Roderick Hill
-----
When morning came, Roderick had breakfast with a thief.
The initiation was an hour away, and he still wasn't prepared, not even a little bit. Yang and Ruby didn't know much either other than that students were assigned their teams sometime down the line.
Roderick exhaled and finished off his grilled cheese sandwich.
As delicious as it was, it barely distracted him from his nerves. Maybe the chocolate muffin he'd been saving for last would do the trick.
Someone snapped their fingers.
On the other side of the table, some guy in a long sleeve orange-grey shirt with a matching cap and scarf waved at him.
Weird. That spot was empty a second ago.
"Finally," the guy said and slapped the table. "And here I thought you've gone and left Remnant, or that must've been one dandy meal. You gonna eat that muffin?"
Roderick pushed his tray aside, far out of the other guy's reach. "Can I help you?"
"As a matter of fact you can." He tipped his hat. "The name's Tannum Oakwood. People call me Cooper."
"Okay, I'm Roderick," he said and pointed at himself. "Tell me what you need."
Cooper pulled a muffin out from behind him and bit into it. "Hiya, Radek."
His brow furrowed. "My name's Roderick, and where the heck were you keeping that?"
"Nowhere in particular." He stood and a bushy black and grey ringed tail stuck out from his pants. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna get ready for the initiation."
Confusion slapped Roderick's head. "Uh, wait, didn't you need something?"
"It's alright. You've done enough." Cooper smirked and raised the muffin. "Cheers, mate."
Wait a minute.
He checked his tray, and a bullet of disbelief shot him in the chest.
The muffin was gone.
After Roderick finished in the dining hall, he joined Yang and Ruby in the armoury, discussing about teams and what to expect for the initiation.
Most of what the sisters talked about were drowned out by the chaos going on in Roderick's brain. He sat there with a bitter taste in his mouth, rampaging over the dozens of possibilities Cooper used in order to swipe the muffin from under his nose.
A familiar voice broke his train of thought; it was the orange haired girl from the airship, bouncing around and rambling random things to the docile tailcoat guy a few rows down.
The orange haired girl suddenly paused and poked him on the cheek. "Can you imitate a sloth?"
"Nora," said the tailcoat guy.
She sprang at attention. "Yes, Ren?"
Ren took out a pair of bladed handguns from his locker and shrunk them into his sleeves. "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."
"That's perfect!" She threw her hands up and broke into a wide grin. "No one will suspect we're working together!"
"Come on, Nora." He motioned towards the exit. "Let's go."
Roderick blinked. What did a sloth sound like?
"I wonder what those two were so worked up about?" Ruby said as they passed by.
"Who knows?" Yang held her hips and faced her sister with a grin. "So you seem awfully cheerful this morning."
"Of course! No more awkward small talk or getting to meet people." She caressed her weapon against her cheek. "Instead, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking."
Roderick shared a look with Yang. If there was one thing they agreed on, it had to be the concern for the girl's obsessive love for weapons.
Past Yang's shoulder, Blake strolled out the locker room garbed in white shorts, a sleeveless shirt covered by a black vest with coattails, dark stocking that transitioned to purple, and other accessories he couldn't make out before she left.
She also had a cool sword on her back.
"Remember Ruby, you aren't the only one going through initiation today." The blonde gestured to the strangers around them. "If you want to grow, you have to meet new people."
"Ugh." Ruby stuffed her weapon in her locker. "You sound just like dad. First of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up," she crossed her arms and raised her chin, "I drink milk."
Roderick swallowed a laugh. "I don't think she literally meant 'get bigger.' "
Yang chucked and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "What're you going to do when we form teams?"
"I-I don't know." Ruby fiddled with her fingers. "I'll be on your guys' teams or something.
"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?" She glanced away and stroked her wild mane of golden locks. "You can't choose Roddy either, cause it won't help."
There it was: the blonde's tell. He's seen it enough times to know something was off, and he wasn't the only one who knew it.
"My dear sister, Yang." Finger poised, Ruby stomped forward. "Are you implying that you don't want to be on the same team as me?"
Uh, oh.
"W-what? No! Of course I do!" She looked at anything other than into those silver eyes. "I just thought—oh, I don't know. Maybe it would help break you out of your shell!"
Ruby gasped as if someone ate the last cookie in the cookie jar. "What the—I don't need to break out of my shell!"
Without a word, Roderick sped to his locker on the other side of the room and bumped into a blonde guy in armour, knocking him off balance and smashing his skull into a locker.
"Oh, crap, sorry!" Roderick's face warmed as he helped him to the nearest bench. "Are you alright?"
