Chapter 5: Off to a Good Start

Beacon Airship Dock, Bay 07, The Koba Yashi: 7:49 am

"Oh, I can't believe my little sister is coming to Beacon with me!" Yang said as she smothered Ruby in a tight hug.

"Yang! We talked about this yesterday!" she croaked underneath the mother of all bear hugs. Yang merely laughed as she nuzzled her head. "I know!" she replied, "I just can't help it!"

Annoyed, Ruby bit down on her sister's arm as she got away, panting heavily.

"Ah! You bit me!"

"One day… my bones will break, Yang… and it would be all your fault!"

"Do keep it down," Sharp Shot chided, his voice audible thanks to the special headphones they both have. "You are drawing unwanted attention toward yourselves."

"Ahh, pssh! As if I don't already draw attention on a daily basis," Yang replied, her fingers placed on a button on their headphones as she flexed her free arm. "Besides, Ruby here needs to get a feel on how proper attention works."

"But I don't want attention!" Ruby glared cutely at her sister, her foot stomping on the ground. "I just want to be a normal girl in a normal huntsman academy, nothing more and nothing less!"

Sharp Shot merely snorted at the idea. "You are a 15-year-old girl going to a place where 17-year-olds study in order to properly kill the creatures of darkness, talking to an alien robot from a planet of non-biological entities," he stated as a matter of fact. "Any notion of a normal life had been crushed and melted for scrap."

If Sharp Shot had been transformed, he would have shrugged and shook his head. Ruby flushed with embarrassment as she tugged on her cloak, kicking hard on Sharp Shot's side-skirts.

"Stop it! Stop teasing me!" she continued as Yang giggled at her antics. It was a normal, if not a rather confusing, wholesome moment for the three of them. Suddenly, a black and white blur dashed forward and rammed its tiny head onto the unsuspecting reaper's gut.

She giggled as soon as she heard it bark. "Zwei!" Ruby called out, clutching him close to her chest as she stood back up, all thoughts of embarrassment no longer present. Yang smiled as she looked at the person walking behind them.

"Hey dad!" she called out.

Tai had brought with him two hotdogs as he smiled back, offering each one of his daughters a bit of food. He was also wearing a loudspeaker similar to his daughters', designed to be sleek yet comfortable, enough to be stylish (by Yang's continuous pestering) while still being easy to use and remove. "Specified Audio Receivers," as Sharp Shot mentioned. Yang rolled her eyes at that, and simply called what he was using as "modified headphones"

"I can see why the old rust bucket is annoyed at Zwei," he chuckled, patting Sharp Shot's side skirts. "Gets annoying to be greeted after the dog."

"Hey dad!" Ruby lunged forward, embracing him tightly as Tai reciprocated. "What are you doing here?" she asked, thankful to be out of the teasing spotlight.

"What? I can't see my two daughters off?" Tai wiped a crocodile tear away as Zwei barked for attention. "Guess I'll just have to walk back home. Don't mind this old man making sure his daughters at least have some food on their stomachs."

Ruby winced while Yang rolled her eyes. "Ohmygosh I'm so sorry dad!" she blurted out. Tai merely grinned at his youngest, ruffling her hair as she latched onto him. She really was adorable at times.

"Ah, it's fine! Don't wanna cramp your style too much, you know?"

"Please," Sharp Shot begged. "Do cramp their style. They've been nothing but annoying for the past hour."

Tai laughed heartily as both Yang and Ruby kicked his side skirts. It was something he'd miss the moment they'd step onto that airship. However, something else was eating at him as he looked at the dormant vehicle beside him.

"Someone's a bit snappy," he commented. "Did Zwei pee on you again?"

"For the first time, the disgusting rodent you call a mutt is innocent." Sharp Shot stated, his ire directed at something else. Noticing this, he looked at his daughters and smiled.

"Say," he interrupted as his two bickering daughters looked at him. "I think I saw an ice cream parlor on the way here, why don't you girls buy yourselves some ice cream while we wait for the airship?"

"Last one there is a rotten Boarbatusk!" Yang smirked as she dashed away in a cloud of smoke leaving poor Ruby to twirl and tumble, her cloak wrapping around her ankles. "Hey!" Ruby wailed, activating her semblance as petals fluttered behind her. "No fair, stinky cheater! You always do this!"

