The screen flickered for a bit before the author appeared.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here and welcome back to another chapter of Twilight Over Remnant.*
*Wanted to get this chapter out in January, but life has gotten in the way. So anyway let's move on to the chapter shall we.*
*In this chapter the team starts off with some bad blood between two members before coming together for their target as the entrance exam comes to an end. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter as this arc comes to an end.*
*Anyway disclaimer first. I do not own anything of Kingdom Hearts, RWBY, And JPDE.*
*Just sit back, relax, maybe put some music on, and enjoy. I will see you all at the end of the chapter.*
The author snapped his fingers and the screen turns to static as the chapter begins.
New Team On the Block
Roxas didn't know what to expect when it came time for the team to finally gather together.
What he wasn't expecting was for himself and Penny were to be ready to stop their respective partners from killing each other, because that is what it looked like they were about to do.
"What are you even doing here!" Jack demanded, getting Evelyn to grin.
"Didn't you hear from your partner poisoner? I'm one of your new teammates." Evelyn said, a look of horror spreading on Jack's face.
"No." Jack said as the realization hit her.
"For the next three and a half years. Isn't that exciting." Evelyn said in a singsong voice.
"Over my dead body!" Jack shouted as the two of them started to slowly approach the other.
"Oh that can be arranged. Allow me!" Evelyn said with a glare as she tried to pounce at Jack.
But Penny grabbed onto her to prevent such a thing. Yet the gynoid seemed to have miscalculated the faunus's strength as Evelyn kept trying to break free from her grip.
Roxas was prepared to stop Jack as well, though he doubted if he even could do much considering what he saw earlier.
Thankfully she seemed to have a cooler head on her shoulders that Evelyn…if barely.
"Bring it on carrots! I'll toe up your ears in a double overhead before beating the gray haired asshole to a pulp with your furry ass!" Jack yelled out.
Having enough of this, Penny pulled Evelyn back and she and Roxas got between their respective partners way.
"Alright you too knew each other, but what exactly is going on her?" Roxas inquired as he looked between the two of them. Wondering just what can cause Jack and Evelyn to be each other'e throats.
Though he figured what the cause was had to deal with Evelyn kept calling Jack a poisoner.
"How could I forget the face of my would be killer!" Evelyn shouted.
"For the love of the gods, how many times must I say it. I was not trying to kill you! But you're certainly making me wish otherwise!" Jack yelled back.
"You've lost the privilege of me trusting anything you say or make with your own two hands a long time ago!" Evelyn shot back, only enraging Jack even more.
"That's it! Be prepared to lose trust in your face!" Jack said as she tried to swing at Evelyn, only for Roxas to block her strike with Oblivion. Albeit barely.
It felt like trying to block a strike from Lexaeus.
"Okay that is enough, what happened between you two?" Roxas said, dispelling his Keyblade.
Penny was about to inquire about it as well, but she felt that her sensors were picking up something approaching them from the treeline.
"She insulted me!" Jack snapped out.
"After you gave me food poisoning!" Evelyn snapped out, surprising Roxas.
That explained the poisoner bit…
"Roxas we need to stop them." Penny said, getting the Nobody's attention. He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking towards the treeline. Though he couldn't sense anything in that direction…
The Nobody summoned both his Keyblades in anticipation while Javk and Evelyn where absorbed in their argument.
"Not my fault your stomach can't handle anything other than carrots." Jack said.
"Sure the fault lies with my stomach, and not with your awful cooking!" Evelyn said, getting Jack to look shocked for a moment.
"There is nothing wrong with my cooking!" Jack defended.
"I think that is enough." Roxas said, trying to get their attention.
Only for it to fall upon deaf ears.
"We almost blotched a mission because your cooking made me too sick to even speak properly!" Evelyn said, enraging Jack even more.
"Maybe you caught the flu or something on the way there!" Jack shot back.
"Evelyn, Jack please stop!" Penny pleaded, but was promptly ignored.
"What kind of scatterbrain would get herself sick before going into dangerous territory." Evelyn said.
"The same kind who thinks it is a good idea to pair magenta with greens and reds." Jack said..
Instead of getting enraged Evelyn seemed almost embarrassed and her face flushed at that last comment.
"I-It's my artistic vision! Yeah!" Evelyn said while trying to regain her composure.
"What art-" Jack was trying to say, but soon found herself cutoff.
"Will the both of you quiet down and please listen to us already!" Penny shouted, surprising everyone including Roxas. The Nobody didn't think she had it in her to do so.
