"Who's ready to fight for their lives?"
Richard could not believe the huntsmen he was going to shadowing along with team RWBY. Out of all of the Huntsmen Ozpin chose Professor Oobleck, the history teacher.
"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss asked, just as shocked as the rest of her team.
"Yes I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, seeing as you've opted to shadow a huntsmen on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations, rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous waste lands and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon, I've pack all of our essentials myself, plotted the air course, readied the air ship, and," he leaned towards Weiss, "it's doctor Oobleck, I didn't earn the PHD for fun!"
He talked quickly and with little rest between his statements.
"Come now children according to my schedule we are already three minutes behind, schedule" he zoomed off to an air ship in the distance.
"You can't be serious" Richard stated.
"Well alright then looks like we're going to save the world with doctor Obleck-okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse" Ruby said trying to sound positive but ending on a down note.
"Save the world!?" They all turned around to see team JNPR walk towards them, accompanied by Iris.
"Your going on world saving missions without us!?" Nora continued to exclaim, "I'm hurt, sad, maybe a little hungry, that last ones not your fault though, Ren" She ended with a look towards Ren.
"Sounds exciting, where you going?" Jaune asked.
"Oh just outside the kingdom" Ruby answered.
"Hey so are we!"
"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village" Pyrhha said after Nora.
"We set out tomorrow" Ren added.
"Then you can party with us tonight!" Sun and Neptune appeared off to the side of the two teams, with Harper.
"We're shadowing a crime specialist, all inner city detective stuff, we get junior badges" Neptune explained.
"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuffs always exploding and junk, so, we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when its, normal." Sun said trying not to offend the two teams.
"Well-"
"Four minutes behind schedule!" Oobleck cut off Ruby's statement.
"Well, wish us luck" Ruby ended with.
"Hey, stay safe alright" Harper said.
"Well see you when you return" Iris added.
"Don't worry guys, its nothing we shouldn't be able to handle" Richard assured and walked off with team RWBY to the air ship leaving his friends.
They boarded the air ship and took off right away. The course was set to the southeast of Vale.
"I guess I never saw you as much of a fighter" Yang was talking to Oobleck.
"I admit I fancy myself as an intellectual, but I can assure that being a huntsmen I've had my fair share of tussles."
"Like the mushroom?" Ruby asked confused.
"Those are truffles" Blake corrected.
"Like the sprout?"
"Those are brussels" Yang this time corrected.
"Like that guy on team CRDL?"
"Thats Russel" Richard this time corrected.
"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archeological surveys our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular, assignment.' Oobleck added.
"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asked.
"Why what a preposterous question you silly girl, why history is the backbone our very society, and the liver, probably the kidneys if I were to wager."
"And that means?"
"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is homed to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures"
"Mountain Glenn" Ruby and Richard said simultaneously.
"Thats right, it was an expansion of Vale, but in the end it was over run by grimm and fenced off from the city" Yang said remembering the history she learned in Oobleck's class.
"Correct, and now it stands abandon, as a dark reminder" Oobleck added.
"And a likely place for a hideout" Blake stated.
"Precisely" Oobleck said adjusting his glasses.
The air ship was closing in on the landing site. It came closer to the ground and when it slowed down each member of team RWBY jumped out one-by-one. The city ruins seemed abandon, there where broken window, huge cracks in the walls, and rubble piles around semi-destroyed buildings.
"Everyone, you still may be students but as of this moment your first mission as huntress and huntsman has begun from this point forward you need to do exactly as I say, do you understand?"
Everyone looked at Ooblek and gave a slight nod.
"Ruby, I thought I told you to leave all your bags back at school?" Oobleck said to Ruby. She had a Beacon academy bag with her.
"But you hadn't told us to listen to you yet, so I didn't" Ruby said.
Every one gave a 'really' look while Oobleck thought and said out loud "She's not wrong."
"Very well Ruby leave your bag here we can pick it up upon our return."
Ricard actually began to wonder what Ruby would bring with her on her first mission. He began to grow curious on what was in Ruby's bag. He grew closer to it to sniff it.
"Very well Ruby leave your bag we can pick it up upon our return"
"But I wha-"
"Young lady what in the world could you possible have in that bag that can be so important to bring it with yo-"
Before Oobleck could finish his statement Zwei popped out of the bag and licked Richard's cheek. Richard and the others where looking at Ruby with Zwei in her bag.
