Barren.
That was the only way to describe the place. The wind lashed around the empty area, an artificially created wasteland full of nothing but dust, sand, and rocks. Not even rubble remained of the city that once stood in its place.
Not only had any and all infrastructure been turned to dust, but the land itself had been changed. Where there was once a sprawling city, only a desert remained. However, even amidst that devastation, there was still life.
Two men stood, looking at that infinitely distant horizon. The sight was a rare one, only so clear because of the lack of any familiar city buildings to obscure their view.
One was a young cyborg with blonde hair, the other a slightly older bald man with a tacky yellow suit and red cape. Not only were they the only signs of life for hundreds of miles, but they were also two of the few remaining heroes of this world: The S-Rank: Demon Cyborg, and the A-Rank: Caped Baldy.
However, to those who knew them, they just preferred to go by Genos and Saitama.
"Hey, Genos." The bald man took a few steps towards the horizon, holding a hand to shield his forehead from the scattering rays of sunlight.
"Yes, teacher?" Genos remained still, watching the horizon with an uncharacteristically empty gaze.
"This…the reason for this city disappearing, was caused by another one of those 'Apostle of God' guys, right?"
"Yes, teacher." The cyborg affirmed with a nod. Saitama sighed, finding himself a nearby rock to sit on. He brought a hand to his cheek, and suddenly, even that invincible man looked just a little tired.
"...I'm used to monsters having their one minute of fame, or going off on some way too long and boring tangent. But this is…this is just too much, you know?"
Genos nodded taking the moment to allow his cybernetically-enhanced golden eyes complete a scan for any signs of life. It only confirmed what was visually obvious. There was nothing, unless microorganisms were enough to consider life surviving. There were no insects, no plants, no monsters, and certainly no humans.
The city, of which a name was now useless for, had ceased to exist, all through one deadly attack. This was the power of the apostles of God - beings granted immense power just through establish contact with the mysterious entity known as God.
Genos felt a righteous fury raising within him, as he internalized the information from his scan. This was not your usual expected destruction experienced by those who lived in their monster-filled society. The immediate removal of an entire city from the face of the earth was not something he - or any others could just laugh off.
This sort of power reminded him of those memories of Garou from a time that would never be - the horrible future that Saitama prevented, only by doing something as ridiculous as traveling back in time. However, now, they were potentially dealing with tens of such monsters, each one stronger than any one S-Class hero.
However, even knowing their hopeless odds, the rage that swelled within him couldn't be suppressed. This sight was just too familiar for him to just file away as an unfortunate accident.
Just as he thought that, his anger was immediately crushed - quelled by another feeling that was all too familiar to him. No, it hadn't been quelled, but overpowered. He was overcome with emotions that weren't even his.
An oppressive, dark feeling, looming over the entire area, pressed down on him like a physical force. He slowly turned his eyes to Saitama, but immediately regretted it.
"This…is taking it too far."
Nowhere on Saitama's face was his usual blank expression. It was like a cesspool of darkness, unreadable yet terrifying all at once. Even with how many upgrades Genos had received by now, his lengthy battle experience, and the various opponents he had faced, Saitama's anger, even secondhand, was always something terrifying to behold. It felt like he was staring at the personification of death itself.
But because he knew the peaks of Saitama's anger well, he was able to understand him. This wasn't blind rage - but Saitama's heroic nature, often hidden, coming to light.
And what sort of hero could stay still?
This wasn't just property damage. Tens of thousands of people were killed in an instant, without a care for their lives.
Maybe some people Saitama had saved before.
Maybe people that had once been important to him.
The Apostles were undetectable, even with the assistance of Blast in uprooting them. The small group of elite beings were more troublesome than the Monster Association ever had been.
They were being stretched thin as heroes and as the powers of the Apostles were left to fester and grow, they only became more powerful and bold - leading to tragedies like the one that now surrounded them. Even with Saitama's power, his strength, alone, had become useless.
"...well. You can't really do anything about what's done, right? All we can do…is keep trying to help as much as we can."
Saitama turned around, heading in a random direction. His usual blank look had returned, and his voice held that same nonchalance befitting of someone with his bottomless strength. However, Genos noticed it. A slight edge to Saitama's voice.
"I suppose so, Saitama-sensei."
Genos walked behind Saitama, staring at his back wordlessly. A burst of wind kicked up dust, causing Saitama's white cape to flutter in the air. That cape seemed to cover the entirety of the wasteland in Genos' field of vision. Like Saitama's presence, itself, now hovered over the whole region.
"That Blast guy needs to hurry it up. If he and the rest of the heroes don't speed up getting rid of these 'Apostle' guys, I'm going to skip right past those brainwashed cultists and punch that 'God' guy in the face, myself."
Perhaps coming from anyone else, it would've just seemed like a farce. After all, not even Blast or Tatsumaki could currently handle an Apostle single handedly.
Genos smiled. Not even a hint of doubt lingered in his voice.
"It's a shame that you haven't been given permission to join the active battles, Saitama-sensei. Those who haven't yet recognized your strength in the Hero Association are truly…"
Saitama sighed, rolling his eyes. He waved off Genos' worries, blankly staring ahead.
"Honestly speaking, I just want to jump into the action…it's a pain to just wait until another one of these guys shows up to destroy another city…so I'm going to start taking the fight to them. Screw rules or waiting. A real hero doesn't care about any of that crap when it really matters."
Saitama wiped a bead of sweat from his face, while Genos pulled out a notepad and wrote down Saitama's words on a page.
"Wise words, as expected of Saitama-sensei!"
Saitama groaned in exasperation, his shoulders lowering. "Oi…are you really going to write notes at a time like this?"
"Of course. I must always be ready to note your words of wisdom!"
"You and this heat are going to seriously drive me crazy, man." Saitama sighed, taking one more look out towards the horizon.
