Chapter 3: In Secrecy
"So, there we were… in the middle of the night…" Nora said with vigor.
"It was day, Nora," corrected Ren.
"Ursas surrounded us…" Nora continued, still embellishing her tale.
"They were just Beowolves," Ren rectified as he sipped a cup of tea.
"Dozens of them!" Nora wasn't deterred from her supposed recounting of her and Ren's experience to her friends.
It's been two days since they had that little story-telling from Professor Komamura. Teams RWBY and JNPR were currently having their lunch break at the cafeteria while listening to the wild story of their electric ginger-haired friend. That said, only Ruby and Pyrrha were listening to Nora. The others minded their own business, such as Weiss ignoring the crazy ginger while filing her nails, Blake having a couple of books she was reading through, and Jaune playing with his food.
"Two of them," Ren corrected again.
"But they were no match!" Nora was now standing up with her hands in the air. "And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of selling Ursa skin rugs!" finished the hyper girl with a grin before sitting down.
Ren sighed and said, "She's been having this recurring dream for a month now."
"It's kind of interesting," Pyrrha said merely out of humor.
"Do any of you have plans for today?" Weiss asked, deciding to shift the conversation to something more interesting.
Upon hearing that, Pyrrha and Jaune eyed each other before the latter sighed. "Pyrrha and I have a lesson with Professor Shinji later," the blonde knight informed.
Knowing exactly what her team leader's worries were, the redhead Spartan placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Jaune. Despite the professor's rather… excessive methods of teaching, I can already see the improvements in your fighting."
"Really?"
"Really," Pyrrha nodded. "All you have to do is endure."
His determination uplifted, Jaune smiled at his partner. "Thanks, Pyr. You're the best."
"Oh… it was nothing," said the redhead, albeit with a tint of pink in her cheeks.
"Is it that bad?" Yang suddenly asked, gaining the attention of the knight and Spartan.
"Well, I find his teaching to be grand!" Pyrrha admitted with much zeal. "Professor Shinji is very observant of our fighting style. He can quickly point out the mistakes in our movements and offer tips to rectify them."
"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "I notice that my reflexes are much better than when I started." He unconsciously rubbed his arm and added, "Although, I wish he'd tone down the aggro."
"Then, lucky you because we're gonna have to put a raincheck on that training for today."
The eight kids turned around and gasped when they saw the new teachers behind them, each with a tray of food of their choosing. The young Arc in particular nearly jumped out of his seat due to sheer surprise.
"Professors!" both Ruby and Nora cheerily said.
"A good day to you kids," Komamura greeted. "You all seem to be lively today."
"Yup!" the red reaper chirped. However, the moment she caught sight of Professor Kensei eyeing her, she immediately yelped. "Eeep!" Using her Semblance, Ruby dashed behind her sister to hide from the rugged-looking teacher. "Yang, hide me! Professor Kensei's gonna beat me up again and call it a lesson."
The older sibling merely chuckled. "Hi, teacher!"
"Goldilocks," Kensei greeted while looking at Yang. When his eyes glanced at Ruby, he said, "Pipsqueak."
"I am not a pipsqueak!" Ruby said indignantly.
"Sure, you aren't."
Meanwhile, Nora instantly bounded to her favorite teacher. "Professor Bambi, you're here! This is so awesome!"
"How is my explosion buddy?" Bambi greeted with a wide grin. Next to her was Professor Shūhei talking to Ren.
"Good day, professor," the empath greeted the tattooed instructor.
"Likewise, Ren," the young professor said in return.
"Professors, please, take a seat," Weiss offered.
One by one, the freshly hired instructors took seats next to the first years. Each one chose specific places among the two first-year teams. Professor Komamura sat next to Weiss and Blake. Shūhei and Bambi, meanwhile, were beside Ren and Nora, respectively. Shinji sat next to Jaune and Pyrrha and, much to Ruby's chagrin, Kensei chose to sit next to her and Yang.
"Professor Shinji, if you don't mind me asking, what do you mean we won't be having Jaune's weekly training?" Pyrrha opened up.
"It's exactly what I said," Shinji clarified. "We'll be skipping our session today because the five of us have errands to take care of."
Jaune sighed in relief.
"That said, there are changes in your class schedule starting next week."
The students looked at the blonde instructor in confusion. Luckily, Komamura was there to clarify that.
"Two days ago, Professor Shinji submitted a syllabus the five of us created to the Headmaster that will update the current curriculum of the school," the wolf Faunus explained. "So far, we've noticed that the lessons dedicated to your training are quite… lacking."
"Lacking?" Weiss questioned. They find the curriculum of what could arguably be the best huntsman academy in all of Remnant lacking.
"While the lessons taught here are sufficient to address your needs overall, the five of us noticed that there are some basic skills all huntsmen need to be both efficient and effective that are absent."
"For starters, there's no lesson for hand-to-hand combat," Kensei interjected. "One of the most basic skills for any fighter should have been unarmed combat. The fact that this school doesn't have a dedicated subject for that is pretty stupid."
"Not only that but there is also the glaring issue of your general style of fighting relying heavily on your Aura taking the damage for you," Shūhei added.
"That's right," Bambi affirmed. "Most of you don't seem to know the concept of dodging. I mean, isn't dodging just… common sense?"
Yang was about to say something when she was suddenly cut off by Professor Kensei.
"…And no, Xiao-Long. Your Semblance isn't an excuse."
The blonde brawler kept her opinions to herself.
"Finally, the most obvious issue is the unconscious funneling of your spiritual energy into your Aura," Shinji said. This was what got the attention of not just the two first-year teams, but the students nearby.
"Spiritual energy?" Blake asked. She closed her book and focused her attention on the blonde instructor. She was intrigued about this concept she just heard.
"Aura is the manifestation of your soul, right?" The kids nodded. "The power that Aura draws from is spiritual energy – the power of the soul, or from where we come from, Reiryoku."