Yet it did the trick and snapped both Evelyn and Jack out of their argument.
"Sorry about that." Evelyn said as she rubbed her still ringing ear.
"What is it that you have to say?" Jacked asked the two of them.
"I think you should listen to Penny on this." Roxas said, surprising Penny for a moment before she nodded.
"Right, I apologize for being rude. But Evelyn and miss…" Penny trailed off looking at Jack.
"Please call me Jack. Nice to meet you." She said with a smile, getting the gynoid to nod.
"It's a pleasure Jack, but you and Evelyn had been awfully negative recently." Penny said, realization slowly dawning on Jack's and Evelyn's faces.
Honestly Roxas thought that he couldn't have put it better himself.
The Grimm were a lot like Heartless with some differences. Like while the Heartless where attracted to the someone's heart or the Keyblade, the Grimm instead were attracted to negativity.
And Roxas was pretty sure that Evelyn's and Jack's feud would be the Grimm equivalent of the Heartless drawn to a Keyblade wielder.
"Bollocks." "Crap." Jack and Evelyn said respectively as they pulled back to their respective partners. Gathering together into a square formation.
"Now would be a good time to be prepared." Roxas said as Penny deployed her Floating Array.
"Don't need to tell us twice." Evelyn said as she reached behind her back and transformed her tonfas out of their compact state. "There is already something coming our way."
"Of all the places to meet carrots again." Jack grumbled out as she got into a stance. "Evelyn what do you hear?"
"Quick footsteps, rapid yet not heavy. I can hear the sound of rustling leaves, but no destruction…" Evelyn said, getting Penny to look at her.
"And you can only hear a single enemy approaching?" Penny asked her partner.
"That is correct." Evelyn said seriously.
"For the love of." Jack said before shaking her head and facing her partner. "What is it that Ozpin wanted us to hunt?"
"All he would describe was that it was a Grimm that wasn't native to Vale and was larger than most of them in this forest." Roxas said as he surveyed the treeline.
"Headmaster Ozpin also implied that how dangerous it is, meaning that there is a good percentage that it could be a rare specimen of Grimm. Alongside Evelyn's description from it's footsteps the Grimm might be insectoid in appearance." Penny stated.
While that narrowed down her database of possible Grimm exceptionally, there were still quite a few possibilities to sort through.
"So we are looking for a single, dangerous, insectoid like Grimm that is agilie enough to move through the forest without causing unnecessary damages while it's footsteps sounding like clicks." Evelyn said while shaking her head. "Doesn't sound like any Grimm I encountered."
However a look of realization spread on Jack's face.
"Darn it, I know what kind of Grimm that is." She sighed out.
"And what kind of Grimm is it?" Roxas asked.
Before Jack could answer him, the Grimm emerged from the treeline in front of him.
The Grimm in question was in the shape of a large mantis that stood over three times taller than Jack's height. It's lower legs were thin yet deceptively strong as it slowly began to approach them, covered in bony plates. It's wings and entire upper body were covered with bony plating except it's forelegs and antennae, the head having red markings and bulbous red eyes. The Grimm's forelegs were split into three segments, the first two were only covered with bone spikes. The final part were the raptorial which were massive and entirely made of bone, with the edges were completely serrated and covered with nicks.
Making not only was this Grimm was dangerous, but also experienced.
It made a loud hiss as it clicked it's mandibles and tilted it's head to the right.
From there the Nobody immediately made the comparison that is Grimm was too Beowolves as Zip Slasher were to Shadows.
One rushed you in numbers and tried to claw at you. The other actually held a degree of intelligence, looking for the best way to cut you up and having the ability to take hits and fight back.
So if this thing was as dangerous as a Zip Slasher, than it would take quiet a bit to put it down.
"That's a Wa-Lang, we need to get out of the forest immediately. We need as much open space as possible." Jack said as Roxas dispelled Oblivion and Penny pulling back her weapons.
With what information she had on the Grimm, Jack's suggestion was the correct one. And the best possible outcome to decrease their chances of being maimed exponentially.
As they started to back up, the Wa-Lang started to approach them. It's feet making a clicking noise as it walked.
"There was a large glade to the north of here, it should be the optimal location to deal with the Wa-Lang." Penny said, getting Jack and Roxas to nod.
The Wa-Lang bristled at them, raising its wings and forelegs as it let out a loud hiss.