The tense atmosphere around Saitama had seemingly dissipated into the heat.
"Alright…let's speed it up, Genos. I'm melting out here, maybe we can look for a cheap family restaurant or something to stay in for a while? It'd be nice to mooch off of some air conditioning."
Genos nodded, feeling a small amount of relief. He put his notepad away, and it was obvious that he had not actually written anything on the pages.
More than the heat, he was just happy to see Saitama return to his usual self, if just for this moment.
'Saitama-sensei…nobody else may believe it yet, but if there's anyone capable of stopping God, it has to be you. After all, you are…the world's greatest hero.'
Saitama ran off, his legs and form becoming a blur. Genos ran beside him, only due to the hero lowering his speed.
Unbeknownst to either of them, this would be one of the last conversations they would ever have.
Saitama opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for a few seconds, but as it came into focus, he found himself no less confused.
He realized he was staring up at the ceiling of…wherever he was. The ceiling was tiled, white, and surprisingly clean, almost sterile.
"...an unfamiliar ceiling."
He muttered a line he had read in a few of the manga he tended to flip through back home.
The teen sat up, gaining a much better look at his surroundings. It was then that he realized that the ceiling was not an exception to the rest of the room.
The floor mirrored the ceiling, and the walls looked pure white, as well. He tried to sit up more, but felt a nagging pain in his left arm. Saitama paused, glancing to his left. An IV had been inserted into his veins, dripping a clear fluid into his bloodstream.
He was laying on a white bed, and around him were several other machines, some that seemed to be reading his vitals, and others that were connected to the IV, having some kind of shimmering blue powder within it.
"So, a hospital, huh?" Saitama laid back in his bed, staring at the white wall without much thought. "Guess I pushed myself a little hard. Feels weird to actually pass out, though."
It was a little nostalgic - he really felt like he was back in his days of training to be a hero. The thought brought a smile, however small, to his face.
For a while, Saitama just sat there, kind of enjoying the silence and relaxation.
But that was just for a while. He was now awake, and admittedly, pretty bored, so he looked around for something. His eyes lit up as he found a nearby television remote. He picked it up, switching a television that was mounted on the wall in front of his bed.
As it turned on, a news report came on the television.
"...and so, the horrific murders by the criminal group known only as 'Ash', continue to plague our city. Citizens are concerned: between the various robberies of dust stores, the presence of Ash, and the growing crime underbelly…is Vale safe anymore? And…just how will we defend ourselves from the rising amount of Grimm brought on by these threats?"
Saitama switched the channel, picking a booger out of his nose. "Let's look for something less depressing."
He eventually settled on a television show that was reminiscent of an anime.
…
Ruby Rose brought a hand over her chest, taking time to calm her breathing while walking through the halls of Beacon's student infirmary. She was dressed in her school uniform, having made her way here between classes. In her free hand was a neatly wrapped bundle, which she held carefully, despite balancing it on her palm.
Ruby passed a few rooms with heavily injured students. Some were crying, loud enough to be heard even through the soundproof rooms. More were eerily quiet, connected to a seemingly infinite amount of machines that kept them alive.
Ruby never got drunk, unlike her sister, but she felt suddenly sober.
The students in those rooms weren't just random strangers to her. They were all vaguely familiar faces - students that she had seen around before and during initiation day. Students that had not made it past initiation.
Their bodies, minds, and spirits had been broken by the hellish initiation.
She wondered, for a second, if she could have faced that same fate if Saitama wasn't there.
Sure, she and Jaune's newly formed teams somehow managed against the respective Grimm they faced, but could they - could she fight against such ridiculous numbers the way Saitama did? Would she have jumped into that sort of horde without hesitation, like him?
'Calm down, Ruby! Stop freaking yourself out with stupid what if questions!'
The student slapped her face, trying her best to shoo away the bad thoughts. Still, she didn't stop looking at the rooms with injured students. Her eyes didn't turn from reality, even if it was incredibly painful.
'The first step.'
That was what Ozpin, the headmaster, had called it. Ruby, along with all of her other friends, had managed to take that first step. A step those other prospective students would never get to take again. The only thing she could do for these people, was to continue along the path to becoming a huntress, even if they couldn't.
That's right. She just had to continue following her dream…alongside…her team. Her partner…
For a moment, Ruby's expression darkened, but it quickly left her with a sigh. She bottled it up for later.
After a while, she stopped in front of a room, taking a deep breath. She reached forward and swung through the door, entering with a large smile on her face.
"Good morning, Saitama!" She cheerily exclaimed, looking at the awake student, only to see him…lazing around on the bed, watching TV silently. He turned his head towards her, blinking twice. "Umm…hey?" She added, a lot less confidently this time. His eyes widened in realization only after a few seconds of awkward silence. He snapped his fingers, nodding to himself.
"Oh. Hey, uh…Rudy, right?"
"It's Ruby, R U B Y! Seriously, did you forget my name that fast?" Ruby exploded with energy, teetering off into a sigh. She approached Saitama's bedside, while the teen turned his attention back towards the television, already giving more attention to the screen than their conversation.
"Sorry. I've never really been good with names. I mean, I just woke up and all, it's probably some kind of…patient thing." Saitama looked down at himself. He was covered in a hospital gown, one which seemed to all but practically confirm that, yes, he was in some sort of medical area. Ruby just sighed, shaking her head as she presented the package she had in her hands.
"Well, that doesn't matter too much, I guess…I really came here to bring…da dada da~! This!" She handed over something to Saitama. He held it in his hands, looking down at the item. It was some sort of fancy black suit with gold lining, along with a blue vest, white shirt, and a blue tie, all wrapped up in clear wrapping. Saitama stared down at the clothes, then up at Ruby, then down at the clothes again.
"Ah-!" Ruby seemed to catch the unsaid question, smiling. "Well, don't be too shocked - this is your official uniform as a student of Beacon academy! Something everyone our age aspires to wear…it's the official proof that you're now a huntsman-in-training…like me!"
