How come Ruby Rose gets to choose her own partner? That's so not fair...
Is it just me, or is Weiss Schnee acting a little too nice to Faunus? It's kind of unsettling...
Why can't Blake Belladonna choose a girlfriend? C'mon, just pick a ship already...
Why is Yang Xiao-Long really seeking her mother? It's not to shake hands...
Why is Jaune Arc acting so cool and hanging out with these two side characters? He's supposed to be a dork...
Will Pyrrha Nikos possibly maybe potentially conceivably perhaps actually not die? Ehhhhhhhhhhh...
Why's Ren making a friend? And with a Cardinal, no less...
What da Nora doin?
These answers and more in...The Empty Seat!
Chapter 1: Ruby Rose
Just what kind of Dust had Junior been snorting when he lent Roman these goons? And if it numbed a man's brain that much, where could Roman find some of it?
Roman Torchwick had known that he wasn't going to get anyone at his own huntsman level, but he was hoping that the four of them could at least overpower some goth teenager. Seriously, Junior had had the lien to hire a small army, dress them all in matching outfits that weren't nearly half as smart as Roman's own, and arm them with high caliber Dust weaponry, but he couldn't be bothered to train them well enough to beat some black and red brat?
Roman wasn't even sure why that meathead he previously called an underling had bothered to mug her. They'd just told the gray–haired shopkeep that they wanted Dust, not money, so unless she was hiding a secret stash of the good stuff in that hood of hers, she was more or less useless to their operation. Roman had specifically relayed the Boss' orders to steer clear of any civilians and keep a low profile. So now, because some trigger happy moron had fancied himself the baddest baddie bad boy around, Roman would be in for another heart to heart with the Boss. And the bruises from their last meeting hadn't even faded.
As Roman scaled the ladder to the roof of the building, he made a mental note to set Xiong up on a blind date with the barrel of his cane when they next met.
Just a few good mooks. Was that too much to ask? It wasn't like Roman was expecting another Neo or something.
A bitter scowl passed over his face at the memory of his absent companion. Sent on a special mission to Mistral? The boss had sent her away just to isolate Roman. With his trusted mute and her criminally useful semblance by his side, Roman could obey the thief's golden rule: never go in without a way out. Plus, if push came to shove, she was invaluable in a fight – better than Roman himself, when he wasn't too proud to admit it. Now that she was gone, Roman feeling more and more vulnerable with each passing robbery. Special mission, his ass.
"Hey!"
What in the Brother's name? Roman turned around and locked eyes with the same annoying red do–gooder from the store. Annoying, but persistent. And ten times more capable than any of his goons. If ten-year-olds were this strong, then only the Brothers knew why Junior had to hire those spineless lumps of imbecility.
Not that it mattered now. As his escape bullhead rose into view with its rope ladder hanging down from the side, Roman grinned.
And then pissed himself when he saw the woman who had for some reason decided to personally pilot the escape vehicle.
Ruby kicked herself. The vile fiend that huntress–to–be Ruby Rose had been nobly pursuing in the noble pursuit of justice had been cornered on the top of the building complex. She was so sure she had him on the ropes that she'd completely ignored an approaching airship. The humungous airship that was roughly the same size as her house. With roaring engines that drowned out all other noise. That had its searchlights on.
She'd messed up, hadn't she?
Oh, well. Hunters didn't give up when things got rough, nor did they chide themselves over mistakes that couldn't be changed. Ruby switched Crescent Rose from scythe to sniper mode and took aim at the heinous criminal. Her first shot missed the miscreant and so did her second, but her third shot – oh, heheh, her third shot…
…also missed. Crap.
Ruby had been hoping that a headshot would knock the smirk right off the man's red–haired head. However, the bullhead's engines had begun to angle themselves for forward motion. Not aiming for the center of mass, shooting a moving target – these were the kind of mistakes Ruby should had stopped making in her first year at Signal. Yang always kept warning her not to get overexcited when she fought someone with a new type of weapon, but it was hard to remember her big sister's lessons when she came face to face with a flippin' Dust cannon built inside of a walking stick. First ignoring the airship and now this…why must she self-sabotage every time the chance to prove herself came along? And now the airship was two buildings past the one on which she was currently standing. The baddie was getting away!
Ruby shook herself out of it as Crescent Rose swapped back to its close combat form. She could still recover from this. Just stay calm and pretend that Mr. Makeup Man was someone familiar, maybe someone from school. Guyliner's cane was not dissimilar from one of her friend's double–sided staff, so Ruby imagined the face of her Signal Academy peer on the man. She immediately felt herself calm down. Rose petals preemptively began to fall to the floor around her as she activated her semblance and crouched into a jumping position.
Whoooosh!
Professor Glynda Goodwitch prided herself on not being easily flustered. Many Beacon students and sometimes even staff members had tried their hands at pranking her, but none had ever succeeded at eliciting the slightest reaction from her. Dress up as an Ursa Major and jump out from behind the corner? Nothing. Replace all of the school's fire Dust stores with cayenne pepper the same day as the Mistralian dignitary's visit? Not as much as a surprised gasp. Try to convince her that the Grimm were ruled by an immortal witch queen who was also the headmaster's ex–wife? Try harder, Qrow.
But as she looked up and down the child standing on top of Roman Torchwick's unconscious form, she could do nothing but stare with a wide open mouth.
Glynda had to compose her words in advance for fear of stuttering in front of this youth. "You caught Roman Torchwick? Alone?"
"That's his name? I guess I did!"
"Did you have any help?"
"Nope!"
"How?"
The girl launched into a lighting fast explosion of words. Glynda caught some of it here and there about the noble pursuit of justice, four goons with matching outfits, and a supercool cane, but she figured that even if she heard every word, it would just as little sense. She'd been dispatched to respond to the sighting of famous thief Roman Torchwick entering a local Dust store but was informed en route that the situation had escalated to open combat between criminals and a huntress.
