AN: My note board is starting to look like a conspiracy theorist board. Neat. I have seen the initiation so many times it's been ingrained in my brain.

Chapter 10

It wasn't long until they encountered the Grimm. Jaune Had just cut a Beowolf's head off while Ruby shot forward in a spin taking out two with her Scythe. They must have stumbled into their territory as more Beowolf's came from the underbrush. Jaune switched back to his sword and shield style to focus more on a defensive stance against a large group. Ruby used her semblance and rushed to cover his back.

"Gods there's too many they're going to overwhelm us." Jaune spat out.

"We need to get to less open territory Jaune!" Ruby hooked her scythe around one and used the recoil of shooting another Beowolf to slice the one she hooked in half. Jaune pushed one back before stabbing it in the head.

"Agreed. I saw a cave not far from here when I was in the air." He nodded in the direction. They shared a look and ran.


Yang and Weiss pushed through the forest. They encountered a few stray Grimm but for an aura-enhanced human such a small group was nothing. Weiss cut through some branches revealing a set of ruins. The two teens shared a look and carefully approached keeping an eye out for traps.

"Think this is it?" Yang asked as they got close.

"Really? Why else would…" Weiss trailed off as they saw what the ruins held. Chess pieces. "No doubt no ruins would just have chess pieces arranged like this."

"So I guess we take one huh?" Yang asked, eyeing the gold pony.

"We were told to bring a 'relic' back," Weiss said looking at the pieces that have already been taken.

"Let's take the pony!" Yang grabbed the golden horse.

"You idiot, that's a knight piece, not a pony! Can you be any more of an airhead?" Weiss mumbled the last part. They met at the center and looked around as they heard gunfire.


"Yeah, I'm not going in there." Ruby looked at the small cave entrance with cave paintings around it.

"The Beowolves seem to be scared of something they haven't gotten any closer." Jaune was investigating the painting when he noticed the scorpion. "Death Stalker cave. It makes sense they're afraid, there's always a bigger fish waiting to eat you." He pats the wall a few times before standing by Ruby.

"Yeah. I don't want to stick around for it to decide whether or not it will eat us." Ruby looked to see the Beowolves were beginning to thin out and run. "Let's get going I don't like the feel of this place." Jaune nodded as the air felt wrong and followed the cliff's edge until they saw the Grimm were gone and continued to head north. As they left they heard a rumble and rocks shattering.

"RUN!" Jaune ordered and they booked it before what they assumed was the Death Stalker got out of its cave. They kept running for as long as they could by the time they slowed down they couldn't hear anything following them but up ahead they could hear gunfire. Exiting the brush they stumbled upon the ruins. Yang and Weiss had taken defensive positions and the gunfire was getting closer. Rushing forward rwby grabbed a castle-like object and turned to her sister.

"Yang! Are you ok? What happening?" Ruby asked in a hushed tone. She saw Jaune taking a defensive position in the front and shifted her scythe to its rifle form.

"Not sure Rubes, I'm fine. Me and the ice princess" "Hey!" "were about to head back to the top of the cliff when we heard gunfire and it started getting closer... Whoever is fighting is retreating and bringing whatever is attacking them our way." Yang explained. As that happened two figures ran out of the tree line.

"Ren?!" Jaune shouted in disbelief. His friend wasn't able to answer as spear-like feathers shot towards him. Ren dodged out of the way and fired away. Those watching heard a screech as his bullets found one of its eyes. One of the largest nevermore's they had seen flew away.

"Pyrrha the ruins are over this way lets hurry before the Grimm returns!" Ren called to the figure beside him. They raced to the ruins and Pyrrha grabbed the other knight.

"Is that thing going to come back?!" Weiss asked with a shaky voice.

"I… don't… know," Pyrrha said between breaths. "But I don't want to wait around to find out." The tree line rustled and an Ursa bust out of it putting them all on guard before it fell over. Revealing two girls on its back.

"Awww it's broken." A dejected voice pointed out.

"Nora you are insane." A calm but shaky voice pointed out.

"Is that the ruins?!" Nora shot over and grabbed another castle. "We're queens of the castle!" She chanted as her partner walked up.

"Any of you want to switch partners?" Blake said in a joking manner.

"I'm good. I'd rather have a violent blonde than whatever she is." Weiss smirked.

"HEY! I'm not that violent!" Yang yelled.

"Guys?"

"I'm staying with Jaune!" Ruby pointed out ignoring Yang's smirk.

"Uhhhh, guys?" Pyrrha tried getting their attention again.

"Guess we're stuck together. At least this year will be interesting." Blake smirked looking at Nora bouncing around Ren.

"GUYS!" Pyrrha screamed catching everyone's attention.

"What?" they all asked.

"We have company." Pyrrha pointed to the sight of trees falling. Out of the treeline, a large Death Stalker burst into sight.

"Jaune! It followed us!" Ruby yelled.

"You lead that thing here?!" Weiss screeched.