Her excitement was shining through, even brighter than the smile on her face. But Saitama didn't seem to have much of a reaction.
"So…it's just a fancy-looking school uniform?" His voice was as blank as his eyes.
Ruby instantly deflated, holding a shaking finger up in objection. "W-Well…not just a school uniform…i-it's a uniform reserved for aspiring huntsmen…you know, the uniform of Remnant's most prestigious Huntsman Academy."
"So, a fancy school uniform."
"...yes. It's a school uniform." Ruby gave in with a dejected slump of her shoulders. Ignoring her dejection, Saitama took the clothes, setting them down on the bed beside him.
"Alright. Well, these look kinda stuffy, but it's the only thing I have to wear right now, anyways. Mind if I put it on real quick?" Saitama was already halfway through changing even as he spoke, having suddenly began to slid the hospital gown off of his upper body. There was really no embarrassment in his eyes, and he just turned his body away from Ruby after noticing she was just standing there.
His impossibly, surprisingly well-defined upper body, chiseled like it was made of stone…but it wasn't only that, but also the definition of his muscles. He wasn't all bulk, and definitely not all lean. He had a body perfectly made for combat - something similar to Pyrrha's build. That of a perfectly well-balanced huntsman.
How hard did someone have to work to get a body like that? Ruby had initially dismissed Saitama as an incredibly lucky prodigy, but that sort of body definitely wasn't based off of talent alone. Putting aside the disturbing fact that he was as skilled as he was without even knowing about Aura, as well…
'Who is Saitama, really? And…will he really listen to my request?'
"Uh…Ruby?"
"Huh? Oh, oh yeah! Alright, sure, I'll be waiting outside!" Ruby quickly replied, walking her way out of the room with a small blush on her face. She was more embarrassed being caught in her thoughts than anything ulterior. It was really just pure admiration.
Ruby and Saitama now walked through the halls of what was Beacon's main school building, having already left what Saitama had learned to be the campus' student clinic. He was both surprised and relieved at the revelation.
The entire building around them was incredibly high-tech. It even made the Hero Association's building, which was constructed all out that black metal and had tons of computers look like a caveman's building. Everywhere he looked there were high-tech fingerprint scanners, machines he couldn't hope to figure out, and materials that looked crazy strong.
Seeing all this, only one thought crossed his mind.
'Thank god I don't have to pay any crazy medical fees…if I had to pay, I don't know if I could afford staying somewhere this high-tech. Who knows if this school gives students insurance? Even if it did, I sure as heck didn't sign up for any.'
The Arc family was nice, but Saitama had even less money in this life than he did in his previous one. Their charity didn't exactly put money in his pocket…at least once he passed this school, he could start doing his usual thing: working as a hero for fun, and maybe a little bit of money on the side.
While walking, Saitama noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ruby was throwing occasional glances his way. Her eyes would shimmer, and fill with a sickening expectation. Saitama knew those eyes…he had seen them on Genos before being tricked into accepting him as a 'student'. Always one to be blunt, he spoke what was on his mind.
"Say, why did you come to get me anyways, Ruby? I figured Jaune would've been the one to do that. That guy's always trying to keep an extra eye and ear out for me. He's really like a second mom sometimes, that guy."
Ruby laughed, waving her arms out to the school building around them. "Well, Jaune is kind of busy right now…and you needed someone to hand you your uniform and show you around, right? I'm…not too eager to be around my team, so I didn't really have an issue checking on you every now and then in his stead! I wasn't the only one who visited you though, if that's what you mean. I just happened to get called when the machines detected you woke up."
"Cool. Well, thanks. If it wasn't for you, I was going to have to walk around in a hospital gown, since I was getting pretty bored of the TV. Not that I really minded, since it was kinda comfortable…it would've just been embarrassing." Ruby couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Saitama wandering around in a hospital gown, which Saitama took no offense to. "But, you know, now that I think about it, why would a school infirmary have that? A hospital gown I mean. And a bunch of private rooms, and a TV?"
Ruby seemed to shine with the opportunity to explain, and she raised a finger. "Well, you see, as one of only four official huntsman academies across the entirety of Remnant, Beacon Academy has a really advanced set of facilities and has the highest budget among them for students! Therefore, the student infirmary is more on the level of a private clinic rather than a-"
"So, it's just a fancy school."
"...yes. It's just a fancy school."
Having learned her lesson before with the uniform, Ruby just gave in to Saitama's utter disinterest towards the illustrious history, reputations, and facilities associated with the schools.
'I would've liked to explain it more to him, though…'
Ruby internally sighed. Was there nobody that would listen to her nerd out for just a little bit?
"Anyways, you really didn't have to come and get me yourself, you know. I'm thankful for the uniform, but you don't need to walk me around. Couldn't I just ask for a quick orientation? Even if I just grab a map and figure things out myself. I'm pretty good at just running around until I find things."
"Jaune said that if you ever said something like that, I should definitely double-triple-quadruple make sure to guide you."
"Tch. He really is a nosy guy." Saitama could practically see the shadow of Jaune behind Ruby repeating those words with a smug look on his face.
Ruby laughed again. She didn't know why, but around Saitama, it was just easy to laugh. He was like some sort of living gag, at least when he wasn't showing off his impressive physical abilities.
"Well, I mean…if you think about it, how exactly did you plan to even find the right person to ask for those things? If you just ran around, you probably would've never found the right class in time!"
"Well, you're right. Guess I should just be grateful for not having to worry about that sort of thing, miss living tour guide."
"I think I preferred 'Rudy' a little more."
The two walked through the school like that for a while, with Ruby occasionally introducing different classrooms, facilities, and general information to Saitama, that he was sure to not care about much in the future. Still, he enjoyed this. It was a simple sort of fun, even if a school tour wasn't exactly what he expected right after waking up from a fainting spell that lasted who-knows how long.
