It is a new chapter today. Time to read it. Well... moving on from that, last time, Azure and Ruby got together and team JNPR danced. That scene was great! Now then, let's dive right into this chapter!
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*Azure's POV*
After yesterday's events, me and Ruby were told to meet with Ozpin tomorrow before our first missions. Before I left, I told my team to gather at team RWBY's dorm to talk about what happens next. The two of us got on the elevator and rode it in silence. After two minutes, we arrived at Ozpin's office.
Ozpin: "Come in." Ruby and I step out and into the room.
Ruby: "Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." She pauses. "It wasn't me." I just shook my head at this.
Ozpin: "Thank you for coming, Ruby, Azure. How are you feeling?"
Ruby: "Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't O-for-three."
The adults stare silently at her.
Ruby: "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it."
Azure" I'm okay for the most part."
Ironwood: "Ruby, Azure, I feel it's appropriate to let you two know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntsmen is all about. You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could."
Both: "Thank you, sir."
Ozpin: "Now, the general here has already informed us of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add."
Glynda: "Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?"
Ruby: "I... I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to us. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her Semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked."
Glynda: "Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby and Azure."
Ironwood: "Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone."
Azure: "Wait. You think this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?"
Ozpin: "It's possible. But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together."
Ruby: "Actually, I... I think I remember her saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast. Just outside the Kingdom." I looked at her in surprise, but I quickly understood where she was going was this and turned back to the adults.
Ozpin: "Interesting."
Glynda: "I thought you said the intruder never—"
Ozpin: "Thank you for your cooperation, you two. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."
Ruby: "Any time."
Azure: "No problem."
Ozpin: "And Miss Rose, please try and be... discreet about this matter."
Ruby: "Yes sir." We both left the office and made our way back to Ruby's dorm. She opens the door, revealing Yang, Blake, Weiss, Nero, Rosa, and Vert inside.
Yang: "What happened?"
Ruby: "Uh... well, um..." She began laughing nervously. She then explained everything that happened, including when she told them about the base in the southeast.
Weiss: "That was a risky move."
Blake: "No, I think you handled it well."
Nero: "I agree with her on that."
Ruby: "I hope so." I put my arm around her shoulder.
Azure: "I'm sure everything will be alright, Rubes."
Yang: "Yeah, listen to your boyfriend. Oh, I know what will cheer you up!" She produces a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.
Ruby: "What's that?"
Yang: "I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together!"
Ruby: "Ooooh! Something from home!"
Ruby zooms over from me to Yang and wraps herself around Yang, trying to take the cylinder from her. The package opens, and another cylinder, hairy and black, falls out onto the floor and starts to shake. The object suddenly transforms into a corgi. Team RWBY and AVRN lean in, staring at it.
The animal barks twice. While Weiss, Blake, Nero and Vert continue to react with great shock, Ruby, Yang, Rosa and I react excitedly, with Ruby jumping in the air. She then poses as she shouts the dog's name.
Ruby: "Zwei!"
Rosa: "He's so cute!"
Blake: "He sent a dog?"
Weiss: "In the mail?"
Yang: "Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!"
Azure: "That sounds normal..."
Blake: "Your father or your dog?" She says while on Ruby's bed.
Weiss: "Are you telling me that this mangy... drooling... mutt is going to wiv wif us foweva? Oh, yes he is, yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable!" She gushes over Zwei's cuteness alongside Rosa.
Blake: "Please keep it away from my belongings."
Glynda: (intercom) "Would all 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. Nero walks over and kneels down to pet the dog.
Yang: "Look, there's a letter!" Zwei arrives in front of Yang. "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. I looked at the pile in surprise.
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 guys, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang, Nero, Vert and a sad Rosa leave the room.
Weiss: "Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you." She leaves while continuing to baby talk Zwei. Meanwhile, Blake jumps down from Ruby's bunk and jumps across the table, avoiding Zwei. Such a cat.
Ruby stares at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily. She looks at me and I see what she wants to do, so I help her out.
Me and Ruby, who is now wearing a large backpack, enter the auditorium. She then puts her backpack down next to other students' luggage before rejoining her team, who are standing in front of Team JNPR. I join back with my team as Glynda and Ozpin get up on the stage.
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. So much for a FEW words. That was a speech and a half.
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!"
Azure: "I like the sound of that!"
Weiss: "Let's check "search and destroy"!"
Team RWBY and AVRN approach a hologram screen.
