Chapter 7: Character

Suzaku's eyes slowly opened as he looked to see Euphy right beside him. He smiled as she quietly slept.

It had been just yesterday that he had fought through the initiation. He remembered every moment as clear as when it happened. Who is Alpha? What is the danger? Why is he here?

He laid in bed confused. He didn't know what to do. He looked to the side as Euphemia stirred. Her bluish-violet eyes slowly opened as Suzaku rolled out of the bed. She too slid out of bed as she gave a quiet yawn. She looked to Suzaku and saw worry in his eyes.

"Suzaku, what's wrong?" she asked as she walked over to him.

Suzaku looked back at her with a small smile. Though he looked fine, she could tell he was distressed - his eyes showed doubt.

"I'm just confused", Suzaku said as he rubbed his forehead. "I get brought to this world to stop some great evil, yet I don't even know what it is. How can I stop something I can't see and don't know?"

Euphemia wrapped her arms around him. He stopped rubbing his head as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Try not to fret about such things, Suzaku. We'll worry about it when the time comes", she said as she let go of him.

He looked back at her and gave her a small kiss before he pulled out his pilot garbs.

"Suzaku, you do realize that you and all of the students were given class attire, right?" she said as she held out a nice suit. It was a well ironed white collared shirt with black dress pants, shoes, and a red tie, along with a coal black jacket with golden edging that went around the lapel and down the center.

Suzaku looked it over before he gave a sheepish smile. "I guess I forgot", he said as he traded his pilot garbs for the dress clothes.

He put them on as Euphy handed him a red apple. She gave him a stern look, "Eat this. I don't want you starving. I'll join you for lunch as soon as I finish my negotiations with Ozpin on how best to deal with the Albion", she said as she opened the door to their bedroom and gave him a quick goodbye.

Suzaku smiled a genuine smile at Euphy's antics; she was just as interesting as the day he literally caught her in his arms. He finished adjusting his red tie as he looked at the clock on the wall; It read twenty minutes to nine. His eyes gazed across the room; there were two beds, but they were pulled closer together to make a single massive bed. On the wall next to the door was a large bookshelf. Sadly, only a few books laid in its cupboards. He turned to the far wall; the bathroom door was near the corner of the room and an oak desk lay beside it. He walked over to the bookshelf where he removed the schedule from the cupboard.

"I have to be at Professor Port's class at nine", Suzaku said to himself as he walked out of his bedroom. He calmly walked through the hall, eating the apple Euphy gave to him. As he was walking, he heard the sounds of furniture moving and people struggling coming from his team's bedroom. He knocked on their door - the door swung open to reveal Ruby. "Oh! Suzaku, come help us lift up this bed", she said as she quickly rushed him into the room. Suzaku was rather surprised.

"Are you sure that bed is safe?" he asked, pointing to the bed dangling above the floor.

They were apparently building some sort of bunk beds, though the manner of construction looked far from stable. The bunk bed on the left was dangling from the ceiling by four ropes - hovering above another bed on the ground. The other bunk bed was still being worked on, but they appeared to be trying to put one bed on a stack of books which balanced on top of the corner posts of the bottom bed.

Suzaku sighed as he helped Yang and Blake lift a bed. The two women were relieved to have a helping hand, and together they managed to lift the bed rather quickly. Once the bed was balanced, they all carefully backed away.

"Objective complete!" Ruby said cheerfully. Suzaku rubbed the back of his head nervously. The beds were more like compactors than actual bunk beds, considering the fact that they looked extremely unstable. Then again he had seen worse at Ashford Academy.

"Good job, but I have to get to class. Have a nice day", Suzaku said as he left the room. He continued towards his class, but as he neared the door a thought occurred to him.

"I wonder if they realize that class starts at ni-" before he finished talking to himself he saw both team RWBY and JNPR run passed him. All eight of them rushed in as Suzaku casually walked through the door. The bell rang just a few seconds after.

(=+=)

"Ms. Euphemia…" Ozpin started before Euphemia interrupted him.

"Please, just Euphemia is fine", she said as she gave him a small smile. Ozpin cleared his throat as he started over.

"Euphemia, we can't allow the use of the Albion in school or public grounds. The Albion would attract too much attention in the public, and I know more than a few men who would want to get their hands on such technology."

Euphy nodded in understanding. "I understand, you don't want to attract undue attention", Euphemia said as she laid her hands across her lap, "although I am confused as to why the school grounds would be a problem", she said. There was no high risk for him to allow the Albion to be used in school space, so why not?

Ozpin gave a small smile as he answered, "The reason is rather simple-this is a school meant to train huntsmen and huntresses, not mechanized soldiers."

Euphemia gave a curt nod as she was handed a pen and a document agreeing to these terms. She elegantly put her signature onto the paper, before handing it back to Ozpin.

"Now onto a lesser matter. Would you permit me to create a club for the Fanus?" she asked, "I believe it would do well for Faunus to have a place where they can express themselves without reprimand."

Ozpin thought on that statement. It was a very interesting proposition. "Tell me - why do you wish to help them?" he asked with a bit of mirth.