"So, Saitama…" Ruby twiddled her fingers together, looking bashful and shy for a few long seconds, to which Saitama just remained quiet.
'Here comes whatever she was holding back this whole time.'
"I-I have to ask…What. Was. Up. With that CRAZY fight you had?! I've never seen someone fight so fast and strong, except for maybe my sister when she gets fired up? But, like, still, she usually needs a lot of time to charge up to fight like that. And then, she can only do it for a few minutes. But you just jumped right in and were all like - Bang! Boom! Whachow! I mean - those things were elementals, you know! And a whole horde of them! You're so crazy strong-"
Ruby stopped mid-rant, blinking and returning to her senses. Of course, Saitama's wide-eyed stare at her helped to bring her back to reality too. She cleared her throat, looking away from him with a blush.
"Sorry…I tend to get really into analyzing combat, and stuff…"
Saitama just waved her off. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've had someone take such a weirdly deep look at the way I fight." He would've usually stopped her mid-rant anyways, but after that dream, well, Saitama was feeling just a little nostalgic.
"So…how the heck did you learn how to do all of that, anyways? The more I think about it, the more weird it gets. You and Jaune both don't come from any combat school we know, and neither of you knew what Aura was 'till the day of the test. But Jaune seemed to have a lot of potential, and you're…well…instant competition for the strongest student in the academy!"
Saitama thought for a long while on how to answer her, placing a hand on his chin. And eventually, the same answer he always gave to these sorts of questions came out.
"I don't know. I just move fast and punch things. There's nothing else to it."
"..."
His words left Ruby dumbfounded. To the point that the usually bright and cheery semi-chatterbox was left completely silent.
"Well…I guess I do have a lot of experience, too. Fighting people and monsters."
Those words gave Ruby true pause, and this time, not just out of surprise, but genuine concern.
'Every one of us at Beacon has fought monsters before. Heck, it's what we're here for. But, people…what has Saitama been through to have already fought people before?'
He really was an enigma to her mind. But, in a way, it only strengthened her resolve. She knew what she wanted to ask him, and she wouldn't hesitate anymore.
"Saitama. I, um…if you don't mind, do you think you could-"
"Ah, sorry to interrupt, but could I have a bit of your time, students?"
A polite but powerful voice interrupted the two. When they turned around to face the source, it was none other than the imposing white-haired man from the induction ceremony. Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon academy.
Ruby's words were lost in her throat. Seeing Ozpin, the man who had appointed her as the leader of team RWBY, and given her partnership with Weiss the go-ahead, left a sour taste in her mouth. There was no anger in her gaze, however. Instead, she struggled to meet Ozpin's gaze.
Shame.
"O-Of course not, Ozpin, sir…I was just helping Saitama to look around the campus, considering that we have a free period to begin the day…and everything."
The headmaster smiled warmly, nodding in Ruby's direction. However, the gesture seemed empty, a meaningless platitude extended to every student he crossed paths with.
"Very good, Miss Rose. As I would expect of one of this year's leaders - taking the initiative to assist a fellow student is something few would do. An excellent quality to have."
Ruby just chuckled awkwardly, the praise making her shrink in what looked like visible discomfort. "O-Oh, it isn't that big of a deal, sir. I just wanted to help Saitama out since he's been out for the past few days…"
Saitama's widened, this time almost larger than saucers. One could practically hear the sound of glass breaking in his head.
'Holy shit, I've been out for that long?! I haven't slept that long since I used to be in school! Well…other school…my last school? Previous school? Forget it, I just can't believe I got hurt that bad. Guess I'm really not as tough as I used to be.'
Ozpin nodded, turning his gaze in Saitama's direction. It was filled with readable emotion - if one were to look deeply enough. However, Saitama wasn't too interested in deciphering some old dude's emotions. He was never that kind of guy, anyways. He just got straight to the point.
"So, what do you want? Uh…sir."
Saitama only corrected himself because he felt Ruby's heated gaze on his neck. She seemed obsessed with huntsmen, and considering he was a headmaster of a place that trained future huntsmen, this Ozpin guy was probably a big deal.
That, and, said old dude was something like his principal now.
'...It's really setting in, being a student again. Shit, how much homework did I already miss? This is going to be such a pain…I have to do homework again?'
Back in his world, even children could become official heroes if they just showed enough overwhelming potential...not that he knew that until a few years of blindly doing unofficial hero work. Maybe he'd just skip the huntsman thing and go straight to running around and doing hero work? Then again, this world didn't seem to take kindly to random vigilantes…the last thing he wanted was to end up getting chased around by the police.
Besides, he owed it to Jaune. Giving this 'huntsman academy' thing a proper try, like he had promised. It was something new for him. He had already achieved his goal of becoming the strongest hero, had the most satisfying fight of his life, and went out protecting the whole world, possibly universe.
There was really nothing more for him to do, except enjoy this life the way he wanted to.
"U-Um! Actually, Mr. Ozpin...before you address Saitama, I had something I wanted to ask- you know, erm…involving…teams?" Ruby's entire mood seemed to lower at the mention of the word 'team', her voice quieter than before.
Ozpin gave her a sideways glance…and replied, in an apologetic tone. "I'm afraid not. All teams are final, Miss Rose. While there may be grounds for the modification of teams, they are mostly under…emergency situations. Such as the unfortunate students who were injured during Initiation."
Ruby looked down to the floor, her arms hanging helplessly at her side. Ozpin had pre-empted her question. Of course he had. The unique situation team RWBY had must have been all too well known by now.
"Okay. I'm…sorry for taking up your time, Headmaster."
"Don't apologize, Ruby. Most importantly, do not be discouraged. By the fact that you are the only one on your team that cared enough to approach me like this…I can already tell you that no mistake has been made."
