Chapter 7: Blackboard and Chalk

Yang, Blake, and Weiss were startled awake by the shrill sound of a whistle.

"Good morning Team RWBY!" Ruby shouted, standing at the front of their bare dorm room dressed in her school uniform.

Blake blinked tiredly while Weiss gave her a flat glare.

Yang fell out of bed, collapsing on the floor.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Weiss said, looking out the window. The sun was hovering just above the horizon, marking the time as early morning.

"Now that you're awake," Ruby started, "we can officially start our first order of business."

"Which is?" Blake asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Decorating!" Ruby said, holding up a collection of posters and books.

"Excuse me?" Weiss gave her a confused look. "You woke me up for that?"

"I'll have to pass, Rubes," Yang said from the ground. "The ceiling's still spinning."

"But we still have to unpack!" Ruby protested, dropping her collection and motioning to the suitcases at the foot of their beds.

"I guess that's fair," Blake said, standing up from her cot.

"I'll do it later," Weiss said, laying down again. "I need more sleep after yesterday's… everything."

"Could you get me some whole milk?" Yang asked Ruby, covering her head with her arm. "This hangover's a killer."

"I'll go find some," Blake said, collecting her uniform and leaving the room.

Yang grunted as she left.

Ruby drew her mouth into a line, thinking before saying, "Weiss, if you don't help decorate, I'm gonna start putting all my posters up on your side of the room."

"Oh no you won't!" Weiss furiously shot out of bed. "Not one! You hear me Ruby!" She had her own uniform in her hands as she headed out of the dorm to their hall's bathroom, slamming the door.

Ruby sighed as she left. She turned to Yang and said, "Come on, let's get you dressed."

A short time later, the girls were gathered again in their room, all dressed in the black jacket and plaid skirts of their school uniforms. Ruby had them sat down in front of a drawing of their dorm, leading the discussion on where they would put everything.

"So, I think we should divide the room into our partner pairs," she said. "If we stack the beds into bunk beds, we could-"

"Whoa!" Weiss held up a hand. "Hold on, bunk beds? How is that going to be safe?"

"Safe, schmafe," Ruby blew, drawing on the floor plan. "We can use that space for our desks- and your wardrobe!"

"Those cots aren't meant to stack on one another," Weiss continued. "Are you planning to duct tape them together? Maybe hang them from the ceiling?"

"Great idea Weiss!" Ruby beamed. "We can get some rope and tie it to the posts! It'll be a swinging bed!"

Weiss sighed, looking over to Ruby's sister. "Yang, tell her that's an awful idea."

"I don't know," Yang said, wiping a milk mustache off her face. "It sounds cool to me."

"Could at least one of you agree with me?" the heiress said, turning to Blake, who merely shrugged.

"And then we'll put the bookshelf in the middle," Ruby said, adding another mark to the paper.

"What about the curtains?" Blake spoke up, pointing to the window that aligned with the room's center. Curtains were bunched up around at its edges, running all the way to the floor.

"I'll cut off the extra bit," Ruby said, standing to retrieve Crescent Rose from beneath her bed.

"No, I'll do it," Weiss stood as well, retrieving her sword from the box it was stowed in. "You're likely to get the cut wrong."

Ruby paused, then shrugged, stepping away as Weiss closed the curtain. She took up a pose, then spun, slashing the bottom two feet off the fabric in a perfect line.

She looked down at her work, then balked, placing a hand on the bridge of her nose while asking, "Why didn't we just buy new curtains?"

"To save money?" Yang said, putting her empty milk glass down. "Not all of us are made of lien."

"Good job Weiss!" Ruby said with a clap. "Now, let's get our furniture and other stuff." She raised a fist and shouted, "Bonzai!"

"""Bonzai,""" the others joined dully, raising their hands half way.

After some time, team RWBY successfully reorganized their dorm room into a comfortable state.

