Fusilier

Encounters of the Grimm Kind

Donnie was sprinting through the forest, Grimm close behind when he remembered something important. His grenades.
"Why the hell didn't I think of that earlier!"
After he yelled this he grabbed one of his grenades from his belt and ducked behind a tree.
The Grimm stopped abruptly in confusion to find their prey.
Taking the opportunity, he pulled the pin on the explosive and tossed it towards the middle of the group.
After the grenade exploded, throwing shrapnel every which way. After a second Donnie leaned out from behind the tree and walked out into the middle of the group his head held high.
"Can't believe that worked," he sighed and looked at the disintegrating corpses. But something seemed off.
"Wait... weren't there five of you?"
After having this revelation Donnie was met by a swipe at his back.
He whirled around while drawing his pistol. He faces the wounded Beowulf, its black hide speckled in pieces of shrapnel.
Donnie glared at the beast and placed the barrel of the gun against its leg.
"That really hurt."
As he said this he pulled the trigger, blowing away its kneecap. The Beowulf collapsed on the leg as Donnie then placed the barrel against its exposed eye.
With one pull of the trigger the gun went off and ended the Grimm.
He turned to walk away and winced, the swipe had broken through his minuscule aura and left a light wound on his back.
Donnie shook his head and began to jog his way to the cliff. Luckily he didn't encounter any more Grimm since they were most likely attracted to the more numerous hunters and huntresses in training.
A half hour later he emerged from the trees to be greeted by the, seemingly eternal, unhappy expression of Professor Goodwitch.
"Congratulations Mr. McManus. I'm a bit surprised you made it actually. I expected less from someone with so little aura and no semblance."
She gave a small smile when Donnie let out a light "wooo" and slumped his shoulders.
Yet he instantly straightened himself and followed the professor who head motioned him to go back to the cliff edge with Ozpin.
"It is good to see you on one piece Donnie. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Ms. Schnee and her new partner will be returning shortly."
Donnie raised an eyebrow at this and asked an obvious question. "Who is her partner?"
Ozpin smirked, having already known he would ask, pointed out the young heiress. She was currently standing in a small firing line next to Ruby and Yang. Also in the line was a girl in black. She seemed to be firing some sort of pistol.
It seemed all their attacks seemed to appear in whichever color they were wearing. Donnie noticed the large Nevermore that they were attacking.
"Those are some fireworks they're causin'," he spoke his thoughts.
But his true question was wether or not the attacks would do much.
The Nevermore swooped in and scattered the four with a dive bomb.
Then, it seemed, Ruby seemed to have created some sort of plan.
The girl in black attached some sort of ribbon which Yang took the other end of across from her.
Once they did this Ruby jumped onto the ribbon while one of Weiss's glyphs appeared to hold her in place.
"Are they doing what I think they're doing?"
"It depends on how you think Mr. McManus. But, if we're thinking alike then yes I believe they are."
Donnie smiled at this. These girls are my kind of crazy. He thought this when Ruby used Weiss's glyphs to launch herself at the Nevermore.
She caught it by the birds neck and used more glyphs to it up the cliff side with her scythe.
At the top of the cliff Ruby cleanly sliced off the Grimm's head and jumped into the air for a theatrical landing.
Donnie cheered the young girl. His fist pumping in the air.
Ruby turned towards the edge of the cliff to peer down at her friends. After doing this she turned around towards Donnie.
"That. Was. Awesome!" Ruby squealed, reveling in her victory.
"I know I saw!" He yelled and ran up to her hand outstretched. They met halfway with a loud high-five.
Their attention was soon directed to the rest of the teens at the base of the cliff.
"A little help guys! Please!"
Yang shouted up to them needing help getting back up.
After about an hour everyone was hoisted back up onto the cliff. Yang then turned to Donnie and asked.
"So Donnie, how did your initiation go."
He shrugged in reply and said ,"It was fine. I've been through worse runs through a forest."
He turned to walk back towards the professors but was interrupted by Ruby who seemed concerned about his back.
"Donnie what happened to your back?!"
He glanced over his shoulder having temporarily forgotten the claw wound on his back.
"Oh that. A Beowulf snuck up on me and gave me a good hit in the woods. Stings like crap but it'll be fine."