Ruby: "Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!"
Blake: "Well, it's in the southeast!"
Rosa: "Sounds perfect! Right, Vert?" He nods at her.
Ruby selects it and types in her team name. However, the screen says that first years are not allowed to take this mission.
Weiss: "Wonderful!"
Rosa: "Aw man!"
Blake: "Any other ideas?"
Ruby: "We mail ourselves there!"
Azure: "I'm not sure if that'll work."
Ozpin: "Well, that's one option." Ozpin suddenly appears behind 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 eight will make your way there no matter which job you choose."
Weiss, Blake, and Yang glare at Ruby, who nervously rubs her head. Nero, Rosa, and Vert glare at me as well, and I shrug my shoulders.
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, lightning and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."
Ruby: "Um... well..."
Azure: "You see..."
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.
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 all on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck."
Our teams left the auditorium and we are on our way to the airship that will take them to Quadrant 5.
Yang: "That wasn't exactly uplifting."
Rosa: "He coulda said it differently!"
Blake: "But it's the truth."
Vert: "The cold, hard truth."
Ruby: "It's gonna to be tough, but I know we can do it!"
A student runs past the team.
Student: "Hey! Team CFVY is back!"
Beacon students gather around to witness the return of Team CFVY. Blake goes up to Velvet Scarlatina, the brown bunny Faunus.
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..." She looks up and notices our worried expressions. "Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."
Nero: "Right."
Velvet: "I should go. Be safe, okay?"
Ruby: "We can do this."
Azure: "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!"
Azure: "Hopefully."
The scene immediately cuts to Team RWBY and AVRN staring with various stunned expressions, having just discovered who they will be shadowing. It was Doctor Oobleck.
Oobleck: "Why, hello girls and boys! Who's ready to fight for their lives?"
Weiss: "Professor Oobleck?"
Oobleck: "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And..." He zooms up right to Weiss' face. "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!"
Weiss: "Uh..." Weiss looks over at Blake, who is equally disturbed.
Oobleck: "Come now, children; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind... schedule!" He zips off to the airship docked farther ahead in a second.
Ruby: "Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck- okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse."
Nora: "Save the world?"
Ruby's and my team turn around to see Nora and Team JNPR approaching.
Nora: "You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad!" Her stomach rumbles... "Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren..." Ren simply crosses his arms and turns away.
Jaune: "Sounds exciting. Where ya going?"
Ruby: "Oh, just outside the kingdom..."
Nora: "Hey! So are we!"
Pyrrha: "Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village."
Ren: "We set out tomorrow."
Neptune: "Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune and Sun approach the three groups. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges." Jaune is awestruck.
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, you know... normal."
Azure: "Well-"
Oobleck: "Four minutes!" Oobleck appears from the airship and goes back inside as our friends smile awkwardly at us.
Ruby: "Well, uh... Wish us luck!"
Azure: "Good luck on your missions!"
We got on the airship and started flying to our first destination.
Yang: "I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter." She said to Oobleck.
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."
Azure: "What he means is fights, Ruby."
Ruby: "Oh. Thank you, Azure!"
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: "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."
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!"
Nero: "Mountain Glenn."
Vert: "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: "Precisely!"
The airship comes in over a spot of street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the ruined area. It hovers right above the ground as Yang, Blake, Vert, Nero, Oobleck, Weiss, Rosa, Ruby and I all jump out of the craft with our weapons drawn, minus Oobleck, who simply holds his coffee canister, before the ship flies away from the destruction.
Oobleck: "Ladies! Gentlemen! You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntsmen and Huntresses has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" We nod, but he suddenly looks at Ruby, startling her. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."
Ruby: "But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't." Nice one, Ruby.
Oobleck: (whispers) 'She's not wrong...' (out loud) "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-" He stops as the bag's zipper opens and out pops Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest. Doggo spotted.
Ruby: (whispers) "Get back in the bag." Zwei merely barks in response.
Oobleck: "We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?"
Ruby: "I, uh..."
Oobleck: "Genius!" He speeds past Ruby and snatches Zwei away from her, who tumbles to the ground as Oobleck spins Zwei in the air. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" Zwei barks happily in his hands.
Ruby: "I'm a genius!" She proudly states. Weiss and Yang both facepalm at their grinning leader.
Azure: "Guess it worked out well!" Nero and Vert also facepalm at my revelation.
Blake: "So, what are your orders, Doctor?"