As he watched them leave, he turned to Sharp Shot and frowned. "This got something to do with what happened to Ruby on the way home?" he asked, arms crossed as he saw the gun barrel subtly move up and down.

Zwei yipped as he sat down, noticing the sudden shift in tone from his master. Curious, he barked and rolled on the floor, hoping this would change the mood, alas, it was to no avail as Tai glared at the parked tank.

"You mind telling me about it?" he pressed, a hint of apprehension on his voice. Sharp Shot didn't reply immediately, fueling his anxiety a bit more. This went on for a while, the tension rising as the tank finally spoke.

"I'd rather not," he said all too quietly. "It isn't something that should involve any of you."

"And my daughter was almost killed had it not been for Glynda," Tai stated sharply. "I think I have a good reason to be involved."

"You do not seem to understand," Sharp Shot replied coldly. "This matter is beyond you and your daughters' capabilities." For a brief moment, the turret turned towards him, his gun pointing down at him.

"Then tell me, so that I can understand!" Tai furiously said, his ire and anxiety growing by the minute. "Tell me why I shouldn't worry, or why I shouldn't be involved!"

"It is in my power to try and protect them, at least-"

Tai smacked his side skirt, the tank's energon shield protecting it from being dented. "That's not what I wanted to hear!" he shouted, cringing a bit as he realized where he was. Luckily for the both of them, there was no one around, at least, in their vicinity. The perks of being early proving to be a good lesson to learn.

Tai sighed as he gently picked Zwei up. "I… okay, I get it. Something dangerous is happening and I shouldn't get involved, but can you at least give me a summary of what happened?"

Sharp Shot paused as he turned his turret back in its original position. He pondered for a while, eventually grunting as smoke bellowed from one of his smoke grenade launchers.

"I'm afraid not," he said, the silence breaking as Zwei barked and yipped about. Tai could only sigh as he sat on the bench right next to him.

"Why?" Tai gritted under his breath as he tried to manage his anger.

"Because if I involve you, you will do whatever it takes to protect them, thus accelerating the process," Sharp Shot said, his turret turning to look at him.

Confused, Tai continued on as Zwei licked his chin. "Accelerating the process… of what, exactly?!" he seethed, a touch of doubt lingering amidst the anxiety of a father.

"The process of yet another broken family. Involving you would mean certain death if the adversaries were to learn of your meddling," Sharp Shot stated bluntly, his tone as cold as ice. "Do you wish for that to happen? For your daughters to suffer as they lose yet another parent?"

Tai went silent, his jaw dropping as he thought long and hard about what Sharp Shot said. If he got himself involved, and the worst does happen, who would be there for his kids? He cringed hard, trying his best to regain composure as he exhaled deeply. There was their uncle, although he's always so far away doing missions. That only leaves Sharp Shot to take care of them if the worst did happen to him, but how would that work?

Sharp Shot read him like an open book. If he knew who those people were, he'd do everything in his power to protect his precious baby girls. But that would also mean having to risk sacrificing his very own life in the process. He began to ponder. Could the police even help? Clearly, his daughter went up against two huntsmen.

Wait… What if the police were involved, only to turn a blind eye away from all the chaos? That would explain how Torchwick, of all people, could never be detained. Gods, maybe this was why Sharp Shot wasn't telling him anything, he wasn't thinking things through!

"That's what I thought," Sharp Shot stated, his demeanor changing as he sighed tiredly. "A similar instance happened before. One involving a good friend of mine before the beginning of the war. Dropship never stood a chance."

There was a moment of silence between the two as Sharp Shot continued. "I'll do my best to protect them. Trust in me like how I trusted you with my past."

"A past you're not willing to tell them," Tai chuckled mirthlessly, hugging Zwei gently as the dog slowly drifted to sleep. "When will you tell them? About the whole Decepticon thing?"

"In due time…"

"In due time," he sighed. "Glad to know that even in different universes, war exists due to a lack of equality," he rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm. "Needless to say, I didn't think you'd be a gardener, of all things."

"It is in nature that I found solace. What better way to repay that than to plant more and let it grow into a bountiful garden?" Sharp Shot chuckled, his troubles fading a bit. "You better not let my cucumbers die, Taiyang Xiao Long!"