He groaned and gave a thumbs up.
"Excuse me," said a familiar voice. "I saw what happened. He's not hurt, is he?"
Roderick stiffened at the sound of her voice.
A mix of joy and fear pulsed in his chest, and the only person in the world who could do that to him was at Haven Academy on another continent.
That meant this was either a weird coincidence or. . . Oh, no.
Roderick came face to face with whoever was behind him, and a part of him died at the pair of widening emerald eyes and long flame red hair tamed in a high ponytail.
Her hands fluttered to her mouth. "Roderick?!"
Before he could make a safety gap, the tall, muscular woman in a leather corset and bronze armour rushed and lifted him in the air.
He gasped and wheezed.
"Oh, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." Pyrrha dropped and embraced him into a softer less lethal hug. "I wanted to surprise you!"
"I, um. . ."
"It feels so good to finally see you again." She flashed a brilliant smile. "I missed you!"
"Uh. . ."
She jabbed his arm. "We should catch up later. How about a spar for old times sake?"
"Yeah," he said and gulped his shock, "that sounds. . . great?"
"Hold on a minute!" Weiss jumped in and pushed them apart. "Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?"
Roderick sighed. "A friend."
"We went to Sanctum Academy together," Pyrrha said.
"You did?" Weiss held him under a microscope. "If you're the person I'm thinking about, then that means your Roderick Hill. You graduated second of your class just beneath Pyrrha."
"Yup."
"The same person who placed second to her four years in a row at the Mistral Regional Tournament?"
His eye twitched. "Yup."
"Then you're the one they call Maverick," her eyes widened, "the only person who's ever landed at least a single blow against her in every match you had together!"
He grimaced at the memories. "Yup."
She cleared her throat and extended a hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Weiss Schnee, and I hope we can become great friends."
Roderick perked at the sound of her last name. "As in heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, Schnee?"
If she really was a Schnee, he was standing in the presence of royalty. Things like that tend to happen when people make it big gathering and developing Dust, humanity's greatest natural resource and weapon against the Creatures of Grimm.
"Indeed, I am the heiress to my family's company." Weiss graced him with a smile. "Also, if you don't mind me asking, would either of you talented people be eager in becoming my partner?"
Roderick scratched his brow. "Uh, sure?"
Pyrrha shrugged. "That would be grand."
"Great!" Weiss said.
She turned away, snickering to herself like a madwoman.
Maybe it was best to reconsider being her partner.
"You know what else is great, me, Jaune Arc." The blonde guy popped up beside Weiss. "Nice to meet ya, Snow Angel."
The heiress facepalmed. "You have to be kidding me."
Now that Jaune was up and running, his gear became more apparent, and to say it was underwhelming would be a courtesy.
The make and design of his chestplate and spaulders were cheap, dated, long overdue for repairs, and it didn't even look like it was the full set. However, the scratches around the crossguard and the discolored leather on the handle of the longsword at his side were a good sign.
If he knew how to use the sword then the armour wasn't much of a concern. Also, would it kill the guy to not use jeans that were shredded by a dog or a hoodie that's never met an iron?
"Hello, Jaune." Pyrrha stepped forward and waved. "It's nice to meet you."
"Yeah, yeah." Jaune moved past her and nonchalantly flexed his meatless arms at Weiss. "Now, I suppose I shouldn't be doing this, but I could pull a few strings for you to join Team Jaune."
Weiss' scowl put Roderick into motion.
"I'd quit if I were you." He tugged his hoodie. "Keep this up and you'll be slapped with a restraining order."
If there was such a thing as a confidence meter, Jaune's drained to zero. "Oh, hehe. Really?"
"Actually. I think teams are comprised of four people each," Pyrrha said.
"You don't say?" That confidence meter sparked to full, and he slid closer to her. "I don't know if there are any spots left on the winning team, but I could make an exception, hot stuff."
Pyrrha flinched, pink splashed over her cheeks, and Roderick tried not to smile.
"This reminds me of the time you did the box cover for Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes," he said.
Her blush deepened. "I thought we agreed never to bring that up again."
"That's you!" Jaune gasped like a kid who won a toy. "But they only do that for cartoon characters and star athletes!"
"Yeah, it was cool." Her nose wrinkled. "Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."
It couldn't be more far from the truth. That stuff was more like wet sugar than actual cereal.
"After hearing that," Weiss smirked and crossed her arms, "do you think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"
Jaune's confidence meter dropped to an all time low. "I guess not. Sorry."
