For anyone who read the one-shots I started posting in January, remember when I thought those would only take four months, rather than over half the year? Sorry it took so long to get back to this. Between a lack of inspiration and the one-shots becoming longer than I originally expected, the break from the main stories became far longer than I thought it would. But we're back to the normal rotation now, so let's get to it.
Scythle let out a loud yawn, almost overpowering the chatter throughout the cafeteria as she got her breakfast. The rest of Team RWBYS all glanced at her as Weiss cocked an eyebrow. "Our training session didn't go on for that long." Weiss stated. "And you slept like a log as soon as you got to bed. How did you not get enough sleep?"
"Sorta The Opposite." Scythle groaned as she took her tray full of food. "This Story's Been Dormant For Over A Year. I Feel Like I Just Came Out Of A Coma."
"One of these days, I'm going to learn to stop asking you these questions." Weiss muttered as she and her team turned to find a table.
As they made their way down the aisles, they all came to a stop when they saw chairs stacked on top of one of the tables. They were far more ornate than anything in the dining hall, with red velvet cushioning and brightly stained wood. They all rolled their eyes when they saw team CRDL sitting in them, their trays of food sitting across the armrests.
"Well, Guess Thrones Have Gone Out Of Style." Scythle grumbled.
"Where did you four get those?" Weiss scowled as she stepped towards the group.
"If you want one, well sorry," Cardin began, leaning towards the girl as he shot her a grin. "These were the last ones."
"This has to be a violation of school rules." Weiss said, her voice almost a growl.
"And since when did Schnees care for rules?" Cardin scoffed.
Weiss dug her nails into her tray, gritting her teeth as Cardin rolled his eyes and leaned back. "I swear, you're as bad as Nikos." He said. "So holier-than-thou. You strut around like you own the place." The ginger-haired boy directed a scowl at her as he leaned forward. "You're only here because your dad donated an entire wing to the school. Bet they call it 'The Schnee Institute Of For Which Silver Spoon To Use.'"
A glyph began to glow in Weiss's hand before Ruby dropped her hands on her shoulders. "Just keep walking, Weiss." Ruby said as she pulled the girl away.
"Yeah, Getting In Trouble's My Deal." Scythle added. "Just Hang On Another Few Hours And Then You Can Use Him To Mop The Combat Arena."
It was at that moment that Ruby's Scroll buzzed. The red-haired girl flicked it open to display the message. "It's from Goodwitch." Ruby said. "She says her class is to meet at the courtyard today."
Scythle perked up before peaking over her twin's shoulder. "Really? Wonder What That's About?"
"Alright class, everyone line up next to your partner." The class's confusion at the sudden message only grew when they found Pr. Ozpin standing alongside the blonde woman. "Normally, we would spend the day sparing to better sharpen your combative abilities." Pr. Ozpin explained. "Today, however, we have a different exercise in mind. Your professors and I-"
"But mostly me." Goodwitch interrupted.
"… But mostly Pr. Goodwitch," Ozpin resumed. "Have created a trial to test your physical and mental abilities as well as your coordination with your partners. You shall all be divided into pairs and make your way to the temple ruins in the Emerald Forest."
"Shouldn't We Be On The Opposite Side Of Beacon, Then?" Scythle asked. "Maybe It's High Time You Draw Up A Map Of This Place."
"I take it you have a problem with walking?" Ozpin responded.
Scythle lifted up her Scythleg, gesturing to the peg.
"As I was saying," Ozpin resumed. "There, we have prepared challenges to test each group. At the center of the temple are Dust crystals for each of you to collect. Once you have found your crystal, you shall make your way back to this exact spot."
"Sounds like Ruby and Scythle can just rush through this." Weiss muttered.
"In order to test your abilities with your partner, however..." Ozpin said before snapping his fingers.
Goodwitch waved her riding crop, and ropes leaped out to tie around the students' ankles, binding each pair of partners together.
"This shall be a three-legged race." Ozpin finished as all the students looked down at their feet.
"Oh, I always wanted to try one of these." Ruby said as she lifted her right foot. Weiss almost fell as her left leg was pulled off the ground, and she braced against her red-haired leader for support.
