The next morning came in a rush. The lights kicked on in the auditorium, prompting Ruby Rose to get up. Yang, as usual, was still snoring next to her. She'll get up eventually, Ruby thought as she stood up and made her way to the Mess Hall. On the way, she heard these two other candidates, one a girl with orange hair and another a boy with pink eyes and black hair, talking about pancakes and sloths? Alright. The people here at Beacon are weird. Outside, there was a commotion as students were murmuring amongst themselves. "What's going on? Ruby asked as she reached the crowd.

One of the candidates, the one with green eyes and glasses, answered. "Dunno. Someone snuck into the kitchens and raided them."

"Who would do such a thing?" Ruby asked, perturbed.

"No idea at all." Another student said. It was the fat boy from yesterday, still wearing his strange orange armor. Was it just Ruby's imagination or did she smell fruit from under his helmet? She didn't think any more of it when the doors opened back up.

"Keep in line, students. One at a time." Beacon's resident chef, wearing a white apron and net over his hair, stated. He glared at the orange man but didn't say anything. To Ruby's astonishment, he piled his plate a foot tall with anything he could get his hands on.

"Someone's hungry." Ruby teased, not able to help herself.

"Hungry? I'm famished." Orange answered, piling a final cookie on his plate before leaving for a table.

"Yeah, I can see that." Ruby stared at his plate, sweat dropping slightly. "Well, I'm Ruby Rose. What's yours?"

"Grif." Grif grunted, moving onto a table. Ruby sat herself down and ate her breakfast, smiling. Not even that failed but of conversation will bring her down today. All through the night, Ruby was starting to feel fearful that she wouldn't be able to keep up with these other students who had years more training than her. That just meant she had to work harder to prove herself! She scarfed the food down, gave the plate back and made her way to the locker that she had filled up before going to the ballroom last night. Ruby had put on her red and black dress and was just pulling on stockings when Yang strolled on by.

"Morning, Ruby! Sleep well?" Yang asked, getting her own change of clothes out of her locker.

"Better than I should have." Ruby grinned back, putting her boots on now. By the time both were changed and were about to pull out weapons when that same boy and girl strolled by, the girl this time taking about being together together with him. "Wonder what those two are so worked up about."

"Oh, who knows. They've been at it all morning. So! You seem awfully chippy this morning."

"Feel that way too. No more awkward small talk, get to know you stuff or even overdramatic warnings. Today, my sweetheart is going to do the talking for me." Ruby had pulled out Crescent Rose, still folded up in its box form.

"You gotta remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through this Initiation. If you want to grow up, you need to meet new people and work with them."

"Ugh! You sound just like Dad." Ruby grumbled, slamming the door shut. She then turned back. "Okay. First of all, what does meeting new people have to do with fighting Grimm? Second, I don't need people to help grow up. I got milk to do that job for me."

Yang smirked when she heard that, combing her mane of hair. "What about when teams are formed?"

Ruby shrugged. "I guess I'll be on your team then." She turned back for adjustments, missing the smirk disappearing from Yang's face.

Here goes nothing, Yang thought to herself. "Maybe you should try being on someone else's team. You won't be able to handle everything on your own, you'll need help along the way."

But to Yang's horror, she overstepped that boundary as Ruby looked back, annoyance in her eyes. "My dear big sister, are you telling me you do not want to me on the exact same team as me?"

Yang held up her hands, hoping that some good old backpedaling will help. "What? No, of course I do, it's just that I thought maybe it would help you break out of your shell."

Ruby snorted at that. "Break out of my shell. That's absolutely…"

"Ridiculous!" The blonde from yesterday, Jaune, walking on by without paying attention. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday. I would have remembered counting that high."

"It's there." Another voice spoke up. Ruby, Yang and Jaune looked up to see Percy standing nearby. Ruby was stricken by how tired Percy looked, deep purple bags under his eyes making them look shallow and his skin paler. "You remember Ice girl from yesterday? You're on the same row as her."

"Oh, yeah. You're right. Thanks, Percy! Gotta go!" Jaune then rushed down the rows without another word.

Percy chuckled. "He's got a snowball's chance in Tartarus." He walked by the sisters. What's Tartarus? Ruby made a mental note to ask about that later.

"You look like hell, Percy." Ruby said. "You okay?"

"Ruby!" Yang chastised.

Percy just waved it off. "Don't worry. I've looked deader than this." He reached his locker and opened it, pulling out a silver breastplate and shin guards. "I never sleep good."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Ruby said.

"Thanks." Percy slammed the door shut and walked away without another word. Yang watched him as he walked away. Last night, she had assumed that he was just another bad boy who was just an asshole to everyone. Now, seeing his eyes again made her realize something else. It wasn't just tiredness, something made him deeply sad. She'd hopefully find out what that is soon, but for now, they had an initiation to pass. As they were walking towards the outside, they heard lots of shouting and Weiss's voice was loud and clear. "…Now I'm not supped to do this, but maybe if I pulled some strings, find a place for you, what do you say?"

"Alright, that's a bit too close. Pyrrha, help!" The sisters then heard a sudden clang of metal screeching on metal followed Pyrrha's repeated, "I'm sorry!"

The two sisters looked at each other but before they could do anything, Glynda's automated voice was heard over the loudspeadkers. "Would all first year student candidates please report to Beacon cliff for Initiation? Repeat, all first year students report to Beacon cliff immediately." The loudspeaker clicked off. When they did, they heard someone bursting out laughing. Ruby and Yang saw Weiss storming off to the door leading to Beacon Cliff, and Percy holding up Pyrrha's spear with a look of fury that made Yang flinch and it wasn't even directed at her.

"Get better control of your reflexes next time." Percy forced the spear into Pyrrha before walking off.

"It was good to meet you. You got this!" Pyrrha hurriedly said, following behind Percy.

"Likewise." Jaune grunted as he pulled himself up. The laughing started again. The trio looked to see the orange soldier, Grif, on his knees and hunched over.

"Why didn't you step in to help?" Yang asked, her eyes turning red for a moment.

It took a second for Grif to stop laughing. "You should have heard him earlier. Snow Angel? Hot stuff? What an idiot. I'm just here for the lols. Later, losers." He then went off next.

"You having trouble there, lady killer?" Yang asked as Jaune straightened himself out.

"I don't get it. All women ask for is confidence. Where did I go wrong?"

