Sorry for the delay. Al lot of stuff has been going on in my life. New Psychiatric treatments, general boredom, and a couple of new games to distract me have all made writing this behemoth of a chapter a long and arduous process.
Chapter 4: Initiation
My back hurt. I pulled myself up from the hard floor, my pad doing jack shit to protect me from the ground. Five years in the Boy Scouts and I still haven't learned to sleep on hard surfaces. I checked my phone to find a text from my mother reminding me to take my medicine. Though me and Persephone disagree highly with her insistence that I take medicine for my… issues, I hate it when she starts threatening me and Persephone's safety if I didn't.
I pulled two CVS bottles from my bag. One labelled Fluoxetine HCl 20mg, the other Guanfacine 4mg. These poisons were the current agreement made between my Psychiatric APRN and my mother without my permission to help alleviate the symptoms of my self-awareness, intelligence, and whatever Hoolian DNA that currently flows through my blood. Swallowing both with a swig from my back pack, I got up and grabbed my clothes for the day.
The initiation was going to be in a forest, so I went with a pair of brown cargo pants, another version of my collared shirt, and a baseball cap from the now defunct New Haven Ravens Double-A minor league team tucked into the epaulettes of my shirt as I didn't need to wear it indoors. I donned the holster I was given and mounted my bag over it. I went to the locker rooms to brush my teeth and use the bathroom before going out for breakfast.
My bowl was filled with regular Cheerios sided with a glass of whole milk. I sat and began eating being interrupted twice asking why I didn't put my milk in my cereal. I explained how I hate soggy food and sent them on their way. The dining area was packed to the brim with new students and returning students. I slowly shifted my head around to see if I could pick up any stray conversations about today.
About two feet behind me were a pair of students, one an upperclassman, the other an initiate. "Okay bro," the older female addressed her sibling, "Assistant Headmaster Pine always uses the same setup every year. The pairs who pick up two of the same artifact are grouped into teams. Got it?"
"Right." The brother responded as Winry took a seat across from me with a plate of pancakes, sausage, and ham.
"How good are you at judging distance through binoculars?" She asked suddenly.
"Why?" I responded taking a spoon full of my cereal.
"Maybe you're not as useless to me and any team we're grouped with after all, so can you?" She gave me a weird look.
"I do own a pair, which I brought with me, but my regular distance judging is terrible." I explained pulling out a tattered old leather case from my waist, laying it gently on the table. "My great-great uncle was a navigator for the Royal Italian Navy during the War, these were his."
"And I needed to know that why?" She mocked.
"You're right." I said realizing how ridiculous it sounded. I checked my watch for the time and realized that we only had fifteen minutes until we needed to be at the cliffs. I got up from the table, threw what little food I still had away and walked back to the dance hall.
Reaching my suitcase, I pulled out a replica MKVII gas cape and attached it around my neck leaving the front unbuttoned. Pushing the flaps back across my shoulders, I marched into the locker room and found the one I had chosen. Punching in the combination, I opened the door and retrieved my gear.
Pressing the ice blade button on the gauntlets causing both blades to shoot out of their sheathes under my arms. Using my knuckles to press the safety, I caused the blades to retract. I turned around suddenly and came face to face with a brunette wearing full Farina Armor and a fancy dress beneath it standing a full foot shorter than me. From behind the visor I could see bright yellow and black eyes. Attached to her arms were what seemed to be primitive versions of the gauntlets I wore. This time made of a dull gold with scroll work covering the casing.
She grabbed my wrist and yanked my arm upward. "Where did you get this design?" She interrogated.
"I took it from a book I liked." I explained as I twisted my arm around to get her hand to face up. With a yank of my own upwards, her fingers released and I was free again.
"No, you didn't, you stole the designs from my family." She grabbed me by the shirt this time.
"Mistress!" A young man rushed up, wearing a black Nehru jacket and loose-fitting pants, with bright purple hair. He carried a jetpack with a pair of rocket launchers mounted on top of it. "Please don't harass your classmates!" What was unusual for the servant boy was that he had scaly skin and indents where his eyes should have been. He then turned and bowed to me.
"Excuse me for my mistress' interruption." He exclaimed. "She's not good at communicating with other people." The armored girl went to a nearby locker and pulled out a pair of helical magazines and mounted them on her gauntlets.
I began to walk away checking my phone the time when I heard the servant boy shout, "It's Nigel!" I turned around. "My name is Nigel Mauve and this is Lady Gwendolyn Sorrel." He pointed towards the owl girl checking her rockets. I gave a small wave as I continued towards the door.
