Adopted Nikos (Volume 1)

Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon

Bow Girl: Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.

Weiss: Finally, some recognition.

Bow Girl: The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.

Weiss: What!? How dare! The nerve of!

Weiss snatches the Dust bottle out of the bow girl's hand and storms off with a scoff. The bow girl walks away as well.

Ruby: I promise I'll make this up to you!

Ruby then turns to greet the bow girl, who has walked off already. Sighing Ruby slumps to the ground.

A boy with blonde hair then walks up to Ruby and helps her up.

Boy: Hey, I'm Jaune.

Ruby: Ruby.

Omni, getting fed up with being ignored, growls and pulls out his hand cannon Deadeye and fires it once into the air, making everyone in the courtyard jump.

Ruby whirls around to see an upset Omni holstering his pistol. Ruby, thinking of a way to cheer him up, dashes behind him and jumps onto Omni's back.

Ruby: Omni!

Omni: Gah! Ruby!

Omni didn't even trip.

Ruby: That's me! Hello.

Omni sighs and smiles.

Omni: Hi.

Jaune: Um... what just happened.

Omni: Not a clue. Hi, I'm Omni.

Jaune: Jaune.

The two shake hands, Omni somehow still acting like he doesn't have a Ruby on his back.

Later, the three are walking down a path in the Beacon courtyard. Ruby had just asked Jaune if he was the guy that threw up on the ship, and mentioned that she called him 'vomit boy'.

Jaune: Hey! Motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!

Omni chuckles.

Ruby: Look I'm sorry, vomit boy was the first thing that came to mind.

Jaune: Well what if I called you tripping girl?

Ruby: Hey! That was an accident.

Jaune: Well the names Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it.

Ruby/Omni: Do they?

Both look at each other, blush, and look away.

Jaune: They will. Well I hope the will. I mean, my mom always says that... Never mind.

No one notices Omni's sad expression at the mention of a parent.

Ruby: So I got this thing.

Within the next five seconds three things happened. Ruby pulled out her scythe and extended it. Jaune jumped and backed away. And Omni momentarily pulsated a dark blue-purple aura.

Jaune: Is that a scythe!?

Ruby: It's also a customizable, high impact velocity sniper rifle.

Jaune: A what?

Ruby: It's also a gun.

Jaune: That's cool.

Ruby: So what've you got?

Jaune: Well, I got this sword.

Jaune pulls out his sword from its sheathe. He then extends the sheathe into a shield.

Ruby: So what do the do?

Jaune: Well, the shield gets smaller. So when I get tired of carrying it, I can just put it away.

Jaune clumsily collapses the shield and puts his weapons away.

Omni: But wouldn't it weigh the same.

Jaune: Yeah, it does.

Ruby: Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I did go a little overboard in designing it.

Jaune: You made that?

Ruby: Of course, all students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn't you make yours?

Jaune: It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war.

Omni: Sounds like more of a relic to me.

Ruby: Or a family heirloom.

Ruby notices Omni sadden at the words family heirloom.

Ruby: Hey Omni, what weapons do you have?

Omni perks up at this. Ruby smiles.

Omni: Well I have a few, made them all myself. There's my chain-blades Frostbite. My sword Voltedge. My knives Assassin's Blades. My hand cannon Deadeye. And my staff-war axe Phoenix Rage.

Omni shows each weapon as he names them. Jaune stares dumbfounded while Ruby restrains herself from asking Omni a hundred questions about each weapon.

After a few seconds of silence, Ruby changes the subject.

Ruby: So why'd you guys help me out back there, in the courtyard?

Omni: I was going over to you anyway to say hi, and I because you're my friend.

Jaune: Why not? My mom always says "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet".

Ruby notices how Omni, once again, looks sad at the mention of family.

Ruby: Hey, where are we going?

Jaune: Oh, I dunno, I was just following you two.

Omni sighs.

Omni: Oy vey. Come on, I know the way.

Ruby jumps onto Omni's, who doesn't even stumble, back and points forward.

Ruby: Onward my young wolf.

Omni laughs and starts walking to where their supposed to meet with the others, with Ruby on his back and Jaune trailing behind.