"Um-May I request that me and Ruby be reoriented?" Weiss asked. "I'm left-handed, so placing Ruby on my left will severely limit my-"
"You'll need to make do, Weiss." Ozpin stated.
Weiss let out an annoyed sigh before Scythle raised her hand. "Hey, Yo, Extra-Team Member Here. I Don't Got A Partner."
"We're aware, Ms. Diefull." Goodwitch said. "And as such…" The woman took a moment to let out a sigh. "I shall be acting as your partner today."
"… Welp, I Ain't Complaining!" Scythle declared before a cloud of purple rose petals rushed around the blonde woman. As they fell to the ground, Goodwitch tried to back away as Scythle leaned uncomfortably close to her, finding a pair of Scythle's handcuffs locked around her left ankle and Scythle's right. "Although, If Ya Wanted To Spend Time With Me, You Could Have Just Said So."
"I regret agreeing to this already." Goodwitch grumbled.
"I'm sure you'll all now appreciate the chance to coordinate your stride as you make your way across Beacon." Ozpin said as Scythle almost dragged Goodwitch back into the group.
"We're Not Gonna Need The Electric Leash, Are We?" Scythle asked the blonde. "Cause We Kinda Left That In Our Room."
"We'll be fine without it." Goodwitch decided. "I'm more than capable of detaining you if you try to escape."
Once they were in line, Ozpin reached into his coat to pull out a revolver with three cylinders and a blade on top. "Now then, are there any other questions before we begin?"
"Yeah, Isn't That One Of The Senior's Guns?" Scythle asked. "I'm Pretty Sure I've Seen The Guy Around Here A Few Times."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ozpin said before gesturing to the pistol. "This is-"
"Chris Something, Right?"
Ozpin went silent, giving the purple girl a side eye before he spun around. He chucked the pistol as far as he could before turning back toward the students. "Once Pr. Goodwitch gives the signal, the race will begin." Ozpin hurriedly explained.
"And People Call Me A Thief." Scythle scoffed as Goodwitch pulled out her riding crop.
"Threetwoonego."
Goodwitch flicked her weapon, and it gave a loud, purple burst like a gunshot. All of the students leaped forward, only making it a few steps before they all fell to the ground. "I'd advise we take it slowly, Diefull." Goodwitch muttered, pushing her glasses back onto her face as she lifted herself off the ground.
"Yeah, That's Not How I Operate." Scythle said before trying to leap up and rush across the courtyard. She once again fell on her face, leaving Goodwitch to roll her eyes. Rising to her feet, the blonde pulled Scythle up by her hood. "Can't You Just Fly Us There With Your Semblance?"
"That would defeat the point of the exercise." Goodwitch stated. "Now come on, we're walking. I'll shorten my stride, you lengthen yours."
Scythle clicked her tongue. "Who Ever Heard Of A Slow Race?"
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'learn to walk before you run?'" Goodwitch asked. "Your sister seems to understand this." The blonde woman pointed ahead at Ruby and Weiss as the red-and-white pair continued ahead. The two were already getting a feel for the other's stride.
Further up ahead, Cardin gave a laugh as he almost dragged Russel by the boy's left leg. "Not a single worthy opponent!" Cardin declared, glancing back at the groups of students. "Team CRDL has this in the bag!"
"Oum Damnit, We Are Not Losing To Him!" Scythle declared before shoving a hand into Goodwitch's back. "Shift Those Long Legs And Perfect Ass Into High-Gear, G!"
"Hey, quit pushing!"
Ozpin took a sip from his mug, giving the students one last once over before turning to leave.
"My, you always find the most creative exercises."
The man came to a stop when he heard the voice call out to him, and he turned to see a pale person in loose, baggy clothes approaching. Their face was hidden in the shadow of their wide, purple hate, but pale silver hair hung past their shoulders.
"Shion Zaiden." Ozpin greeted. "What brings you to Beacon? I thought you were out hunting game?"
"That's why I'm here." Shion answered. "I have reason to suspect a very dangerous Grimm is lurking in the Emerald Forest. You should inform your students to stay out of the forests until I have captured it."
