CHAPTER 34: OPERATION PRE-SEMESTER GAMEFACE

0500 Hours, December 24, 2557 (Military Calendar) / Unknown System, Planet Remnant, Continent of Sanas, Village of Watertown

Schnee's progress was surprising. She was a quick study, absorbing theoretical knowledge fast and applying it in practical exercises just as swiftly. Her basic understanding of customs and courtesies came and went in a blur—her introduction to small unit tactics, techniques, and procedures required only one-time learning. Her ability to apply critical thinking to situations was phenomenal.

If she lacked in anything, it was her physical capabilities. Of all four girls under his wing, she possessed the weakest physicality. Even Ruby didn't struggle with the physical portion as much as the heiress did. That being said, what she lacked in raw physicality she made up with a will to not give up. The best part was that he didn't push her or encourage any of this; she already came in with this mindset.

Of course, all the girls on the team had this mindset in one manner or another, but Schnee's headspace was purer for lack of a better term. She had the drive to succeed and wasn't saddled with problematic behaviors and tendencies that her future teammates had. Because of her overall character, he was confident in his choice to appoint her as the moral compass of Team RWBY going forward.

Her issues regarding her experiences in combat and facing death directly for the first time were far more manageable because she seemed to be finding her answer to the question without his help.

Back to her overall combat potential, she'd have to make up for it. It would simply take time and effort on her part, something he didn't doubt she could accomplish. That said, until she could cover the gap between herself and her future team, she could use any advantage she could get, and that's where his newest idea came into play: non-UNSC weapons.

Despite his somewhat limited understanding of Covenant weapons, he knew enough to use them effectively and maintain them. There were manuals and training modules for all of them, but he didn't doubt that they paled in comparison to the races of the Covenant who'd designed them and used them regularly.

But he felt it was worth taking a risk with Schnee. She was resourceful and her mind for life-long learning would certainly be an asset to learning these unfamiliar armaments. Not only would she be learning a new weapon system, but also the ways to use them. Plasma-based weapons have different uses for different situations. He would have to retain her mindset when it came to aggressive action.

He would start her off with the Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol, more commonly known as the plasma pistol to all UNSC service members. It served a variety of purposes: single-trooper suppression, shield busting, and vehicle disabling to name a few. Although it lacked full auto, in the right hands it could be used to deadly effect against multiple infantry.

So it was on yet another early morning that the two of them stood in the darkness. The golden visor looked down at the much shorter girl, who stood at parade rest, looking up at him and awaiting instructions.

"You will be conducting weapon drills." The Master Chief retrieved the weapon from his side and held it so she could see it. "This a Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol, or a plasma pistol for short. You will not read the training manual for it. We're going directly into practical usage, so watch closely."

Schnee didn't say anything, merely nodded her head in affirmation. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and interest. He knew that she was dialed in.

The drones he'd placed as target practice remained in place for demonstration purposes. He didn't hesitate to aim down the sights of the weapon before pulling the trigger, the familiar feeling and sound of plasma forming and being shot forward. The result was unlike that of ballistic fire: burns and near-holes through the machines.

Just like any weapon used, John used it to deadly effectiveness. No shot was wasted and no target was unscathed.

He checked for anything wrong in the mechanics of the weapon as far as he could tell, then turned to his charge. "This weapon relies solely on a battery to shape and discharge plasma. When you initially fire it, take note of how to handle it, the recoil, aiming down the sights, the usual."

"As you say." Schnee nodded once.

He continued on. "A few things with this weapon. It requires more than your trigger finger to operate. There's a pad to place your thumb to prepare the weapon to fire, a safety if you will. Also, this weapon doesn't require manual reloads, but it will overheat, so when it gets hot, use this red button on the side to open the vents to allow heat to dissipate."

Weiss made sure to carefully observe and remember what he said as he demonstrated the functions. As he said, the weapon lit up with a hologram when his thumb touched the pad. Then he pressed the switch at the side, and the sound of hissing followed by steam ejected from the sides. Even she could feel the heat from a distance away.

