Enjoy.
"You're going easy on me, aren't you, Witt?" teased Coco as she slid beneath Whitaker's kick. "You aren't even using your Semblance!"
Whitaker was fairly sure it was the opposite. His sparring partner grew exponentially faster and stronger. It was almost like facing an entirely different person. Her fighting style changed too. The Coco that Whitaker normally faced was aggressive; she moved quickly, reacted quicker, and acted with unbeatable haste. That style often led to sloppy mistakes that Whitaker could capitalize on with his Semblance. But this new style, it was… methodical. It was almost as if Coco intentionally moved slower and left gaps in her defence, and whenever Whitaker tried to punish her, he was met with a deadly counterattack that he had to avoid unless he wanted his Aura to be completely depleted.
It didn't help that he couldn't use his Semblance. Whenever he tried, it felt like something was blocking him. Like a field had been placed around his Aura, and if he attempted to reach inside his soul and activate his Semblance, something forced his hand away.
Not only that, despite how tightly he held Lightning, it felt closer to holding water than a sword. Between that, desperately avoiding Coco's unstoppable onslaught of attacks, and trying to put his Semblance to use, Whitaker knew that he was mere seconds from losing this fight.
"I can go faster, if this is too slow for you." The she-devil offered with a grin as she backed away from him with a light hop.
"Please don't," pleaded Whitaker.
"Too bad." From the other side of the room, Coco leaned forward. With a flash of movement, Coco invaded Whitaker's guard and unfurled Gianduja, the barrels of the minigun beginning to spin. "Yield?"
Whitaker sighed and sheathed Lightning.
"Any reason you didn't use your Semblance there?"
He shrugged. "No reason in particular." Aside from the fact that he couldn't.
Coco gave him a deadpan look. "Take me seriously, please, Witt."
"Next time, then," Whitaker said with a smile.
"Fine." Coco strolled to the corner of the training room where they put their water bottles and towels. She bent over and picked up the towels, tossing one to Witt. "I think that puts us in a tie." She wiped her hair, face, and body clean of sweat with the white towel.
Whitaker did the same, untying his hair and running the towel through it, drying his pale hair of sweat. Once he was done, he slung the towel over one shoulder and sat with his back to grey walls of the training room. He was impressed with Beacon's facilities. Aura monitors that synced to Scrolls, customizable training room layouts, and even showers attached to the rooms themselves.
"So," Coco began, her gaze flicked over the Whitaker. "What happened to you in the last year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your skills, Witt." Her eyes narrowed. "They're lacking."
"I…"
"The strategy is there— I could see your thought process during the fight," she explained. "But… It felt like I was fighting someone entirely different."
"I could say the same for you. You've gotten a lot better. Your fighting style isn't even close to what I remember it being."
"I'd hope so," Coco stated. She rose to her feet and wiped down the sweat that layered her thighs. Whitaker glanced away. "If I fought the same way that I did a year ago, I'd be ashamed."
"Is that a dig at me?"
She smirked. "A little."
"Yeah, well, I haven't been doing much fighting against people. And the last time I fought people, they didn't have an Aura," Whitaker said grimly.
"Oh." Coco glanced at the ground. "I— I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Witt said. "It's in the past."
"Still, I was aggressive when I shouldn't have been, and I spoke out of turn, especially when I didn't know anything. I'm sorry, Whitaker. Truly." Coco bowed her head low, and looked up at me with amber eyes. "Forgive me?"
"I forgive you, Coco," Witt replied.
"Thanks." She smiled. "Alright, let's shower, and then grab a bite to eat together?"
"Sure." Whitaker eased beside her. "Why not?"
[;]
"Alright, first things first, we need to organize how we're going to live together," Whitaker said, gathering the attention of the rest of RWBY. "As the only boy here, I understand that I'm in the minority, and would be willing to adjust my schedule to fit everyone else's. All I really care about is that I don't walk into a messy, hair-filled shower."
He looked pointedly at Yang, who stared at the ground, ashamed.
"Sorry," the blonde brawler murmured.
"It's not that big of a deal," Whitaker said with a smile. "Just something that we need to get organized before tomorrow starts, right?" He lightly nudged Yang's side.
Yang nodded. "Right."
Whitaker took out his Scroll and began to write up a short list. "So, who's a night-showerer?"
