Chapter III: Team-Up Roulette

Part 1
Not far from Beacon Academy were the Beacon Cliffs, overlooking the Emerald Forest. A part of the freshmen were lined up on it, each standing on what appeared to be metal plate with Beacon's symbol on it. Among them, Rust was at the end of the row. He attentively watched the forest expending below. From what he had heard, it was the place the initiation'd take place in. In front of them, Glynda Goodwitch, one of the teacher, was standing next to a man he had never seen. He looked in his thirties although his hair and mustache were completely white. His eyes too were white, but more of a crystal-like white, and he had a scar across his right eyes. His clothes consisted in a whith shirt with a black tie and black pants. The two of them were talking in a low voice and Rust couldn't hear them because of the wind blowing in his ears. A fter a few seconds, the man stepped forward and cleared his throat.

«Good everyone, allow me to present myself. My name is Albus Pisces and I'll be a teacher at Beacon starting this year. Normally, the headmaster Ozpin should be standing where I am but he has some things to deal with and I was asked to replace him.»

He moved a little to the right, in Rust's direction.

«The initiation you're about to pass will decide of your team for the rest of your time here at Beacon. All of you will be launched in turn inside the forest. After landing, you'll have to pair up with the first person you'll make eye contact with. Remember that this person will be your partner for the next four year. Once that is done, you'll have to head North and find an abandoned temple. Inside this temple are several relics; each pair have to pick one before heading back. I warn you however: we'll be keeping an eye on you from here but we won't move a finger to help you.»

He stepped back and cleared his throat once again.

«This forest is full of Grimms of all kinds. Be careful and don't hesitate in going all out. Now, does anyone have question.» Nobody opened their mouth. «Fine then. I announce that this initiation has started!»

As soon as he finished his speech, the student at the opposit of Rust was launched in the air in direction of the forest. Soon, the next one was launched and so on. Waiting his turn, Rust cracked his knuckles and prepared to be launched.

(Finally!) A huge grin appeared on his face. (The time has come to show what I am capable of!)

The person next to him was launched. Letting out a small laugh, Rust felt the pad under his feet pushing him upward and propelling him in the sky.

«Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa!»

Part 2
Rust was flying fast across the sky above the forest. The feeling in itself was just great, as if he didn't have any weight. But as he thought that he saw the ground getting nearer and nearer. Once past the top of the trees, Rust took a deep breath and his right gauntlet started to glow purple. A second before colliding, he punched the air between him and the ground.

«Hero Punch!»

As soon as he did, a big shockwave-like impact occured where he punched and the blow broke his fall. After he landed on his two feet, he took a quick look around to locate himself. Appearantly there was nobody else in the area as he didn't see anyone landing near although he was the last to be launched. He started to walk. The forest's vegetation wasn't very dense but there were so many trees he couldn't see very far. After walking a a few minutes, he stopped upon hearing a noise.

A dozen of metres on his left, a Beowolf was starring at him intensely.

«So, this is what it looks like in real.» Rust tightened his grip on his banner and struck the ground in front of him with it as if he was putting up a flag. Suddenly, the banner changed of form to turn into a long haleberd. «This is my first time seeing a Grimm, ya know? But...»

The Beowulf growled and rushed over him and raised its arm in order to slash him. But before it could, Rust sped up and smashed his armored elbow into the beast's chest.

«…ya're not that scary!» He repeled it by pushing harder and raised his haleberd over his head. «Ya're just a pawn of evil!»

He swung his weapon diagonnaly on the Grimm's head, cutting it apart. The Beowolf's body fell on the ground and started to vanish in the air.

«And a digest of malignacy like ya can't beat the hero. The best ya can do is disappearing without traces.»

Rust was about to start walking again when he heard several roars not far from his position. Tensing up, he looked in the direction it came from. It was probably a group of Grimm hunting together. If they were roaring like that, it either meant that they heard Rust's fight with their congener or they spotted an other student. In both case, he had to go seek for them. He ran into their direction and arrived into a small clearing. At the other extremity, he saw three Beowolfs howling against a tree and trying to climb on it.

«So there's someone on this tree?»

When he approached closer, he saw indeed a form stuck on one of the branch of the tree. They probably failed their landing and were knocked inconscious. At any rate, he had to do something. He shouted out at the Grimms to get their attention.