Once it cooled, he handed her the weapon grip holding the barrel in his hand and offering her the grip. She quietly but carefully took the weapon. She took a moment to inspect the outer features, taking care not to violate any of the four fundamental rules of firearm safety, even if this wasn't a firearm.

The heiress raised an eyebrow. "It's… so light."

Compared to an M6D, it felt similar in weight, but the balance felt much more uniform. Also, holding it for the first time, her fingers adjusted to the minute differences in grip shape. Looking at it up close, it felt strange as she was used to the more strict and spartan colors of UNSC weapons. However, it was far from the most colorful or grandstanding weapon she had ever seen. It was still militaristic in design compared to a huntsman's weapons.

"Once you are done inspection, five shots at the target."

"Yes, Master Chief."

She took a moment to close her eyes, steady her breathing, then carefully lifted the weapon up, quickly finding the front and rear sightposts and taking aim. Judging by how she was holding the weapon, she was uncertain

Schnee let herself release her breath, then she pulled the trigger. Despite her uncertainty of aiming, her shot rang true, striking the target center mass. She looked at her target in surprise, then down at the plasma pistol.

Her instructor seemed to sense her surprise. "Not what you expected, is it?"

"No." She looked down at the plasma pistol while pointing it down range. "It feels so soft… almost too soft."

That was a common criticism of the weapon that many UNSC servicemembers had. Because Mankind was so used to firearms that came with an inherent kickback from recoil, the handling of plasma weapons that were designed for anti-infantry use was so jarring. Plasma weapons required fundamental retooling of common sense small arms handling.

Back to the point, the Chief decided to address her. "Get used to it. In the right hands, it is a deadly anti-infantry weapon and it has limited use against armored targets and vehicles. We will save larger targets for another day. For now, keep firing."

Despite her being a quick study, Schnee still needed at least two more weeks of weapons training to be at the level that her future teammates were at. That time didn't include the live fire scenarios that he was planning out for her as well. Then there were battle drills, some other basic tasks and knowledge, and a few other odds and ends.

John would get it done one way or another. With his time spent teaching Ruby, Blake, and Yang, he was now more confident than ever in teaching his fourth trainee basic spartan training. Being an instructor was never something he foresaw himself doing at any point in the past, mostly because an opportunity never arose.

But it did feel satisfying to pass on his knowledge and experience to someone. The current enemy wasn't Covenant nor Insurrectionist, but there were still many lessons learned that he could teach the girls. At the very least, he could prevent them from making the same mistakes that had cost him brothers and sisters.

This team doesn't match up to Blue Team yet, but they might be able to one day.

The man clad in MJOLNIR armor wondered what his fellow spartans would say at his efforts here. He wondered if they would have any input as to how to better get these girls to become the next generation, better than the last.

A part of him also wondered if Mendoza would be proud of him. In the eyes of his former instructor and mentor, would his lessons be worthy enough to make spartan?

Schnee finished her first iteration of shots.

The Master Chief inspected the Covenant weapon to make sure it was as close to being safe as it could be.

"Clear," he said once he checked the plasma pistol.

Halo - - - RWBY

1130 Hours, December 27, 2557 (Military Calendar) / Unknown System, Planet Remnant, Continent of Sanas, Beacon Academy

Blake was carefully experimenting with her powers. She had to know the limits of her new power, or at least what she had at the moment. It was only half of what she could have, but it was more than enough.

If she could describe the sensation of magic, it was gentle, smooth, and inviting. Aura came from the soul, thus it reflected the owner's current state of mind and heart. Magic was independent of the user's soul. It was like the power had its own soul independent of its current user. She wasn't sure how else to word it.

Regardless, whenever they weren't in view of security cameras, she did a little bit here and there. It wasn't much and she could do with a formal teacher to show her exactly what she was working with. Cinder didn't tell all that much when she passed, probably as a way to spite the new Fall Maiden.

Blake had wondered if she could use her magic to find and claim the other half of the magic. It was at Beacon, that much she knew. Where it was, she didn't know. If she had to guess, if it was on academy grounds, it would have to be a place that people either didn't know about or didn't have access to.