Blake immediately raised her hand. "Me. I am."
"Alright, then you'll take your showers at night. I assume it'll be at a later time?"
"Yes."
"Yang? I know that you like your night showers, do you think you can manage showering a little earlier than usual?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I can shower in the evenings after classes." The blonde ran a hand through her long hair.
Whitaker typed in the rest of the information into his Scroll. Keeping everything organized was paramount if they wanted a solid structure to build off of. And Whitaker figured that starting with something as important as personal hygiene would be a good place to start. "Then, I guess Ruby and I will shower in the mornings before class."
Yang tittered. "Together?"
"Not together," Whitaker emphasized. "She's your own sister, Yang."
"Can't pass up on a joke like that, Witt. No matter what."
"Yang!" Ruby protested.
"Anyways, moving on. As long as everyone cleans up the bathroom after they shower, we should be good. Other than Yang, does anyone not like having their shower stuff touched?"
"Shower stuff?" Blake asked.
"Shampoo, conditioner, soap, the works," explained Whitaker.
Blake shrugged. "I don't really mind. Just don't use it all, I guess."
"Alright, no one touch Yang's stuff and we'll be fine. Now," continued Whitaker. "Who wants which bed?"
"I want bunk beds!" Ruby announced.
Yang was on board instantly. "Me too!"
"Definitely not me," Blake said, crossing her arms.
"And me neither." Whitaker nodded in Blake's direction. "We're two-to-two on votes."
"Then who's the tie-breaker?" Ruby asked.
"The clock," Whitaker said with a smirk. "The later we push this, the less sleep we'll get."
"How much more is there to talk about?"
"Well, that depends."
"On?"
"Does anyone here plan on bringing someone into the dorm and sleeping with them?" Whitaker asked.
"No."
"N— nope!"
"Nah."
"Okay, then we're all in agreement that no one will have sex in our room."
Yang nodded. "Agreed."
"I'm a little surprised that you agreed so quickly on that, Yang," Whitaker said, a thinly veiled smile dancing across his lips.
"Hey," Yang began with a flick of her hair. "I might be a little flirty here and there, but believe me: I've got no interest in anyone in Beacon right now. And if I did, I've got enough of a brain to not bring them here. Or tell anyone about it in the first place."
"Fair enough." Whitaker cleared his throat. "Next, schoolwork. I know that Yang and Ruby tend to do theirs fairly last minute. How about you, Blake?"
"I try and do everything beforehand. I hate stressing about schoolwork."
Whitaker smiled. He was beginning to like Blake more and more. She was honest with her opinions, fairly utilitarian in the sense that she didn't seem to worry about the trivial stuff in life, and, now, showed a fair bit of maturity in getting her work done. "Same goes for me. So, I was thinking we all do our best to work together to make sure that no one falls behind in their classes. We'll do assignments together, and help one another if someone is stuck on a problem. How does that sound?"
Ruby nodded excitedly.
Yang shrugged. "As long as it makes you feel better, Witt. I don't really get worked up about that sort of thing."
Witt accepted that. "Thanks for complying then, Yang."
"Any time."
"I… I think that should be everything that I wanted to cover," Whitaker said with a nod. "Alright, we can head to bed now."
"Yes, sir!" Yang saluted with a grin.
Blake slowly raised her hand. "Wait, we still haven't decided on beds."
"Ah." Whitaker shrugged. "Just pick one, I guess." He put his luggage bag on the bed nearest the window and began to unpack it. After spending a full year out of his own home, Whitaker had grown used to having his entire life packed into a suitcase.
In the middle of her own unpacking, Yang looked over at Whitaker's luggage. "Wow, you pack efficiently."
Compared to her disorganized, jumbled mess, Whitaker's looked like a perfectly organized shelf at a convenience store. Clothes were neatly folded into piles, organized by their uses, and, to some extent, color and size.
"Wow!" Ruby reached over and lifted up a small plastic baggie that contained Whitaker's toothbrush and other bathroom supplies. "You even have small bags for your bathroom stuff!"
Whitaker swiped the bag from Ruby. "As much as I love having you two snoop through my stuff, I happen to like my privacy," he finished with a grin.
In the midst of her own unpacking, Blake stifled a chuckle.
Ah, she's normal.