If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I hate heat. Despite it being fucking September, no one told that to the weather. It was 65 Fahrenheit, but with my gear, it was more 72. I quickly uncapped my drinking tube and placed it in my mouth with shaking hands. I could already feel my mind slipping into anger and frustration.
I let lose some of my ice dust onto my arms to keep them cool while I placed my hat on my head. My aura was helping keep the chill from my arms to move across my body. The shaking stopped, but I was already in a point in which I could blow up at anyone.
After about a five minute walk to the cliffs, I arrived to see a bunch of students standing on metal plates in the ground. I walked over to an unclaimed plate and stood there as Headmistress Rose and a small younger man carrying a silver cane who I assumed was Assistant Headmaster Pine arrived at edge of the cliff. There was a brief pause to allow everyone to get settled and some last students to arrive.
"I'm going to keep this short," Assistant Headmaster Pine began, "we're throwing you off this cliff. If you don't die on impact, meet up with your predetermined partner, and make your way to the ruins on the far side of this forest. Gather the totems and return here. Good luck." He flipped the top of his cane open and pressed a big red button hidden underneath.
With a loud clang, the first student was launched into the air. I looked down the line and saw that Winry was sixth to be launched, while I was 22nd. She grabbed her rifle, off her shoulder and checked the magazine. By the time she closed the bolt, she was launched into the air. Teleporting a short distance, she began to fall again, leading to another teleport until she was out of sight.
I then saw Adrianna getting launched which caused her to produce a yo-yo like object and use it as a form of impromptu helicopter. Michael, who was two people away from me, was launched causing him to produce a metal staff which extended to the forest floor allowing him to pole vault into the distance. Bending my legs, I braced for launch. I counted that there was three seconds between each launch I had only nine seconds to prepare. Hoping that rubberized cotton made a good improvised glider, I grabbed each end of my cape and waited. As the frog faunus standing next to me was launched, I began to count down from three.
All I heard was a click before I was launched into the air. I spread my arms to make sure the cloth that I held got as much air in it. I may have gotten about five extra feet in distance before the cape gave out. I willed more of my aura into my legs and tilted myself so I would hit the ground feet first. Recalling my parkour training, I bent my legs and hit the ground flat footed. I shifted to the left and placed my arm above my head and began to roll forward over my right shoulder.
Feeling my feet return to the ground, I sprung up and looked around. My shins and feet complained from the impact, my Aura only preventing them from breaking. I stumbled a bit before getting my bearings.
My blood ran cold as a growl rustled the bushes to my left. I lit my claws up and turned to face the source of the noise. A beowolf leapt out of the underbrush, claws out stretched ready for the kill. I charged forward, grabbing the monster around the waist, during my burning fingers into its hide. It screamed in pain as I used the monster's momentum to throw it to the ground, causing its back spikes to lodge into the dirt. The monster tried to swipe its right hand at my face, I grabbed the hand, used my left ice blade to slice one of its fingers off. I grabbed the claw and holding it like a karambit, sliced its throat open.
It was dead. I had killed it. I stumbled away from the scene and tried to regain balance near a tree. It was the first non-insect being I had ever killed. You did your duty to your Kingdom and ancestors, John. I could hear her explain to me. All hagsfiends and their descendants deserve to die. Prove to Glaux you aren't one of them, prove you're one of us.
Hearing another sound from behind me, I drew my pistol and placed another ice blade next to it in a CQC grip that I was once taught. The bush to my back seemed to morph into a human form revealing Winry holding up her hands and rifle.
"Good Glaux, woman! I could have shot you!" I yelled lowering my weapon. "How long were you hiding there?"
"Ever since you landed." She explained walking out of the underbrush. I sheathed the knife and reengaged the safety of my gun.
"So what do we do now?" I asked trying to figure out which direction we were supposed to head in.
"Try not to get killed." She spoke walking in one direction.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious." I joked following her.
"So where are you from?" Winry spoke cutting away at some branches with her bayonet. We had been walking in silence for about ten minutes towards the temple, not speaking to each other. I had put my headphones on and began to listen to music to pass the time and prevent any heat caused anger attacks.
I lifted one of the speakers not hearing her entirely. "Huh?"
"I said, where are you from? Your accent is definitely American." She explained.
"Berlin, Connecticut." I explained lighting fire to a branch that was in my way.
"Never heard of it."
"No one ever does. Where are you from."
