"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the Creatures of Grimm have many names but I merely refer to them as prey. Ahah hah~!"
When the joke didn't land its mark, he cleared his throat awkwardly and began pacing back and forth in front of them.
"Ah – and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying – Vale, as well as the three other kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses!" Pausing for a moment, he pointed at Yang, clicking his tongue and arching an eyebrow in a manner that he believed was… suave? When she leaned back, looking a little uncomfortable as she laughed nervously, he continued on without missing a beat.
"Individuals that have sworn to protect those that cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why the very world! That is what you are trying to become. But first – a story! A tale of a young, handsome man; me!" he punctuated this by puffing up, hand raised and finger pointed, as if he had revealed something incredibly profound. "When I was a boy..."
Professor Port was a portly fellow, no pun intended. Dressed in a burgundy double-breasted suit with gold piping and buttons, the rotund man had one of the most impressive mustaches Jaune had ever seen, as silver as his neatly parted hair. As he paced in front of his desk, a series of white boards hung on the wall behind him containing detailed sketches of Grimm, surrounded by information – weak points, vulnerabilities, and known habits, as well as names; Deathstalker, Beowolf, Boarbatusk, Nevermore and Ursa.
When Jaune said detailed, he meant it. These weren't the scribbles of an inexperienced hand. The diagrams looked as life-like as possible, almost leaping off the wall in their realism. Four of the five, Jaune had fought personally. Beowolves were practically everywhere, and were the Grimm Jaune knew best. Ursa were a little more rare around his village but in the winter, they could be found populating the hills around the lake the fishermen frequented. Boarbatusk were rarer still but his teacher had taken him deep into the forests to try his hand at a more tricky opponent, while Nevermore were a dime a dozen anywhere you could find trees.
The only Grimm he hadn't seen in person was the Deathstalker, a scorpion-like Grimm covered in bone plates with venom to match their more mundane counterparts. From what Jaune knew of the other four, however, all the information listed was spot on. Beowolves were rarely found alone and moved in packs, so you should always be prepared for more. Ursa were a little clumsy on their feet and were susceptible to blitz attacks, and were also easy to flank. Boarbatusks were heavily armored and capable of spinning like a wheel, increasing their speed and attack power, but their weak spot was the fleshy underside of their exposed belly. Nevermores were fragile at the wing joint, and a solid blow there was enough to cripple them. Once they were grounded, they were relatively helpless.
According to the board, Deathstalkers had brittle legs and like the Boarbatusk, their underbelly was their primary weak spot.
So the man clearly knew his stuff. He was a Professor at one of the most acclaimed Huntsman academy's in the world, so of course he did.
And yet…
"...and as the vile creature approached, I remained unafraid. Weaponless, defenseless – I refused to back down, refused to surrender! With a fiery resolve burning in my heart, I leapt into action! Remember, class! Sometimes taking the initiative is all you need to wrench victory from the jaws of defeat! With nothing but my bare hands, I surprised the Grimm with my bravery, my courage, my tenacity! Locking its jaw with my powerful hands, I wrestled it to the ground with my tremendous strength!"
Velvet was right. He was a little weird. If the gold bust statue standing by his desk wasn't clue enough, his self aggrandizing story told Jaune that Port liked himself perhaps a little too much.
Most of the class had already been a little unengaged since the beginning but as Professor Port continued to ramble about past exploits, Jaune saw the energy level of his classmates plummet into the floor. Blake was sagging a little, her eyes struggling to stay open while Ruby scribbled furiously on a piece of paper. At first, Jaune thought she might be taking notes but when she started giggling, he knew it must be something else.
That something else was a childish drawing of Port with a very round belly and face, complete with stink lines – or maybe that was all the hot air he was producing? Yang saw it and snorted, covering her face as her shoulders shook. Next to him, Weiss clicked her tongue, unimpressed. When Jaune glanced her way, she was scowling, her eyes set on Ruby.
