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[...]-[...]
POV: Blake Belladonna
"Good job, girls," Professor Doctor Oobleck commented as we finished off all the Grimm in the area.
They were just a few Beowolves, which didn't diminish the danger they posed, but for our team, it was an easy task at this point.
"Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal activity in this sector," he continued, completely ignoring the Grimm bodies that disappeared around us in black smoke.
"Well then, onwards," he concluded, turning and starting to walk away.
Why were all the Beacon professors like this? Do you need to have some kind of strange peculiarity to be hired there?
As the Doctor walked away, I collected Gambol Shroud and stored it. Ruby did the same with Crescent Rose, spinning the scythe until it compacted into a small red rectangle, which she placed at her waist.
The weight remained the same. How Ruby managed to carry that thing around all day was a mystery... How much leg and waist strength did she have to pull that off?
Was it because of her Semblance? She practically spent every moment not standing still running. She didn't walk or stroll but ran.
Even when she was sitting, she barely stopped moving her legs, swinging them up and down. Were the cookies giving her so much energy? Sugar as fuel?
Weiss sighed, pulling Myrtenaster out of one of the few Grimm bodies that hadn't disappeared and tucked it into her waist.
Yang didn't have the same problem, as she simply swung her wrists, turning Ember Celica back into two inactive bracelets instead of two gauntlets.
"Hey, Doc, I was kinda hoping to see a professional Huntsman in action," Yang commented as she started walking. "Like, fighting, or at least helping us fight."
Whether it was pure curiosity or a slight dig because the Doctor hadn't helped us in the fight, I couldn't tell, but knowing my partner as I did, it was probably both.
I started walking alongside Yang, both of us following Ruby, who had gone ahead, while Weiss followed.
The Doctor glanced around a few times before quickly looking back at us and responding.
"Oh, but I am in action..." He waved, pointing to the ruined buildings around us. "Exploring the ruins of this city, looking for any irregularities."
Doctor Oobleck turned to look at the four of us before continuing.
"Not all missions are just about heroism, girls. Sometimes it's just pure observation."
I had to agree; many of the missions I did in my... time, with the White Fang, involved gathering information to know where to strike before attacking.
Not to mention the reconnaissance. After all, we saw Devas undertake dozens of missions for the Guild, even though he mostly chose extermination and hunting missions. A few were just item or plant collection.
He had said that these missions, aside from a little break, were for him to familiarize himself more with the fauna and flora, as even though he had read about these plants in the library, seeing them firsthand was useful.
Firsthand information, going into the field, was always useful.
Doctor Oobleck paused for a few seconds, as if waiting for us to absorb the information, before continuing.
"Remember, this is a job, and you all chose it," he concluded. "I hope you understand that."
"Well, yeah..." My partner commented, unsure of what to say, before continuing, quickly glancing at me, then Weiss and Ruby who were ahead. "But of course."
I nodded and lightly nudged my partner's shoulder to get her to start walking again.
"Let's keep going." The others had already gone ahead.
[...]
POV: Yang Xiao Long
"Are these Grimm like cockroaches or something?" I heard Weiss complain. "They seem to pop up from any hole." Her audible sigh filled the air.
"At least they're not hallucinations..." I shuddered at the mere thought.
Hallucinations might not be as formidable as Grimm, but just thinking about those things following me in the corner of my vision, whispering and murmuring to drive me insane, gave me the creeps.
From the way I saw Weiss, Ruby, and Blake frown and squirm, I guess it wasn't just me who disliked even the possibility.
I retracted Ember Celica back into inactive mode and swung my arms, easing some of their tension.
Hours of fighting left anyone tired, at the very least tense... Well, almost anyone... Devas showed that with enough vitality, it was possible to keep fighting for hours and still be ready for the next one.
That or enough potions; juice always helped.
I almost felt sorry for the woman who went to bed with him; the guy must be tireless... Almost...
"Tell me, Yang." The Doc's voice pulled me out of my more... private thoughts, so to speak. "Why did you choose this line of work?"