"I doubt there's any need to worry." Ozpin shook his head. "If there were any odd Grimm activity, we would have noticed when we set up today's exercise."
Shion's eyes widened at Ozpin's words. "You-you mean you're sending them into the Emerald Forest?" They almost yelled. "Ozpin, you must cancel this exercise."
"And ruin all of the work we put into it?" Ozpin asked. "These are future defenders of humanity. They can handle a Grimm."
"Ozpin, we both know how dangerous this Grimm was before my Semblance-"
"It will be fine, Shion." Ozpin reaffirmed. "If you are so concerned, why don't you start hunting? We're sending them to the temple ruins."
Shion glared at the man before letting out a sigh. "As carefree as ever, I see." They sighed before turning to leave.
Once all the students found their stride, they headed for the cliffside.
Ruby stomped her foot on the launch platform before shaking her head. "No go, this thing isn't working." Ruby said to her partner.
"Guess we're jumping, then." Weiss said before the two gave each other a nod.
As the two ran for the edge, a glyph glowed to life before Ruby and Weiss jumped on it. In a flash, the two were launched away, leaving the rest of the students behind before Yang and Blake followed after them.
"Alright, Blake, hang on!" Yang called out before Blake wrapped an arm around the blonde. Yang punched at the ground, throwing herself into the air. Blake almost lost her grip on her partner as they flew off.
Jaune hesitantly looked over the edge before glancing back at the girl on his left side. "So, uh, how do you think we should get down there?"
"Seems like everyone's jumping." Pyrrha noted, watching as the rest of the students dove off the edge into the forest below one by one.
"Well, yeah, but I-I'm not really all that great at-"
"GO TEAM JNPR!" Nora yelled as she came up behind the two, shoving the pair off the edge before she jumped after them, dragging Ren by the boy's left leg.
Once Goodwitch and Scythle came to the edge, they saw the last remaining students jumping off. "Man, What's With This Place And Throwing People Off Cliffs?" Scythle asked before shrugging. "Well, Follow The Lemmings."
With that, the girl ran forward, almost tripping before Goodwitch found her stride. At the edge, Scythle fired her Scythleg, launching herself and Goodwitch into the air before she spread her cape. As they began falling, Scythle's eyes widened. "Shit, Wrong Cape Again!"
Before they could breach the tree line, a purple glow overcame the two. Scythle looked towards Goodwitch as the two were gently lowered to the forest floor. "I Should Really Ask For My Cape Back After This." Scythle muttered.
"Why are you two wearing each other's cloaks?" Goodwitch asked. "It makes telling you two apart a touch difficult, you know."
"I Thought It Would Look Cool." Scythle shrugged before looking to the groups ahead of her. Her eyes narrowed as they all grew more distant. "Come On, We're Falling Behind."
The girl tried to rush forward, only to fall on her face as her right leg was yanked by the cuffs. As she picked herself up, Goodwitch placed her hands on her hips. "Will you stop that?" The woman asked. "I can't run nearly as fast as your Semblance."
"Why Do You Even Have Legs That Long?" Scythle asked before shaking her head. "Fine, No Semblance, But We're Running."
A Beowolf's ears twitched as it lifted its head, turning in the direction of the noise before a bullet shot through its skull. Ruby and Weiss emerged from the tree line, the red-haired girl ejecting the spent round before they heard howling. Beowolves emerged from the foliage, and Ruby got a shot out at one before they all jumped at the pair. The two jumped over their attackers as Weiss pulled out her blade and Ruby shifted her weapon. Once they landed, they launched at the beasts, spinning around to slice through them before coming to a stop.
"Surprised there are still Grimm out here." Ruby noted as she and Weiss returned to their run through the forest. "Feels like we've been killing a lot of them recently."
"Tell me about it." Weiss said.
From the side, a Beowolf tackled the two, knocking their weapons out of their hands and pinning them to the ground. The wolf was about to bite at the two before a blast blew its head off, causing it to fall over as Yang and Blake ran by.
After pushing the beast's corpse away, Ruby reached for her weapon before glancing at Weiss. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Weiss said, reaching for Myrtenaster with one hand as she rubbed her neck with the other. "Come on, we're losing ground." Ruby gave a nod before she and Weiss began running again.