"Get back in the bag" she whispered to Zwei who just gave a bark.
"We're here to investigate an abandon urban jungle teaming with death and hostility and you brought, a dog?"
"I uhh-"
"GENIUS!" Oobleck shouted spinning back.
Everyone gave Ruby a look witch she just shrugged at. Then Oobleck zoomed past and grabbed Zwei. Ruby would have fell from Oobleck if Richard had not caught her and put her back on her feet.
"K-Nines are historically know for their perceptive nose and heighten sense of sound making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours." Oobleck stated while spinning and holding up Zwei.
Everyone just stared at Oobleck and Ruby said, "I'm a genius."
Weiss, Yang, and Richard all placed their palm over their face.
"So what are your orders doctor?" Blake asked.
"Ah yes straight to the chase, I like it," Oobleck said dropping Zwei. "As you've been informed the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for criminal activity, now there are several possible explanations for this behavior one of which being, Grimm."
The was a short silence after that since all of them were confused at doctor Oobleck's last words.
"Uh what?" Ruby asked.
"Grimm, a creature of Grimm approximately 100 yards from us at this very moment" Oobleck answered.
"What!?" Yang exclaimed as they all looked behind them. They all readied there weapons to fight it.
"Stop, there are a number of reasons why Grimm reclamrigate in this piticular area, the most likely of which would be their attraction to negativity, sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred, all qualities are likely held by our hidden group hovering near intent." Oobleck explained.
"So what now?" Ruby asked.
"We wait, we track, if the specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsiquently lead us to our prey" Oobleck responded with.
"How long do we wait?" Yang asked.
"It's uncertain hours, days, weeks, why lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months-and theres the whole pack."
Richard could see that more Beowolves where arriving on the scene.
"What!?" Weiss exclaimed.
"And now they've seem us."
"What!?"
"And now they've seem us!" Oobleck said practically screaming in Weiss's ear.
"What's the plan then?" Yang asked as the Beowolves began to charge them.
"Show me what your capable of" Oobleck responded with.
Richard pushed the button on the grip he had on his belt and drew his bow. An arrow popped out of his quiver and he grabbed it with his left hand and drew back aiming at the wave of Grimm charging. Ruby stuck her scythe in the ground with the barrel pointing in the same direction.
"Cover your ears Zwei" she said.
Richard watched as Yang was the first to charge the Grimm. Weiss and Blake followed after, Richard meanwhile stayed with Ruby. She shot bullet after bullet at the large wave heading towards her and Richard. Richard shot his arrow at one of the Grimm, it exploded, but it was soon replaced by another. He looked at the small structure to the left of the charging group. It was ready to come down all it needed was a support to be taken down. Richard took out another arrow and aimed for a cracked column. He scored a direct hit and the column shattered bringing the small building onto the Grimm. It did little to their means of attacking as more kept coming charging up and over the rubbled. He would run out of arrows in this one encounter if he shot each Beowolf. He needed to switch his attack and get up close to fight with his sword and tomahawk.
"Cover me" Richard said to Ruby as he ran off towards the Beowolves. She nodded.
Ruby reloaded her scythe and continued her barrage of sniper rounds. Richard ran behind a row of columns to stay out of the Beowolve's sight. He kept running trying to get closer to the Grimm. He made it to the front line of them. He could see them falling one by one from Ruby's sniper, but they kept pushing forwards. He charged into the line slashing into a Beowulf that was running. It fell and some others now turned to Richard. He took a stance with his sword and tomahawk out and ready. The first one tried to jump on him, but he pointed his sword towards the belly of the beast and stuck it all the way through. He threw the body off his sword and another two charged him again. The one on his left went for a right slash, but Richard was able to block with his sword. He slashed with his tomahawk and spun, bringing around his sword for a second slash. The other was behind him and tried to pound Richard into the ground. He rolled out of the way and threw his tomahawk at the beast. He landed it right in its neck.
Richard saw the last Beowulf run past him and continue to run in Ruby's direction. He saw her also charge the Beowulf and, in one swipe, cut in half with her scythe.
All of them regrouped with Oobleck afterwards.
"Piece of cake" Ruby confidently said.