"It is so creepy!" Evelyn said disgusted. "Wouldn't it be better to fight it in the forest."
"No amount of cover would help us in fighting this thing." Jack said tersely.
Before Evelyn could ask why, the Grimm stepped back and climbed onto a tree. Letting out a hiss as it's form began to shimmer for a few moments before it completely disappeared.
"Great it can camouflage." Roxas said with a sigh.
It would be like fighting the Veil Lizard all over again….
"Take it down!" Xion said with her tone bleeding with frustration.
The Wa-Lang also reminded her of the Veil Lizard. Considering that she spent days trying to track it all over Twilight Town and it had knocked her out before Roxas and Axel had felled that Heartless.
So she was all too eager to see this Grimm to be destroyed.
"We need to get out of her!" Jack ordered as she and the others began to run north towards the glade.
Roxas let both Penny and Evely run past him first before following after them, while keeping an ear out for the Wa-Lang.
He couldn't see or sense the Grimm, but he could still hear the sounds of clicking as the Wa-Lang followed after them. So at least he could try to by the others a little more time.
"Blizzaga!" Roxas casted, releasing an ice mine from Oathkeeper. He ran for a bit more before releasing another one partially hidden by a tree. Just to see a tree fall down on the other mine and it detonated, covering the trunk in frost.
It would seem like this Grimm was particularly intelligent compared to the Heartless, but at least he bought everyone else some more time before catching up with the others.
About a minute later he could hear the familiar clicking of the Wa-Lang moving the underbrush.
"It is right behind us." Roxas said as he tried to locate where the Grimm was.
"Darn right you are!" Jack said back to him.
"I'm not going to check!" Evelyn yelled back before she activated her Semblance. "Penny duck!"
"Affirmative." Penny said as she trusted her partner's advice.
Ducking out of the way as one of the Wa-Lang's raptorial carved into a nearby tree and were here head would have been.
The gynoid heard the Grimm let out a slight hiss before she ran up to Roxas. And quickly pulled him out of the way as the top half of a tree would have fallen onto the Nobody.
"Thanks Penny." Roxas said.
"No problem." Penny said happily.
"Less chatty and more runny!" Evelyn yelled back at the pair as the clicking of the Wa-Lang continued to draw closer to them. Before the sounds of it's footsteps stopped. The four of them began to look around for any trace of where the Grimm might be.
Until Evelyn turned her head to the side.
"It's coming again through the trees!" Evelyn yelled as they heard the Wa-Lang rushing towards them.
"Everyone dodge!" Jack called out, all for of them getting away from where they once were before a massive gash was cut through a pair of trees. One of them had been next to Penny before she ducked under another strike from the Grimm.
Roxas heard that it was coming after him, barely breaking into a roll as the Wa-Lang proceeded to chop down a tree. It nearly fell onto the Nobody before he broke into a run again.
"You all right partner?" Jack asked as Roxas ran up beside her.
"I'm alright." He said simply.
"Glad to see that you are all still in one piece than." Evelyn said with a grin. "Shame it missed Jack."
"Save it for later carrots!" Jack said. "How much further, Penny?"
"About 7.42 me-" Penny was about to say, but her optics widened in surprise. "Watch out!"
In front of them a number of trees began to fall over in front of them and the hiss of the Wa-Lang coming from in front of them.
The Grimm had laid a trap for them.
Jack hesitated for a second, before her face hardened and quickened her pace.
"Everyone push through!" Jack said as the trees began to fall on them.
"Already on it." Roxas said to her as both him and Evelyn jumped over a falling tree trunk while Jack and Penny moved to the side.
As they continued to weave past the falling trees, the Wa-Lang let out a hissed and the four of them could hear the Grimm clattering away. Soon enough the last tree fell and they could see the glade through a break in the treeline.
Until a pair of massive trees began to fall directly on top of them.
Penny began to calculate the best method to get past this obstacle, but it seemed Roxas had reached the same conclusion.
"Slip underneath them!" He called out, getting Penny and Jack to nod.
"Good idea!" Jack said, surprising Evelyn.
"What!" The rabbit faunus said, but joined the others in going underneath the trees.
They managed to slip through the first one as it crashed into the ground behind them. Yet the second one was still falling on top of them.
"We're not going to make it. We're not going to make it. We're not going to make it. We're not going to make it. We're not going to make it." Evelyn kept repeating like a mantra as the tree continued to fall to the ground.
