Chapter 6
New Classes
I stared at the four Warframes in front of me with awe. They closely resembled their respective Tenno's clothing. Ruby's was the same black and red with details that closely looked like her normal combat gear, subtracting the skirt. There was a custom syndana that looked like her cloak as well as a helmet that looked like a hood with two red eyes glowing underneath. Her skirt was replaced with a belt that looked like it was weaved from live roses.
Weiss' was similar to Ruby's in the similarities respect, but her jacket extended down like my tunic. Her helmet was covered in a large visor like my Pulse helmet, but it glittered like it was made of ice crystals. There was also a long extension off the back with the same glitter, meant to resemble her ponytail. There was also a custom sheath for Myrtenaster.
Blake's followed the same trend of parallels, but the arms looked like they were fully enveloped in the ribbons. Her helmet looked like her face was covered in the same ribbons, leaving an opening for a single location where her eye would be, a glowing purple dot in its place. A sea of purple ribbons to flowed from the hairline to the shoulders, fraying at the ends like hair. Random bits of ribbon hung off of the outfit.
Yang's was a bit different due to the fact that she exposes lots more skin. The places skin would usually be were yellow with orange and red flame and dragon decals. The wrists left space for her Ember Celia, designed specifically to be visually pleasing in both forms. Her helmet was the most intricate of them all. It looked like a dragon's head at the front, with open jaws and what looked like a flickering flame in the mouth, but as it went back, it transformed and eventually ended looking like Yang's prized hair.
I was at a loss for words not just because they were so well designed, but also that Hayden would do such a thing for these four random students.
"Hayden, how did you make these without the proper components?" I asked.
"I had to make my own out of dust. For the Plastids, I had to infect small animals and harvest the tissue from them," He explained, directing to some Control Modules and Neurodes on a nearby table. I nodded understandingly before redirecting my attention to the girls. I noticed Ruby drooling, Weiss with her eyes wide with shock, Blake eying hers carefully, and Yang grinning, probably imagining what she could do with it.
"Guys, I know you like looking at them, but don't you want to put them on?" I asked a little louder than normal, in order to snap them out of their trances.
"How?" Yang asked.
"That is a great question… hmm," I said, thinking about it. I've never taken my Warframe off, and no one probably has. I have no idea how I got it on.
"I have the method to put it on," Hayden said, pushing a button in the corner that caused part of the wall to fall away, revealing four fittings that resembled the ones Alad V used to take apart Tenno. I winced, remembering the time I was harvested.
Two years ago…
I struggled in the bonds, trying to break free from my prison. I looked over to the left to see Alad watching me intently.
"Oh, don't worry Tenno, I'll make sure that you are put to good use," He grinned sadistically just as an arrow pierced my bindings, knocking me to the floor and passing out.
Back to present…
"Are you okay Volt?" I heard Ruby's voice, pulling me out from my flashback. I was currently on the floor like I was in my memory.
"Brings back bad memories, that machine," I said, getting up and dusting myself off "a man named Alad V used a machine that looked like that to take apart Tenno and use their Warframes to make a series of robotic proxies nicknamed 'Zanuka'. I was captured by him, but was rescued," I explained, shivering at the memory.
"Corpus?" Hayden asked. I nodded. When I looked back at the machines, I noticed they looked like Liset fittings, but had several wires and other electrical components around it. I then had a realization.
"Wait a second, that machine isn't going to account for your clothes. You know what I'm saying," I quickly added as the girls were getting in. Ruby and Weiss blushed, Blake rolled her eyes and Yang smirked. I turned to Hayden, who currently had a green cloth around his eyes, blocking his view as he sipped from his mug. I sighed, standing up against the wall and closing my eyes. I heard some mechanical sounds after a few seconds, and got a tap on my shoulder.
"You're good," Yang said. I turned around to see all three of them dressed in their respective Warframes, still getting used to the feeling of having it on.
"Now you are full Tenno. But first, you have to find out what your abilities are and learn to harness them," I explained.
"Aren't you going to help us? I mean, we just started," Ruby asked.
"No, no, no, I'm going to get some of the other Tenno to help. I can kill things really well, but it doesn't mean I can train four different Tenno at once," I waved my hands in front of me while saying 'no' to emphasize my point.
"I can do it myself," Weiss said arrogantly.
"I have the perfect person for you," I said, pointing at the princess and beginning to walk off "let me get them,"
I left the room, which was an expertly hidden secret door in Hayden's office under the voice code "Nothing is true, everything is permitted". Amazing password in my eyes. I entered the Dojo and went to pick up the Tenno I needed. I grabbed Zephyr, Frost, Banshee and Valkyr before heading back as quick as possible.
"Alright, I got them," I announced, walking back in.
"I still don't know why you chose me over Prime. I know I'm your girlfriend, but you want these Tenno to be trained by the best," Banshee mentioned to me.