"…despite smelling of cabbages, my Grandfather was a wise man. Peter, he told me…"
Ren was attempting to follow along but seemed almost stunlocked by what was happening, his face blank while Pyrrha continually glanced from her notebook to the professor, unsure what she should be attempting to remember. Jaune felt the same and instead focused on the white boards, writing down all the information he could see. While he knew some of it, there were points there that his teacher had never told him.
Knowledge was important, right? The more he knew about these Grimm, the better he could kill them.
"In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity! And I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" Professor Port when bowed, straight backed. "The moral of the story? A true Huntsman must be honorable, a true Huntsman must be dependable! A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated and wise."
Only Nora appeared completely hooked by the lesson, her eyes wide as she listened with rapt attention, leaning forward in her seat. Blake rubbed at her face tiredly, blinking rapidly to stay awake. Ruby was now balancing a book on the end of a pencil, and Jaune could feel the cold rage of his teammate building. It didn't help that Yang was egging her sister on, cheering quietly.
"Unbelievable," Weiss muttered under her breath. Her hands curled into fists on her desk, and somehow Jaune knew that this was going to become a headache.
"So – who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
Jaune thought for certain that Weiss would raise her hand but much to his surprise, she simply stewed in her feelings of annoyance, glaring at Ruby as she hummed a song under her breath. Glancing around quickly, Jaune saw that no one had stepped forward. Most people were staring at Port with glazed eyes.
"I see, I see," Professor Port's mustache bristled as he scanned the class, resembling a big fat silver caterpillar on his upper lip. "This won't do. This won't do at all!"
Jaune tensed as Port's eyes fell on him, and then swept across to Ruby. "Ms. Rose – are you ready to test your mettle against the vile creatures of darkness?"
She flinched, expression full of nerves as the entire class looked her way. "Uh, ah – heh?"
"Excellent," Professor Port boomed. "You've got ten minutes to retrieve your weapon and dress appropriately, for I have a surprise in store for all of you."
"Ahaha – sucks to suck, Rubes," Yang needled, delighted.
"Aw man, why me?" Ruby moaned but didn't argue, slinking out of the classroom with a bowed head.
"I will be back in a jiffy!" Port declared before exiting through a side door, leaving the students alone. As soon as he left, the room was filled with chatter.
"This guy is a complete kook," Cardin said with derision from the back of the class, his teammates agreeing with him enthusiastically.
"What was with that story? It was so weird."
"I think he just likes to hear himself talk."
"Are we sure he is even a Huntsman? His belly is so big…"
"Why did his Grandfather smell like cabbage?"
With no teacher around to enforce any semblance of order, everything devolved into senseless mockery. Jaune had a feeling his classmates didn't think very highly of Professor Port. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt. His wild story aside, the accurate information presented told him that the man knew his stuff, just as Velvet had claimed.
He very much was a Huntsman – it was just that he was a bit strange, that was all.
"What do you think he has planned?" Jaune asked them all.
"It sounds like he wants Ruby to fight some Grimm," Blake answered, more alert now that Port wasn't filling her ears with dull noise. "Are we going down to the forest?"
That question was answered when the professor returned with a large steel crate, wheeling it in through the door, silencing everyone. They stared as he pushed it across the room, dozens of eyes following it curiously as he left it beside his desk. There was a beat of silence before the crate rattled, a deep growl filled with malice met their ears.
He'd brought a Grimm into the classroom.
Apparently Professor Port had a habit of capturing Grimm instead of killing them. His story had mentioned it, and now this.
Weiss frowned. "Is he insane? Bringing a Grimm into the school? Of all the stupid, dimwitted—"
"Oh, oh, I should have volunteered," Nora cut across her, moaning in despair as her head hit her desk. "I want to smash something! Why can't it be me?"
Jaune grinned.
Yang appeared completely unbothered. "Don't worry, she might be a small little dork but my sister can handle whatever Grimm he stuffed into that crate, no problem."