Approaching the chasm the temple was built over, the four girls looked across to see the gap before the tower filled with smaller ledges and platforms, held up by thin pillars jutting out of the smoke-filled pit.
"He said it was in the center tower, right?" Ruby asked. "Okay, these look like easy jumps to-"
"Out of the way!"
Ruby and Weiss gave a yelp as Cardin pushed them off the edge. Weiss cast a glyph to catch them before they glanced up to see Cardin jumping from platform to platform, dragging Reese alongside him by the back of the smaller boy's shirt.
Weiss gritted her teeth before the glyph changed color, launching her and Ruby back up. "Come on!" Weiss demanded as she and Ruby landed on a pillar before jumping to the next.
Scythle and Goodwitch came up behind the other students as they all began jumping into the course. Scythle eyed up the tower before glancing into the pit. "Easy!" Scythle yelled before charging forward. Once she reached the edge, Scythle fired her Scythleg, launching herself and Goodwitch into the air. As they began to fall, the girl gave another shot, throwing them the rest of the way across to the tower's entrance.
When they landed, Goodwitch felt Scythle flip her skirt and yank down her stockings before forcing her to lean forward.
"Try To Keep Up, Slow Pokes!" Scythle said as she lifted the back of her own skirt, shaking her backside next to Goodwitch's.
The woman's riding crop smacked her in the face, knocking her to the floor before Goodwitch sat down on her chest.
As the woman pulled her stockings back up, Ruby and Weiss ran across a beam before jumping to the entrance. The woman gave them a nod as they passed by, holding Scythle down as the girl struggled under her.
Ruby and Weiss walked into the center of the spire, looking around the area as Cardin and Russel came up behind them. "So, where are the things?" Ruby asked before Weiss tapped her shoulder.
The white-haired girl pointed to an arrow on the wall pointing up. The students all looked up to see another platform suspended above them.
A smirk crossed Weiss's lips before she glanced at Cardin. "Well, good luck climbing up, Winchester." Weiss mocked before a glyph glowed under her and Ruby, launching them into the air.
A crystal glowed on the wall before a bolt of lightning zapped at them, knocking them back to the floor.
The two let out a groan as they picked themselves up before hearing Cardin chuckle. "'Good luck climbing up.'" The ginger mocked as he and Russel began digging their fingers into the wall.
Weiss growled as Yang and Blake came in before turning to the wall. "Come on, we need to get up there." The heiress said before glancing back at her teammates. "You need to climb the walls; Ozpin won't allow us to jump up."
"Try not to destroy this place anymore than you all already have!" Goodwitch called out as she and Scythle entered the tower. "I know these are ruins, but we do need to fix this place for next year's initiation!"
"I Take It You Won't Fly Us Up There?" Scythle asked.
"No, for multiple reasons." Goodwitch said.
"Alright, Rock Climbing It Is." Scythle said as she spun her knives.
The girl passed one of her blades to Goodwitch before the two approached a wall. Digging the knives into the slits between the bricks, the two hoisted themselves up before grabbing at a stone. As the groups all climbed the wall, red lights glowed on the ceiling. The fluttering of wings was coupled with chattering before small bat-like creatures leaped out from the shadows.
"Ravagers!" Ruby called out.
The red-haired girl reached behind her for her rifle, firing a shot that ripped through multiple bats before Weiss thrust her sword forward, creating a wind vortex that threw the Ravagers away. Blake and Yang fired off at the bats before the raven-haired girl tried to throw her weapon at the ceiling, only for it to fall to the floor. A bat charged at her, causing her to lose her grip and fall off the wall, dragging her partner down with her.
Scythle ripped her knife out and jumped away from the wall, spinning around to shoot at the Grimm before swinging on the cuffs locking her to Goodwitch. The blonde dug her nails into the stone and tightened her grip on the knife before glancing at Scythle as she swung to her other side. "Careful! You'll yank me off!"
"Relax, I Got This." Scythle said before spinning around again.
