Initiation - Volume: 1

Emerald Forest

A crow soars through the air, and suddenly, a red blur streaks past, colliding with the crow in a spectacular display. Feathers scatter as the crow is reduced to nothing.

"Birdy, no!" Ruby's distressed cry rings out.

Amidst the chaos, Ruby continues her descent. Swiftly, she pulls out Crescent Rose and fires it, the recoil slowing her fall. As she nears the ground, the weapon unfolds, and Ruby expertly catches it on a tree, swinging herself around with a deft move. In a seamless sequence, she lands safely.

Ruby is now dashing through the Emerald Forest.

(Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find... Yang! Yaaaang! Oh, this is bad, this is really bad... What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! ...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though. Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm... Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Ugh! Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, aaaand...) Ruby thinks.

Ruby comes to a sudden, screeching halt, and there, before her, stands Weiss. Their eyes lock for a moment, but without a word, Weiss pivots on her heel and begins to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ruby's voice pierces the stillness of the forest, a mix of confusion and desperation evident in her tone.

As Weiss continues her departure, Ruby is left alone, watching her teammate's retreating form. A moment of silence follows, broken only by the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Ruby's shoulders slump, a hint of sadness in her silver eyes as she looks down.

"We're supposed to be teammates," she mutters, frustration tinging her words. Kicking at the dirt beneath her boots.

-

Weiss trudges through the thick foliage of the Emerald Forest, and suddenly, she catches a strange noise from above. Looking up, she spots Jaune, kind of stuck to a tree thanks to Pyrrha's weapon. Jaune's waving at her hoping for her to free him.

Weiss rolls her eyes, and then, without missing a beat, she turns to leave.

Weiss retraces her steps through the forest and finds Ruby, who seems to be lost in her own thoughts. Without much ceremony, Weiss grabs Ruby's hood and tugs her along.

"By no means does this make us friends," Weiss deadpans, her words cutting through the air with a dry tone.

To Ruby's delight, Weiss's return prompts an excited reaction. "You came back!" she exclaims, both hands raised in cheer.

Meanwhile, Jaune is still tangled up in Pyrrha's weapon, calling out to them as they depart. "Hey, wait, come back! Who's going to get me down from here?" Jaune's plea hangs in the air, but to his surprise.

Looking down, he's met with Pyrrha's amused gaze. "Do you have any more spots on your team?" she inquires, her voice carrying a mix of humor and genuine interest.

"Very funny," Jaune retorts, rolling his eyes. He glances away briefly but then turns back to Pyrrha, a smile breaking across his face.

-

Weiss strides purposefully through the Emerald Forest, focused on her mission and determined to secure a good grade. Ruby, on the other hand, seems more laid back, opting for small talk amidst the looming trees.

"So, Weiss, are you and Owen dating?" Ruby casually questions, and Weiss caught off guard, jumps slightly, a blush tinting her cheeks.

"W-what? N-no, me and Owen are friends and only friends," Weiss retorts with a blush, setting the record straight.

"Oh! Sorry, thought you two were a thing since you seem really close," Ruby offers with an apologetic smile.

Weiss regains her composure and continues walking. Curious, she redirects the conversation. "How do you know that brute?" she asks Ruby.

"Oh, Bell? I just met him yesterday after the dust incident. He's really cool. Did you know he fights with a normal katana and no dust?"

Weiss scoffs at the idea. "More like an idiot to me. A Huntsman fighting without dust? He's going to kill himself."

"Hey, Bell isn't dumb. I bet he's the smartest and strongest person here," Ruby defends her newfound friend.

Weiss raises an eyebrow. "Really? I've heard no mention of him winning any fighting or academic tournaments. And you're wrong, Owen is the strongest. He even beat Pyrrha in the Atlas finals tournament," Weiss says with a hint of smugness.

Ruby looks a little dejected, searching for a way to prove her point. After a moment, she confidently declares, "I have a feeling that Bell is the best. I just know it."

Weiss rolls her eyes. "You are so childish," she remarks, dismissing Ruby's enthusiasm.

-

On a high hill, Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stand, peering at scrolls that display the ongoing initiation. The scenes unfold before them, showcasing the students navigating the challenges of the Emerald Forest.

"So, a new pair has been formed, but it seems we have two extra students, Mr. Parker and Mr. Blauvelt. Both are in different initiations and cannot be paired. How do you plan to fix this, Ozpin? Ozpin?" Glynda questions, seeking a response.

Ozpin, however, remains engrossed in observing the events unfolding on the scrolls. His attention seems captivated by the scenes, and he doesn't immediately acknowledge Glynda's inquiry.

"Mmh," Ozpin finally murmurs, still absorbed in the footage. Glynda notices his distraction, and with a hint of frustration, she follows his gaze. Her eyes narrow as she observes that a couple of camera drones have been ensnared in webbing, rendering them nonfunctional.

"The drones are caught in webbing. That's not good," Glynda remarks, her tone indicating a mix of concern and annoyance. This adds a layer of unpredictability to the initiation.

-

In the serene forest, a Beowolf strolls leisurely, enjoying its time in the wild. Suddenly, *Bam* a powerful fist crashes into its armored skull, shattering it. The Beowolf is sent hurtling into a tree, and in an instant, its body evaporates into nothingness.

"10 points for Bell," I remark to myself, a satisfied grin on my face.

I leap onto a nearby tree branch, resuming my journey by traversing the forest with a series of agile jumps. Lost in the trees after encountering and killing tons of Grimm, I lost my sense of direction, I hope to find someone or find the location of the relics soon.

After a good chunk of time zipping between trees, I catch the distant sounds of explosions and people duking it out. Seems like the initiation has turned into a full-on battle. No time to waste.

