CHAPTER 5: VIEWPOINT

The amphitheater and the location of the welcoming ceremony were fairly easy to find once they backtracked to the main causeway. Just in time too, the place was packed with the entire first-year class. Thankfully, picking out Yang from the crowd was easy. Ruby could spot her mane of gold locks from a mile away. It helped that she had already seen her and was waving frantically.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" She called out.

"Oh jeez, sorry Jaune I gotta go. See you after the ceremony!" Ruby blurted out then ran towards her sister.

"Hey wait! Aw man, now where else am I going to find a nice, cute, quirky girl to talk to?"

Yang bounced on her heels as Ruby joined her.

"So? How's my baby sister's first day going?"

"You mean before or after you ditched me and I exploded?"

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang asked in a sing-song voice.

"No! I wish I was. First I almost tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, then she guilt-tripped me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me some more! And I felt really, really bad and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

"YOU!"

Ruby jumped at the sudden outburst from Weiss, who came over during her rant.

"Oh God, it's happening again!" Ruby lamented as she shivered in her sister's arms.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss continued.

"Oh my God, you actually exploded," Yang said with awe.

"It was an accident, an accident!" Cried Ruby as she dropped back to her feet. She suddenly found a pamphlet titled "Dust for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals" shoved into her face by the Schnee Heiress.

"What's this?"

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to Dust application and practice in the field."

"Huh?"

Weiss huffed. "You really want to start making things up to me?"

"Absolutely...?" Ruby replied with fear.

"Read this and never speak to me again."

Weiss shoved the pamphlet into Ruby's chest and turned away.

"Look, obviously you two just got off on the wrong foot," interjected Yang, trying to be the mediator. "Why don't you just start over and try to be friends?"

Weiss shot her a glare.

"Good idea sis," Ruby agreed. "Hello Weiss, I'm Ruby," she said, holding out her hand. "Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies-"

"Sure! And then we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there!" Weiss interrupted with obvious sarcasm, her thumb thrown at an oblivious Jaune behind her.

"Really?" Ruby lit up.

The heiress' expression fell into a deadpan.

"No."

Silence fell over the amphitheater suddenly as Headmaster Ozpin took the stage. He cleared his throat as he approached the microphone, with Professor Goodwitch at his flank and the rest of the Academy teachers lined up behind him.

"I'll keep this brief," he began as he adjusted his spectacles. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose and direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far."

Weiss looked down in a moment of what seemed to be hesitance, wringing her hands nervously like a child whose hand got caught in a cookie jar, Yang narrowed her eyes slightly at his partially condescending tone but stayed silent, and as for Ruby... She drank every word.

"It is up to you to take the first step."

Ruby was puzzled over the Headmaster's words, expecting something more uplifting for the start of term.

"He seemed kinda off," Yang commented.

"Yeah, almost like he wasn't all there," agreed Ruby.

Jaune sneaked up behind them, right next to Weiss.

"I'm a natural blonde, you know," he declared with a goofy smile.

The Heiress sighed with frustration as she palmed her face.

Writing it off as simply part of the man's character, the swordsman waited patiently as Professor Goodwitch stepped forward to the microphone once more.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation will begin; be ready."

The students were about to scatter, only for Goodwitch to stop them by raising her hand.

"Hold it."

Every student halted in their tracks.

Goodwitch turned her gaze towards a man beside her before nodding her head and stepping aside. Stepping forward was a tall, middle-aged white man with gray hair. He wore a simple officer's uniform and his arms were crossed over his chest. Weiss blinked in surprise as she recognized the man.

"Wait a minute, I know him." Said Weiss.

Ruby, Yang, and Jaune turned their gazes towards her.

"Who's that?" Ruby asked, looking at Weiss curiously.

"That's Captain Stacy, he used to patrol with his squad back at Atlas," Weiss replied, briefly turning to Ruby and then back at the Captain standing on stage. "Although I don't know why he's here at Vale."

"I think I know.." Muttered Jaune, earning a bewildered look from the heiress, Ruby, and Yang.

"Good afternoon students of Beacon," Captain Stacy began. "My name is Captain Stacy. I won't take too much of your time so I'll get straight to the point. Are any of you aware of a certain vigilante by the name of Spider-Man?"

Every student in the area nodded.