"Huh?..." Why this question out of nowhere?... "Well, to fight monsters and stuff-" The Doc cut me off before I could continue.
"No, that's what you do. I want to know why you do it." He inquired, gesturing with his arms. "The real reason why you want to be a Huntresses."
"The real reason?..." I let my thoughts leak into my voice and thought for a few seconds before responding.
"I love the thrill." Fighting, moving, doing what I want, when I want, I've always loved that thrill. "I want to travel the world and get into as many crazy adventures as I can."
"And if I can help people with that, even better. It's the perfect scenario, you know?" As wrong as it might sound, I envied Devas a bit.
Not the fact that he had been kidnapped, essentially a civilian thrown into a dangerous world, but the fact that he could have any adventure he wanted!
In the short, long six months we watched the stream, Devas had ventured into dungeons, other worlds, killed zombies, fought against an army of goblins like in a real adventure story!
He had learned martial arts on a mountain, and even saved an entire city!... Of course, I knew it wasn't all perfect.
Devas had been thrown away from everything he knew, his family, as much as he didn't talk about them, his friends, and everyone he knew.
Just thinking about being forced to stay away from Ruby, my dad, Uncle Qrow, or even Zwei already made me feel queasy. Especially now that my "family" had expanded.
Blake was my partner, Weiss, as annoying as she was at first, had clicked with everyone; losing Team RWBY was something I never wanted to happen...
Funny... I said I envied Devas, but it was only the good parts of the situation he was in...
That was one of the reasons why I admired him; even lost, thrown away from any kind of safe haven, he still moved forward, never giving up.
"I understand..." The Doc pulled me out of my thoughts again, this time, a completely different kind of thoughts.
"Well, let's keep going; we still have a few areas to cover." He turned around, not saying anything else, and started walking.
"Are you okay? You seem thoughtful..." My partner approached me and asked in a low voice.
"Nothing... Just... Let's go, don't want to fall behind." I replied as I began to follow Ruby and Weiss.
I had never thought about it too deeply...
Why do I want to become a Huntresses?...
[...]
POV: Weiss Schnee
"And you, Miss Schnee..." I heard Doctor Oobleck's voice. "A young woman born with fame and fortune like you certainly doesn't need this job..."
I dodged the Beowolf's attack in front of me before impaling it with Myrtenaster, killing it and making it begin to dissipate into smoke.
"Why choose this over a comfortable job in Atlas?" He could have waited for the battle to end before talking to me... How rude!
I frowned a bit as I responded.
"It's as you said. I'm a Schnee; I have a legacy of honor to uphold." The legacy of my grandfather, of my ancestors.
"Once I discovered my ability to fight, there was no more doubt about what I would do in life." As much as my... progenitor stained the honor and reputation of my family, I was ready to reclaim it.
"It's my duty." Even though nothing bound me, I still considered it my duty.
This solidified even more after I met my team. Despite our initial disagreements, living with all of them had done me good, more than good.
I had learned a lot from each of them, both in conversations and actions, and it changed me, made me less... annoying... in Yang's words.
As vulgar as the language might be, I had to agree; I wasn't the best company at the beginning of the school year, I have to admit.
I thank Ruby for being as nice as she was, even though she was a brat sometimes...
Many times...
"Interesting..." was Doctor Oobleck's only response before he jumped off the wall he was on and continued walking.
Still, I was grateful to my partner from the bottom of my heart... Yang and Blake too. Without them, I would still be trapped in my little bitter and resentful box.
I still had my issues, but they no longer chained me; they were no longer a burden but a motivation...
I had seen someone turn fear into strength, desperation into hope... Why couldn't I do the same?...
[...]
POV: Ruby Rose
"Do you really have to shoot all these baby Nevermores?" I knew they were Grimms; the issue was: Why waste so many bullets?
This also drew unnecessary attention.
"I... got scared," Blake commented; I could see a slight blush on her cheeks.
I could almost hear Yang saying, "A scaredy-cat?" if it weren't for the presence of Doctor Oobleck.
Blake probably expected my sister to make some comments, as she glanced at her with narrowed eyes, only to realize that Yang wasn't even paying attention, lost in thought...
