Initiation

1st Person PoV

I woke up with groggy eyes because Nora woke up someone not far from me, saying that it is already morning in a sing-song manner. I looked to the other side to see Ren waking up while Nora is pestering him with her talkative and energetic state.

'Poor Ren...'

I got up to stretch my arms a yawn, then I turned around to fix my sleeping bag.

While I was nearly finishing my work, I noticed both Yang and Ruby are still asleep in their bags even though the others are starting to clean up the ballroom and prepare themselves for the upcoming initiation, I wasn't going to leave those two behind, so I walked towards the sleeping sisters and...

"Ruby, Yang, wake up," I said.

"Ngnh... Five more minutes..." Ruby moaned as her phase goes back to sleep.

I tried to nudge them, drag them from their bags, but the two were deep asleep that it is almost impossible to get them up, unless...

'Yes... That might work.' I thought that my face gained an evil grin.

Bracing myself, I crouched down and whispers the magic words to Ruby.

"Rubyy... Cookies don't exist anymore. I. Ate. The-"

"AHHHH NOOO!! SPIT IT OUT!" Ruby jolted up from her bed, screaming as I narrowly avoided the clutch of her hands going for my neck. "Oh... Wha- What happened? Are my precious cookies gone?" Ruby worriedly asks.

"Calm down. I had no choice but to use those magic words to wake you up, all that because you slept like a log and so as Yang." I replied, pointing my finger at the still-sleeping Yang Xiao Long. "Now, how do we wake her up?"

"Uhmm..."

Ruby mutters something indistinctly, shaking her head sometimes and within her muttering before her face suddenly lightened up. "Oh, oh! I know what you'll be going to do!" Ruby stated.

•••

"What the-- Is the scissors that necessary, Ruby?" I said to her with a skeptical look as the young Ruby Rose handed me a scissor.

"Of course, it will work!" Ruby replies, then she turns around and said something under her breath.

"We should wake her up or we'll be late," I said calmly. "Right... Here we go."

I observed the peaceful Yang, sleeping, as I knelt next to her and sneakily grabs a strand of her golden hair.

"And I'm going to cut this?" I turned my head, asking her. Ruby nods as I prepared the scissor in my hand.

*SNIP*

Yang's eyes opened in anger, grabs my arm that has the scissor, and gave me a deathly stare. That's when I realized what Ruby planned to do.

"Ah, shit..."

•••

×Several Minutes Later×

We are now in the locker room to grab our gear and weapons. Ruby is still giggling at the fact that she tricked me by nearly cutting Yang's hair. She explained that I deserved it since I fooled her by abruptly waking her up with the cookie threat.

It turns out that Yang HATED anyone--, ANYONE that would dare to cut her hair and they will be beaten to a pulp.

Thankfully, that didn't happen to me as I quickly jumped away from Yang's grasp and I quickly clarified that it was Ruby's idea and not mine.

"I swear, you two are going to give me headaches. Especially you, Gremlin." I said to Ruby that is in the opposite row.

"You attempted to threaten my cookies, so I almost had my revenge on you."

"By sacrificing me to Yang as a punching bag?"

"I didn't say anything."

I was about to close my locker when I noticed the picture of us three together; Stephen, Donna, and I doing some poses at a party in Kamar Taj.

I also had the pictures of Wong, the Young Avengers, the X-Men, and the 4th wall breaker, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool as the photo shows the two of us wearing his signature Deadpool mask.

I nearly laughed at the memories etched on those photos, but my smile shifted into a frown as I knew that I had no chance to go back to Earth even if I wanted to.

'Damn Mordo and his coup!'

I slammed my locker shut and placed the Staff of the Living Tribunal on my back holster, wearing the Sling Ring, the Boots of Vaultorr, and I told the Cloak of Levitation to disguise itself as a thin scarf, wrapping it around my neck.

With my dark green sorcerer's robes that are adaptable to the forestry environment, I nod to myself and check the other individuals present in the room.

I see Yang and Ruby having a conversation near the benches.

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?" The voice of Yang Xiao Long suggested something to her sister.

"Team? What team?" I said, joining in their conversation and appearing behind Ruby.

"I still remember what you and Ruby nearly did to my hair."

"And I told you, it was Ruby's idea to use your hair. I didn't realize it at the last second."