"Well," he continued. "Let me make something clear to you all: He's an amateur who's assaulting civilians in the dead of night. He's clumsy, he leaves clues, and he's still dangerous. On the Internet, he's being made out to look like a hero by some of you, along with the Faunus community that lives in this city. Protecting innocent people from bad guys."

Captain Stacy's eyes narrowed at the crowd.

"Well, I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. This guy wears a mask like an outlaw; he's hunting down criminals that all look the same like he's got some sort of personal vendetta. But he's not protecting innocent people. He's nothing more than a vigilante who's going against the law, and I, as well as many other officers in Vale, stand for law and order. So in conclusion to my statement, if you see this Spider-Man you report either us, the Huntsman, or the Huntress immediately. We will bring him in."

Silence descended the amphitheater.

"That is all."

Ruby glanced down at the floor. Deep down she knew that parts of what Captain Stacy said was right.

But even so, she didn't like how he was speaking ill of her hero.

That evening found the entire first-year class crowded in the school's ballroom, curtains drawn over expansive windows and sleeping bags set up in rows with little room for personal space. The gang had since changed into their sleeping clothes. Dressed in a black tank top and pink sweatpants with roses, Ruby was scratching away in her notebook.

"It's like a biiiig slumber party!" Cheered Yang as she dropped beside her. Like Ruby, she also was dressed in a tank top but with cotton shorts, and hers were orange and black.

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys though," replied Ruby.

"I know I do..." her sister retorted with a saucy grin. She growled as she observed some specimens of tasteful physique showing off. She then shuddered as Jaune strode in front and locked eyes with her, wearing a sky-blue onesie.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Just writing a letter back to the gang at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Awww, that's so cuuuuute!" Yang gushed.

"Shut up!" Ruby threw her pillow into her sister's face.

"I didn't get to bring any of my friends to school with me; it's weird not knowing anybody here!"

"What about Jaune? He's... nice. And you came here with Raine too! It doesn't matter you only knew him for a day, that's the fastest I've ever seen you open up to someone. See? Two friends already! That's a 200% increase!"

"Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend... back to one."

"There's no such thing as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!"

Yang gets hit with another pillow, this time looking like a dog in the face. Yang pushes the pillow aside and turns her gaze to Ruby.

"Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!"

Ruby's attention was drawn to the sound of a match being struck. She shifted her gaze, one row ahead of them leaning against a wall, was the cat-eyed girl who "saved" Ruby from Weiss. She was cozying up with the same book from this morning as her little section of the hall was illuminated with the soft glow of a candlestick, the girl wrapped snugly in a thick and full-fitting dark robe.

"Hey," she said, her eyes widened slightly. "That's the girl from earlier?"

"You know her?" Asked Yang.

"Not really. She saw what happened this morning. She and her brother ended up leaving before I could say anything."

"Well now's your chance!" Declared the blonde.

"Wait what? HEY!" Ruby yelped as her sister yanked her to her feet.

The girl in question glanced over her book at the nearing commotion. She sighed and tried to ignore it, which only got more difficult when they stopped in front of her.

"Helloooooo! I believe you two may know each other?" Announced Yang as Ruby turned away with a pout.

"Aren't you... that girl who exploded?" Asked the brunette.

"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby," she said, holding out her hand. "But uh you could call me crater... ya know what, you can just call me Ruby..." she trailed off.

"Okay," the girl replied simply as she turned back to her book.

"What are you doing?" Whispered Yang.

"I don't know, help me!" Ruby shot back under her breath.

"So! What's your name?" Asked Yang.

"Blake," the girl answered with an exasperated sigh

"Well Blake, I'm Yang! I'm Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"

"Thanks."

"Yeah, it goes great with your uh... pajamas!"

"Mhmm."

"Soooo... nice night don't ya think?" Continued Yang.

"Yes!" Blake spoke up, setting her book down. "Just as nice as this book, that I will continue to read... as soon as you leave."

She picked it back up, huffing as she lost her spot. Maybe if she threw up her usual walls, they would leave her alone.

"Yeah this girl is a lost cause," Yang declared to her sister.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked. The girls perked up at Ruby's question.

"Pardon?" Asked Blake.

"Your book," Ruby clarified as she sat down with her. "Does it have a title?"

"Oh," Blake started, caught by surprise. "Well... it's about a man with two souls, one good and one evil, that try to take control over his body."

"That sounds... interesting?" Yang awkwardly supplied.