"Oh, you're not training them. I know I won't be able to find her, so I need to summon her," I explained.
"Oh. I see," Banshee realized, drawing out the 'o'.
"Excuse us for a moment," I said to the others, pulling Banshee behind a wall. A minute later, I was dragging out a disappointed Prime.
"You know me too well…" She sighed dejectedly.
"Can I go now? I was kinda busy with something," Banshee asked, ready to leave.
"Busy with what? ~" Zephyr asked deviously. Banshee blushed and Zephyr snickered.
"Just… go," I said, glaring at the perverted prankster.
"I'm losing my patience here," Valkyr said disrespectfully.
"Alright, so we got some…" I tried to find the word "New Tenno and we need you to help train them and help them with their abilities. You will each mentor one Tenno, and you will train them until they are as strong as you," I finished.
"Who died and made you leader? I do what I want," Valkyr retorted.
"Those are not his orders, those are mine," A voice from the left said. The others looked over to see Hayden, his glaive out and arm exposed, standing to the side. He walked to the center of the room, forcing all eyes upon him. The news about Ozpin's true self had spread about the Tenno like wildfire, so everyone gave their full attention.
"Each of you have been chosen for your matching specialization with one of our initiates. You will be that person's mentor until they are killed or you are killed. Does everyone understand?" Hayden explained, getting a begrudging 'okay' from Valkyr and Zephyr and a 'Yes Sir!' from Frost and Prime.
"Now, you shall meet your students," Hayden announced, opening an elevator door and directing us in. We all entered, waiting intently for our students. Inside was a large room that resembled an obstacle course, but had four larger platforms with dueling rings and holographic enemy projectors for training. Each of the platforms had one of the members of RWBY on it. The towers were surrounded by small platforms, wallrun locations, and laser plates that lead up to them.
"Wait a sec, why's Volt here?" Zephyr asked, looking at me.
"Due to his extreme adaptability in combat, he will be assisting with your training," Hayden replied.
"Bullshit! He's the same rank as me! Fuck off, I will train my student how I want, and you won't stop me!" Valkyr burst out, startling everyone but Hayden.
"What will happen when your student requires training in patience and self-control?" Frost asked as a retort for her outburst.
"Touché, Frost, touché," She responded after a second.
"Now, you must climb up to the towers to find your students. Zephyr will go to the first tower, Frost the second, Prime the third, and Valkyr the last. Questions?" Hayden waited to see if anyone had a question "Good. Now go,". All of a sudden, walls were drawn back, floors were opened up and Box traps activated, revealing the remaining traps of ice floors, shockwave generators, and more lasers to hinder our progress.
The four Tenno began their various paths to the top. Due to the room's extreme size, Zephyr and Valkyr couldn't just Tail Wind or Rip Line straight to the top, they had to reach certain platforms before flying/grappling to the top. Prime had it the easiest, she just used Decoy at the top and Switch Teleported to the Decoy. Frost had the hardest time, having to maneuver through all of the traps rather than just going straight to the top. I followed him by wallrunning between two towers and switching when my momentum ran out.
I specifically wanted to watch Frost train Weiss. Frost was patient, respectful and wise while Weiss was arrogant, stuck-up and really kind of a… a bitch, to put it bluntly. The other three groups were already training by the time Frost got up. Zephyr and Valkyr were sparring Ruby and Yang respectively while Prime seemed to be teaching Blake about The Old War.
"Greetings, I am Frost, and I will be your mentor. What is your name?" Frost asked Weiss, offering his hand.
"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world," She boasted, ignoring his offering to shake completely. Frost gave me a look that said 'now I see why' before looking back to Weiss.
"Well first, I must assess your abilities. Shall we spar?" He offered, hefting up Galatine.
"You're probably too slow for me," Weiss unsheathed Myrtenaster, getting in a fencer's stance. I noticed she was trying to make it perfect. Foolish.
"Your arrogance will be your undoing," Frost threatened and turned to me, prompting to begin the match. I put my hand in between them, waiting for them to both tell me they were ready.
"Fight!" I shouted, lifting my hand and stepping back.
Weiss started the battle by charging straight into the fight. I saw Frost jump out of the way, but left a frozen figure of himself behind. Weiss fell for it and began slashing at it, leaving small scratches in the surface. Confused, she stopped and looked at it for a second before getting hit by a ground smash, knocking her over. Weiss rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a slow smash. Frost pretended to be extremely slow, baiting Weiss to underestimate him. In her arrogance, she fell for the trick, immediately throwing herself into battle using a glyph. She was immediately smacked back with an impossibly fast strike from the huge sword, throwing her back. Frost charged in immediately, taking advantage of her shocked state, delivering a multitude of fast swings and sweeps. Weiss, unable to switch to a dust to counter him, desperately tried to parry or dodge the swings. Frost then cast Snow Globe, catching Weiss inside and significantly slowing her. Realizing her situation, she flipped out of the globe before switching to wind dust to increase her speed, even in the snow globe. She charged back in at Frost, but was disarmed. When Weiss turned back to see what took her sword, she realized it was stuck in the very wall of the shield. Using her distraction, Frost threw out a Freeze, sticking Weiss in place on the floor. He then brought down Galatine right next to her neck, barely scratching the ice that the heiress was trapped in, ending the match. Frost dispelled Snow Globe and thawed Weiss out.