As Team RWBY unpacked their bags, and eventually finished organizing everything, they all settled down into their respective beds. Whitaker and Blake slept on the left side of the room, facing the window, while Ruby and Yang slept on the right.
Ultimately, they agreed to keep the room as it was— without making unnecessary modifications to it.
Team RWBY sat in a circle on the floor of their room.
"So, we've got a bit of time to kill before we should sleep," Whitaker said. "How about an icebreaker?"
"Witt, we lived together for four months," Ruby pointed out. "I think that I know pretty much everything there is to know about you."
Whitaker looked at Blake. "Well, I don't know anything about you, Blake."
She flushed. "Well, I… I don't think there's much to tell."
"What? C'mon," said Yang. "You've totally got a huge complicated story about yourself. You're quiet, you're broody, it's the perfect combination!"
"There's not much of a story to tell," Blake explained slowly. "I came from a small family in a fairly small town. My parents were both trained, and they passed those talents on to me. I… chose to come to Beacon, on their recommendation."
"Homesick?" Whitaker asked.
"Sometimes," Blake murmured.
Whitaker nodded. "It eventually gets easier. Living away from home, that is."
Blake nodded. "Thanks, Whitaker."
"You're welcome, Blake."
"So…" Blake began. "You three seem pretty acquainted with each other already."
"Whitaker spent four months living at our house while he and his dad subbed in for my uncle at Signal Academy," Yang explained.
"Oh, that explains it."
"Yeah, Whitaker's pretty much like a brother to me," Yang said, wringing her arm around his neck.
"And me!" Ruby piped in. "Pretty cool older brother."
Whitaker smiled. "Thanks."
Yang and Ruby both gave him a thumbs-up and a grin.
Blake laughed at their antics, and for the next hour, Team RWBY bonded and learned more about one another— with Ruby and Yang telling stories about their reckless youth to Blake, and Whitaker briefly talking about his year as a Huntsman-in-training, making sure to leave the gruesome details out.
"And you defeated an entire Centinel nest? On your own?!" Ruby asked. She looked starstruck and stared at Whitaker as though he was a hero straight out of a comic book. Her silver eyes shimmering and sparkling.
"That's what he said, right?" Yang asked. "Still, it's pretty impressive."
"Hard to believe that someone our age could do that all on their own," Blake began. "But here you are, living to tell the tale— so it's probably true."
Yang tapped Whitaker's shoulder. "Any cool scars?"
"I've picked up a few from my test," Whitaker said with a nod. He wasn't exactly surprised, being slashed to almost-pieces by Centinels, Beowolves, and Death Stalkers would leave more than just surface wounds.
"Ooh." With Yang's interest piqued, she stood up and approached Whitaker, closely examining him. "Lemme see."
Well, it doesn't hurt to satisfy her curiosity. Whitaker reached down to the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. There in the middle of his stomach, a trio of jagged horizontal scars tore through his pale skin. It looked entirely unnatural, and it was accompanied by a number of other scars varying in size— some were on the smaller end, little nicks and cuts, and others nearly matched the Beowolf scar.
"Gods…" Ruby breathed. "That's a lot of scars."
Yang stared at the ruin on Whitaker's body, looking both sickened and intrigued.
Ruby tore her gaze from Whitaker, and turned her attention to the floor of their dorm. Her eyes were shut tight— her hands trembling at her sides.
And Blake merely analyzed the scars, then looked up at Whitaker. "Was that really all from your test?"
Whitaker nodded. "Most of them. The big one is from a—"
"Beowolf," Blake finished. "I've seen my fair share. An Alpha, right?"
"Yeah. An Alpha." He couldn't help but feel slightly surprised at Blake's knowledge. Knowing the type of Grimm just from a scar, and not only that, but its class as well. "You've seen your fair share of the type, or the scars?"
"The scars," Blake explained. "My mom worked as a nurse of sorts, and our house was.. a clinic, if you thought about it. I did my best to help her, but I also saw a lot of wounds when I lived with them. Treated a lot of them too."
"So you're familiar with first aid?"
"And then some." Blake nodded.
"Good to know," said Witt with a smile. "I'll have you teach me sometime."
"Very well."
"U— us too!" Ruby interjected. "Knowing first aid is really important, so we should all learn how to do it."
"Ruby's right."
"Alright, alright." Witt laughed. "Sorry, Blake. We're all your students now, I guess."
