I woke up from a very peaceful sleep and noticed Ruby wasn't in bed with me, and everyone seemed to be up already. I hopped down from the bed.
Y/n: Hey, where's Ruby?
Blake: Ozpin called for her after something happened last night.
Y/n: Oh, right that slipped my mind. Well, while we all wait for her to get back, I'm going to quickly change.
I quickly grab some clothes and go to the bathroom to change. I came out with my usual combat outfit as the dorm room door opened and everyone was surrounding her.
Y/n: Let's give her some space and let her explain what happened.
Ruby: Well... I may have told them about the hideout in the southeast.
Weiss: That was a risky move.
Blake: No, I think you handled it well.
Ruby: I hope so.
Y/n: I'm sure you did.
Yang: I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby. Oh, I know what will cheer you up.
Yang went over to the cylindrical package on the table and picked it up.
Ruby: What's that?
Yang: I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it up together.
Ruby: Ohh! Something from home!
Ruby got on her sister's back and was reaching for the package as a black cylindrical object came out. We all gathered around it as it rustled and popped up, turning into Zwei.
Zwei: Woof woof.
Ruby: Zwei!
Blake: He sent a dog?!
Weiss: In the mail??
Ruby is holding Zwei as it licks her as I come up beside her and scratch behind its ears.
Yang: Oh, he does stuff like this all the time.
Blake: Your dad or your dog?
I looked over and saw Blake in Ruby's bed. I would say something, but I did howl at the moon once.
Weiss: Are you telling me that this mangy, drooling, mutt is going to wive with us forevah? Oh yes, he is. Yes, he is! Oh, isn't he adorable.
She starts petting him.
Blake: Please keep it away from my belongings.
Y/n: Got it.
Glynda over P.A.: Will first year students please report to the amphitheater.
Weiss: Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for the week.
Ruby sets Zwei down, and he walks over to Blake still on the top bunk and barks.
Yang: Look, there's a letter! "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang."
Dozens of cans of dog food spill out of the small package, piling up around Zwei as it defies physics.
Weiss: What is he supposed to do with that?
A can opener falls from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head.
Yang: Well, that settles it! Come on, girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!
Weiss: Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you.
We all started leaving, and Ruby stayed for a bit longer. I knew exactly what she was gonna do, and I'm all for it.
Glynda: Quiet! Quiet, please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin.
Ozpin: Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best.
Ozpin steps away as the students all begin to file out of the amphitheater.
Ruby: This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!
Yang: Yeah! We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip by night!
Weiss: Let's check "search and destroy"!
Our group walked over to one of the nearby boards for missions.
Ruby: Here we go. Quadrant five needs Grimm cleared out.
Y/n: This seems too easy.
Blake: Well, it's in the southeast.
Yang: Sounds perfect.
Ruby taps the screen to input our team name with it, saying it's not available to first year teams.
Y/n: Thought so.
Weiss: Wonderful.
Blake: Any other ideas?
Ruby: We mail ourselves there.
I start laughing despite her having a serious look about her plan.
Ozpin: Well, that's one option.
Ozpin suddenly appears and walks up to us.
Ozpin: Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose.
Weiss, Blake, and Yang glare at Ruby, who nervously rubs her head.
Ruby: Whatever makes you say that?
Ozpin: I'm still curious how you all found yourself at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago.
Ruby: Um... well...
Ozpin: I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?
Ozpin selects some things on his scroll, and the hologram screen makes a noise showing our team name on the mission.
Ruby: We won't let you down. Thank you, professor.
Ozpin: Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck.
We leave the auditorium and start making our way to the bullheads after that slightly disappointing speech.
Yang: That wasn't exactly uplifting.
Blake: But it's the truth.
Ruby: It's gonna to be tough, but I know we can do it!
Y/n: Yeah.
A student runs past the us, pushing me slightly.
Student: Hey! Team CFVY is back!
Beacon students gather around to witness the return of Team CFVY. Blake goes up to Velvet, concerned.
Blake: Velvet? Are you okay?
Velvet: I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me.