"Before we get to the nit and gritty on our proposed curriculum, we need to clarify a few misconceptions," Bambi interjected. Shinji gave the floor to her and let her explain. "While only beings with a soul can possess Aura, it doesn't mean that others can't possess spiritual energy. Spiritual particles, or Reishi, exist everywhere since it's one of the fundamental components that comprise one aspect of matter; the other being Kī, or physical energy. To put it simply, even if it's just this glass cup right here," she picked up said object, "or even the Grimm, everything has spiritual particles."
"But that's impossible," Weiss voiced out. While no doubt fascinating, what these people are saying goes against all known research on Aura, Semblance, and the nature of the Grimm. "Established knowledge says that the Grimm have no souls, therefore the lack of Aura. How could the Grimm possess these spiritual particles you mentioned if they don't have Aura which draws from spiritual energy?"
"That's where the misconception lies, Miss Schnee. The five of us agree that the creatures of the Grimm do lack a soul. However, having no soul doesn't necessarily mean that they can't be composed of Reishi," Komamura explained to the young heiress. "The main difference between a soul and the Grimm is that the latter isn't as well constituted as the former. That is why when you kill them, they dissipate into Reishi that scatter into the atmosphere."
"Then, what makes the soul different from whatever the Grimm are?" Ren questioned. He was starting to get interested in the topic. "Is there some sort of binding agent that holds the soul together?"
"We speculate that there is but sadly, we have yet to find out what that is."
That wasn't true, however. All five of them knew exactly what the soul had that the Grimm didn't.
"The Chain of Fate," the five teachers simultaneously thought.
"And, if you want proof, there are two groups of hunters that can utilize pure Reishi from the atmosphere," Professor Muguruma added.
"Really?" This time, it was Pyrrha who asked. "There are people who can do that?"
"Yes," Kensei confirmed but, to the confusion of the eight teens, his expression dampened. "However, there's not much of them around anymore."
"What do you mean?"
The white-haired man eyed her and the rest of the two teams seriously. "They were systematically exterminated."
A round of gasps echoed from teams RWBY and JNPR. Even those near them couldn't help but feel shocked. What they didn't notice was the turning of Bambi's head away from the conversation.
"Why?" Jaune asked, horrified by such genocide. "Why would people want them gone?"
"What else, but because they were powerful. And you know what they say; people fear what they can't control."
Calming down, Jaune stared at his food for a few seconds before shifting the topic a bit farther from the dark revelation. "Is there a name for these two groups of people?"
Hisagi took over. "The Quincies and the Fullbringers." He then turned to his girlfriend and said, "Bambi, show them."
With a shrug, Bambietta held her hand in front, and to the amazement of the teens, flecks of blue energy seemed to travel from the air and into her hands.
"Whoa…" Yang said in amazement. "What am I seeing?"
"Spiritual particles," answered Professor Basterbine. "If you must know, I'm a Quincy. We have the natural ability to harness Reishi for various purposes." The energy slowly condensed in her hands, gradually taking shape, and forming in her signature weapon: a short ornate broadsword with a forked tip. "Like forming weapons," she finished.
The gloomy atmosphere from earlier was instantly replaced by one of fascination. None had a more profound reaction than Ruby and Nora. The two girls instantly squealed with the former sprinting toward the dark brown-haired instructor.
"That was amazing!" Ruby exclaimed with wonder. Her face was pretty close to the teacher's. "You can make anything with that spiritual energy stuff?"
"Yup, Little Red," Bambi confirmed.
"Really!?" Ruby's excitement grew even more. "Can you make like… a gun or something? Ooh, I bet you can make all sorts of stuff with it!"
Bambi stared at the girl for a moment before chuckling. Whatever the kid was eating, her energy was infectious. "Well, each Quincy is unique from one another. I can't make a gun, but I have this…" The sword scatters from her hand and, in its place, was an ornate bow with, oddly enough, a heart design. "This is my Heilig Bogen or 'Holy Bow'. If you're more interested in guns, I used to have two colleagues that can make guns." Seeing the curiosity of the young teen, she eagerly continued. "One of them can make a fricking minigun while the other, one of my superiors, uses a high-caliber sniper rifle."
"Just like me!"
"Yeah… just like you." Suddenly, Bambi cupped Ruby's face and squished her cheeks.
"EEK!" Ruby squirmed under the teacher's touch. She tried prying herself away, but her face seemed stuck between Professor Bambi's hands. "Professor Bambi!" the little reaper cried. "Pwees… schtop."
"Nope! You are the cutest little thing I've seen in this school, except for the literal bunny girl, but I'd be damned if I don't get to squish your cute face."
"NWOOO~!"
Yang, seeing the predicament her sister was in, merely chuckled. While she'd normally deck someone for doing something to Ruby, this instance was just a harmless show of affection for something cute. And, by all rights, Ruby is cute.
Focusing her attention on the other teachers, she asked, "So, professors, I know the teachers have their own dining area somewhere which begs the question; why are you here in the student's cafeteria?"
"Simple, really," Shūhei said. "We've been here for only a week and we five still don't know much about the student body. We figured that eating with you all would give us a good picture of the kind of students we'll be having."
"Well, I for one think that idea sounds grand!" Pyrrha reached her hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, professor. I'm Pyrrha Nikos and this is my partner, Jaune Arc."
"Shūhei Hisagi," the young man returned the gesture. "Also, I've already heard about you two from your teammates."
"Oh?" Jaune was curious. "What did those tell you about me and Pyrrha?"
"That you suck at sword fighting?"
The Arc's mood immediately went sour. Luckily, he had his redheaded partner patting his shoulder in comfort.
"That was a little harsh, Shūhei," Kensei remarked as he bit into his meal. "Even I wouldn't be that savage."
"Look at the bright side," Shinji interjected, "I can at least say you've shown some improvement."
The once-gloomy feeling was replaced by hope. "Really, Professor Shinji?" asked Jaune hopefully.
"Yeah… if you call getting your ass handed to you 'improvement'."