"Rawer's Sewres." She explained. "It's in Vacuo. It's a tiny village on Vacuo's main river."
"So why Beacon and not Shade?"
"I hate my mothers." She got tired of cutting branches and motioned for me to start pulling my weight. I set my gauntlets to fire claw mode and started spraying fire dust all around me to burn my way through.
"So, are you adopted or a Steinman child?" I asked at the mention of two mothers.
"Second Generation Steinman." She explained. "We're more long lasting and less prone to defects than the first gens."
Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk Machine gun fire blasted through the forest just over our heads. Rather than risking losing parts of our aura, we dropped to the ground and began to crawl towards the source. I pulled out my binoculars and looked forward out into the field before us.
Seeing me grab my binoculars, Winry grabbed her rifle and began to aim into the field. "Okay," I began spotting the pair of French kids from last night, "Michael and Adrianna are about ten meters to the left from the stone structure in the center." Michael seemed to be holding some form of Chauchat rifle and blasting away at a group of beowolves. Adrianna was attempting to both rodeo and garrote a boarbatusk with what appeared to be a yoyo.
"Confirmed." She responded. Shifting to the right, I spotted a Death Stalker rushing out of the woods to the east judging by the time and position of the sun.
"To the east, Death Stalker." I called. Winry shifted to the right and took aim. One supersonic blast later, the stinger of the giant scorpion detached itself from the tail and slammed into the armored skull of the Grimm. The plating broke, exposing the flesh underneath. "Hit confirmed."
"Should we join the battle?" She asked looking up from the scope.
"Yep." I said packing my binoculars back into their case. She grabbed my arm and I was pulled directly above the stunned scorpion. I landed feet first directly above its eyes and pulled out my pistol. Disengaging the safety, I pulled the trigger firing five shots into the exposed section of flesh. I landed on its head as its brains last command, to perform a swipe of its claws at me was executed.
I was thrown a good fifty feet away and straight into a tree. I blacked out for five seconds. I saw Persephone, her feathers bathed in the moonlight. I was pulled back as a beowolf spread its jaws for the kill. It was only stopped by a thin metal cord wrapping itself around the creature's throat and decapitating it. Watch how easily they slaughter their own kin, John. Further proof of their inferiority. Behind then dead creature was Adrianna dressed in a red and black plated mail jacket and red and black polka dot leggings. She offered me her hand which I excepted. After pulling me to my feet, she handed me my gun. I fixed my cape and then grabbed it.
I removed the magazine and checked the slide for damage. Seeing it in somewhat working order, I placed the magazine back in and closed the slide. Nodding to her, we rushed towards the temple taking various Grimm along our way. I was out of breath by the time we reached the others while Adrianna was perfectly fine.
I stumbled towards a podium and sat down for a slight rest. I shifted my bag around and pulled out a Cliff bar from the interior. "Don't eat anything unless you have enough to share." I heard from above me. Looking up I saw Jennifer perched on the pedestal holding a Rook piece in one hand and a double barreled over under shotgun in the other. Behind her was Nicole carrying three revolvers in various holsters, one across her chest, one at her right hip and one on her back.
I handed another bar to Jennifer as I got up. Winry walked calmly over to a pedestal with a black Bishop piece and throw it in my direction. I flinched slightly while attempting to grab it only for it to fly past and land on the ground. I retrieved it as the group settled down to rest. We were soon joined by Gwen, Nigel, and other students who I hadn't met yet, and probably never really get to know.
Then it hit, the ice dust wore off. In the hour that it took to reach the temple, the temperature had reached 72. It didn't help the fact that the temple was in complete ruins and offered no shade. My right hand started to shake as my mind went blank. "Fuck!" I nearly shouted.
I started running, running as fast as I could towards the forest. It had been this way ever since they began poisoning my body as well as my mind. Reaching the tree line, I slowed down to catch my breath. Ripping the ice dust tube out of my right gauntlet, I poured it all over me. My Aura reacted and began cooling me down.
"John!" I heard someone shout behind me.
"What!" I screamed back. I swiftly turned around to see Winry standing there with Nigel and Gwen. "Let me guess, they have the same piece."
"Yep." Gwen replied filled with snark.
"Good. Fine. Whatever. Let's go!" I growled walking away. Pulling another Ice tube out of my bag, I slotted it into my gauntlet and pressed the activation button connecting the tube to the blade chamber.
"Okay, here's the plan…" Gwen began.
"Who put you in charge?" Winry interrupted.
"I did." Gwen retorted.