Euphemia did not hesitate for a split second, "Because that is what I believe is righteous. After all, they're not any different from you or I, therefore they should be treated fairly." she said. Her gaze did not shift. She continued to look into the professor's green eyes.

He gave a smile as he nodded in approval. She smiled gleefully as she stood up, "Thank you", she said as she began to walk out of the room. Her heart was soaring at this small accomplishment - for with every small step you come closer to fulfilling your dreams.

Ozpin tapped his cane on the ground and stood up himself. Euphemia looked back at him to see him walking towards her. He pressed the button on the elevator.

"Try not to rush into things, Euphemia. I'll show you where you can host your club", he said with amusement at her eagerness.

One couldn't blame her for being impatient. Though she was technically more than one hundred years old, she was still only sixteen in mind and body.

(=+=)

"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey." Professor Port boasted in front of the class, giving a boisterous "Ah-Ha!" as he did so.

Suzaku sat in between Weiss and Ruby, glazing over his textbook and paying no mind to the teacher. In all of his years of life, he never had heard a man so adamant about flaunting his pride. In all honesty it was rather boring. Several of his classmates would agree, seeing as a few of them fell asleep in the middle of class. Even his team's fearless leader, Ruby, had fallen asleep. Then again, she was only fifteen.

"You too shall call them prey upon graduating from this prestigious academy", he said, trying - but failing, to spark some sort of interest from the students. "Now as I was saying" he continued as he began to walk across the classroom, "Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe-havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in."

Suzaku was really uninterested now. He had learned all that in the first day of being on this planet. Of course no one knew that he and Euphemia were from a different world, they just assumed that they were from the edges of Vale.

"Huntsman… Huntresses" he said, clicking his teeth and pointing his fingers to the girls on the first row; his own row.

Yang rolled her eyes - even though Suzaku couldn't see it, he knew she did. Afterall, he would if he were in her shoes - especially to someone like Port. Everyone else probably rolled their eyes too, but Yang… Yang was a definite.

"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves", Professor Port said as he waved his left arm around. "From what you might ask? Well… from the very world!" he said as he pointed his left hand to the sky.

Someone (surprisingly) jumped up from their seat, possibly inspired by Professor Port's speech, which garnered the attention of the whole class, before he quickly sat down.

The Professor blathered on, "that is what you are training to become. But first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man."

"Is it you?" Suzaku blurted out tiredly.

"It is I!" he said without a single hesitant moment, rather proudly.

Suzaku tuned him - he ignored every word coming from the teacher's mouth. Professor Port just droned on about vain pedigrees and past glories. Suzaku couldn't help but groan quietly.

Professor Port paid no heed - too entranced by his own story. Suzaku heard the sound of scribbling and turned his head to see Ruby drawing something. She sketched for a little bit longer, before she began to snicker.

She showed her silly sketch of the professor to her team. Almost all of them quietly laughed, and Suzaku gave a smile of his own, before he pushed the paper down. Professor Port gave them a glance, silencing them all.

He continued, "...in the end, the Beowulf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high. Celebrated as a hero", he finished as he gave a bow.

Suzaku looked to the rest of his team. Weiss seemed to be seething.

"The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honorable…" he said as Ruby began to balance a book and apple on her pencil. Suzaku turned back to Weiss who was glaring at Ruby, getting angrier by the second.

"A true huntsman must be dependable…" Ruby fell asleep for a moment as Weiss became even more enraged.

"A true huntsman must be strategic, well educated, and wise." Professor port finished as Ruby picked at her nose. The heiress's rage caused her to shake with anger as she heard those final words. Her anger had boiled over, and Suzaku was worried.

"So, who among us believes to be the embodiment of these traits?" the professor asked. Weiss immediately raised her hand.

"I do, sir!" she said loudly. The professor looked at her with interest.

"Well then, let's find out." he said, "Step forward and face your opponent."

He raised his hand to the cage in the corner of the classroom. Suzaku's eyes dilated. How hadn't he seen that? Whatever was inside of it was shaking the cage violently. Weiss stepped out of the room to gather her equipment. Suzaku was about to follow but was stopped by the professor. He sat back down.

Yang slid up to his seat, "Trying to make a move on the ice queen?" she asked, moving her eyebrows flirtingly.

Suzaku looked over his shoulder and into her eyes. "I've gotta do it before you do," he said with a smirk. Yang's smugness faded.

"Did you just call me gay?!" she asked angrily. Weiss walked back into the room with her usual white dress and rapier.

She stood at the opposite end of the classroom and took a stance, readying herself for her opponent. Her team cheered her on.

"Go, Weiss!" Yang shouted.

"Fight well!" Blake said, waving a flag in her hand.

"Yeah, represent team RWBY!" Ruby shouted out. Weiss turned to Ruby with annoyance evident on her face.

"Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" she said angrily. Ruby lowered her eyes.

"Sorry" she said quietly. Suzaku saw this and turned to Weiss with disapproval. Weiss turned her head away from him.

"I'm cheering for the Grimm in the cage," Suzaku said to her. Ruby, Yang, and Blake turned to him. He looked at them all for a moment before he turned back to watch the upcoming fight. "I'm not supporting that attitude", he said calmly.