Again, the blonde's mood sunk low.
On the other hand, Weiss and Blake were in a conversation with the Faunus professor. They noticed the books Komamura had brought with long and asked if they could skim through them. He agreed, and the girls took one book each and found most of them were on the subject of religion.
"Huh… this is strange." After perusing the book in her possession, Weiss looked to her instructor and asked, "The Church of Oum. Professor, what made you look up this subject?"
"Well, Miss Schnee, it's simply because I like reading. Also, I happen to love researching different cultures. Religion happens to be one of the main aspects of culture; so, I was intrigued when I found another belief system that was separate from the concept of the Brother Gods."
"Does this happen to coincide with the story of the Reiō you told us the other day?" Blake inquired. When she looked through her book, she found some similarities in the story of the Reiō and this Oum deity.
"Quite astute of you, Miss Belladonna," the wolfman praised with a smile, causing the cat girl to have a smile of her own due to the praise. "In both accounts, the Reiō and Oum were the supreme beings that fashioned the world. They were both betrayed by those closest to them and left powerless as their world was changed. The only difference was that, while the Soul King knew what was coming, Oum was killed while his creation was bastardized by his betrayers.
"Well, enough about that! I do hope that the two of you will enjoy the new subject we introduced. After all, we five took great care in crafting that syllabus to bring out your full potential as huntsmen."
Weiss and Blake nodded with gusto. "Yes, professor!"
Sharing his colleague's suggestion, Kensei looked at his favored pupil and asked, "I hope you're practicing that technique I taught you, Goldilocks."
"Of course I am!" Yang said enthusiastically. "Still, I can't seem to match the speed of your punches."
"You'll get there eventually," assured Kensei.
"What do you think, Professor Shūhei?" Ren questioned the tattooed professor. "Do you have a good first impression on us first years?"
Nora was instantly next to her partner and asked the same question to Hisagi. "Tell us, professor! Do you like teams JNPR and RWBY?"
"If it's just these two teams, then you eight kids gave us a good first impression," Shinji was the one who answered. He then jabbed his thumb behind him and said, "Well, except for those four."
All eight of them turned their attention to where their teacher was pointing at and what they saw disgusted them.
It was none other than Cardin Winchester and his lackeys from team CRDL. They were currently bullying a female Faunus student with bunny ears, pulling said ears which hurt the poor girl.
"Stop!" the rabbit girl pleaded. "Please, stop it. You're hurting me."
Cardin just laughed, enjoying the torment he was inflicting. "See?" he asked his friends. "I told you they were real!"
"Yeah! The freak!" Sky Lark taunted.
"I said it was an accident! I even apologized." The girl was beginning to tear up. She was sincere in her apology, but the bullies didn't care.
Back at the table, the eight first years watched as they felt anger at the blatant racism happening before them.
"Let me break their legs!" Nora threatened but was pushed back to her seat by Bambi.
"Let's not make things complicated, Nora," Ren advised.
"Despicable," Pyrrha sneered. "I can't stand people like them."
"You're not the only one," Blake remarked, her tone darker than it should be. The cat Faunus' glare was burning a hole through Winchester.
Jaune, knowing the plight the rabbit Faunus was experiencing at the hands of Cardin, decided to take action. "Somebody has to do something…" Just as the blonde was about to get up, a hand reached onto his shoulder. "Professor Shinji?"
"I'll deal with this," Shinji said lazily. He stood up and strode to the cause of the commotion. "Hey!"
Cardin and his goons turned around to see some guy staring at them. "Huh? Who the Hell are you?"
"Kid, just let the girl go," Shinji instructed. He was having a fine conversation with the first years then this happened.
"What? Why should I?" questioned the bully. "In fact, why should I listen to you?"
Back at the table, Weiss was surprised that Cardin was disobeying a teacher. "Is he out of his mind?" she asked. Whipping her head to her friends, she asked again, "Is that idiot talking back at a teacher? Doesn't he know he's arguing with a member of the faculty?"
"That might be because Mr. Winchester never took any of our classes," Shūhei reasoned. "No wonder he doesn't recognize him."
"Kid, I'm giving you one warning; cut this crap and let the girl go," Shinji said, the undertone of his message was clear.
"I don't know you. Heck, I don't even know where you came from; so why should I listen to you? Better yet, SUCK YOUR MOM!"
A round of gasps echoed through the dining hall, none more prominent than from teams RWBY and JNPR. Weiss, for all her prim and proper behavior, was the first to speak out.
"Did he just insult a teacher!? Tell me I'm not the only one who heard that!"
"No, you're not the only one," Yang answered. Her jaw was still hanging from being flabbergasted. "I know I'm a hothead, but I wouldn't do that."
However, the four remaining teachers had a different reaction. Sajin, Kensei, Shūhei, and Bambi collectively sighed and shook their heads. Kensei specifically stood up and walked away but not before saying, "I'll go get the urn."
The two hunter teams looked at the white-haired instructor strangely before getting an explanation from Sajin.
"You see, children, while Professor Shinji has no care for insults directed at him, he doesn't take it lightly if it's aimed at friends or family. What's worse is that he's petty."
"Very petty," added Shūhei.
Bambi just grinned excitedly. "This is gonna be good."
"Oh… so, we're doing that, huh?" Shinji said followed by a sarcastic chuckle. His toothy smile faded and turned into a frown.
It was time to roast someone alive.
"Don't talk about my mother like that, you dumb piece of Sunny-D shit!" he threatened, pointing a finger at Cardin who was taken aback. "Your momma's so white, they called her diet mayonnaise."
Nora snorted, nearly spitting out her drink.
"W-What?" Cardin was confused but, not wanting to take that offense, tried to retort. "Oh yeah? Your mom is so ugly, she made an onion cry."
The room was so silent you could hear cicadas chirping.
"Well, your mom is so bald that you can see what's on her mind."
Jaune winced. "Damn."