Their beds were indeed stacked atop one another, though only Ruby's hung from the ceiling by about eight different ropes. Blake used a surprisingly large collection of books to balance hers above Yang's bed. Weiss had continued to argue against the idea to no avail.

The heiress was hanging up a framed picture of a red forest when an alarm rang from her scroll. She froze, pulling the device out before letting out a yelp.

"We're gonna be late!" Weiss cried, running out the door past Yang, who was bringing in a chair.

"What?" Yang asked, craning to follow the fleeing girl. "Late?"

Ruby lifted her own scroll, eyes going wide at the time. "She's right! It's 8:55! Class starts in five minutes!" She too ran out of the room.

Blake leapt from where she was stowing books, running after Ruby. Yang tossed her chair into the room and closed the door, chasing after the rest of her team.

"'Huntsman in Vale, and by extension, all of the kingdoms, legally operate between effective mercenaries and attached law enforcement,'" Weiss read in a clear, crisp voice to the class from the textbook before her.

Team RWBY had barely made it to their first class on time.

"'Their primary job is to fight the creatures of grimm, either by tracking the monsters down or as town or city guards in the case of a grimm attack.'"

The classroom was rather typical for being inside a massive tower: a double door at the back with most of the space reserved for staircase style desks leading down toward an open stage.

Weiss nudged Ruby, who had put her head down to rest as soon as they'd sat down. She shot up, groggily fumbling with her own textbook. "Uh, 'Section 2.1: Code of Conduct. As-'"

"Section 1, Ms. Rose," the teacher, a tall middle-aged man with sharp pepper hair, corrected.

Ruby shrank, flipping back to the earlier section. "'Oftentimes, huntsmen are called upon as relief workers after grimm attacks, especially in outlying villages. As a third party, huntsmen that assist in any defense can expect proper compensation for their role.'"

She looked to Blake, who emphatically shook her head. Ruby passed her open book over to Yang, who startled from her own nap when the corner hit her elbow.

Puzzled, she examined the book, asking, "What's going on?"

A muffled laugh rippled through the room as Weiss reddened.

"We're reading the introduction of Huntsman Regulation & Law, Ms. Long," their teacher said.

"Xiao Long," Yang corrected, standing and grabbing Ruby's book.

"Apologies," the professor said. "It looked like a middle name. Please read."

Yang rolled her eyes, then studied the page for a moment before reading, "'The versatility in this career is considerably high. Huntsmen can often find work with governmental or military organizations, or be hired out for mercenary needs.'"

"That's not the-"

"Ms. Schnee," their teacher interrupted the heiress, holding up a hand. He looked at Yang. "Ms. Xiao Long, we are not at that paragraph yet."

"You didn't ask me to continue," Yang said, giving the professor a defiant gaze. "You asked me to read."

He paused, then nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

The professor turned away, instructing another team to continue from where Ruby had left off.

Yang sat down with a smug grin, ignoring the scowl Weiss shot her.

Ruby tried paying attention, but ended up napping again before class was over.

By contrast, Ruby held herself stock stiff when their next instructor took the floor. This class was in a different tower, with a combat arena serving as their meeting place. Students sat in bleachers overlooking a battle pit.

"Although you have been put into teams for your time here at Beacon," Glenda Goodwitch lectured, "it is not uncommon for huntsmen to operate solo in the field." To illustrate her points, the professor was using her semblance to telekinetically move team JNPR around like dolls, separating Jaune from the rest of his team.

"Let's never be early for this class again," Nora muttered. Ren and Pyrrha nodded in agreement.

"It's not that bad!" Jaune said. The rest of his team gave him flat glares.

"Depending on the task at hand," Glenda continued, "you may be forced to work alone or within a platoon, even with non-huntsman combatants. Flexibility, versatility, and communication are all things you will need to strengthen before you're ready for such encounters." She idly flexed Jaune around at each point while his team formed up in a circle.

"The focus of this class will be to teach you how to best use your own attributes and abilities in tandem with others to achieve victory." Glenda forced team JNPR to strike heroic poses. "And to find what some of you may see as your greatest asset: your semblance."