Weiss ignored Suzaku's comment.

"Alright, let the match… Begin!" Professor Port said as he cut the lock with his weapon. It appeared to be an old version of a rifle of some sort with the blades of a battleaxe on the end.

The Grimm came charging out of the cage, though Weiss sidestepped the charging black boar and swung at it with her blade. Sadly she failed to pierce its armor. The creature turned back to the frustrated huntress.

"Ah-Ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" the professor said boastfully.

Weiss's eyes looked over to him for a moment, before she looked back to the Grimm in front of her.

"Hang in their, Weiss!" Ruby shouted in encouragement.

Weiss charged at the creature, but her blade met the tusk of the boar, and became lodged in between both horns. She tried to pull her rapier out of the position, but the creature did not relent.

"Come on, Weiss. Show it who's boss!" Ruby said to Weiss. Weiss turned to try to scold her, but lost her grip on her weapon, causing it to fly to the other end of the room. The creature batted her away with its horns.

"Now what will you do without your weapon?" the professor spoke. Weiss turned her gaze back to the boar-like Grimm to see it charging at her. She dodged its charge at the last second, before she sprinted for her weapon. She slid across the floor and grabbed her weapon, called Myrtenaster.

"Weiss, go for its belly. There's no armor underneath-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss shouted at Ruby.

The Grimm began to roll towards her at an incredible velocity, but Weiss formed two glyphs. The first glyph stopped the Grimm dead in its tracks, exposing its belly. The second one formed behind her at an angle, facing the boar-Grimm. She jumped onto her second glyph which propelled her towards the Grimm. Her rapier pierced the beast's gut, causing it to squeal in pain, before it died and dissipated.

"Bravo! Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training", Professor Port said. Weiss stood above the fading corpse of the Grimm, panting for breath.

"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and stay vigilant. Class dismissed", he finished.

Weiss scowled at Ruby and Suzaku before she left the classroom.

"Why is she so angry with me?" Ruby asked herself. Suzaku walked over to her and pulled her seat out.

"I'm sure she just had a bad night of sleep", Suzaku said. He knew that wasn't true. She was definitely disliking Ruby as a team leader. He saw all the tell-tale signs. She argued with authority and was venting her frustration out on that poor Grimm. That poor Grimm. "Come on, let's go and talk to her", he said as they all walked out of the classroom.

They both followed her to the end of the hallway and called out to her.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted out. Weiss turned around angrily, and replied.

"What?"

"What's wrong with you? Why are you being s-" she was cut off by Weiss.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!" Weiss said angrily.

Suzaku stepped in, "All she has been trying to do is be supportive. Besides, she's fifteen and new to the leadership role." Ruby looked to him for a second, before she looked back to Weiss.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." she said with indifference. Suzaku scowled at her.

"I do, you just aren't thinking clearly. Get your fantasies and emotions out of your head", he said. Weiss glared at him.

"They aren't fantasies, they're expectations. She's suppose to be a leader, but she's not." Weiss said, "Ozpin made a mistake", she walked away and left both Ruby and Suzaku at the end of the hall. Suzaku turned towards Ruby.

"Ozpin didn't make a mistake," he said to her with a smile.

"I would hope not."

Both Ruby and Suzaku turned to the voice to find professor Ozpin and Euphemia behind them.

"Are you sure? Did you make a mistake?" Ruby asked. Ozpin looked at her.

"That remains to be seen," he said calmly. She looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked. This time Euphemia cut him off.

"It is just the beginning. We can't judge you on the actions of a single day," Euphemia said with a giggle, "What would be the sense in that?"

Ruby gave a sheepish smile.

"Though that doesn't mean you can slack off," Suzaku said.

"The title of leader is not just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly," Ozpin started. "If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?"

Ruby internalized every word they said. She gave her absolute attention to them. It felt like she was talking to the wisest people in the kingdom of Vale.

"You have a great mantle of responsibility now. Make sure to hold it with care. For others will follow by your example, and will look to you for instruction," Euphemia said.

Ozpin nodded in agreement. Ruby nodded to all three of them. They all looked down the hall to see Weiss finishing up a conversation with Professor Port.

"Hopefully she learned something as well", Suzaku said with a glimmer of hope.

(=+=)

Suzaku and Euphy laid in bed, reminiscing on the day's events.

"Team RWBY is going to be very interesting. I just know it", Suzaku said as Euphemia smiled at her boyfriend's words.

"I agree", she said as they both yawned. "I guess we'll see how this all turns out tomorrow, Suzaku."

He nodded as he turned off his lamp. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight", she replied as she drifted off into a deep slumber.

Suzaku stared at the ceiling, smiling. He felt a change in character in both Ruby and Weiss today, and he knew it would not go unnoticed.

"A very interesting year indeed."

Author's notes: I apologize for not publishing a chapter sooner. I went on another vacation with my family. Thank you for reading my book. If you like the book, please do follow and favorite it. If you like me, please do follow and favorite me. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day.

P.S.

One of you asked how I would restrain the Lancelot. Well, I'm not going to weaken the mech itself, but rather keep its usage to a minimal due to regulations set up by Ozpin and Euphemia, so yeah.