«Ganging up on a harmless person?! That's indeed the fighting style of villains!»

Wether they understood his insult or not, the Beowolfs were now giving him full attention. They growled and started to rush over him in a single file.

«Hmph!» A smirk appeared on Rust's face. «Don't make it easier.»

The first Beowolf swung its arm horizontaly to torn him apart but, with an impressive agility given the weight of his armor, Rust jumped above the Grimm and stepped on its head to jump forward. Behind the first, the second Beowolf was there to pick him at the landing. But Rust strengthfully swung his haleberd vertically and cut the monster in two. The last one was running ragefully in his direction. Rust did as well and slammed the shaft of his haleberd in the Beowolf's throat. He then dropped his weapon on the ground to catch the Beowolf, lift it and throw it with all his might into the first one who wasn't stunned anymore. The two Grimms met violently. Rust stamped on his halberde too retrieve it and dashed over the two confused Beowolfs.

«Hero Slash!»

With a single swing, he slashed the monsters in two. The three corpses started vanishing and Rust walked up to the tree to check the state of the other student. The latter's body was barely standing on the tree branch and he just had to kick the tree to make them fall. When he caught the falling body, he realized he knew this person.

«Huh? But ya are...»

In his arm was a slim teenage boy with spiky gray hair and wearing a black leather coat with spikes on it.

«Yawn.» The boy seemed to wake up. «Make less noise.» He said in a complaining voice.

«The guy who fell asleep on the landing platform!»

«Mmmmm.» The spiky-haired boy moaned

«Ya're the one Limaille and I brought to the infirmary.»

«Mmh?» The sleepy boy rubbed his eyes and yawn. He then opened his eyes and looked at Rust's face, the latter still carrying him like a princess. «Infirmary? Who are you?»

«I'm Rust Heron and I'm a-»

«-[hero].» The boy remembered. «I see. My name is Timber Impal. Yaawn. Nice to meet you.»

«Nice to meet ya too but… why were ya unconscious on this tree? Did ya hit your head or something?»

«No.» Timber left Rust's arms and stood up. He looked more awake though his back was a little bent. «I think I fell asleep when I was sent flying.»

«Ya just fall asleep at any moment, don't ya?»

«Mmmh. Yawn. I know but I can't help it. It happens my medications have this kind of after effect.»

«What kind of medications did ya take?»

«Mmmh. Sleeping drugs.»

Who would take sleeping drugs the day?! In any case, Timber looked awaken enough to walk.

«But can you fight when ya're in this state?»

Instead of answering, Timber let out a long yawn and gave him the thumb up. Then he went back to the tree he had fallen on and looked at the top.

«What's wrong?»

«Well...» Timber pointed his finger in the direction he was looking at. «I think that my -Yaaaaawn- weapon got stuck up there.»

«Huh?»

Rust looked at the top of the tree too. Or rather he tried because the trees in the Emerald Forest were so high he couldn't see the top properly.

«Wait, ya mean we have to climb up there?» Rust asked in bewilderment. Timber answered him by nodding slowly. «Oh, well.» Rust walked up to the tree and put his fist on his hips. «Sounds like a job for a hero!»

Part 3
«Wohaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!»

Launched across the air, Aîma was yelling at the top of her lung. She was holding tightly to her huge suitcase-like device. She was shutting her eyes as hard as she could and the wind was blowing back her short scarlet hair.

«They didn't tell me about that! How am I supposed to land?!»

All she could do was tightening her grip to the suitcase even more. She was approaching the tall trees dangerously quickly and a few second after she was diving into the forest. Thanksfully, the suitcase helped her breaking through the thicks logs without hurting her much. The experience wasn't any less unpleasant and scary though.

«Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!»

She landed heavily on the ground while raising a cloud of dust. When the dust completely fell back on the floor and that the scenery finally was quiet, Aîma was still tensed up and pressed like a frightened cat against the suitcase which was miraculously in one piece. A few minutes passed by before she relaxed and took a huge breath to sighed. She got up and dusted off her leather coat before looking around.

The place she landed in was now covered in broken tree branches and pieces of dirt, but she noticed she was on a path. Hopefully this path led to the temple and she started walking northward. But after walking a dozen metres, she felt something was wrong. There was a strange tension in the air she had the feeling of being watched. Nothing showed up though, and she started walking again. But soon enough, the knot in her stomach came back and she watched around suspiciously. Still nothing. She stepped forward but suddenly stopped when something hit her shoulder.