Weiss huffed. "It's still irresponsible. Keeping Grimm near so many people, he should know better."
"He is a Professor, so his knowledge far exceeds yours," Blake shot her partner an infuriating smirk, clearly trying to instigate. "So I think I'll place my trust in his expertise."
Weiss glared.
"What type of Grimm do you think it is?" Pyrrha asked, trying to cut off any potential argument. The crate was large but it wasn't big enough to fit something like an Ursa. Jaune listened. When it growled again, he didn't think it sounded like a Beowolf, though it was familiar. A slightly higher pitch, an echo of a squeal.
The crate rattled again, bone scraping across metal, a loud, unsettling sound that caused the rest of the class to start whispering among themselves.
"I think it might be a Boarbatusk," he said, drawing everyone's attention. Now that he said it, he was even more sure. The crate was around the right size for the average Boarbatusk, and the familiar growling matched up with what he could recall in his memories. While not common, they weren't exactly rare, either. They didn't encounter any in the Emerald Forest but it wouldn't surprise Jaune if they were there.
"What makes you say that?" Ren asked, intrigued.
Now that he was the center of attention, Jaune felt a little awkward, his fingers fidgeting before stilling as he clasped his hands together. "Uh – just, you know – the way it sounds and the size. I've fought against them before. They can be found pretty close to my hometown."
"Now that you say that," Blake tilted her head, as if listening. "I think you may be right."
"Yes, well – right or not, Ruby has to fight it," Weiss crossed her arms. "And I, for one, do not hold much confidence in her ability."
Yang rolled her eyes. "Does it take effort to be a bitch or does it just come naturally?"
Icy blue eyes blazed angrily. "Excuse me? What did you just call me?"
"A bitch," Yang replied evenly, uncaring of the murderous glare drilling into the side of her head. She wasn't even looking at Weiss. "You've been on my sister's case the whole time. What's your problem?"
"My problem is that she is a complete menace! How she got chosen to lead a team is beyond me and I think it was a mistake," she punctuated this by tapping her finger against the desk aggressively. "She is childish, clumsy, and is not ready for this level of education! She is clearly younger than all of us – why is she even here?"
Yang finally looked at Weiss, her eyes narrowed. "She's here because she deserves to be. Yeah, she is younger – and guess what? They still took her. Because that's how good she is. They didn't move you forward, did they? Is that what's bothering you?" Yang then snorted. "Or maybe you paid your way in. During initiation, all I saw you do was use a little Dust while my sister was fighting that Hydra head on. Maybe you only got in because you greased the wheels, huh? Used a little bit of daddy's money?"
Jaune sighed, wondering if he should step in. This is not how he had hoped his first day at Beacon would go. Everyone else looked just as awkward as he felt, even Blake, who he thought would enjoy seeing Weiss taken down a peg. Thankfully they'd kept their voices relatively low, so the other students hadn't overheard them.
"How dare you," Weiss seethed – and then Ruby chose that moment to return, neatly dressed in her combat attire, hopping down the stairs with her weapon strapped to her back. Completely unaware of the tension, she skipped down to the front of the class.
"Ah, Ms. Rose," Port welcomed. "Please, step forward and face your opponent."
Rather than the anxiety he was expecting, Jaune saw that Ruby's face was filled with determination.
Yang looked a little less peeved as she focused on her sister, shouting, "Go Ruby! Show that Grimm who's boss!"
"Um – fight well!" Pyrrha called out, supporting her teammate and leader.
"Break it in half~!" Nora hollered in solidarity.
Weiss remained silent, still filled with indignant anger from Yang's comments. Jaune eyed her warily before focusing on the fight that was about to take place.
"Alright," Professor Port walked over to a plaque fixed upon the wall upon which a strange looking weapon was mounted; a combination of an axe and a blunderbuss. Holding it by the barrel, he approached the crate. "Let the match begin!"
And with a heavy swing, he cleaved the lock from the latch.
