Boogeyman?

It was already lunchtime, and the cafeteria was filled with students. Holding their lunch, the leader of team RWBY and her sister walked near the table where their teammates and their sister team with an extra person following behind them.

"All right, friends… and Weiss," Ruby started, getting a "Hey!" from the resident Ice Queen.

"Meet our adoptive big brother, Alban Cygnus!" Ruby said while Yang was doing the ta-da pose. The yellow-haired bimbo is biting the choco cornet in her mouth.

It has been a while since the three of them had a heart-to-heart talk. The two sisters invited Alban to have lunch together with their friends.

After the talk, Ruby went back to her dorky self, and Yang was relieved to know that their mother's body was buried properly. But she is still wary of the whitehead. As for Alban, he was glad that he was welcomed into their family without any issues.

"Wait… Mister Cygnus is your adoptive brother?" Weiss stood up while slamming the table. It got some stares from the surroundings, but she was still in denial to notice that.

"That is true, Miss Schnee," Alban nodded, making Weiss slump back to her seat.

"But… But," mini Ice Queen.exe nearly stopped. She can't believe that her kind, talented, and good-looking teacher is related to these… these two buffoons.

"I wonder if there is still a place for one?" Alban asked, earning a nod from them.

"Hey, where is Jaune?" Ruby asked, making the members of team JNPR look at each other with troubled faces.

"He left after Cardin called him," Pyrrha sighed.

"Hmm?" Alban tilts his head. He… kind of remembers Jaune getting bullied by Cardin. It has been many years since he had reincarnated, and he doesn't remember much.

"So… what is Dust?" Ruby asked.

"Didn't you learn it in preschool?" Weiss shoots a glare toward the little reaper.

"EhHeHe," Ruby shrugged her shoulders and gave Weiss a helpless look.

"Listen here, you. Fire, water, electricity. It is the crystallization of nature's power! It's the foundations of our—,"

"AHHHH! I don't need the Schnee Dust Company speech!" Ruby cut off Weiss' explanation.

"The origin of the Dust is still a mystery though," Alban intruded into the talk.

"It helps us fight Grimm, so it can't be that bad," Yang said after stuffing a whole loaf of bread into her mouth.

"Sure, totally not dangerous. Like how the shops are selling those Dust even if we don't know where it comes from," Blake glanced a wary gaze toward the Specialist while pretending to read the book.

"OH! OH! How about the animals?" Raising her hand, Nora exclaimed. "The dead animals!" she continued.

All eyes turned toward her. "What?" She asked when she noticed all of her friends and the new teacher were looking at her.

"No… I just think it is so Nora-like," Yang chuckled, earning a small laugh from the ginger-haired girl from the group.

"Hmm?" Noticing the danger coming, Alban picked up his dish from the table. And not long after he did that, a human male flew through the air and landed on the table.

"Jaune?!" Looking at the male, everyone from the table recognized him. The one who flew in the air was Jaune, the leader of Team JNPR.

"Sorry, sorry," came the cocky voice from the side. "I threw the ball too far," a figure walked near them with an apparent smirk on his face.

"Cardin Winchester," Ruby gritted her teeth. But she turned her head toward Jaune and rushed toward him.

"Jaune… are you okay?" she asked in worry. His teammates are also by his side, wiping out the mess from his body.

"I'm fine!" He immediately pulled himself up from the ground. Looking around, he found Weiss. "So, Weiss, were you worried about me?" He tried to be a cool guy but failed miserably.

"Urgh," Weiss looks at him with a disgusted face. "Keep one meter away from me," she said.

Looking at the worried gazes coming from his teammates, Juane seems troubled. "I'm fine, guys! I just tripped over a large rock and fell over," he said.

"But!"

"Aren't you clumsy, Jaune? Hehe," Pyrrha tried to say something, but her voice was cut by the louder voice coming from Cardin. "I am very sorry about Jaunny boy here and me interrupting you guys," he said with a not so sorry tone.

"Ahem!" At that moment, Alban fake coughed so that he could get attention from the students around them.

"Mr. Winchester," he started. "I believe the cafeteria is not a place to play around," the whitehead continued.

"What you did wasted so much food," holding his pasta plate, Alban scolded the school bully. Years ago, he had to dig around the trash cans for food to eat. So, he was kind of disturbed to see Cardin wasting the food.

"That's what made you take action?!" He somehow heard Yang's voice from the back.