Goodwitch almost lost her grip and used her Semblance to push herself against the wall before glancing down. Rocks on the floor glowed purple before shooting up, smashing Ravagers into bits. As Scythle swung back up, she fired her Scythleg, launching herself up, dragging Goodwitch with her before Scythle gabbed at a stone. The girl shot her pistol at a few bats before Goodwitch's weight yanked on her leg, almost causing her to fall. "Hey, Get A Grip, Partner!"
"Give me some warning next time!" Goodwitch yelled back as she found a stone to grab, using her Semblance to hold her skirt up. "You can't just jump around all willy-nilly!"
Ruby swung Crescent Rose as its blade unfolded, and she and Weiss threw themselves up before Ruby fired the gun behind them. The two spun around, slashing through the Grimm before Ruby stuck the blade in the wall again. A pink grenade flew up behind them before exploding, incarnating the swarm before Ren and Nora began jumping up the wall.
With the Grimm defeated, the groups resumed their climbs. Reaching the top platform, Blake and Yang pulled themselves up to find multiple podiums sitting in a circle. As Ruby and Weiss approached one, a purple glyph glowed to life, full of smaller symbols that orbited around its center.
"Woah, what are these?" Ruby asked as she and Weiss looked over the glowing symbols.
"Those are glyph locks." Goodwitch said as the other students climbed onto the platform. "The Dust crystals are locked inside those cases by logic puzzles." The woman explained to the groups. "Once you decipher the correct sequence, the cases will open, allowing you to collect your prize."
"Yeah, That Sounds Boring." Scythle said as she dragged Goodwitch toward a podium. "I'm Just Gonna Cycle Through Every Possible Combination."
"Wait, Scythle," Goodwitch tried to say as Scythle's hands became a blur of purple rose petals. "Don't-"
"Done!" Scythle cheered as the glyph vanished.
"Diefull," Goodwitch began with wide eyes. "Every wrong combination results in-"
Yellow crystals along the podium glowed to life, letting out bolts of lightning that struck the two. The two let out loud, powerful screams before the sparks died. "That!" Goodwitch growled with a glare.
"Well, Maybe Lead With That Next Time." Scythle grumbled before she flicked the case open. Inside was the gentle glow of a purple Dust crystal.
The room was filled with the sound of the crushing and snapping of wood, and everyone glanced in its direction to see Cardin and Russel pulling a Dust crystal out of a broken box. "Winchester! Thrush!" Goodwitch called after them. "That is not how you-"
Ember Celica fired, and everyone turned to see Yang break her and Blake's crate open before her partner snatched the Dust crystal. Within moments, the rest of the students pulled out their weapons and began breaking the podiums open.
"No, everyone, stop!" Goodwitch yelled as all the podiums were broken into. "You are supposed to solve these puzzles with logic and-" As everyone pulled out their crystals and made to leave, Goodwitch heaved out a sigh. "Why do I even bother?"
"Hey, No Fair, I Solved Mine First!" Scythle yelled as she pulled Goodwitch towards the edge before jumping off.
"Come on, Jaune." Pyrrha said to her partner as the blond came to a stop to lean against a tree. "We'll fall behind."
"I know, just…" Jaune huffed, putting a hand to his chest as he took deep breaths. "Just give me a minute… So much running."
"Jaune, it's just a little further to Beacon." Pyrrha said. "Just hang on a bit longer, and then we can-"
The girl was interrupted by the tree getting knocked over. The two jumped away from it before an Ursa lumbered towards them. They were about to reach for their weapons before it was pushed down, revealing Nora and Ren sitting on the bear's back. "Get on!" Nora called out as Ren patted a spot behind him.
Pyrrha and Jaune shared a glance before they climbed on top of the creature. Once they found a grip on its black fur, Nora dug her fingers into the creature's neck. "Alright, MUSH!" Nora yelled as she yanked at its skin. The beast let out a roar as it began marching forward. "Mush! Mush!" Nora yelled, pulling the skin like reins before the bear broke into a sprint.
After a few feet, a fireball struck its face, causing it to fall to the ground.
Nora glared in the attack's direction to see Cardin and Russel, the ginger giving a mocking shrug. "Sorry, didn't see you guys there." The boy lied.