Was my sister thoughtful?... Is the world ending? Should I hide? I think I saw a relatively intact building to throw myself into and wait for the apocalypse to pass.
While waiting for the apocalypse, Doctor Oobleck looked inside the door that Blake had cut, making the baby Nevermores come out, and as he analyzed the inside of the building, he asked:
"And you, Blake? You seem to carry a purpose with you." Was this about being Huntresses?
"There are too many wrongs in this world to just stand by and do nothing," Blake replied. "Inequality, corruption... Someone has to put an end to all of this, whether it's a single person or a group."
Finishing her answer, I could see that she glanced briefly at the three of us—me, Yang, and Weiss.
Wow! She considered us as companions and allies in the crazy things she was thinking of doing!
I could almost see the weeks of detention... At least I could keep watching the stream...
"Very well. How?" Doctor Oobleck asked, making Blake frown in confusion.
"I..." She hesitated, unable to answer. "I don't know... But I'll find a way."
"Hmm... I see..." Doctor Oobleck replied, turning around and coming in my direction.
"Are you playing with Zwei?" He asked, confused, looking at the chicken thigh I held in my hand, out of Zwei's reach, who was trying to reach it.
"Me? No." I lied without hesitation. "I'm training his concentration." I pointed with my free hand to our family dog, who was entirely focused on the chicken in my hand.
"It's scary how her answers sound like Devas's..." I heard my partner murmur in the background.
"She just honed her skills by copying him; she already knew how to improvise like that since she was a child." Yang murmured in response.
"You needed to see how our dad would react whenever she made those puppy eyes of hers. I can't even count how many times she got away without punishment when she stole cookies using that technique." Traitor! Betrayed by my own flesh and blood! How could you, Yang?! Spilling my secrets like that!?
I ignored the conversation happening in the distance and focused on Doctor Oobleck.
"A good thought; that should help him concentrate in crucial moments." He nodded, approving my "training" technique.
I nodded in agreement and handed the chicken leg to Zwei. Improvising always worked; Devas was never wrong.
"Can we continue?" I asked. We had cleared this Grimm area already.
Doctor Oobleck declined. "No, I think that's enough for today. It will be dark soon." He looked at the sky, which was turning orange, and tossed the backpack he carried to Yang, who easily caught it.
"You three, set up camp in that building." He pointed without turning to the building where Blake had killed the baby Nevermores.
"And please, make sure there are no more Grimm inside. Your leader and I will secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby." Yang, Weiss, and Blake waved, turning to enter the building.
I followed Doctor Oobleck with Zwei walking quickly by my side, his little paws working tirelessly to keep up.
We walked for some time until we reached the edge of the city, where we could see the forest below the mountain and something else...
"Wow... What's that?" They were Grimms, that was obvious, but it was a type I had never seen before.
They were enormous, not as big as the Deerclops, but easily reaching ten meters in height, maybe more.
The Grimms also walked on four legs and had long fangs above their mouths and something resembling a trunk.
"That, Ruby, is a Grimm, to be more specific, one of the strongest Grimm species, the Goliaths." Doctor Oobleck answered.
Oh... My fingers were itching to shoot them with Crescent Rose... But I refrained; it would be foolish to pick a fight with those Grimms, especially so many of them and when we weren't at a hundred percent.
We had fought all day, even though it was only Beowolves and some other species here and there, it had worn the team down a bit.
The Goliaths also, for some reason, didn't seem aggressive; they just walked in a calm group from a distance.
"Why don't they attack?" I asked. I could see that some of the smaller Goliaths glanced briefly in our direction, as if they could see us, but still, none of them seemed to want to attack.
"Not all Grimms are solely driven by instinct..." Doctor Oobleck replied. "Or rather, not all of them are still solely driven by instinct."
"The Goliaths are Grimms so powerful, so superior to the Grimms you and your team killed today, that they undoubtedly must be hundreds of years old." He continued the explanation.
"In that time, between killing humans, Faunus, and attacking our borders, they did one important thing... They learned..."
