A/N: Hi everyone, this chapter is a little late. School has been busy for my brother, so it took longer to pop this chapter out. Anywho, I'm sure you have figured who makes up team ROSE. So we have a little challenge for you. All four of these characters represent something and they correlate together kind of. So Roman Torchwick, Operculina (Olina) Hamilton, Saturn (last name would make this very obvious), and Efin Pommei.
Anywho, Thank you Mr. Ruffles for your review and yes, Neo will show up eventually. You can't have Roman without Neo. We agree that Neo is probably only a couple of years younger than Roman. And Roman is approximately five or six years older than the girls (except Ruby). This is a total guess on our part but it seemed plausible.
Alex panted for a minute looking at the mass of smoking grimm carcasses. He tried to get his breathing to normal. The gunslinger holstered his weapons and spit at the beowolf by his feet. He pivoted and continued his way; he kept his senses tuned to any movement. The wind blew the branches of the trees making them creak ominously. The trees were becoming less dense as he continued forward.
Alex walked out of the forest, stepping into a clearing. Ahead of him were the remains of what once was a temple. He sighed in relief glad that the task was nearly done. He stepped into the clearing and walked slowly to the ruins. He had walked the entire way and hadn't ran into any one else yet. "What do I do now? Would I get kicked out because I don't have a partner?" he asked himself looking at the relics (which looked a lot like chess pieces). There weren't many left, a pair of bishops and pawns, in fact. He turned as a noise from the tree line reached his ears. He cocked his dual pistols ready to fire at whatever creature that would appear. He narrowed his violet eyes at the twitching bushes. "Roman, this isn't funny," he called out annoyed and slightly worried it was a grimm.
"I'm so sick of this jungle," a female voice said drifting to Alex as the owner stumbled out of the forest. She pulled out twigs from her wavy white hair. Her pink eyes looked really unamused as her face was twisted into a scowl.
"You have a partner, Opal?" Alex asked hoping that she answered 'yes'. He really was hoping and maybe praying. She was brushing through her pale locks as he asked the question. He thought for a moment she didn't hear him as she continued to fuss with her hair for a couple more seconds. She paused in her tidying to pick up her head.
"I do now," she said when his violet eyes met her pink ones. She gave a winning smile as she walked to the gunslinger. Alex groaned a little before she got close enough to hear.
"Yay, for me," he said with sarcasm rolling his eyes. He wondered what he did to deserve this punishment.
"All this mud is going to stain my outfit," Opal complained pointing to her white shirt with light pink shorts which was spotted with mud. Alex wondered if she was even listening to him or even talking to him. She stepped into the ruins so Alex could see up close. She pointed to the offending patches of dirt, so he figured that she was speaking to her. Alex looked at the splotches uninterested.
"Why wear white in a forest? And much less to fight," Alex asked his distain barely audible. "You're just asking for them to be stained." He crossed his arms annoyed.
"Because I look absolutely adorable," Opal answered with a pose. She returned to her normal posture quickly. "Have you picked a relic yet?"
"No, not yet. Which do you want? I don't really care what we get," Alex answered as Opal walked to stand in front of the relics. He watched uninterested as she paced. She put a hand to her chin as if she was in deep thought. He leaned back nonchalantly.
She looked over the pedestals, "I'll pick Mr. Pointy-head." The girl picked up one of the white bishop pieces. She looked at it pleased with her choice. She stood in another ridiculous pose with the piece high in the air.
"That is a bishop piece," Alex corrected with a groan. He wondered how stupid she could be.
"Potato- Patato," Opal said without a care. She put it in her pocket. Alex sighed realizing that it was going to be a long four years.
RWBY~RWBY~RWBY
Roman followed Olina out of the forest and toward a crumbly set of ruins. The two didn't speak much as she marched through the forest. It wasn't that they were angry with the other; silence seemed easier than awkward small talk or the short answers that the girl gave the charismatic Roman. Roman examined the former temple as they neared it. The gray stones of the temple looked like they were barely standing. Roman wondered if there was something of more value hiding within the piles of rubble; he also wondered if the girl would mind spending some time shifting through the stones for said valuables. Besides the poor state of the ruins,t he one thing that stood out was the semi-circle of pedestals. A couple of the pedestals held small objects. "Chess pieces," Roman commented looking at the few remaining pieces.
"It looks like a lot of people already got here," Olina stated looking at the remaining pieces. Her expression said she was disappointed at that result. He rolled his eyes; from what little time he spent with her, he was certain she was an Atlas robot. Roman looked down at the girl unsure of what to do. She stood beside him as if waiting for him to choose. The two probably looked foolish waiting for the other to speak. A brief flicker of violet confirmed that she was waiting for him to speak just like how he was waiting for her to do likewise.
"Lady's choice. Pick one, Olina," Roman said watching the huntress examine the pieces; it couldn't be said that he wasn't a gentleman. He gave her a charming smile which she seemed to have not noticed. Roman frowned the girls at Signal always swooned for that look. He watched as she marched from her spot beside him with measured steps to a single pedestal. He almost forgotten that she was most definitely a robot.
The blue-haired teen picked up a white pawn, "Not exactly my favorite piece, but it's a relic." She frowned as she held it in her hand. She rolled it in her hand before tossing it a little and putting it into one of her pockets.