He assured them as he wandered over to the professors.
After waiting on the other first years to make it back they all returned to the hall for their team assignments.
Back at the hall teams were assigned as names were called to the stage.
When Pyrrah's team was assigned it surprised some that Jaune named the leader of the new team JNPR.
When they left the stage Ozpin began the next team by calling: "Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and Donnie McManus."
The five students stood on the stage before their headmaster.
"You five will form," he stopped to change the overhead screen to display their names and pictures. "Team RWBY. Mr. McManus will be included in your team due to his being summoned by Ms. Schnee. It is for this reason as well that you will not be included in the team's name."
The newly formed team nodded and moved off of the stage for the next group of students.
After the ceremony the team's were given room keys and directed towards their dorms.
After arriving at the dorm everyone dropped their luggage by the door.
"Well here we are." Yang softly commented as she looked around at the beds. "Our new home." Blake finished as she moved over to a bed on the left and carefully placing her bags next to it.
Donnie looked over to the corner of the room to see his bed. A smaller thing that was pressed against the wall in the corner. He set his back down and smiled.
After a moment his scroll buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and saw it was an automated message from the delivery service Zero used. It said his package was ready to be picked up at docks.
"It seems I have to go already girls. Gotta pick up some stuff from the docks. Anyone wanna come with me?"
The request didn't seem to be receiving much attention as it was ignored. After a few seconds Yang shrugged in agreement and said ,"Sure I'll come along, you're probably gonna need me to carry it."
Donnie nodded and started walking out of the door.
After a few minutes of walking Yang decided to break the current silence.
"So Donnie. Tell me about yourself."
He gave her a questioning raise of his eyebrow.
"What do ya want to know?"
"I don't know! Just tell me like where you're from or something." She shrugged as they turned into the courtyard.
"Before or after I was summoned."
She parsed her lip at this. Confused about his question.
"Before, I guess."
Donnie chuckled at this. This was normal for most people Donnie had recently met.
"Well lets see. I'm originally from this one country in my world called Ireland. Nice open fields, the occasional old castle. That sort of thing."
Yang seemed to show an interest at the mention of the castles.
"Nice weather?"
Donnie shrugged at the thought of the familiar, constant drizzle and fog of his homeland.
As Yang gave her own shrug in reply they arrived at the dock. A single bullhead sat on the landing pad, it's driver was nearby sitting on a crate.
"Ah McManus! There you are," he cried out in a cheery voice. Small wrinkles apparent on his face.
"Zero's got another for me eh Patrick." Donnie said this as he extended a hand for him to shake.
He then moved over to the crate to inspect it. His fingers lightly grazed the wood as he checked for any evidence of it being opened.
He looked up to Patrick and grinned a wide toothy smile.
"Another great delivery Patrick. Say, how's Zero been lately. Haven't seen him in a while?"
Patrick jokingly shook his head.
"Same as always. Holed up in that ship if his tinkering. I think you really got him stumped on this next one though, that's an accomplishment."
Yang looked on at the whole exchange a bit confused. First Donnie was getting some strange delivery and now he's talking to this man like he's known him his whole life.
Donnie glanced over at Yang as if he had forgotten she was there.
"Oh. Patrick this is Yang. A member of the team I was placed in." He said while extending his hand towards Yang.
"Yang this wonderful delivery man here is Patrick Helios. Patrick, Yang and vice versa."
He said this along with the return of his broad grin. He gave Patrick a small pat on the back as he walked over to his bullhead.
Patrick placed his helmet back on his head and climbed into the cockpit. As he began lifting off the ground Yang could see him give a small salute to the two of them.
Donnie took a moment to crouch down beside the crate and attempt to lift it. Yang smirked when she saw how much he struggled with holding onto the crate.
He gratefully accepted her help when she offered to help carry the crate. The walk back was filled with silence. It was only broken by the occasional grunt from Donnie as he concentrated on the lifting.
When they reached their dorm Yang knocked on the door with the back of her foot. The knock was answered by Ruby who gave a questioning look at the sight of the crate.
Donnie and Yang set the crate by Donnie's bed.
Weiss sat up slightly to get a good look at it but stopped when she noticed the zero on the side.