There were a couple of places to consider. One was the CCTS. Yes, it was a public place on the ground floor. People could access communication stations that could go anywhere in the world. There was also the tower itself; according to the students of the academy, that was where Ozpin worked in the tower. No doubt, some interesting things were happening there or some juicy conversations were being had. Despite his title of headmaster, the man also had a seat on the Vale Council, a fact some people forgot.

The cat girl sighed to herself; more than she liked to admit, having Ruby and Yang around helped her keep herself from getting too deep into her own thoughts. Although she found it much easier to keep away from dark thoughts, the sudden silence was a bit jarring. She'd only been with the Master Chief and the girls for a little while, yet they'd had such a profound impact on her life.

The half-sisters had decided to split off to do their own thing. Ruby was interested in mapping out the layout of Beacon, doing her diligence as the current team leader. Yang headed for the combat simulators, no doubt to curb her extreme violence. That left the lone faunus with no plan about what to do with her time.

I guess it's not all that bad. They trust me enough to let me do my own thing. The problem is I don't know what to do with myself besides twiddling my thumbs.

"OWWW!"

Blake's ears picked up the sound of a feminine cry of pain, and her first reaction was to be on alert. Then her brain processed that it was neither Ruby nor Yang that cried out. When that realization came to her mind, she instantly calmed down. Still, her curiosity got the better of her and she picked up her pace to investigate.

"Shut up, stupid animal! I didn't say you could talk!"

That was a male voice.

Already, the cat girl could deduce what this was about, but just to confirm with her own eyes, she rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks.

There were four boys and one girl. The former were all human, but the latter was a Faunus, a bunny to be more precise. It was a situation that the former terrorist had seen many times during her childhood. Seeing it in person for the first time in a good while felt… different than she remembered it.

This is the part where I should step in and do something about it. Her golden eyes scanned the situation, but her body didn't move. She needs help.

But Blake did nothing to intervene. She could only stare at the situation with what she could only describe as indifference with a tint of annoyance. Sure, she could step in and help this stranger that she didn't know the name of. It was the right thing to do, at least from a moral point of view.

And that wasn't a good enough reason for the cat faunus to take action.

"Hey look, Cardin!" One of the boys spotted. "We got another animal!"

Immediately, the ninja tensed up. She didn't reach for her weapons, but she narrowed her eyes. She no longer wore her trademark black ribbon that hid her ears. There was no point in doing so. She wasn't a coward and she wouldn't hide what she was.

The tallest one with auburn-red hair sized her up and sneered. "What're you lookin' at, kitty cat? You tryin' to be a hero and save your friend?"

His friends seemed to get a laugh out of his words and their looks said it all: they welcomed her to try and force them to stop, as if by being a Faunus, she had an obligation to stop what was happening.

In that case, Blake had a different idea, her body relaxing. "Why should I care about what happens to her?"

Her callous words immediately caught them off guard. The ring leader raised an eyebrow like he couldn't believe what she'd just said.

"You serious?" It seemed the ringleader needed confirmation to make sure he wasn't deaf.

The black-haired girl shrugged. "She's a stranger as far as I'm concerned. Plus, she's a huntress in training. She's a big girl; she can figure it out."

Golden flickered to the girl with brown eyes. The look of abject shock couldn't be any more pronounced. It was usually expected for Faunus to help each other out in times of distress. It was how they stood up against bigots and racists.

"In fact, I'll do you guys a favor." Blake turned her back to them. "I'm going to get food in the cafeteria. I'll just walk away and pretend I never saw this. You can go back to bullying her or whatever it is you're doing."

She began to walk away. All the while, she could hear the bullies still in disbelief.

"What the hell? She's a faunus, right?"

"Okay… that was weird."

"Whatever, dude. Not worth the effort thinkin' about it."

Before the ninja girl turned the corner again, she paused. "Oh and bunny girl. You want to stop being bullied. I suggest you grow a pair and fight back. If you can't even show a willingness to defend yourself, why should I come to help you? Don't give me puppy eyes… bunny eyes, whatever you want to call it. Don't do that and expect me to care."