The front side of the crate swung down with a bang as it hit the floor and Jaune's suspicions were confirmed. The Boarbatusk snorted angrily as it crept out of the crate, four red eyes burning with hatred. Body thick and legs rippling with taut, lean muscle, its face and head was encased in solid bone plating. Long, large curled tusks protruded from its jaw, etched with those red eldritch markings that all Grimm possessed, and as it stomped forward with heavy hooves, drool frothed from its maw.
It was not a happy camper. Being locked in a cage had made the Grimm even more pissed off than the average.
Ruby deployed her weapon, her massive scythe unfurling as it charged with little warning. Despite its small legs, it moved quickly, dashing across the front of the classroom. Ruby twirled away at the last second, her curved blade lashing around across its side. While the body wasn't completely shielded by bone, it was riddled with small bone plates spaced evenly along its side, back and shoulders. Sparks flew as steel met bone, rasping loudly as Ruby created some distance, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Oho," Professor Port chortled. "What shall you do now, Ms. Rose? Your enemy approaches."
The Grimm pawed at the ground, raking its hoof across the floor before charging once again, growling. This time Ruby dashed forward to meet it, her weapon spinning effortlessly through the air. The shape of her weapon allowed her to attack in unique ways, and Jaune watched as it hooked in under its tusks. Pulling the trigger, a round punched into the floor as the recoil blasted her up, the Boarbatusk squealing as it was hauled upright, front feet off the floor.
"Hiyah~!" Ruby shouted, using her momentum to flip the Grimm onto its back. It crashed down hard, legs flailing wildly as she went for the kill, leaping into the air and somersaulting, using her flip to increase the power and swiftness of her swing. Her scythe cut through the air and then through flesh, the hooked blade piercing through the unprotected belly of the Boarbatusk and further still, through its back and burying itself in the floor.
The Grimm jerked, a spray of blood misting in the air as it screeched, bucking furiously in its death throes before becoming still.
It was a very impressive, efficient kill. She hadn't even let it use its signature attack, exposing its weak spot and finishing it in a single strike. Ruby might have been younger than anyone else at Beacon but her skill was undeniable.
"Yeaaaaaah~!" Yang thumped the desk with two fists, standing. "That's my sister~!"
Everyone began applauding, and Jaune joined in, clapping loudly as Ruby shrunk, embarrassed. Nora added a wolf whistle, loud and shrill, laughing when Ruby pulled the hood of her red cloak up, trying to hide her face. The Grimm was beginning to disintegrate, black mist curling like smokey tendrils rising towards the ceiling.
"Well done, well done~!" Professor Port boomed enthusiastically. "A perfect kill! Pay attention, class – what you just witnessed was the true essence of a Huntress! Thank you, Ms. Rose."
The only one not clapping was Weiss, her face set in a mutinous expression.
"You may take your seat," Ruby quickly rushed back over to them, hastily collapsing her weapon. By the time she was seated, the Boarbatusk had almost entirely vanished. The spot where Ruby had shot into the floor, and then stabbed into it stood out, the damage clear. Professor Port peered down at it, chuckling somewhat awkwardly. "Hmm – Professor Goodwitch will lecture me about that. No matter! She can fix it with a wave of her hand, no need to fuss. Mmm, yes – well," he cleared his throat. "Now then, can anyone tell me an alternate method of tackling a Boarbatusk?"
The class was much more engaged after that, the thrill of a Grimm slaying awakening everyone's enthusiasm.
Math was next, and that brought everyone back down to Remnant. There was nothing particularly interesting about the subject, especially compared to killing Grimm, though Jaune had always been pretty good with numbers. Unlike the previous class, however, he saw Ruby floundering a little bit.
Skipping two years hadn't done her any favors here.
"Need some help?" he asked and she beamed at him, her smile blinding.
"Thanks, Jaune."
"Hey, no problem. I know it can be a little confusing sometimes."
