The people of Remnant had a vibrant obsession with colors. It was a stark contrast to the brooding shades of the Grimm. Whether it was their clothes, hair, or even food, they went all out to ensure the world around them was as bright and lively as possible. Even names were steeped in tradition, often chosen to reflect or evoke a certain color.

This rule of colorfulness held true for Hunters and Huntresses, even those still in training. Despite the occasional need for camouflage, they, too, embraced this technicolor approach. Team JNPR, however, broke this vibrant trend. While other teams paraded around in eye-catching outfits, they wore uniforms that were entirely black. It was quite the departure from the norm. But they weren't always like this.

It all started when Jaune got his hands on Dust...

"Students! Today's goal is to evaluate you and your team in a real combat situation. The Emerald Forest has its fair share of Grimm, and it'll be an opportunity for you to try out your newly acquired skills." Glinda Goodwitch concluded her briefing with a stern glare at a certain team and added a little warning.

"And remember, any extensive environmental destruction will affect your grade."

As the professor left the students, Jaune was wondering.

"What does she mean by 'extensive destruction' ?"

Pyrrha, who had become uncharacteristically bitter in recent months, answered before Nora could speak. "Probably something about the size of the craters you two tend to leave behind." Her composure had been rattled by daily explosions and mushroom clouds on campus.

"Oh," Jaune said, pulling out a pair of glasses and a notebook. "So I guess that rules out the Big Ones I wanted to test. Shame, I've got this whole section on 'Fire and Lightning Dust Combos' that I'd hoped to try out today."

Nora groaned. "But I brought marshmallows for the campfire!"

"Me too", Jaune acknowledged, "I wanted to see how far fire will spread beyond the initial detonation but if we're trying to limit the radius of destruction, we should leave it for a proper field test for another time."

"Great. One large scale annihilation avoided." Pyrrha grumbled.

Nora was less concerned about property values and more into the experimental process. "So what are we testing, Jaune? I've got a new formula with Wind and Gravity Dust. Instead of craters, it just sends everything in the vicinity flying!"

Jaune's eyes lit up with excitement. "That sounds perfect! We can clear some trees and then test it on Grimm."

Pyrrha watched the two human explosives catalogs wander off, discussing their plans like kids in a candy store, except all the candy was TNT. She mentally calculated the radius of destruction they'd need to avoid, then tripled it, just to be safe.

Next to her, Ren was adjusting his new ballistic armor. It took some getting used to, but given his team's recent penchant for blowing things up, he'd figured it was a wise investment.

"Hey, Ren," Pyrrha said, "do you ever wonder what life would've been like if Ruby hadn't sneezed Dust into Jaune's face and make him explode ?"

Ren pondered this for a moment. "Nope. Because it would remind me of simpler times when I could keep Nora's hyperactivity under control, before an explosions fanatic came along and decided everything could use a bit more 'boom.' Those were the good old days."

"Yeah..." Pyrrha sighed. "Simpler times."

Times when she was considered one of the best fighters at Beacon, not the unwitting babysitter for a team of demolition enthusiasts. At least no one put her on a pedestal anymore. Now, they just gave her pitying looks when she walked through campus. She still didn't know what she prefered.

Suddenly, the first explosion of the day erupted about a hundred meters away, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Pyrrha and Ren off their feet. They braced themselves against the blast, grateful for the earplugs they always wore now. They had a special feature: once the noise level reached a certain point, they automatically sealed tight to protect against deafening decibels. They were the only reason the two teamates still had a functionning hearing.

Even with their armor, the explosion's rumble rattled their bones. They rejoined Jaune and Nora who were admiring the result of their new experiment. The test was a success—a new clearing, about five meters in radius has been created, all the trees effectively blasted by the shockwave.

Ren looked at the devastation and sighed with relief. "That's... surprisingly tame for those two."

Jaune grinned. "Oh, don't worry. That was just the basic setting. We're just checking if we got the right amount of Gravity dust to effectively reduce gravity in the blast zone before the Wind Dust kicks in. And it was a bit lacking in range." He tossed another grenade to Nora. "This one's a little boosted. Give it a try!"

"Right!" Nora cheered, loading it into her weapon. "Boosted ammo coming right up!"

Ren and Pyrrha were sprinting in the opposite direction as soon as the word "boosted" was uttered, but the second blast still sent them flying like human frisbees.

"I hate Dust," they groaned in unison as they tumbled through the air.