"I love books," said Ruby, smiling at her. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed when we were little. Stories about heroes and monsters, always saving the day and the people around them. They're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

For the first time that day, Blake actually cracked a smile.

"Why is that? Hoping we live happily ever after?" She asked.

"I'm hoping we all will," Ruby answered sincerely. "As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books, someone who fought for what was right and protected those who couldn't protect themselves."

"That's very ambitious for a child." Blake set her book down, now fully involved in the conversation. "Unfortunately the real world isn't like those in fairy tales," Blake explained to her as her smile faded away.

"I know that," Ruby replied. "That's why there are people like us, huntsmen and huntresses fighting to make the world a better place. Right?"

Yang smiled at the wholesome sight. Such innocence was beautiful to see. It could have been a picture-perfect moment, but then Yang happened.

"I'm so proud of you!" Gushed Yang as she glomped her sister.

"Cut it out!" Protested Ruby, the two getting into a noisy scuffle that drew more than a few stares.

Blake just watched in amusement as the two sisters quarreled with each other.

"What on earth is going on over here?" Came a shrill voice.

The two sisters stopped their quarrel and turned their heads to see a familiar face.

"Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?"

She locked eyes with Yang, remembering an earlier confrontation they had after orientation.

"Oh not you again!" They yelled in unison. It was almost comical.

"Guys, seriously! Some people really are trying to sleep," warned Ruby, now suddenly very self-conscious.

"Oh so now you're on my side?!"

"I've always been on your side!"

The girl's bickering stopped when they heard static crackling before morphing into music. They turned their gazes towards a wide-screen TV not too far from them. A small group of boys were captivated by a news report displayed on screen. Intrigued, Ruby gravitated towards the rear of the crowd, attentively observing the unfolding events depicted on the screen.

Weiss didn't have to walk toward the TV screen to see what it was they were watching.

"Are they still showing that spider guy on the news again?" Weiss asked, as if she was surprised they were still showing him on the news.

"You have to admit, he's pulling off the outfit pretty good."

Weiss and Yang turned their heads in time to see Blake's brother approaching them. His sleeping bag rolled up and tucked underneath his arms. To her chagrin, and praying to God the blonde girl didn't notice, pink dusted her cheeks. He wore a white undershirt and loose shorts remained, Weiss could see clearly that he took very good care of himself.

"I guess some people really can pull off wearing tights." He said, dropping his sleeping bag next to Blake. "But he's definitely doing some good, right sis?"

He glanced down at his sister.

"Yeah." Blake responded while still keeping her eyes on the screen.

"See! She agrees with me, and since you can still pay attention to me then that means you know we need to go get some sleep."

Weiss redirected her gaze back to Ruby. She arched a brow when she saw her scratching her pencil across her book as if her life depended on it. Weiss found the sight to be ridiculous.

"This is ridiculous! How is she supposed to be a team leader for her future team if she keeps gawking over some fool wearing a mask and thinking he's a hero." Weiss shouted, glaring at the webhead vigilante swinging around buildings on screen.

"What if he is a hero?" Blake snapped at the heiress, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

Blake herself can only blush from embarrassment at her outburst which made her sound like she's also a fan girl defending Ruby's idol. Ruby was a diehard hero worshiper, which was one of the reasons why she wanted to be a Huntress, but once Ruby told Yang that she saw an actual hero her fascination was set ablaze.

Blake did not share Ruby's enthusiasm for heroism. She was only interested if Spider-man shared her perspective. Someone who recognized the injustices in the world and took it upon themselves to rectify them. Blake, on the other hand, became a Huntress to fulfill this purpose, albeit in a different manner. This divergence in their approaches has left her concerned about the righteousness of his actions. Undoubtedly, what he is doing is incredibly heroic, but Blake ponders the potential consequences if the White Fang were to discover his identity.

She can only surmise that a Faunus is responsible for these noble acts. However, it is challenging to ascertain his true nature, as he exhibits no discernible characteristics. According to Blake's research on the internet, he possesses the ability to cling to walls and discharge webs. These abilities could be attributed to either a semblance or a tool that enables him to perform such feats. Perhaps, if he were to reveal his face, she might recognize him from her time with the movement. It is possible that he dons the costume to provoke speculation regarding his humanity.

Blake's hand felt for her black bow. That's the only reason she can come up with since she's also wearing something to hide her true self. Something she intends to keep hidden for who knows how long.