There was a brief sense of silence as the both of them laughed. It was a nice feeling, laughing with a metal titan from outer space, filled to the brim with warmth and joy. It was said that the simplest things in life were those that give a sense of mirth. It was in moments like these that he realized how empty his life became after Summer's passing.

Still, he was thankful for the simpler things in life, and he would never trade it for anything. He'd never say it out loud, but sure enough, he trusted in Sharp Shot to protect his daughters. Now if only Sharp Shot could accept Zwei into his life, then maybe everything would be perfect.

Beacon Airship Dock, Food Court: 7:57 am

"COME BACK HERE!" Ruby hollered in anger as Yang laughed. She was really going to kick her shins after this! Yang merely looked back and struck her tongue out as she ran forward, her gauntlets shooting blanks for an increase of mobility.

Ruby huffed as she dashed forward, inching ever closer to her until…

"Heh, looks like I win," Yang taunted. She was leaning at the counter of Frosted Frenzy, a really good ice cream parlor with a vast number of selectable toppings and sauces. Ruby cringed hard as she lost, stomping her foot cutely as she continuously whacked her sister in the arm. Yang, of course, merely laughed as she flicked her forehead.

"Heh, Boarbatusk," she taunted yet again. Ruby pouted; her arms crossed as she glanced at the menu. Suddenly, her ire deflated as she spotted the heavenly delight known simply as the "Cookie Crisp Vanilla Sundae."

Heaven was all she could see, and the call of the angels beckoned her to release the darkness in her heart and clutch the chosen ambrosia in her sight. "Yang," she started, "your sins have been forgiven. Deliver unto me this heavenly delight and put this foolishness to rest."

Yang merely rolled her eyes as she ordered. "I'll take the Cookie Crisp Vanilla Delight-"

"Large please!" Ruby interrupted, her eyes gleaming with pure joy and rainbows.

"Yeah, one Cookie Crisp Vanilla Delight, large, and uhh…" Yang trailed off as she stared at the menu. She was never a coffee kind of girl, but the "Mocha Coffee Chocolate Mix" was calling her name.

"I'll also take the Mocha Coffee Chocolate Mix, medium."

The cashier merely typed away as he mentioned the orders. His voice was low, and clearly worn, as he spoke.

"We also have an ice cream sandwich of your choosing as an additional with a minimum order of 35 lien. Would you like to include that in your order?"

Ruby all but nodded as her head vibrated. Yang giggled as she placed an additional.

"That would be one Cookie Crisp Vanilla Delight, large, one Mocha Coffee Chocolate Mix, medium, one Cookies & Cream ice cream sandwich, and one Frosted Black ice cream sandwich for a total of 45 lien. Please wait a moment as your order is being processed, your number is in your receipt."

A silent whirr continued, and the awkward silence lingered, as the receipt was printed at a slow pace. The cashier then handed them the receipt as he smiled tiredly. "We hope you enjoy your meal, for here in the Frosted Frenzy, we are-" he paused as he clapped his hands twice, "happy to serve."

Ruby giggled as she took her seat right next to Yang. Everything was so new, yet so familiar.

"Hey," Yang started, her hands cupped behind her head. "You think dad would want some?"

Ruby hummed as she snorted. "Nah!"

The two sisters shared a moment of comfortable silence outside the parlor, practically melting at the cozy seats. Life was good. Sure, there were Grimm here and there, and their family isn't complete, but they sure as heck were as thick as steel, or whatever the saying was, Ruby didn't care. Right now, it was peaceful, and she'd go with her sister to Beacon Academy.

And they have a new member of the family, one giant alien robot who spends his time gardening, but hey, nobody really said he shouldn't. It was probably a bit of a reprieve for him too.

And then she-

"Oh… I think I'm gonna throw up…" a blonde teenager said as he held his stomach tightly. "I shouldn't have ordered that. I should NOT have ordered that…"

The boy groaned as he pushed away what appeared to be a banana split. Although, something else piqued Ruby's interest; his sword strapped to his belt.

"Gah, I should really listen to my mom, sometimes... eugh…"

"Sheesh, someone ate a lot," Yang said, approaching the other young blonde, much to Ruby's chagrin. Why was her sister always socializing with unknown people?!

