Hey everyone, back with another quick one here, the first day of Beacon Academy.
Lots to get into, on with the show.
Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.
Avengers Age of Remnant Chapter 13: The First Step, The First Day.
"What about this? Think that's something that would be allowed?"
"Well, it's not the first time that type of lesson has been taught here but it has been some time. I do believe a reintroduction to such a topic is necessary."
Sam nodded in satisfaction at Newt's approval, filing away the lesson for their coming days as professors and educators.
Something that hasn't quite set in yet with the Avengers but it is getting there with the school year beginning literally tomorrow. So they were all gathered here, save for Peter, with Glynda Goodwitch and Newt Featherington to help "iron" out the details. Whatever the details were.
Tony was "present" via his personal communicator, a holo-transmission of his on the right side of the table.
"So… being that we're gonna be teachers-"
"You can't randomly give out detentions, Pietro." Wanda absentmindedly said, her eyes briefly glowing scarlet.
"I wasn't gonna ask that just… what even qualifies as a detention?" The older twin asked whilst shooting an annoyed look at his sister.
"Haven't either of you gone to school?" Glynda inquired with some of the Avengers pausing.
"Not in the traditional sense. Or at all really." The speedster said in a low voice.
The blond professor looked over to Steve who shook his head. She internally cringed upon realizing she had stepped on a sensitive subject matter.
"Apologies." Goodwitch remarked earnestly, the twins mumbling that there was nothing to apologize for.
Tony briefly looked at the pair before his eyes turned to Cap, hoping to lighten the mood as he usually does.
"So Mr. Rogers, how are things gonna be done in your neighborhood school?" He asked in a specific, friendly, beautiful day in the neighborhood voice.
Captain America rolled his eyes at Stark, ignoring the snorts and small chuckles from the others.
"Well, for your information Mr. Stark," Steve pointedly said. "We've been planning this accordingly and we wanna make sure we give these students the best we can."
"Urgh, that sounds really unlike you."
"I've never been a teacher before."
"And I've never been an artist yet here we are."
Steve could only look at the billionaire with a "what are you talking about?" look before dismissing the matter.
"I'm still surprised you didn't wanna come join us, Tony." Clint commented, looking through the list of new students that were coming to Beacon. "Would've figured this would be up your alley. And your "niece" is coming here to join up as well."
"Nah." Iron Man waved off the notion. "I mean, substitute and guest speakers work but trying to be Penny's overbearing uncle ain't my thing. Old man Pietro made her a teenage girl. Skipping over all the adolescence and all. She needs to stretch her legs on her own."
"I still can't believe there's someone named Pietro on this planet." Sam remarked.
"I'm more surprised that he's an apparent genius." Wanda casually tacked on, smirking to herself as she sensed her brother's annoyed deadpan.
"How in the world did you convince Ironwood to allow her to come here?" Glynda couldn't help but ask, knowing the General's bullheaded stubbornness.
"You would be amazed how many guys like him I've dealt with before and after becoming Iron Man." Tony said rather dismissively. "It's all about knowing how to talk to a guy like him and play to his ego."
"General Ironwood would usually keep that in check." Newt countered. "Usually."
"Well, my talk with him wasn't one of those times. Plus, Polendina was there to help out. That was a surprise, really. Didn't think he'd let her go so soon after just waking her up."
"That was a surprise as well." Glynda muttered, releasing a weary sigh. "I'm honestly dreading the semester to come."
"Already?" Wilson couldn't help but say in amusement. "Haven't you been doing this for a while now?"
"I may be strong but even those with experience can get weathered down." The Beacon Professor drably said. "Just call it a gut feeling. This new crop of students," In front of her were several students, one having white hair, another with red, Peter Parker being another as was a rather rough looking girl with pink hair. "I can already tell they'll be a handful."
"Come now, Glynda," Newt said good naturedly. "Where's that fierce spark of defiance in the face of overwhelming odds I've come to know and admire after all these years?"
"It's there just," She released a wistful sigh. "Storing all that energy for the school year."
"You do realize that this isn't exactly a great selling point for us, right?" Barton dryly said.
"You have kids, you're already experienced." Falcon waved off.
"And you dealt with us." Pietro admitted with a shrug, making Wanda bob her head from side to side in agreement.
"So, we're gonna let Legolas take the lead then?" Tony asked, with most of the group appearing to be in agreement.
"Well, since you all asked and apparently are hopeless." Clint said offhandedly.
"We'll try not to rely on ya too much." Rogers assured, making the archer snort.
"Thank you, Steve. Least there's one here who understands. Kinda."
Steve 'hmphed' to himself, returning his attention to their curriculum plan before the door to their room opened up and walked Professor Ozpin, cane and a mug of coffee in hand.
"Ah, hard at work I see." The Spectacled man commented, an approving nod. "A promising start. I do believe the future of Remnant is in good hands."
"We haven't even done anything yet so hold the praise till we do." Sam shot back.
"As humble as you are competent." Oz said in stride, taking a sip of his coffee. "I take it you are all prepared."
"Not really." Tony answered for the Avengers who all gave him flat looks.
Ozpin only chuckled at this, looking over at his faculty that was presently here.
"What say you, Glynda? Newt? Do you believe our heroes from another world are ready for the struggles of educators?"
"I do believe they are." Featherington confidently stated. "Their efforts in making sure their lessons are up to snuff should be enough of a confirmation that we made the right choice in the offer."
The gray-haired headmaster nodded at his fellow glasses-wearing man before he turned his attention to Glynda. He said nothing, other than silently asking the question he had asked a moment ago and she nodded.
"Yes, I am inclined to agree with Newt." Glynda stated, shooting a subtle glance at Steve. "Much as I was unsure in the beginning, I now see that the potential our new faculty members possess was well founded."
"Well now, if that wasn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is." Ozpin said with a wide grin, holding up his mug in a silent toast. "Welcome to Beacon, Avengers. I look forward to seeing how well you impart your knowledge onto the future of Remnant."
"Yeah, no pressure." Clint quipped.
"I have the utmost faith in your abilities." Oz confidently said. "It is why I had come here to ask you all for a favor of sorts and you can even call it among your first proper tests as teachers."