"Yeah, right." Yang rolls her eyes while Ruby quickly changes the topic.

"Wait, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Ruby asked as she approached Yang and stares with an angry look.

"Wha-What?! No! Of course, I do, I just--" Yang pauses. "I don't know... Maybe it would help you break out of your shell?"

"I don't need to break out from my shell, that's absolutely pre-pre a--uhh..."

"— Preposterous?" I helped.

"Yes, that word. Thank you!" Ruby points out. "And if I'm the only one here in Beacon younger than anyone else, then I don't want to be the 'special' type of girl! I just want to be a normal girl with a normal knees..."

Yang and I looked at each other, giving her some time to calm herself, as I heard Jaune making some moves to someone on the other locker room row.

"Yeah, yeah. So, Weiss... Couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day." Jaune said with intentionally flexing his arm to someone.

It appears that Jaune is talking or rather-- flirting at Weiss while Pyrrha is behind them, listening.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me." The irritated Weiss grumbles, crossing her arms and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed! And I've been hearing rumors about teams, how about-- you and me as a team, huh? Like a match made in heaven, what do you say?"

Pyrrha chimes into their conversation with her point about the team making.

"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-"

"You don't say, but-"

"-That's the truth." I interrupted, showing myself behind Pyrrha and standing next to her. "I hate to break something for you, Johnny-boy, but you and Weiss will be a match made in hell... a frozen hell.

"What do you mean by that, Matthew?" Jaune asks.

"Perhaps she could tell the reason behind it." I replied while my finger is pointed at the back, towards Pyrrha.

Before Pyrrha could spoke, Weiss slides in between us and glares at me.

"Do you both have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel." Jaune responds.

"Jaune, I swear I will drop-kick you in the face if you don't stop your flirting. We're having some civil conversation here." I warned him, that made him to shut up for a second.

"This is Pyrrha."

"Hello again!"

"She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum."

"Never heard of it." We both said, while I shake my head and Weiss scoffs with our lack of knowledge.

"She won the Mistral Regional Tournament 4 years in a row... A new record!"

"A what?"

"Tournament, Jaune. Are you deaf?"

Weiss was now annoyed and she rapidly waves her hands in anger.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box! Are you dolt?!"

"What's a Pumpkin Pete?" I said softly.

The trio looked at me in shock. And it looks like I fooled myself. Jaune gasps, not on me that I did not know what a Pumpkin Pete is, but when he realized that Pyrrha was in there.

Weiss is relatively annoyed, her eyebrow is twitching while Pyrrha, on the other hand, giggles at my humor.

"Are. You. Serious...?" Weiss slowly stated in surprise. "You are really a dolt. You don't know what a Pumpkin Pete is?! It is one of the most recognizable cereal in all Remnant!" Weiss shouted.

"Look, Snow White, I was just messing with you. Of course, I know what a Pumpkin Pete cereal was! What am I, a loner?"

"Hmph!" Weiss crosses her arms and turns away.

Jaune was about to say something when we heard the crackling noise from the speakers, rings.

"Would all first year students, please report to the Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all--"

I dragged a frozen Jaune away from the girls, departing away from them.

"I guess we'll be going to see you guys at the initiation?"

"I would rather not." Weiss muttered.

"With that attitude of yours, you're not going to have your own team." I stated.

"And what if I will?" Weiss turns around to face me, with her hands on her waist.

"Let's have a bet. If you fail to be on a team, then you will be my servant for three days."

"What?! That's ridiculous!"

"Okay, then here is the catch... If I fail to join a team, then I will be your servant for the whole week, happy?"

Weiss ponders the risk for a second before we shake hands to the bet.

"Deal."

"Then I'll see you girls at the initiation. Remember our bet, Weiss." I said as I turned around, leaving them with a grin on my face.

Oh, I'm definitely going to win.

Entitled shits like her would be needing some correction to learn how to respect other people's status and lives.

+++++

All of us are standing side by side near the cliff, with a silver tiles underneath us as the jumping platform. Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Glynda is in front of us, to give a word.

Dozens of students are with me and around as the Headmaster starts his opening speech. The wind from the cliffs blew between us and as I scanned around the area, I noticed a nervous Ruby Rose, a confident Yang, a calm Blake and a focused Weiss Schnee listening to the Headmaster.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." Glynda Goodwitch explains. "Each of you will be given teammates... Today."