Roderick clenched his teeth, and the ever so friendly Pyrrha glared a little hole into the side of Weiss' head.
"Don't worry, Jaune," Pyrrha held his shoulder, "I think you'll make a great team leader."
He gushed, and his confidence meter nearly blew the roof. "Oh, stop it."
"You shouldn't encourage him like that." Weiss examined her nails. "That's exactly the kind of attitude that'll get him—"
"Lady Weiss?"
Weiss went rigid and gawked at a brown haired guy in a silver vest a few lockers down. "Stiofan? What are you—"
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon cliff for initiation, immediately," a voice said through the intercoms.
Weiss snapped out of her trance, excused herself, and brisked to the exit.
The brown haired guy went to follow but thought better and returned to his locker.
"What do you think that was about?" Jaune said.
"I don't know," Pyrrha gestured to the exit, "but we should get going."
-----
For some reason, everyone was lined up on bouncy metal squares while Headmaster Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, and a death drop into an endless expanse of hazardous woodlands stood in front of them.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors," Ozpin said and ran his stoic gaze across them. "Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
Professor Goodwitch came forward. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard the rumours about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teams. . . today."
Someone down the line whined.
"This teammate will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," said the Headmaster. "It is in your best interest to be paired with someone who you can work with."
Roderick hummed.
Yang and Pyrrha would be his ideal partners, maybe even Ruby or Blake. Weiss was a definite no, and Jaune. . . Only if he had to.
Ozpin sipped whatever was in his mug. "That being said: the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
"What?!"
Roderick leaned a little out of line in time to see Ruby's world collapse in on itself.
"See, I told you!" Nora said.
Ren sighed and shook his head.
Not only did Roderick have to worry about personal choice flying out the window, but what did Ozpin mean by landing?
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest," Ozpin said. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die."
Roderick rubbed his ears to make sure they were working.
"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of the initiation." He made eye contact with the professor and then with them. "But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You'll guard that item as well as your standing and we'll grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Roderick got his hand up only about halfway before Ozpin cut him off.
"Good." He gestured to the plates. "Now take your positions."
Before Roderick could say anything, the sounds of rolling gears resonated underneath him, and the 'landing' Ozpin mentioned suddenly became vividly clear.
Click!
He sucked in a breath. "Oh, sh—aaaaahhhhhh!"
Without trying to look like a flying idiot, he came up with a plan on the fly (no pun intended), brandished his sword, Rex, impaled a tree, and pulled the trigger.
The two foot long blade held together by an elastic cord popped apart into segmented pieces, and he swung low to the ground. He held the trigger again to reel the black metal into one solid piece and fell into a roll.
"Okay," Roderick said and dusted his jacket, "that sucked."
He used the sun to guide him north and weighed the pros and cons about who his future partner would be.
Pyrrha and Yang were his first choices. He's known them both for years, and they've both trained together a countless number—on second thought, nevermind. The sick churn in his stomach reminded him of what it was like being under the whims of a slave driver and a combat psycho.
Roderick shuddered. Never again.
If it came to it, Ruby could be his partner. They got along great. Then again, he's never seen her fight before, so she was a blank sheet to him in terms of skill.
Ugh. All this pondering gave him a headache.
Rustles and harmonious snarls in the bushes ahead grounded him to a stop, and Beowolves in a pack of five crawled from the green, hissing thick strings of saliva from their bared fangs and elongated tongues.
Of all the Grimm, why did it have to be the ones he hated the most? Even if it was his mind playing tricks on him, the sight of them made his left arm tingle.
Roderick touched Rex, and the closest Beowolf lunged.
A simple sidestep followed by a thrust of black metal into the ribcage ended that issue. The other four fanned further apart and charged at once. He transformed his sword into a compacted rifle and dropped a couple Beowolves with a few flashes of Dust. Loud strides came fast from the side. With Rex changed back to sword form, he whirled and lopped off its head.
Four down, one to go.
Roderick flicked the gunk off his blade and met eyes with the last Beowolf keeping a distance and biding its time.
The bushes rattled, and a red streak rocketed into its skull from directly behind the canine.
The same guy who referred to Weiss as 'Lady' in the locker room came out of the foliage. Except this time, he had pieces of armour along his arms and legs and a short, yellow spear with a black shaft similar to the longer red spear that pierced through the Beowolf.
Roderick lowered his sword. "Hey, there."
The guy stared with sharp teal eyes and smiled. "A pleasure to meet you. I see you've already encountered the enemy."
"Yeah." He approached him with an open hand. "The name's Roderick."