This got the attention of the Avengers, the team all turning in his direction.
"And that is…?" Sam left the question hanging for the Headmaster to fill them in.
"I would always address the new students in some form or fashion in the auditorium. A way of introducing them to the school, what to expect or just a means of gauging the kind of kids we would deal with for the year."
Earth's Mightiest Heroes were silent in this regard, quietly listening as Oz went on.
"But I do believe that in light of our newest additions to the faculty, this in turn warrants a new speaker and greeting to the students. Someone who can deliver on-"
"Steve." Was the unanimous decision made by the Avengers save for the man himself.
"Wait, what?" Was the good captain's response.
"Yeah, that's a no-brainer." Tony stated. "You're the guy to do it."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Steve asked with the team all shaking their head.
"It's easier if you do it." Sam waved him off. "Trust us, Ozzy, if anyone can motivate a bunch of people, it's Cap."
"I thought you said teenagers aren't prone to listening all that well."
"You're Captain America." Barton retorted.
"That's not how it works."
"Sure it does." Pietro joked. "It works on everything."
Steve could only look at them with his jaw mouth slightly ajar, a bit bug-eyed and clearly thrown off by this.
"So Rogers then?" Ozpin casually asked. "Very well, I await your speech tomorrow, Captain. Don't let us down."
Not waiting for an answer, he departed a moment later, leaving a slightly stunned Steve and the rest of the group back to their business.
Glynda released a wistful sigh, shaking her head at the headmaster's antics.
"There he goes, doing as he pleases." She grumbled.
"A man after my own heart." Stark said with a grin. If he could, he would've pat Cap on the back. "So, speech all set, Steve?"
Now recovering, Captain America shot the team an unamused look that fell away after a few seconds.
"Are you all really that lazy?"
The team shared looks with one another before nodding, murmuring "yeah, we are" and "pretty much".
"I mean, really, come on Steve." Sam said expectantly. "I think we can all do something decent but with you, it's easier cause we know you'll knock it out of the park."
"I am quite curious what you will come up with myself, Rogers." Newt spoke up, Glynda herself nodding in agreement.
The Brooklyn native could only shake his head at them, choosing to simply acquiesce and return his attention to finishing up their lesson plans.
-The Next Day-
Vale was quite different from Mantle, that's for sure.
Much warmer, for starters. Natural heat rather than the machines regulating the outside temperature.
Looks cleaner as well in most areas. Makes it harder to spot where the visible lines are for the seedier areas. But for compensation, the corruption of criminal life is hiding better in the shadows.
This is what a particular student thought as she was walking around Beacon's grounds.
She saved a lot of money and pulled some favors in getting herself here from Mantle. This girl came here with a single goal in mind. Her reasons for doing so were hers and hers alone. Going to Beacon just served as a better cover.
Professor Ozpin's offer came out of nowhere but she couldn't deny it. Not after what she heard about the underground criminal element of Vale.
The bullhead she was in soon docked itself at the academy that she was sent to, waiting for the first wave to clear out so she wouldn't have to deal with bumping into anyone at the exit. Once the interior was clear, she grabbed her bag on the floor, stood up and heft it over her shoulder.
She walked out of the bullhead, passing by a puking blond with a redhead next to him, patting his back.
This huntress-to-be is tall, athletic and light-skinned. She wore common punk street clothes which somewhat matched with her natural pink hair in a punk style with her bangs going to the right side of her head.
There was a tattoo on her face (VI) right on her left cheek. Several scars were present on her exposed flesh, big and small, fresh and faded. Some of those were covered up by wraps and tattoos which are mechanical augment-inspired.
Her name was that of the roman numeral on her face.
Vi, a punk kid from the streets of Mantle.
Now, she was here in Vale, attending her first day at Beacon Academy, considered to be the most prestigious Huntsmen and Huntress academy in all of Remnant. One she never would have considered attending at one point but here she is now.
With a sigh to herself, Vi walked forward with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, passing by several other students but didn't pay them any mind. She figured she should at least gauge them considering that in these academies, teams are meant to be formed so anyone of these random teens may end up being a future partner.
Not that it matters.
She wasn't here to make friends.
She was here for a purpose.
If she had to wait it through for perhaps the next four years, hopefully less than that, then she'll do what's needed.
Distracted by her thoughts, Vi bumped into someone. Or rather they bumped into her.
"I'm sorry." Said the top hat-wearing teen before taking off once more.
"Whatever." Muttered the Pinkett.
Readjusting the hold of her duffle bag, Vi looked around to find the possible entrance to the academy as per instructions.
It wasn't a minute later when something occurred a foot away.
*ACHOO*
*KABOOM*
The result had quite the rather large dust cloud appear with some electrical arcs and ice crystals momentarily appearing.
Blinking, Vi found herself astounded when witnessing such a sneeze. She couldn't help but whistle on the display.
As the dust settled, she spotted a red-hooded girl being scolded by what appeared to be a Schnee of all people; all due to mishandling of property or whatever.
'Wonder why she's here instead of Atlas?' Pondered Vi, eyes narrowed at the white-haired teen.
Not that it mattered to her.
So long as that stuck-up princess doesn't bother her, she would pay her no mind.
-Scene Cut-
Several servants were bringing in an assortment of luggage to the central building of Beacon Academy.
There was a bit more than what a typical rich kid would've brought, but there was a reason for this.
Most of these weren't employed with her family.
"Is everything here, Klein?" Asked Weiss Schnee, inspecting her luggage.
The others belonged to her old friend.
"Yes, my lady. Not everything is misplaced." Said the Schnee butler, rolling the bellman cart, filled with Weiss' belongings.
Her eyes looked towards the cases. Some were filled with clothes and other articles. The rest were filled with dust and other tools to maintain Weiss' rapier.
Once she saw everything was in order, Weiss walked over to Klein and hugged him goodbye.
Now, she was left alone with only herself and her luggage… and the person she arrived with.
"Weiss, is all this really necessary?" Caitlyn Kiramman inquired, looking over the stack of boxes that the Schnee heiress had brought with her.
She gave the blue-haired girl a dry look.
"Like you're one to talk." Weiss rebuked, nudging her head in the direction behind her childhood friend.