Learned?! Could Grimms learn?
"They learned that by attacking our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we compensate with determination." He seemed proud of this fact, that the people of Remnant, even weaker and in smaller numbers than the Grimms, still fought with everything they had.
"And that killing one of us, whether human or Faunus, only makes more..." One of the larger Goliaths turned at this moment, looking in our direction.
This one, I was sure could see us.
"So, why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?" I asked, staring back at the Grimm.
I knew I couldn't kill it, at least not with all the others, but I wouldn't back down from a staring contest.
The Grimm turned after a few seconds, averting its gaze. Silly as it might be, I couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that I won this "duel."
"Let's go." Doctor Oobleck turned, heading back to the building where my team was.
"Doctor Oobleck. I was wondering..." Before I could continue, he interrupted me.
"Why I interrogated your teammates all day?" He asked.
"Actually... No. I was wondering: Why did you want to become a Huntsman?" He didn't seem surprised by my question and gestured with his arm around.
"Look around and tell me what you see." I looked around for a few moments before responding.
"A bunch of old buildings..." Ruins. "Empty streets... Why?"
"I see lives that could have been saved..." Doctor Oobleck had a sad expression as he said those words. "As a Huntsman, it is my duty to protect the people." He continued to walk as he spoke.
"And, only being able to do so with conventional weapons. I believe I can have a much greater impact if I do it with my mind." I followed him in silence, listening to his words.
Zwei walked quickly by my side, jumping over some small rocks that he couldn't pass over.
"As a teacher, I can take knowledge. The most powerful weapon of all and place it in the hands of every student who passes through my classroom." A guide?... Teaching, because it would help many?...
"I look at this place and see lives that could have been saved... But I also see an opportunity. An opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy." He pointed to the ruins around us. "And then, grow stronger."
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it..." I murmured a phrase I had read in the stream chat, when Devas and Stark once argued about the difference in history between their worlds.
"A good phrase, Miss Ruby, you should write it down." He nodded proudly, as if I had said something important.
I had to hide my face with my cloak to conceal the embarrassment I felt for stealing someone else's words.
"I am a Huntsman, Ruby... Because there is nothing else in this world... That I would rather be." As tired as he looked when saying those words, I believed him.
Did all older Huntsmen and Huntresses have those tired eyes?... Were they the same as Dad's and Uncle Qrow's...
[…]
"Did you encounter any Grimm?" I asked, sitting around the campfire my team had made.
So warm...
"Nothing. Lucky us," Weiss remarked.
"No Grimm and no information about the mission." My sister sighed.
"We've always been lucky to be in the right place at the right time," Blake spoke, poking at the fire. "I guess you can't always rely on luck."
"That's not what I meant..." Weiss's voice was confused as she spoke, sitting around the fire beside me.
"Hmm?" Blake nodded for her to continue.
"Earlier, about having a legacy to uphold... It's that, but it's more than just that..." Yang seemed to agree.
"Yeah... No, I also... I mean... I don't know..."
Blake spoke next. "I don't know either... I know what I want to do, but... I thought it was better to take one step at a time..."
"Well, never mind. We know why we're here, right?" None of the three were sure what to answer.
"And you, Ruby, did Doc question you too?" My sister asked me after a few seconds of silence. "I mean... What did you say?"
"Huh? No, he didn't ask me... True, that's strange..." Why wouldn't he ask me?...
Weiss interrupted our conversation, or rather, her stomach did, growling.
"Hungry?" I asked.
"A bit..." My partner replied, slightly embarrassed. "Let's have dinner and go to sleep. Who takes the first watch?" She asked.
"I'll take it, girls, you need to rest, we have a long day tomorrow, a lot of ground to cover," Doctor Oobleck's voice came from above, where he had set up a small bed for himself.
A few minutes later, with Doctor Oobleck on watch, we spread our sleeping bags and started eating.
It wasn't the best of meals since it was canned food, but it was still good... I wish I had a VoidBag too! Darn...
I wasn't pouting... Not at all...
We stayed silent while eating, the only sounds in the environment being Zwei's paws hitting the ground, the crackling of the fire, and the distant howls of Beowolves.