Ozpin smiled, and this time it felt much more genuine. Understanding, like the warmth a parent gave. It gave Ruby pause, shooing away the dark atmosphere that surrounded her.
"Now then, Saitama? I do have something important to discuss with you, so I'll be borrowing you for a spell. I hope you don't mind?" As if knowing Saitama's response already, Ozpin turned away, walking into the distance while sipping from an only just noticeable cup of coffee.
Saitama nodded, following Ozpin as he walked off. He paused for a second though, turning around and giving Ruby an awkward pat on the shoulder.
"Well…cheer up. You've got this."
He tried his best to encourage her, but it didn't seem like his words did much. So he just quietly left, following after the headmaster. Ruby stood there, watching the two go with an uncertain look in her eyes.
Walking through the halls of Beacon, Ruby Rose had absolutely none of her trademark exuberance left in her body. She focused on anything else but her own thoughts. Her footsteps, pressing into the solid flooring of the hallway. Other huntsmen-in-training like her, walking through the halls, and…a happy team of four students, chatting amongst one another.
Nobody was there to distract her anymore. She was forced to remember. Just how horrible the past few days had been for her.
While Saitama slept, and Jaune got closer to his team, Ruby had been fighting tooth and nail with hers.
Ruby's Scroll played a quiet alarm - just loud enough for her to hear from her own bed. She took in a deep breath, gathering all of her courage. It was officially her first day, and even if she wasn't the outspoken type, she wanted to make a good impression on her teammates-to-be. Even her big sister, Yang, who she felt she could show a better side of herself to.
"You've got this, Ruby…just jump up, and wow them. Yeah…yeah, okay…" After verbally psyching herself up, Ruby jumped out of her bed, into the center of the simple dorm room.
"GOOD MORNING TEAM RWBY! Are we all ready for our first day at one of the prestigious huntsman academies?"
The only response to her words was a large yawn, namely coming from Yang. She turned over in her bed, her frazzled blonde hair blocking her head from sight.
"Weiss and Blake already left, Rubes. It's just us." She murmured. Her voice was half-dead, like she had just come back from an all-nighter out on the town. In fact, she definitely had. "And keep it down, alright? Big sis is still trying to get some beauty sleep before she tackles the day."
Ruby was left standing in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the two empty beds where Weiss and Blake had been sleeping only moments ago. She stared down at the ground, shaking her head.
"W…what a way to start the day…"
Her cheeks were a deeper hue of red than the dark red highlights of her hair. Little did she know, that would only be the beginning of her embarrassment.
In class…
Ruby stared blankly at the professor in front of them, twiddling with her fingers while barely registering the story he was going on and on with.
The professor was a fat man, or, well, a portly man, Professor Peter Port. Ruby had already forgotten his name, though. He taught Grimm Studies, and Ruby honestly found the subject agreeable. As a huntress-to-be, who wouldn't want to learn how to better slash and shoot some Grimm?
But the teacher himself was, well…even the most dedicated of students were struggling to stay awake. Especially when the Professor began to launch into a familiar tirade about yet another of his adventures as a young huntsman.
She turned to look at the silver-haired heiress besides her, the only superhuman in the room who managed to stay awake. Like always, she was primly and properly dressed, the uniform somehow looking fancier on her than anyone else. Ruby didn't get the whole 'fancy rich girl' thing, but she did respect Weiss a little for always putting her best foot forward, even in dress.
Speaking of that characteristic, Weiss was completely focused on the lesson, switching between her textbook, and the teacher's gaze, when necessary. She even wrote diligent, well-organized notes.
'Weiss really is a superhuman…'
Ruby, meanwhile, was fighting sleep just like everyone else. She was never good at handling lectures, and there was an immense feeling welling up inside of her to either goof off or try to pass out. Yang seemed to be in a similar position, but she already looked like she was daydreaming, barely focusing on the lesson a lost cause. Blake just looked bored, and…
'...no, wait…is she sleeping with her eyes open?! How?! How do you even do that?!'
That was it. The ridiculous sight drove Ruby to the edge. She needed to slack off somehow, or she'd lose her mind. Blake was hard to approach, and Ruby knew Yang was even more of a slacker than her (when it came to non-combat studies), so there was only Weiss left. The girl was cold, colder than ice, but Ruby knew she had to force chances to bond with her teammates when she could.
Especially Weiss, who she hadn't spoken to since initiation.
'Right. This is a test, a test…if I can't even joke around with my teammates in class, am I really even a leader?!'
"Um…Weiss, I forgot to bring my textbook, do you think I could-"
"Do not talk to me, you improperly prepared. barely-focused…" Weiss started with venom in her voice, only to take a deep breath, and focus again. "...no, forget it. It isn't even worth speaking to you. Just don't speak to me, and we'll be fine."
When Weiss turned away, deciding to ignore Ruby rather than to argue with her, it somehow hurt even more than the insult she was preparing for.
Then there was lunchtime…
Weiss hadn't even bothered showing up in the general cafeteria, and Ruby and Yang ended up taking a seat at Blake's table, mostly thanks to Ruby's earnest request.
"H-Hey!" Ruby's words weren't confident, but she was still as full of energy as ever while sitting down at the table. "Um, Blake, do you mind if me and Yang - my sister, sit here? We noticed there was, well, you know, a loooot of space, haha!"
Her words came out nervous, but she wasn't telling a poor excuse, at least. Blake was distanced far from the rest of the student body, eating by herself in what was essentially an empty corner of the cafeteria. She looked trapped the moment Ruby and Yang sat down - Ruby could tell, immediately, that Blake did not want to be here.
"Sup?' Yang added a lot more casually, sliding into the seat next to Ruby. "Remember us? We were making fun of barf boy back on our first night? I mean, do you remember those pajamas he had? Pumpkin Pete pajamas on a teenage boy! Ah, but the muscles on his friend were nice, even if his face looked a little too dumb for me."