The way she just said that made her sound like a casual racist.

Blake began walking again, leaving this scene behind, wondering if her fellow Faunus was even going to do anything about her situation. Whether the rabbit would or not, she wouldn't be offering any actual physical help. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't her duty nor her place to help every single person that called for help. They were all students here within the academy, so self-reliance ought to at least be practiced to some degree.

Or at least that's what Master Chief would say, I hope.

Still, maybe he wouldn't be so thrilled at her leaving a situation like that as it was. He was a problem-solver and whenever he saw something that was wrong, he sought to solve the problem at the source, not ignore it entirely.

I could also just be projecting the fact that I've killed so many of my former brothers and sisters in the White Fang that I just don't care about Faunus suffering like I used to. I mean, what do we have to complain about? Some brain-dead dumbass that thinks he knows better than me about myself?

It was one thing to help civilians who couldn't even do a thing to help themselves against threats, but these boys and girls would one day become the defenders of the world. If they couldn't manage against their peers, what good were they to the professional huntsman community at large?

Besides, Blake was out of care for playing the hero. She'd tried to do that so many times and more often than not, her attempts were met with indifference, annoyance, or outright hostility. Now that she was free of the White Fang, she could pick and choose who to save and she was under no obligation to help people if she didn't want to.

And if she was being honest, the ninja girl was feeling a little bit of resentment from her own people. It wasn't justified for the rabbit girl; she was a victim in this case, but her inaction was an eyesore.

Better to help the people that she knew would have her back than to protect some stranger who probably had the means to help herself, but chose not to.

RWBY - - - Halo

0800 Hours, December 30, 2557 (Military Calendar) / Unknown System, Planet Remnant, Continent of Sanas, Village of Watertown

Weiss winced in pain as she felt her partially raw thumb flare up. She'd mishandled the plasma pistol today and accidentally got her hands a little too close to the heat vents as they were expelling heat. She had gotten overconfident in her growing prowess with the weapon and she had paid the price appropriately. In the future, she would definitely be watching where her hands were when she pushed that red button.

Beyond her minor mishap, training today went smoothly. She had spent the better part of five hours drilling the weapon and learning basic functionality as well as perfecting her marksman skills with it. It was such an alien weapon to her, but it felt good in her hands. She might even prefer it over conventional ballistic small arms.

The Master Chief seemed all too pleased by her efforts and she was considering making this as her sidearm of choice. She would have to have her request blessed off by her instructor before she did that, meaning she needed more time to practice her skills.

It felt like she was thinking that a lot more lately. Training was the only thing on her mind these past few days. At this rate, days would turn into weeks and she would still have much to learn, willingly and otherwise. This was welcome of course; better to be constantly busy than to be cooped up in a room all day.

The heiress had experienced many days like this during her years back in Atlas. When she was not swamped with lessons about running the SDC, she was swarmed by musical tutors and instructors, the best teachers that money could buy, and etiquette masters ensuring she was the ideal image of a proper lady of high society.

All of it kept her busy, but none of it was what she wanted. None of it was fulfilling nor purposeful, at least not to her senses. It was only when she first picked up a weapon and trained to be a huntress that she found something she genuinely wanted to invest time and effort into without approval from her father, her first decision made completely from her own mind and not from anyone else's influence.

And with each passing day, she could fall deeper into the Master Chief's instructions, lessons, and training. He took it seriously, so she took it seriously. What he was passing on to her was not simply textbook knowledge regurgitated to fit their situation. She knew what that looked like. What she was going through now was experience, battle-used, battle-hardened, and battle-refined. It was real.

And she wanted to know the feeling of what training born from real combat was like.

Her huntress lessons, while useful, were ultimately born for someone who hailed from high society. In other words, a facade of politeness and niceties.

The Schnee heiress despised that fakeness to her very core.

But she was not completely separated from her past and she was under no illusion that she would ever be fully rid of all the idiosyncrasies of her upbringing. She could only hope that her experiences moving forward would override what she knew.

That was her theory, at least.