Oobleck: "Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it!" He lets go of Zwei, who drops down to the ground, to put his hands behind his back for a serious pose. "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 others at the lone Beowolf wandering into the street, joining them in unleashing their weapons.
Oobleck: "Stop!"
Blake: "Huh?" She lowers her Gambol Shroud like everyone else to listen.
Rosa: "How come?"
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?"
Oobleck: "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." Nine Beowolves are already following the first.
Weiss: "What?"
Oobleck: "And now they've seen us."
Weiss: (louder) "What?!"
Oobleck: (loud) "AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!"
Azure: "I take it tracking them is out of the question, Doc?"
Oobleck: "An accurate assumption, yes."
Yang: "What's the plan, then?"
Oobleck: "Show me what you're capable of."
Ruby: "Cover your ears, Zwei!" She says to Zwei, who covers his ears and curls up into a ball.
*3rd Person POV*
A single Beowolf and a smiling Yang run towards one another, ending with the blonde knocking it out in one fiery punch as they pass. Several stop chasing after her to focus on Blake, who stands and waits with hand on her hilt until one of the enemy swipes at her afterimage, the real deal slicing her would-be attacker in half before slashing through another and cutting down on one more. Behind Blake, Weiss runs from several black-coated beasts before jumping in the air and taking one down with Myrtenaster. She dashes towards them with her rapier held high and slays four of them in a straight line until she stops.
Two Beowolves run toward Nero, who puts his hand on the ground and freezes their paws to the ground. All they can do is growl at him before he slices them in two with his sword. Rosa runs straight into a pack of Beowolves and jumps into the air, before her axe turns into a shotgun. She aims while in mid-air and blasts them into dust, before landing on the ground. Vert aims his sniper at the wolves and snipes two of them before sensing three behind him. He quickly turns his sniper back into a polearm and swings at the three Beowolves, killing them.
Azure swings his sword around before resting it on his shoulder. He activates his semblance over his entire body and quickly dashes through a line of Grimm. Their bodies start to disintegrate a second after he stands back up. A wave of Beowolves are converging on Ruby, but the scythe wielder shoots multiple bullets at the oncoming force... while Zwei is busy chasing his own tail. He stops to watch his owner fire forward and cut the single remaining Grimm in two.
Ruby: "Heh. Piece of cake!"
Oobleck: "Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?"
All eight of them continue on, slicing, shooting, and killing the waves of Grimm that appear in front of them. After a long battle with them getting tired, Oobleck looks at the slain corpses.
Oobleck: "Excellent work, girls and boys! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!"
Yang: "Hey, Doc, y'know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a "pro Huntsman" in action. Like, fighting, or at least, helping us fight?"
Oobleck: "Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity! Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, children. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination! Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that."
Yang: "Well, yeah... O-Of course!"
Oobleck: "Hmm..."
The scene changes to the view of another victory for RWBY and AVRN alongside their mentor amid the noise of fired shots, but switches to Oobleck and Yang away from the others.
Oobleck: "Tell me, Yang: Why did you choose this line of work?"
Yang: "Huh? Well, to fight monsters and save-"
Oobleck: "No, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress."
Yang: "The honest reason? I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, y'know?"
Oobleck: "I see."
Oobleck is sitting on a high windowsill writing in his journal while Weiss fights off Beowolves below.
Oobleck: "And you, Miss Schnee? A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So... why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?"
Weiss: "It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty."
Oobleck: (nodding) "Interesting."
Blake slashes a door down and releases a swarm of small Nevermores from the building, which she back-flips under before she shoots them all with her blade's pistol form. Oobleck appears behind her.
Oobleck: "And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose."
Blake: "There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption... Someone has to stop it."
Oobleck: "Very well. How?"
Blake: "I, Uh..."
Oobleck "hmm's" to himself, then dashes away, leaving Blake to bow her head in troubled thought. He next goes over to Nero freezing four Beowolves with his sword.
Oobleck: "How about you, Nero? Why do you choose to be a huntsman?"
Nero: "I wandered all over Vale, honing my skills with the sword by hunting Grimm down. I believed that becoming a Huntsman will help me develop as a swordsman, just like my father."
Oobleck: "Hm, good to know."
He sits down and watches Rosa knock back some Ursa as he drinks coffee from his mug.
Oobleck: "What about you, Miss Rosa? What made you want to be a Huntress?"
Rosa: "A Huntress is what I was born and raised to become. That was... before my parents..." She pauses before continuing. "It was also so that I could stay close to Vert."