Soon Roxas and Jack broke through into the glade first with Penny shorty behind. The Nobody turned around and deployed one of Twilight Rose's grapples. Evelyn had also cleared the tree, but the grapple grabbed her arm and pulled her back a little before a large branch nearly clipped her shoulder.
"We actually made it! Take that you overgrown bug!" Evelyn yelled back before facing Roxas. "Thanks for the save."
"It's no problem." Roxas said before Penny noticing running ahead, before following after her.
While they had made it to the glade, they were still entirely too close to the tree line.
It was for the best to put more distance between them, the Wa-Lang, and the forest so that it couldn't slip back into the treeline. Jack and Evelyn also realized that and soon ran after the pair.
But they didn't need to go far as Penny came to a stop a moment later.
"This should be the optimal location." Penny said before she redeployed her Floating Array.
Jack looked between their location and the treeline before nodding with grin.
"Good eye." She said before facing Roxas. "Do you have any spells that can cover a wide area?"
"I do, I take it that you have a plan?" Roxas asked as he summoned Oblivion, selecting and channeling lightning Dust into his Keyblades.
"The moment that Grimm breaks out of the treeline, fire at it with everything you have! Penny tell us when you spot it! Got it!" Jack ordered, a gun barrel popping up from the plate of each glove.
"Affirmative." Penny said while Roxas nodded.
"I going fo the middle!" Evelyn declared with a grin as she jumped between Jack and Penny, startling the former.
"I'll aim high then?" Penny said a little uncertainly, but calculated that would be the best target.
That and it was probably the best response to her partner's decloration.
"I'll go low than. Partner would you do the honors?" Jack asked Roxas.
"Gladly." He said with a smile, sparks appearing at the ends of Oathkeeper and Oblivion.
Everyone kept the their eyes on the treeline, until Penny noticed something moving through the shrubbery.
"The Wa-Lang is rapidly approaching from that direction." Penny said, her swords turning to their blaster form and swiveling to it's location. Everyone else taking aim there too.
"Alright, ready!" Jack said.
"Aim!" Evelyn said.
"Fire!" Penny said.
"Thundara!" Roxas casted.
The Wa-Lang burst from the treeline and from the sounds of it was flying towards them.
Only that turned out to be a massive mistake.
The Grimm was struck by twin curtains of lightning, shocking it before being struck by a hail of bullets and lasers. They kept up the barrage for a few moments with Roxas adding by launching a pair of fireballs. Stopping when Jack and Evelyn needed to reload.
"Visibility of the Wa-Lang remains insufficient, but there is a very low probability that it will emerge unscathed." Penny said as Jack smiled.
"Oh we got it alright." She said.
Jack was right as the area they had fired at had trees riddled with bullet holes, burns, and the ground had been charred from Roxas's spell. Along with what appeared to be the fading remains of one of the Wa-Lang's legs.
So at the very least they had managed to disable the Grimm.
"Yet we still have to find out where it is." Roxas said as they began to look around the glade.
"I don't think we have to do so anymore." Evelyn said, getting the others to face her direction to see the Wa-Lang rendering itself visible.
The Grimm clicked it's mandibles angrily as it rapidly began to approach them. It's bony plating charred and dented in a few places, the wings mangled and ridded with holes beyond the point of use, and missing over half of it's right middle leg and the foot of one of it's rear legs.
Yet that did little to deter the Wa-Lang as it rapidly closed in on them, trying to cut up Evelyn.
"Missed me!" She called out, ducking under the raptorial. Spinning her tonfas before slamming them into it's right side.
Jumping back with a grin as Jack and Roxas struck at the Wa-Lang in the same spot as Evelyn had with their gloves and Keyblade respectively. Knocking the Grimm off balance before Penny blasted it with with several blasts from Floating Array.
It let out a loud hiss before turning invisible once again, getting the four of them to scatter and keeping an eye out for the Wa-Lang. Without the surrounding treeline it would be easier to prepare for an ambush.
Roxas heard the clicking of the Grimm and channeled ice Dust into his Keyblades. Before turning around and blocking the now visible Wa-Lang. It felt like trying to block a Zip Slasher and he struggled to parry both raptorials.
Sadly the Grimm pulled back it's forelegs and struck Roxas with it's bad leg, the Nobody grunting as he was struck.
He could feel his Aura mitigating the damage and was thankful they had blown part of it's leg off.
It tried to cut him down again, only to be distracted by Penny using her blades to cut into it's back and wings.