I see.

So Ozpin wanted to remove their hopes to form a team before the initiation, and let them pray that they will be in the lucky group.

Clever...

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

The rest of our time in Beacon??

Best to avoid and spy some selected people, then.

"-That being said..." Ozpin looks at me, while he sips his coffee and follows it with a grin. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years."

"What?!" I heard Ruby exclaiming and her world shatters, adding it with a shocked expression.

"After you partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, and do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... Or you will die."

Perfect...

I couldn't help myself but to grin at the thought of encountering the creature of Grimm on my first day here in Beacon.

Time to work on my magic then.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene. An abandoned temple is your goal at the end of the path, and it contains several relics for you to choose. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard the item, your standing, and we will grade you appropriately based on your performance.

Are there any questions?"

I raised my hand and Ozpin gestures me to speak.

"Headmaster, I counted the total number of students here and... if the teams are up to a four-man team; then there will be only be a one man team left alone. Is there a possibility of a one-man team?"

The other students in concerning murmurs as Ozpin chuckles, he sips his coffee first before answering my question.

"Time will tell, Mr. Strange. We will see..."

Clever Ozpin...

I knew it, he won't going to tell the full details regarding the initiation. And I need to play my cards right If I wanted to be on a four-man team, or to be a solo.

But I know deep behind those lines of his, Ozpin is hiding a surprise... I wonder what is it?

"Now, take your positions." Ozpin declared, after he ignored Jaune.

All of us prepared ourselves as I am next to Jaune and Ruby, Jaune was still asking some questions to Ozpin nervously and one by one, students are being catapulted up to the sky.

"S-Sir... So, this landing strategy thing--uh, what is it? Y-You're like, dropping us off or something?"

"No, you will be falling."

"O-Oh... I see. So, like, did you hand out some parachutes for us?"

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy."

"Cut the nervous chattering, Jaune and think of a way to land safely." I whispered to him and that made him quiet.

"But I don't have a parachute!" Jaune replied.

"That's your problem." I said with a shrug.

Yang winks at me and to Ruby before she got launched into the sky, with aviator glasses equipped.

"See you on the other side, Gremlin!" I shouted as Ruby flung high to the sky.

"Johhny-boy... You're fucked up as shi-!!"

*Catapult noises*

++++++

3rd Person PoV

Both teachers watched the kids flying above with Jaune still yelling about his landing strategem. With the empty field in the cliffs, Ozpin enjoys sipping his coffee while Glynda proceeded to look on her tablet.

"I love my job." Ozpin stated.

++++++

Minutes in the air, later...

The calm skies of Remnant, with the lush trees of the Emerald Forest acting as the sole reason why the view is beautiful and green. We can see flying teens being separated inch by inch, scattered across the forest as the proceeded to make their own landing.

Matthew is seen with arms crossed as he waited for the moment until he was near the tallest tree he could find. Using the Boots of Vaultorr, he jumped in the air by using the sides of the tree to slow his descent, flipping and tumbling before he landed gracefully on the ground like a gymnast.

"And Matthew Strange sticks the landing!" Matthew did a cheering whispers and chuckles. "Gotta thank Wade for teaching me that kind of 'superhero landing' bullcrap." He said further as he placed his hand on the ground and closes his eyes.

"Grimms are creatures feeding to negative energy, so if I do this..."

Matthew let out negative feelings and emotions inside of him that attracted a dozen of Grimm in his location. He opens his eyes, hearing some growling from the treeline and he saw it.

Their glowing red eyes from the dark bushes appears and Matthew could see that he is surrounded by them. He identifies three Ursa and nine Beowolves as they all revealed themselves in a menacing way.

If the Grimm could only talk, they would mock the sorcerer that he is surrounded by them and he is their lunch.

Matthew smiles at his successful plan to lure the Grimm to him. Pulling out the Staff of The Living Tribunal from his dominant hand, it morphs into a heavy flail with the end of it glows in eldritch magic, acting as the spike ball. He also summons a Tao Mandala in his left hand as a shield and with a grin; he looked at the creatures of Grimm and chuckled.

"Let give those two Professors a one hell of a show to watch, shall we?"