She paused, setting Pyrrha down in front of the crowd. The girl perked, then focused on her aura, causing a scarlet glow to emanate from her body.

"When a person unlocks their aura, they also gain a semblance; a power that is unique to nearly every individual on Remnant," Glenda explained. "Some find it easily, while for others, learning it takes years. Some of you may never know the full extent of this power within your lifetime." Once her aura faded, Glenda picked Pyrrha up again.

By this point, Ruby's attention had waned, her gaze crossing over the arena. Weiss poked her shoulder, motioning toward their instructor. Ruby shrugged.

"Our whole team knows their semblances," Ruby whispered. "We're not the focus here."

"You should still pay attention," Weiss hissed back. Ruby rolled her eyes as Blake raised her hand.

Glenda lifted a scroll up, then called, "Ms. Belladonna."

Team JNPR flinched at the interruption as the professor asked, "You have a question?"

"Yeah," Blake started, fidgeting. "So, this class is called Sparring & Teambuilding, right?"

Glenda nodded.

"Why would we need to spar?" Blake continued. "Don't huntsmen fight monsters?"

Glenda smiled, nodding at her question. "An excellent point… Blake, was it?" She reordered her victims, prompting Nora to let out a squeak.

"Though huntsmen are primarily trained to fight the grimm, part of our duties involves mitigating social unrest." She propped up Pyrrha, separating her from a scene involving the rest of her team. "Many hunters and huntresses become celebrities, providing calming voices in times of strife; others specialize in fighting criminals, keeping the peace within society."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Yang suddenly shot up, her hair blazing.

The whole class looked at her. Fire dying down, she genuinely asked, "What?"

"Young woman," Glenda started, fixing Yang with an icy glare, "Do not interrupt-"

"Why did I have to play the criminal?" Nora complained, loosely holding Jaune in a headlock while pointing a finger gun at Ren, who was positioned against them.

Jaune shrugged, looking down. "Ok, this part is a little embarrassing."

"May we be finished, Professor Goodwitch?" Pyrrha, who was posed daintily, asked through a strained smile.

"You may," Glenda sighed, lowering the kids. "Thank you for volunteering, team JNPR."

Nora spun in the air, ripping free of the telekinetic grasp with a flash of her pink aura as the rest of her team was set down. They found seats on the other side of the room.

"To answer Blake's question," Glenda continued. "Yes, you will be sparing with one another to prepare you for the many dangers that lurk in the world- both within and outside of civilization." She turned to Blake, who was now staring at her desk.

The professor then addressed the whole class. "Combat sessions will begin next month, so remember to leave your weapons out of the classroom until then." She shot a glare at team CRDL, who were in the back row all in their armor, weapons at their sides.

"You'll be assigned your rocket propelled locker next we meet. Class dismissed." She walked out of the room, her nose buried in her scroll.

As the students meandered out of class, team RWBY met up with team JNPR.

"That was quite the show," Yang said, giving Jaune a punch on the arm. "I'm surprised you didn't throw up again."

"It's not the same thing!" he argued with a smile.

Pyrrha chuckled softly, adding, "We got done with Grimm Studies early, and Jaune wanted to go to our next class right away."

"And then the professor offered us extra credit to help her out," Nora said with an annoyed tone. "Which was, by the way, not worth it!" She pointed accusingly at Jaune.

"I didn't know that's what she wanted from us!" Jaune defended himself. "I figured she wanted help moving books or something."

"It's a combat class," Weiss piled on. "Why would books be involved?"

"Guys, stop arguing!" Ruby interrupted. "Let's get brunch before our next class; I'm starving!"

Blake and Ren nodded at her suggestion. Jaune led them out of the tower and toward the cafeteria, prompting the group to ask how he knew his way around Beacon.