The Wa-Lang let out an irritating hiss as it turned it's attention to Penny before noticing a nearby Evelyn. She started to fire at the mantis like Grimm and laughed as she dodged it's attempts to swipe at her.
"You alright partner?" Jack asked as Roxas recomposed himself.
"I'm fine, just stay away from other legs. They pack quite the punch." Roxas said, wincing at seeing Evelyn getting swatted by the same leg as before while Penny tried to hack away at the Wa-Lang.
"You could have told that me sooner!" Evelyn groaned out before rolling out of the way of from being impaled by another legs.
"Noted, ready for round 2 then?" Jack asked, with Roxas nodding in agreement before they charged.
Jack used her glove's guns to fire at the Grimm's back. However given their small size and the bony plating, it only annoyed the Wa-Lang.
However as it turned it's attention to her, both Penny and Evelyn struck the Grimm on it's left side with their weapons as Roxas trained Oathkeeper at one of it's legs.
"Blizzard!" He casted, an ice shard connecting the leg to the ground. The Wa-Lang let out an irritated hiss before feeling Penny's blades cutting into it's armor. It noticed that Jack and Roxas charging towards it and swung both of it's arms to bisect them.
Jack caught one of them and, using her Aura to prevent the Grimm from pushing her back while Roxas used Twilight Rose's grappling line to latch onto one of it's legs and ducked underneath the raptorial.
The Wa-Lang tried to strike again, but Penny's Floating Array managed to crack and cut into it's back armor.
Causing the Grimm to hiss out in pain, which increased when Jack's fist and the edge of Oblivion was planted firmly in it's chest.
The Wa-Lang hastily back peddled, losing a chunk of it's leg to the ice before vanishing once again.
All four of them gathered together once again in order to spot the Grimm when it reappeared.
However they didn't have to wait long for it to reappear.
The Wa-Lang reappeared and charged at them with little warning, Roxas barely noticing it before it rushed toward them.
"We are wearing it down! Scatter and shoot to bring it down.!" Jack shouted as they scattered, with the Wa-Lang targeting Roxas.
The Nobody used Oathkeeper to deflect a swipe from one of its long blade like limb as he swung Oblivion, cutting into the cracked part of it's armor. Making the Grimm growl and hiss in what could be described as a mix of anger and pain as it tries to focus on Roxas as he begin running around it.
Only to get a burst of gunfire at the back of it's head and neck for it's trouble.
"Hey, don't ignore the top bunny, you overgrown bug!" Evelyn calls out as she easily side steps it's hind legs trying to step on her once, twice, and then a third time before countering with a heavy blow with a tonfa to the back of it's leg joint and firing another round into it.
"Evelyn! Don't stay so close to it! You could get hurt!" Penny called out in worry as she fired lasers from Floating Array in a barrage trying to keep it from focusing on Roxas or Evelyn who were dangerous close to it.
"She's the last person you need to worry about, Penny! Just keep focusing on firing at it!" Jack said, rushing in and ducking low to avoid the Grimm's attempt to slice her with it's blade raptorial and unleashesd three swift and powerful punches to it's chest.
Cracking and shattering the armor around it's center body heavily as Roxas widened his eyes in surprise.
She was perhaps the only other person he knew of besides Lexeause that could fight so effectively and do so much damage with their fists alone.
Roxas was broken from his thought as he saw the Wa-Landg lashing out at him again, causing to dodge it's attack. Going low and fast, getting under and behind the now startled Wa-Lang as it's head looked from left to right. Wondering where he disappeared to so quickly as it continued to be pelted by bullets and lasers.
Roxas seeing his chance quickly charged underneath and began into his light, channeling it into his Keyblades. Hoping to do so without quickly, the Nobody launched himself at breakneck speeds and cuts deep slashes into its legs before dispersing the light.
The Wa-Lang hissed out in agony as Roxas got in front of it again, but at a distance as Jack saw with its wounded legs it wouldn't be able to dodge them or attack easily anymore.
Jack briefly wondered how he was able to do that, before shaking her head clear of those thoughts.
The Grimm's legs were lacerated and it was struggling to move now. Making it vulnerable and off balance. They could finish the exam here and now.
The Wa-Lang tried to rush at them once again, only to stumble with each step. Yet it kept at it while angrily hissing at them.
"Evelyn now!" Jack called out to the rabbit faunus to nod before rushing over to her partner.
Penny pulled her Floating Array as she tried to calculate what Evelyn could want from her.
"Penny, give me a boost!" Evelyn said, getting the gynoid to nod.
