3rd Person POV:
Back to where we left off, Team RWBYY are still left completely stunned upon seeing the Huntsmen their shadowing for the week.
Weiss: Professor Oobleck?
Oobleck: (talking in his usual fast pace while addressing his students) Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, 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.
Oobleck: I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And... (zooms up right to Weiss' face) It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much! (quickly backs away)
Weiss: (looks over to Blake, who's equally disturbed) Uh...
Oobleck: Come now, children; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind! (as an afterthought to clarify) ...schedule! (zips off to the airship docked farther ahead in a second)
Ruby: (positive and upbeat before suddenly becoming as depressed as her team halfway through) Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oooobleck- okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse.
Nora: (approaching alongside her teammates) Save the world? (being overly dramatic) You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad! (stomach rumbles) Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren...
Ren simply crosses his arms and turns away in response.
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: (approaching alongside Sun) Then you can party with us tonight! We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges.
Jaune: (awestruck) So cool...
Sun: Figured it was about time to see what the city has to offer minus the giant robots and explosions that usually happen around you guys.
Ruby: (letting out an awkward laugh) Well-
Oobleck: (calling for Team RWBYY back at the airship) Four minutes, ladies! (goes back inside as their friends smile awkwardly at the girls)
Ruby: Well, uh... (throws a thumbs-up) Wish us luck!
Sometime later, the group can be seen standing in the airship as the craft flies over buildings and streets amid deafening turbines.
Yang: (to Oobleck) I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter.
Oobleck: I admit I fancy myself to be more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles.
Ruby: (tilting her head in confusion) Like the mushroom?
Blake: (leaning over) Those are truffles.
Ruby: (still scratching her head in befuddlement) Like the sprout?
Y/N: (also leaning over) Those are Brussels.
Oobleck: (continuing on) Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster Ozpin saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!
Weiss: What does history have to do with any of this?
Oobleck: (turning to face the heiress) 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!
Ruby: Mountain Glenn.
Y/N: It was an expansion of Vale that suddenly got completely overrun by large hordes of Grimm, which resulted in them fencing it 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 comes in over a spot of street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the ruined area. It hovers right above the ground as Team RWBYY and Oobleck all jump out of the craft with their weapons excluding the doctor, who simply takes a sip from his coffee canister as the ship flies away from the ruined city.
Oobleck: (calls the attention of his students) Ladies! You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses has officially begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand? (the girls all nod as he suddenly turns over to Ruby, startling the silver-eyed girl) 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.
Oobleck: (to himself) Touche...(back to his students)... 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...(gets cut off as the bag's zipper opens and out pops Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest)
Ruby: (whispering to her pet through the side of her mouth) Get back in the bag.
Zwei merely barks in response as Y/N cheerfully approaches and pats the dog's head.
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! (backs away long enough for Ruby to simply give a confused shrug before speeding past and snatching the pet away from the silver-eyed girl, who is left to tumble to the ground as he 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! (continues on as Zwei barks happily in his hands)
Ruby: (after getting over her shock, proudly states:) I'm a genius!
Weiss and Yang both facepalm at their grinning leader.
Blake: So, what are your orders, Doctor?
Oobleck: Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it! (suddenly lets go of Zwei, which leaves the dog in the air before falling to the ground) 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: (left just as confused as her teammates) 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, joining them in unleashing their weapons.
Oobleck: Stop!
Blake: Huh? (lowers her weapons alongside the others)
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.
Y/N: There's more coming...
Her claim is proven correct as several more Beowolves are seen following after the first.
Weiss: What?
Oobleck: (stating the obvious) And now they've seen us.
Weiss: (louder) What?!
Oobleck: (coming right up to Weiss' ear to shout) 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 all capable of.
Ruby: (swings Crescent Rose to prepare it for shooting) Cover your ears, Zwei! (the dog obeys and curls up into a ball)
Suddenly, the tense moment intensifies as Y/N starts emitting a dark Aura.
Three of the Beowolves start rushing towards her as Y/N simply forms a path of ice spikes with a mere wave of her hand, which leaves the Grimm to be quickly impaled from multiple areas as they soon fade away.
Y/N: (taunting the rest of the pack) Next.
Yang: (rushing in) Leave some for us, Y/N!
The firey blond hones in on one of the remaining Beowolves, which is soon knocked out by one firey punch.
Several more of the Grimm stop chasing after their opponent before focusing on Blake, who stands and waits with her hand tightly wrapped around her sword hilt until one of the enemy swipes at her afterimage, the real faunus girl proceeds to slice her would-be attacker in half before slashing through another and cutting down on one more.
Behind the Faunus, Weiss runs from several black-coated beasts before jumping in the air and taking one down with Myrtenaster. She dashes towards them with rapier held high and slays four of them in a straight line until she stops.
A wave of Beowolves are then seen converging on Ruby, who guns them down with multiple sniper shots while Zwei is busy chasing his own tail. The dog turns to see his owner fire forward and cut the remaining Grimm in two.
Ruby: (to Oobleck, lifting her weapon) Heh. Piece of cake!
Oobleck: Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?