"It's a bit complicated," he started. "Basically, my sister was a student here, and-

"Hold up," Nora interrupted. "Your sister went here?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, "The oldest. She graduated a while back, though. Haven't seen her since she last visited home, like, three years ago." He shrugged. "Anyway, her semblance lets her make incredibly detailed maps with the touch of her finger. I studied the ones she made of Beacon during my trip here from Mistral."

"You're from Mistral," Weiss said, "and you didn't know who Pyrrha was?"

"Not everyone follows combat tournaments, Weiss," Pyrrha said.

"But you wanted to be a hunter, right Jaune?" Blake said. "It seems like something to keep an eye on."

"It was a new thing I found after my grandpa passed," Jaune said, keeping his eyes focused in front of the group. "He's the reason I want to be a huntsman."

The conversation died out as they reached the entrance to the cafeteria.

Ruby, Yang, and Nora pushed into the building ahead of the others, joining a line of students crowding the food counter. Once their group reconvened at a table close to the entrance with their brunches, Jaune threw out another question.

"So, back to a different topic, do you guys have any siblings?" he asked as he plopped down beside his team.

"No, unfortunately," Pyrrha said. "I'm an only child."

"All sisters here!" Yang said, pulling Ruby into a side hug, which spilled her next spoon of applesauce.

"Orphans!" Nora said with a strained smile, hugging a solemn Ren. The group looked at them worried. "It's a long story…" She petered out, looking away.

"Uh, so," Yang started. "What class do you guys have next?"

"Huntsman Engineering," Ren said, jumping on the change in topics.

Ruby cooed, swallowing her food before saying, "Lucky! I can't wait for it later today!"

"So you can sleep through it?" Weiss commented, poking at her food.

"She probably could," Yang said, tussling Ruby's hair. "Little genius over here could ace that class with her eyes closed."

"What is your next class?" Pyrrha asked.

"Grimm Studies," Yang said, letting go of Ruby's head. "You know, I've been hearing weird rumors about the professor."

"They're not true," Pyrrha said seriously.

"They're half true," Jaune said sheepishly.

"They're completely true," Ren said flatly.

"Greetings, class," a tall person wearing a loose shirt, baggy white pants, and a wide brimmed hat of light purple said. "My name is Shion Zaiden; but please, call me Shion or, if you must, Professor Shion. Now, everyone take a deep breath in."

Shion took in a deep breath, motioning with their hands for the assembled students to copy. Some followed, including Ruby, but many students were taken aback by the teacher's informality.

"Now out," Shion said, exhaling audibly. The class followed suit, some with the exercise and others with sighs.

"It is important to have control over your breath," Shion went on. "For in your breathing, your emotions lie. Should your emotions spill out, wild and unkempt, the grimm shall soon follow."

Ruby listened raptly to their lecture, leaving Weiss somewhat distracted.

Shion held up a long dream-catcher, using it as a pointer to draw the class's attention to certain diagrams and sketches posted along the walls.

"Though the creatures of grimm remain anathema to modern sciences, they are undeniably attracted to the emotions of people. Hate, anger, sadness, fear; these things draw them in." The instructor's dead serious face suddenly beamed with a smile. "But fret not, students, for the distance a grimm needs to find your emotions is the distance of your breath."

To Weiss' surprise, Ruby got out a small sketchpad and began taking notes.

"Can I get a page?" Yang asked Ruby, causing the heiress to hold a hand to her chest. Even Blake perked an eyebrow. Ruby tore a paper out of the back, handing it over.

"That's all bologna!" Cardin called from his seat at the back of the room. His team looked disinterested at his outburst. "Grimm group together and attack villages all the time. How's a 'breath' supposed to attract a hundred beowolves?"

"It is the pooling of breaths- of emotions -that draw grimm in such numbers," Shion said, not even turning from where they were drawing on a chalkboard. "Oftentimes, they come to wreck such disasters to evoke feelings of negativity, which will draw even more grimm into the chaos."

The image they drew depicted a cycle of a person getting upset, a wolf-like grimm being alerted, several grimm slashing several people, and then back to the person getting upset.

