Chapter three: A blind powerhouse

The trio walked into the auditorium, "Ruby!" A blonde called out, "over here! I saved you a spot!" Ruby turned to the two boys, "oh, hey I-I gotta go. I'll see you after the ceremony!" Ruby ran off to be with Yang and Jaune reached out, "Hey, wait!" Jaune sighed, "ah great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!" Alex looked at him, "really dude?" Jaune shrugged, "do you know where to find another?"

Alex looked around the room, "maybe that redhead over there" Jaune looked at the redhead with green eyes, "sure, watch and learn my friend" Jaune sauntered over to the girl, "hey there beautiful, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue and ladies love it" the girl giggles to herself, "I can see why. It is a very nice name"

Jaune put his nose in the air, "thanks, might I have your name hot stuff?" Pyrrha started swivelling in place, "I am Pyrrha Nikos" Jaune nodded, "uh-huh, pretty name. So anyway, been hearing rumours about teams and I was thinking maybe you and I would make a good one. What do you say?"

Alex watched the interaction, 'how the hell is Pyrrha so into Jaune from the start?! How the hell is Pyrrha into Jaune?!' He continues to watch, hallucinating Cupid shooting an arrow through Pyrrha's chest.

"I think you would make a great leader" Jaune kicks his leg backwards and puts his fists near his chin, "d'oh, stop it"

Alex walks over to the two love birds, "Jaune, did you know she is on every box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes?" Jaune gasped, "that's you?! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

Pyrrha brushes her hair behind her bronze crown, "yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you"

Jaune put his arm around Alex and smiled, "this here is my best friend Alex" Alex looked at him, 'best friend? Actually, I'm good with that' Alex also put his arm around Jaune, "yup, Jaune here is pretty talented and is super nice. He gave me some of his motion sickness pills on the way here" Jaune looked at his confused and Alex just winked at the blonde.

"That was very kind of you Jaune" Pyrrha put her hand on his arm and they stared into each other's eyes, 'yes, YES!' Alex thought to himself.

A mic turned on and played feedback. The auditorium went silent. Not one person made a sound. Except for one.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction" people whispered amongst each other, "you assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step" Ozpin stepped away from the mic and Glynda Goodwitch took his place.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed" Glynda walked away in the direction of Ozpin.

"Ozpin is kinda creepy" Jaune commented, "can't say I disagree" Alex added. Pyrrha looked at Jaune, "I enjoyed talking to you and Alex. I am heading to the ballroom, I hope I can join your team" she smiled and walked toward the ballroom.

"That chick is infatuated with you, dude" Jaune rubbed his head, "Nah, I don't think so but thanks for making me seem cooler" Alex hit Jaune's shiny, white breastplate, "no problem, best friend" Jaune got flustered while Alex walked toward the ballroom.

On the walk, Alex saw many familiar individuals such as Cardin, Ren, Nora, and a few others.

The ballroom was a large fancy room with a few flights of stairs and some pillars added for decoration.

'It's beautiful' Alex put his hand over his mouth, 'I never thought I would see the day' he looked around, 'no shadow people and there are so many hot chicks!' Alex couldn't take his eyes off of some of the more scantily dressed girls in the room, 'it's like fit girl heaven' he saw Jaune in his blue onesie and ran over to him.

"Isn't it beautiful Jaune?" Alex said to him practically crying tears of joy, "uh, I guess the room is nice" Alex grabbed Jaune's head, "not the room you fool" Alex swivelled Jaune's head around, "the women. The women in nightwear" Jaune's blue eyes lit up at one specific group of girls who were shooing boys away, "are you thinking..." Alex nodded, "we have to do it" Jaune looked at a girl from across the room, "but what about Pyrrha?" Alex shook his head, "I just need you to pretend with me, nothing more. But, we can't say anything" Jaune resolved his nerve, "you helped me with Pyrrha so I'll pretend to be gay to help you get into that group" Alex hugged Jaune, "thank you, brother"

Alex and Jaune approached the group and acted as flamboyant as they could. They were like lesser versions of a certain lightish-red soldier.

"and then he yells 'stoppp, I coulda dropped my croissant" the group of girls laughed at Alex's retelling of the age-old Vine. Alex noticed Pyrrha stealing glances at Jaune from across the room, Alex also noticed some of the girls being very touchy with Jaune. Alex also also noticed the envious gazes of the other men in the ballroom.