Weiss: Your mission was supposed to end a week ago! What happened?
Velvet: Nothing happened. It was just ... there were just so many... Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine.
Yang: Right.
Velvet: I should go. Be safe, okay?
She walks off as I shout to her.
Y/n: We will Velvet!
Ruby: We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now.
Blake: Right.
Ruby: Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!
Yang: Yeah!
Y/n: True, but will we like him?
We arrive at our bullhead with our shadowing Huntsman being Doctor Oobleck.
Oobleck: Why, hello students! Who's ready to fight for their lives?
Weiss: Professor Oobleck.
Y/n: You mean doctor, right?
Oobleck: Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary students. Seeing as you've opted to shadow a huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you that we will not be establishing a single base of operations. Rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazards wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all essentials myself, provided the air course, and readied the airship. AND! It's Doctor Oobleck. Thank you for reminding them, Y/n. I didn't earn a PhD for fun. Come now, children, according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind, schedule.
He rushes to the bullhead.
Ruby: Well alright then looks like we're going to save the world with Dr. Oobleck. Okay, yeah, when you say it out loud, it sounds worse.
Y/n: Maybe if he had a different last name, it would be better.
Nora: Save the world?
We all heard Nora, and we turned around to see team Jnpr coming up to us.
Nora: You're going on world saving missions without us? I'm hurt and sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren.
Jaune: Sounds exciting. Where are ya going?
Ruby: Oh, just outside the kingdom.
Y/n: I think around Mount Glenn.
Nora: Hey! We'll be outside the kingdom, too.
Pyrrha: Ren and Nora wanted to shadow a sheriff of a nearby village.
Ren: We set out tomorrow.
Neptune: Then you can party with us tonight.
Sun and Neptune walked up to the discussion behind team Jnpr.
Neptune: We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner city detective stuff. We get junior badges.
Y/n: Ehhh. It's not too great, considering my ex brother in law was a fireman and a cop. Don't know what he's been doing since he divorced my sister.
Sun: We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk. So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, y'know, normal.
Ruby: Well-
Oobleck: Four minutes, students!
Y/n: It's not always like that with us.
Ruby: Well, wish us luck.
We all part ways, and we makeup way to the bullhead that Oobleck was on and got on, and it soon took off. Weiss is next to Oobleck, and everyone was holding on to a strap to keep themselves up.
Yang: I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter.
Oobleck: I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles.
Ruby: Like the mushroom?
Blake: Those are truffles.
Ruby: Like the sprout?
Yang: Those are brussels.
Ruby: Like the clam?
Y/n: Those are mussels.
Oobleck: Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!
Weiss: What does history have to do with this?
Oobleck: (Turning sharply on Weiss) Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager.
Y/n: I would say brain because you have to learn from history.
Weiss: And that means..?
Oobleck: The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!
Ruby and Y/n: Mountain Glenn.
Yang: That's right! It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end, it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city.
Oobleck: Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder.
Blake: And a likely place for a hideout.
Oobleck: (adjusts his glasses and smiles) Precisely!
The airship starts lowering towards our destination as we all got ready to drop out. It soon hovers over the drop zone. Everyone jumped out, and I followed after Ruby landing after dropping about ten feet with a sword in one hand and my pistol aimed ahead of me. I observed the area around us and listened and saw the amount of devastation and some collapsed buildings. We all turned to Oobleck as he addressed us.
Oobleck: Ladies and gentleman, you still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as a huntsman and huntress has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?
Y/n: Roger Roger.
Oobleck: Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all your bags back at school.
Ruby: But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet, so I didn't.
Y/n: *chuckles*
Oobleck: She's not wrong. Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return.
Ruby: But I, well, uh-
Oobleck: Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with...
Ruby: (Whispering) Get back in the bag.
Zwei: Barks.
I slide over and pet him.
Oobleck: We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?
Ruby: I, uh...
I pick up Ruby after Oobleck knocks her down after grabbing Zwei from her backpack.
Oobleck: Genius! Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!
Ruby: I'm a genius!
Y/n: I could have done that, too.
Oobleck: You also have to focus on any Grimm we come across.