Blake smirked. "When we all find the time, I'll teach everyone."
Whitaker put his hands together and did a small bow. "Thank you, Professor Belladonna."
[;]
"Monsters! Demons… Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!" The portly body of… Professor Port jiggled around as he strolled across the front of the lecture hall.
Whitaker idly glanced at both Blake and Yang. They were both paying attention, but looked on the verge of losing their minds. Ruby, on the other hand… She'd fallen asleep entirely. At least Professor Port's terrible joke had woken her up. Somehow.
"And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now, as I was saying: 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. Huntsmen! Huntresses! Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
Someone in the back of the class let out an exclamation at the end of Port's spiel.
"That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man… Me! When I was a boy, I longed to become a hero like my father, my father's father, and his father's father before him," Professor began. "I belonged to a legacy of heroes, and at my young age, I knew that I had to become a Huntsman, just like them. Not because I had to live up to their expectations, not because I was forced into it.
"No, I chose to become a Huntsman because I wanted to. Because I knew that I had the capability to change Remnant for good." The professor smiled widely, showing even through his large moustache. "That being said, the qualities of a Huntsman have not changed from then until now. A true Huntsman must be honorable! A true Huntsman must be dependable! A true Huntsman must be strategic, wise, and skilled! So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
Whitaker glanced around. There was not a single soul in the room who had their hand raised. Even Ruby had not-so-subtly fallen asleep in her chair, while Yang and Blake looked on the verge of doing the exact same. Feeling more than a little bad about everyone's lack of participation in his class, Whitaker raised his hand.
"Me, sir," he said with a small tilt of his head and a smile.
"Ah, Whitaker Ash!" Professor Port seemed to recognize him. He smiled gleefully. "Wonderful. Brilliant! Well, go and get changed into your battle equipment." The professor walked over to the metal box that was kept in the center of the room. "I'll be giving you a… test of sorts."
Whitaker looked at the cage. Only big enough for a Beowolf or a Boarbatusk. "At once, Professor." And he left the lecture hall to get changed.
[;]
Whitaker Ash stood on the side of the lecture hall opposite the cage. Likely because something interesting was happening now, the entire class had woken up. And his teammates cheered him on from the front row.
Yang pumped her fist. "Go, Witt!"
"Fight well, Whitaker," Blake said with a nod.
While Ruby just smiled and shot him a thumb's up.
"Thanks," Whitaker replied with a grin. His hand came to rest on Lightning's hilt.
"Alright!" Professor Port announced. He approached the side of the cage, his shotgun-axe in tow. "Let the match… begin!" And he swung down, breaking the lock. The cage door crashed to the floor.
Molten red eyes glared at Whitaker, followed by a deep growl. A Boarbatusk charged straight out of the cage and towards the white-haired Huntsman. Whitaker easily sidestepped the charge. Lightning's sharp, but not sharp enough to pierce through that armor. He let out a small, irritated sigh.
Whitaker released Lightning's hilt, and brought up his hands.
Professor Port looked impressed. He excitedly twirled the side of his moustache. "Hand-to-hand combat! A rare sight, especially in such a young Huntsman. However, a Boarbatusk is incredibly strong. Perhaps Whitaker will surprise us with a Semblance to counteract its strength."
Good point. Whitaker growled as he rolled out of the way of another charge. He ended up standing beside Professor Port, and then he glanced at the professor's weapon. An idea popped into his mind. Okay, instead of brute strength… Why don't we try good ol' leverage? "Mind if I borrow that?" He asked.
"By all means," Professor Port said, quickly handing Whitaker the weapon.
Whitaker flipped the weapon over to its bladed side. Even though he'd only held it for a split second, he could already feel his grip on the axe slipping.
The Boarbatusk let out another growl, pumping its legs before charging once more at the Huntsman. Whitaker brought the axe low, one blade nearly touching the ground. Moments before the Grimm's tusks pierced his Aura, Whitaker dug deep and swung the axe upwards as hard as he could.
The Grimm lifted up into the air, only for a split second.
But a split second was all Whitaker needed.
Whitaker Ash released the axe, and sent it clattering to the floor, and unsheathed Lightning. Blue sparks flew out from the sheath. From his position beneath the Boarbatusk, he thrust the blade up and into the armorless underbelly of the creature.