His statement is proven true as the team of Huntresses are left to continue battle after battle as they now remain fatigued from the many bouts of combat.
Oobleck: (as the newest batch of slain monster corpses start smoking, he happily cries) Excellent work, girls! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!
Yang: (as they follow Oobleck, with Ruby sheathing her scythe and beckoning Zwei to follow, she irritably asks) 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: (over his shoulder) Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity! (fully turns to face the exhausted team) Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, girls. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination!
Oobleck: Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that.
Yang: Well, yeah... (trying to sound more resolute with her answer) O-Of course!
Oobleck: (as his glasses flicker) Hmm...
The group continues to exterminate swarms of Grimm as Oobleck can be seen watching over Yang, who's fighting away from the others.
Oobleck: Tell me, Yang: Why did you choose this line of work?
Yang: Huh? (answers under the Huntsmen's gaze) Well, to fight monsters and save-
Oobleck: (cutting her off) 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: (thinks it over before answering) 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.
The Huntsmen is then seen 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: (after killing off the last remaining Beowolf) 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.
He proceeds to head over to Blake, who 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: (while examining the inside of the doorway) 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, before proceeding to dash away, leaving Blake to bow her head in troubled thought.
The doctor makes it over to Y/N, who finishes her brutalization of a pack of Beowolf as she turns to face him.
Oobleck: You seem to bare alot of hatred for the creatures of Grimm.
Y/N: Isn't that mostly everyone's natural response to seeing them other than an extreme sense of fear?
Oobleck: I can't really say you're wrong on that aspect. (as his glasses lightly shine) Y/N, what is your reason for wanting to become a Huntress?
Y/N: It's just frustrating...
Oobleck: "frustrating"?
Y/N: The fact that even with these powers and skills, someone, somewhere, at anytime, are dying from either the creatures of Grimm or those that wish to harm others going off nothing but a simple whim.
Y/N: I've experienced my fair share of pain from having no one being there at the right time. I also know lots of people have also experienced the same pain, maybe even more so than myself.
Y/N: The type of Huntress I wish to become is one that can answer all the cries of those that seek help. To be the person that comes in to fight when no one else can.
Oobleck: I see...Do you know the cost of becoming someone like that?
Y/N: Yes, the reality of that dream will be left unfulfilled as I'm just one person that completely lacks the strength and qualities to respond to the cries of those left despairing.
Oobleck: Hmm...(dashes off)
Later, Ruby is teasing Zwei by lifting a whole turkey on the sharp end of her gun leaving her pet to jump for it. This keeps on until 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. (throws his bag over to Yang, who makes a sound when she catches it) You three, 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 away from the rest of RWBYY, who each look at their silver-eyed leader, knowing what she'll be asked.
Ruby: (rounding the corner of the building alongside Oobleck) Wow. (points at a wide forest, which has a line of elephant-like Grimm marching through the trees) Grimm?
Oobleck: Goliaths to be more precise.
Ruby: (aims her sniper at one of them) Should we take them down?
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.
Oobleck: 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 and more.
As he says this, one Goliath swivels its thick neck to look at the figures watching their procession, eyes glowing as fiery red as any other Grimm.
Ruby: Then why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?
Oobleck: Waiting.
After saying that, the Goliath turns its head forward again and moves on with its kin. Oobleck turns around and walks away as well, and Ruby puts away her weapon, not moving.
Ruby: Doctor Oobleck?
Oobleck: Hmm?
Ruby: I was wondering...
Oobleck: (stops walking and turns back to her) Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?
Ruby: A-Actually, I was wondering... Why did you want to become a Huntsman?
Oobleck: ...(turns and gestures to the ruins around them) What do you think about, when you look at this city?
Ruby: "this city"? (looks down in deep thought)...I guess it's frustrating.
Oobleck: (surprised by her answer before recomposing himself) Frustrating, you say? How so?
Ruby: It's because...lots of people used to live here before the Grimm came and destroyed everywhere. So it's like, no matter how hard we try... No matter how strong we get, they'll always be people we can't protect.
Ruby: (clenching her fists) To me, that's...frustrating. That's why I gotta keep getting stronger and stronger. So that next time...I can protect everyone.
Oobleck: I see...(smiles)...It appears there are a lot more like-minded individuals in this generation than I thought. Ruby, 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 in order to prevent it from happening again. (stops for his final answer) I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be. (walks away) Remember to be wary of our surroundings.
Ruby: Ah, r-roger that. (follows after as Zwei let's out a few barks)
Back at the building, the rest of 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...
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: I'm sure it will work out. We're practically a magnet for this sort of thing.
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.
Y/N: But are our reasons, what really matters for this line of work?
The girls merely stare at the fire 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. 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: He didn't really ask me. I just told him my reasons and that's all. (continues onward) Good night, guys!
Disappointed in the lack of answer, Blake, Weiss, Yang, and Y/N all start preparing to rest as all four Beacon students are on their backs around the fire, weapons within easy access, wondering why they are there.
Ruby, meanwhile, is sitting in the vacant windowsill of 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. I'm sure things will be better tomorrow.
Chapter End