"Apparently, Snow angel wasn't the best start." Ruby said then gestured for them to follow. They paused as a new pair of steps came running up to them. To Ruby's surprise, it was green eyes with glasses.

"Excuse me? Is this the way to Beacon Cliff?" He asked. It struck Ruby then by how thick his accent was. She couldn't place it though.

"Yeah, it is." Yang said. "What's your name?"

"Harry Potter." Harry said, smiling. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You too." Yang said, smiling that he was at least polite. They went off together without another word.

"You're late." Glynda glared at the four as they stepped through the doorway. Ozpin stood next to her, drinking from his coffee. "There's only four places left. Find your way to them."

Harry simply nodded and took the closest slot with Jaune next to him. Ruby and Yang took the last two spots right next to each other. Each spot was marked by a steel square outlined on the ground with a yellow arrow pointed towards the forest below.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest below. Now, I'm sure many of you had heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Let me put an end to that confusion. Each of you will be given teammates, today." Ruby started shaking with fear when she heard that last part. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon so it is in your best interest so it will be in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you work well with." Next to Ruby, Percy snorted at that. Ruby would have said something if she wasn't so nervous about what's to come. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"What?!" Ruby asked, feeling like her whole preconception of Beacon collapsed before her. Making eye contact for partners? What kind of system was this?

"See, I told you." The orange haired girl said to her not together-together guy.

Ozpin coughed before continuing. "After you're partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die. Those of you who are unable to continue on, you will be airlifted to safety and will be expelled from the first year class of Beacon Academy. For those of you who do make it to the end, you will be monitored and graded on your performance as a whole. But our instructors will not intervene unless absolutely necessary. Your objective is to find an abandoned temple to the east containing several relics. Each pair must choose the same relic and climb up the cliff on the opposite end of the forest. Protect that relic with your lives and you will be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Uh, sir?" Jaune asked, raising his hand. "I got several questions. First being, how are we getting down there?"

"Being launched to it." Ozpin replied, pressing some buttons on his Scroll. The first student at the far end of the line was launched into the forest. Said person started screaming on their way down.

"Please tell me you're joking." Jaune said, looking defeated as he saw people being launched one by one. Yang winked at Ruby, putting on a pair of sunglasses before being launched. Ruby took in a deep breath before she was launched. Then came Jaune who was launched into the air, screaming.

"Sometimes, I love my job." Ozpin said, taking in a deep sip of coffee.

"Yes. You love it too much it seems." Glynda bit back. Both watched the monitors for what came next.

Izuku Midoriya rocketed through the air, wind howling in his ears to a lesser extent than the tunnel that took him here. A portal to another world, Midoriya thought to himself. It reminded of all those isekai mangas he would read as a kid but eventually, he would always gravitate back towards the hero material, particularly All Might. The fact Midoriya is in his own isekai is nothing sort of absurd. At least Ozpin was gracious enough about it. Come to think of it, based on how disturbed he looked when Midoriya described the portal that took him here and how quickly he believed him about his alternate world tale, Midoriya had a feeling the aged headmaster knew more than he was letting on. But the fact he healed up his wounds and made him a student here at Beacon, Midoriya couldn't have been more thankful.

Midoriya shook his head of these thoughts. They would have to wait until later. Now, it was time for him to focus on the task at hand. Namely, landing. The tree line was coming up on him and fast. Midoriya was going down at a rapid pace, probably same speed as gravity. He needed to slow down to prevent further injury. Ten percent of One for All should do the trick. Bounce from tree to tree to decelerate until he could land safely. As he reached the top of the nearest tree, Midoriya yelled out, "Smash!" He kicked the nearest tree, pushing him to the nearest one. Segment by segment, he went down. When there wasn't a trunk to move around, he swung on the branches like a jungle gym. When he reached the lowest level, Midoriya grabbed the nearest branch and gave a final swing before landing on the ground with his feet. Midoriya noted how he used 10% the entire time and yet his legs only felt mildly sore yet his arms always got tired by the end. That is very good to know, especially if he was to fight for longer…

"Heads up!" Midoriya looked up to see someone flying down, a wide white parachute sprouting from his back. It was a man who wore orange armor and even from up here, Midoriya could see the rolls of fat under his breastplate. He came down lower until the parachute got caught on the branches above, smashing him against the wall. "Motherfucker! Shit! This parachute's not coming loose. Wait. I got it!" The edges came loose and the boy fell from the top, landing flat on the ground. Midoriya made his way over but the name hoisted himself up already.

"Are you okay?" Midoroya asked as he reached the boy. The boy stared at him for a moment, then turned away. He had on his back an ugly weapon that looked like a giant blade fused with a grenade launcher. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be partners."

"Nope. You can't see my eyes. Ergo, we are not partners." He said, walking away.

Midoriya stepped in front of him. "I don't know what waits for us in this forest and to do it, we need to work together." Grif just stared at him. "Look, I know that this must be a very challenging time. It will be for all of us. But if we're going to be heroes and help people, we need each other." Grif continued staring. "I don't know what semblance you might have, it could be amazing. But raw power doesn't mean that you will make a good Huntsman. Is this helping?" Grif just stood still. Midoriya felta shiver down his spine at this point. "Okay, you can stop staring now."

"I wasn't staring. I was sticking my tongue out at you."

"How was I supposed to know you were doing that?"

"Exactly. You can't see what I'm doing, that means we didn't make eye contact. Booya bitch." He started walking away again.

"Why are you like this?" Midoriya couldn't stop himself from asking. "I want to pass this, same as you. I'm just trying to help."

"Hey, don't hate the player. I'm an equal opportunist asshole. And really? I don't care." Grif said. "I'm going to cruise through these four years, find a sweet management position at some major corporation then coast for the rest of my life. Pure relaxation. Booze. It'll be great."

Midoriya bristled at that. Why did he have to end up with this boy of everyone here? He'd worked with everything he had to get into a hero course and he assumed the boy did the same. So why was he like this? "You could at least tell me your name."

He sighed. "Fine. It's Grif. Fine! Dexter Grif."

"Now we're getting somewhere. I'm Midoriya Izuku."

"Yeah, whatever. You got me. Let's get this over with. Now where to go?"