"That look in your eyes." The Master Chief's voice sounded from across the campfire. "I've seen it before."

Weiss's eyebrow raised in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You had an expression of frustration as if you were evaluating a past action or event with disdain." He sat on a log and leaned over with his hands clasped together. "And I don't believe that it has anything to do with our current training."

It was scary how perceptive he could be when it came to reading people. It was even more frightening that she couldn't do the same for him. Sure, she could read his body language, but even that was a challenge on a good day.

The white-haired girl let her eyes drift into the depths of the flames in front of them. "I usually do not speak of the past. Many in Atlesian high society would look at my childhood and say I have lived an upstanding life, and while I do take pride in some of my accomplishments, there is much that I also feel. Greed, shame, something to prove… among other things."

"Did you not have parents or a mentor to guide you?" The man in armor continued with his question.

Weiss sneered. "My father was my mentor, but his lessons can hardly be called morally upstanding or even logical for my grandfather's company. My mother was absent virtually my entire life due to alcoholism. None of the staff at the manor were in a position to influence me in any meaningful way, not if my father had anything to say about it."

She wanted to be better, but she wasn't sure how to. She wasn't even sure if what she was doing now was helping her or if she was merely running away.

The girl's barbed words were left unchallenged for a few moments. She certainly did not expect any form of comfort from her current instructor. He was many things, but he was far from being a good emotional support. Rose, Belladonna, and Xiao Long were proof enough of that.

"...the only thing I promise to give you is a place where your past will not be questioned or judged, at least not by myself." Something in his words and his tone brought her eyes to meet his golden visor. "So long as you work with this team, live with this team, fight with this team, and die with this team, you will always be among brothers and sisters."

The Schnee heiress wanted to believe him, but she had to question him. "What makes you so sure that my past will not affect how you perceive me and how you act around me when events conspire to push us to our limits?"

"Because that's how the original spartans were created." The Master Chief's response was immediate and decisive. "In the Spartan-II program, my brothers and sisters came from all walks of life. Some came from normal families, others from rich families, many from broken families, and a few from orphanages. These varying environments came with many undesirable behaviors unsuited for a Special Mission Unit. However, when everyone comes together united by a common purpose, will push through adversity, and the ability to work with others, many things become possible."

That last part in particular got Weiss's attention. "'Many things?' Not all things?"

"No one is truly capable of dealing with everything." He sat up a bit straighter. "Not even spartans."

That admittance gave her mixed feelings. She did possess a rather large amount of cynicism bourne of knowledge and experience. She knew that logically, what he said was true and it was almost shocking to hear a man of so much ability admit that even he had his limits. It was hard to admit to shortcomings.

But another part of me did not like hearing that. It almost felt like an admission of defeat, as if some things could not be conquered no matter what was done or by whom.

Weiss held back a sigh, her eyes staring into the campfire. "I see."

"You sound disappointed," the Chief said.

There was no point in her denying it. "I suppose I am."

"Don't be. Understanding limits is how we learn to work with them. Perhaps when you learn to work with your weaknesses, you can then overcome them."

She lifted her head to look at him. He was not looking at her directly, instead staring off into the darkness. His words carried a hint of hope, or so she wanted to believe that was his intent.

Eventually, the man in armor rose to his feet. "Get some sleep. We have another early day tomorrow."

"I… yes, Master Chief." The heiress wasn't sure what to say.

She felt like there was something she wanted to vocalize, and then the words died as soon as he dismissed her for the night.

Weiss wanted to better understand him. She wanted to know him so that one day, she might be able to help him with his goals. She knew that he was a highly secretive individual and she highly doubted that asking him about secretive or personal information would work. That was why she paid attention to everything he did and everything he said.

But even with what she observed, it was hard to know the man in the armor. Even more difficult was that no one else on her future team seemed interested in prying further for details.

Rose was basically a female version of him.

The Faunus girl followed him without question, no doubt tinted with fear.

Xiao Long only cared so long as she could satiate her bloodlust.