Startled, the blonde boy jumped away from the table, nearly falling to his butt before he caught himself. Upon seeing them, however, he sighed and frowned. "Geez, you shouldn't scare people like that!"

Both of the sisters tittered at his response. He sighed and shook his head, frowning at himself for being scared by conversation. In order to make face at this sudden turn of events, he coughed once into his hand, and smirked at them. "Name's Jaune Arc, by the way."

He offered his right hand to shake as he continued in his introduction. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

Yang merely smirked back, as if challenging Jaune's confidence. "Is that right?"

"I hope it does, that's what my mom says, at least."

Yang snickered subtly as she grabbed and shook Jaune's hand. Ruby, however, was thinking about something else. Something involving a certain alien robot.

"Maybe this guy would be cool enough to know the secret, or maybe- gasp! Maybe he's going be a new teammate! Thank you, advanced research on how Beacon needs four partners to operate! What if he becomes a loader? No, wait, that's usually Yang's job. Driver, maybe? Hrnk, Yang is also good at that. Commander? I think he could fit that role perfectly. Maybe he could-"

"Hello, Remnant to Ruby? You in there?"

Ruby dashed backwards, startled at the presence of a hand right in front of her face. "Geez, for a second there, I thought you were crushing over vomit-face over there. Welp, anyways, she's my adorkable little sis, Ruby Rose. Short, cute, really loves sugar. Zwei loves it!"

"Vomit-face?!" the other blonde- no, Jaune, said. Ruby, meanwhile, balked at her introduction.

"Adorkable?!"

"Well, you did look like you were about to spit out everything you ate, so might as well prepare a nickname," Yang shrugged, smirking at the other teen. "Just in case." She then glanced at Ruby as she crossed her arms. "And you have no right to complain, you didn't even introduce yourself properly."

"Urgh, I'm never gonna trust fast-food and ice cream ever again."

Ruby looked on as she beamed at the interaction. Yeah, she was a bit annoyed with Yang and her shenanigans, but this and the whole schoolyear was going to be so much fun!

Somewhere, in the Earth's Exosphere

[Soundwave, I've managed to locate a few signatures of our traitor. I'm warning you right now, there are a few others who are trying to defile our glorious cause.] A lone S281 Police Car reported in the communication link as he spotted a rusty silver Ferrari California driving towards the location of an abandoned warehouse.

[I am in pursuit. None shall escape.] An F-22 Raptor with alien decals flew through the Earth's thermosphere. [Continue your search for the traitor. Our plan lies with his ability to unlock the Star Harvester.]

[Remind me again why we need him?] A silver Lamborghini Reventón questioned. [Can't we just use Shockwave's schematics and be done with it?]

[Sideways, you fool! Sharp Shot has the schematics we need. It will take a great deal of time before Shockwave even lands here.] The F-22 fumed, fire encasing its armor as he pulled away from the ocean it was about to crash into.

[Let us not forget, if the Autobots find him first, and he surrenders, our plan will falter. We cannot fail our leader a second time.] The S281 Police Car mentioned, driving away from his position near the warehouse.

[If we find him, I will execute him myself!] Bellowed the CH-53E Super Stallion in the communication links.

[Soundwave, reporting. Signal detected.] The monstrous satellite said, each tendril connected to multiple satellites to aid its goal. It managed to find traces of the traitor's signal. One by one, it scanned and connected with each of the technology in order to find traces and traces it found. Every satellite breached were returned to its original position to remove any suspicion form the humans.

[Excellent news, Soundwave. Give me the location of the vile filth.] The F-22 commended as it transformed midair to hover.

[Negative. Discrepancy detected. Traitor is not located on Earth.]

[WHAT?! How did he escape? No matter. Give the order to Shockwave to lock onto his coordinates and open a spacebridge. This treachery ends now!] The F-22 ordered, swiftly transforming back into a vehicle.

[Affirmative. Soundwave, out.]

And so… it begins.

Kind of a short chapter as I asked some of my friends to give me and my writing style some criticism and majority of them told me that apparently I write really long chapters. I want to at least try it out just to see if it works.

Anyways, I hope you wonderful readers had an equally wonderful holidays (because I sure didn't)!