«!»

She turned around swiftly and raised her fist, ready to punch anything in her range, but didn't saw anyone. Instead, she noticed a pebble rolling on the path.

«Very funny.» She looked around an tried to spot the one who threw it, but in vain. Another pebble struck her from her right and she frantically turned around. «Why, you little-!»

She saw a shadow moving through the trees. No, two. Three. Too many. She heard the growls of a hunting band of Grimms!

«Oh, you can't be serious!»

She started running. There were too many of them and she couldn't fight them on the narrowed forest path. She was running with all her might but she could heard the howling getting nearer as she did. They would catch up with her before long. She perceived a movement in the trees from the corner of her eyes.

(Shit! Are there Grimms in the trees too?)

But she kept running. The growls behind her were only a few metres away and she still didn't find a approprieted terrain. Suddenly, a Beowolf overtook her and stopped a few metres in front of her to block her way. Aîma held her suitcase in one hand and, when she arrived at its level, she jumped and brushed it off with her suitcase by spinning around. It repeled the Grimm behind and slowed the rest of the pack. Now was her chance.

She swiftly turn around and her suitcase changed shape. It turned into a rectangular-shaped amaranth red bazooka.

«Now eat that!»

She pressed the trigger to deliver explosives projectiles on her foes. However…

PCHHHTT

Instead of firing, the weapon made a weird noise and a billow of black smoke poured from it. She could pull on and on but nothing would come out. It was broken.

«Oh, are you kiddding me?! Don't tell me it's because of the landing.»

The Beowolfs were only a dozen of metres away in front her and she had no mean to defend herself. At this moment, everything happened quickly. Something jumped from the trees in front of Aîma and a large object was put down between the monsters and her. Next thing she knew, large flames rose up on the other side and the group of Grimms was burned to death while horible screams of agony pierced Aîma's ears. When everything calmed down, Aîma lowered her arms that she had risen to protect her eyes. She looked at the scene incredulously. A big chunck of the road was completely carbonized and a smell of something burning tickled her noise. She was still looking at the trees which started to burn when someone threw a pebble at her once again.

«Graah! Just who-» When she turned around, she saw an albinos Faunus girl snickering while swinging her fox tail in amusement. «Magnolia?»

Aîma remembered the strange girl who guided her in an atypical way when she arrived at Beacon. It took her a couple of second though to understand what happened.

«You just saved my ass.»

«You just saved my ass.»

Just like yersterday, Magnolia repeated Aîma's words while mimicking her stance. It was annoying but Magnolia's childish and cute little smile made it hard to blame her. Next to her was the weapon she used to slay the pack of monsters. It was a huge sun-shaped chakram with a mirror in the middle. It was almost of the same size as the Faunus girl but the latter didn't seem to have any problem to use it. Aîma remembered the velocity with which Magnolia lost her in the school; it wouldn't surprise her that she had over-average physical abilities.

«Well, I guess we're partners from now on.» Aîma held out her hand at Magnolia like she did yesterday and smiled confidently.

«Well, I guess we're partners from now on.» Magnolia repeated after her again, though it sounded like it was her own words this time. She enthusiastically shaked Aîma's hand et came to rub herself against her like an animal would.

«H-Hey, it's embarrassing! Let's search for that temple or something.»

Magnolia let go and started to skip on the road while humming.

«Let's search for that temple or something~!»

«Hey, wait for me!»

Part 4
Sunstone was falling toward the ground at high speed. All he had at disposition was a white suitcase. As the trees were getting closer, he let go of it. Teh suitcase took a slightly different direction than his, but it should at least support the landing without problem. And now that he got rid of it he had his both hands free.

A tree caught his attention, as a large branch was on his way. As soon as he was to its level he stretched out his arms, caught the branch and then made a rotation to propel himself to an other tree, and so on until he got to the ground. He dusted off his tuxedo and raised his head to see he had landed in a clearing. At the other end he saw his suitcase which looked intact.

«Now, it seems I do have to pair up with one of the mongrels that are my fellow students, unfortunately. I guess it is choosing between evil and lesser evil in the end.»