Following Caitlyn were a few other servants of her household, rolling a bellman cart filled with her own belongings.
"That's my mom's doing." Caitlyn said with a roll of her eyes. "Most of my boxes are empty anyway. We filled them with Styrofoam just to trick my mom. Though some of them are needed to protect my equipment."
Not just equipment for her weapon and gear, but for the one she's here to watch over.
"And your hats."
Caitlyn placed a hand over her hat with the other pointing dramatically at Weiss. "Don't you dare insult the hats. At least they look good compared to your dresses."
"Combat skirts!" Weiss rebuked. "And don't you have ones of your own?"
"Mine aren't flamboyant."
"I think they're wonderful!" Said an excited young girl with orange hair, looking positively eager to get into the school.
Looking at her, Weiss saw she had short, curly orange hair that came down to her chin with a small cowlick on top and wore a pink bow on the back of her head. She has a fair complexion with freckles and bright green eyes. Her outfit was an off-white old-fashioned styled off-the-shoulder blouse with frill detailed trim and frill flared cuffs that half covered her hands alongside copper button detailing on the lower parts of her sleeves. She also sported a short gray pinafore dress with golden trim on the hem alongside four light green stalagmite-styled stripes on the lower half of the dress, two on the front and two on the back, accompanied by two matching colored circles above the tips of that had a strip that ran around her waistline with golden outlines and a unique black and light green collar. She also wore a pair of black thigh-high leg pieces with a single green stripe on each side connected to her black shoes. And strapped to her back was a small black backpack.
"Thank you, Penny." Weiss said curtly, eyeing the unique girl's attire. "At least someone appreciates the style."
Penny only preened at the praise, looking around in all directions, almost being unable to contain herself.
"Don't wander off too far, Penny." Caitlyn said to her, going over to her luggage, opening up several suitcases. "We're supposed to go in together."
"Right."
She made a quick inventory of her belongings, particularly those of her weaponry and maintenance equipment before nodding to herself. Closing the suitcases, Caitlyn stood and faced Beacon Academy.
Once their belongings cross the threshold of the academy's walls, the servants will return to Atlas. They will be on their own.
The start of their own personal journey to becoming Huntresses, the protectors of Remnant.
It took a lot of convincing for her mother to agree to her going here instead of Atlas but she knew to truly stand out on her own, Caitlyn needed to-
"Wait… where'd Penny go?"
Kiramman had a knee-jerk reaction.
"What?"
"Penny," Weiss said again, looking around. "She's gone."
Looking over, she comedically saw a dotted outline of Penny's figure, flashing in and out of existence.
Penny disappeared on her.
"Oh no, I've already failed on my task already!" Caitlyn exclaimed, hands throwing up to her head.
She was instructed by General Ironwood to keep an eye on Penny. A minute of not focusing on her and she already left her sight!
Before Weiss could question her old friend what she meant, Caitlyn took off in a sprint.
In her haste, she ended up bumping into a punkish-looking Pinkett.
"I'm sorry."
Caitlyn didn't wait for a response as she went elsewhere on the campus grounds.
If Caitlyn stayed any longer, she would've seen an odd confrontation between Weiss and a girl in a red hood.
-Scene Cut-
The day more or less arrived. New students and initiates arriving at the academy.
Tomorrow will be the initiation for the students and transfers. And through initiation, the team formations.
Monday morning is when classes begin.
Strange really.
A few weeks ago, the only thing Peter Parker was worried about was his sophomore year of high school. He had it all "planned" out on how to balance both his life as an everyday student and the streetwise superhero known as Spider-man.
Then, of all things to happen to him, the Avengers came knocking at his door to recruit him. Shortly afterward, after one mission, they were god knows elsewhere.
And now, he was here, in another world attending another High School only this time, it was literally one for superheroes where his everyday life as a student was to become a superhero… Huntsmen… whatever, same thing.
Talk about your Parker Luck.
He knew that term was something his Uncle Ben always threw around about how Parkers always had to deal with some kind of adversity and all.
But this was really taking it to a whole other level.
He was fairly certain the first Parker who coined the term would never have expected something like this.
Regardless, here he was, starting his first day at Beacon Academy.
Despite him knowing the layout of the campus during these past days living here, Peter found himself wandering around the vicinity.
The Queen's native didn't want to be cooped up for the rest of the day before getting to the auditorium for the opening ceremony. It would be after that will everyone be settling in at a large area to house the students until tomorrow's events.
He already knew where it was and the place likely already had a crowd. Being from New York, he was used to dealing with people bunched up together but he also appreciated some time and literal space to himself.
Looking up at the Academy, Peter's mind began to wander as he found himself doing every now and then since coming here.
It was always the same mixture of awe, amazement and excitement with a balance of fear, anxiety and worry.
The latter three being the result of his thoughts of home.
Particularly his friends and his last living relative.
He can't even begin to fathom what Aunt May is going through right now with him being here.
But at the same time, this place was insanely cool.
Yeah, there were a lot, and Peter meant a lot of similarities here with Earth but then came the differences. Case and point, the academy of Beacon and other academies in Remnant that taught teens like him to become superher-Huntsmen and Huntress… superheroes, whatever.
So this place was a blessing in disguise.
As much as he and the Avengers would relatively be on their own here, waiting for the day of returning home, Peter needed to blend in.
He had to attend the Huntsman academy instead of a regular public school. Where he could freely use his powers…
'This place is gonna be awesome.'
He wonders who he might become his teammates. That was something Professor Ozpin forewarned him about. Every student here would be part of a four-man team.
Hope they're friendly. He couldn't imagine having to partner up with jerks.
Class projects and assignments were one thing, but to constantly be with them for god knows how long would drive Peter insane if he didn't mesh well with them.
Ozpin mentioned how it's a four-year academy but much as Peter wanted to, he knew there was no way he could stay here for that long.
Yeah, going to a superpower school was fun and all but Earth still needed their Heroes and-
"Oof."
Peter was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to realize he had walked straight into a girl, causing her to fall right over on the ground.
Why did it feel like he ran into a steel wall?
Shaking his head, the web-slinger looked toward the person he knocked down with worry. "Oh, I am so sorry! I didn't mean-"
"Salutations!" A happy voice greeted him.