The Atlesian native felt like she was the only one actively trying to figure out their mutual mentor and instructor. He knew that she was doing this too; otherwise, why would he appoint her as the moral compass of the group?

She swallowed and realized that her throat was dry, so she grabbed her canteen and took a drink.

With her thoughts slowing down, she then felt the sting of the burn on her hand, causing her to emit a weak groan of pain.

Halo - - - RWBY

1057 Hours, January 3, 2558 (Military Calendar) / Unknown System, Planet Remnant, Continent of Sanas, City of Vale

The break would be over soon and students were beginning to trickle back into Beacon Academy. It wasn't just resident students, but other aspiring professionals from all the huntsman academies. They were all here to compete in the Vytal Tournament to gain fame and glory for their kingdom, their school, and themselves.

In other words, they were utterly wasting their talents on putting on a pretty spectacle for people to watch instead of doing training that mattered.

That was on Ruby's mind as the team walked bored through the streets of Vale.

"Do these people not realize that broadcasting all of this is just begging for trouble?" Ruby couldn't help but ask the question out loud. "Bad guys can watch everything and get free information on weapons, training, tactics, the works."

Yang shrugged. "I dunno, sis. I just fight and kill."

"What does it matter? They're showing their hands to us. Makes our job a lot easier," Blake chimed in, "In case we need to fight 'em."

The team leader shoved her hands in her pockets. "I guess."

All of them would be training themselves, but there was only so much they could concoct without the Master Chief providing some scenarios. Sparring was great, but they knew each other too well and variety was the spice of life. So here they were, taking in the sights of a city getting ready for the Vytal Tournament and all the money that could be earned from tourism.

"Speaking of fighting, y'all find anyone worth a damn?" The brawler cracked her neck and stretched her arms. "I ain't seen anyone who looks like they can hold their own besides Nikos."

The ninja kept her eyes forward. "You're still on about her? She's not important to our mission unless we make her important."

"There's just something about her that I hate." Yang sneered lightly. "That perfect image, I don't buy that for a minute and I don't know why anyone else would."

Ruby could take a guess. "Well, she is attractive, no denying that. Lots of guys and girls really like that kind of thing."

"Like you," Yang questioned with a taunt.

In response, the younger sister made a face. "No. Why are you making this weird?"

"Sounds like a you problem, Rubes," the blonde grinned, "I didn't mean to imply anything more than simply admiring her. What are YOU thinking about?"

The girl with silver eyes was about to retort when a familiar voice cut through their conversation.

"Ruby! Yang!"

Both sisters immediately froze on the spot and Blake stopped as well, noting the unusual change in behavior from the siblings.

Then out of nowhere, a blonde man came in and immediately grabbed them and embraced them in a bear hug.

"Who… are you?" The ninja girl had to ask.

As if noticing the situation, the stranger put them down and met her eyes. "Are you a friend of my daughters?"

"Daughters?" The former terrorist immediately began scanning his face and comparing them with her fellow spartans.

She could kind of see a resemblance between him and Yang, but definitely not Ruby.

"Hey, Dad."

"Sup, pops."

"...really?! That's all you two have to say to me after you left home?!"

Both sisters look at each other.

"We missed you," they said simultaneously with strained smiles.

He didn't look the least bit amused by that either.

Where have I been? Well, I've kind of been at school and August was me doing LOTS of training. Now out of the blue, I decided to go to a two-week course. We'll see how that goes. Basically, I'm busy, no surprise there. Y'all know the drill.

Back to the story, Weiss begins her journey into Covenant weapons. This is another way I want to differentiate her from the rest of RWBY. She represents a more grounded and sane part that will become necessary and her perspective will keep the team from moving too far into the Master Chief's darkness.

Blake being a dick to Velvet? Just remember that it's a dark reflection of what she did in canon, which was virtually nothing at all. She was more involved in the bullying this time and instead of simply feeding a man, she wanted to teach him how to fish, so to speak.

And Taiyang found his darling girls. Awkward. Wonder what's going to happen?

Thoughts on this chapter? Feedback is always appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

"Uncertainty is the refuge of hope."

Henri Frederic Amiel