"But sir! It was Jaunne's fault!" Cardin protested.

"This might come out as biased but you did admit that you threw the ball too far. I get that it was Jaune's fault too for trying to catch it but it was primarily your fault for trying to play in here, Mister Winchester. If you don't try to play catch-the-ball in the cafeteria, none of these won't happen," Alban scolded the mace wielder.

"And Mister Arc," the white-haired teacher then turned toward the J of Team JNPR. "If there is someone who tries to make you do something you dislike, I believe there is always a word called 'No'," he said.

"I came here because it was lively here. But I believe you already got the situation under control," a calm and professional voice appeared from the other side of the room.

"Professor Goodwitch!" Ruby exclaimed as soon as she saw the figure of the blonde teacher.

"It's nothing. I'm just doing what I have to do," Alban scratched the back of his head.

"Now," Glynda smiled at him and turned toward the students, mainly team RWBY, JNPR, and Cardin. "You kids must be having a lot of fun, hm?" The smile was already gone when she turned her face toward the students.

"Students… I have already spoken about the quality of a hunter in the previous class," she started. "Nothing is more important for a hunter to devote themselves to improving their skills and to have belief in the skill they have," she continued.

"Yes, ma'am," the students replied in unison.

"However, the responsibility for that power goes hand in hand with that ideal. In any situation, one must ask themselves if they should use that power," the blonde professor lectured.

"And whether it is a place for such as well," Alban added from the side.

"That is correct," Glynda nodded at the whitehead.

"As long as I devote myself to my studies, it won't be a problem, right?" Cardin, with his usual cocky grin, asked.

"Yes, but…," Glynda agreed, her eyes then turning toward the youngest girl in the group. "Miss Ruby Rose," she started. "I believe you agree with me on the topic of using our skills responsibly," the blonde-haired teacher continued.

"That is correct, Professor Goodwitch," Poor Ruby… she was fidgeting under Glynda Goodwitch's gaze.

"Mister Winchester and Miss Rose, please follow me," Not explaining any further, Glynda Goodwitch ordered the two to follow her. "And as for Mister Arc," she turned her eyes toward Jaune.

"I'll take care of it, Professor Goodwitch," Alban volunteered.

Nodding at Alban, Glynda took off with Cardin and Ruby following behind her. Not knowing what Glynda prepared for Ruby, Alban tried to ask, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Now then, Mister Arc," he turned his head toward the blonde-haired boy.

"Yes?" The boy whimpered.

Alban smiled a little, "Don't be afraid, Mister Arc." Looking at the relaxed face of the boy, Alban added, "Please come to the Student Guidance Room after school ends."

"I understand, sir," Jaune's mood went down.

"Now, now, I am not strict like Professor Goodwitch, so you don't need to add 'sir'," he smiles.

"Professor Cygnus..." Weiss said, gaining his attention.

"Yes, Miss Schnee?"

"I..."

"All students and teachers, please come to Stadium A! I repeat! All students and teachers," Glynda's voice from the speaker boomed, interrupting what Weiss was trying to say.

"Ah... Professor Goodwitch is calling. Let's talk about it later, okay?" Alban apologized.

"I... I understand," muttered the SDC heiress.

"There you are, bro. Come on, let's go!" Yang suddenly appeared behind Alban and dragged him away. But not before sticking her tongue out at Weiss to taunt behind Alban's back.

And Yang's taunt worked successfully. The Weiss cream's face became red, and a vein popped on her forehead. "Yang!" she screamed and followed behind them while stomping her feet angrily.

Only then did the remaining member of team RWBY, Blake Belladonna, put down the book she had been using to cover her face and sigh in relief. "He's finally gone," she shuddered.

"He didn't notice me, did he?" she muttered, slumping down on her chair. Never in her life did she think that she'll have lunch together with the boogeyman.

Everyone from White Fang feared Alban Cygnus, including Adam. Yes, even Adam Taurus, who is hellbent on destroying SDC, does not dare to approach near Atlas and Mantle because the whitehead is always stationed around there.

Seeing that the cafeteria was almost empty, Blake stood up and followed the crowd. She then took place beside Yang, who was being glared at intensely by Weiss.

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Ruby Rose does not know what is happening right now. She followed because Professor Goodwitch told her to. And now, she is somehow standing inside the stadium, standing face to face against the school bully named Cardin Winchester.

Cold sweat is forming on her forehead. It is not because of the bully who is standing in front of her with a cocky grin on her face. Nope! It's just that… almost all the seats in the stadium are occupied.