But as he started to walk to get his suitcase, Sunstone was alerted by a sudden movement behind him. He swiflty turned around to see an Ursa rush over him and raising its arm to cut him down. Sunstone immediatly stepped aside by reflex but then grabbed the Grimm's arm. A slight light brown glow appeared around his body as he hit the Ursa's neck with his palm. A noise of breaking bones could be heard and the monster fell to the ground. Immediatly after, an other Ursa appeared from behind its congenere and Sunstone avoided it with a backward somersault.

The Ursa growled and charged at him with his fangs bared. This time, Sunstone executed a forward somersault and his heel hit the Ursa's head hard. He landed on his hands spinned to kick the Grimm. It stopped moving and fell on the ground while it started to disintegrate. Sunstone got up but he didn't have the time to react as a third Ursa attacked behind him. He got ready to take the hit with his Aura, but something fell from the sky and landed on the Grimm, crushing it on the ground.

Sunstone looked bewildered at the person who just literally fell from the sky. He reconized Tourmaline though she didn't have the same outfit. She was now wearing a grey and green armor covering her arms, her legs, her waist and her rib cage. Her belly and her back were covered in some kind of chain mail. In each hand she was holding a brown and green spear.

«Kh! Of all the mongrels in this scool it had to be yo-»

«Save your breath, shrimp!»

Tourmaline swung one of her spear to sweep Sunstone's legs. As the latter fell on the ground he saw black arm wiping the air where his head was a second ago. Tourmaline pierced through the Ursa's head with her second spear like if it was butter and she finished the one she had landed on.

«So.» She looked him up and down. «Looks like you already are in difficulty.»

«Do not misunderstand the situation, mongrel. I could have easily handled that by myself.»

«Could you? You looked pretty overwelmed to me. What, too prideful to admit you were in a bad situation?»

«Silence! A small handful of Grimm is nothing for me!»

«Oh really?» Tourmaline looked over Sunstone's shoulder. «Then how about this.»

She pointed her finger at something behind his back. When Sunstone yurned his head, he saw three other Ursae glarring at them.

«The first one to eliminate those wins. This should be easy for someone as great as you.» She said in a sarcastic tone.

Sunstone had already use a part of his aura and his weapon was still inside the suitcase, which was laying on the ground behind the group of Grimms. Nonetheless, he took up the challenge.

«As you want mongrel. I shall show you who is the-»

He didn't have the time to finish his sentence that Tourmaline took off like a rocket to overtake their targets. Actually she  literally  took off, as if she really had rockets stuck to her feet leaving a green glowing trail behind her. In no time, she landed on the back of the middle Ursa. As she did, the spears in her hands both turned into shotgun that she aimed at the two others and blew their heads off. She then jumped upside down and Sunstone could clearly see it: she bent her legs and green lights gathered around her feet. Then, she pushed with her legs as if to jump and she was propelled toward the ground while leaving a trail of green lights behind her. She trusted one of her spears forward and the last Grimm was nailed to the ground.

Sunstone didn't even move that she had already whipped out all the enemies. She walked back to his position with a victorious look on her face.

«So, what do you say?»

«You filthy mongrel. You chose a challenge you held an avantage in!»

«Do you think you can complain? In life it's survival of the fittest. Plus you're the one who were bragging about handling it easily, right? Well I handled it even more easily.»

«You little- It does seem you do not know your place.»

«I know my place better than you. It's above you.»

Part 5
«Ughh...»

Sumire's head hurt. He was laying on something hard but he didn't knew what. His eyes were closed and unclear noises were resounding all around him. He finally felt the pain in his whole body and wanted to go back to sleep. But the pain in his head and the uncomforatable feeling of laying on the ground didn't allow him to.

«...What's...»

He waited a little and the pain started to calm. The noises too were less and less frequent, and the atmosphere felt more calm. He moaned and tried to get up but a searing pain struck his back and he fell back, which was even more painful. He tightened his eyelid because of the pain and let out a moan in lament. Soon after, though, he felt something soft and warm on his forehead. He understood that it was a hand, and he opened his eyes to understand what was going on.

«Done with sleeping?»

His eyes wide, Sumire saw Olive leaning over him with a smirk. It took him a moment to reconize her though, but as soon as he did he suddenly straightened his back.

«Olive? What's goi- aaaargh!»

«Don't do sudden movements like that! You need to lay down a little longer.»

«Where am I? What happened?»

