CACE: A RWBY Story

Volume 0: Chapter 2

Before the sun can cast its blinding light on the school of Beacon, a student stirs in the auditorium of sleeping bags. Charley sits up from his sleeping bag, surveying the sea of students around him. Quietly, he picks himself up off the floor and rerolls his sleeping bag. Picking up his possessions, he starts toward the bathrooms. Down the hall and to the right. For a few minutes, as he prepares for the morning, he works in silence. Now having his day clothes on and wearing his sword across his back, he studies his reflection in the mirror of the boys bathroom. The door opens as another student enters.

"Morning." The other student growls, groggy from sleeping. Before answering, Charley notices the proud grey wolf ears atop the other student's head.

"Morning." He replies cheerfully. "What's your name?"

"Ze." The Wolf Faunus growls back. Seemingly offended by the human's attire. Ze eyes him up and down suspiciously. "You and your girlfriend kept me up last night."

"She's not my-" Charley stops himself. "She is a friend of mine, sorry to have kept you up."

Ze waves away the apology. While still watching Charley, he seems more relaxed. "And your name is?"

"Charley."

"And your weapon?" Charley looks confused.

"I didn't name my weapon." Ze shakes his head.

"What is it?" He asks, clarifying his original question.

"It's a sword and a rifle." He pulls his sword off his back.

"Can you handle a two handed sword?"

"Of course, wouldn't build if I couldn't use it." He studies his sword before looking back at Ze.

"And it's a rifle?" Ze asks, clearly confused how a sword could be a rifle.

"Yeah." Charley pushes a button in the pummel of his sword. The top half of the sword slides down into the expanding lower half. Hidden behind the top half of the sword is the barrel of his rifle. A small scope and a pistol grip pop out from the lower half of the sword and the grip of the sword drops a small triangle piece to form the skeleton stock of the rifle. Charley pulls a magazine from his belt and loads it into the rifle. "A good hybrid of mid-range combat and close range combat."

Ze looks stunned at the weapon in Charley's hands. "And you designed this?"

"Yeah. Needed some help from a few professors and students to get everything right, but yeah, mostly me."

"I went for the much more simple route." Ze displays his claw gauntlets. "The claws retract."

He demonstrates the action.

"Cool, did you ever consider body armor?" Ze shakes his head.

"Can't afford it."

"I'm sorry."

"Na, I'll be fine." Ze smiles confidently. "Don't need them anyway. Better get to breakfast."

Ze picks up his things and moves to leave.

"Ze." Charley stops him. "I think we would make a great team."

"Good luck." Ze wishes Charley before leaving the bathroom.

"Hmm." Charley stops to think before leaving. "I wonder how he plays as a part of a team?"

Smiling to himself, he chuckles. "I guess I'll find out."

As he leaves, an excited Alex rushes to meet Charley. Knocking him over she stops to pull him back on his feet.

"I found us a seat in the cafeteria." Charley rubs the sore spot on his head.

"And you're this excited?"

"No, I found out what we're doing today." She waits for Charley's reaction before telling him. "We're fighting Grim."

"As in you and I?" He clarifies.

"No, everyone." She corrects.

"How does that work?"

"I don't know, isn't this exciting?" Charley gives her a confused look.

"There's got to be more to it than that."

"I can't wait!" She exclaims, grabbing Charley's hand before dragging him off toward the cafeteria.

"And I thought you said they weren't dating." Cat appears, followed by Ze.

"He said they weren't." He pauses to study his new friend. "I know you said that you are new to fighting, will you be alright today?"

"I'll be fine." Cat states.

"Yeah."

"And you said that he didn't make a comment about your ears?" Cat asks.

"He just looked at them and continued with our conversation."

"People like that who worry me. Those who don't seem to care, they are the most dangerous." She shakes her head.

"What if he told me the truth?"

"Like he really wants to be on your team?" Cat scoffs. Ze stays silent, still watching where the Charley left only minutes before. "Let's get some food."

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