"I'll figure it out." Midoriya said. "Ozpin said that the temple was to the east and they would have relics. What are these relics? Are they handheld or something bigger? I saw a gap when we were landing so I assume that is where the temple is. Factoringinourcurrentposition,Iwouldsaywe'retwomilesfromthetemplebutthat' ' .Onfootcouldbedangeroussowe'llhavetobesmartaboutit. Does that sound good?" Midoriya looked up but couldn't find Grif anywhere. "Grif? Grif, where are you?" He heard a snort and looked behind. Grif was laying on the ground on his back. He was snoring loudly. Midoriya blinked, the sight being permanently ingrained in his mind. 'He's sleeping?!' Midoriya thought in shock, mouth agape. How did he fall asleep that fast? Not even Bakugo fell asleep that fast! A moment passed before Grif grumbled. "Oh, you're done? It's that way." Grif lifted a hand and pointed a finger in the exact same direction Midoriya pointed out. "It's morning and the sun always rises in the west no matter what planet you're on. So if the mountain range is west, then the temple's that way."

Midoriya blinked. That… actually made some sense. He blushed a little at the obvious overthinking he did. "Uh, yeah. That works too. So why did you fall asleep then if you knew the way?"

"Because you wouldn't shut the fuck up." Grif said, getting up. Midoriya flinched. It was almost like being on the receiving end of Bakugo's cursing but never had he heard anyone curse in such a casual manner before. Before either of them made the move, they froze. The nearby bush let out a deep growl. In a second, the source lunged them; a large wolf-like Grimm with glowing red eyes. Midoriya got into a combat stance, ready for it. A sudden explosion went off against its face and the Grimm was knocked on its side, already dissolving. Midoriya looked back. Grif was holding his weapon, the barrel smoking already. Midoriya couldn't help but feel surprised at how fast he moved, especially with how fat he was.

"Ha! Suck the big one, you overgrown labradoodle." Grif taunted watching its body dissolve.

"Labradoodle?" Midoriya questioned. Nothing he saw in that beast resembled a labradoodle at all.

Another beast just like the one Grif killed snuck up on him. Midoriya lunged forward, 10% of One for All in his right fist. It collided with the white bony armor. Midoriya yelled in pain from the punch but it shattered the armor. Its head came clean off, dissolving immediately before its body.

Grif looked back, yelping at the body. "Jesus!" He said, seeing the wreck. He looked to Midoriya. "You could've hit me, you dick!"

"I was nowhere near you!" Midoriya shouted back. Their argument was stopped by a mass of Grimm, more wolves in the pack.

"Just shut up and let's kill these fuckers!" Grif shouted, firing more grenades from his weapon. Midoriya did what he could to stay out of range, punching them back. It turns out that what Midoriya hit was their armor marked by white. Hitting the black would be the same as punching flesh and they were easy to kill. A particularly large Grimm charged at Grif. "Eat this!" He shouted and pulled the trigger. Grif whimpered. "Um… same time next week?" The wolf snarled as if amused then lunged again.

'Not on my watch!' Midoriya thought to himself, planting both feet on the ground and jumped forward, this time positioning his right leg for a kick. This Grimm noticed him charging and making to swipe him out of the air. It screeched in pain, looking down to see the Grif Shot's tip sticking in its belly, Grif looking up in defiance. "You're not so tough, are you? Suck it, black!" He asked. That distraction was enough for Midoriya to kick its head. It went clean off like the last one. Head shots have done him well so far. The two Huntsmen-in-training stared at each other. "Um, wow. Good kicks. Did you learn from Steven Seagal or something?"

"Who?" Midoriya asked before shaking his head. "No worries. You did good there too. We need to get moving."

"Yeah, no shit we should move it." With that said, both of them trudged into the forest deeper.

Percy Jackson, despite not wanting to go on any more quests or adventures, loved fighting. It was in his blood literally. Riptide swung like an arc of death in the air, cutting through the last of these beasts the people called Grimm. Even compared to that sea beast he fought a while back, these Grimm he could probably fight blind. It was almost refreshing at this point to fight monsters that he could easily take on. No big prophecies held over his head, no Kronos or Gaea guiding everything right now. Of course, that wouldn't last long if Percy had any say. He will find a way back to his family on Earth but the best way to do that is to find that path without drawing attention or entering places he wouldn't normally, that's what a Huntsmen license will get him.

He trudged through the forest, each step aching. As he was falling, his mind went back to the Underworld where the bubbles carried him to the sea above and that's what he did using water from the forest below. It didn't work out quite right and was sore for his efforts. He still didn't have a partner yet, and he was fine with that. But if he had to get one, he didn't know who he would work with. That orange fat, Grif, was going to cause problems. He pitied whoever was paired up with him. What about Jaune? He reminded him a bit of his younger years, but even more annoying and frankly, his instincts told him he had no idea what he was doing so he would just get in the way. The girl Pyrrha Nikos was the most capable of all of them. But he wouldn't want to be with her either; she was too jumpy and that shock could get them exposed. That left…

Another Grimm, this one bear like tried to ambush him. Percy lifted his sword, ready to strike. A loud bang went off and the Grimm looked back in annoyance. The boy standing on the other side of the clearing was wearing armor under a scarlet cloak. The boy himself was scrawny, almost tooth-pick thin and an inch or two shorter than Percy himself; he also had messy black hair, a set of circular glasses and bright green eyes much like his own. He looked surprised that it didn't work but he steeled himself and held his pistol up higher. "Come on! Come get me." He shouted in defiance. Percy blinked in surprise. He had spunk, whoever he is. The Grimm roared and charged at him. And this distraction, Percy welcomed. He ran at the beast, sliding under his legs and slashing one of the base legs. It stumbled in place, trying to regain balance. The other boy shot it in the eye and with a final stab of his sword, the beast collapsed to the ground, dissolving in smoke.

Percy took a deep breath, looking to his newfound partner. "That was good shooting back there."

He shrugged. "Please. I've had to work on my aim for years. Your handling of that sword was unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Lots and lots of practice. Not all of it good. You?"

"Yeah, that's about right. The worst part is when every bone in your arm is broken so you have to rely on your other arm to do the work instead. Had that happen once on my old school's team."

"Ouch. I know that feeling." Percy winced. "What sport did you play?"

"Football." From what Harry had seen with Dean Thomas his dormmate, football was rather comparable to Quidditch so he ran with it.

"Football? You look the type of kid who'd get beaten up on your first day there."

"That are you talking about? I only use my feet and lots of speed." And flying broomsticks, Harry added in his mind. Not that he was going to admit that part out loud.

"Oh, you mean soccer then. Gotcha. I was always more of a skateboarder myself."

