Chapter VI: Beacon

Victor stood inside an airship that was taking him to his new home. He looked out the windows, enjoying the view.

"I can see Signal from up here!" A girl with reddish hair and a red cloak exclaimed to Yang, whom Victor knew from various parties. Victor strolled over to the window they were at and looked down at Signal. "Good bye Signal." Victor whispered.

"What was that?" Xavier asked Victor, who jumped at Xavier's sudden appearance. "Nothing." Victor responded, then asked "You ready for Beacon?" Xavier grinned and answered "Oh yeah, I've been preparing for this my whole life. Maybe we will be on the same team." Xavier mused.

Victor cringed inwardly. He wasn't sure he wanted Xavier on his team, he was too unpredictable. Victor forced a grin and said "Maybe."

Victor turned away and watched the Holo-TV, which was streaming a newscast that was talking about the White Fang attacking a Faunus peace protest.

Suddenly the news reporter disappeared, replaced by a woman with blond hair, wearing a white blouse, black pants, glasses, and a black and purple cape. "Hello and welcome to Beacon." The woman said. "Who's that?" Yang asked. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The woman continued. "Oh." Yang said, satisfied.

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy." Glynda continued. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world"

The image disappeared, and as Victor started out the window, Beacon academy came into view. "Woah!" Xavier exclaimed. "I've seen pictures but..." Victor trailed off. The two looked at each other. "You ready?" Victor asked, Xavier nodded and stared out the window.

After the airship landed, Victor and Xavier were strolling towards the building nearest to them when Victor saw a girl with white hair. "Look! It's Weiss Schnee, I use her father's company's dust in my weapon." Victor said as he started towards her.

Xavier grabbed the back of Victor's shirt and dragged him away. "We've been here 2 minutes and your already going to start flirting with the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company?" Xavier grumbled.

Xavier dragged him into the auditorium. Victor then stood up and glared at Xavier, "Who made you in charge of my life?" He demanded. "I did." Xavier said, "Besides, Weiss creeps me out." Victor fumed and tried to think of a snippy comeback. Victor was about to say something but he heard a girl shriek so he started towards it.

"-you really did explode." Victor heard Yang say. Victor looked at the group in front of him. Yang was holding the girl with a red hood who looked. Young. Too young for Beacon. And Weiss stood furiously staring at the girl in the red cloak.

After a while Weiss started lecturing the girl and Victor tuned her out.

"Ahem. I'll keep this brief." Victor looked up and saw Professor Ozpin standing at a microphone. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you finish you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As soon as Ozpin finished, he walked away and the woman from the ship, Glynda Goodwitch stepped forward.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She said, then strolled after Ozpin.

Victor stood next to his assigned sleeping spot. After Glynda had left, he had went to the ballroom, recieved his spot, went to the weapon locker room and put away Grimmbane, changed clothes and then came back to prepare for bed. He doubted he could sleep though, tomorrow be would either earn a place at Beacon or die trying.

He saw a girl with black hair unrolling her sleeping bag. The girl looked up and the two locked eyes. The girl had purple eyes. Victor casually smiled and waved at her. She looked down again, ignoring Victor.

Victor wasn't so easily deterred. He stood up and walked over to her. "Hey." He said, and then winced as her eyes flew up and stared at him icily. "Hello." She replied. "I'm Victor, and you are?" Victor said trying to regain his composure. "Teresa, and I was about to try and get some sleep, goodnight Victor." Teresa said coldly.

"Oh, playing hard to get are we?" Victor said with a wink, then turned and strolled back to his sleeping bag, only briefly glancing at Teresa's furious face.

Victor had no idea how long he laid in the darkness, but eventually he drifted off to sleep, still intrigued by Teresa.

Victor woke with a start when he heard a girl yell, "It's morning! it's morning! It's morning!" To a boy with black hair with a single pink strand in it. Victor rubbed his eyes and looked over at the still sleeping form of the girl, Teresa. Most girls melted after a few minutes of talking to him and invited him to some party or another, sometimes begging him to have dinner with them, but Teresa wouldn't give him the light of day. In fact it seemed she hated him. Victor shrugged maybe she was the only girl on the planet immune to his charm, but he wasn't going to give up yet.

Victor dressed and walked into the mess hall. He grabbed a plate of pancakes and wolfed it down. He dashed to the locker where his weapon was kept and pulled it out. He held the metallic blue blade in his hands and pulled out his belt, which had various vials of dust strapped to it.

"What's your weapon's name?" Xavier said, appearing out of nowhere. Victor jumped and dropped his sword. He picked it up. Grimmbane." Victor said with a sigh, wishing he could've avoided Xavier longer.

"Cool." Xavier said "Does it turn into anything?" He continued. "Yeah, it's a TVSK, it's main function is a dust-powered katana but it can transform into a shotgun with slug shots which have dust in them for extra kick and that enables me to use that force to move quickly during a battle." Victor explained, getting caught up by the question.

"So it's a shotgun-katana." Xavier summarized. "Yeah." Victor said, disappointed by the almost-lame summary.

"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation, again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." Said a voice over the intercom.

Once outside, the teachers positioned the initiates on metal plates, side by side, with about a foot between each plate. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch stood in front of the trainees.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said.

Glynda Goodwitch spoke up, "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allows us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates, today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be you partner for the next four years." Ozpin said.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die." Ozpin continued darkly.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin inquired.

"Yeah, umm, Sir?" Said a scraggly blond boy.

"Good, now take your positions."

"See ya soon." Victor said with a wink to Teresa. For the first time that afternoon, Teresa looked at Victor. She then said, "Not on your life." With that Teresa's plate launched her off into the air.

"Here we go!" Victor said as his plate followed suit, launching him into the air.