After a few minutes, we lay down to sleep, but when I was about to drift off, my dear sister decided to start a conversation...
"Blake, are you awake?" Yang asked in a low voice.
"Yes, why?..." Blake murmured.
"Why do you think Doc questioned us about being Huntresses? Like, where was he going with that?" Maybe he was just curious?...
"Maybe he was just curious?" Blake spoke, as if reading my thoughts...
I hope not, or I'll have to change the places where I hide my cookies...
"Do you really think so?" Yang asked.
"No..." Blake quickly replied.
"Weiss... Are you awake?" My sister asked, turning to my partner, who responded slightly irritated.
"Of course I am, you two are talking right beside me!" It was amazing how she could shout and mumble at the same time.
"And I think he..." Weiss began. "When I said I wanted to honor my family's name... It was true, but..." She sighed, frustrated and angry, but at the same time sad.
"I'm fully aware of what my father did with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took over, our business has been operated in a..."
"Cruel?" I spoke for the first time in the conversation.
"Inhumane?" Yang tossed her ten Lien.
"Evil?" Blake commented.
"I was going to say... Morally questionable, but yes, that works." Weiss finished.
"Talk about sugarcoating." Blake turned around, lying on her stomach with her butt in the air.
Weiss stood up, looking at her after the comment Blake made.
"Yes... But that's because I want to fix things." Weiss leaned on one arm. "If I had accepted a job in Atlas, it wouldn't change anything..." She sighed.
"My father didn't start our lineage... I refuse to let him be the end of it..." Blake sighed but gave a slight smile.
"I believe in you..." She said before continuing. "All my life I fought for what I thought was right..." She hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue or not, but she did.
"I had a partner... His name was Adam." Blake's gaze became slightly distant, as if recalling a memory.
"More like a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world better..." I think I know where this is going...
"But, of course, his idea of a perfect future ended up being... Far from perfect... To say the least..." Her cat ears flattened under the bow she wore on her head.
"Fighting fire with fire is one thing... Death with death is not..." Blake murmured with her face buried in the travel bag's pillow.
"I entered Beacon because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were seen as the noblest warriors in the world... Always fighting for good..." Blake's voice was muffled.
"But I never thought much beyond that... About what I would do after leaving Beacon... How can I endure so many years of hatred?..." Even muffled, her voice was painful.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," my sister commented. "After all, you're not alone... We're a team, aren't we? We've never backed down from a challenge; this won't be the first time."
Before Weiss or I could make any comments, Blake continued, lifting her face, which was slightly wet on the side of her eyes with small tears.
"But... That's not what I've been doing... What I've always done..." Blake sighed.
"If it weren't for the stream, for Devas, I wouldn't have talked to you about being a Faunus... And when the secret was discovered, I'd probably run away... As I always did." She seemed irritated by this fact and at the same time sad.
"When I realized that my oldest partner turned into a monster... I ran. Even my Semblance..." She laughed, a self-deprecating laugh. "I was born with the ability to hide behind my own shadow... A copy would take the blow... While I ran..."
"If that's the case, me too." I spoke next. "My Semblance is something that speeds me up to flee." Before Blake or anyone else could speak, I continued.
"But I can also run forward, accelerated forward, instead of running away... Accelerated to save someone, instead of running..." I still remembered the feelings I had when I discovered my Semblance...
I wanted to run, a vague thought of: "What if I could have reached mom? Could she still be alive?..." If I were stronger back then, faster... Better...
It's foolish, silly, I was just a child, but the thought still persisted... What if I could have stopped her from going on that mission?
"It's the same with you, Blake. Your clones are distractions; what you choose to do afterward depends on you, only you." Run or fight...
It always came back to that question, didn't it?...
My thoughts were interrupted by a heavy weight falling on my back, followed by the sensation of two cushions, namely, my sister's breasts, when she hugged me.
"My dear Rubaby... When did you learn to talk like that?" She asked, poking my cheek with her finger, a finger she had to quickly pull away when I tried to bite it.
