Ch 26: Teams

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL(Cardinal), led by… Cardin Winchester!" Ozpin announced to a round of applause as four young men stood with him on the stage in the glass-domed amphitheater where all the new students had received their welcome speech just the other day. Above the stage, a giant projection screen displayed the portraits of the four freshmen on the stage. All of the students had completed their initiation trial, and Ozpin was now announcing the formation of teams and the assignment of leaders to the entire student body.

As the four freshmen exited the stage, Jaune, Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora walked up as their portraits replaced those of the four boys. "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR(Juniper)." Nora jumped on Ren and squeezed his neck in a hug as Pyrrha smiled over at them, "Led by… Jaune Arc!"

"Huh? L-Led by…?" Jaune looked at Ozpin with shock written all over his face as another round of applause broke out from the gathered students.

"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin confirmed with a slightly smirking smile. While Jaune looked shocked, confused, and a little scared, Pyrrha couldn't look happier. And with a big grin on her face slugged him playfully on the shoulder. Unfortunately, this playful love tap from Pyrrha caught Jaune entirely off guard, knocking him off his feet.

With a "Whoa!" and an "Oof!" Jaune fell flat on his tushy, much to the amusement of the now laughing audience and the chagrined embarrassment of the culprit. Ozpin, however, just continued the ceremony.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin signaled the four girls to take the stage as their portraits replaced Team JNPR's on the big screen. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY(Ruby). Led by… Ruby Rose."

As another round of applause rang out, a part of Yang wanted to go over and wrap her younger sister in a hug and congratulate her, but she, along with the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR, were too distracted by what Ozpin had said earlier. 'And finally?' As in, there would no longer be any more teams announced? What did this mean? What had happened to Ray? None of them had seen him since they had separated at the forest ruins. They hadn't even been able to find him anywhere in the crowd during the ceremony.

As Ruby worked up her courage to ask Ozpin about her brother, he continued with his speech, "Now, there is one last announcement left to make before we release you all for tonight." As Ozpin spoke, the amphitheater doors behind everyone opened with a crash. An oppressive atmosphere spread out from behind them as all the students turned around to face the now open doorway.

Standing on the threshold, silhouetted by the moonlight, his jacket flapping in the breeze, was a proud Ray Rose releasing the domineering aura of a king. Ruby and Yang stared at him in awe with the rest of the students and faculty. They sometimes forgot that behind the laughter and easygoing nature that he showed around friends and family, that their brother was a man of unquestionable power and intellect, possessing his own air of authority that relied on the acknowledgment of no one. A man fools feared and the wise revered.

With a nod from Ozpin, Ray walked towards the stage, students parting around him to make way. Ray stepped onto the stage and stood beside Ozpin, facing the audience at parade rest.

"Rajeev Rose came here to join us as a freshman at Beacon this year. However, his performance in the Emerald Forest today proved that this is not a role suited for him." The big screen above Ozpin changed to show a recording of Ray's fight with the Grimm Lord.

Though the recording only clearly showed the initial attack from the first pack of Beowolves, Ray's nearly instantaneous slaughter of them, and his subsequent rush past them followed by four more packs of Beowolves deeper into the woods before the camera's view was blocked by the numerous trees. The dense foliage did nothing to hide the effects of their battle as repeated explosions could be heard, whole trees were uprooted and sent flying or reduced to splinters, and the entire forest seemed to shake from the fight going on within.

Occasionally, a gap created by a demolished tree would reveal glimpses of two dark figures surrounded by numerous Beowolves locked in fierce hand-to-hand combat. However, they were moving too fast for any of the students to get a good look at them. The students watched on in fascinated awe. Even if they couldn't see clearly what was going on, they were all experienced enough to infer a few things. Cheif of which being that this was a fight way out of any of their leagues. Even the teachers wouldn't be willing to engage in such a fight alone.

As the shockwaves died down and the forest quieted, The audience could see Professor Port entering the area that had just been demolished by the fight with a large cage on his back. Everyone leaned forward from where they were sitting or standing, eager to know the results of this fight. Shortly thereafter, Professor Port, accompanied by a for all appearances unharmed if slightly tattered and dirty Ray, reappeared heading towards Beacon Academy. Silence reigned in the amphitheater as the video ended.