"Your mom is so poor that ducks throw bread at her," Cardin tried answering back.
Unimpressed, Yang just said, "Is that the best he's got?"
Shinji grinned sadistically. "Your mom's teeth are so yellow that when she smiles, it puts the sun out of business."
Ruby burst into laughter. "Hehehe~hahahahaha! Oh gods… that was funny!"
Knowing that this roast battle was in his favor, Shinji kept the assault going. "Your mom is so stupid, she studied for a pregnancy test."
Pyrrha was on the verge of laughing. She leaned her head into Jaune's shoulder who was clutching his sides trying to hold in his laughter.
Cardin was sweating. He was losing ground and had no comebacks. He was about to say something but was immediately cut off.
"Your mom is so fat, she doesn't have a waistline, she has a coastline."
Sajin looked beside him and saw Blake covering her mouth, ready to spill into a guffaw. He just sighed at the immaturity of this.
"Your mom is so fat, she has her own gravity with food orbiting her," the blonde instructor quickly said, refusing to let the bully speak.
Ren was looking away, trying to hide his face that was about to burst out laughing. Even Weiss, who thinks she's the most mature one among her peers, was trying and failing to suppress herself.
"W-Well…" Cardin was suddenly cut off… again.
"Your mom is like a squirrel; she could store a ton of nuts in her mouth."
"OH!" Yang exclaimed; her eyes wide at such savagery. "Oh, shit! Critical hit!"
Shūhei was looking at Cardin with sympathy. "There's no coming back from that."
"Your mom is like a holiday tree…" Shinji paused while looking at the arrogant student, making the kid sweat profusely. "Everybody puts their balls on her."
The urge to laugh died, replaced by shock and jaws dropping open. Kensei arrived just in time to see everyone's reaction while carrying an ornately decorated urn in his hands. "Did I miss anything?"
"Third-degree immolation!" Bambi replied happily while laughing alongside Ruby and Nora.
Seeing as this verbal battle was over, it was time to inflict the coup de grâce. Shinji leaned close to the stunned boy and said his killing blow loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Remnant used to be flat… until they buried your mom."
Everyone in attendance could've sworn they heard glass shatter. The brutal jab at the boy was too much, making him collapse on the ground with a face marred in complete and utter defeat.
Bambi stood up and threw her beret on the table before pointing at the casualty. "EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!"
Seeing this, Kensei hastily placed the urn on the table and dragged his co-worker back to their table. "Okay, that's enough! You just committed third-degree murder on school grounds with no traces of the victim remaining. Hell, I don't think even Inoue can bring him back! Honestly, what the fuck was the use of that stupid urn?"
Ruby gasped. "Language!"
"Shut it, Pipsqueak!"
Sajin wasn't far behind, walking toward the bullying victim instead of the pale-faced Cardin. He reached out to the rabbit Faunus and brushed off bits of food that fell on her. "Are you well, Miss Scarlatina?"
"Oh, Professor Komamura!" the Faunus, now identified as Scarlatina, yelped in surprise. She was still reeling from the torment from Cardin earlier. "Yes, I'm good."
"That's a relief," said the wolf Faunus. However, his concerned stare morphed into one of disappointment which didn't go unnoticed by the rabbit girl. "Though I admire your choice of pacifism in this encounter, Miss Scarlatina, I am quite confused as to why you never stood up for yourself."
"I don't want to fight," she answered shakily. "If I did, things would've escalated to something much worse."
"Is it because you're a Faunus that you're reluctant to stand up for yourself?"
At first, the rabbit girl looked away ashamed. She nodded not long after, confirming the wolfman's suspicions.
Sajin sighed, understanding the heart of the problem once the student answered his question. "I see. Miss Scarlatina… Velvet, what you did right now showed me that you were the better person in this encounter. I commend you for that; however, it didn't have to reach that point." Velvet looked up to him in confusion; so he clarified, "What he did to you was uncalled for. You had every right to stand up to him because what he did was wrong."
"But… I didn't want to hurt him, nor get in trouble," Velvet reasoned. "It's already bad enough that Faunus like myself got a bad name. If I fought back, it'll only worsen the view on not just myself, but every other Faunus out there."
"No thanks to the White Fang, I presume?" He garnered a nod from the teen. "I see. Listen, Miss Scarlatina, the actions of the White Fang do not reflect the sentiment of all Faunuskind," Sajin said. "Their actions are the result of their choices, not yours nor any other Faunus not in league with the White Fang. What they do, they do it for their own despite their belief they're doing it for their cause." The wolfman glanced at Cardin who was being helped by his teammates. The boy was still ghostly white thanks to the verbal assault from Shinji. He looked back at Velvet and finally addressed the heart of the matter. "Finally, this was never about race. This is about justice… about what's fair. It's only fair that you stood up or fought back because he deserved it. Because it was fair… it's justice."
"What in the name of the gods is happening here!?"
Everyone's attention turned to the newcomer who happened to be Professor Goodwitch. The Deputy Headmistress had heard of the disturbance in the cafeteria and came to investigate. Imagine her surprise when he found two of the new teachers – one helping Velvet Scarlatina of Team CFVY and the other being restrained by his colleague.
Shinji managed to pry himself from Kensei and promptly answered, "We were just dispensing appropriate disciplinary action to blatant racism, Glynda."
Goodwitch saw a pale-white Cardin being held up by his teammates while Professor Komamura was consoling Miss Scarlatina. She could already see who the victim was, and punishment was already implemented. With an exasperated sigh, she said, "Mr. Winchester, I would like you to come with me to the Headmaster's office. We will be discussing with Professor Ozpin your proper punishment for such atrocious behavior."
"B-But…" Cardin wanted to argue but was interrupted.
"But NOTHING!" thundered the woman. "You, young man, have caused enough problems with your bigotry and pompous behavior. I will not stand for such!" Without warning, she waved her riding crop and lifted Cardin using her Semblance. Cardin could only close his eyes in defeat as he was floated away to his fate.
