3rd Person POV
RWBY Dorm
"This. Ends. Now." His eyes flashing as his talons curled, sharp claws sparking against each other, Sincline bent his head and shot forward in a burst of speed.
"Look out!"
Twisting into a spin, his tail slamming against Blue with a horrible scream, Sincline sent the lion flying with a shriek of pain. Like a shadow of death, he reached out. Seizing Yellow by the tail with both hands, he hurled him into Blue as she tried to recover before diving in a surge of speed, multiple blasts of shimmering energy hissing overhead.
"It's way faster than us!" the green Paladin's voice shouted as Sincline shot up, vanishing in a burst of speed.
Green turned, activating her thrusters in a desperate attempt to escape, but Sincline would not be denied. Like a bird of prey, he swooped down from above, his foot slamming into her back with a thunderous ring and an explosion of fragments.
It wasn't a battle. It was a massacre. Even though the Lions outnumbered him four to one, it might as well have been four cubs against a hurricane. And he... he was the storm. Merciless. Methodical. Dangerous.
They engaged again and again, explosions of energy erupting across the broken field of Daibazaal. Occasionally they landed a blow--a laser to his side, a Jawblade to his shoulder--but none of it mattered. They might as well have been trying to escape Death itself.
Eyes flying open, Sincline sat up, his body shaking as a bolt of panic tore through him. He could feel it, the adrenaline running through his body, the power crackling through his veins... he remembered it. But he remembered the screams, too. The helplessness of the Lions as he practically tore them apart... It was just a dream, he whispered, trying to calm down as he took a shuddering breath.
But as much as he tried to convince himself that's all it was, he couldn't deny it. He couldn't deny the truth of what he'd done. Sincline gritted his teeth, digging his fingers into his palms so hard he could practically feel the blood welling up... and that's when he became aware of a strange weight lying across his torso.
Blinking, his attention shifting, Sincline hesitantly looked down... and almost jumped out of his skin. Curled up against his side, her arms wrapped around his waist... was Ruby. Sincline stared at her for a long moment, his eyes as wide as a rift. For a long moment, he was frozen, staring at the young Rose as she clung to his side, a soft smile crossing her gentle lips as her hair caught the light of the rising sun.
A shiver of danger ran across Sincline's body, and he stiffened as alerts flashed across his HUD, warning of a dangerous energy spike. Ever so slowly, he turned, and his wide, purple eyes met Yang's raging red. Well... I guess whatever trust I had with her is gone. Oh, and I'm about to die. Great...
"Sleep well, Sincline?" Yang asked, her voice deadly calm. An ominous creak filled the air as she slowly cracked her knuckles, Blake and Weiss watching helplessly from the sidelines.
Sincline froze, multiple emotions tearing through him in a hurricane as numerous escape plans and contingencies flashed across his HUD. His systems flared, all warning of the same thing: he was so, so screwed. How the Quiznak am I gonna get out of this one? "I'm going to be absolutely honest," he said, shocking himself with how calm he sounded. Then again, that was probably better than freaking out, so it was a start. "I have... no idea how this happened."
Yang's eyes narrowed, and the mech-turned-human could have sworn he saw flames curling around the edges of her hair, but that might have been just his imagination. "Is that so...?"
Sincline nodded, silently praying with everything he had. Please believe me; please believe me; please believe me.
Yang was tempted, oh, so tempted to rail Sincline through the heart. She was almost there... but fortunately, she had been awake when Ruby had latched onto Sincline, so she couldn't exactly blame him for his position.
It was then that Sincline noticed the dark bags under Yang's eyes. For a long moment, he watched her, confused... and sighed, staring down at his boots. He knew what it was. She stayed up all night... just to make sure he didn't do anything to Ruby. Sure, he could see why she did that, but still... it hurt.
Yang sighed, breaking him out of his thoughts and causing his gaze to snap toward her as her eyes turned back to normal. "Relax. I'm not gonna blow your head off... this time. Besides," she added, her tone slightly more friendly, "Ruby used to do it to me all the time when we were younger."