"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain that this is the first bout of many, shall we continue?" Oobleck asked.
They all nodded in agreement.
Hours went by with nothing but Grimm and rubble found. While the White Fang might not have been found Oobleck did find something from team RWBY. Oobleck had interviewed the members except for Ruby. Richard remembered their responses. Yang said she was a thrill seeker who wanted to travel the world. Weiss explained how she had a legacy to keep with her family's name. Blake said she wanted to stop the corruption in the world. Richard wondered IF he would ask Ruby as well but instead he found the doctor questioning him.
Richard just released an arrow killing a Beowulf when Oobleck asked.
"Mr. Kenway, why did you enroll at Beacon?"
Richard thought for a moment. Oobleck was the Huntsmen chosen by Ozpin, surely he knew what Ozpin knew about him. That means he knows that Ozpin asked Richard to enroll at Beacon, Richard hadn't made the choice on his on.
"Doctor Oobleck, would you believe any answer I give you?" Richard asked him back.
"Hmm, well that depends on you answer." He said.
"Well, I don't have one. I didn't choose to be a Huntsman...I was asked to be" Richard said.
"Let me rephrase my question" Oobleck said, "why did you join your creed?"
"My creed?" Richard asked since Yang and Weiss where around listening in to their conversation, they didn't know of the Assassins like Ruby and Blake did.
"Yes, you know what I'm talking about Mr. Kenway" Oobleck said more seriously this time.
Richard thought. "I didn't "join" my creed...I was raised by it. At a time when no one else would take me in, they did. Its why I'm still a part of them, because I ow them."
Yang and Weiss definitely heard his answer. Oobleck didn't say anything after instead he walked away. Weiss and Yang gave Richard a look before joining Oobleck. Richard let out a sigh, no doubt they'll ask about it later. Only a matter of time now. Richard walked to join them.
"No, I believe that will have to do for today, its going to be dark soon" Richard walked in on Oobleck talking to the team, He threw his bag at Yang who caught it.
"You four, set up camp in that building, oh and please do make sure there are no more of those creatures." He turned to face them, "your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter, come Ruby." Ruby walked with Oobleck while the rest of them slowly walked into the building Oobleck said to set up camp in. The building was clear so Blake and Richard began to make a camp fire. Once that was ignited the four of them gathered around it.
"I can't believe we didn't find anything" Yang said.
"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake replied with.
"Hey what did Oobleck mean about 'your creed'?" Yang asked Richard, who was sitting in front of the fire. He had his hood on and was looking down.
Richard took off his hood. "I'd rather not talk about now, if that fine with you" He said looking up.
"Thats not what I meant" Weiss said. "Huh?" Blake questioned.
"Earlier about upholding the legacy, theres more to it then that" She said.
"Yeah, no me too" Yang said, "I mean, I don't know."
"I don't know either, I know what I want to do, but, I'd figure I'd always take one step at a time." Blake said standing up.
"Well it doesn't matter we know why we're here right?" Yang asked but was answered with silence. Not even Richard could answer.
The silence was cut with Oobleck zooming in and saying "Ahh wonderful a text book cam fire."
"Fire!" Ruby followed in with Zwei, "So warm." She kneed down in front of the camp fire.
"Very good eat your dinners and hurry to bed, we have a lot of ground to cover and will need you to take turns keeping watching over our temporary abode, any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asked.
"Yo" Ruby said raising her hand. He zoomed out of the room right after.
Ruby walked by when Yang asked, "Hey did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntresses? I mean what did you tell him?"
"Hmm, No he didn't,weird, Oh well goodnight guys" Ruby said shrugging off Yang's question.
They set up their sleeping pads and finished eating before they finally lauded down to try and get some sleep. The silence gave Richard time to think. He thought about his answer to Oobleck and what he'll say to Yang and Weiss when this is all over. One thought couldn't leave his mind, Cyrus was still gone and no one knew anything about where he was. He wondered if he was still tracking the White Fang, maybe that was the reason they didn't find anything, he already swept this place clean. What ever went through Richard's mind it kept him from sleeping.
AN: Sorry if this Chapter took a while, I've been having trouble finding time to write, but the next chapter should be out a lot sooner. Thank you to everyone supporting this story, it means a lot to me.