"Remind me again not to piss off that woman," Shūhei remarked offhandedly.
Seeing as the situation was now resolved, the new teachers stood up and decided that those errands needed to be handled.
"Well, now that things have calmed down, I think it's best if we're off," announced Shinji as he stared at Jaune and Pyrrha. "And you two, I'll be seeing you next week." He followed it up with a malicious grin, "I'll be sure to double your training to make up for this skipping this week."
"Yes, Professor Shinji," Jaune answered dejectedly. He was going to suffer another hellish training but doubled. The only solace in this was having Pyrrha rub circles on his back for comfort.
"It's okay, Jaune. I'll be there for you," the Spartan girl said ever supportively.
Nora and Ren waved goodbye to Bambi and Shūhei. "Bye, Professor Bambi! Let's blow some stuff up soon!"
"I'll make sure we get to break some legs next time," promised Bambietta.
"Yeah!"
Ren and Shūhei paled at this. "Please don't," pleaded the latter.
"I'm not so sure we can convince them," the ninja teen said. Despite that, he bowed to the tattooed instructor and bid him farewell. "I look forward to our next meeting, Professor Hisagi."
"Likewise, Ren." Shūhei returned the bow with his own.
Meanwhile, Kensei was getting ready to leave, but not before giving Yang some incentive for their next session. "Considering your rather quick improvements, I think it's time I teach you a proper fighting style, Goldilocks."
"Ooh, I'm excited!" Yang squealed enthusiastically.
As for Ruby, she was hoping this new fighting style didn't involve her. Too bad for her…
"You're not exempted, Pipsqueak."
"NOOOOO~!" Ruby cried waterfall tears. She sprinted to her sister and gave her a pleading hug. "Yang, please tell Professor Kensei to ease up on our training! You're his favorite student; surely he'll listen to you."
Yang just shook her head. "Sorry, Ruby, but this is for your own good."
Poor Ruby just wallowed in her misery.
Finally, there was Blake and Weiss who received some instructions from Komamura before he and his fellow teachers departed. "I expect you two to continue your impressive performance under my subject, Miss Belladonna and Miss Schnee."
"Yes, Professor Komamura," Weiss affirmed. "I am always delighted to be in your class."
"Same here, professor," added Blake. "I can't wait for the new subject next week."
"Haha!" Komamura gave a hearty laugh. "I like the enthusiasm, students! Farewell!"
"Goodbye, professors!" all eight huntsmen-in-training waved.
-{}-
As they left the cafeteria and went into the hallway, the five new teachers each took out their phones and checked the current schedules. With a leave of absence filed for the afternoon, it was time to deal with some important matters.
"Bambi, Shūhei, do you know where your target is?" Shinji asked.
"Off the coast of Vale," answered Hisagi. "Specifically, it's an island a few miles off of Patch."
"It's a pretty secluded place," Bambietta remarked. "Not far out from the mainland but inaccessible without the right means of transport."
Kensei added, "Add to the fact that it was hard finding it thanks to the security grid that's protecting it."
"I know," Sajin nodded. "From our scanners, it is more advanced compared to Atlas."
"Ditto. I guess we need to get going." Bambi grabbed her partner's hand and began walking ahead. "We'll see you three later!"
"Shūhei!" Shinji had a devious smirk. "Don't do anything funny while on the job!"
The aforementioned young man sweatdropped before disappearing with his partner.
"You know, it's still a bit hard to dismiss the fact that she was once our enemy," Kensei remarked as he and the other two walked along the corridor. "How long has it been since the war?"
"In our perspective, at least five months," answered Shinji. "But, considering Yhwach fucked up everything, I'm not even sure anymore."
"At least she's on our side now," Sajin commented. "It wasn't long ago that I nearly killed her."
"…And that zombie tranny finished the job. It was thanks to Orihime that she got brought back. Now, she and her friends are on our side."
"Along with some of the Sternritters who found Yhwach's choices to be… counterproductive for the entirety of the Quincy race," Kensei added. Then he remembered, "Sajin, aren't you supposed to meet with her today? She did say she has some information that could be useful."
"Yes, I remember," the wolfman confirmed. "I am to meet her in an undisclosed location near the edge of Vale. As I recall from our previous conversation, she was adamant that we do not trust Ozpin and that we join her cause."
"Well, she won't have a hard time convincing us of the first one," Shinji stated. "And, while we won't be joining her group, we did promise to share information. And on that note, I've got to go." The blonde man went ahead but not before waving goodbye and saying, "I've got a bar to visit."
When Shinji was finally gone, Kensei checked the time and noted to Sajin that it was almost one o'clock. He glanced at the wolfman and nodded. It was time to meet up with their informant.
Shinji Hirako was the first one to reach his intended destination. It was in the middle of Vale's industrial district. The establishment was an old brick building with arched windows. The sliding doors opened upon his presence; he was greeted by a dancefloor down a flight of stairs. Six large crystalline pillars surround the floor, with the DJ's booth located on the opposite side. There were several balconies overlooking the dancefloor connected by stairs. Hanging by the ceiling was a rotating ring of light and some laser and holographic projectors. Said projectors were mounted on fixed rigs between columns.
The Beacon professor wasn't one for parties like this. Honestly, he preferred softer music like Jazz or R&B. Besides, word on the street was this place was the go-to location if you wanted to find out some seedier stuff going on in the city.
Shinji sat on a stool and leaned on the bar counter. The bar counter itself was located on the right-end corner of the establishment. Behind it was a large, fairly tall, and built man wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt, a red tie, black gloves, and black dress pants. He was wiping some glasses and tended to the other bar patrons nearby before noticing Shinji.
"Can I get anything for you, sir?"
"A Daiquiri would be nice," the blonde teacher answered.
The bartender grinned. "Not many people order that," he said. "Although, I haven't seen you come in here before."
"That's because I'm new to this city," Shinji replied. "I just got a new job last week at Beacon and now… I'm teaching some up-and-coming upstarts."