"Er… Hello." Said Peter, seeing the downed teenage girl. "Are you okay?"
"I am wonderful. Thank you for asking." She happily said, eyes closed with a wide smile.
"...Do you… wanna get up?" The New Yorker asked with an awkward silence befalling the pair.
"..."
"..."
"...Yes!"
In an odd bit of display, she flipped herself off the ground and landed on her feet. This caused him to step back in response.
"Greetings, I am Penny Polendina. A pleasure to meet you." The Orange-Haired girl introduced herself in an overly friendly manner.
Not that the webhead minded. "Hey, cool alliterative names. I'm Peter Parker."
"A pleasure to meet you."
"You said that already."
"...So I did… Peter Parker." Penny said, now looking intently at him.
"Yes, that's my name. Don't wear it out."
"Peter Parker." She said it again, this time leaning forward, a little too close for Peter's taste as he inclined back slightly.
"Yeah?"
There was a tense silence when…
"I've heard much about you from Mr. Stark."
Hearing this caused his mind to halt.
"Uh… What did you just say?"
"I've heard much about you from Mr. Stark. Oops, apologies. He prefers it I call him Uncle Stark! Or Uncle Tony! Or the great one, bestower of life to all."
Peter blinked when this was said back to him. It took some moments to properly register what Penny's words were.
She knew him. She knew Tony.
She also has orange hair… and felt like literal metal when he crashed into her…
"Wait…"
A figurative lightbulb soon flashed above his head.
"Oh yeah, you're her." Peter said with a snap of his fingers. "Mr. Stark told us about you coming here. Polendina's your dad right?"
Penny brightened at the mention of her creator, nodding vigorously.
"Well then let me be the first to welcome you to Beacon, Penny."
The android was practically glowing with joy. "Why thank you, Mr. Parker."
Peter waved his hands at that last part. "You don't have to call me mister. Just Peter. I'm no one really important."
"But you are an Avenger." Penny argued. "Remnant's Mightiest Heroes."
'Geez Mr. Stark, we've only been here for a few weeks.' Were Spider-man's thoughts.
"Barely." Peter said with a laugh. "But we're going to school together. That means we're friends and classmates. So only first name basis's here."
That was when Penny forwent any semblance of personal space and her entire body was a literal centimeter away from him.
"What did you call me?" She asked in a quiet, almost uncertain voice.
"Uh… what?" Peter was really weirded out right now.
"Friend. You called me your friend." Penny whispered. "Is that… true?"
Odd thing to ask really. "...Well… yeah. I mean, we're gonna be-GAH!"
What he didn't expect was receiving the mother of all bear hugs, being entrapped by the energetic android of a girl.
"Yes! I made a friend today! My first- no, wait, second!" Penny's jubilation would have been infectious had it not been for the hug that was slowly… quickly breaking all of Peters' bones. She was spinning him around which only added dizziness to his pain.
Once she let go, Peter collapsed onto the ground with an emanating groan.
"There goes some of my vertebrae."
"This day is wonderful!" Penny declared at the top of her lungs. "Oh, oh, oh, oh, what should we do first as friends? Go "grab a bite" as they say? See a movie? Play pranks on other people?"
"Just," Peter stretched his back out, feeling pops and cracks running down his spine as he cartoonishly popped his disks back in place. "Gimme a sec, Penny. Gotta make sure I don't get any paralysis."
"Oh?" Penny's eyes blinked briefly and they scanned Peter's back. "I see no structural breaking points or weaknesses Peter."
The webhead snorted at that, shaking his head.
"Thanks for caring but if you should know what we are gonna do as our first act as friends," Her immediately brightening up at this was rather adorable. "We need to head into Beacon for Professor Ozpin to address the school."
Being an android, Penny didn't need to have a watch on her wrist or anything like that. No, her clock was built in internally and therefore, she saw that it was minutes away from the assigned time of the gathering place that all new students were meant to go to on the first day of Beacon.
"Of course!" Penny said in a gasp, twisting and turning to the school. "Right this way."
Peter shook his head with a small chuckle, following after the energetic android of a huntress-to-be.
-Scene Cut-
It was rather strange when entering the academy.
When being directed towards the auditorium, the students were made to come through a hall with many photos of past Huntsmen and Huntresses who attended here over the years. The many alumni who made a name for themselves.
Heroes of old that withstood the endless tide of the Grimm, all in their efforts of preserving Peace on Remnant.
Peaceful as it can be on this planet.
Yet there was an odd detail some noticed whereas others ignored. However, none didn't really voice it as it wasn't their place to bring it up.
Standing behind a curtain were two Avengers with Glynda Goodwitch on a scroll pad, marking down the attendance.
Students registered their school IDs through their phones which made it easier to basically ping everyone who walked in through the entrance. And it seemed that all were in attendance at last.
"Were you that small when you were their age?" Glynda asked offhandedly, recalling a story Captain Rogers told her before he became a soldier.
"Smaller. Asthmatic and all those conditions, remember?"
"And look at you now."
Steve rolled his eyes at Sam, giving him a dry look that morphed into a small laugh. "But these kids? They have no idea what they're in for."
"Some of them do." Wilson pointed out. "Just look for it in the eyes."
Rogers only hummed silently in response, eyes trailing over all the young Huntsmen and Huntresses soon to begin their time in Beacon.
And in turn, they signal the beginning of the Avengers' tenure as teachers.
Something Steve was still processing as the last of the students was now all here in the auditorium.
"You're up Cap." Sam softly said, patting his friend on the back.
He frowned to himself, mulling over his words and actually considered reaching for the notes he had for his speech in his pocket when he remembered some advice Tony gave him before this. Or what qualifies as advice from the billionaire genius.
"You're Captain America, Steve. You talk from the heart and just call it like it is. Don't overthink it."
With a sigh, Steve walked out from behind the curtain, standing on the stage that the students were all facing. Many of them were clamoring and gossiping while the rest appeared silent, as far as he could tell from simple glances.
Some looked at him in intrigue as, rather than wearing casual clothing, Cap opted for his usual suit with his shield magnetically attached to his back.