"You cheated! I don't have ice abilities!" Weiss protested.
"Volt doesn't have ice abilities either. If I used them on him, would that be cheating?" Frost countered. Weiss shook her head.
"Also, if you are fighting Grimm in the wild, will they fight fairly? No, they will take any advantage they can get, and you should too. All is fair in the game of war," Frost continued to lecture, causing Weiss to hang her head in shame.
"On top of that, you are arrogant, rude, and narrow minded. Your arrogance in battle makes you underestimate your enemy and not fight to the fullest, leaving you vulnerable to tricks. Your insolence makes me less inclined to teach you, and your narrow-mindedness leaves you as an enemy and target to many. You may not think so, but your attitude affects you in battle. And yours has a very negative impact," Frost completed his lecture with a harsh tone, causing Weiss to seem a little hurt.
"Now, if you wish to improve your attitude and skill in battle, then I will help you. But overall, it is up to you if you want to change yourself," Frost softened his voice, showing that he genuinely meant it. Weiss looked down, contemplating this information.
"Now, let's start with some exercises," Frost began, starting their long attitude training session.
Later…
After the long training session, I was supposed to escort the initiates back to their room. By escort, they meant I was to keep them from telling their friends any sensitive information. They were currently behind me, discussing their experiences with their different mentors.
"I had an awesome time! I learned my new powers!" Ruby celebrated, casting a thorny tendril from her arm with roses growing out of it and retracting it back in. Everyone except Weiss seemed impressed.
"I learned how to channel energy into my melee weapon, giving it an extra kick!" Yang boasted, activating channeling, causing the flame decals to light up and the hair on her helmet to be set alight with flames.
"I learned about Tenno history and culture, going from the adventures of Hayden Tenno on Lasria to the Old War that ended the Orokin Empire," Blake added, holding a tablet full of historical archives. Everyone acted bored, except Weiss.
"What did you learn, Weiss?" Ruby asked her partner.
"Excuse me, I have to think about something," The girl in question said out of the blue, running off in another direction, leaving the other three confused.
"I'm going after her, you go back to your dorm and keep your helmets on. Say absolutely nothing and avoid everything that is not a Tenno," I commanded the remaining girls before chasing after Weiss.
I found her on one of the many large balconies, looking over the forest of Forever Fall. She wasn't doing anything, just sitting there, staring blankly off into the distance.
"Hey," I said to her, casually leaning my back against the railing. She seemed to snap out of a trance.
"Oh, hi," She responded flatly, staring back into the night.
"You know, Frost is trying to help you," I persisted.
"It doesn't seem that way. What warrior needs to know how to sit still for twenty minutes?" Weiss complained.
"Frost is very wise. He has forty years of combat experience behind his back. He wouldn't do something if it had no meaning," I reasoned.
"But it feels so pointless!" She shouted into the distance, throwing her hands in the air exasperatedly.
"Do you want it to have a point?" I asked.
"Of course I do! Idiot!" Weiss shouted back at me.
"Well than that's up to you. If you want it to have meaning, you have to find the meaning. No one can tell you what something means to you. If they do, they're wrong. It won't come to you easy, so you have to look for it. There's a mental part to training. If you just do as you're told, you won't learn anything. You don't understand it properly unless you work for that understanding. Remember when Frost was pushing you over and telling you to get up? Imagine all of the things you could have learned from that if you tried. You could learn to break your fall, quickly get back up, counter grapples and retaliate from a downed state, all of these things you could have trained in. The way Frost works is that he will present you with a simple task that can be quickly repeated over and over, but there are many hidden lessons inside of it. You have to dig for them. Otherwise, you won't get anything from it," I lectured, extinguishing Weiss' anger and frustration.
"Do you give one hundred percent when you train?" I asked her.
"Yes," She said with conviction, trying to prove that she does. I smirked.
"Do you give more than one hundred percent?" I asked again.
"Yes?" She said in a questioning manner almost.
"How can you give both one hundred and more than one hundred at the same time?" I asked my final question.
"I didn't expect the second one," She complained.
"That was your first test, and you failed," I said cryptically, turning around and leaving Weiss to think about what I just said.
Chapter done! Hey, don't expect any kind of specific update schedule from me. I suck at deadlines (too much pressure!). I just write when I feel like it. Besides, if I write when I want to, you get better quality and longer chapters! Besides that, I don't have much to say. Necrorizah out!