When the bartender heard this, his head quickly snapped to the patron in surprise. "You're a hunter!?"
"Correction; I teach children to become huntsmen. Ergo, a teacher," Shinji clarified. "If you're asking if I'm licensed, then no, I'm not. That doesn't mean I don't have some skills."
"Huh, neat. I never thought Beacon would hire non-huntsmen as an instructor," remarked the man behind the counter. "Still, I do find it rather odd that a member of Beacon's faculty is here taking a sip of an expensive cocktail."
The academy professor chuckled. "You got me there. In truth, I came since for information."
"Information, you say?" The bartender was now curious. "And where did you get that idea?"
"All kinds of people must've come here to have a good time," Shinji reasoned. "And you know what that means…"
"All kinds of stories to tell." The bartender placed the glass on the countertop and stared at the instructor. "Well played. I'm guessing this isn't your first time in places like this. I'm Hei Xiong Jr., but the folks around here just call me Junior," he introduced.
"Shinji Hirako," the blonde answered.
"Well met. So, what kind of information do you need?"
"So far, just some general stuff going on in the underground, if you catch my drift." Shinji leaned over the counter. "Anything from turf wars, heists, and hit jobs to big incidents like those involved in the White Fang or other major players."
"That's a pretty broad request," Junior noted. "I'm your man when it comes to knowing what's been going on in and outside of Vale. However, you need to be more specific because there's a lot to unpack."
"Then just give me anything… or everything even. It doesn't matter if you think it's trivial so long as I can get a general idea of what's happening around here."
"Okay. However, it is gonna cost you–" Junior was cut off when Shinji placed a considerable stack of high-denomination Lien cards. His eyes grew wide at the amount of money in front of him.
"Like I said," Shinji spoke with a Cheshire-like smile, "I'm willing to pay for all the info."
Money doesn't necessarily make Remnant go around, but it did make things more accessible and, in turn, easier. With the stack of high-value Lien in front of him, Junior, the current boss of the Xiong Family Syndicate, smiled as he entertained his guest with another glass of cocktail.
"On the house," said the crime boss as he gave Shinji what he wanted. "Here are the things that I know of…"
Situated in the northern part of Vale, a beautiful forest filled with lush leaves stretched for miles. However, this sea of trees and leaves, even the grass, was painted in a dusty red hue. No matter the time, the weather, or the season; the trees would always remain red, giving credence to the fact that it was under perpetual autumn.
Forever Fall.
Here, at the edge of the eternally red forest, Sajin Komamura and Kensei Muguruma waited for their informant to arrive. How they met said informant was a stroke of both luck and consequence.
It was two months after their first encounter with Ozpin when they met this person. Having heard of their little achievement, which was handing Ozpin his ass, the woman in question sought them out in a bid to recruit them into her tribe. The five respectfully declined but, seeing as this person knew Ozpin and some influence regardless of what it may be, they offered to remain in contact with each other as an ally in their time of need.
"She's here," said Kensei.
A sudden fluctuation in spiritual energy made them look up to find a raven descending from its flight. The black avian gradually slowed as it lowered itself, hovering gently over the ground. It stared at the two, tilting its head and cawed once until the bird transformed. Its wings turned into arms, its talons turned into booted human legs, its body became womanly in a red and black battle dress, and its head became a beautiful face with long black bushy hair and red piercing eyes.
"So, you came."
"How long has it been, Miss Branwen?" Sajin asked Raven Branwen. "Or should I call 'Mrs. Xiao-Long' considering you were once wedded?"
"It doesn't matter, Komamura," answered the Branwen. "I've cut my ties with them long ago."
"The way you say it makes it sound like you're doubtful," Kensei remarked, earning him a glare from the woman.
However, Raven dismissed the claim and got straight to the subject. "So, what is it that you have for me in exchange for what I know?"
"Take out your scroll."
Raven tilted her head in confusion but complied, nonetheless. The hard light screen display popped up as she opened her gadget. At the same time, Sajin took out a device she was unfamiliar with. Flipping it open, she was mildly surprised that a holographic screen floated above, showing various symbols and letters of unknown origin. With a few presses here and there by the wolf Faunus, Raven received something from the two, indicated by a notification on her scroll.
Once she checked what it was that was sent to her, her eyes nearly fell off its sockets. Data, mountains of it, was transferred to her device in a relatively short time. What's more, this wasn't just mere intel but secret information that only the Inner Circle had access to. It would take a skilled hacker to even attain a modicum of this kind of information and yet, here it is literally in the palm of her hands.
"How?" Raven asked, bewildered.
"We have our methods, Miss Branwen," Sajin replied casually. "There is still more intel we extracted that would be useful for future transactions if you wish to continue this arrangement. That said, I guess it's time for your end of the deal."
Still wrapping her head around this goldmine of information, Raven shook her head at addressed the two. "One of my spies informed me that Haven Academy's Headmaster is exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior."
"Go on," Kensei urged.
"I've met the man before," she admitted. "His name is Leonardo Lionheart, and he isn't the bravest person you'll meet. He's timid and would get easily startled. However, it's becoming worse these days; almost like he's being watched, or he's…"
"Waiting for someone," Kensei finished.
"Correct. Also, this might be a long shot, but his behavior could be connected to the string of disappearances of known hunters in Mistral. Lionheart also holds a position in Mistral's council, so he has some pull over its hunter community to send some huntsmen on missions. So far, notable teams have gone MIA. Heck, I was even informed that graduating students from Haven have also turned up missing."
"Even children are missing?" Sajin asked in concern. As far as he knew, being a huntsman was a risky profession. Some disappearances or deaths are more common than one would realize in this kind of work. However, if what Raven's spy had gathered was correct, then this wasn't a normal occurrence but a systematic weakening of Mistral's standing hunter force. The students at the school he's supervising aren't even safe.
There was definitely something going on in Mistral that needed further surveillance.