"You do look the type." He had a bit of a bitter edge to his voice before pausing. "I'm Harry by the way. Harry Potter."

"Percy Jackson." He made his way through the woods, Harry following close behind. If they truly were stuck together for a time, an idea that resembled the Houses of Hogwarts yet somehow magnified to absurdity, then they needed to get to know each other better.

"What did you do, before signing up for Beacon?"

Percy paused for a moment, thinking on it. "I like to sail on the water. The ocean makes me feel alive."

Harry grinned wistfully. "Sounds like me when I'm flying."

Percy snorted. "I know a girl who would heavily disagree with that idea."

"Then she hasn't properly flown then."

Percy let out a laugh. "Trust me, she has."

"I take it you've had a few adventures then?"

"More than you."

Harry stopped in his place. He didn't want to be famous for any of the things he's done in life, but something about those words echoed in his mind and made him angry. "I call rubbish. Try me."

Percy looked back, annoyed. "Alright, I will. Where would you like to start?"

"From the beginning. Family."

Percy frowned at that as if recalling a bitter memory. "My Dad left me before I was born because he loved the sea a lot so I had to be raised by my mother alone."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You had a mother. Both of my parents were killed by a mass-murdering terrorist who wanted to rule over the world. The same terrorist got cold feet at the last minute at the thought of killing a baby."

Percy paused, his annoyance slipping. "I'm sorry." It sounded sincere to Harry's ears at least. "Mom had to marry the smelliest man in the world to keep our finances together. Gabe like to bring over his work buddies for poker and drunk so much beer I had to swim through a sea of beer cans to just reach my bedroom."

"I got carted off to my relatives after the murders. My relatives really didn't want me there so they would put me in the upstairs bedroom so I wouldn't be seen. Not to mention it only took 14 years for my cousin, Dudley, to make good on his threats of being the size and weight of an Orca."

Percy stared for a moment before cackling. "Dudley? Who names their child Dudley?"

"Aunt Petunia did." Harry shrugged. "You ever go on adventures against your will?"

Percy let out an involuntary laugh. "Been there, done that, that T-shirt is older than the temple we're going to probably. What's your most memorable?"

"Being trapped in the basement of my old school where one of its founders hid a bloody-thirsty snake. Managed to kill it, but nearly died from its poison."

"What sort of poison was it?"

"What do you mean, what kind of poison? There's only one kind, the one where your insides feel like they're being melted."

Percy thought on that. "Touché. All my quests are forced on me and then once I barely survive them, people treat me like the next coming of a god or something."

Harry's eyes widened at that. "You're hoisted up for something you didn't do too?"

Percy's face turned red now. "Yes. I just wanted to live a normal life and it's like the Fates themselves said, 'No thanks!'"

Harry stared at him for a long moment, trying to see if he was lying to him. Then the dam burst, and he started laughing at the top of his lungs. It didn't take long for Percy to join in with him, laughing so hard they fell on the ground. Harry sat himself up, his giggles calming down. "Good Lord, you know how long it's been since I met someone who gets it? I mean, really gets it. My friends have some understanding but one of them turned his back on me until he learned that lesson the hard way."

Percy also sat up, a lop-sided grin that made him look even more mischievous than ever. "Your friends should be friends with mine then. There was a time where my girlfriend wanted me to fight an unbeatable foe and when I told her I didn't want to die, she called me a coward for it. Don't get wrong, I'd still die for her."

Harry got himself up back up, holding out a hand which Percy took to stand up. "We should trade stories over tea sometime. But for now, let's get this done. You know the way to go?"

"Yeah. It's that way." Percy pointed into the woods. "And no tea."

"Alright. Lead the way then." They trudged through the woods, their eyes watchful for any further Grimm encounters.

Back up on the cliff, Glynda and Ozpin were watching the monitors. "The last pair has been formed. Nora Valyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy, I can't possibly imaging those two getting along."

"Mmm." Ozpin mused. He did agree with Glynda to an extent, but it was clear from their interactions that they have known each other for some time. Can they cooperate in a life-or-death situation? That remains to be seen.

Glynda switched monitors. "There are some other things I've noticed with our candidates. Most of them are horribly mediocre but do seem to be holding their own. I will need to put in a lot of effort to make them respectable Huntsmen. Still, they're probably better off than Ms. Nikos and Mr. Midoriya right now." She shook her head. "I don't care what those transcripts say. Mr. Arc is not ready for this level of combat. I guess we'll find out soon enough. On the next matter, Mr. Potter and Mr. Jackson. They seem far too in their element for my liking. I wonder what they were laughing about."

"Yes. They are enigmas indeed." Ozpin agreed with that. Harry Potter had the most excellent transcripts and was endorsed by the chieftain of Soin My, a village in central Mistral. He did small jobs around the continent guarding villages or even repairs, but his technical skills and versatility of talents made him more than worthy to at least test. Percy Jackson, on the other hand, had no transcripts or even an ID, but by the Gods his endorsements. The captain of the Seafarer, Vale council member Alfred DuPont who was also on the boat, the police chief of Sumire and on and on. The sheer number of endorsements he got made him a special case, and after some subtle pulling of strings, saw various footage of his combat ability. He was good, too good for his age, but was too loose, too variable in his style. With some extra training and a base fighting style, he would make an excellent Huntsman.

"Despite all this to consider, I feel that Mr. Midoriya got the worst luck in partner selection for his team. I have met many students during my time at Beacon Academy, but this Dexter Grif is by far the laziest candidate I have ever seen."

"Yes, I see what Qrow meant now." Grif was another case where he had no ID or transcripts. Qrow just found him laying there next to the old Branwen shack having fought off a sizable number of Grimm alone. And that armor, he had even reached out to Ironwood to inquire about it. To Ozpin's surprise, not only did Ironwood deny anyone in the Development department of Atlas being a part of it, he even said it was the most advanced armor he had ever seen. That raised a lot of questions in everyone's mind so Qrow came up with an idea so absurd, Ozpin couldn't help but feel impressed by it. Let him enroll at Beacon, see what he's capable of. He certainly wasn't working for HER, that much was obvious enough especially with how lazy he was. But they didn't know where he came from. His 'Red Army' that he kept talking about wasn't listed on any database in Remnant so, as the old saying goes, what better way to keep an eye on a potential enemy than keeping him nearby?