*Ahem* "The fight you just saw consisted of Mr. Rose verses 150 Beowolves, 15 Alpha Beowolves, and a mutant Alpha Beowolf that, despite its relatively small size, we have estimated to possess the strength of a Titan-class Grimm." Shocked murmurs broke out among the students as the members of Team RWBY and JNPR paled, remembering how close they had come to encountering that pack as well.

Except Yang. Her feelings of fear at her near brush with death were overridden by an intense anger at her brother for sending her off so carefreely to face such a threat alone. Flames started raising from her hair as her eyes turned red and her hands clenched into tight fists. On the other hand, Ruby felt more sadness and disappointment in herself than anger at the realization that her brother hadn't wanted her help.

"After discussing the matter with Mr. Rose and the rest of the faculty, it has been decided that Mr. Rose shall be taking on the role of a teaching assistant for the freshmen classes this year. He will also be teaching a class on Aura control and leading a weekly training course that will be open for all students to attend but will be mandatory for all freshmen." More murmurs broke out as Ozpin turned to face Ray and held out his hand. "I hope you can live up to the responsibility and expectation we all have placed in you, young man."

After he had returned to Beacon with Professor Port, Ray had spent the following hours before the team announcement ceremony discussing the fight and his thoughts on it with Ozpin, Glynda, and the rest of the Beacon faculty. While he had not revealed any of the information he had gleaned from using his right eye or extracted from Wolfden's mind, he had been honest with how the fight had gone and his impressions of the Grimm and had been free with his 'speculations'.

Afterward, they had discussed what to do moving forward and what Ray hoped for during his time at this academy. The role of a teaching assistant had been what they had all agreed to in the end. It would allow Ray to continue to spend time with his siblings and friends without separating him too much from the rest of the student body and would enable Ozpin to place greater responsibility and expectation upon him than he could an ordinary student. As such, Ray, of course, had no qualms agreeing with what had already been decided.

"I will." Ray said as he solemnly shook Ozpin's hand. Scattered applause began to break out among the audience as they watched, slowly growing in intensity. However, before it could get fully going, the atmosphere of awe and exultation towards the new teaching assistant was broken by a bolt of golden fire hurtling towards the target of their jubilation. Yang had snapped.

Rushing up onto the stage, hair and eyes blazing, she grabbed Ray by his collar and slammed him up against the wall. The entire hall suddenly fell into a shocked silence as she shouted at him, "Is this the 'Small Matter' you were talking about when you shooed us away!?! A giant pack of Beowolves led by a TITAN GRIMM!?!"

"Yang!" Ruby ran up and tried to pull her off him. Yang didn't budge.

"How could you!? After all we've been through together! After all the promises we've made together! How could you just run off on your own!? How could you just put yourself in danger like that!?" Yang was beginning to tear up, and Ruby stopped tugging on Yang's arm and bowed her head beside her sister, trying to hide her own misty eyes. "What would we have done if something happened to you? Don't you trust us?"

"Yang..." Ray started to say softly, but Yang cut him off.

"No!" Yang released him to dash the back of her hand across her eyes, "I don't want to hear your excuses, Ray! You are going to sit there and listen to what I have to say to you!"

Looking into his sister's eyes that were red now, not from her Semblance, but from unshed tears, Ray just nodded and kneeled down in front of her in seiza to accept her scolding.

The entire amphitheater was frozen in stunned awkward silence as everyone watched. This majestic, dignified, powerful, untouchable young man whom they had all been looking up to in awed reverence just moments before was now kneeling, his face red from embarrassment, as he accepted his older sister's concerned scolding.

"No matter how old you get or how powerful you become, a man can never go against his older sister." Jaune's 'profound' statement was quiet, but in the silent amphitheater, everyone was able to hear him. The spell broken, many started laughing and nodding in agreement as they all looked up onto the stage and thought to themselves [Maybe this new teaching assistant isn't so unapproachable after all].

"Uh, Yang. Don't forget Ruby-" Ray tried to remind his big sister how Ruby had also recklessly put herself in danger to deflect her wrath towards his twin. He had promised her that they would talk later after all.

[Sorry Ruby, but I can't face her alone.] Ruby paled beside them and took a step back. Afraid her sister would turn her attention towards her and start scolding her in front of the entire student body too.

"Ruby has already received her lecture from Weiss. But I'm not done with you yet!" But Yang just brushed it off and continued lecturing him.

Ozpin watched all of this from the side with a gentle smile on his face, "Looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year.''