Sincline blinked. No way. "So... you're not gonna kill me?" he asked carefully. He had heard Ezor say something once about how it was never wise to 'guess your punishment,' but he couldn't help himself.
Yang shook her head. "Not this time. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook," she threatened. "Blake and Weiss may have talked me out of it this time since you're 'not that kind of person,' but if it happens again...."
Sincline gulped and nodded. He was going to make it out alive? He was going to live! He almost pumped a fist in celebration... only for part of what Yang said to catch him by confusion. "Quick question: what did you mean by 'that kind of person'?"
Yang's mouth opened... then closed. Uncertain, she glanced toward Blake and Weiss for help.
"Just don't worry about it," Blake assured, nodding toward Sincline as he blinked at her in confusion. Part of her was still mystified by the fact that Sincline was actually there, but that was a moot point. Besides, it was nice to have someone on the team who probably wouldn't judge her for what she was. Now that I think about it, he seems kind of like Ruby in a way, she thought, and a shiver ran down her spine. Maybe it's time I hid 'those.'
"Okaaay..." Know what? I don't think I want to know¸ Sincline thought. Glancing at Yang out of the corner of his eye, he attempted to separate himself from Ruby... only for the young Rose to latch on even tighter. Uh oh. "Um... a little help, please?" They've known her longer than I have; they can fix this... right?
"Nope," Weiss replied simply, turning away and adjusting her covers.
"I think you can handle it," Blake agreed, sitting on the edge of her bunk and crossing one leg over the other as she pulled out a book, hiding a small smile.
"Wait, you're just going to leave me here?!" Sincline yelped, absolutely terrified. How the Hell do I get out of this? A brief idea of warping away crossed his mind, but he instantly disregarded it. The fact that Ruby could get taken with him and die aside, he wasn't sure he wanted to risk it just yet.
"That is a you problem," Weiss said, turning back to the panicking mech and pointing at Ruby. "You can handle it. As for us, we need to get ready for the day."
Come on! Sincline considered changing into his armor and using his tail to pry Ruby off but disregarded that, too, since there was a good chance any of the numerous spikes on his body could hurt her. I'm running out of options!
"That's all well and good, but how are we supposed to change when Sincline is... well..." Lowering her book, Blake gestured toward Sincline as he tried to pry Ruby off but to no avail.
Yang sucked in air through her teeth. "Ohhh... yeah. Didn't think about that. That is a problem."
Weiss frowned, trying to think. "Maybe... maybe we should change in the bathroom for the time being," she suggested. "All in favor?"
Sincline blinked. "Wait. Why didn't you guys do that yesterday?" he asked, confused. A pillow to the face answered him, courtesy of Blake, and he almost fell out of the bunk due to the surprise attack. "...asked and answered."
Even though the girls didn't know about them, he decided it would probably be a good idea to disable his various sensors to lend them some privacy. Sincline quickly shut them off, so he only had his normal 'human' senses online. One by one, the other girls changed as Sincline continued his attempts to escape from the bunk.
A flicker of movement, and Sincline froze, eyes widening as Ruby pulled him down, nuzzling into his shoulder. You've got to be kidding me. If he wasn't so worried about the certain death via Yang that was about to happen, he would have been panicking over why he felt his face growing warmer.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours of fear and terror (it was actually five minutes), Ruby shifted. Blinking, she opened her eyes and yawned. Shaking her head, she looked up and froze, her eyes locking with Sincline's. "Um..." What in Oum's name is going on? Ruby thought, eyes widening. Please tell me I didn't... oh, I did! Oh no, Yang's gonna kill him, and it wasn't even his fault! What was I thinking?!
"Yeah..." Please let go, so Yang doesn't come back and kill me. Please. I'm begging you...
In silent agreement, the two disengaged, Ruby letting go and practically teleporting to the floor, hiding her already reddening face as Sincline sat still for several long moments, still trying to process what had just happened.
As Ruby patted down her pajamas, trying her best to seem as though nothing had happened, Yang finally exited the bathroom. "So, have a nice night, sis?" she teased, flashing her a wink.
Ruby froze. "Wait, how much did you see?" she demanded, trying and failing to keep a straight face as her cheeks reddened once more.