Glynda coughed, getting back on topic. "Anyway, Mr. Winchester and Mr. Lark have already reached the temple and look like the first pair to pass Initiation with Mr. Bronzewing and Mr. Thrush coming up behind them. The rest of the pairs are going to reach the temple in just a few minutes. Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask. What did you use for relics this year?" She looked up from her monitors when her boss didn't answer. "Professor Ozpin?"

"I used chess pieces this year." He said absent-mindedly as he watched the monitor, particularly Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee verbally berating each other once more. A pair that could cause a lot of trouble if they didn't sort it out soon.

The trees were clearing up before Harry Potter's eyes as they rushed through. They had encountered an entire pack of Grimm-bears along the way. He and Percy made quick work of them, but as Harry reached for his next ammo clip. He had a sinking feeling. "Uh, Percy? I'm almost out of ammo."

"Then use a sword then." Percy said as if it was easy, cutting down another bear.

"You say that like it's easy." Harry grumbled back, firing another shot. He hadn't even touched a sword since he was 12 years old. He only had one last trick up the leather slot hidden under his scarlet sleeve. No, not here. He was starting to like Percy, but he was still a Muggle. He would use it if he had no other choice. "Hey! Over here, beastie!" Harry called to the last Grimm. It turned to look at him as Percy snuck up on it, stabbing it in the belly as it dissolved. What sort of sword is that, Harry wondered to himself. He could feel magic radiating from it, a very different one from anything he felt in the Wizarding World and it didn't feel like the Dust under his feet, the source of the magic that Harry felt in the ground. Harry looked up and say a clearing straight ahead. "Oi, Percy! We made it!"

Percy looked up, smiling in satisfaction. The exhaustion that he expressed earlier in the day was a lot harder to notice now. Two girls he hadn't met before, one blonde and one with raven hair. "How about a cute little pony?" The blonde asked, tossing it to raven hair.

She rolled her eyes as she caught it. "Sure." Blonde girl picked up the next one. When she saw Harry and Percy enter the clearing, she grimaced. Harry was confused by that face. "Hello, Percy." Raven hair said, waving at him.

"Hi, Blake. Hi, Yang. Glad to see you made it in one piece." Percy said, walking right by them. They said nothing, watching as the two reached the pedestal.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"Who knows." Percy shrugged. "There's four of each piece here. Which one do you want?"

Harry glanced over the pieces. There was a row dedicated to white chess pieces upfront and, higher pedestals behind it, were similar pieces but in black colors. Harry saw one set of pieces in particular: the black knights. Harry recalled that day they tried to stop Quirrell from getting the Philosopher's Stone, thinking it was Severus Snape instead. He especially remembered the courage that Ron had, riding that knight and sacrificing himself to save them. With his mind made up, Harry snagged one of them. "These ones." He then tossed another piece to Percy.

"I like the way you think." Percy grinned at that.

The moment ended when they heard a loud scream. "Some girl's in trouble!" Yang said, lifting her fists. So much had happened, Harry couldn't keep track of it all. It would be much later that Harry would remember some of the basics; it went down as thus: The short redhead, Ruby Rose, came crashing to the ground while screaming something and would have been crushed if the blonde he met the other day, Jaune, wasn't knocked forward, knocking them both into a nearby tree. Harry took a deep breath to collect his thoughts as they two recovered themselves. Just as things seemed like they were calming down, the orange-haired girl rode a particularly large bear Grimm like a horse into the clearing before dissolving. "Aw, it's broken." She said rushing to the chess pieces and picking one up. Her partner, a long-haired boy caught up to her, huffing with the effort.

"Did that just happen?" Harry asked, not believing his eyes.

"I think it did?" Percy answered, sounding just as confused.

Just when things couldn't have been weirder, they did. A green-haired boy stumbled into the clearing, hauling Grif on his back. "There it is! Thanks, partner!" He said between heavy breaths before slipping off his back, strutting up to the alter with a passing, "Sup."

"Yeah… no… problem." The green-haired boy grunted, sweat pouring from his forehead and falling to his knees to catch his breath.

"Dudley?" Harry found himself asking.

"Way to roast him from orbit." Percy grinned back as Grif stared at each one.

"Yeah, fuck it." Grif said, grabbing one of the chess pieces. A pit formed in Harry's stomach when he saw him grab the remaining black knight pieces and walk it over to his partner.

"Did he just ride his partner here?" Blake asked, her amber eyes widening in shock.

"Damn, he must be built like an ox." Yang commented, licking her lips. Harry found that behavior rather repulsive.

As if that wasn't enough, the red-head Harry saw earlier in the day running at them, being chased by a large Grimm that resembled a scorpion. "Jaune! You're okay!"

"And you got a Deathstalker on your tail!" Jaune shouted back. Really, Deathstalker? Sounded like someone wanted to join the Death Eaters, couldn't so they made their own lame version.

At this point, the blonde Yang exploded. Really. Her blonde hair had caught fire and her eyes turned red. "I can't take this anymore. Can everyone chill out for, like, two seconds before something crazy happens again?"

Everyone was silent for that moment, stunned by her outburst. "I think the message was gotten loud and clear." Percy called out to Yang who whirled back at him, furious.

"Uh, Yang." Ruby pointed up to the sky. Harry couldn't believe he had missed such a beast flying overhead. It didn't cast any shadows. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any shadows at all outside if his and Percy's. So what were they then?

"How could you leave me?" A screech came from up high. Harry recognized it immediately. It would take a long time to forget that Malfoy-looking girl and her loud voice. It took him hours to sleep with that ringing in his ears.

"I said let go, Weiss!" Ruby called up to her. Harry stared baffled at the redheaded girl. He couldn't decide whether to be impressed by her boldness or her foolishness at riding that thing. She could have fit right in the Gryffindor Quidditch team either way.

"She's gonna fall and go splat." Yang said in a deadpan tone.

"She'll be fine." Ruby said reassuringly.

"She's falling." Blake said, even more seriously.

As Weiss was falling, Jaune decided to take that moment and lunge forward, catching her in a bridal position. "Just dropping in?" He said, his voice strained.

Percy sighed next to Harry. "Like I said, snowball's chance in Tartarus for that one."

"Why not Hell?" Harry asked. Percy looked to him startled. "Why are you using the Greek name for Hell?" Harry wanted to clasp his hands over his mouth over that slipup. He had given away the secrecy game!

Percy's eyes narrowed at that statement but steeled himself. "Just my family expression. Come on, we need to join them." The two rushed towards the pitch as Weiss got herself up, Jaune continuing to groan about his back.