"Affirmative!" Penny said determinedly, cupping her hands together.
"Roxas take care of that Grimm's arms!" Jack said, getting Roxas to nod.
"On it." Was all he said before he shot forward to the Wa-Lang. It tried to slash at him, but stumbled as Roxas passed it. Stopping right behind it and channeling fire Dust through his Keyblades before throwing them.
Oathkeeper and Oblivion lit aflame and slammed into the Grimm's back, getting it to hiss in pain before Roxas deployed both of Twilight Rose's grappling lines before catching onto his Keyblade's handles on the return path.
Reeling them in as the got caught onto the Wa-Lang's arms, binding them and injuring the Grimm even further as the Keyblade's teeth dug into the armor plating.
Roxas planted his heels into the ground and struggled to hold the Grimm back as it thrashed about to get free. He hoped whatever Evelyn had planned was soon, the Nobody wasn't sure how long he could keep the Wa-Lang at bay.
As Evelyn ran towards Penny, she bumped her fists together. Her tonfas connecting together and as she let go of it, two halves of a blade popped out of the sides of each tonfa. Connecting to create a staff with a blade on each end.
She grabbed her bladed staff and jumped into the air before landing on Penny's hands. She crouched down and adjusted her hands, shifting in position to best accommodate Evelyn's mass in order to launch her.
Evelyn croached down as hard as she could, her leg musles bulging against her pants and the ground starting to crack under Penny's feet before she was launched into the air by the gynoid.
The Wa-Lang let out a hiss of rage at the flying rabbit faunus.
But was silenced once it's head was removed from it's shoulders.
Roxas dispelled his Keyblades and the grappling finished reeling in as Evelyn landed in a croach right next to them. The two feeling nothing but relief at the fading Wa-Lang corpse behind them.
"And that take cares of that." Evelyn said with a grin as she got up. "That feels like beating the Veil Lizard again doesn't it?"
"I take it you saw that too?" Roxas asked as Evelyn split apart her weapon and put it away.
"Yup." She said, creating a popping noise at the 'p'. "Bet Xion is probably happy that thing is gone."
"She probably is, she never particularly fond of that Heartless." Roxas said with a smile.
"You have no idea Roxas." Xion said happily, sitting down in the Station of Awakening.
Heck he thought that he could even sense how happy Xion was, which he considered a good sign and hopefully a step closer separating them.
"I can assume that you knew that Evelyn was going to do that." Penny said smiling widely as she walked besides Jack.
The gynoid was feeling particularly happy. Having completed the objective of wiping out the Wa-Lang, they were now a team at Beacon with her new friends! And finally being able to use the Fastball Special Subroutine.
She was always curious on why she had that subroutine patched in despite how impractical it was. Now she had evidence to prove otherwise.
So today was a good day!
"You are correct on that. As much as I hate to admit it, Evelyn is terrifyingly good with that weapon of hers." Jack sighed out before smiling. "Still good job Roxas, Penny. Didn't really know what to expect from you partner from what Ozpin told me. But you and Penny have shown that you could read our cues quickly and efficiently. That was some good team work."
"Thanks, i did have some previous experience but nothing like this." Roxas said with a smile, thinking back on the times he went on missions with Axel and Xion.
"For real? I never worked on a team before, so I thought that…" Penny said bashfully, but trailed off when Roxas just shook his head.
"You were incredible out there Penny, why would you think that." Roxas said honestly.
Hearing that Penny smiled and her face began to flush up a little.
"More than that, spectacular even!" Evelyn said cheerfully. "Your aim was true and you didn't make momentum at all! It felt like that I was pushing off solid metal!
Penny let out a little laugh, her face getting red from embarrassment from their praise and Evelyn being correct about what she did.
"It was no trouble at all. I just have a particularly deep knowledge of momentum and the forces of action-reaction." Penny said bashfully.
"And high physical strength! I know that I no sloach, but damn girl you are probably stronger that I am." Jack said with a smile.
"She is the best hugger I know, that's for sure." Roxas said.
Technically the only one, but he was sure Penny could beat nearly anyone among the countless worlds in that regard.
"High praise from the world traveler! If that is true we are going to need a full time orthopedist on standby incase she hugs us at full strength!" Evelyn said while laughing, getting both Penny and Jack to laugh as well.
Roxas just smiled at that, not knowing what an orthopedist is. But getting what Evelyn said, he did find it humorous.