Nora growled before she stood up. "Come on, we need to find another Ursa!"
As the team went searching, Scythle and Goodwitch ran by. "Jeez, Pick Up The Pace, Prof." Scythle said to the blonde teacher. "Main Characters Belong In First Place, Not Generic Bullies."
"Relax, we'll catch up when we need to climb the cliff." Goodwitch stated.
"I Think I've Had Just About Enough Rock Climbing For One School-Year." Scythle grumbled. "I Mean, The Author's Having Enough Trouble Coming Up With This Scene."
"And how do you propose we get back to Beacon then?"
"You Could Fly Us There?" Scythle suggested, earning a scowl from the blonde woman. "You Know, This Partnership Would Work A Lot Better If You Contributed More To It."
The two heard a loud squawk and glanced back before jumping out of the way of a black beast. As they returned to their sprint, they noticed Ruby and Weiss clinging onto the back of it, holding the shaft of Crescent Rose to the creature's neck.
"Where'd You Girls Find A Griffon?" Scythle asked.
Another Griffon called behind them. The groups glanced back to see an entire flock flying down into the trees, claws at the ready.
Scythle smirked as she glanced back at her twin. "Never Mind."
Jumping at a tree, Scythle fired a shot to bounce off it before latching onto another Griffon. The beast flew into the air as Scythle and Goodwitch climbed onto its back. Pulling her red cloak off her back, Scythle wrapped it around the creature's neck before yanking at the fabric. The creature gave a yell as Scythle tested out how to steer it.
"I Always Wanted To Ride A Flying Horse!" Scythle cheered.
"Actually," Goodwitch began, swatting away the creature's club-like tail as it tried to swing at them. "Griffons have more in common with a lion-like species of Grimm called-"
"Yeah, No One Cares." Scythle said. "Just Give This Thing A Whip To Get It Moving."
Aiming at the base of the tail, Goodwitch swung her riding crop at it. The Griffon gave a yell before it began flying ahead. Scythle yanked at the red fabric, pulling the creature to turn towards the cliffs of Beacon. Its tail once again swung at them, only for Goodwitch to catch with her Semblance. Once they had control of the creature, two more pulled up next to them, carrying the other two pairs of Team RWBYS. The five girls all shared a nod before they soured towards the edge of Beacon's grounds.
Scythle glanced down below her, blowing a raspberry at the students running through the forest. "Suckers!"
The group's landings were less than graceful. The Griffons all crashed into the ground, kicking up dirt and knocking down trees as Team RWBYS and Goodwitch were knocked off. As they got up, they glanced back at the Grimm before firing quick shots at them, killing the beasts as they tried to pick themselves up.
"We Should Really Make That Our Thing." Scythle suggested as she brought the red cape back around her shoulders. "We Could Be Remembered As The First Group Of Huntresses To Ride Grimm Into Battle! They Would Call Us The Five Horsewomen Of The Apocalypse!"
"Actually, riding Grimm is a normal part of being a Hunter." Goodwitch said. "Pr. Port should be giving courses on it next semester."
"… Oh." Scythle said before turning towards Beacon. "Well, Whatever, We've Got A Race To Win!" With that, the girls all began running towards Beacon.
Ozpin sipped the last of his coffee as he sat on one of the courtyard's benches, glancing down at his watch before he noticed team RWBYS racing towards him. A chuckle escaped the man before he rose to his feet.
"How did I know those six would be here first?" Ozpin mused under his breath. The silver-haired man gestured to the bench behind him. "Just place your crystals here." He announced to the groups before pulling out his Scroll. "You'll receive your final scores afterwards."
Ruby and Weiss gave an extra burst of speed before dropping their crystal on the seat, with Scythle and Goodwitch following closely behind. Once Yang and Blake had dropped their crystal, Ruby pulled out her Scroll. "Ha, top marks for team RWBYS!" Ruby said as she pumped her fist. "A collective 91 points!" She almost pulled Weiss over as she jumped with joy.
"Can we take these things off now?" Weiss asked, gesturing to the rope binding her to her partner.
"Go right ahead."