It let out a choked groan before dissipating into black ash, leaving behind nothing but its mask.
"Woo!" Yang cheered.
"That was great!" Ruby shouted.
"Good fight." Blake had her arms crossed, impressed.
Along with Team RWBY and Team JNPR, the rest of the class was giving him applause. Whitaker smiled and bowed deeply.
"Well done, Whitaker," Professor Port said. "Quick thinking to use my weapon."
"I guessed it was the only thing in the room sturdy enough to take the weight of a Boarbatusk."
"And your guess was absolutely correct." The professor picked his weapon up from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. He cleared his throat and turned to address the class. "A brilliant example of ingenuity, skills, and strategy. That being said, class is nearly over. Before everyone begins to pack up and ignore me, I would like four hundred words on the important aspects of a Huntsman, with examples from today's demonstration, by tomorrow!"
Whitaker pulled out his Scroll, quickly taking note of the assignment.
"Dismissed!" Port called, just as the bell rang.
Witt approached the rest of Team RWBY.
"That was awesome!" Yang exclaimed. "You were like, 'Mind if I use that?' and Port was like 'By all means,' and then you took his weapon and—" Yang mimicked a batter's pose. "Swung at the Boarbatusk like it was a baseball. Then—" She stood in the exact same position that Whitaker was in, moments before he'd pulled out Lightning and killed the Grimm. She dramatically pretended to unsheath a sword. With a series of whooshes and slish-slash's, Yang reenacted an unrealistic (but still awesome) version of Whitaker's upward thrust. "Killed that thing like it was a mosquito!"
Blake, Whitaker, and Ruby all laughed at the blonde's antics. While it was nothing like how it actually played out, Yang's ridiculous version of the battle made for a much funnier version of it. To Whitaker, it was probably more memorable than the actual fight itself.
"Alright," he said, reigning the team in once again. "So, we've got lunch, and then the rest of our day is free. Thank the Gods that our Mondays are easy, right?"
"Definitely," Blake confirmed with a nod.
"So, let's go and get some lunch, then we'll do our assignment for Port at the dorm, and after that… We can just do whatever?"
"How about a sparring session?" Yang suggested.
Whitaker immediately agreed. "Sure, let's do that." He had yet to see Blake's full potential. He'd seen her fight Grimm, not so much real people— he was genuinely excited to see what she was capable of.
"Alright, Team RWBY," Ruby began. "Roll out!"
[;]
It was during their first combat class that Whitaker realized just how capable his team was. Sure, they were all individually strong and capable in their own right, but Team RWBY worked together— they were a force to be reckoned with.
Team RWBY gathered in the locker rooms, settling into their gear as Miss Goodwitch instructed them to face Team CRDL in a team spar. From Whitaker's understanding of the team, both Cardin Winchester and Sky Lark acted as the front-liners. With their large weapons, they worked to create space for Russel and Dove to dish out the damage— but Whitaker also knew that Cardin had a lot of physical strength in order to swing his mace around like it was a wooden baseball bat.
Unfortunately for Team CRDL, there was someone on Team RWBY that had the perfect Semblance for taking and dealing damage.
"Yang," Whitaker said, catching the blonde's attention as she finished fastening the strap of Ember Celica firmly around her wrist.
"Yeah?"
"You're gonna need to corner Cardin. Get him alone, separate him from his team," Whitaker instructed. "You're the perfect counter to his fighting style. If you take a hit and activate your Semblance…"
"Then the big guy will fall over like a sack of potatoes," Yang finished. She brought up her arms and flexed them, proudly putting her biceps on display. "Sounds good."
"What about us?" Blake asked.
"You two can handle Russel and Dove. From what I've seen, they're fast and agile— but with your Semblances and weapons, it should be a piece of cake." Whitaker crossed his arms. "And that leaves Sky to me."
Hopefully I won't even need to use Lightning for this.
A halberd was a good weapon, and Sky showed remarkable aptitude with it. But once he broke through the reach of a halberd, the danger of avoiding the blade was moot. Whitaker was confident that he could dismantle Sky's fighting capabilities from there.
Team RWBY strolled out of the locker rooms. Team CRDL was already in the arena, and every student had their eyes trained on Team RWBY.
Glynda Goodwitch stood off to the side of the arena, her riding crop drawn and prepared in case she needed to step in. She looked between both teams. "I assume that you are all ready?"