"Stiofan Ua Binn at your service." He shook hands and placed a fist over the middle of his chest. "From this day to our last, we are bound as partners. I hope not to disappoint."
Roderick probed his brain for something nice to say back. Too bad his brain failed at the start line.
"Uh, ditto?"
A few seconds of silence passed.
Head tilted, Stiofan placed a knuckle to his lip and laughed under his breath.
-----
Tannum "Cooper" Oakwood
-----
Cooper's rump was bloody sore.
After that Ozpin fellow sent them all flying tally ho, he landed on a tree branch. It would have been dandy if he hadn't slipped and fell a rather lengthy ways down, right on the cushion beneath his tail to boot!
Since then, he waddled through the forest for god knows how long, hoping the other students sailing through the sky were given the same misfortune as he was.
Smoke suddenly clawed his nostrils.
Cooper followed it past the trees and entered a clearing that may as well be a burnt, oversized, vegetarian steak.
"Who in the right mind did this?" he said and pinched his nose.
On the other side, something big, black, and furry wandered near the treeline. It looked like a bear, walked like a bear, and growled like a bear. Sadly enough, it was an Ursa. A Grimm that so happens to resemble a bear.
It roared and closed the wide expanse between them in seconds as if trying to say: hi, I'm gonna eat you now!
Cooper groaned and hopped aside, smacking his staff against its masked head. That didn't do anything except annoy it. He changed his staff into a bow and vanished from the naked eye.
The bear halted and spun around.
Cooper slipped the arrow magazine off his back, attached it to the bow, and hit the red button. A heated arrow ejected onto the arrow rest. He smirked and shot it between the Ursa's forelegs, blowing it sky high in a ball of flame.
"Alright." Cooper reappeared in sight. "Now that that's settled, where to now?"
RAWR!
A few Beowolves ran through the open field, ganging on a big fella who roughed them up in a complete one sided beatdown.
When a Beowolf tried for the big fella's flank. He spun around and punched a gust of wind. The mutt zipped across the clearing and crunched itself around the trunk of a thick tree, sticking out for a moment before toppling over in the shape of a horseshoe.
Jaw slacked, Cooper stiffened when the big fella eyed him and marched over. If he wasn't imposing enough from a distance, up close was simply bladder inducing.
"H-hiya, mate," he said and craned his neck back to see the man's face. "The name's Cooper."
The big fella stared at him through a mess of blonde strands. "Alexander."
Would it kill the man to at least look a little friendly?
Everything about him was the definition of intimidating. He had size something-over-twelve boots, dark washed jeans that a regular person could use as a sleeping bag, and that double collar vest failed to hide how the bronze t-shirt choked against his thick chest.
"I'm guessing we're partners now, eh?" Cooper said.
He nodded.
"Now that introductions are over with, let's find those relics, yeah?" He held a hand hovered over his eyes and scanned the horizon. "You know where they are?"
No response.
"Mate, I'm talk—Oi!"
Alexander buggered off in a random direction, and Cooper ran after him.
What a great start to a deep, meaningful, and beautiful friendship.
-----
Roderick Hill
-----
"And then what happened?" Stiofan said as he led the way.
Roderick scoffed. "She got mad and smacked me in the face with her shield."
"It's common knowledge to not strike a lady."
He rolled his eyes. "It was a tournament match. What else was I supposed to do?"
" ''The Invincible Girl.' " He pushed past a few more bushes. "I believe she takes pride in that moniker of hers."
"Well," Roderick rubbed his nose, "Pyrrha could've at least held back."
"I've also had my fair share of tournaments and the common rule is: never hold back." Stiofan stopped and raised a hand. "Wait a moment."
He glanced over his partner's shoulder. "What's up, man?"
"Tracks." He knelt and examined them. "These belong to a Karkadann, and they're fresh. An ancient one by the looks of it."
When Roderick got a better look, his heart dropped at how they were large enough for a few people to lay in.
"I suggest caution from this point on." Stiofan moved further into the thick foliage. "As long as we don't follow its tracks we should be safe."
Once they broke through, Stiofan stepped on a twig.
A squeal rang Roderick's ears like a bell.
In the long grass in front of them, the head of a rhino the size of a semi-truck rose and looked back at them with four hot beady eyes.
"Is that the Karkadann?" Roderick said in a low voice to not startle it.
"Indeed," Stiofan stared at his foot, "and I highly suggest we flee."
He raised an eyebrow, followed his sight, and nearly fainted.
Long, thin, slightly bent out of shape, and twitching, the thing under his partner's boot was not a twig.
It was the Karkadann's tail.