Both Blake and Ruby choked on their food at this, with Blake being taken especially off-guard. A small smile seemed to tug at her lips for a second, but she shook her head.
"N…no. I'm sorry. I'm done eating. Feel free to take this table."
She quickly got up, taking her clearly only half-eaten food and moving out of the cafeteria. Yang and Ruby watched her go, with Yang letting out a sigh, and giving Ruby a deadpan look.
"Well…I tried my best, Rubes."
"You tried your best to do what?! Get us to choke on our food from how random that was?!"
Yang rolled her eyes, digging into her food with gusto. "Whaaaat? There isn't anything better than a good laugh to bring everyone together. Guess I should've figured that moody girl and the Weiss queen are immune to a good joke, though."
Ruby groaned, slumping forward on the table. Yang paused, turning to look at her sister, and giving her a kind smile.
"Hey, don't worry about those two sad sacks, sis. Even if our teammates are two sticks in the mud, I'll always be on your side."
The sincerity of Yang's words reached Ruby. Enough for her to sit up, and start eating again.
"...thanks. I really appreciate it."
"You know you never need to thank me, sis." Yang replied, with a playful punch against Ruby's shoulder.
It would've been fine if those two instances were solitary, but they weren't. Instances like those happened again, and again, and again, and again, until Ruby ended up giving up on trying to unify her team altogether.
Still, that choice wasn't easy. Ruby admired the ideals of huntresses and huntsmen. Despite some working solo, teamwork was undoubtedly a foundation of the entire job.
'But how can I ever live up to those ideals if I can't even get along with two of my teammates…?'
Could she even be a proper huntress if she couldn't lead her team to at least talk to each other?
Hearing Ozpin's words earlier only tightened the knot that began to form in her heart. He had tried reassuring her, but his words only had the opposite. All of that trust, and for what?
She was feeling less and less worthy of being a leader, let alone being at Beacon.
She wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling cold even while walking through the warm school halls of her dreams.
"...mom…what would you have done?"
Saitama stared blankly at the white walls of the elevator in front of him, trying his best to stave off the pure boredom with his thoughts.
"So," Saitama spoke up, unable to hold it in anymore. "Where exactly is this elevator supposed to be taking us? You just sort of led me here without saying anything."
Ozpin remained staring ahead, both hands resting on a silver cane that pressed into the ground. "I do apologize for keeping you in the dark, Mister Saitama. But we are going to be discussing something that is a matter of grave importance." Noticing Saitama's pointed gaze, Ozpin would then add, "To answer your question: we are going to my office."
"Principal's office on my first day to school? Just when I thought this was going to be something exciting, too…" Saitama was clearly disappointed by the thought. It really was just like the old dude was there to clarify more about his stay in Beacon, just like he had said. For once, Saitama was actually hoping for an ulterior motive.
"Don't fret, Mr. Saitama. This isn't quite your usual meeting between principal and student, I assure you. You'll have your excitement yet."
Saitama rose an eyebrow at his words, but decided to keep quiet. He didn't really have much more to say, anyway. He just wanted to get this over with so he could go and sleep in class, or something.
The pair just stood there, staring at the wall of the elevator as nothing but a gentle hum filled the background. It just kept ascending, giving the feeling that whatever room they were headed to was infinitely high.
"...this is a pretty smooth elevator."
"Is that so."
After a few more long minutes of silence, the two finally arrived at their destination. The elevator doors opened, revealing a large and wide-open room that looked…surprisingly simple. It was a large circular room, that had nothing but see-through glass windows as the walls. There was just three pieces of furniture - a desk, and two chairs, one behind the desk and one in front of it.
Ozpin strode forward and positioned himself behind the desk, sitting with confidence and ease that showed he had done the same thing a countless number of times. While Saitama completely ignored the chair, instead choosing to walk over by one of the window-walls and stare outside.
They were at an insane height, just like Saitama had thought. He couldn't even say how many stories and feet there were from this office to the ground.
"Woah. We're seriously high up."
'I bet a fall this high wouldn't be good news for me, even though I've kinda gotten the hang of some of my strength. I'd probably become a pancake. Not good…'
Saitama couldn't help but shed a nervous sweatdrop, though the sound of a cleared throat brought him from his reverie. He turned around to see Ozpin sitting in his chair, green eyes staring at Saitama expectantly.
"Oh, right, yeah. Academy stuff. Guess I'll just…"
Saitama walked over to the desk and sat down in the chair in front of it, throwing his arm over the back of his chair and leaning against it, without a care.
"Well, it's good to see that you can easily make yourself comfortable, if nothing else. You'll need that seat for what we're to discuss." Ozpin chuckled at the student's carefree nature, while waving his hand in front of his face. A holographic panel seemingly manifested, which Ozpin's fingers deftly danced over.
"Ooooh. What's that?" Saitama asked out of curiosity. Though, the ever-present tinge of apathy in his voice made it hard to tell whether it was genuine or not, Ozpin answered regardless.
"The means of making sure that this discussion is not intruded upon, interrupted, or compromised. Let us call it insurance."
With those words, the windows of the room all turned black, leaving the entire place in darkness. A dim green light momentarily turned on, providing light to the rest of the room. The elevator's buttons seemed dimmed, and Saitama had a feeling that access to this floor had been restricted.
"So, this is some fancy security system stuff, huh?" For Saitama, it was a little nostalgic. The Hero Association always prized itself on defensive measures, or so he learned from Genos. Saitama himself never really saw all those measures as that strong.
'I still remember breaking those expensive as hell security robots…really glad I got off the hook with that one.'
Ozpin nodded. "Indeed. I've never been one for over-the-top security measures, but what is discussed here cannot be leaked by any means necessary. It is not only my responsibility as the Principal of this school, but also a…well, I suppose we may speak about that some other time, hmm?"