"What do I do? I mean, do mock battles always have this much of an audience?" she mentally screamed.

Looking at where Professor Goodwitch was standing, she saw her adoptive brother standing there together with Professor Ozpin.

The little red grim reaper got her hopes up when she saw her brother talking with the strict teacher, thinking he was speaking for her. But her hopes were destroyed when he yelled, "Do your best, Ruby!"

"Ruby! Finish him in one hit!" she heard her sister Yang's voice coming from the crowd.

"I think… she looks a little bit off," Ruby's partner stated, making Yang freeze.

"Crap! I forgot that Ruby freezes up when in front of a crowd!" Yang screamed.

Yup! That is her dear sister, casually forgetting about her fear of crowds. Still looking around the surroundings, her head started to spin.

"What do I do?! Everyone's looking at me and even Cardin is glaring at me. I am scared!" Ruby started her mental breakdown. "How did it end up with me fighting in this situation? Wait! Where did Jaune go?!" she continued.

"Hey!" Cardin tried to get her attention, but Ruby was still in her little mental breakdown to notice that.

"Whoa… That's a handmade titanium bladed heavy mace. If that hits me, I'm doomed. Wonder what kinda gimmick it has. There's no mechanical part so the tip must react with his Aura somehow," with her mind totally shutting down, Ruby's focus turned to the weapon.

"Hey!" Cardin grew more irritated at how Ruby was acting.

"With its weight, depending on where it strikes, even a Death Stalker's exoskeleton could be… Now's not the time to analyze it!" Again, she screamed mentally. "I wanna go home. I wanna be that person who watches videos of kittens all day long on the internet," she added.

Can't take it anymore; Cardin flipped. "Hey! Stop freaking out! You hear me?!" he shouted at the fidgeting Rose.

"Huh?" That drew Ruby back from her little world. "I am sorry Mister Titanium Mace!" She apologized.

"IT'S CARDIN!" he shouted back. "Check it out! The team leader of team RWBY is all show!" He started his usual bullying again.

"Ruby, relax!" Weiss shouted from the front row. Ruby Rose doesn't know why but her partner's usual nagging voice is soothing today. "You're going to be a Huntress aren't you?!" Weiss' voice rang in her ears. "You are team RWBY's leader, aren't you?!"

"That's right," Determination appeared in Ruby's eyes.

"Begin!" Glynda started the match.

Ruby dodged the mace coming straight toward her head.

"Why did I want to become a Huntress?" she thought back to the question her brother asked in his class. He wanted to fight for all that is beautiful in the world.

But… What about her? Why did Ruby Rose want to become a Huntress? Was it because she wanted to follow her mother's steps? Was it because everyone in her family is a Huntsmen and Huntress?

No… she had admired Huntsmen and Huntresses for years. But when did it start?

"Didn't I just want to be a normal girl?" Dodging the incoming blows from Cardin unconsciously, Ruby laments.

Scenes flashed through her eyes. Yang was standing in front of her and shielding her from the Grimms protectively. And the scene where her Uncle Qrow jumped down from the sky to save Yang and her.

"Ah… that's right," Ruby nodded, not minding Cardin and his mace. "Since that time, I've always wanted to become a Huntress, to save people," she muttered.

With resolution in her eyes, Ruby moved forward. "That is also why I'm here at Beacon Academy. Swinging you, Crescent Rose," she swung the Scythe at Cardin. "Yes, here with everybody, my sister, brother, my friends and with my dear partner," she continued.

Using her Semblance, Ruby's counterattack starts! It didn't take long for her to make Cardin's Aura go under yellow. Cardin couldn't block a single attack after she got serious.

"The winner is Ruby Rose!" Announced her brother. Twirling her Scythe, she gave a gentle bow toward her friends and partner. Today, Ruby found a new determination to become a Huntress.

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Author's Note;

Wow, it has been months since I last updated this story. Well… what can I say? Nah, I'm not going to make any excuses.

As for the cafeteria scene, the one with the bunny is kind of overused, so I used the one from the manga.

Alban said almost nothing in this chapter, and the latter half of the chapter is about Ruby. And yes, there's a reason why Weiss acted as she did around Alban.

Poor Black Kitty Blake is scared shitless of Alban. What did he do to the White Fang? Well… that's for the later chapters.

Thank you, Kuro Okami, for the sweet illustration of Alban! He looks fantastic!