"Ladies, we can solve this problem back at Beacon. Can we please move?" I grabbed both of them and shoved them forward. Gwen lead us towards the large clearing leading up to the cliff. As the trees gave way to a large ravine spanned by five large stone bridges, most were in ruins except one.
A large company of Grimm guarded the last bridge. Six beowolves, three boarbatusks, two Ursa, and one Alpha beowolf. "Nigel, John, you take the beowolves and boarbatusks, Gwen and I are going after the Ursa. Leave the Alpha for last!" Winry ordered. I nodded to Nigel as I lit up my right claws and extended my left blade while he grabbed his umbrella by the body. I charged forward, ducking under the swing of one beowolf catching it in the abdomen with my ice blade.
As the blade broke from me shifting to the side to dig my claws into another, I saw out of the corner of my eye Nigel extending his umbrella and aiming the tip towards and charging wolf. Waiting for its mouth to open, he pulled a trigger on the grip of the umbrella causing a small bullet to be launched into the mouth. In less than a second, what was once the Grimm's head was now a spike ball of ice. I swung the one I was holding around to face him, he took aim and shot the new target as I threw it at him. Pressing the safeties of my gauntlets together, I un-holstered my pistol and fired it into the tusks of the Boarbatusks. The first snapped off and flew off in a random direction while the second snapped and shot straight into the beast's eye. Suddenly the eye with the tusk lodged in it exploded as Winry fired her rifle into the lodged bone piece.
Nigel closed his umbrella and flipped it around so that he gripped the cloth end of the weapon. Swinging the weapon, he grabbed the arm of a beowolf with the hook of the grip and threw it into the second boarbatusk. The wolf become impaled belly first onto the tusks of the monster blocking its vision. Nigel stepped aside as it charged towards him and off the cliff.
Explosions rang out as Gwen flew through the air raining rockets from her jetpack. The rockets shredded the first Ursa and seriously wounded the second. Winry then grabbed her rifle and decapitated the injured monster with her bayonet. Screaming, she charged the next beowolf and impaled it on her blade. Swinging it around with impressive strength. She pointed the wolf and the barrel at the last regular wolf and fired a round through both killing them.
All that was left was the Alpha. Winry's bullets were just bouncing off its armor causing her to try and charge it, bayonet drawn. Reaching it, the blade plunged into the monster's shoulder. It didn't even flinch, it just picked her up and threw her towards the cliff. She managed to grab onto the ledge at the last second.
That's quite the conundrum you have there, my love. Do you let both of those hagsfiend filth die or do you save the one without the fur?
Thinking quickly, I rushed up behind the monster and used my smaller size to wrap my arms around its waist and avoid the back spikes. Activating my fire claws, I dug them into the fur and began burning the monster. Noting that the fire had spread across its chest, I climbed up and deployed an ice blade to shove into its neck.
Winry teleported to her rifle and held on as the monster began flailing wildly. She pulled the weapon from the beast's flesh and teleported back to the rest of the team. With the flick of my wrist, I broke the blade from my gauntlet and flipped away from the monster.
You forget that in the span of a thousand years, certain hagsfiends became more powerful. These are who I will fight alongside.
And what of the Faunus?
My prototype.
A rocket wizzed over my head and slammed into the Alpha. It exploded in a way that knocked the monster off the edge and towards its death.
"Michael Rust, Adrianna Li, Jennifer Verdant, and Nicole Ludiccelli. You picked the Black Rook pieces. From now on you shall be Team MAJN [Margarine], led by Michael Rust." Oscar spoke before the massive crowd assembled there before him. Everyone from the inductees to the seniors packed into the auditorium to welcome the new students.
Adrianna seemed pissed that she was not leader. Turns out, back in Paris, Michael was her sidekick. Being usurped like that may lead to some tensions, I noted. The left the stage and made room for us. We walked up unto the stage and formed a line. Nigel stood at attention like a soldier next to Gwen her had her arms crossed before her with a smug look on her face. Winry was barely able to stand at this point. She was tired and sore, hell I felt the same too.
"Winry Maroon, Nigel Mauve, Jonathan Bauer, and Gwendolyn Sorrell. You picked up the Black Bishop pieces." Gwen seemed to be insulted that she wasn't referred to by her title. "From now on you shall be Team WNJG [Wenge]. Led by Winry Maroon." Gwen fumed in anger leaping off the stage and stormed out of the room. Nigel, apologized and rushed after her. Oscar calmly dismissed us and called forth the next team.