Ruby looked at Yang, then they both nodded. They turned their papers to each other, revealing their own depictions of the grimm cycle. Ruby's involved grimm attacking stick figures in little houses, while Yang's included a crude drawing of herself fighting off a death stalker.

Weiss palmed her forehead, muttering, "It was too good to be true."

"As huntsmen, it is our job to fight this attraction at its source," Shion continued, silently noting Ruby and Yang's drawings. "Even before any grimm show up, we must counter their terror with everything that we have."

"Dust is the most expendable weapon we have against the grimm," an older, rotund man with a gray mustache lectured from between the seated students. "Or, as I like to call them, prey."

Team RWBY was in their last class of the day, bearing another lecture together.

The teacher patted his facial hair for a moment, then stopped half way through a stroke. He stepped towards the front of the classroom, eyes buried in a text book.

"'Its use as an energy propellant has enabled humanity to prosper across nearly all of Remnant. Dust is used to generate electricity, create scrolls and other technology, and even power firearms more efficiently than gunpowder.'"

He shut the book with a sigh. "Before each of you is a tray containing samples of dust. Go ahead and-"

"Professor Port?" Weiss called, her hand raised. "I have some concerns about this classroom's lack of dust safety." In front of each team was a tray containing two green dust crystals and a jar of bright orange dust.

"Madam Schnee," Port turned toward her. "You are all nearly adults. Surely, I don't need to explain the dangers of infusing dust into the body."

"It would be best if you did," Weiss countered levelly.

Port paused, then let out a dejected sigh. "Of course; my apologies." He lifted the textbook again, reading out a list of rules for dust usage: "'Rule one: Do not ingest dust or pierce the body with a dust crystal. Such activity is linked with great pain and psychotic breaks.

"'Rule two: Do not manipulate dust with your aura without express permission from your instructor. Dust accidents can quickly turn deadly without proper protection.

"'Rule three: Don't feel bad, Peter; this assignment is only-'" he stopped reading, lifting up the rules card he had tucked into his book.

"Ozpin," he said, smiling. "Ever the jokester." He coughed, closing his book before turning to Weiss. "Well, I've read the rules. Now, for some hands-on experience."

As Port began explaining the experiment to the class, Ruby got Weiss' attention with a hushed "Psst!"

Weiss turned and froze, seeing Ruby holding up a green dust crystal to her nose, stroking it like Professor Port did his mustache. Yang was holding in a chortle while Blake had averted her face.

After a moment of silence, Weiss erupted in a fit of laughter. She nearly doubled over, banging her hand on the edge of the dust tray, causing the jar of orange combustion dust to fly into the air and spread its contents over team RWBY.

Then, Ruby sneezed.

The wind dust crystal slipped from Ruby's nose, colliding with the reactive particles and creating a burst of energy that rocked the room. More dust jars shattered; some delicate equipment at the front of the hall broke, and everyone in the room was left covered in soot.

Shaking, Weiss stood, her fists balled. She turned on her partner with frazzled hair and ringing ears, shouting, "RUBY!"

"Uh," the younger girl started, then she coughed. "Whoops?"

"It has been one day, and you girls have already destroyed a semester's worth of dust!" Glenda Goodwitch scolded team RWBY, all of whom were sitting before Professor Ozpin in his office; a large, empty space at the top of Beacon Tower. Large gears clicked softly above them as Glenda continued her tirade.

"And don't think I missed Ms. Rose's opinion of my lecture either; between your team's attitude and aptitude, don't be surprised when-"

"Glenda, please," Ozpin cut her off, setting his coffee down. "We're not expelling anyone today."

She huffed, stepping behind his desk and glowering at the girls. Ruby wore a remorseful frown; Yang was pushing her chair back with a defiant gaze. Blake held her arms sheepishly and Weiss examined her nails, disinterested.

"I understand there might be some friction between you due to the randomized nature of team assignment," Ozpin started. "The purpose of this system is to force individual huntsmen to learn how to work with and against their own faults; not just as combatants, but also as people.