"Finally." Weiss said as she swung her blade at the tether. "My ankle was starting to get sore."
Scythle fished out her Scroll, flicking it open to display the scoreboard before giving the professors a scowl. "Hey, I Finished That Fall Guys Course First." Scythle said. "Why Do I Have The Lowest Score On That?"
"Because you and Pr. Goodwitch crossed into the temple last." Ozpin explained.
"Well That Isn't My Fault!" Scythle said. "My Partner Wouldn't Let Me Through!"
"I made me flash the entire class." Goodwitch growled.
"You still got high marks everywhere else, sis." Ruby said as she scrolled across the scoreboard. "You even got the highest score on… Wait, what?"
Scythle watched as Ruby's eyes widened before the purple girl turned to her own Scroll. A smirk grew across her face as she saw what was standing out on the list.
She had scored the highest on the glyph lock puzzle.
With a one-point total.
"I'm The Smartest Member Of Team RWBYS!" Scythle cheered, holding her Scroll up for the group to see.
"Wait, what!?" Weiss asked as she looked down at her own Scroll. Sure enough, everyone else had zeros in that column. "Why is Scythle the only one who got any points?!"
"Because she was the only one who actually solved her puzzle." Ozpin stated.
"She brute-forced the solution." Yang pointed out.
"And you all brute-forced the containers." Ozpin said.
"Wait, Everyone Did That." Scythle said before her grin grew wider. "That Means I'm The Smartest Student In Beacon!"
"Oh, good Oum." Goodwitch grumbled as she turned to leave. The cuff on her leg yanked on her ankle before Goodwitch gave it a glance. "Can you take these things off now?"
"Oh, Sorry, Glyn," Scythle said, tucking her hands behind her back as she turned away from the woman. "I Think I Lost The Key."
"These locks are fingerprint scanners." Goodwitch noted.
"I Lost My Fingerprints." Scythle lied. Goodwitch gave a scowl as Scythle turned towards her. "I Guess We're Stuck Together Until They Turn Up. Should We Sleep In Your Room Or-" A purple glow surrounded Scythle, lifting her an inch off the ground before her hands went to the cuffs. Once the locks were opened the girl was dropped onto her face before Goodwitch turned to leave.
"Some People Just Don't Appreciate Good Company." Scythle muttered.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!"
Scythle managed to glance up to see the source of the yell before a Griffon slammed down into her. Its mask broke upon impact, and it already began to dissipate when team JNPR jumped off.
The cafeteria was filled with chatter as all the teams compared their scores. Scythle dropped her Scroll to the table like a hand of cards. "Read 'Em And Weep, Boys." Scythle smirked at the group of teams. "Smartest Girl In Beacon, Right Here."
"I told you to let me solve it." Ren said to his partner.
"Hey, my way was faster!" Nora retorted.
"But It Didn't Get Ya Any Points." Scythle said before pointing to the Scroll again. "I Got The Highest Score. So I'm The Smart One."
"This is the last time I take your advice on anything." Weiss grumbled to her leader.
Scythle was about to take her Scroll back before another hand snatched it off the table. The purple-haired girl sent out a scowl as she looked up at Cardin. "Hey!" Scythle yelled as she tried to jump at the boy, who held her back as he read across their scores. "This Table Is Reserved For Main Characters And Friends, Dick-chester!"
"Alright," Cardin began as he turned to scowl at Weiss. "What did you bribe them with?"
"… I don't follow." Weiss said before gesturing to the purple girl. "Are you accusing me of having them boost Scythle's score, because-"
"There's no way you scored higher than me."
Weiss paused before Cardin finally pushed Scythle down, stepping onto the table's seat to hold the screen at Weiss's face. "You cheated. I don't know how, but you must have."
"Well, she didn't." Ruby said. "I was with Weiss the whole time and we dropped off our crystals first. We won fair and square."
"And even if I did bribe them," Weiss began as she snatched the device back, turning it to face Cardin. "Don't you think I would have had them give me anything other than a zero?"
"You're lying." Cardin growled as he hunched towards Weiss. "I refuse to believe some entitled, rich little brat who only got into Beacon because her daddy paid for it could ever beat me!"