"Yes, Professor," was Whitaker's polite reply.
Cardin smirked. "Yeah."
"Then everyone, sync your scrolls to the Aura monitor."
Both teams did as instructed, the screen lit up with their names.
"Good," Goodwitch said with a nod. "Now, on the count of three, the fight will begin."
Whitaker and Yang stepped forward, putting themselves ahead of Ruby and Blake.
"One…"
Whitaker managed to secure Sky's gaze, and kept his eyes locked on the halberd-wielding boy. He grasped the hilt of Lightning, but did not draw the blade.
"Two…"
Yang cocked her arms, Ember Celica clicked. She brought her fists together and grinned wildly at Cardin.
"Three!"
Whitaker leapt at Sky, evading the boy's frantic stabs and slashes with ease. Wherever Sky attempted to strike, he was already gone, and in mere moments, Whitaker was in his guard. With a series of jabs and kicks, Sky lost his halberd and ended up ten feet from it.
Yang had already done her job— she'd pissed off Cardin enough to separate him from his team, and her constant teasing and poking at him seemed to only piss him off even more. Blinded by nothing but rage, he swung his large mace over and over and over at Yang, only for her to simply move out of the way and continue to make fun of him.
"Ooh, a little slow on that one!" Yang exclaimed, ducking beneath another attack.
"Shut up!" Cardin seethed.
"Come on, I know you're fast at everything else— why not in a fight?" Yang teased. She angled her body downwards and let a bit of her cleavage show, and she threw a wink in his direction along with a saucy grin.
Ruby had dashed all the way to the other side of the fight, and currently had Russel cornered. Russel attempted to match her speed with his daggers, Dust firing out from the revolving chamber in tandem with his blows. But Ruby put his speed to shame. She danced around him, weaving the long blade of Crescent Rose into an impenetrable net of attacks.
And Blake… Blake had already taken care of Dove. The poor Huntsman had no idea what was coming, and he laid on the ground of the arena, unconscious.
"I surrender!" Russel cried out, his arms drawn in close in a desperate attempt to protect himself from Crescent Rose.
"Russ—" Cardin glanced around at his dismantled team. With a disgruntled growl, he set down his mace. "We surrender."
Ruby and Yang cheered, while Whitaker and Blake merely smiled at one another. The entire class was in awe of the performance. They all stood together, while Professor Goodwitch looked at each member of Team RWBY.
"Excellent," she praised. "Who came up with the strategy?"
"Whitaker did," Ruby said excitedly.
"Just Whitaker?"
Ruby nodded multiple times.
Professor Goodwitch's gaze flicked to him. "Can you explain your strategy to the class, Mr— Whitaker?"
"The core of our strategy was to separate Team CRDL. From watching previous fights, I knew their strategy was generally the same for every spar, Cardin and Sky worked to create space for Russel and Dove to unleash their full potential. Unfortunately for Cardin and Sky, both Yang and I counter them. Cardin relies on his strength to brutalize an opponent, but Yang takes that strength and throws it right back at him. Sky uses his speed and agility to keep his opponent at the perfect distance for his halberd, however, he's not going to outpace my reaction time."
The class, and even Team CRDL hung onto every word Whitaker said.
"From there, it was just a matter of having Blake and Ruby flank Russel and Dove," Whitaker finished with a nod.
The thing that made Whitaker beam most of all, however, was the thinly veiled smile that Glynda Goodwitch had on her face. She looked like she was doing her best to hide it, but it broke through her facade for a few short moments.
"An excellent explanation, Whitaker." She turned to face the rest of the class. "I hope everyone can see the importance of designing a strategy before a fight. The only thing that I would be concerned about for you, Whitaker, would be the adaptiveness of your planning," Glynda said, glancing at him.
"Of course, Professor."
"Good." Professor Goodwitch clapped her hands together. "Next teams!"
[;]
The last thing that Whitaker expected during his first week at Beacon was to be called into the office of a teacher. Much less the one that he figured he'd made a good impression on. Clearing his throat, Whitaker knocked on the door to Professor Goodwitch's office.
"Enter!"
Whitaker opened the door.
Whitaker took up an open seat in front of Professor Goodwitch's desk. "Is there something that you needed, Professor?"
She set down her Scroll. "I wanted to ask you some questions about your team."
