm, but doing that would start to raise even more questions that were certain to have them trust me less. My amnesia would probably make them think I was crazy or something, which I could be for all I know.
I decided that I was going to have to dodge this point of topic for the time being, which meant I had to have Blake back off. I controlled my breathing as best I could as I started to dig through my pseudo-memories of her, but I didn't have to look far though.
I placed my hands to the table and glared across the table at Blake. "We ALL have things to hide," My eyes flashed upwards to her bow for a brief moment, and the look on her face told me she knew what I was getting at. "As much as I trust you guys, I have a few things I really want to keep to myself for the time being."
I sat back in my seat as I continued, "I promise, I'll explain everything to you guys once I work out some things on my own. I'm sorry." I looked at Blake as I said that, and while she didn't seem particularly happy with my response, she also sat back in her chair with a sigh.
"Fine."
I was probably going to have a big talk about this later with her, as I may have saved myself by just digging a bigger hole for questions. As quickly as the tension had started, it was over, but now I didn't have much of an appetite. It didn't matter, since it wasn't long before Romulus showed up and took my leftovers again. Eventually, the seven of us departed from the cafeteria and made our way towards our first class.
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Romulus wasn't sure what went on before he arrived for breakfast, but everyone seemed to be upset about something. No, upset wasn't the right word… Something was on their minds though, that was for sure. He decided not to question them for now, and proceeded to devour his -and the last of Hiro's- breakfast.
They left as a group to the classroom, which was technically the entirety of the combat hall. On the way, Romulus caught Yang's gaze as she stared at him with a determined look on her face. Romulus rose an eyebrow at the blonde girl, who proceeded to punch her fist into her other hand. Romulus flashed a canine and smiled, accepting the implied challenge.
As they neared the classroom, Team JNPR came into view from the direction of the dorms.
Everyone waved and Ruby was the first one to say anything, "Hey Guys! We missed you at breakfast this morning."
Jaune scratched his cheek apologetically, "Sorry about that, we sorta had other arrangements for-"
"Ren woke up early and decided to make PANCAKES~!" Nora practically screamed as she bounced around, cutting off her leader's explanation entirely.
Pyrrha nodded and turned towards Ren ,"They were delicious. Thank you again for making them for us." She gave a short bow in thanks. Ren just smiled and nodded in response.
"Wait," Hiro crossed his arms in thought, "how did you guys make pancakes inside your own dorm room?"
Jaune jerked his thumb towards Ren, "Ren brought a portable kitchen set with him to Beacon. It's no five star cuisine material, but it's amazing what he can do with it," he patted his abdomen for emphasis.
Hiro's face perked up as his finger tapped his chin thoughtfully., "That sounds really useful… imagine the possibilities if we had one," Ema mimicked Hiro's actions as smiles crept to their faces with content expressions.
Nearby, Ruby wasn't faring much better with the sudden idea of their own kitchen, "Imagine all of the snacks we could make with our own kitchen…" The hooded girl licked her lips at the thought. Even Romulus had to agree, it would be convenient to have a way to prepare food on their own time.
A clacking of heels broke everyone from their dreams of cooking their own food. Romulus knew exactly who it was before he even turned to look; Professor Goodwitch was making her way down the hall towards the combat hall. Romulus glared at her for a moment before following everyone into the large room.
Most of the class had already taken their seats in the bleachers, so it wasn't long before the bell rang - DAMMIT IT WAS LOUD! - for the beginning of class.
"Good morning students. As you all know, my name is Glynda Goodwitch, and I will be instructing you in the basics of armed and unarmed combat during your first year here at Beacon Academy."
She pushed her glass up the bridge of her nose before continuing, "Today, I will be evaluating each and every one of you through a series of timed one-on-one matches. You and your opponent will fight in the combat area for two minutes, or until one of your Aura's falls below fifty percent."
Glynda Goodwitch pulled out her scroll and swiped at the screen a few times. Above the arena, a large screen flickered to life with the readouts for Aura appearing on either side.
"The pairings have been predetermined based on your performance during initiation, as well as my personal input." She ran her eyes across the class, a few students averting their gaze.
She tapped her scroll once more, the images of two students and their Auras appeared on the screen, "The first match will be between Pyrrha Nikos and Romulus Lycanus."
A loud groan could be heard from Yang as Romulus grinned widely at the mention of his name. Even though it wasn't Yang that he was going to face, he was still excited. He locked eyes with his opponent, who nodded at him with a smile before they made their way to the combat area.
"If both of you are ready, I will begin the match." A countdown appeared on the screen as the faunus and the champion prepared themselves for combat.
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
"Begin!"
At the signal, Pyrrha immediately pulled up Milo', her weapon, in rifle form and began firing at Romulus. The wolf faunus extended his shield in front of him, deflecting every round being sent his way while pushing forward with a smile. The impact of the dust-based projectiles did nothing to phase him and merely ricocheted across the arena, glyphs appeared before the spectating students as the professor kept them from harm.
The feeling of battle brought a shine to Romulus's eyes as he fell into the rhythm instilled in him since he was a pup. It was always an invigorating feeling. As the boy drew close, Pyrrha switched to her sword just in time to meet the his blade, which was being brought in from the side. The two fighters exchanged a flurry of blows, neither one able to gain acceptable leverage over the other. The various spectators watched in awe as the 'nobody-faunus' held his ground with the great Mistral Champion. Out of the corner of his eye, Romulus could see the encouraging faces of his pack cheering him on from the crowd.
Pyrrha then stepped back and swung Milo' in a wide arc, switching it into its spear form in order to strike from a distance. Romulus had no choice but to block each strike defensively as the champion began to push forward. The extra length of her weapon prevented Romulus from being able to reach his opponent without stepping into the attacks, and they weren't exactly weak blows either. Luckily, Romulus was no stranger to such tactics and quickly switched to another strategy.