Swiftly changing direction, I kick up my speed, fueled by the urgency to join the fray. Following the echoes of battle, I eventually arrive at the location of the relics. However, there's no sign of anyone around, indicating that they've likely moved on towards the cliff.

Rushing to the podium, I grab the last relic—a pawn chess piece. It fits snugly into my pocket, and with determination, I set my sights on catching up with the rest. I sprint in the direction I believe everyone is heading, heading towards the looming ruins of the castle.

I peer over the cliff, taking in the chaotic scene of everyone going full-on combat mode against the Nevermore and Death Stalker. Ready to dive into the fray, I brace myself to jump, but before I can make the leap, something yanks me back, sending me crashing into a nearby tree.

Shaking off the impact, I glance around and spot a massive spider Grimm. It's no ordinary arachnid—giant, armored legs, a menacing abdomen, those creepy red eyes, and to top it off, massive fangs that practically scream danger. Spikes jut out from the legs and the center of the spider Grimm, making it look even more nightmarish.

"Oh, you're one creepy motherfucker," I mutter, not exactly thrilled about this new opponent.

The spider Grimm screeches, and in a not-so-friendly gesture, it spits a ball of venom in my direction. Swiftly dodging the toxic projectile, I land on my feet, ready to face this unsettling creature head-on.

I sprint around the massive spider, trying to get close for a good hit. But with those eight legs easily rotating the spider to face me, it's hard to get close. The spider decides to spit two balls of venom my way. I dive, landing on my hands and then bending my elbows to launch myself forward, evading the toxic goo, and landing close to the spider's legs.

Getting in close, I start smacking the spider a few times, cracking its armor. Just when things seem to be going well, my spider-sense tingles, and I sense danger. With a quick move, I dodge under the spider, narrowly avoiding its leg sweep. The spider decides to stomp around me, and each leg kicking up dirt makes it harder to see.

"Spider-sense, meet Dust-induced blindness. Not a fan," I quip, trying to lighten the situation.

Next thing I know, I'm webbed to the ground, and the spider is slowly closing in.

"I guess I have some competition in the webbing department, huh," I say struggling in the webbing.

but the spider Grimm doesn't seem to appreciate my humor. It inches closer, venomous fangs ready to strike.

When it gets right up in my face, I decide it's time to break free. With a swift move, I rip one arm from the webbing, retract my claws, and slash at the spider's face, tearing off part of its creepy face. Some of its eyes get blinded in the process. I repeat the maneuver by ripping my other arm free, jumping up, and landing on my feet.

The spider Grimm screeches in pain, its eyes reduced to just a few.

"You should have seen that coming," I quip, savoring the moment.

Feeling the need to put an end to this creepy encounter, I snatch up my katana and dash towards the screeching spider. Leaping into the air, I swing my katana down, cutting one of its legs clean off at the joint. The spider topples forward, landing on the forest floor.

With the spider grounded, I seize the opportunity. Springing onto its body, I grab a leg on each side and pull. The spider screeches in agony as I rip the legs from its thorax. Tossing one leg aside, I use the other to pierce the gash I made on the spider's face.

The spider Grimm shudders and lets out a final screech, signaling the end.

With the spider Grimm's body evaporating, I descend and land on the ground. Eager to join the others, I make my way to where the action happened. However, upon arrival, I find Ruby proudly cutting the Nevermore's head off.

"Damn, I took too long," I mutter, disappointed with myself.

Ruby touches down with her scythe dramatically planted into the ground. I approach her, and with a grin, I comment, "I would take a picture of how cool you look, but I don't have a camera."

Ruby takes notice of me and jumps onto me, wrapping me in a hug. "Didyouseethatdidyouseethat! It was so awesome!" she exclaims in excitement.

"Yup, I bet it was," I chuckle, enjoying her enthusiasm.

After Ruby eventually calms down and releases her hold on me, she shifts gears. "So, did you find a partner?" Ruby asks, scanning the area for anyone besides me.

"Nope, just me," I reply casually.

Ruby's face twists into shock. "Oh no! You won't be on a team! And you can't be at Beacon without a team and—"

I cut her off, reassuring her, "Relax, I'll be fine. I think I have an idea of what's going to happen to me." That seems to ease her worries.

As we wait for the others to gather on the cliff, Ruby gets curious about my adventures. "What happened to you? I didn't see you anywhere earlier," she inquires.

"I killed some Grimm, got the relic, then took down a spider Grimm," I point to the dissipating spider Grimm nearby.

Ruby's eyes widen. "You killed a dread widow! How? They're impossible to kill alone!" admiring the corpse of the dread widow.

"What else could you tell me about it?" I ask, curious about her insights.

"They're very rare and have some of the toughest armor out there. And you cracked the armor; it can withstand multiple missiles from a Bullhead. How did you kill it?" Ruby is practically buzzing with excitement.

I motion for her to come closer so I can share the details. Ruby eagerly complies, and I lean in to whisper.

"My semblance makes me super strong, so I was able to break its armor," I casually explain to Ruby, opting to keep the spider superhuman bit under wraps for now.

Ruby looks at me with wonder, clearly impressed by my strength. Just as everyone else arrives, she beams and points at Weiss.

"Weiss, look! I was right! Bell is strong; he took on a Dread widow alone and killed it!" Ruby exclaims triumphantly, proving Weiss wrong.

"I, uh, you—" Weiss stammers, unable to find the words, and she storms off in apparent frustration.

Yang strolls by and gives my shoulder a hearty slap. "I guess you are strong, but you better be ready for our match," she warns, a challenge in her tone.

With the initiation officially over, I can't help but look forward to facing Yang in a match. The challenge excites me, but a nagging worry creeps in. As I mull over potential team assignments, I hope I don't end up paired with Owen. Oh, please, whoever brought me to Remnant, spare me from being on a team with Owen.