"Oh." Whitaker visibly relaxed. "I thought I was in trouble."
"Hardly, Whitaker." She cleared her throat. "How have you adjusted to Beacon?"
"About as well as I expected, ma'am."
"How do you mean?"
"It feels similar to Pharos, but different enough that I'm still finding new places on campus," explained Whitaker. "I think that the training rooms are my favorite part so far."
"And your team?"
"They're brilliant, every single one of them," he stated. "And Ruby's a great leader."
"You think so?"
"I think she's settled into the role well, ma'am."
The professor clicked her tongue. "That's the problem, Whitaker. She settled into a role that isn't the leader."
Now, Whitaker was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Whitaker, you've been leading Team RWBY."
He was still unsure. His brows furrowed, Whitaker asked another question. "What do you mean?"
"The Headmaster and I have been monitoring your team for most of the week. In nearly every activity, it was you that was taking the lead, taking charge, and demanding action out of our teammates."
"Well, that's because no one else is doing it—"
"Because you do not let them, Whitaker."
"I give them ample opportunity to try, Professor."
"And who decides what 'ample opportunity' looks like, hm?"
"I…" Whitaker swallowed. "I do."
"Precisely." Professor Goodwitch cleared her throat. "I am not criticizing you as a person, Whitaker Ash. I think you are one of the greatest Huntsmen to have passed through Beacon's doors in the last decade. And I know that you will become better during your time here. However, you must understand your role in your team."
Whitaker remained silent and waited for the professor to continue.
"Ruby Rose is your leader, and while I understand your innate instinct to put yourself in a leader position, there is a reason that Headmaster Ozpin chose her instead of you."
"What reason do you think that is, Professor?" Whitaker asked.
"If it were me, it would be because of your knowledge," Glynda stated. "You absorb it like a sponge, Whitaker— it's impressive, truly. But more importantly, you do not keep what you learn to yourself. You share it with your team and do your best to give them advice on what to do with it. Continue doing that. But let Ruby come to her own conclusions about that information. Most importantly, let her make her own decisions." The professor smiled softly. "You are an excellent strategist, and a skilled combatant. But those are qualities that you also share with your team. I assume that I do not need to remind you of how capable your team is?"
"Yes, Professor." Whitaker nodded once. "I have one question, Professor."
"Go ahead."
"Am I to be Team RWBY's sole strategist?"
"You are their teacher, Whitaker, not just their strategist."
"But there's so much I still don't know."
"Yes, and that is true for all Huntsmen," Glynda said with a nod. "I read the report on your mission in Atlas. Even when presented with a problem in a scenario entirely unfamiliar to you, you performed excellently. Skilled as you are in a fight, your true strength doesn't lie in your fighting." Glynda tapped her temple. "It's your intelligence."
"I…" Whitaker trailed off.
"Talk to Ruby," Professor Glynda instructed. "Come to an understanding of your role on the team. I'm sure that a conversation will be more than enough."
Whitaker agreed. "I'll talk to her then." He rose to his feet. "Thank you, Professor."
The woman smiled. "Anytime, Whitaker. My door is always open to you."
With a smile and nod of his own, Whitaker left Professor Goodwitch's office.
[;]
"Ruby," Whitaker called, causing the girl to look up from her Scroll game. The sounds of gunshots and explosions that played from the speakers were muffled by the blanket she kept under the Scroll.
"Yeah?"
"Mind if we stepped outside for a bit?" He asked, rising to his feet.
Ruby did a double-take. "Just… the two of us?"
The other two girls in the room glanced at Whitaker. Yang had a raised brow, while Blake just merely intrigued.
"Yeah." Whitaker moved towards the door and opened it.
Ruby closed her Scroll, putting it into her pocket and walking up to Whitaker. Then, the two slipped out of the room, leaving Blake and Yang utterly confused.
Whitaker walked a few steps ahead of Ruby. He wanted to talk to her in a place that no one really visited in Beacon, somewhere fairly private. There was a lot to discuss between the two of them. From Whitaker's earlier discussion with Professor Port, to the dream that they'd shared, and just checking up on Ruby in general.
Beacon campus was home to an innumerable amount of small gardens and places of solace, areas that gave the busy students and staff a place to rest, to catch some fresh air, and to take a break from the bustling day-to-day. These areas were quiet, isolated, and calming— the perfect place for Whitaker and Ruby to talk.