"One question," Sajin asked. "We've been observing Ozpin and Glynda for a while now and it's clear that he isn't as he seems."
Raven was impressed that they didn't buy into that man's bullshit. "Good. I always had my doubts on that man."
"We also know that Headmaster James Ironwood of Atlas is also part of this secret circle. Tell us, does Lionheart happen to be part of it, too?"
"He is," Raven confirmed. "Along with my younger twin, Qrow, they make up Ozpin's 'Inner Circle'."
"And I'm guessing you used to be part of it, along with your former husband."
Despite her insistence that it was behind her, Taiyang Xiao-Long was still a sore subject for her. "Yes," she replied.
"And you were once a student at Beacon, right?"
"Again, correct."
"Then I'm guessing you and your team were getting preferential treatment from Ozpin while studying there."
"Yes, but where is this going?" Now, Raven was curious. These were specific questions that were being asked.
"Just as I thought," Sajin remarked. The dots finally began to connect.
"What he means is that, like you, some students are being singled out by Ozpin for his plans," Kensei answered for his partner. "It's basically indoctrination."
That didn't bode well for the older Branwen. There was this uncomfortable feeling that clawed its way into her heart. "Which teams?" she asked hesitantly.
"Team RWBY involving Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and your daughter, Yang Xiao-Long as well as Team JNPR, which is comprised of Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren."
Without warning, Raven threw a furious fireball at the closest tree. Sajin and Kensei stared at the burning bark with raised eyebrows before looking back at the raven-haired woman whose fists were clenched tight.
"That damn bastard!" Raven growled. "He's doing the same thing he did to Team STRQ."
"Worry not, Miss Branwen," Sajin assured. "An associate of mine already reminded the Headmaster not to involve the students in whatever it is he's planning."
"That still doesn't assure me, Komamura. Ozpin is a crafty old devil and must not be underestimated."
"I'd say we've got a pretty good handle on him," Kensei said confidently. "Besides, he's barely even one of the best when it comes to scheming."
Despite her doubts regarding Kensei's words, she eventually conceded. These people were different and were far more capable than they seemed. "If you say so," Raven answered. "Well, if there's nothing more to add, then I must be off."
"We'd call you if things come up. You do the same if you find something interesting."
"If I find something interesting and you have something good for me," she retorted. But, before she could leave, Raven was asked a question she wasn't expecting.
"Aren't you going to say a few words for your daughter," Kensei questioned the woman. "She may not openly show it, but I can tell Yang has been pushing herself if our spars were to go by."
"Then that's good," was the bandit leader's reply. "After all, if she's strong, then there's no reason for me to worry about her."
"A few words wouldn't hurt, you know?" Sajin added. "You are her mother, after all." No words came from the woman, so they assumed that she truly had nothing for Yang. He and Kensei were about to leave when…
"Watch over them."
The two instructors looked at Raven.
"I already accepted that I won't have a life with my daughter, but it would put me at ease that there are people who are genuinely looking out for her in my stead… Her and Ruby."
The Beacon professors didn't need much convincing. However, "Why include Ruby Rose? Surely you don't want to associate yourself with the girl," Kensei inquired.
"I owe Summer that much," Raven revealed. "I still refuse to believe that she's gone, even if my link to her has been severed."
"We can vouch for that," Kensei interjected. "In our line of work, we don't count someone out unless there's a body."
"I hope so." With that, Raven flew off in her corvid form. She was grateful for the bountiful intel she received from these people. But, most of all, she was relieved that there were those watching over Yang and her best friend's daughter.
On an island far off the coast of Vale, screams of terror plagued the hallways of a facility hidden away from the public. The place was state of the art; far more advanced than anything developed by Atlas. However, its sophistication failed to stop two powerful warriors from decimating anyone and anything that stood their way.
"Run!" a Faunus grunt wailed as he dropped his weapon and made a run for it.
"How can they cut through our Aura!?" another grunt questioned as he kept shooting his weapon at the two intruders. "What the Hell are they– GAAAGH!" A sword passed through his throat before he died.
"Shit! Everybody retreat!" the leader of the grunts declared, and immediately the lackeys obeyed. They don't want to end up as corpses to these two freaks.
Meanwhile, the two intruders looked at each other quizzically. "Should we let them–"
"Nah, fuck all that!" the woman of the two interrupted and proceeded to rush the retreating fools.
It didn't take long for the woman to finish everyone in front of her. The last person pleaded for mercy while his face was in her hands.
"P-Please…" the man groaned under the clutches of the intruder. "I'm… j-just… a grunt."
"…And I don't care," replied the woman before detonating the grunt's head into bloody pieces. Her partner sighed at the brutality.
"Bambi, we need to curb your sadistic tendencies."
"Shūhei, honey, I'm only like this against our enemies. You know I'm gentle with the students, right?"
"If blowing them up is your definition of gentle, then yeah, you're right."
"I knew you'd see it my way," Bambi said smugly before pecking her boyfriend's cheek. "Come on!"
Shūhei just shook his head and sighed. "What am I gonna do with you?"
The pair managed to reach the end of the hallway only to meet what looked like a thick blast door.
"Let me," the tattooed man said. He stepped forward and held two fingers toward the metallic barrier. "Hadō #4: Byakurai."
A stream of lightning fired from his fingertips, puncturing the otherwise impenetrable metal door. Hisagi maneuvered his fingers around the blast door, tracing and cutting out a large rectangular shape on the obstruction. Once he was done, Bambietta gave the cut-out a hard kick, launching it forward and destroying some machinery.
A terrified squeak could be heard inside. When the duo entered the sealed room, they found their target huddled near a broken array of computers.
Their target was an elderly man with disheveled gray hair, a matching mustache and beard, and prominent eyebrows. He was wearing a light gray jacket with a high collar over a red shirt with each sleeve having a dark gray hexagonal shape. His most distinguishing trait, however, is the robotic left eye glowing an eerie red, and the cybernetic left arm with red circuitry.