"Oh. You've gotten another 'shipment'?" She said almost casually due to the familiar symbol on the package.
He chuckled at the comment and reached into his pack to produce the wooden handle of his broken shovel.
His face fell at the sight. Donnie once again reached into the pack to produce the head of the shovel.
"I guess shovels aren't good for landings," he muttered to himself.
He repeated the thought to Ruby when she asked about it.
Donnie straightened up after a moment of thinking and looked around at the girls.
"Can someone help me get the top of this thing off. I don't have anything to pry it off."
Yang once again stepped forward and cocked one of her bracers. She brought her arm back as if about to deliver a punch and said,"Stand aside, I got this."
Before Donnie could ask what she was about to do he was interrupted by a small blast that left his ears ringing in the close quarters.
He shook his head to try and clear the noise from his ears and gave Yang a thumbs up. The ringing persisted in his ears as Ruby asked what was in the crate.
She had to repeat her question as Donnie had just sat there and stared, blinking his eyes.
When the noise finally cleared he answered her by motioning her over to him.
When they reached the crate he raised a hand to stop her from looking in. "I've been waiting for this for weeks. It took Zero longer than usual to send me a delivery."
"Who's Zero," Ruby asked. Donnie replied with a grin, "Zero is the wonderful gentleman that makes my ammo and gear."
Upon hearing the mention of something weapon related she peeked up. Donnie laughed at her enthusiasm and reached into the crate. At this point he had gained even Blake's interest.
Donnie slowly raised his arms from the crate, producing his own small fanfare the whole way. Finally the object in his arms came into view.
He raised up a shotgun. It's polished metal gleamed in the light as he inspected the barrel and pump action. He let out a sigh and bounced it in his arms to test its weight.
"Ah the memories this weapon brings up."
"What is it Donnie," asked Ruby who was practically bouncing up and down from the sight of new weapons.
"This my dear girl is the Model 10 Sweeper shotgun. Great for clearing a trench and the occasional building." Donnie proudly held up the weapon as if it were gold.
Ruby, who had started digging around in the crate held up an ammo box, which Donnie explained was a new ammo that could pierce an aura in only a few shots.Ruby set this aside as she brought out a smaller, gift wrapped box.
Donnie took it from her hands and read the note attached to the top in Zero's handwriting.
Noticed how beat up your shovel was. Thought you might like this. Made some slight improvements to your mask. Consider this a late birthday present.
Donnie raised an eyebrow and slowly unwrapped the large box and slid the lid off. Inside was a gas mask. It greatly resembled it's predecessor except for the slightly raised lenses.
He set the mask aside and beneath it he noticed, was the replacement of his shovel.
A small axe sat in the bottom of the box. Donnie picked up the weapon by it's handle and admired the head.
It's polished metal gleamed in the light, the head stretched out about half a foot, gradually broadening until it came to sharp blade. On the back of the axe was an equally long spike.
He gave the axe a few practice swings. He was surprised to find that it's weight perfectly matched his shovel's.
Donnie set the axe to the side and picked up his new gas mask. He slid on the leather mask and found that he could see much better in it.
He touched one of the lenses and his vision zoomed. "Oooo."
"What is that mask?" Blake finally spoke up from her bed.
Donnie looked up, surprised she had broken the silence. "This." He said motioning towards it, "Is a gas mask. Back in my world this was standard issue in the military. It kept all those nasty little mustard gas attacks from killing me."
"But why did people need to be wary of gas attacks?"
He frowned beneath the mask at the thought of the war. He sighed and said, "Well back home the world was a bit chaotic. We were all involved in a global conflict we simply named: The Great War. In the trenches the Germans, one of the groups we were fighting, started using something called mustard gas."
Donnie grimaced after these words but continued on.
"This, gas. It was extremely deadly. Even one breath of the stuff would put you in a hospital for months, years even, so that's when we started using these things to protect us from it."
Blake simply nodded in response and went back to inspecting the mask on his face.
Donnie took the mask off of his face and walked to the bathroom. Before he walked into the bathroom he looked over his shoulder and bade them to go to bed because of tomorrow's classes.
After a few minutes he came out in his sleepwear and walked past them to his small bed.
He flopped under the covers and (to everyones surprise) quickly passed out.