Whitaker sat at the foot of the stairs that led into the garden proper.
Ruby sat beside him.
"So…" She drawled. "What's up? What did you want to talk about?"
"Remember when I got called into Professor Goodwitch's office?"
Ruby nodded.
"She talked to me about… leadership, and Team RWBY's leader," Whitaker said. "And how I've been taking that role away from you."
"Whitaker, she's—"
"She was right," Whitaker said.
Rub looked like she wasn't believing a word. "How?"
"I haven't been letting you be a leader, Ruby," he explained. "I've been the one taking action, I've been the one making decisions for the team, and I've been the one who has the final say." After his meeting with Goodwitch, he believed that he finally understood what she meant.
He needed to facilitate Ruby's growth into a leader.
He wasn't meant to be a leader for her.
Whitaker was meant to make Ruby into a leader. Guide her. Mold her into one. Teach her. Help her. Befriend her.
Ruby was capable— there was a reason that Ozpin chose her to be the leader of the team over him. And Whitaker had no gripes with that, he was more than happy to give her the position.
But what irritated him was the fact that he put himself in that position, without even so much as giving Ruby an opportunity to prove herself.
"Whitaker?" She asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. "You're doing a lot of thinking there."
"Just.. Angry at myself."
"For?"
"Not giving you a second to prove yourself to be a capable leader," he answered. "I'd just assumed control. I took it from you, assuming that you had no idea what you were doing. And worse than that, I didn't even bother to help you adjust into the position."
"You can't shoulder all of the blame, Witt. It's my fault too," Ruby argued. "I didn't exactly do anything to stop you, either. I delegated the responsibilities to you, and just let you have free reign over the team." She frowned. "And I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."
"So," Ruby began. "I'll do my best to be the leader of Team RWBY."
"And I'll be there with you every step of the way," Whitaker added. "To help you become the best team leader that Beacon has ever seen."
"Better than everyone else?" Ruby asked.
"Better than everyone else."
Ruby giggled. "Sounds good." She raised a closed fist.
Whitaker met it with his own. After a short moment of silence, he spoke up once again. "There was something else we should probably talk about."
"The dream," Ruby finished.
"Yeah. The dream. It… It didn't even feel like one. Did it feel like that for you?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah. I think that if I didn't wake up from it, I would've thought it was real."
"Definitely."
"It's weird. We… we shared a dream." Whitaker let out a small laugh of disbelief. "That's crazy. I don't even know how something like that can happen." He glanced at her, then lightly elbowed her side. "Thanks for your help, by the way. I needed it."
Ruby smiled. "Of course, Whitaker."
"Do you think we should be concerned?"
Ruby hummed in thought before shaking her head. "Why, are you curious about it?"
"It's hard not to be." Whitaker couldn't even deny it. A linked dream? It was something straight out of a fairy tale. And while those stories were an entertaining read, that was all they were. Stories. Legends. Myths. But Whitaker was fairly familiar with stories and legends. If he still had Lightbearer, he could've asked Harros Vesta about it. Though, he doubted whether or not the answer would have actually helped him figure anything out.
"Do you think you'll figure it out any time soon?" Ruby asked.
"Definitely not," Whitaker said. "I'll let you know if I do, though."
"So, now that I'm officially the leader of Team RWBY, have you got any tips for me?"
Whitaker smirked. He rose to his feet and began to walk back up the stairs.
"Witt?" Ruby chased after him. "Hey, Witt—!"
Whitaker did nothing but smile and shake his head, desperately fighting back laughter as Ruby pestered, poked, and prodded him for a response the entire way back to their dorms.
Whitaker does the team-bonding thing, and he and Ruby have a much needed conversation. Thanks for supporting me thus far.
merendinoemiliano - Thanks! We've got a LOT in store for this story.
Eeveeobsessor - Yes! I know that the Beacon is definitely a favorite of a lot of readers, and I'll be doing my best to make the relationship between Whitaker and Ruby as... realistic as possible? To be honest, I've been thinking a lot about possible ships and have decided to keep it a mystery for now. As I outline, relationships will come to fruition there, and then they'll possibly make it here. So at this point, not even I know if Whitaker and Ruby will be the end game.
Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, they mean a lot to me.
Next Chapter: 4/10/2021