Resting his hands on his belt, he surveyed the crowd one final time before clearing his throat.
"ATTENTION!" He said at the top of his voice, using his best drill sergeant impersonation.
His booming shout did the trick, the entire auditorium fell silent and all eyes were now on him.
Seeing this, Steve displayed a disarming smile as he addressed the assembled crowd.
"Good. Looks like I have your attention." He said good-naturedly. "Allow me to be your first teacher to welcome you all to Beacon Academy, your home for the next four years."
There were murmurs from the students and in the midst of it all, Steve spotted Peter standing next to none other than Penny. He shot his fellow New Yorker an amused look, glancing over at Penny and then back at him, seeing the teen chuckle sheepishly in silence.
Tony was gonna love this.
He resumed his speech a moment later.
"You all came here for the pursuit of knowledge, training and combat. Honing your skills and refining your craft. Once graduating, you wish to dedicate your lives to help protect your fellow people in some way or another."
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar silver-eyed girl who seemed to absorb his words, bouncing in place.
"When I look at you, I see the potential that needs to be surfaced. You might not see it now, but you will in due time." It was at this point did he spot a fellow blond, the first student he interacted with.
Jaune Arc.
The young man seized up slightly, standing up straighter as Steve's eyes locked on to his.
"Recall the Huntsmen and Huntresses you know before you. Not just those who are still alive today, but those whose lives paid for your future. The legacy that has been left behind and in turn, the legacy you must all carve out for yourselves."
Steve's eyes became more intense as his speech went on with every student hanging off every word he said by now.
"But the most important thing you all need to realize is the purpose of why you are all here. There is a preconception some of you may have about coming to this Academy. Being a Huntsmen and Huntress isn't about being perfect to do what's right nor is it about fighting Grimm. It's not about living without fear but facing injustice. It's not about flaunting your power but understanding the responsibility that comes with it," His eyes briefly locked on with Peter's, seeing the teen hold his head up higher. "It's not about being powerful but finding your calling when you least expect it."
It was then that a soft tapping was heard from the side and all heads turned to see none other than the Headmaster Ozpin walking up onto the stage.
"Well said, Captain Rogers." The Professor praised, a pleased smile for all to see. "I could not have said it any better. In fact, I think I frankly couldn't."
"Now you're just serenading me." Steve drably said though amusement danced in his eyes.
"None of the sort, Steve." Oz said, coming up and patting the man on the shoulder. "I'll finish it here."
Cap simply nodded, stepping back as the Headmaster now took center stage.
"I will make this brief, given Mr. Rogers has already said much of what I intended to speak on." He made sure to give everyone a stern gaze. "Whatever knowledge you acquire will free you of purpose and direction, but your time here will let such a thing carry you so far. It is you who takes the first step in knowing whether what knowledge you obtain is a burden or a blessing. The first step shall always start with you. What you do with the rest falls upon your shoulders. I wish you all luck and welcome you to Beacon."
With a satisfied nod, he and Steve walked off the stage whilst Glynda came up to the microphone and spoke.
"You will be gathered in the ballroom tonight and will stay there for the duration of the evening. Tomorrow morning, you will undergo the initiation. Rest well and be prepared. You're dismissed."
The students all murmured and whispered to each other.
"Whoa~ that Rogers guy sure knows how to rile you up, huh?" Yang Xiao Long remarked with a wide grin, nudging her starstruck sister.
"He's. So. COOOOL~~~~" She exclaimed, her eyes literally becoming stars. "I can't believe he's gonna be one of our teachers!"
"Wonder what he'll even teach." Yang mused to herself.
Over with another blond, Jaune tilted his head down, repeating the speech in his head over and over again.
"Potential?" He whispered to himself, looking down at his hand. "Do I even have that?"
And over with Peter and Penny…
"There you are!" Said an exasperated bluenette that walked up to the alliterative pair.
"Oh! Caitlyn! Sensational news! In our time apart, I have made friends with Peter Parker!" Penny excitedly said, throwing her arms around the Queen's native and pulling him in for another bone-crushing hug.
Rather than show annoyance, she only shook her head mirthfully, patting the girls' hands on the poor boy.
"Yes well, try not to hug him to death. You don't want to lose your first friend here via smothering." Caitlyn stated, watching as the girl released the poor boy. "Apologies for her behavior."
"She's got a heck of a grip." Peter winced, managing a grin as he massaged his shoulders. "Peter Parker."
"Caitlyn Kiramman." She greeted politely. "So Penny has declared you a friend. Don't hug him again, Penny."
The android girl deflated slightly on her quick comment as Parker chuckled. "Well, that was more my fault really. Mr. Stark told me about her-"
"What?" Caitlyn said in a surprised, sharp tone.
"Yeah, he's a family friend of mine, told me his 'niece' would be coming here." Peter said smoothly. "Wanted me to give her a proper welcome and all."
He recalled Tony telling him that only a few people knew about Penny's true nature and that he was to keep it under wraps. Not everyone was ready to meet a literal android as she was only a prototype, despite Pietro Polendina's dismissal of such a label.
And his answer seemed to work as Caitlyn let out a small "ah" and nodded.
"I was unaware. Apologies for the outburst."
Peter simply waver her off. "Don't worry about it. She's excitable."
Kiramman chortled, shaking her head. "I'd say you have no idea but you've already gotten a taste of it. A pleasure meeting you, Peter."
"You too, Caitlyn. I'll see ya later, Penny."
"Farewell, Peter." Penny remarked, waving her hand rapidly with overexuberance.
With the meeting at the auditorium over, every would-be student was asked to drop off their gear at the lockers for orientation taking place in the morning.
Not to mention they were told to stay in their attire when they came here and not in their preferred sleepwear for tonight. It was rather odd, but they'll find out why tomorrow.
A majority of the students were currently in the locker room, overlooking their clothing and equipment for the initiation.
Once leaving the locker room, they'll be relatively free to explore the campus until dinner tonight and for bedtime.
Currently, two future students were finishing up their preparations with one being a literal spring, jumping around with barely contained excitement whilst the one she was with acted as the calm eye of the storm.
"Oh~ it's almost time! I can't wait." An orange-haired girl excitedly said, practically shivering with anticipation.