He could feel Weiss' stare drilling into the side of his head and he did his best to ignore it, showing Ruby how to complete the equation she was stuck on. While her knowledge was lacking, Ruby wasn't a stupid girl. It didn't take him long to get her caught up and then she was figuring things out all on her own.
"Why are you babying her?"
Jaune had been waiting for her to say something and had even hung back a little while the rest of their team moved ahead, making their way to the dining hall for lunch. When he turned, Weiss was frowning at him, hands on hips.
He didn't bother acting like he didn't understand what she meant.
"I was just helping her out, no big deal," he shrugged. "What's wrong with helping out a friend?"
"So – you're friends, then?"
"I mean, I think so?" Jaune suddenly felt unsure. He wasn't exactly the greatest at these sorts of things and while he hadn't spent much time around Ruby as of yet, they'd all fought together against that Hydra. That made them friends, right?
Weiss sighed, shaking her head. "You should be focusing on your own studies, not on those of other people. Ruby isn't even on our team."
"...and yet you seem focused on her more than you should be," Jaune said. Weiss tensed. "Why are you so upset about all of this? I thought we'd talked it out."
"I said she didn't possess the correct mentality and I stand by that," Weiss said sharply. "You gave me food for thought, that is true – but my assumptions about her were only reinforced by her childish display in class."
"And what about her performance against the Boarbatusk?" he pressed. "She did well, don't you think?"
Weiss looked like she wanted to refute his claims but couldn't. "She… did."
"Just like during initiation," Jaune continued. "She more than has the skill to be here."
"There is more to being a Huntress than slaying Grimm," Weiss said, though it was a weak deflection at best.
"Listen, I'm not saying you have to be her friend or anything," he told her quietly. "I may be your team leader but I can't force you to like her. But have you even tried to accept her? Or did you judge her from the beginning and are unwilling to change your opinion, despite the facts?"
"And what facts are those?"
"That she is here and has shown us she is capable," he said firmly. "And yeah, she might be behind in some things. She is younger than we are. But I'm sure there are things I don't know, either. I never went to a preparatory school."
"Neither did I."
"So how did you learn?"
"I had the best tutors money could buy," Weiss replied. As soon as she said it, Jaune saw that she realized where he was going with this.
"I didn't have that," Jaune told her. "I just had a Huntsman that was willing to teach a kid a few things. Will you hold it against me when I come across something I don't know and require help?"
Weiss remained silent.
"Or will you help me?" he asked. "As my second."
She sighed. "I'll help you, of course. I said I would, didn't I? But Ruby…"
She trailed off.
"Maybe you should try speaking to her," he suggested.
She blinked at him. "What?"
"Just have a conversation. Maybe you'll find that you have more things in common than you realize."
Weiss scoffed. "I highly doubt that."
"Well – you never know until you try, right?" he shrugged. "I don't know her that well but she seems like a nice girl. We're going to be here for the next four years. Do you really want to be at odds with her the whole time? That sounds exhausting."
"I would rather not try," she said mulishly before sighing. "Fine, maybe I am being… a little unreasonable here. I just… saw her acting up in class and got angry. She was made leader, she should act appropriately."
"If her own team doesn't mind, why should you?"
Weiss looked away. "...you have a point, as much as I wish to dismiss it."
They started walking again.
"Just… go easy on me when I make mistakes, okay?" he joked.
Weiss stuck her nose up haughtily. "Well – you did ask for my help, so you aren't completely hopeless. That is a good sign."
This time, he hoped, his words had gotten through to her. They didn't need to be best friends or anything but he'd rather not have his teammate beefing with someone on another team, especially with people he was beginning to like. It had been two days since he'd met them but he already felt fond of them. They'd fought together against a powerful Grimm and had triumphed. If that wasn't friendship making material, what was?
When he saw everyone already gathered at the same table, it made him smile. Weiss caught it and rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss the way her lips twitched.
...now if he could only get Weiss and Blake to get along. Somehow, he felt like that was going to be much harder to accomplish.
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