Saitama showed momentary interest by raising his eyebrows, but in the end, his desire to finish things won over.
"I really doubt you brought me here just to show off your cool security, old man. So what's the real deal here?"
Ozpin suppressed some laughter while shaking his head. "Yes…you're correct, I didn't bring you here just to show off. In fact, quite the opposite. I was hoping to put your impressive capabilities to task." Saitama remained silent, pushing Ozpin on to continue. "Saitama, are you aware of who I am?"
"Nope."
"S-Such a quick answer…" Even Ozpin couldn't help but react with slight dejection to Saitama's words. However, Saitama wasn't quite finished.
"I mean, I know you're the principal-headmaster-owner-whatever of this 'academy', but that's about it."
Coming back to his senses, Ozpin noddes, reaching a hand out as he began explaining. "That's correct, but not the entirety of the answer I was looking for. I am Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, and a member of Vale's ruling council." He swept his hands outwards, at the now darkened windows. "That means, of course, that I have a vested interest in protection: not only the protection of the students of my academy, but of the entirety of Vale at large."
Saitama sighed. He was already growing irritated with this explanation. It had long since passed 20 words, and unlike Ruby, it wasn't nearly as fun to listen to. However, he was able to let this one slide. Mostly due to the fact that he was tuning out the unimportant introduction part.
"For now, Saitama, you are both one of my students, and a temporary citizen of Vale. Not even a proper huntsman, you may be considered a helpful bystander at most, and an ordinary civilian at least. This fact doubles when considering that you're not even capable of using Aura, and, of course, currently have no Semblance."
Aura. Semblances.
There was those random words again. It honestly sounded like something from a shonen manga to Saitama, but apparently, it was really important here. He guessed it had to do with those magic-looking symbols the Ice girl made, or Ruby's weird thing where she turned into flower petals. Not that he cared much about it - he was still punching fine without any of that 'Aura' or 'Semblance'.
'It would be kinda cool to have some sort of extra superpower, though, wouldn't it? What if I could fly…for real?'
Ozpin stared at Saitama, the young man seemingly momentarily lost in thought. He was average-looking in every way. Even with the regal colors of Beacon Academy's uniform on him, it was hard to say that he looked any better than a passerby on the road.
But that was merely on the surface.
"However…with these eyes, I can judge something deeper within you, Saitama. Your full potential…is one that I cannot possibly fathom. A bottomless strength, that only seems to grow in size the longer I observe it."
'Is this old guy a stalker or something?'
Saitama resisted the urge to say that out loud, barely keeping it inside. He was really getting better at this sort of thing.
"It would not be untrue to say that this is the real reason I designated you as the only solo student. A rare existence, even in the long history of huntsman academies." Ozpin gave the teen a wry smile. "To be honest, I've had to come up with exactly what this role will entail, myself, while you recovered from your…interesting display during orientation. I-"
Saitama held up a hand, silencing Ozpin, who stared at the teen with widened eyes. "Is…something the matter, Mr. Saitama?"
"I was kind of just letting most of it go in one ear and out the other, but now I'm getting a little tired of it. I don't need all the long explanation. Just tell me what you want me to do in 20 words or less."
"..." Ozpin couldn't' help but allow an exasperated sweatdrop to fall down his face. Even so, he managed a laugh. "You truly are a special student, Saitama. Very well, then." He narrowed his eyes, thinking on his next sentence, before speaking.
"You will work anonymous missions, similar to mercenary work, all issued by me. You will also be paid, of course."
"That's all you had to say, Oz-sir. I'll gladly do it." Saitama's blank expression turned to one of absolute seriousness and confidence at the mere mention of being paid.
He was desperately looking for a way to get out of mooching on Jaune. He really wanted his own money. But more than anything…the offer just felt right.
"Hmm…are you certain, Saitama? Even the most talented of first years aren't allowed actual combat missions until the middle of their second year at Beacon. Moreover, considering your strength, your missions may be much worse. Filled with…well, they certainly will not be easy."
"What's the big deal? All I'm doing is some part-time hero, no, Huntsman work. Fighting a little, and then coming back. I don't get why I should be scared, I mean…I'm just going to punch whoever needs to get punched. Like I always do."
Saitama's casual confidence took Ozpin aback for a second. Yes, it was confidence. Not arrogance, or misplaced belief. Saitama was completely sure in his ability to win, no matter the opponent, and didn't seem to believe for a second that he could be swayed.
While the yawning teen in front of him would look like nothing much to anyone else, that sort of self-confidence, unwavering mental strength, and last but certainly not least, his overwhelming display of power…Saitama was already far beyond his peers.
"Just make sure to pay me on time, though. It's not like I need money to help people, but I'm kind of broke right now."
"..of course. You'll find I don't exactly enjoy having to break my promises."
Well, while the teen could use some polishing when it came to the finer parts of his attitude, that was all well and good for now. Strong student or not, Saitama was still a teen. Ozpin was never of the belief that these young huntsmen-to-be should have to be perfectionists, in the first place.
Proportional to his extraordinary strength, Saitama would find himself growing in an extraordinarily harsh environment, one that would turn him into a gem. Still, he would enjoy his student life like any other.
'He, and all the other young prospective guardians of this world will have to toss aside that youthful innocence soon enough. They should at least enjoy it while they can. Though Saitama's personality flaws don't exactly strike me as youthful indiscretion…'
"We can work out the finer details later. For now, I believe you should be getting to your first set of official classes, Saitama. They should be easy to find, considering the fact that you had quite the eager tour guide."
"Huh? Oh, yeah…"
Saitama remained in his chair even after Ozpin spoke, staring blankly at the wall behind him. Ozpin's gaze drilled into Saitama's, first showing confusion, then a grim understanding, and then acceptance.
"I'll take the lead once more."
"Phew, thanks, dude. I was seriously worried."