Blocking another strike from the red-head, Romulus quickly took aim with Clypeus and launched his javelin directly at his opponent.
Pyrrha smiled as she expertly deflected the attack with her shield, but was taken by surprise when Romulus immediately snatched it out of the air in replace of Jiat, using it as a spear and matching Pyrrha's attacks blow for blow.
"You handle yourself pretty well," Pyrrha commented while swinging at Romulus's feet. The wolf faunus managed to dodge-roll over the attack, coming up beside Pyrrha and slamming Clypeus at her, which was reflexively blocked by her own shield, Akuo'o. Neither side wanted to back down, both pushing against each other with all their might.
Romulus smiled, "You're not too bad yourself, but it's time to end this."
Quickly sliding his javelin back into its place, Romulus once again brought out Jiat and swiped at the champion's exposed back.
As the blade neared its mark, however, Romulus found himself flying back onto the floor from a great force on his shield. The warrior quickly righted himself, returning to his feet in a defensive stance.
"Hrgh…" Romulus growled under his breath, "She's stronger than I thought." He bared his teeth at his opponent, who also stood at the ready. She had launched him onto his back as if it was nothing, a feat not many people could achieve in similar instances.
Taking a deep breath, Romulus activated his Semblance, Wolf-Pack, and began to feel the energy inside of him grow slightly. The bond with his two teammates, though he only just met them, gave him the advantage he was looking for to end this fight. Hopefully it would be enough.
With a roar, Romulus charged at the champion with incredible speed. Not expecting the assault, Pyrrha struggled to block the onslaught of strikes being brought down upon her by Romulus and Jiat. The barrage forced her to make use of her semblance much more than she normally did, diverting attacks she couldn't block just enough for them to miss. Though, she couldn't find any opening to retaliate against Romulus, who forced the champion back relentlessly.
Too late, Pyrrha realized that she had reached the end of the arena stage, nearly losing her footing and falling off. Romulus saw this and brought his arm back for the finishing blow.
"This ends now!" His arm flew forward-
-only to stop mid swing as a loud buzzer went off throughout the combat hall.
Both fighters froze at the sound, Pyrrha only a hair's width away from falling from the stage. Romulus had to force himself to maintain hold of his weapon instead of covering his ears from the unexpected sound.
"That's enough." Professor Goodwitch stepped up onto the stage, approaching the two, "Miss Nikos, Mr Lycanus, that was an excellent display of swordsmanship from you both. However, I recommend that you work on your defensive techniques and remember that you should never underestimate your opponent. Please return to your seats."
The pair looked at each other and nodded before returning their weapons to their rightful places.
"You fought well." Pyrrha held out her hand to shake the boy's hand.
Romulus respectfully returned the gesture, "Likewise. I suppose a rematch would be acceptable?"
"It would be my pleasure." The two released hands and hopped down from the arena as the blonde huntress began to call the next set of students up to spar.
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I was amazed at how Romulus was able to match the skill of Pyrrha Nikos, the Mistral Regional Champion. He looked like he would have won too, having brought the red-head close to falling from the stage. Still, up until the end it was a pretty close fight.
"Nice fighting, Wolfy.," Yang praised as Romulus returned to where we were sitting. Nearby, Team JNPR was giving their own ovation to Pyrrha as she made her way to her seat as well.
Romulus frowned at the blonde brawler, "Don't call me that."
"Whatever you say, Wolfy~"
Oh, I could tell that was going to get old…
"Really, you were really great out there, Romulus!" Ruby added.
Weiss shook her head, "You said 'really' twice, Ruby. Still… I have to agree. Good job," She gave a small grin as she spoke.
"I agree," Blake nodded.
The only one who didn't say anything was Ema, who was simply smiling and nodding her head in agreement with everyone else.
Romulus wore a cocky smile on his face at all of the praise he was receiving and crossed his arms in triumph, "Well, don't expect any secrets from me. I can't afford to lose my advantage by teaching you my techniques."
A devious smile crossed Yang's face, "Don't get too excited there, Wolfy, you might just wag your tail off."
Romulus immediately turned beet-red at Yang's comment as he grabbed his own tail to stop the unintended movement before taking his seat. Everyone couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the spectacle as the next pair of students wrapped up their spar.
"The next pair will be… Jaune Arc and Hiro Colton."
…
...shit.
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Weiss: Now that that is taken care of, let's go ahead and look at the reviews from last time...
*reads*
Hmm... Well then.
Flamewing98:
Thank you for your ever positive contributions to the review board, as well as for the frequent aid in editing HiroNinja's chapters beforehand. Perhaps he can stand to learn a thing or two from you.
HiroNinja-"Aww, c'mon... I'm not that useless, weiss..."
Weiss- You didn't even take the time to capitalize my name, you dolt! Go back to your corner!
AstridClaire:
Yes.. To the more informed remnans, a riding crop and a wand would be simple to differentiate. Unfortunately, Hiro is NOT one of the brightest students here at Beacon.
HiroNinja- "*Sobs* It looked like a wand!"
trninjakiller:
Well then...
HiroNinja-"...hide me."
Weiss-What are you-?
HiroNinja-"He's a NINJA KILLER! I'm out of here! *Jumps out window*"
Weiss- *Sighs* Well at least it's quiet now... Anyways, perhaps you could find a story more suitable to your liking, Mr. Killer. I'm sure we can find you something among the countless fanfictions on this site.
Weiss: Well, that's about it. I'm going to go make sure 'our dear author' is alright. Oh, wait, what was that thing he always says? Stay Bold?
HiroNinja: *From outside* It's STAY GOLD!"
Weiss: Yeah. That. Whatever. Goodbye.