"Learning to cooperate and work together is one of the greatest assets humanity has in the face of the grimm." Ozpin took another sip of his drink before continuing, "While hunting alone is typical procedure, your ability to work with others will be vital for your huntsman career. Considering this is your first day as a team, it's possible these events are merely mistakes you will correct in time.

"But in recognizing problem students," Ozpin said as he met each girl in the eye, "Glenda and I have decided to assign you some guidance; a team one year your senior. Our hope is they will help you form a better team dynamic."

"Additionally," Glenda said, "we'll be assigning you community service hours to account for the damages to the school."

Weiss huffed a laugh. "There's no need for that. I can pay for the equipment, and arrange with my family to-"

"No need, Ms. Schnee," Ozpin cut her off. "We're less interested in the money than in the health of team RWBY."

Weiss frowned, pulling a small silver card back to herself.

"You are dismissed," Glenda said, walking towards the left exit door. "You will meet your mentor team tomorrow in front of the cafeteria after your classes." She left without another word.

Team RWBY stood to leave, but their leader trailed behind. As the other girls left, Ruby turned back to the headmaster.

"Professor Ozpin?" she asked.

"Ms. Rose," Ozpin nodded to her. "Or should I call you Ruby?"

"Ruby is fine," she said, taking a step toward his desk. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Its- I-" Ruby tried starting, before blurting out, "Did you make a mistake? With making me team leader?"

Ozpin gave her a knowing smile. "What makes you say that?"

"I just- I don't feel like I'm up for it," Ruby admitted. "Like, this morning, I tried to get everyone to decorate our dorm, but we mostly argued about it, and-" She stopped short, unsure how to continue.

Ozpin swirled his coffee, letting a silence brew between them.

"Well?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"That remains to be seen. After all, it's only been one day," Ozpin said, meeting his student's concerned gaze. "Ruby, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet; but at this moment, I would not consider your appointment as leader to be one of them. Do you?"

He smiled warmly, his question lingering on the girl. "Give it time, Ms. Rose."

Ruby smiled back, nodding as she turned and left the room, leaving the headmaster to enjoy the rest of his coffee.

Roman Torchwick filled in a green circle with a red 'x' on his map of Vale, cursing under his breath. "That's the third one they've found," he said, looking over the map with a frown. "You know, I liked that hideout. Had a good view of the bay."

He was in a shabby second-story apartment, the room illuminated by a single hanging light bulb. On the couch, the girl with the multi-colored hair rested, her eyes half-lidded as she watched a projector. The woman on the screen was reading some report about Roman's last heist; the one foiled by little Red.

Roman studied his map again, placing a finger across his cheek.

Police were on high alert in the commercial district, and the presence of huntsmen was growing in the residential districts. The industrial district and the docks weren't well guarded, but the pickings were becoming slim; most dust shipments were brought in during the day and sent immediately into Vale's economy.

"We need something new, Neo," he said, "Something spicy! Something that'll get the cops off our trail, and throw the whole city for a loop!" He turned to see his friend poking her eyes over the couch.

Roman put his hands up sheepishly, asking, "Any ideas?"

The girl took only a moment to pause before slowly shaking her head, sinking back into the couch.

Roman sighed, pulling over the apartment's only chair and grabbing a newspaper he'd stolen that morning. The upcoming Vytal Festival was mentioned on the front page, being praised for the revenue it would bring in from the other nations.

Roman noted how the article worded its appraisal of older Mantle art pieces being shipped in from Atlas; for as much as the festival was praised as a symbol of world peace, the author had a clear disdain for the northern nation.

He flipped the page, ignoring another wall of financial jargon to find a report on the faunus 'civil rights' group, the White Fang. Apparently the animal folk were becoming uppity here in Vale again: last Saturday's protest-turned-riot had left several stores vandalized, including a few dust shops Roman had his eyes on.

A plan flared into Roman's mind, his face breaking out in a conniving smile. "Now there's an idea."