Yang grinned, opening her mouth to reply... and Ruby was saved by the sound of a loud crash. Turning, the two sisters blinked, staring at the scene before them. Somehow, Sincline, while trying to get off the bunk, had slipped off, his ankle tangling in the covers, so he was hanging upside down by one foot.
"This is gonna take a while to get used to," Sincline groaned, shaking his head as he looked up... or, well, rather down at the girls while they blinked at him in surprise. Well... this is strange.
"Hey, guys," Blake called as she and Weiss entered the room fully dressed, book in hand. "Did Ruby finally let go of Sincline yet, or..." she trailed off, mouth falling open in surprise as she stared at the upside-down mech as he dangled from the side of Ruby's bunk.
Weiss blinked, staring at him in confusion. "How did.... How did you get...?"
Sincline shrugged... well, as best he could, given that he was upside down, and all four girls facepalmed.
Timeskip
"So... what do we do now?" Sincline asked curiously as he stood several paces away from the bunks, facing the others. After getting Sincline down, Ruby had quickly gotten changed, and the five of them now stood together in an awkward circle in the center of the room.
"Well..." Ruby hummed, tapping her chin. "We don't have any classes for a few days, and you're still new to Remnant... How about we go get some food first? The cafeteria's open."
Weiss huffed. "Well, since Sincline's new to Remnant, we should—" A loud rumble caught everyone off guard, causing Sincline to nearly jump through the roof in surprise.
"What was that?" he demanded, nearly summoning his armor as he eyed his surroundings warily, bolts of energy forming in his hands.
Barely stifling a laugh, Blake hid a smile behind her hand as Yang snickered and Ruby giggled. Weiss blushed, face reddening as she huffed and glanced away. "That was Weiss's stomach," the black-haired Faunus explained. "When someone's hungry, well... that tends to happen."
Sincline blinked, and the energy in his palms slowly dispersed. "So... she doesn't have some kind of alien in her stomach or something?" he asked, eyeing Weiss warily.
Yang blinked. "Wait, that movie exists on other planets?"
Sincline tilted his head. "What's a movie?"
Everyone froze, staring at Sincline in horror. "Wait, they're actually aliens like that?!" Weiss asked in disbelief before realizing who she was talking to. "Uh... sorry."
Not really sure what she was apologizing for, Sincline just nodded and focused on answering her question. "Yeah, some kind of creature native to Acheron in the Zeta Reticuli system. It was logged on one of my drives. Have you guys been there?"
Weiss shook her head. "Dust doesn't work in space. As for how we know about it... let's just say some of our childhood horror stories just came true."
Sincline stared at her, not sure what a 'childhood horror story' was, but nodded, his mind settling on other matters. "Dust?"
"It's Remnant's natural... actually, how about we tell you after we eat?" Blake suggested. Needless to say, the vote was unanimous.
Mess Hall
"So... what exactly is this place?" Sincline asked curiously as he glanced around the 'Mess Hall' as the girls had called it. Aside from the five of them, there was no one else inside the spacious room save for a few students. They were scattered among four long tables running the length of the hall with benches to either side and walking areas located in between.
"It's the Mess Hall," Yang explained, glancing at him, her voice neither friendly nor angry. "It's where we usually get food whenever we're hungry." Honestly, she just wasn't sure about Sincline. Despite the fact that he seemed so... nice, she still wasn't ready to trust him around Ruby. Still, maybe I'm being a little too harsh on him, she thought.
Sincline nodded, accepting her answer and idly wondering if she was still mad about the bedroom incident earlier. But she said she understood that Ruby was the one who did... that, so why does she still—
"Come on, Sincline," Ruby encouraged, grabbing Sincline by the wrist and practically yanking him out of his thoughts as she pulled him toward one end of the cafeteria where two women were passing trays of food to the students.
"Okay... so what do I do?" Sincline asked curiously as he and Ruby walked up, the other members of Team RWBY falling in behind him.
"Just follow my lead," Ruby whispered, and then it was there turn. She stepped up. "Waffles and eggs, please," she requested. "Oh, and some milk," she added as an afterthought.