"Does he match the description?" Bambi asked Shūhei who looked at his phone.
"Yup… one Winston Archibald Merlot," he confirmed. "Former head and lead scientist of Merlot Industries." Hisagi then added, "Known for his experiments on the creatures of the Grimm and the tragedy that was Mount Glenn. Did I get all that?"
"Yep." Bambi then stared at Merlot. "But we don't care about all that crap." She brandished her Reishi broadsword and pointed it at the terrified man. "We want some info, old man, and anything would do. Be it experiments, secret projects, or even associates or acquaintances with questionable motives; give them to us or the only ones leaving this island would be me and my partner. Now, SPILL!"
Winston Merlot was a proud individual with a minor god complex to match. A control freak by nature, he believes that everything can be controlled (even the Grimm) and that they can be used for the betterment of humanity. His sick and twisted view has made him apathetic to the consequences brought about by his research, such as the events that unfolded on Mount Glenn years prior.
However, all of this would crumble once the defenses of his island abode were systematically destroyed and his guards ruthlessly murdered. The pompous yet calm behavior he would've exhibited while in control was now lost, replaced by fear of being at the mercy of these people.
"W-What… are you people?" the doctor asked fearfully; his body still shaking.
"We're the ones asking the questions, old man," Bambi reminded as her patience began wearing down. "Are you gonna give us what we want or we're gonna have to resort to more persuasive means?"
"Better do what she says, Merlot," Shūhei advised. "I'm not stopping her either way."
"Come on, you egghead. Give us what we want!" Her patience at its thinnest, Bambi plunged her sword into Merlot's shoulder, eliciting an agonized scream from the old man.
"AAAAAH! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Merlot gave in, desperately begging the woman to stop. "I'll… I'll tell everything I know."
…And Merlot spared no detail to the pair. The scientist revealed everything that he knew – his research on the Grimm, various contacts, paid councilors from ALL kingdoms, and so much more. Shūhei and Bambi were recording all of it on their phones to share with the others. They got a lot, but what came next was what got their interest the most.
"I… I have an acquaintance…" Merlot, still clutching his stab wound, said. "Arthur Watts… is his name. He… He supposedly died years ago but he came to me with an offer to join him and his… benefactor."
Shūhei and Bambi glanced at each other for a moment. "Did you say he died years ago?" the former questioned.
"Officially, yes," Merlot replied as he squirmed under the pain. "He faked his death and now works in secret for someone powerful."
Based on the meeting they watched days ago; the pair already have an idea of who this powerful person might be despite still being rather inconclusive. Still, this was pretty insightful; which also means they got what they came for and that Merlot has no use for them anymore.
"Who… Who are you people?" Merlot finally asked. Ever since they infiltrated his island, these people depicted abilities no huntsman could possess. What's more, their weapons bypass Aura altogether. Any weapon would deplete the Aura of anyone with repeated strikes before shattering. Their weapons just cut through it like a hot knife through butter. "The things I saw… what you two can do… aren't possible. You're not human."
"You're right," Bambi admitted. "I'm a Quincy," she answered before jabbing her thumb at her boyfriend, "…and he's a Soul Reaper. That said, it doesn't matter if you found out I'm a Monk of Destruction or he's a God of Death since you won't make any use of it."
"What do you–"
And with that, Winston Merlot perished. All it took was one swing from the Reishi broadsword and the scientist's head was rolling on the floor.
"Let's go, Bambi." Hisagi began walking toward the exit, Bambietta not far behind. "The other would want to learn about this."
A/N: Here's the third chapter and I took some minor liberties regarding some characters. I had a discussion with a Reddit user under the RWBY Subreddit a while back and our main topic was Raven's behavior and motives.
If you noticed, I've depicted Raven to be a bit more morally ambiguous compared to what was stated in the RWBY Wiki and the show. My reasoning here is that her view of "Survival of the Fittest" wasn't something she initially believed, but rather instilled upon her by the tribe she grew up in. Not much is shown about her childhood, but I assume that her father was the leader of the Branwen Tribe, and she was groomed to lead it when she became older. Since she was going to be the leader someday, those "Might Makes Right" ideals were taught to her.
That all changed when she and Qrow entered Beacon and formed Team STRQ with Tai and Summer. For a time, she mellowed out thanks to her teammates (Summer, most of all) and even learned to care for others, leading to her falling in love with Tai and giving birth to Yang. It is only after she finds out about how Ozpin is using them that she reverts to her old tendencies before leaving everyone, even Yang, and returns to the tribe.
Is Raven a coward? Yes, she is. However, what people fail to understand is that her fear wasn't unfounded. Finding out Ozpin's secret, about Salem and the fact that she and her team were slowly being indoctrinated to fight a millennia-old losing battle didn't sit well for her. Some info points to her warning the others about Ozpin's machinations, but it was dismissed by the others, making her feel betrayed by the ones she considered her teammates. If this was true, the fear she had wasn't just for self-preservation, but also for the well-being of her brother, husband, and best friend.
I know that most won't agree with my stance on Raven, but I do find her a redeemable character if given the proper motivation and build-up to begin with. And yes, fear is the running theme associated with her but it's not just about her but also for the ones she's made connections with. This makes it ironic that someone who ran away, consumed by fear, has a Semblance that literally gives her the chance to reconnect to those she's connected with not just on a physical level but an emotional level as well.
Finally, since this is a crossover with Bleach, there will be a heavy emphasis on Fear throughout the story since it is one of the major themes driving the manga and anime during its run. Adding it to the world of RWBY where fear is a fundamental enemy would bring about a deeper narrative.
Well, that's my two cents on the whole Raven debacle but that's just me. I am in no way expecting any of you to share my views; simply understanding why I chose to approach would suffice. Again, it'll be a while before the next chapter comes out. I still need to write the other two stories and I'm also planning on returning to Between Life and Death. It's gonna be a busy Yuletide for me but that comes with writing and teaching as a profession. Still, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one.
Until next time.