"So you play chess," Roman said glad that he had some topic to talk about. The girl shrugged as she walked back to him " I'm a bit of a chess master as well," Roman said leaning on his cane giving her another one of his smiles. "One of the best strategist of Signal," he bragged.
Olina raised an eyebrow, "I highly doubt that. I fully expect a game when initiation is over." She smirked putting her hands on her hips. The challenge was clearly thee in her words making Roman excited that
"Just be prepared to lose," Roman said with a similar smirk. Roman led the way this time as the pair left the ruins to return back to the cliffs.
RWBY~RWBY~RWBY
Efin watched as Saturn darted from one piece to the other. He wondered if her speed was her semblance or if she was just that naturally quick on her feet."I can't decide," Saturn said a little stressed pulling at her pair of ponytails. Efin looked between the white pawn and bishop as she continued her path. He was clearly confused on why the girl seemed distressed.
"There's only two pieces," Efin commented, not seeing how the limited choices could make it so hard. He did have to admit it was amusing to watch her try to come up with an answer.
"I know that's why it's hard. I can't pick. Choose one," Saturn said dropping to her knees as if she no longer had the energy to think about it more. Efin padded to the white pawn and picked it up. "Oooo, why did you pick that one?" she asked popping up next to the piece in his hand;her green eyes stared at the piece. The earlier distress long was long gone.
"Pawns have the potential to become something great. Although, at first, it seems weak," Efin explained calmly admiring the piece. He looked to see the girl's response only to see empty air. He only had to turn around to see the pony-tailed girl talking to a new pair of girls, one with blue hair and the other with a half head of green hair. She was so animated in speaking to the pair turning so she could wave excitedly to him.
"Hey Efin, this is Lapis and Peridot," Saturn said pointing to the blue-haired girl first before the taller girl. Efin recognized Peridot from combat school; she was one of the top students. He didn't actually talk to her, but the huntress wasn't a bad person. Lapis on the other hand looked familiar, but he couldn't be entirely sure. He wondered if she too went to combat school with him. " Oh, we should get to the cliffs before it gets dark," Saturn said skipping to Efin and started pulling his arm. "See you later Lapis, Peridot," she called over her shoulders as she continued to pull at the ninja. Efin just followed her tugging at a slower rate than she wanted to go.
"It was nice to meet you," Peridot said as Lapis waved as well. The girls picked up the last piece and turned back to the forest following after Saturn and Efin.
RWBY~RWBY~ RWBY~
Roman frowned as he stepped into a soggy patch of ground. He stepped back to inspect his shoes which were caked with mud. Olina stopped beside him looking confused. "It shouldn't be muddy here," Roman commented out loud, "It hasn't rained in days." He scanned the trees for the source of the wet patch of dirt. His blood chilled in fear when his eyes caught sight of it.
Hanging from a branch overhead was a dismembered arm dripping blood. "Olina," he said trying to portray calmness. The girl looked up at what Roman's green eyes caught sight of. There wasn't much reaction from her maybe the slightest widening of her eyes. "Let's back away slowly; Keep calm. Maybe the Grimm is gone already," Roman whispered. Olina nodded that she understood. The two took measured steps backwards from the arm. Both of their bodies were clearly tense.
The sound of gunfire drew both huntsmen attention. Olina didn't say a word as she broke from Roman's side and darted to where the sound came from. "Wait, Olina," Roman called out as he ran after the girl. He kept watch on the girl's uniformed back as she ignored his calls.
The gunfire increase in frequency and volume as the two ran through the forest. The girl jumped over a fallen tree sweeping her baton-like weapon in an arc in front of her. Icicles formed in front of the girl and shot forward. Roman jumped over the same tree as Olina landed. He saw what the girl's attack hit; a large panther-like Grimm was pinned by clusters of ice around each paw. It was taller than himself with its mouth wide in front of another huntress.
The beast's gaping mouth closed missing a girl with a half-shaved hair. Roman recognized the unique hairstyle but couldn't remember the name that went with it. He didn't have time to ask; a loud roar and the sound of shattering glass indicated the Grimm's release. The unnamed girl got to her feet running away from the large grim. Roman saw her run to a previously unseen girl throwing her roughly over her shoulders. This one Roman recognize; he had met her on the airship; her name escaped him for a moment. "Olina, we're making a strategic retreat," he called out to the girl who stood bravely in between the Grimm and the two girls even though the Grimm easily dwarfed her. The girl was dodging the paws of the grim distracting it from the injured girls. Roman took aim and shot the Grimm square in its mask face.
Olina took this time to freeze the beast again turning heel and following the two other girls as they ran past the huntsman who continued firing until Olina passed by. Roman turned and followed. He tried not to pass Olina with his longer strides. An angry yowl made the partners turn around. Roman shot a fiery blast and Olina sent a small tornado wind at the blast. The two attacks collided; the wind fed the fire into a blaze.
The fire died down when another dust shot struck it through its leg. Roman glanced quickly to see that the green-haired girl was responsible for the shot. She had the other girl draped over her shoulders as she held a rifle in her hands. "Okay we're making a stand here. Keep firing at its legs to keep it off balance. Olina, step behind me and cover my back. I'll go close quarters," Roman ordered before narrowing his eyes for the fight ahead.