The woman behind the counter nodded. "Not a problem." She turned, facing Sincline... whose gaze had been on Ruby. "And you, dear?"
Sincline blinked. Is she... talking to me? "Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly. "Waffles and eggs, please," he requested. "Oh, and some milk."
The woman shook her head, then nodded and walked off into the kitchen behind the counter to relay his order. Still following Ruby's lead, he walked over to join her at the other end of the counter while the rest of their team ordered their own food. "Why'd she call me 'dear'?" he asked curiously, head tilted to the side.
Ruby shrugged. "I think it's something adults say sometimes," she explained and frowned. "Well, some of them do. I guess it just depends..."
"Huh."
The two stood there for a long, awkward moment as the rest of the team joined them. "So, what'd you get for breakfast, Sincline?" Yang asked curiously.
Sincline blinked, idly wondering why she was acting so nice now compared to earlier but answered her question. "I got the same as Ruby," he explained. "Waffles and eggs. Oh, and some milk."
Blake nodded. "Smart choice."
"Is the food good?"
"Maybe not at other academies, but I can proudly say Beacon has some of the best," Weiss said smugly. "You'll love it."
Timeskip
"So, what do you think?" Ruby asked curiously as she, Sincline, and the rest of the team sat at one of the tables after they had received their food.
Sincline hesitated... and stabbed his fork into a piece of waffle like he had seen Ruby do. After his initial confusion to the use of these metallic items, the girls had been quick to explain their function. Lifting the fork, he took a bite... and his eyes widened. "This. Is. Amazing!" he gushed.
Ruby giggled while Weiss, Blake, and Yang stared at him. He's just like Ruby... oh no, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?! Within seconds, Sincline had finished, and all that was left was an empty plate.
"That was pretty good," Sincline said, smiling as he set his fork back on the plate beside the empty milk carton. The waffles were unlike anything he'd ever had before... then again, to be fair, that was the first food he'd ever had, so there wasn't much to compare it to. Same for the milk.
"I have just witnessed the speed of a true Huntsman," Blake murmured, staring at the mech-turned-human in awe.
Sincline shrugged. "It's good food," he replied and tilted his head. "So, can one of you finally tell me what this 'Dust' stuff is?" he asked. If I'm gonna live here for... I dunno, but if I am, I should learn all I can about this place.
Almost immediately, everyone turned to Weiss, who sighed. "Alright, fine. But we should head to the library first." Everyone, save for Blake, groaned, and Sincline wondered how terrifying this 'library' really was.
Timeskip
"So... why are you all scared of this place?" Sincline asked, head tilted in confusion. He, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang stood in a long, elegant hallway lined with curved buttresses that reached toward the ceiling. Along the walls, long bookcases overshadowed the many tables that lined the sides of the hall. I don't get it. What's so bad about this place?
Blake shrugged, taking a seat at one of the tables and crossing one leg over the other. "Personally, I love it... but only when Weiss doesn't drag us here for her version of 'fun.'" She pulled out a book... and promptly began reading.
Sincline frowned. "There're different versions of fun?" I thought fun was supposed to be... 'fun,' I guess.
"Yeah," Yang agreed, winking at Ruby who, after a moment, nodded, catching on and barely stifling a laugh. "There's normal fun, and then there's—"
Weiss huffed, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "You two are so immature, you know that?"
"Nope," Ruby replied cheerfully.
Weiss sighed, shaking her head before turning to Sincline. "Just ignore them, alright?" she requested. "And for the record, I know what fun is; I just tend to study thoroughly unlike some members of my team." She gave Ruby a pointed look, causing her to shift from foot to foot with a sheepish smile.
"So... there's only one definition of fun?" Sincline asked, trying to figure it out. Maybe some people just take the meaning differently, he thought. That made sense.
Weiss rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. "Just... follow me, alright? Let's get you acquainted with the knowledge everyone from Remnant should have; then we can worry about what fun means."
"Uh... okay." Glancing at Ruby, Sincline shrugged and joined Weiss at a table as she pulled out a pamphlet labeled 'Dust for Dummies.'