"Whatever he's doing is stopping people from losing their businesses..."

"See!" Blake's brother was thrilled to have his sister's support.

"The only thing I don't like is that he's wearing a mask," Blake commented, causing Ruby from afar to deflate, her brother to frown, and Weiss to stand a little bit taller for someone finally agreeing with her.

"Ha! There you have it, just because he's stopping crimes doesn't mean he should hide who he is. He's a bad influence on young minds, thinking that they should use their semblance and take the law into their own hands." Weiss placed her hands on her hips. "It just makes it worse since he's wearing a costume with most of the people spewing nonsense about him being a superhero."

Ruby rejoined the girls with a frown.

"He is a hero! Right, Yang?" Ruby asked Yang while giving her best puppy dog eyes.

"I don't know," She said while scratching the back of her head. "I mean I get that he shouldn't hide who he is, since anyone of us could do the same thing, but I'm still going to say that so long as the guy is doing good then he should keep on doing it."

"YAY!"

"Are you serious?" Weiss asked, surprised at how easily she caved into her little sister's puppy dog eyes.

"Should you really complain, he's practically saving you lien with him stopping all those dust robberies." Blake's brother said.

"That's beside the point! If he keeps doing this then more people will follow his example and make their own belief of justice. Am I right?" Weiss turned her head to expect at least the one person with her head on straight to agree with her.

Blakes' lips parted to reply until their scrolls informed them that Goodwitch had told them to go to sleep. After turning off both the tv and lights, everyone slept in their sleeping bags. Ruby was the only one awake as she finished her drawing and placed her pencil down. She smiled at her finished art of Spider-Man.

She folded her book close and laid down on her side.

Allowing sleep to take her to dreamland where adventures with superheroes await.

Pain.

That was the first thing Spider-Man felt when he woke up to see he was inside a room of an abandoned building. He never felt this much pain before in his life, and yet he had no choice but to get up once he heard sirens nearby. He could take punches with no problem, even when they used blunt objects like plywood or steel pipes. But this was the first time he'd gotten punched by a giant fist made of sand. He was thankful that he was durable enough to survive it.

I need to get up before they get away, Peter thought.

Getting back on his feet the injured hero fought his fatigue and leapt off the hole he made. He discharged a web to a building, repeating the procedure until he landed in front of the completely empty dust shop. The White Fang goons along with their guardian long gone with no trace whatsoever.

I need to get back home before the police catch me, Peter thought.

Raising his hand to gracefully swing away from the scene of the crime, he paused as he recollected leaving a camera attached to a corner store. He promptly made a brief detour to retrieve the photographs. Once he had retrieved his camera, he elegantly swung back home, taking care not to disturb Aunt May with his pained groans. He silently proceeded to his bathroom mirror to assess the extent of his injuries. The reflection revealed a cracked left lens on his mask, which was also covered in sand from head to toe.

Peter let out a sigh, shaking his head in disappointment. He realized that his suit needed to be repaired, but he was too tired to take it off. After brushing off the sand from his person, he wearily made his way to his bed. Summoning the last of his energy, Peter removed his mask and gently pulled up the bed sheets to cover his bruised body before succumbing to sleep. He had never encountered a situation as serious as this, but he understood that the fact that they were willing to confront him directly indicated that there was more to it than mere thefts of dust.

It also means if their boss had to come out of his hideout to stop him that someone even more powerful was pulling the strings in the shadows, and they wanted to eliminate him before he got too close.

He'll look into it after a good night's sleep.

After all, even a superhero needs his rest.

A/N: And that was chapter 5, young readers. I had thought about revealing Blake's brother's name in this chapter but decided to save that for the next chapter. I also wanted to make an official announcement that this series is set in its alternate continuity of Earth-30071. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to add another familiar villain at the amphitheater stage, one that'll fight alongside Sandman to take down Spider-Man but I disregarded that idea and decided to save that after Sandman is defeated.

Now from what I learned in the comics, Captain Stacy fully supported Spider-Man from the beginning. But as you have seen in this chapter, I wanted to have him see Spider-Man as other non-supporters have seen him: a hero pretender, a vigilante, some guy in dress up going against the law. But fear not young readers, he'll support Peter/Spider-Man in the future but right now is not that time.

With all of that said, I'm off. See you all in the next chapter!