Blake: So what are your orders, Doctor?
Oobleck: Ah! Yes! Straight to the chase, I like it.
He drops Zwei, and the poor doggo walks over to me and Ruby.
Oobleck: As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hot spot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being... Grimm.
Ruby: Uh, what?
Oobleck: Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment.
Yang: What?!
She turns to look like the other girls at the lone Beowolf wandering into the street, oblivious to us on the other side of the street.
Oobleck: Stop!
Blake: Huh?
Lowers her Gambol Shroud like everyone else to listen except me as I keep my blade and pistol drawn.
Oobleck: There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent.
Ruby: So... What now?
Oobleck: We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey.
Blake: How long do we wait?
Y/n: About five seconds.
Oobleck: Preposterous. It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months - and there's the whole pack.
His sudden realization is true: Five Beowolves are already following the first.
Weiss: What?
Oobleck: (Continuing to state the obvious) And now they've seen us.
Weiss: What?!
Oobleck: AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!
Ruby: I take it tracking them is out of the question?
Oobleck: An accurate assumption, yes.
Yang: What's the plan, then?
Oobleck: Show me what you're capable of.
I charge in and fire my pistol at quite a few, killing at least one. Accuracy is not your friend when on the move. I reach a smallish group and slash a beowolf across the chest and quickly holster my pistol. I quickly pull my other sword out and block a pair of claws, and shove a sword straight in the side of the head of one of the beowolves. I changed one into its sawed-off shotgun form and blast a football size hole in a beowolf's chest. I dodge a clawed swipe and proceed to cut the arm off. Disarming one, I change targets and go for the last one and shove both blades in its chest. I let go of one blade, grabbed my pistol again, and fired a shot straight at the one-armed beowolf's head going through it. I reholster my pistol and pull both blades out as the beowolf body flops to the ground, slowly turning to dust. I turn around and notice one trying to get Ruby. I throw a fireball and nail it in the face. It also melted said face, and it floped to the ground behind her. Everyone else was done with their small group of beowolves.
Ruby: Piece of cake.
Oobleck: Do not celebrate yet, for I am sure this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?
Timeskip brought to you by a montage of Y/n, and Ruby fighting side by side.
Ruby had a turkey on the end of her scythe teasing Zwei, making him do flips, and me. I was mentally cursing my wolf like nature. I then noticed Oobleck coming over to us.
Ruby: Sorry. Uh, are we ready to keep going?
Oobleck: Nope! I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon. (Throws his bag over to Yang, who makes a sound when she catches it.) You four, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby.
They start walking off as we head towards the building he pointed at. Once we entered the building, we looked everywhere for Grimm before we started setting up the campfire, at least the logs and kindling. I used my semblance to start the fire so it would start burning and self-sustain itself with its fuel source.
Yang: I can't believe we didn't find anything...
Blake: We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side.
Y/n: We just haven't found it yet, is all.
Weiss: (Off-topic) That's not what I meant.
Blake: Huh?
Weiss: Earlier, about... upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that.
Yang: Yeah... No, me too. I mean... I don't know.
Blake: I don't know, either. I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time.
Yang: Well, it doesn't matter. We know why we're here. Right?
The girls merely stare in silence.
Oobleck: (Suddenly comes rushing into the room) Ah, wonderful; a textbook campfire!
Ruby: Fire! (Comes in behind Oobleck and immediately sits next to the blaze alongside Zwei) So... warm...
Oobleck: Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Are there any volunteers for first watch?
Ruby: (Lifts an arm while still looking into the fire, simply answering) Yo.
Oobleck rushes off, and Ruby gets up to go over to her lookout point.
Yang: (As her sister passes, stopping Ruby) Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?
Ruby: Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird. Oh, well; good night, guys!
Y/n: Hmm, I he didn't ask me either.
I set up my sleeping bag and try to get comfy eating what we brought.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Bacca: Okay, now I normally make this one long chapter, but I am ending it here since this hasn't been updated for a bit.
Ruby: They get to read more of your book.
Bacca: Yes. Now I hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you next time.