"Hey, I remember that," Ruby giggled, taking a seat with Yang at a table parallel to Weiss's and Sincline's. I guess she really does carry those around after all, she thought, fighting back another snicker as Yang facepalmed and Weiss flashed her a glare, before turning back to Sincline.
"This isn't an insult; it's just an easy-to-follow guide to Dust, so you can learn the basics before we start getting into the complicated stuff," she stated. We really need to change the label on this thing, she thought, glancing at the title of the pamphlet. Maybe 'Beginner's Guide to Dust' would be better.
Sincline blinked. "Uh... okay."
"Alright, the first thing you're going to need to know about Remnant is Dust," Weiss began, and Sincline felt a sudden chill of dread run down his spine. "By definition, it is a naturally occurring energy propellant that can be triggered by the Aura of humans and Faunus."
"Those are the people with animal traits, right?" Sincline asked, recalling what had happened on their way into Beacon. They're not that different from humans from what I can tell. Why would they be treated differently?
Weiss nodded. "That's right. But either way, Dust is much more than what you would expect. It's normally found in four basic forms, which can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new stronger types, each with unique elemental properties."
"So... combining two of them would get you a different type, and you could go from there?" Sincline asked, trying to wrap his head around the concept. Seems straightforward enough. But playing with the elements themselves... that's practically playing God. And if you can create new kinds of Dust... there's no limit to what you could do.
Weiss nodded again. "More or less. Since its discovery, mankind has concocted a multitude of ways to harness its powers, mainly in technology. It can be used in its raw form, which most prefer, which can be quite... destructive. But that requires a certain level of discipline to ensure that its users don't lose control.
"Dust ammunition is widely used throughout the Kingdoms, given its wide variety of uses. Just simply choose the right cartridge and pull the trigger."
"Like this!" Ruby offered helpfully and unsheathed her scythe, nearly cutting down a bookcase as she changed it into a rifle form.
"I don't think shooting someone in the library is a good idea," Blake deadpanned, causing Ruby, who had been about to slip a round into her rifle, to pause.
"...yeah, you're probably right," Ruby sighed and re-sheathed her weapon, much to Sincline's amazement. So, her weapon's a scythe and a gun? he wondered. That's useful.
"Ruby's dangerous antics aside," Weiss sighed, silently praying to the gods that they'd be able to get through the rest of the topics without someone getting shot, "while Dust rounds are the standard method of use, some practice more... archaic forms of Dust manipulation."
"Like what?" Sincline asked curiously.
"Weaving it into clothing or fusing it directly with their bodies," Blake offered offhandedly, gaze never leaving her book as she flipped to the next page.
Weiss nodded. "Blake's correct. Anyway, those are the basic essentials you need to know about Dust. Any questions?"
Sincline shook his head. "Not really. But earlier, you mentioned Kingdoms. What are they?" If weaving Dust into clothing can lend them elemental properties... maybe I should get some of those, he thought and glanced at the sleeve of his outfit. I wonder... if I got some Dust infused into my 'regular' clothing, would I be able to use it in my armor?
"Well, Remnant is a dangerous place," Weiss explained, unaware of Sincline's inner musings as the mech-turned-human turned his gaze back to her. "Especially for humans and Faunus. Many civilizations have fallen over time, and now only four remain due to their natural barriers: Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, and Vale. Each Kingdom has a governing council and military. Some venture outside the walls of the Kingdoms, mainly nomads and the like who either wander around or take shelter... but they all end up disappearing overnight.
"Then there are the Huntsmen academies. They help prepare the next generation, kids like us, to be Huntsmen. We live, and we die, to protect what remains of humanity. All in all, the Kingdoms are the last remaining safe havens for humans and Faunus alike."
Sincline nodded, taking it all in. So that means... maybe humanity isn't as safe as I thought. "You mentioned barriers," he pointed out, recalling her words from earlier. "Barriers against what?"
All four girls exchanged dark, knowing looks with each other before turning back to Sincline. "The Grimm."
Sincline tilted his head. "The what?"
"Remember those creatures you fought when you first arrived?" Blake asked, earning a nod from Sincline. "Those were Grimm."