"Great. The gang's all here, Now we're going to die together!" Yang shouted sarcastically and with great enthusiasm. Real inspirational, Harry thought to himself annoyed.

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby, taking her words too literally, answered. In a burst of red petals, she charged at the scorpion that followed Pyrrha into the clearing, waiting for them to slip up. Semblances are weird, Harry thought. His surprise turned to horror as Yang called, "Ruby, wait!"

But it was too late. Ruby unfurled her oversized sickle, let off a shot that Harry had to dodge to avoid hitting him in the face slashed it at the Deathstalker's face. Seeing her intentions, the scorpion moved both claws over the face so the sickle not only clanged harmlessly against it, but sent her flying back. "D-Don't worry. Totally fine!" Ruby called as she got up. The giant bird overhead wasn't having any of it, giving a large flap of its wings. To Harry's astonishment, it sent a wave of feathers crashing down. One of them even impaled the girl's red cape, the recoil saving her life as another feather struck where she was standing a second ago. All of them charged at the two monsters who were on the verge of killing his younger girl. Yang was the first to reach them, trying to pull up the feather. "What is this made of! Steel?" She grunted but fell onto her butt during the effort. Not to mention they were so close together, they could barely fit. The scorpion raised its tail, ready for the kill. Ruby could only stare up in horror.

"Ruby!" Yang screamed even louder before a massive blur zipped by her. Harry couldn't make it out but looked like the screecher herself. Right behind her, the orange armored man ran as fast as he could, pulling out an ugly weapon but when he slashed it every which way, the feathers crumbled like they were paper. Weiss reached Ruby in time, stabbing her rapier into the ground. The reason was evident, a wave of ice sprouting from it and freezing the beast in place. Orange armored man got there a few seconds later, stabbing his weapon into its mouth. It gave an even louder screech than before and dissolved into ashes.

"You are so childish," Weiss was saying as the group stepped over the feather roots to reach them.

"Nice fucking start there." He said rudely, "Go on." Harry would have gotten slapped upside the head by Molly Weasley if she heard that language in her house and rightly so.

"And dimwitted," she continued after a hateful glare. "And hyperactive. Don't even get be started on your fighting style. I admit I can be difficult but I need you to step up to help me. If you can do that, I'll be nicer. Okay?"

Ruby nodded, getting up. "I'm not trying to show off. I just want to show you I can do this."

"Just, don't show off anymore." Weiss walked away as Yang embraced Ruby tightly, crying. Harry had guessed they were sisters with how close they were, despite looking nothing alike, but he couldn't help feeling happy for them. She looked up to Weiss.

"Thank you for helping my sister." She said to Weiss. A ghost of a smile crossed her face. Yang then looked to the orange armored man in confusion. "Thank you too, uh, what's your name?"

"Grif." He grunted out. "Look, even from this morning, I could tell you two were family. Trust me, I get it. I got a little sister of my own whose, somewhere. I don't fucking know these days. Point is, what I do know is that you can mess with the person all you want, but you don't mess with family." He paused then groaned. "God, that came out so pathetic. Sounded like Dominic Toretto there."

"Uh, what?" Yang asked, confused. They stopped their conversation when the bird started screeching loudly, circling overhead.

"Guys, that things' circling back. What are we going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Percy spoke up, "We don't need to fight it, we need to get back to the cliffs to pass."

"He's right." Ruby replied. "Our mission is just to grab an artifact and climb to the top. Everything else is gravy."

"Run and live. That's an idea I can get behind." Jaune added.

Yang smiled as the group made their way towards the cliffs, Ruby beckoning them onward. Blake noticed and asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing." She kept smiling then they departed. As they neared the cliffs, a new screech was heard. Harry looked back to see a second Deathstalker coming for them, this one even larger than the last.

On either side of their path lay old stone pillars holding up roofs. Could this be the real temple here? Harry wondered. They reached a large stone tower forming a circular shape. They hid behind the pillars as the giant Grimm bird landed on the top of the temple, watching for them.

"Okay. Here's the plan." Percy called out to them. "We seem to have an even split between long-ranged and close-ranged fighters. I count myself in short-ranged and will take on Big and Mean back there." He pointed his sword to the Deathstalker coming at them. "Looks like you, you, you and you will help me." He pointed to long-haired guy, orange-haired girl, Grif, Midoriya and Jaune. "The rest of you, find some cover and aim for the belly of that oversized pigeon. Go!"

"Come on. Let's do it." They all split up to do what their tasks. Harry was thankful that he followed behind Yang and others while Percy and his group took the scorpion on. He really didn't want to get that up close and personal to it, especially given past experiences. They were halfway across the bridge to the center of the cliff when the bird came down on them once more. Harry pulled out his pistol, taking careful aim and firing. It struck the beast right in the eye, screeching as it wound itself around still coming at them. Harry lunged forward to avoid getting decimated like the bridge that collapsed under the bird's weight.

"Did you get it?" Ruby asked, pulling Harry up.

"I got one of its eyes." Harry answered, looking at his bullets and grimacing. Ten more shots left. He had to make them count. The bird came back up again, looking angrier if that was possible. "Come on!" Ruby led him up the steps to the center of the tower. The girls nearby were firing everything they had at the beast but it wasn't having any of it. It rammed into the top of the temple. Harry saw the wall coming down and knew there was no other choice. With a flick of his wrist, his wand sprang to his hand and pointing it at the ceiling. Bomarda Maxima! Harry thought, pulling the trigger. The spell and bullet hit the roof which exploded before them, heat prickling at Harry's face. He made sure to tuck the wand back in its sleeve before any of the girls noticed. They were just getting up.

"What kind of heat are you packing?" Yang asked, excited. She saw that the fight was still going, jumping onto a nearby platform and firing her shots.

"None of this is working." Weiss grumbled. Ruby looked from person to person.

"I have a plan. Follow me, guys! Harry, cover us!" Ruby shouted, gathering them together.