While Pyrrha was watching Jaune, Alex hatched a plan, "oh my Gods, you should see Jaune under that onesie. Not saying he's a God but he sure does look like one" Alex fanned his face with his hand and subtly winked at Jaune, "omg, Jaune, you have to show us" the girls pleaded with him and Jaune complied.

Each one of the girls gasped, and Jaune was chiselled. Even Alex who had no attraction to men blushed. And Pyrrha had an indescribable face.

"Can I touch them?" A girl asked Jaune, "uh, s-sure, I guess" she touched his abs and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Pyrrha marched over and smiled, "Hello, I'm borrowing Jaune, I need him for a while" one of the girls scoffed, "sorry but, he's ours right now" Pyrrha's face got darker.

'What is this aura?' Alex asked himself, 'oh no, she is in yandere mode!' Pyrrha walked up to the girl, "sorry, but I wasn't asking" Pyrrha grabbed Jaune and hauled him off while he still had half the onesie off, "looks like someone is jealous" Alex remarked, 'I may have just gotten Jaune laid' he said silently to himself.

Alex stayed and talked to the group and eventually slept with them, in a normal, non-sexual way.

Alex was woken up by a ginger girl singing about the morning. Alex went to the bathroom where the same ginger girl was and saw Jaune, "Hey man, you look like you hardly slept" Jaune turned to him, the toothbrush almost falling out of his mouth, "because I did hardly sleep. After she took me away she led me to where she was sleeping, slammed me on the ground and told me I was sleeping with her. She then proceeded to cuddle my arm the entire night to" Jaune threw up air quotes, "not go back to those snakes"

Alex spit his toothpaste out of his mouth, "so, pretty good night?" Jaune also spit into the sink, "best day of my life"

The two walked toward the locker room to get their gear, "why do you already have your stuff?" Jaune asked Alex as he was loading his gun, "I didn't take it off, had it the whole night" Alex spun the cylinder and closed it, "what kind of bullets do you have?" Alex looked at his ammo belt, "just some tungsten bullets for Grimm and rubber bullets for people"

"Remind me why you have bullets for people?" Alex looked at Jaune and pointed toward his ears silently, "oh, right"

"Now, where is my locker?" Jaune pulled out a piece of paper, "locker 636?! I would've remembered counting that high!" Jaune and Alex passed by Pyrrha and Weiss talking, "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"

Pyrrha looked everywhere but at Jaune, "well, there is one person I was hoping to have on my team" Weiss looked disappointed, "I hear it will be teams of four, do you think you and I could join together?"

Pyrrha stared at Alex showing Jaune where his locker was, "I think that would be grand" Weiss smiled, "great!" Weiss turned around and put a scheming pose on, 'this will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! 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!'

A blonde knight and a casual Faunus came between Pyrrha and Weiss, "you know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to see you" Jaune told Pyrrha, "hello to you as well" Pyrrha giggled. "you use shit material yet you get the best reaction" Alex pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What do you want, tall, blonde and scraggly?" Weiss scowled at Jaune and his Faunus friend, "we're not here for you, Schnee" Alex said to her, "how dare you say my name like it's an insult! And you! Do you know who she is?!" Jaune looked at her, "Pyrrha Nikos" he stated matter-of-factly, "and do you know what she has done?" Jaune looked between Alex, Pyrrha and Weiss, "she was on the Pumpkin Pete box?"

Weiss stamped her feet, "Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!" Jaune crossed his arms, "never heard of it" Weiss scoffed, "she's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"

"The what?" Alex patted Jaune's back, "Pyrrha is basically a really big deal" Weiss went smug, "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?" Jaune looked at Alex and Pyrrha and remembered last night, "yup, 100%" Weiss became flabbergasted, "why you!"

The intercom kicked to life and Professor Goodwitch's voice was heard, "would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately"

The two men and Pyrrha walked past Weiss as she was getting angry, "what do you think the initiation will be?" Jaune asked, "well, we're going to the cliff so maybe we're getting dropped into the forest" Alex reasoned.

The first years arrived at the cliffside and stood on plates with the symbol of Vale on them. In front of them were Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin told the students, "now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of "teams." Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today" everyone started talking after Goodwitch made the announcement.

"what? ohhh..." Ruby slouched.

"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" Ozpin took a sip of his cocoa and Ruby groaned.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years" Ozpin gave a smile that everyone hated. And Ruby was having a small breakdown next to Alex.

Ozpin got serious, "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" everyone swallowed hard and Jaune laughed nervously.