Oobleck: "I'll let you be..." He walked away from a saddened Rosa.
He walked up to Vert, who was sniping some tiny Nevermores from the roof of a destroyed building.
Oobleck: "And what about you, Vert? Why did you choose to be a Huntsman?"
Vert: "My father was a Huntsman back in Haven, and I wanted to live up to the Feng name. He trained me to use my weapon and my semblance, alongside my mother."
Oobleck: "Okay then."
Azure got done zapping his enemies using his railgun, turns it back into a sword and sheathes it on his back. He walks over to see Ruby using her weapon in the most practical fashion and lifting a whole turkey on the sharp end of her gun to tease a jumping and flipping Zwei with. That is, until she spots her teacher watching, quickly sheathing Crescent Rose.
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." He throws his bag over to Vert, who catches it with ease. "You six, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leaders and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come on, Ruby, Azure."
They start walking away from the rest of the group, who each look at their respective leaders, knowing what'll be asked.
Ruby: "Whaaaa... What is that? It looks awesome!"
Oobleck: "That, my dear girl, is a Grimm."
Azure: "A Goliath, the elephant Grimm. I've seen them a few times before."
Oobleck: "Correct, Mr. (L/N)."
Ruby: "Let's kill it."
Oobleck: "I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size."
Ruby: "But... What if it attacks us?"
Oobleck: "Fret not, Ruby; those Goliaths are not concerned with us. Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you fought, that they've undoubtedly lived hundreds of years, and in that time between killing humans and attacking our borders, they have done one important thing: They've learned. They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will only bring more."
Ruby: "Then why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?"
Oobleck: "Waiting."
Azure: "Waiting? For what?" He stayed silent and walks away.
Ruby: "Doctor Oobleck?"
Oobleck: "Hmm?" He stops walking and turns back to look at her.
Ruby: "I was wondering..."
Oobleck: "Wondering why I've been interrogating both your teammates all day?"
Ruby: "A-Actually, I was wondering... Why did you want to become a Huntsman?"
Oobleck: "Look around and tell me what you see."
Ruby and Azure take a look around.
Ruby: "Lots of old buildings, uh, empty streets..."
Azure: "Lives that are not here anymore..."
Oobleck: "You're correct, Azure. I see lives that could have been saved." He continues walking with Ruby and Azure beside him and Zwei at their heels. "As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people, and although I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher, I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I look at this wasteland, and I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity; an opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy, and therefore become stronger. I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be."
Back at the building, the team has done as instructed, building a fire in the center of the room and huddling around it or standing up.
Yang: "I can't believe we didn't find anything..."
Nero: "We're only at the first stop on this journey."
Vert: "It'll take some time to 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."
Rosa: "I guess so..."
Weiss: "That's not what I meant."
Blake: "Huh?" The others look at her in confusion.
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 six friends merely stare in silence. Suddenly, Oobleck rushes into the room followed by Azure, Ruby, and Zwei.
Oobleck: "Ah, wonderful; a textbook campfire!"
Ruby: "Fire!" She immediately sits next to the blaze alongside Azure and 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 two of you to each take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?"
Ruby: "Yo."
Azure: "I'll do it."
Oobleck nods at them and rushes off. Ruby gets up to go over to her lookout point, with Azure following suit.
Yang: "Hey, did Oobleck ask you two why you wanted to be a Huntress or Huntsman? I mean... what did you tell him?"
Ruby: "Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird."
Azure: "I'm in the same boat."
Ruby: "Oh, well; good night, guys!" Without a second carefree thought, she continues on her way. Azure looks back at his teammates and gives them a smile as he walks away.
Yang looks disappointed in the lack of an answer. Blake is similarly troubled as she unrolls her mat, Weiss tries lying down but fails to sleep, Yang half-heatedly eats her dinner of bread rolls. Soon, all three Huntresses are on their backs around the fire, weapons within easy access, wondering why they are there.
Nero looks at the ground in silence, Vert simply stares at the ceiling while laying down, and Rosa has her back turned to the others, contemplating her answer from before.
Azure sits on a windowsill next to Ruby in the room as Zwei goes over to her upon hearing the howling of Beowolves. She pets her pooch on the back.
Ruby: "Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow."
The couple and their fluffy companion observe the outside in silence.
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That is the end of this chapter. We got some information about the trio and why they arrived at Beacon. Next chapter will be an underground discovery. Time to leave.