The Nobody looked at his fellow teammates and if he could describe what he was feeling, than he was feeling as happy as he was with Axel and Xion. Back before everything went wrong.
He hoped to never experience something like that again…and that he could see Axel again.
Still if this was what it was like here at Remant, than he supposed he could enjoy being with his new friends and new as much as he could.
"It seems congratulations are in order." Roxas heard Ozpin said, breaking him out of his thoughts as he saw the Headmaster of Beacon approach them followed by Glynda.
The laughter and smiles dying as the team saw the two professors.
"So you finally appear after monitoring us the whole exam." Penny said, surprising Roxas.
"Of course, do you really think that I would have four children embark on a dangerous mission in the middle of a Grimm infested forest on Beacon's doorstep without remote supervision?" Ozpin asked with a grin.
"Yes!" Evelyn said loudly.
"And for all we know, you would have gotten a Wa-Lang all the way from Mistral or the Vacuoian border just that make this test even harder!" Jack accused.
"Why Miss Damerot, Miss Ivory why would I-" "Yes you would Ozpin." Glynda interrupted Ozpin, getting the headmaster to sigh at her words.
Penny was still processing what to say in response while Roxas sighed and shook his head.
It would seem like his time at Beacon might just be somewhat similar to the more benign aspects of the Organization he was used to.
"Headmaster Ozpin, I can assume that you are here with Professor Goodwitch to bring us back to Beacon?" Penny inquired, getting Ozpin to shake his head.
"Not at the moment Miss Polendia, there is one more matter for you to attend. Now follow us." Ozpin said as he began to walk further into the glade followed by Glyndia and the others.
They didn't have far to walk as Ozpin stopped and turned around, pointing to the half fallen ruins of a building on the others side of the glade.
"This ruin is one of many that can be found throughout the Emerald Forest. Many years ago there was a flourishing civilization located here, a precursor to modern Vale. But like all civilizations that have come before us, it eventually fell. Those that came after it fell learned from it's mistakes, from it's war and internal strife. And yet we still repeated the same mistakes." Ozpin said with a sigh as he shook his head. "We live in a world that learning from the past is not good enough anymore and that includes you now Roxas. So children, what other option is left for us now?"
No one of the four had expected Ozpin to speak of this and while Roxas, Evelyn, and Jack tried to come up with an answer, Penny figured out.
It was a simple process of elimination really.
If knowledge from the past would prove insufficient and on a world like Remnant there was hardly any allotted time to think about the future, it left only one probability.
One that Roxas also came up with when he remembered his conversation with Xion last night, to enjoy his time now.
"The present." Penny and Roxas said, getting Ozpin to smile.
"The both of you are correct. We learn from what from what is around us. We learn from other people, especially from those who are different from us." The headmaster said, seemingly ignoring Evelyn looking and grinning at Roxas at his words. "Only seeking those who share a similar viewpoint to your own, nothing will be learned or gained. Which is why it is important to make as many ties as possible. Even those who you may disagree on certain issues."
Both Jack and Evelyn glared at each other Roxas nodded at Ozpin's words, agreeing with the sentiment at least.
Despite his time in the Organization and his hatred of Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx for what they did to himself and Xion, everything that he had learned had been from each and every member. Good or bad he learned something from all thirteen other members in one way or another, everything he knew could be traced back to such a connection.
Something that he supposed he was consistently doing all the time.
Something the Nobody figured was a trait of truly existing at all.
Roxas began to push back those until later as Ozpin spoke again.
"You four are as different from each other as you can be. You all have different pasts, ideologies, and aspirations. But it is my belief that despite these differences that you all can come united. Rising above the challenges ahead, emerging victorious, and coming closer together like you all have today." Ozpin said with a smile.
Penny thought that Ozpin was right, perhaps in more ways than he didn't know about.
On this team there was a Nobody from another world, the first sentient artificial life form to use Aura on Remnant, an eccentric rabbit faunus, a human, and technically a Replica without a physical form for far if one included all the details.
There has literally been no team with such a diversity in recorded Remnant. One that she could all consider her friends.
Ozpin stayed silent for a moment before facing all four of them.
"Jacquelin B. Ivory." He said, getting said blonde to stand in attention. She appeared startled for a moment before smiling.
Having figured out what was going on along with the others, with the others smiling as well.
"Penny Polendia." He said, the gynoid looking very excited.
"Evelyn Damerot." Ozpin continued, a wide grin appearing on said faunus's face.
