7 Initiation - Volume: 1

Locker Room

Bell's POV

While prepping for initiation, I opted for comfort over protection, choosing a light gray sweatshirt, comfy black joggers, and Remnant's equivalent of white chucks. With my katana securely strapped to my back, I also grabbed a pair of sunglasses – gotta keep these eyes hidden.

As I gazed into my locker, my eyes fell on a small pack. It contained my spider legs, a work in progress that was still under wraps, I can't wait to use them but I can't. Bell Parker couldn't reveal the full extent of his powers and weapons just yet. Right now, it was all about showcasing super strength, lightning-fast reflexes, amazing agility, and mastery of the katana. They'll see what Bell Parker could do, for now. Spider-Man would have to wait for his debut.

I make my way over to where Ruby and Yang are, catching them in the middle of a heated argument about Ruby needing to "break out of her shell."

"That's absolutely ridiculous, Yang! I don't need to break out of my shell!" Ruby declares, her frustration evident.

"Okay, okay, Ruby, relax. I'm just saying..." Yang tries to defuse the situation, but her words don't seem soothing to Ruby.

As I approached, Yang noticed my attire and couldn't help but comment, "Hey, Bell, nice get-up! Why so comfy?"

I flash a confident grin and reply, "Oh, you know, this initiation is going to be a walk in the park, so I decided, why not relax and wear something nice."

Yang raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Oh, really? You wouldn't mind taking on all the big, bad Grimm, then?"

I shrug, my confidence undeterred. "Nope, it's just extra practice for me."

It really is more practice I'm basically a fully trained huntsman, and I could give Qrow a run for his money. Instead I'll probably just watch Owen and see how he fights get a first-hand view of his fighting style, or check if anything new happens like in fanfiction in my past life, always something new or different to the story.

That makes me wonder how much has changed since I got here, I know I somehow caused Owen to exist, did anything else change? maybe, but I'll see if any changes were made eventually.

We continue chatting and soon make our way to the cliff where the initiation is set to take place. But something catches my eye.

Lockroom Section C

Weiss POV

Me and Pyrrha were getting ready at our lockers.

"So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" I remarked.

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may," Pyrrha replied.

"Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together,"

"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha agreed.

"Great!"

The background seemed to disappear into a thundercloud as Weiss adopted a scheming pose with a manic smile.

This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! And with Owen, together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!

Jaune pops in next to me and Pyrrha.

"You know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you," Jaune says.

"You again."

"Nice to meet you, Jaune," Pyrrha says, stepping into his view.

Jaune then moves past Pyrrha and toward me.

"Yeah, yeah. I couldn't help but hear your fondness of me yesterday," Jaune says while flexing his bicep in display.

Suddenly a figure clad in blue stands before me, facing Jaune. I recognize him, and the person speaks.

"Leave or I'll cut you down," he says.

"Oh, Owen, you're here," I say, hoping to finally have Jaune leave us.

Jaune then gets nervous, stumbles over his words, and kind of freezes in place. Owen takes a step forward toward Jaune, intending to hurt him, but something quickly pulls Jaune away.

"Finally he's gone," I say.

Exit of the Lockeroom

Bell POV

Moments before...

As I'm about to leave the locker room, I spot Jaune facing away from me, and he's next to Weiss, Pyrrha, and Owen. Something seems off; Jaune appears nervous, and Owen is advancing with a not-so-nice-looking face at Jaune.

"Oh, this isn't good," I mutter under my breath.

Thinking on my feet, I swiftly web the back of Jaune's armor, smoothly pulling him towards me. With a deft motion, I pick him up, and we exit from the locker room. Once we're outside, I set Jaune down on the floor. He blinks, clearly confused about how he ended up outside.

"Smooth exit, huh?" I say, offering him a casual grin. "Figured you could use a break from whatever was brewing in there." Jaune looks around, still puzzled, and I chuckle. "Sometimes, it's just better to be outside the drama zone, you know?"

Jaune doesn't crack a smile at my attempt at humor. Not everyone's a fan of my comedic timing, it seems. Undeterred, I extend my hand, giving him a reassuring look.

"Come on, Jaune, let's bail before things with you and Owen get messier," I suggest, helping him up. His expression shifts from confusion to gratitude as he accepts my hand.

Beacon Cliff

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your ability will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin says

"now many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams, well allow us to put an end to your confusion, each of you will be given teammates... today," Glynda says

"Wa, nooooo," I hear Ruby moan

"These teams will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with whom you can work well," Ozpin says and takes a sip of coffee

"ah," Ruby again is not happy with this.

"That being said the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Ozpin says

Ruby seems to break from this, I then tap her shoulder and she is frozen from shock.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die," Ozpin's voice echoes, laying down the intense ground rules for our initiation.

Jaune, trying to lighten the tension, laughs nervously, the sound echoing through the solemn atmosphere. He follows it up with a gulp that could probably be heard a mile away. Ozpin's warnings are no joke.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, 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. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin finishes, his gaze sweeping across the assembled group.

"Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune's nervous voice cuts through the air, seeking clarification.

But Ozpin, seemingly unfazed, ignores Jaune's question and smoothly transitions. "Good! Now, take your positions."

Everyone assumes their battle-ready stances on their respective tiles. Nora crouches low, Ren brandishes his weapons, Yang raises her fists, and Ruby readies her body for action. Meanwhile, Jaune is still the outlier, hand raised in a timid attempt to ask his question.

Ignoring Jaune's persistent attempt to seek clarity, Ozpin proceeds to launch us one by one. Jaune's terrified scream pierces the air as he's catapulted forward, leaving a trail of panic behind.

As everyone takes off, I find myself still standing on my tile, I turn to Ozpin and look at him.

"Good luck, Mr. Parker," Ozpin bids me farewell

Launching into the air, I start contemplating my landing mid-flight. Web-slinging seems like a solid choice, but then the thought of landing on my katana, using my claws, or slowing my descent with my trusty katana seems cool, but then an idea comes to mind.

I scan the tree line to see if there are any surveillance drones nearby that Ozpin is watching from, I spot some and web the cameras mid-air, I then perform my landing.

Rapidly descending, I shoot two webs at two different trees, forming a makeshift web line. As I touch down, I stretch the web, anchoring it to the ground. With a swift motion, I swing the web line, propelling myself straight up into the air. The wind rushes past as I survey the area, quickly getting a lay of the land and spotting the ruins in the distance.

Anticipating the inevitable descent, I shoot multiple webs, this time crafting a giant web to catch me. I hit the web with a controlled landing, avoiding a potentially messy meeting with the forest floor. Taking a moment to assess my surroundings,

"Haha damn that's fun, nothing beats being Spider-Man," I say to myself.

Glancing upward, I catch sight of Grimm making their way toward me. With the familiar weight of my katana in hand, I prepare for a fight. But then, a mischievous idea crosses my mind.

"Actually, let's have some fun," I decide, putting away the katana and opting for a more hands-on approach.

With a confident grin, I raise my fists. "Let's see what aura-enhanced spider punches can do against some Grimm," I declare, ready to infuse a bit of excitement into what would otherwise be a routine encounter with Grimm.

They didn't stand a chance.