"I'll try!" He shouted as he fired his pistol, each shot hitting its mark but not doing the sort of damage he had done before. Yang, to his horror, jumped into the air and right into its mouth. She let off multiple shots while holding its mouth open, trembling with such fury that it shook Yang out. Where she landed, Harry could only watch with his mouth agape. Of all the things he had seen and done in his life, this had to have taken the cake for most asinine thing he'd ever seen. Blake had tied a black ribbon between two stone pillars which Yang connected to one end, Ruby right in the middle. With a pause, Ruby was launched from the black ribbon, right for the black beast that was still focused on Harry. He dodged to the side as it bit down on the stone where he stood, and Ruby careened right past the beast, slamming into the wall. The explosion was enough for the bird to get its attention with Ruby face-planted into the wall. What kind of plan was this? The bird stared at her before flying in her direction. At that moment, Harry felt a gust of wind kick up, knocking him on his back. He stared up to see the green-haired boy, paired up with Grif, launching himself at the bird. What is it with these people and launching themselves into situations?!

Except this time, the bird noticed and opened its jaw, ready to eat. What Harry noticed, and was confused by, was when he saw his left arm glowing with an ominous red light, the sleeve on his suit torn. Even from up here, he could hear the boy's cry. "SSMMASSSSHHH!" His fist collided with the bird's face. It felt like the world exploded around Harry, a flash of heat followed by a gust of wind even stronger than the last destroying the temple even further than it already has. The recoil of wind blew the boy towards one of the remaining stone bridges below him. In a flash of a moment, he snagged Ruby's cape and dragged her with him. Harry was tempted to bring out his wand again but paused. A white symbol appeared in midair that they landed against, bounced then landed on the stone bridge before them, not even cracking it. Harry looked back and saw that the Deathstalker was not only long taken care of, but everyone was making their way to him. Yang led the group, pushing past him to make their way over.

"I can't believe you'd do that for my sister. Thank…" Yang paused. Harry couldn't see her face but she just stood still. "What happened?"

The green-haired buy grunted. "Help me get this glove off." He grunted. She started working at it, and Harry finally saw what caused her to pause. It reminded him of that incident in Quidditch involving his broken arm and Lockhart. But this made his injury then look like a papercut. His entire left arm was swollen and a deep purple, blood leaking at certain places.

"Blimey. That's got to hurt." Harry said, not able to take his eyes off the arm. Ruby was staring at the arm too, her mouth agape and even more horrified than when she was at that scorpion's mercy.

"Don't worry about it. This isn't the first time this has happened." He said, grinning despite it showing he was in a lot of pain.

"Why did you do it?" Ruby asked, taking her eyes away.

"Ruby, I'm so sorry!" Weiss was coming up, looking deeply shaken. "I'm so…" She paused then screamed at the sight.

He grunted. "W-W-Well…" He smiled, tears brewing in his eyes. "It looked like you needed help there." None of the students could say a word, trying to take in his words. Harry heard a drop on the ground. He looked down. Sure enough, it was water. Plop. Plop. Plop. Harry looked to the sky. What was once a clear day had turned cloudy and had was drizzling. What happened? How did it change so fast?

"You did good." Percy stepped forward. He too looked awestruck by what he saw. "That was just, wow."

He nodded. Ruby looked at him with a newfound respect for him. "What's your semblance? How did you do that? This!" She gestured to the sky.

He grunted. "I have a semblance that boots my strength by 200%. But I still don't have full control over it," he looked back down at his arm, "This is what happens when I let all control of it go. It's not the first time this happened either."

"You get strength that breaks you?" Orange-haired girl asked. "That's amazing! You could break so many legs with that!"

"But I don't want to!" Midoriya protested. "Every one that I've heard since we got here only cares about fighting these Grimm. I get that. But they keep forgetting that it's about the people too. We're here to make sure that children can grow up knowing who their parents are, give people hope that things can change for the better. And if I break my body along the way to do it, so be it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Of course, Harry wanted to help people and go back home to stop Lord Voldemort. But when he saw Midoriya's arm, he couldn't help thinking, Good Lord. I need to step up.

The rest of the students trickled in throughout the morning, some collecting the remaining chess pieces and others didn't, eliminating any chance of joining Beacon Academy this year. The whole afternoon was dedicated towards the announcing of teams followed by settling into the dorms. Each team stepped up to the stage, team name was announced along with their pieces in addition to names, then left. It was done in a brisk and efficient manner as if done a thousand times before. Then came the final four teams.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. The four of you received the black bishop pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as team CRDL [Cardinal] led by… Cardin Winchester." Their names were displayed on the holographic screen above their heads. The auditorium gave a round of applause as they stepped off stage, Cardin giving a curt nod to the crowd.

Next onto the stage walked Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you received the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team JNPR [Juniper], led by… Jaune Arc."

"Wait. L-Led by?" Jaune stuttered, not believing it.

"That's right, young man." Ozpin agreed. Pyrrha fistbumped Jaune in the shoulder but he was still in such shock that it knocked him to the ground. The crowd laughed as he got back up and led his team off stage. Then came the four girls with Weiss leading the way on.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you found the white knight pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as team RWBY, led by… Ruby Rose."

Ruby's and Weiss's jaws dropped at the news, one in shock and the other in disbelief. Yang rushed to her sister and embraced her. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Come on. We can celebrate off the stage." Blake said, leading the four girls off stage. Weiss said nothing, disbelief still on her face. Then the last quartet stepped up. Grif strolled up without a care in the world. Midoriya's left arm was in a full cast and sling with a bandage on his head but was smiling. All of them did something to be proud of today. One thing they did agree on, it should be Percy who took the leadership role. He turned a bad situation into a massacre for the Grimm.

"And finally, we have Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Dexter Grif and Izuku Midoriya. The four of your found the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team Delta Phi Eta Iota. Led by… Dexter Grif." A moment of silence passed as the other three team members stood, looking quite surprised at the event.

"Hey, great job. Congratulations, Grif!" Izuku said being the first to recover, giving a thumbs up and grinning. Grif just stood there, not making a sound at all. Izuku dropped his smile, becoming concerned by the silence. "Grif?"

"Fuck me! This can't be happening! NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Grif was on his knees, shouting to the sky before sobbing.

"This is going to be an interesting year." Ozpin mused, taking a deep sip from his coffee. He couldn't help but be amused by the display.

The sun peeked over the beaches of Claw Island. It was a large island north of the coast of Menagerie, named for its residents of sea-faring Faunus tribes that retained the old traditions of warfare and peace. Not even the mainland of Menagerie wanted to work with the Claw Islanders due to their stark differences in lifestyle and culture. That was just fine by them, meant more time to go fishing and hunting.