"Figured as much, Nora." Her friend calmly said, not even affected by her energetic energy.
"Here's hoping we'll be on the same team, Ren." A figurative lightbulb appeared above her head. "Oh! We should come up with a plan to make sure it happens!" She pondered slightly. "What if we bribe the headmaster- wait, that won't work; he has the school."
Lie Ren opened up his assigned locker, hearing his childhood friend Nora Valkyrie continue on with her ramblings. "We can come up with a signal. Oh~ a secret signal so we can find each other in the forest." She got up close and personal with her upcoming question. "Can you imitate a sloth?"
Putting away his weapons, he gave a response. "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."
"..."
"..."
"...That is perfect!" Nora proclaimed, dramatically pointing a finger to the sky "No one would expect that we're working together!"
Closing the locker shut, Ren walked away. "C'mon Nora, we need to finish getting ready and explore the academy."
"But not together-together or anything." Said Nora, soon letting out a few giggles along the way.
As they walked past, Vi and Peter -who were apparently locker neighbors- briefly eyed them with the latter voicing a question.
"Wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Parker murmured.
Vi looked over, rolling her eyes. "Eh, who knows." She said, closing her locker and walking away.
Peter merely shrugged and followed suit.
Elsewhere in the locker room, Weiss Schnee was conversing with a pair of individuals.
"So, Pyrrha, given any thought on what team you'd like to be assigned to?" Asks the silverette. "I'm sure everyone is eager to unite with a strong, well-known individual such as yourself."
The redhead pondered for a moment. "I'm not quite sure. I'm just gonna let the chips fall where they lay."
"Maybe we can be on a team together."
"I doubt it'll be that simple." Said Caitlyn.
The Schnee ignored Caitlyn's comment, only focusing on Pyrrha's. "Great!"
Caitlyn eyed her old friend, practically seeing an odd nefarious cloud surrounding her, who hid her… expressions from the Mistral champion.
"You're doing it again." She dryly said.
The sharpshooter's words were ignored by Weiss once more, but Pyrrha picked up on them.
"What are you talking about?" Nikos inquired.
"She does this every so often, as long as I've known her." The top-hat admirer said dismissively.
Pyrrha's brows furrowed into confusion, looking between her and Schnee. "Being… what exactly?"
"The less you know, the better." Caitlyn assured.
The expression the red-haired teen had was rather comical. "...That doesn't leave a good impression."
Caitlyn released a sigh. "I know, but-"
"It's ridiculous." Said Jaune, walking through the locker room, looking at his phone again for particular information. "Where in the world is that locker of mine-"
Because of his absent-mindedness, he bumped into someone.
"Sorry about- Oh, it's you."
"Hello again, Jaune." Pyrrha pleasantly said with a friendly smile.
"Hey Pyrrha." The Arc happily greeted. "Thank you so much for the bullhead. That would have been way worse if you hadn't been there."
Nikos found herself blushing bashfully. "I didn't do much."
"You helped control the disaster." Jaune shot back, wagging his finger. "That's a lot more than any sister of mine ever did to me. Anything you need from me, feel free to ask. I owe you one."
Rather than blush or react shyly, the girl actually gave him a peculiar look.
It looked like she was analyzing him and before she could open her mouth to respond, Weiss came in between the pair, giving the blond a pointed and disregarding glance.
"Excuse me, ruffian, but do you have any idea who you're talking to?" She haughtily and rhetorically asked.
The boy blinked, looking at her and then at Nikos.
"Uh… Pyrrha." Was Jaune's response.
"Hello again." Pyrrha waves.
"And…" Weiss said expectantly.
"And what?"
"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum." Says Weiss.
"...Okay." He says, not really getting it. He failed to see Pyrrha's eyes widen, her lips twitching upwards.
"Champion of the Mistral tournament four years in a row." Caitlyn added in. "Quite the record, by the way."
"Can't exactly beat yours, in a manner." Pyrrha said in turn, complimenting Caitlyn's winnings once realizing who she was earlier.
"Why thank you, but you don't have to say it."
"Right…" Jaune said in response to the earlier comment. "Sorry, I don't exactly follow-"
This caused Weiss to practically snap. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow flakes box."
"Oh~ wow, that's awesome! That's you?" He says out of odd acknowledgment. "They only do that for athletes and celebrities."
The Mistral champion gave a small shrug. "Yeah… it was cool. Sadly the cereal really wasn't good for you."
"But my little sisters and I love eating that… on most mornings." Jaune said with a small chuckle. "Sorry 'bout not recognizing you… I guess? I just never really pay any attention to that sort of thing."
During his apology, he had his eyes closed for a moment, failing to see Pyrrha gaping at him before a full smile bloomed on her face.
Weiss on the other hand…
"After hearing all this, do you think you're in any position to ask her to be on her team?"
"Uh… I guess not." Jaune answered, though he clearly wasn't sure about that. "Wait, who said anything about me asking her-?"
Caitlyn soon piped into the conversation a bit more. "Question, how do you two know each other?"
"We met in the bullhead. She was very helpful." Jaune cheerfully said, thumbing at her.
"It was nothing, really. You just have airsickness, that's all."
"Still, I appreciate it. Would've been a mess if I upchucked on someone." Arc shivered. "I just don't do well on Bullheads. Gotta get used to 'em somehow. But what's this about teams?"
"We all get assigned to one." Weiss said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"We do? Huh, cool, maybe I'll get real friends this time around." Jaune said self-deprecatingly. "How bout you, Pyrrha? Wanna be friends and teammates?"
Pyrrha smiled brightly. "That would be swell."
Jaune grinned, giving her a thumbs up. "Awesome, first teammate and friend accomplished."
The Schnee heiress could only scoff, getting between the pair again.
"And what makes you think you're even worthy of being on the same team with her?"
"Uh…" Jaune shrugged. "I dunno. Least we can still be pals, right?"
"You're a buffoon." Weiss deadpanned, making the Arc sag.
"Aw come on, I'm not that bad, am I? I thought I was doing well with Pyrrha. I'm not the best when it comes to pretty girls like her."
"Yes, well, at least you should understand the standings in this school when it comes to who is in your league."