"Creatures of Grimm cover the majority of Remnant," Weiss explained. "Most just call them Grimm, but the fact still stands that they're the greatest threat to humanity. As far as we know, they've existed just as long as humans and Faunus have, maybe longer.
"They were first believed to be animals possessed by evil spirits or spirts of tortured animals themselves. But newer studies show that the truth behind the Grimm is far worse. Every day, more powerful and horrific Grimm emerge, each deadlier than the last.
"Very little is known about where they came from, but we do know this much: first and foremost, they exclusively attack humans and their creations. They occasionally clash with wildlife, but those are more like territorial encounters. A lot of people think that the Grimm don't actually need to eat, but they choose to."
Sincline shivered. These... these Grimm actually choose to hunt us down? Why? It didn't make sense. As far as he knew, animals usually didn't go out of their way just to attack people, so why were the Grimm—?
"It's a lot worse than that, actually," Blake cut in, lowering her book and breaking Sincline from his thoughts as he turned to face her. Ruby and Yang, who had been conversing quietly, also twisted to look at her. "From what we know, Grimm are lured to negative emotion. Even if a village were able to defend against Grimm, widespread panic would only lead to more attacks."
"Little else is known about the Grimm," Weiss agreed. "Keeping them in captivity has proven to be difficult... mainly since they tend to either die or kill those who imprisoned them."
"Hold on," Sincline interjected. "They die? You mean, they kill themselves?"
She nodded. "No one really knows why. They do bleed, but it always dissipates within a couple minutes. Same with the bodies. They only remain for a short time before evaporating completely. They appear mindless, but that's not always the case. While young Grimm tend to be more reckless, older Grimm have the tendency to learn from their battles and exercise caution in the future... which makes them very effective killers. In the end... killing is all that matters."
Sincline was silent for a long moment, idly sorting this new information into his database while considering the implications of everything he had just learned. It sounds like someone doesn't want their origins to be found, he noted but kept that thought to himself. If someone were behind the Grimm, they would have been discovered long ago... right? That said... Sincline wasn't sure what to make of this. I've gone from one nightmare to another. "And that's why we have the Huntsmen?" he asked carefully. "To fight against the Grimm?"
Ruby nodded, her expression brightening. "Yep. We're the Defenders of Remnant," she said proudly, earning a chuckle from Yang and a small smile from Blake and Weiss.
"Now we will see how Alfor's legacy stands against the new Altean Defender!"
Sincline winced, the memory flashing across his vision before dissipating as he attempted to hide his unease with a small smile. It seemed to work because Weiss went on to continue the conversation.
"Huntsmen generally rank higher than the Kingdom police and even military when it comes to strength, skill, and mastery of Aura," she explained. "They were established after the Great War with the idea of creating elite warriors who could fight the Grimm. Beacon Academy was founded in Vale; Haven was founded in Mistral, Shade in Vacuo, and Atlas in... well, Atlas, which used to be known as Mantle. All of them accepted graduates of primary combat schools who showed promise and a tenacity to fight Grimm and protect humanity.
"For this reason, trainees are grouped into teams to ensure the continual development of communication, empathy, and teamwork, traits vital to any Guardian of Peace. Additionally, the founders of each academy believed that the Huntsmen should be kept separate from Kingdom allegiance. Once finished with their training, Huntsmen and Huntresses are free to choose who they work for as well as what kind of work they will do using mission boards. Allying with any Kingdom or village is entirely up to the individual.
"However, Atlas Academy has been under increasing amounts of scrutiny for the indoctrination of military lifestyle on its students, pressuring them to enlist in the Atlas military's Special Operatives unit. Every Academy has its own methods of teaching, but the end result is the same: Huntsmen and Huntresses ready to make their own paths. Some stay together as a team, and some go on to work alone. But all are expected to serve humanity."
Sincline nodded. While the idea of children fighting monsters like the Grimm unsettled him, he knew it was necessary in the grander scheme of things. That said, one term didn't make sense to him. "What's Aura? You mentioned it a while ago."
The four girls exchanged looks before they all turned to Blake, who sighed, closing her book yet again. "Fine. Sincline, you know how Huntsmen are widely regarded as the greatest warriors in Remnant?"