«We're in the forest next to Beacon for our initiation, remember? Did you hit your head that hard? And about what happened, I'm curious too. You were already unconscious when I found you.»

«The initiation… Ah!» His memories came back all at once. « I think… I failed my landing.»

«Really? Well, looks like you were saved by your aura. Now, try to get up slowly.»

Olive lent a hand to Sumire and helped him to stand on his feet, which was without difficulty because of the pain he still felt in his back. He looked around him. They were in the middle of a field of white clover within the forest. All around them, Sumire could see hints of fights, from burns to marks of claws.

«What happened here?»

«You didn't really expect the Grimms to ignore you because you were kipping, did you? I had to protect you untill you were awake. And now that it's done, I'd raher we move on.»

Sumire noticed the beads of sweat on her forehead, her heavy breathing and even some small wounds on her arms. Just how long had he been asleep?! He also noticed what he supposed to be Olive's weapons: a few containers filled with colored liquides were hanging on a black belt around her waist and in her hands were the biggest brushes Sumire had ever seen.

«I'm sorry. You had to keep an eye on me while fighting. I put you in danger.»

«Ha? Don't feel all mighty, I helped you on my own initiative. Do I really look like the kind of person who would abandon someone to their death to save my own life?»

«No, I mean- It's my fault for blacking out. Thank you for taking care of me!»

«It sounds strange when you say it like that. Don't bother, you have all the day to return me the favor.» With a nods she indicated something behind him. Sumire turned around and saw that there were still Grimms coming for tonight's diner. «Now if you could give me a hand.»

Part 6
«Seriously, how did it come down to this?»

Mar didn't fail his landing and yet life reserved him another surprise. He was still inside the Emerald Forest, but the problem was his feet weren't on the ground! He was hanging upside down to a tree branch, his feet hindered by some kind of liana. But there wasn't any liana in this forest.

«That's because you've been a big meany and that you refused to give me a piggyback ride!»

Bellow him was the responsible of his situation. It was a teenage girl with half-long blond hair gathered in a ponytail and shamerock green eyes. She was wearing a white t-shirt with a red cowboy shirt over it. She also had a white short and had a red and yellow cap on her head. She looked pretty cheerful although she was scolding Mar, and even her pouting face wasn't that sad. The liana restraining Mar's legs was actually growing out of her hand as if it was totally normal.

«Aren't you passed the age for piggyback ride?! Time to grow up a little, huh… What was your name already?»

«It's Korn Froh! And I don't care what you think about my taste for riding!»

«I would rather call that childishness. And so what?! Just go grab a horse or something! Let me down!»

«Look, do you see a horse somewhere around?»

«…No.»

«So you give me a piggyback ride or I let Grimms play with you like a piñata!»

«Okay! Okay! I'll give you your damn piggyback ride, but let me down! I can feel all my blood going in my head!»

«Okay~!»

The liana suddenly let go of Mar to grow back in Korn's hand and disappear. Still in the air, Mar fell headfirst on the floor. He got up while grumbling and walked to where his wepon, a big anchor, had fallen. He then came back to Korn and bent his back.

«There. Climb.»

«Yay!» She climbed on his back, and made a liana pop out of her hand again to wind it around Mar's face like a harness. «Onward, Mr. Pomfy!»

«Don't give me embarrassing pet names like that! And remove your tentacle shit! I'm not an animal!»

«No but you're a big meany. No mocking others' semblance! Now, I said onward, Mr. Pomfy!»

«Oh, yoouuuuu!»

Part 7
«Looks like all the pairs have been formed.»

On Beacon's cliff, Glynda was checking the initiation on her scroll. At the edge of the cliff, Albus, though he was supervising the initiation too, didn't even open his. He was just staring blakly at the forest below.

«Is something bothering you?» Glynda asked. But the later didn't answer and just sighed. «Is it this [no intervention] rule?»

«I guess. I couldn't watch them in difficulty without running to their rescue. I wonder what Ozpin is thinking right now.»

Glynda looked back at her scroll. «If I know him, he's probably watching after the students from his office.»

«Is that so? Then why sending me in the first place?»

«For this very reason. Those children will be your students starting this year. It is your duty as a professor to know what they're capable of.»

Albus didn't respond. He seemed lost in his thought for a moment and then unfolded his scroll to look at his students fighting for their life and their entrance at Beacon.