"Urgh." Was his comical reaction, arms dangling downward.
"Alright Weiss, that's enough out of you." Kiramman said, grabbing the back of Weiss' shirt and pulling her away from the poor boy.
Unbeknownst to Weiss and Jaune, but not Caitlyn, Pyrrha preened from the interaction; fiddling with her hair as they left the locker room.
The rest of the day came and went. Dinner was satisfactory for all of the would-be students.
Some interactions here, the fostering of friendships and rivalries there and wouldn't ya know it, it was already nighttime.
In the ballroom, sleeping bags and pillows were provided to all who came here today.
More chatter was going on as people were more or less getting situated for the night.
One such conversation occurred with a pair of siblings.
"-It's like a big slumber party." Said Yang, collapsing onto her sleeping bag.
"I don't think dad would approve of the boys, though." Came Ruby's retort.
"I know I do." The blonde playfully growled, seeing a number of teenage boys throughout the room. Her purple eyes landed back to Ruby, noticing she was writing something. "Whatcha doing?"
"Writing a letter to my friends back at Signal." Said the young reaper. "Telling 'em about how things are going so far."
"Oh~ that's sooo cute-GAH!"
A pillow smacked Yang across her face for her response.
"Shut up." Ruby said, cheeks puffed out slightly. "I didn't get to bring my friends with me here. It's weird not knowing anyone here."
"What about Jaune?" Yang asks, recalling the blonde teen boy Ruby met earlier today. "He's nice. Plus one friend."
"I think Weiss counts as one negative friend."
Yang rolled her eyes, thinking of the incident on how Weiss Schnee -of all people- practically went off on Ruby, just because she didn't properly secure her dust vials all that well to begin with.
"There's no such thing as negative friends. You merely made one friend and one enemy here so far." This got another pillow crashing into Yang's face, courtesy of her sister. Prying the pillow off of her, Yang gave the best advice she could give at this situation. "This is merely the first day here. Things can change. Plus you have plenty of potential friends around here." Her arm randomly moved around as a result with her purple eyes following the limb. "Like…"
Her shifting gaze came to an abrupt halt when spotting a familiar someone.
"Peter?"
The Parker boy whirled around, hearing his name called out.
"Huh?"
Yang's expression immediately brightened as she saw that she didn't mistake him. "Peter, over here."
Shifting around, he saw a pair of sisters he knew walking towards him. Well more like one pulling and dragging in the process.
"Oh, Ruby, Yang."
"Peter?" Ruby said in surprise which morphed into one of relieved glee. "You're here too?"
"Uh, yeah, didn't I tell you I was coming here?" Peter questioned in amusement.
"You did?" Ruby closed one eye and stuck her tongue out. "Must've forgot in the excitement when I got the offer to come here."
Parker laughed. "Well, can't blame ya there, it was a pretty crazy night."
Yang released a boisterous laugh, slapping her sister on the back.
"Now you've got two friends here, one enemy and your badass sister, all in one day!"
"One enemy?" Peter parroted in bewilderment.
"It's a long but really short story." Ruby mumbled embarrassedly, poking her fingers together.
"Guess that makes the first of many stories for Beacon then, eh?" Peter remarked, nudging the young Rose with his elbow.
That seemed to somewhat cheer her up. "I guess so. Just hope they aren't all bad."
"One step at a time." He assured. "I mean, come on, how lucky are you to have two friends and your badass sister with you on your first day of Beacon?"
"Aw, I knew I liked you for a reason." Yang jovially said, throwing her arm around Peter's shoulder now. "See Rubes? Petey here has the right idea. Just stick with me."
"You abandoned me when we first got here!"
"That was your test run, silly."
"Was it really?" Asks Peter.
"Yes it was."
Ruby flicked her tongue at her sister. "No it wasn't."
"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. My dear sweet Ruby. My Rubiest of Rubes-"
"I get it, get to the point."
"What that was is what we on the streets call a trial by fire."
"Yeah, there's another shorter, more simpler term for that. You ditched me." Ruby deadpanned.
Peter chuckled at their "argument", his eyes drifting over to the rest of his new classmates.
That was still bizarre for him to consider, really. To be here, as a student and soon, three people in this auditorium would become partners with him.
A team.
Technically he was an Avenger, ID card, Shawarma initiation and all but…
Now he frowned, the Avengers "initiation" making him think of tomorrows initiation.
What could it possibly be?
The rest of the Avengers told him about it and how there had been a change of plans from what was originally supposed to happen.
Apparently, the initial plan was to quite literally launch the students off a cliff from a springboard into the forest nearby and they would just… go from there.
Well that's what he heard originally.
Steve -however- had other ideas.
"You alright there, Pete?" Yang's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
"Huh?" Was his response, turning to her. "What?"
"I asked if you're ok." Yang reiterated, giving him a scrutinizing gaze. "You look a bit out of it. Like you're anxious."
Peter blinked at that. "Really? Haven't noticed."
That didn't seem to satisfy the blond, the teen crossing her arms beneath her bust.
"C'mon, fess up. What's egging you?"
He squirmed to himself, momentarily thinking about what may come the next morning. "Nothing. Just… antsy about initiation tomorrow."
"What?" Yang scoffed, waving her hand and patting his shoulder. "That's it? Look wall crawler, guys like us have got nothin' to worry about. We're gonna ace whatever happens to us easy peasy."
What Peter couldn't tell them was that the other Avengers told him that something will happen tonight once everyone falls asleep. They couldn't say the reason why, given it'll ruin the surprise. But the Queen's native will just need to know beforehand to not exactly freak out once waking up in the morning.
That didn't exactly settle his nerves.
And as much as he wanted to tell the sisters now… it may get him in trouble.
Still, he had confidence with himself and with the sisters. He had seen them both fight separately so he was probably worrying for nothing.
Sure they were gonna get tested but Yang and Ruby already appear to be more than capable of handling themselves.
He was just overthinking things.
As the night went on, Peter mostly hung around Ruby and Yang, the pair enjoying his company.
Through them, he met several other students, primarily a blonde teen named Jaune Arc and an aloof ravenette with a bow on her head.
She was distant for the most part but Jaune?