"It was that or a hoard of Beowolves. Now there's only 1 of it and 8 of us. If we work together we can beat it." Ruby suggested. It tries attacking with its stinger only for Weiss to block it with a wall of ice.

"That won't hold it for long let's come up with a plain and fast," Weiss says.


"Not bad kid your reasoning is sound but you could do with a bit more confidence," Char said watching Ruby.

"She's only fifteen. Hell look at me I was fifteen when we first fought and look how far I got?" Amuro countered.

"What being under house arrest or constantly jumping between partners?" Char chuckled.

"You weren't much better with the constant name changes! What kind of name is Quattro Bajeena?" Amuro smirked.

"I was going through a phase!" Char shot back.

"Well while you were going through a phase I was in bed with your sister and it sure wasn't your name she was crying out," Amuro smirked before heading out.

"IF WE WEREN'T DEAD RAY I WOULD KILL YOU!" Char Yelled in rage.


"Do you think we should help them, Sir?" Glynda watched the screen seeing the participants preparing to fight.

"Not yet. Something tells me these children will surprise us." Ozpin sipped his coffee.

"As you say." She just prayed Ozpin was right.


"Ok, we need to keep it guessing. We can't just rush it." Jaune commented.

"Our biggest issue is its armor, If we can't break it we won't be able to damage it properly." Pyrrha pointed out. She looked at Yang and Nora. "Can either of you two break through it?"

"Given time maybe but I doubt we have the time needed," Yang said.

"Maybe we can squash it somehow? I mean it's a big bug." Nora suggested.

"There's always the option to run. We have our objective. Let's just inform the headmaster when we get back." Weiss again points out. The Ice starts to crack.

"As much as I hate that idea you might be right Ice Princess," Yang comments looking at the wall.

"I agree not all fights are winnable." Ren agreed. Pyrrha nodded.

"Ok we run to fight another day," Jaune said. "And only fight it if there's no other option."

'I wonder where the nevermore went.' Ren thought.


The nevermore divebombed again only to have a dagger charged with lightning dust thrown at it. It stuck its wing and dropped it to the ground.

"Hey, guys who's up for roasted Grimm?" A large brown-haired teen joked.

"Just finish the thing off man we got to get Sky and Dove to the cliff that damn bird did a number on them." A teen with a mohawk yelled.

"Yeah, yeah. I wonder who pissed this thing off." The brown-haired teen thought aloud before bringing his mace down on its head.


"It's getting closer and we're running out of land!" Weiss yelled as they grew closer to the ravine.

"Shit we've got to do something," Jaune mumbled. "NORA! Throw it off balance with grenades. Ruby aim for the eyes if you can. Blake help me distract it." Jaune shouted orders as he slid to a stop. He pulled his weapon out and shifted it into the ax form. Blake ran to the right and he went left. Nora had launched a grenade that hit before it cause the Death Stalker to stop abruptly. Most of Ruby's shots missed but one hit its left largest eye. Jaune cleaved one of its smaller legs off before he dodges its stinger. Blake used her ribbon to pull the right pincher off course when it tried attacking.

"We can't just leave them to fight that thing," Pyrrha said to Yang, Ren, and Weiss. She switched her javelin to its rifle mode and started helping Ruby. Yang shrugged and ran to assist Blake. Ren ran to Jaunes' side and helped try to cripple the other legs.

"I guess you're right," Weiss grumbled.

"Jaune look the stinger!" Ren pointed out. The stinger was barely hanging on.

"Pyrrha, Ruby! Aim for the stinger. Weiss, can you help Nora get in the air?" Jaune pointed to the dangling appendage. Weiss nodded using a bit of gravity dust to fling Nora in the air. Ruby's shoot separated the stinger and it pierced the back of the Grimm.

"Nora Smash!" Jaune shouted. Nora gave a salute before using an explosion to fling her hammer atop the stinger pushing it further into the Grimms body. The Death Stalker writhed and finally died.


"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" The audience clapped as the team appeared on the big screen.

"Jaune Arc. Ruby Rose. Blake Belladonna. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team ABVR(Amber). Led by Jaune Arc." Ruby hugged Jaune and Nora cheered.

"Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Yang Xiao Long. Weiss Schnee. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team PYSL(Pastel). Led by Pyrrha Nikos." Weiss smirked, Ren nodded, Pyrrha held her hands over her mouth, and Yang congratulated her.

"So since neuter of our chooses became leaders who wins?" Amuro asked looking at the betting board. Amuro had figured the school might try to suck up to the SDC and make Weiss the leader of her team. While Char figured Ruby would be the leader of Jaunes team.

"I guess it's a draw. Shame I thought for sure she would be a leader since Ozpin brought her in early." Char sank into his chair.

AN: Yes Cardin and his team killed the injured nevermore but Sky and Dover were injured in the process. Due to some thinking on my end all potential pairings are up in the air. I'm not saying one or another won't happen I'm just saying there might be changes.