'C'mon nerves, calm down. It's just a giant fall into a forest infested with Grimm. Nothing too bad' Alex was hyping himself up, 'what the hell is a landing strategy?!'

"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?"

Jaune raised his hand, "yeah, um, sir?" Ozpin looked him dead in the eyes, "good, now take your positions"

Everyone got in a ready position except for Jaune, "Uh, sir? I've got, um...a question" Weiss was launched, "so, this landing... strategy thing...uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

Ozpin smiled at him, "no. You will be falling" more students were thrown, "told you so" Alex remarked to Jaune.

Jaune, who ignored Alex, continued talking to Ozpin, "oh, uh, I see...so, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" The Headmaster was getting irate, "no. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'"

Nora and Ren were sent off, "uh-huh...yeah" Yang got launched then Ruby soon after.

"So, what exactly is a landing strategyyy!" Jaune was sent before Alex, "Headmaster?" Ozpin only smiled mysteriously, "good luck, Mr. Crest" Alex was launched off the pad, "FUCCCC-" Ozpin giggled to himself, "what a lively bunch"

Alex was flying threw the air, "-KKKKK ME!" He reached the apex of his flight, "how the hell will I land?" His momentum started picking back up as he started to fall, "THIS COULDN'T BE WORSE!"

Alex heard a bird screeching behind him, 'I deserve this' he managed to turn and saw a giant black condor with bone covering its head flying toward him.

Alex grabbed his pistol with difficulty and shot at the bird, "eat lead birdbrain!" The Nevermore almost ate him but one bullet made it flinch and Alex grabbed onto its feathers. After reloading, Alex unloaded into the Grimm, "Go. Down. You. Dumb. Bird!"

With his last bullet, he jammed Sweet Solace into one of its four eyes and pulled the trigger. The Nevermore's eye exploded and the bird dived and started to spin, 'I'm gonna lose my breakfast'

The Grimm flew into the tree line, "gotta go! Thanks for the ride" Alex jumped and activated his aura to the best of his abilities, which wasn't a lot.

'Duck and roll!' Alex balled up and rolled on the ground until he hit a tree and was sitting on his head with his back on the trunk, "is Qrow stalking me?" He fell and landed on his stomach, "oh, grass" he kissed the dirty earth, "I've missed you so much" Alex eventually got up from his make-out session with the ground, "let's see...the temple was that way I believe"

Alex started walking through the overgrown forest, "damn bushes" Alex saw a clearing up ahead and saw someone, 'I don't recognise him' the man had light-brown skin, smoke-grey hair, a bo-staff with a spike on one side in front of him, a white gi, and a blindfold on him. Alex was currently in front of the man and could see his chest.

Alex heard a rustling from the bushes behind the man. A Beowolf jumped out with its maw open.

Before Alex could call out to the man, he grabbed his staff and swung around, impaling the Beowolf in the throat. The creature of darkness dissipated but seven more came from the bushes. The man smiled.

The alpha of the group sent the weakest to test the human. The wolf charged the man but he dodged and killed it the same way he did the last time. The alpha roared at the rest of the Beowolves and they all ran at him. He dodged and countered the attacks with minimal damage done to him and killed most of the creatures.

One wolf snuck behind him while he was dealing with three in front of him, it jumped at him but he stabbed it without looking at it. The Beowolf got stuck on his weapon and he couldn't defend himself as one charged at him.

The Beowolf dropped dead after a loud bang. Alex smiled at the dark-skinned man, "thought you could use the help" the man smiled back, "you have my thanks. You want to take care of the rest?" Alex nodded and ran at the Beowolves. One swung at him but he ducked under the swipe and put the barrel of his revolver under its chin. Alex was splattered with Grimm blood, "why do they bleed?" Alex asked himself as the alpha ran at him. Alex simply shot its knee causing it to drop, he then put a bullet between its boney eyes.

"Killing Grimm feels weird" Alex felt an unusual tingle inside of him.

"So," Alex looked at the man, "does this count as eye contact if you have a blindfold?" The man laughed, "I can only guess. I am Nikolas Tangelo" Alex put out his hand, "Alexander Crest" Nikolas grabbed his hand and shook it.

"By the way," Alex said, "how the hell did you hit the Beowolves when you couldn't see them?"

"Your special case has found a partner it seems," Glynda said to Ozpin, "yes, I am quite excited to see what he can do" Glynda walked near Ozpin at the edge of the cliff, "I was talking about Ruby Rose" Ozpin merely laughed, "I am excited to see what she can do as well"