Saitama opened the door into a wide-open classroom. It felt less like a highschool classroom, and more like a college lecture hall, a part of his previous life he vaguely remembered before diving into the hell of job-hunting. The job-hunting that led him to become a hero in the first place.
'I guess this is an elite's school for you. Everything just looks like money.'
The teen couldn't help but grin. If that old man's deal came through, he would get a slice of that sweet, sweet pie…but, as he dwelled on that thought, there was a much more fundamental part of his extracurricular duties that interested him.
Mercenary work. Finding bad guys and beating them up, to keep both his fellow students, and this city safe…it was like he was heading into hero work once again. He couldn't help but smile to himself.
"COMRADE!"
A familiar shout echoed throughout the room, as Nora Valkyrie bounded over rows and rows of seats to make her way over to Saitama. Instinctually, he raised an open palm up, completing an immaculate, secret handshake that the both of them had made up right on the spot. The pink blur stepped back, a wide grin on her face.
"Pancake girl. Nice to see somebody I know in here, at least."
"Nora! It's Nora, comrade! It's good to finally see you among the living! I'm gonna be honest, I thought you were going to sleep foreeeeeee~ver." Nora led Saitama over to a set of seats, with team RWBY sitting in one row, and team JNPR in the next.
"Don't be silly, Nora. You know that's impossible." Ren waved her away, only for Nora to roll her eyes as she plopped back into her seat.
"Impossible? Impossible?! We watched Saitama solo a bunch of Elementals a few days ago, that's what's impossible! What the heck does 'impossible' even mean anymore?!"
"Nora doooooooooes sort of have a point, Ren." Ruby piped in, leaning down from her seat above. "Not like I was hoping for Saitama to sleep forever or something - but I bet there's a Grimm out there somewhere that could do it!"
"I mean…it definitely wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've seen before." Saitama added, after some thought. He had fought things like living car-people, boxing lightbulbs, and honest to god aliens before. Some weird sleepy-monster seemed pretty basic compared to that.
"That is…an absolutely terrifying thought, Ruby." Jaune shook his head, doing his best to shake away the chills on his body, as well. He quickly turned his attention to Saitama, his smile rising. "Well, I am glad you're alright, Sai. Not that I ever really doubted you wouldn't recover just fine."
"Yeah, with that bod, I bet you were just napping away a good few days! Didja really even get hurt, steel abs?" Yang snickered, with Ruby turning red in embarrassment from her sister's words.
"O-Oh, shut it, Yang! Saitama, please don't listen to her, she can just sort of be…u-ummmm…you know."
"Honest? Because I feel like that's the word you're looking for, little sis. I'm just saying it as it is, that Saitama guy is toned as hell!"
"Sis-!"
"Well…though I am offering my well-wishes last, I am also glad to see that you're fine, Saitama." Pyrrha spoke with a smile, having a much more calm aura around her.
Saitama couldn't help but smile. It wasn't something he'd usually do, but with his emotions here, he could say one thing - he loved this sight. Having friends around, sharing stupid jokes and looking out for one another…maybe he could have a group of friends as well-knit as the friends he had slowly made in his old life.
Nobody could replace them. But he was more than willing to make some new memories.
There were only two exceptions to this, two blatantly obvious examples. Blake, the black-haired girl, who was just silently reading a book, and Weiss, the ice-queen type that was pouring over a textbook related to the class. Blake felt withdrawn, but Weiss was letting off a completely unapproachable aura.
Considering that, Saitama decided to take a seat closer to Ruby, avoiding the other two "members" of team RWBY like the plague.
He talked a little more to the others, while preparing for the class.
"So, what the heck are we supposed to learn anyways? I've got no idea." Saitama folded his arms, staring blankly at the giant chalkboard.
"Wow, you really are clueless about anything involving huntsmen, huh?" Yang chuckled, kicking her feet up while leaning against the back of her seat.
"It's history. But not just any history…history taught by…geeeeugh, Oobleck." Nora explained while shuddering, wrapping her arms around herself. "He's awesome, but he also sucks."
"You only dislike him because he often catches you when you're trying to take naps, Nora." Ren corrected, and Nora slammed a fist on the table.
"You're darn right! That's precious sleep he's interrupting!" Nora fired back at Ren, who just sighed. Saitama leaned back in his seat, letting out a dissatisfied groan.
"What's more important is that I can't just sleep this class away. That's serious bad luck."
"Oh, it's fine. You just have to be sneaky about fooling around! I always make a few good jokes in Oobleck's class." Ruby admitted, a rare mischievous smile on her face. "Remnant's history is cool, but we're not really learning anything new…"
"Of course you would think that."
Weiss' voice came out almost silent, barely above a whisper. Only Saitama and Ruby caught it. Ruby froze up, her shoulders lowering a little, but as for Saitama, he stared right into Weiss eyes.
He remembered Ruby's pained expression talking to Ozpin. How she seemed to be weighed down by something invisible. Hearing Weiss' words, practically muttered, he understood almost everything immediately.
Still, he wasn't stupid. This was a bunch of drama. It wasn't his role to try to step in and play hero in people's social lives. But to be honest, Saitama didn't care about any of that. Thinking of Ruby's bright, smiling face, he just spoke his mind.
"Weiss…you're probably the kind of person that can't get any friends, huh?"
The room suddenly became so silent, that one could hear a pin drop. And then, Weiss opened her mouth to speak, fuming already.
"Okayclass! Idohopeyouallhavehadyourfilloftalkingfornow! WearenowgoingtocontinueourprimerintroductiontoRemnant'shistory!"
Oobleck's words blended together, as he dived into the lesson. Team RWBY and Team JNPR focused entirely on the lesson, trying their hardest to leave the awkward moment behind. Saitama decided he'd listen a little bit, too.
Meanwhile, Weiss Schnee sat still, silently fuming while she, for once, found herself not caring about the lesson.
'This…is all so wrong.'