Albacore was one such Islander, a Faunus with tanned skin with yellow streaks across his body, wide lips and gills on the side of his face so he could swim anywhere in the world. Being just 16 years old meant that he has yet to go through the Poutari, the ancient rite of passage Faunus would endure to enter manhood. His father did and his father before him and his father before him stretching back to the Great Crossing where the first Faunus reached Menagerie and the surrounding islands. Albacore heard many stories about the Poutari. Some said they had to drink human blood, others kill a Feilong. It didn't matter, he would go out fishing to get himself strong so when next year came around, he would be ready. He would be the strongest warrior Claw Island had ever seen. When Albacore woke up, he gathered his spear and net as usual. He had such a good dream last night, that today was going to give the greatest catch he would ever have.

Once gathered, he put on his fishing garb and stepped out of the wooden shack. The wind was even cooler today than it usually was. That was good; the fish would be more active today. With a quiet smile, Albacore shifted his materials and walked over to the beach, watching the sun rising. Albacore frowned. The sun was red today. In the Claw Island tradition, a sun that turned red upon rising instead of yellow only meant one thing: terrible things were coming. Albacore expected a council on it today, but until then, Albacore had a job to do. He made his way to one of the nearest boats and paused. The oceans washed someone up onto the beach and just laid there, right next to his boat. Albacore sighed, figuring it was old Barracuda again, having gone out for a late night of fishing and fell asleep on his boat again. But as Albacore got closer to him, he saw that it wasn't Albacore at all; in fact, he looked rather young with a mat of thick black hair. Albacore set his stuff in the boat and flipped him over, taking a step back in surprise.

Claw Island's tribes weren't the most united and they didn't like the Faunus especially since the Great War, but the tribal councils and Menagerial Faunus would regularly meet and trade goods. Albacore had never seen this man in his life. His short black hair lay gently on the beach and beginning to grow a beard. He only had on shoes that went up to his mid leg, a strange pair of blue cloth and nothing else. Albacore had to admit, staring down at him, he was more muscular than he had ever seen any living being. The more he stared down, the more Albacore was certain of a single truth; he wasn't any Claw Islander and based on the smell, he wasn't a Faunus either. That meant he must be Human but the smell coming from him scared him deeply. He must report this to the village! With a jolt, he ran back into the junglewhere his village of Mo Hala where the men were up and about tending to the daily work, the women cleaning off clothes that went out to sea yesterday.

"Outsider! Outsider on the beach!" Albacore shouted in Clawsh, the local language. The men, startled, lifted their weapons but lowered them when they saw them.

"Albacore." Boomed his father, Blackbar. He was tall and imposing man with red skin and gills on his neck. He was staring at his son in disappointment; it was tradition not to let emotions control them, but to ride them like canoes on the ocean. "What is the meaning of this?"

Albacore pointed behind him, after steeling himself for a moment. "An outsider just washed up on our shores. He's not from any of the other tribes or Menagerie. I think he's human but smells wrong."

"What do you mean?" Another man, Talbot, asked walking up to him. Talbot and Blackbar were good friends and Talbot taught Albacore everything he knew about fishing. "What did he smell like?"

"Fire. Rotting flesh. I don't know but he's still alive." Blackbar studied his son for a moment before nodding.

"Where is he?" Blackbar raised his spear.

"Left him right next to my boat."

"Take me to him."

"I'm coming with you." Talbot added, picking up his own spear. Together, the three men made quick steps through the jungle and onto the beach. Yet another islander went to the chief's hut to wake him.

Albacore was shocked to see that the man, the human, was already awake. He had been awake for a long time since he was already halfway to the jungle from the beach, swaying with unsteadiness where he stood. The trio stared at him. Albacore saw their faces, and based on their repulsion, smelled what he did. The man didn't make any moves, just stared from one to the next. Something in his eyes chilled Albacore to the very heart, a cold malice behind those eyes. And yet, at the same time, it was strangely wonderful.

There was a rustling behind them. Another nine fighting men came up behind them, the chief among them. The rest probably stayed behind to guard the village in case any other outsiders washed up. "What's going on? Talk to me." The chief said in his usual voice of arrogance.

"Nothing. He's just watching us." Blackbar answered, holding his spear to the man. When that was said, the rest of the warriors followed suit. None knew what he was capable of. For the first time, the man opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you speak English?"

Albacore tilted his head in confusion. He had never heard this language in his life. Judging by the other tribesmen, they didn't either. Just stared back.

"Habla español?"

Now Albacore understood, he was trying to talk to them. Only he had no idea what he was trying to say. That last language especially felt foreign on his ears.

"Parlez-vous français?"

Albacore was beginning to feel amazement in him. The languages have been getting more foreign and silly sounding to his ear but the fact he seemed to know all these was nothing sort of impressive.

"Sprichst du Deutsch?"

"Enough! Let's kill him!" The chief roared in fury. One warrior who just passed the Poutari this year, charged with his spear at the man. He just stood there, looking uninterested by the situation. As the warrior reached him, the man grabbed the spear in hand, and it burst into flames. The man let go, startled by the sudden heat. The man grabbed his head and squeezed. The warrior shrieked in pain before the squeezing was too much; his head exploded under the pressure.

Most of the warriors stepped back in terror, but Albacore stayed where he was. What power, he thought to himself. With something like that, he could finally make a name for himself in this world and not rely on his ancestor's heritage to be known. It's perfect.

The man looked back to the warriors and smiled. If his eyes scared Albacore before, the smile would have rendered him crippled, his bright white teeth flashing like the sun. Was it just Albacore or were his eyes blazing too? He held out his hands, palms facing them as if it were in greeting.

"My name is Russell Faraday," Albacore gaped as he finally understood him now, "and I have a mission."

"What?" The chief asked, his eyes staring in horror yet fascination.

"I've come to help you. I have come to teach you how to be civilized. This is a world that looks down upon you and your ilk but with my help, you still stand as gods in this world."

Albacore smiled at that. It was so much grander than he had possibly imagined it. He, followed by the other warriors knelt down before this man, this dream-maker. The chieftain, in his haste, rushed toward, threw himself to the ground and repeating the ancient Faunus phrase, "Yun-nah!" while kissing his feet. Albacore stared down at this man in disgust; he was always a coward looking out for himself more than the people. Now that Russell was here, perhaps the time for a new leader of Claw Island has come. He will give his life for him.

All that Russell did was laugh, a chilling laugh that echoed all around them and rocked the canoes on the beach. Things would be very different here, in quick order.