"…when his cane popped open and shot out a round of what I think was mixed Fire and Gravity Dust. The Gravity Dust must have compounded the effects of the explosion by causing a shockwave. It was super cool! Super annoying, too, but plenty of things are both, like Yang …"
Glynda recovered from her initial shock and instead became tenured Professor Goodwitch, combat analyst. The scythe was clearly professional hunter grade and appeared to be a mechanical combination of a melee weapon and some manner of high caliber gun, perhaps a marksman rifle? The girl's combat skirt was in tatters near the base and her leggings were peppered with minor cuts, but not a single scratch could be seen on her skin. Her aura had to be unlocked, likely at a young age if her manipulation of it was so well controlled as to have survived being targeted by Torchwick's cane. Many unfortunate huntsmen and huntresses had not.
"…and once I'd gotten over the butterflies in my stomach, I realized that the bullhead was about four hundred feet away! I mean, I could've shot it down if I went for the engines, but then it would crash down onto the buildings, so instead I changed Crescent Rose to a scythe and jumped and …"
So, it was a sniper rifle–scythe hybrid after all. Furthermore, it had been given a name. That eccentric tradition was the trademark quirk of all huntsmen and huntresses across the four kingdoms. Even Glynda's own riding crop had a name, though she'd vowed to never again say it aloud. But this girl was probably fourteen or fifteen. Perhaps she was a student, but none of the…
Wait…
"You jumped? You jumped from a rooftop to a moving bullhead three hundred feet away?"
"Yeah. And it was four hundred."
Again, Glynda had to ask what seemed like an obvious question. "How?"
"By…by jumping," the young girl answered, looking baffled at Glynda's question. "I crouched down, got a running start, activated my semblance, and pushed off the ground into the air. You don't know what jumping is?"
"O–Of course I know what jumping is, young lady!" Glynda angrily responded. "But to have your semblance at such a young age…not even half of the students I teach at Beacon have figured theirs out when they enroll."
The girl's ears practically perked up at the mention of Beacon. Shoving her face towards Glynda's, she fired off questions at a speed that would have rivaled Doctor Oobleck with a sugar rush.
Oh, Dust. She'd almost forgotten about Oobleck. Glynda shoved those thoughts to the back of her head and tried to focus on the rapid string of questions.
"You're a teacher at Beacon? What do you teach? Can I have your autograph? What kind of weapon do you use? Did you come here to arrest the makeup man? Can I become a student at Beacon? Wh–"
Glynda had to employ her semblance and hold the girl's mouth shut in order to speak. There was no way she could remember all of the questions, but she decided that the last question was probably the only important one.
"As a Deputy Headmistress of Beacon, I have the discretionary capability to supersede the conventional enrollment procedure and unilaterally allow any sufficiently qualified candidate to matriculate."
The girl blankly stared.
"Yes, you can go to Beacon."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best day of my life! Three cheers for the Destitute Hepatitis of Beacon!" Ruby cried out as she zoomed in circles around the blonde.
"Deputy Headmistress," the Uppity Hypotenuse corrected. "You must possess great skill to apprehend a criminal like Torchwick without aid. Additionally, your reluctance to shoot down a bullhead in a residential area, even if it would have been faster and easier, shows that you seem to have the proper mindset. We are guardians, not glory seekers."
The adult huntress straightened out her eyeglasses. "Our world is one at war, young lady. We need every competent fighter we can get against the Grimm, no matter how old or young they are. That said, you will have to pass initiation."
Ruby nodded her agreement vigorously.
"And what is the name of the young prodigy for whom I just risked my reputation and perhaps entire academic career?" the Density Headseamstress queried.
"Ruby Rose, ma'am. I'm a student at Signal Academy."
"That would explain your combat prowess. Now, if you would be so kind as to use your scroll and alert the police to Torchwick's capture. I'm sure they will be enthused to learn of tonight's events."
Ruby's head suddenly snapped in the direction of the now rising sun. "The bullhead! The driver!"
"What about them?"
"They got away! The orange hair guy was climbing up the ladder so I cut it off with Crescent Rose and he fell to the ground and I knew I could fight him but then the bullhead started to fly away and I had to choose and–"
"Calm down, Miss Rose! While the capture of this pilot would have been a fine feather in your cap, what you've already done is exception for someone your age. The capture of a single criminal is no small feat for a student."
Ruby pouted and stared off into the direction in which the rogue airship had fled. Then, the corners of her mouth started to curl upwards as a grin took shape on her face as she remembered the goons.
"Yeah. Catching one criminal got me a free pass into Beacon, right?"
"Correct."
Ruby turned to face the Dainty Hippopotamus of Beacon.
"So, what can I get for catching five criminals?"
"Yang, guess what! I'm going to Beacon, and we're gonna to be partners!"
Omake
Ozpin: Qrow is telling the truth, Professor Goodwitch. Once my true love, Salem is now the Queen of Grimm, and I need your aid to keep her under control.
Glynda: Very well, Headmaster. How can I help?
Ozpin: Lend me your riding crop.
Glynda: I would be honored to pledge my weapon in service of your war against evil.
Ozpin: No, literally give it to me. Salem's been a been a naughty girl, so I need to punish her.
Next Chapter: Newcomers – In which Ruby makes a deal, Jaune makes a pile of vomit, and Weiss makes new 'friends.'
Author's Notes: The story is fully written (~330K words), and I'll post chapters bi-weekly (Wednesdays and Sunday). To kick things off, I'm posting the full initiation arc at once. You can also find it on Archive of our Own. I will try to reply to comments, but this is my first story, so please feel free to point out any typos or formatting errors I may have made.