"And Roxas." He finished, with the Nobody simply nodding in response.
"From now and forever more the four of you will be Team Jasper, lead by Jacquelin B. Ivory." Ozpin finished with a smile.
Penny and Roxas were happy with the news, Jack looked a little surprised at being made leader yet soon brushed it off, and Evelyn just glared at Jack.
She would have preferred anyone but her as leader.
Penny was quite content wether being leader or not. Roxas preferred if he was not leader, his experiences with leaders being mixed good to horrible.
But then Evelyn snapped out of her glare as she realized something.
With their initials they would be Team JPER.
"Hey there isn't an A or S in Penny's initials!" Evelyn protested.
"It was either Team Jasper or Team Jeeper." Glynda sighed out as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
She had a similar discussion with Ozpin on why Team CRDL or Cardinal was a better name than Team CRML or Criminal last semester. Despite how the later name might have fit most of their members given their behavior was.
Even with the liberal use of names, she had to wonder why someone would name their child with their first, middle, and last name being a type of bird?
"Team Jasper it is!" Eveyln yelled out, getting Penny to laugh while Jack and Roxas looked at their teammate in amusement.
Although Roxas had to agree with Evelyn on the team name based on initials.
Suddenly he felt a warm feeling wash over him before he could hear Xion laughing.
"While Evelyn might be right and it would still be wrong, an X might help this team truly sound correct." He heard Xion say before their connection dimmed once again.
Roxas smiled as his friend was right in a way. He and Xion were now part of a team of those the both could consider to be friends.
Today truly marked a new start for them, and someday he will make sure that Xion will be able to enjoy it herself as well.
The screen flickered for a bit before the author reappeared as the chapter end.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here and I hoped that you all enjoyed this chapter.*
*Let's move onto business shall we.*
*Here we have more on Jack and Evelyn on the new team, with their bad blood started due to previous experience and food poisoning. Never have been myself, but I have seen the effects…it is not pretty. And while the two of them are grating to one another, they are willing to put aside their dislike to complete a mission with more to cover later one.*
*Along with it being revealed that Evelyn's weapon has another alt form and taking a bit more after a rabbit than just the ears…which I can already see at least one review mentioning that in the future. And Jack's main weapon having a gun mode like about 85% of all weapons on Remnant it seems. Although it is basically like a mini machine gun, small bullets with rapid fire. But with her strength and martial ability her gloves alone are just about enough. And that is just without the power of her Sembalance. Will be awhile to reveal it, but it is terrifyingly powerfully…*
*Next is the main objective of the exam Ozpin had set in place, the Wa-Lang.*
*It originates from JPDE and is a rare and dangerous Grimm mainly from Mistral. It is a dangerous ambush hunter nearly 3 meters in height that could cut through trees easily. Basically think of like a mini Kamacurus from Godzilla with it's power of flight and camouflage, ironically enough it is around the same height before they were mutated.*
*Roxas was right to compare them to a Zip Slasher as their intelligence, durability, and raptorials make them a dangerous foe. If they had been any in the Emerald Forest during Volume 1…the forest would have quickly become a blood bath given how dangerous they can be in their. If anyone of them faced it alone it would not have ended well, but as a team it was just a challenge they could overcome together.*
*Finally the Team name, JPER or if you include Xion and the initial she added JXPER.*
*Honestly with everyone's initials it was really, really hard to come up with a name for them, I have to thank warrior of six blades for the help. Also for everything they have done to help this story with each and every chapter. And Jasper fits the theme anyway along with several different types of jasper fitting the themes of it's team members, especially with one of the more common types matching the sunset.*
*Anyway for the team Ozpin has decided Jack will be the leader. Though the best choices were her or Penny for their experience or intelligence. Evelyn is well…Evelyn and Roxas while experienced hasn't had much chance for such a role given his time in the Organization among the bottom members in ranks. That isn't to say he won't grow in his new role on the team, but decided to at least stick for canon.*
*However next chapter things start anew for Team Jasper as their first day of Beacon and Roxas adjusting to his new life. Meeting face to face some of those he encountered the other day. And we will also take a look back with Riku and Naminé. With things starting to tense between the later and DiZ while Naminé experiencing her first hurdle as a Keyblade wielder.*
*I hope that you all will enjoy the chapter when it comes out…which should be a long while from now.*
*Anyway if you have any questions leave a review or PM me and I will get back to you when I can. So until next time, ciao!*
The author waves goodbye as the screen fades to black.