He nodded.
"While Huntsmen are skilled in a wide variety of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, we're also masters of a greater power known as Aura," Blake explained. "It's a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, with the exception of Grimm. However, what sets us apart from all others is our ability to amplify and control it.
"Aura is mainly used as a defensive mechanism that passively coats the wielder in a protective forcefield." She drew her weapon and brought it to her wrist. Sincline's eyes widened, but before he could stop her, she ran the blade against her skin. To his surprise, there was no blood. Only a brief flicker of purple energy that ran over where the blade had struck.
No way... "That's... incredible," he marveled, staring at Blake's unmarked wrist in awe. "So, everyone on Remnant has this?" he asked.
Yang shook her head. "Only Huntsmen can use it as a shield," she explained. "It helps protect against attacks that would otherwise put us in the hospital... or worse."
"It doesn't make us invincible though," Blake pointed out, stopping Sincline's train of thought just as it turned down that track. "As the user receives more and more damage, their Aura reserve will deplete. If that happens..." she trailed off, but the message was clear. Game over.
"Fortunately, as Huntsmen, we can use Aura in a different way," Weiss added, causing Sincline's attention to turn to her. "A Semblance."
Sincline blinked, tilting his head. "Semblance?" he echoed.
"It's the projection of Aura in a more... tangible form," Blake explained. "It can be anything: from the ability to control objects with telekinesis to superhuman strength to incredible speed... the power associated with a wielder's Semblance is completely unique to the individual."
"What about Weiss's?" Yang asked, causing everyone to turn to her. "Her whole family can use the same Semblance."
Sincline blinked. "Really?"
Weiss nodded, her expression darkening, and Blake sighed. "Some Semblances are heredity, but it's rare. Very few families pass down their Semblances, but those who do often help the next generation with their new powers."
Yang winced, and Ruby looked down, the blond-haired Huntress quietly wrapping an arm around the young Rose's shoulders, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Sincline. They must have lost someone close to them, he realized, taking note of the saddened, wistful expressions on their faces. One of their parents?
"With enough training and focus, a user's Aura can turn them into something much more than just human," Blake explained, her words tearing Sincline out of this thoughts once more. Yet he couldn't help but wonder...
"Did we get him?"
"It looked like he just... disappeared."
"How is he moving so fast?"
"That time we definitely did not get him."
"How can he just disappear like that?"
"He's... entering the Quintessence Field at will."
Is that my ability? Sincline wondered, recalling the devastating power he had wielded as he practically tore Voltron apart during their battle beyond Daibazaal. The Altean... Allura... she gave one of my ships the ability to travel into the Field. But that should have only allowed me to enter the gate. Maybe it... could it have caused me to activate my Semblance?
"Welp, there's everything you need to know," Yang said cheerfully, eyeing Sincline with a mixture of unease... and concern. She had seen the conflicted emotions on his face when Blake had been describing a Semblance, yet none were the ones she had when she first discovered hers. Is he... scared? She couldn't tell and, after sharing a glance with Blake and the others, knew they couldn't either.
"Yeah... everything I need to know," Sincline murmured, the question looming in the shadows before he shook his head and gave the girls an honest, genuine smile. "I'll probably be saying this a lot... but thanks. Really. You don't know how much this means to me."
Blinking in surprise, Ruby nodded and smiled back. "Anytime. We're teammates, Sincline. Like it or not, we're gonna have your back. All of us." I don't know what exactly happened in your past, but I'm going to help you, Sincline, Ruby thought, her silver eyes flashing with DETERMINATION as they met Sincline's.
They say second chances are hard to come by, Sincline thought, his gaze shifting from one girl to the next before eventually settling on Ruby as her eyes met his. That said... I'm going to make the best of mine. I got lucky to meet these girls... I won't let them down.
And yet, despite that, he couldn't help but wonder... If Allura caused my Semblance to activate, and I evolved it to be able to travel to the Quintessence Field at will... what else am I capable of? He remembered the power he had wielded at the Core of Existence. If he used that power in battle on Remnant... more than his team would pay the price. And the thought terrified him.