"Even though I'm the youngest, I'm still the leader of our team, and I take my job seriously." I replied to my sister, and with all the seriousness I could muster, I stuck my tongue out at her.
Yang, along with Weiss and Blake, laughed, and I ended up laughing too. The atmosphere had lightened... That was good.
"Get off me; you're heavy." I commented to Yang.
"Are you calling me fat?" Her eyes briefly glowed red.
"Yes, now get off." I replied without hesitation, making Yang hug me even tighter.
"No, you're warm; I'm going to sleep here." She laughed before sighing and returning to the previous topic.
"You two." Yang nodded with her chin towards Weiss and Blake. "At least you two have something driving you. I'm always kind of going with the flow, you know?..." She let silence take over for a few seconds before speaking again, her voice filling the noise of the crackling flames.
"And it's okay with that, I mean, that's who I am... But how long can I keep going like this?..." Yang sighed.
"I can't adapt to everything... to every situation..." She commented, and for some reason, I felt she was talking about Devas.
"I want to be a Huntresses... But not because I want to be a hero, like my dear sister here..." Yang poked my cheek again with her finger.
I only didn't bite it because the subject was serious, but next time...
"But because I want an adventure... I want a life without knowing what tomorrow will bring... That would be great... Being a Huntresses by chance fits into that." Yang commented, still hugging me.
"Ruby always wanted to be a Huntresses." My sister's voice had a hint of amusement, which happened when she teased me, even when the subject was serious.
"Since she was a child, she dreamed of being like the heroes in books, helping people and saving the day, without asking for anything in return." I felt my face warm with Yang's words.
It was the fire, I'm sure; I wasn't embarrassed...
"Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. So, she trained so hard to get where she is today."
"That and stopping Torchwick's robbery..." I murmured, to which Yang laughed, a relieved laugh.
"A thought a child would have." Weiss teased.
"I may be the youngest, but I'm still the team leader." The stern look she gave me was worth it.
"Even so, Ruby isn't a child... She's only two years younger than us." Blake commented, more relaxed this time. It seems like the conversation had helped her.
"Well, not anymore, none of us is a child anymore..." Yang's voice came from above me. Pretty soon, I'm going to start not feeling my legs...
"I mean, look where we are." Yang pointed to the surroundings. "In the middle of a war zone, armed to the teeth."
"It's the life we chose." Blake commented.
"It's a job." Weiss replied, supporting her body with both arms, instead of one as it was before.
"We all have this romanticized view of what it means to be a Huntresses in mind... But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect people." Weiss looked at the hole in the wall, at the night sky.
It's funny how none of us had commented that the moon was broken before seeing the stream... To us, it being like that was normal before seeing a whole one...
"And whatever we want will have to take a back seat." Weiss sighed. "We can't hesitate, not when lives are at stake."
"Well said." Yang spoke before yawning. "It's late... Let's sleep, we need to change the watch shift in a few hours; I don't want to be woken up by a Grimm because one of you didn't see it as you were sleeping."
"Speak for yourself; I would never fall asleep on watch." Blake covered herself. "But you're right. Good night, girls."
"Good night." Weiss replied, covering herself to sleep.
"Good night." Yang responded, pulling MY blanket and covering herself along with me.
"You're not leaving, are you?" I asked.
"Nope." She replied poking my cheek...
"Could you please let go of my finger?" Yang asked, trying to hide the pain she felt from my bite.
I pointed to the side. If she wanted to sleep here, it shouldn't be on my back!
When she turned, lying down next to me, I stopped biting her finger.
"Good night, everyone." I finally commented as I yawned.
Tomorrow will be a better day...
Good night, Devas... I spoke in thought, before closing my eyes to sleep, embraced by short and sweet dreams...
[...]---[...]
A chapter focused on Team RWBY, just to provide some "context" to certain things.
Regarding the release date of the next chapter, unfortunately, it won't happen. My internet is having issues, and I'll need to go fix that since the WiFi signal suddenly decided to die. So, I can't guarantee anything at the moment.
As always, a good night and happy reading to everyone!