Weiss was silent for a moment, digging her nails into her palms before she put on the coldest voice she could. "The only entitlement here is your stubborn refusal to accept that you were beaten."
Whatever Cardin was about to say next was interrupted by Scythle zipping around to grab the back of his collar. With a spin, the purple girl threw him away from the group. "Vamoose, Dude." Scythle said. "We Already Wrecked The Cafeteria Once This Semester."
As Cardin got up, the rest of the table turned to glare at him. The boy let out a huff as he turned to leave. "First Jaune, now this." Cardin muttered.
Weiss glared at the Cardin as he left before letting out a sigh, taking her nails out of her palm. Scythle zoomed around the table to return to her seat. "Yeesh, Some People, Am I Right?" The purple girl asked.
"Your search was unsuccessful?" Ozpin asked, sitting at his desk in front of Shion.
"Unfortunately." Shion said. "I shall be trying again tomorrow. This time, I don't want you sending any of your students out there until I confirm it's safe."
"All of the students came back fine, Shion." Ozpin stated. "None of them showed any sign of injury or ailment, and no one reported seeing any unusual Grimm today. For all we know, the Grimm you seek isn't even here."
"I'd rather be safe than sorry." Shion said before turning to leave. "I would hope after the last time you made this mistake, you'd understand why."
Weiss rolled over, flopping into her pillow again before cracking her eyes open.
Pale moonlight was all that lit the darkened room as most of the rest of her team slept soundly through the night. They were all exhausted after the exercise, and they all fell asleep quickly. The only other one still awake was Blake, who was curled up under her sheets, which glowed with the dim light of her Scroll. Weiss couldn't sleep either, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.
The girl sat up in her bed, rubbing at the side of her neck as she let her eyes wander around the dark room. Her eyes landed on the door to the bathroom before she got up to get a drink. She didn't feel thirsty, but perhaps some water would help her.
She let the door close gently behind her before she ran the faucet, cupping her hands together to catch the water.
"You have buried all of your most precious dreams."
Weiss froze in her spot before she turned around. Across the room, standing in front of the door was her. She couldn't even call it a mirror image of herself. It was too perfect. It wore her usual outfit, had her ponytail on the right side of her head, and a scar crossing over her left eye.
"You pretend not to care." The double said with a smile that was all too pleasant for such cold words. Each one seemed to make the room grow darker.
"The Faunus." Weiss wanted to scream, but she felt like her throat had closed itself tightly as the room around her vanished into shadows.
"The White Fang." The base of her neck stung and burned and pinched and pricked and ached and throbbed as she felt something crawling across and under her skin.
"Even people like Cardin." The pain spread itself across her entire body like fire over paper.
The girl blinked, and the double was in front of her, standing on the ceiling as she stared into Weiss's eyes. "You'll never truly forgive them." With those words, Weiss's world went black.
This chapter was a bit harder to write than I originally expected it to be. It's a very loose adaption of issue 3/5 of the DC RWBY Comic. I know they aren't very popular, even by RWBY fans, and this is the only issue I read, but I thought I could make the exercise in that comic work here. I took several liberties with it, however.
Starting with it being a three-legged race because I wanted it to be a more team-based trial. I was originally going to have them go through an obstacle course in the forest cave system, but it wasn't really working and felt too limited. So I ditched about 1500 words of content to have it focus on the forest itself.
I struggled for a bit trying to figure out how to get Team RWBYS plus Glynda back to Beacon. My original idea was a Nevermore, but something about that just didn't work with me. Eventually, I decided to use one of the only other flying Grimm, Griffons.
I also planned to delete the opening scene with Cardin, but I decided to keep it in because it could work with some bits of what's to come. I did make a quick edit and read over that to see how it'd work, but it didn't feel like it made much difference.
I also wanted to include Team EBNI in this, but I couldn't come up with a scene for them.
And for those of you who don't know, the revolver scene was based on a controversy where the original digital release of DC's RWBY Issue 3/5 used a fan weapon design from a youtube user named Chris Lee without permission nor credit.
With that, we'll be moving into a new arc starting next chapter.