Peter found himself really liking the guy. They hit off immediately.
Why?
Uncertain demeanor, trying to put up a brave front, slight slouch in the posture, a bit of a nerd it seems and liable to become a target for bullying.
Cut from the same cloth as he was.
All the while, Weiss had sent a message to her sister whilst Caitlyn had to make sure Penny didn't go wandering off again.
Pyrrha was conversing with her mentor over Scroll texts, Ren was meditating next to a chatty Nora and away from them all sat a Pinkett punk who simply observed.
Leaning against the wall, Vi was looking onward. Not exactly focusing on the people conversing, but of a particular pair.
One that stood out from the crowd.
How a sibling interaction is going. The smaller of the two had her hood pulled over her head and the blond was rewarded with a pillow to the face that sent her keeling over.
From her perspective, their forms were replaced with a different pair, one with pink hair and the other blue. Their interactions being vaguely similar with laughter coming from them with a haunting echo of a time long past.
Not far away, Blake Belladonna sat alone, reading one of the books she got recently.
She glanced up at Ruby Rose, thinking about the words she said to her about her book, about the man with two souls fighting for control.
Her eyes then drifted over to the two blondes that were with her followed by the brown haired teen.
The amber eyes of Blake bore into the back of Peter Parker's head, her mind flashing back to a few weeks ago.
It was almost unreal to think that one of the men, these Avengers as they called themselves, would be a fellow student like her. She had seen how he moved, how he fought.
He wasn't a slouch to say the least.
Frankly, she was wary of the teen.
He may put off a friendly demeanor and all but…
She shook her head.
This place wasn't like before, not what her life was.
Here was a chance for a new start, a chance at redemption. That's what Barton told her and that's what she was going to do.
Get her redemption.
Elsewhere in the ballroom, Caitlyn was fussing over Penny as she tried finding a spot for the unique android to secretly recharge. A wall socket was the only viable option until further notice.
She recalled part of the conversation earlier that day in the locker room, the idea of just simply forming a team. She mildly wished it was that simple, so she could properly be with Penny for the General's requested favor.
But then she thought about what Ozpin might do.
The Headmaster wasn't the general.
And though he accepted Penny into Beacon, would he put her in the same team as her? Then there was Weiss who… actually, maybe some time with other people might do her some good. Make her less stuck up and stuffy. Winter did ask to keep an eye on her.
And besides, it's not like anything bad happened to her that didn't involve a sneezing dust bomb.
'How in Remnant did that already happen?' Caitlyn thought to herself. 'I lose sight of them for two minutes and one makes a friend and the other already has an enemy.'
Many thoughts and more filled the sharpshooter's mind before she tried getting comfortable to fall asleep.
Up on Beacon's central tower, Glynda and Ozpin were going over last minute details.
The plans for tomorrow were set in place as were the pieces that would help align who goes where.
Standing at the window, sharp posture as ever, Ozpin looked upon Beacon with a solemn, contemplative gaze.
His mind was always whirling, always having one thought after the other. Sometimes it was pandemonium with hundreds of thoughts all colliding together and other instances, there was a cold silence with a singular idea in mind.
Right now, it was the latter.
"Everything ready?" He quietly asked.
Glynda hummed aloud, taking a quick glance over her scroll pad. "Yes. We'll begin the next stage in a moment."
He nodded silently, pleased to hear this.
There was an odd emotion he suddenly experienced, one that made him pause.
Focusing on it, he realized it was a sense of anticipation. Not of the usual variety but of… something else. Something he couldn't quite explain.
It was strange really for a man like himself who has lived through so many lifetimes to be feeling what he would equate to a new sensation.
Or maybe it wasn't that it was new but that it was a feeling he had long since forgotten.
Hopefully this cycle he's been in may topple over in a good way. Maybe something truly new will happen. The Avengers was the start of it. Let's see what else is to come.
"Been meaning to ask. Everyone good and accounted for?" Ozpin inquired, turning to his faithful right-hand-woman.
"Basically. We had some stragglers appearing hours earlier. I even got notices of some potential students having to back out, either due to their health or sudden family issues." Glynda reported. "Though there is one student who we haven't gotten a response from at all for why they haven't checked in at all."
Oz raised a brow at this but shrugged. Not the first instance this has occurred but certainly has been a while since the last.
"Regardless, they'll have to try again next year."
Goodwitch wordlessly nodded in agreement, sending a message to the lone student who didn't attend the first day at Beacon.
"Time for the next step." Oz said aloud. "Are the pieces in place?"
"Clint and Oobleck just sent the report that they have been placed in the designated ruins within the forest."
"Good. Then we await the sunrise."
Looking at the security feed at the ballroom, Ozpin awaited for everyone to more or less fall asleep. Flipping a switch, a contraption wirelessly connected to the ballroom went off, filling the space with a gas to further keep them under until the morning.
Meanwhile, in the city of Vale…
*DING*
A young girl with a denim jacket decorated with stars pulled out her scroll and…
'Due to your absence from mandatory attendance for the welcoming ceremony of Beacon, we must inform you of your rejection from this school year and invite you to try again next year, Ms. Maria Chavez.'
The girl saw this and released a sigh, not at all bothered by the news but what'll come after now that she's been "forced" to go back home.
"Well… guess Maria's gonna be upset about this."
AN
What's up everybody, back again to close out February 2023 and yeah, we all saw Quantumania.
Mixed feelings about it, let's be real with Kang being the saving grace of the movie. Now that it has come out, we're basically gonna have this movie be the cut off point for what we're gonna incorporate into this story but the main ones we'll still keep in mind is GOTG Volume 3 and the next two Avengers films.
Kang Dynasty ain't something to discard considering we do intend on using Kang in the story. Got a lot planned for this one, especially with him.
So, hope you guys like this little divergent chapter, different from the usual drivel of basically rewriting the episodes in RWBY verbatim without much variety. Just the same old same old. We did that last time and did not want to do it here. Instead, other perspectives make it unique. Hope you enjoyed it.
And now, we're full swing into Volume 1. Initiation starts tomorrow and so does the formation of the teams. Gonna be a real fun time bringing them all together.
But other than that, thanks for reading as per the usual.
Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.