RWBY fanfiction part 1

RWBY enter team KAER

The first strike decides the outcome of a fight, that’s the way it works in a battle between the light and darkness, whether they be humans, Faunus, or creatures of Grimm. Whether they are controlling their own will or unable to do so. Whether they be enemies, or perhaps even friends.
KJ was running around the Emerald Forest without any consideration. There was no real reason for danger, but he had vague hopes of matching up with someone competent on such an important day. Although to tell the truth, he would have preferred to work alone.
The Initiation day at Beacon Academy had arrived, and KJ felt more than ready to belong to it. The boy stopped suddenly when he noticed a strange smell coming from nowhere. His heart began to beat faster, and his fear came to the surface when an inaudible tinkling sound was produced behind his back. KJ had always been a good student, as well as an excellent fighter. For this reason, the boy knew by heart all the possible Grimm he could face that day to prove his worth. And that tinkling and deadly scent could only mean one thing: He was close to a King Taijitu.
Without thinking, KJ turned around and squeezed his left arm tightly. Immediately he slipped his coin and felt the whippings of electricity activating in every cell of his body, but most of it was concentrated in that arm. He stared at King Taijitu, that gigantic two-headed serpent that lunged at him mercilessly. KJ had to dodge those fangs with great speed and managed to strike a hard blow to one of the heads. The white head of the serpent shouted a peculiar cry of pain, but the black head struck KJ's body hard, and he fell to the ground with regret. He tried to get up quickly, thinking of some way out, for he had not warmed up enough to face a monster of that caliber alone.
But KJ knew he could take him down. Even though the boy was easily missed in the crowd and could even be mistaken for someone fragile, on the battlefield the situation was very different. His gaze was capable of transmitting a great hidden power that housed his soul. And his guts and boldness were such that the blood-colored eyes of the remaining serpent's head scanned him for a few seconds before attacking. And those were the seconds KJ needed most. This time it was his right arm, drowned in waves of blue fire, that cut the large serpent in half, leaving it like a rag doll that had been forgotten. KJ straightened slowly and crossed his arms over his chest as his deep brown hair glinted - as moonlight would reflect off a still lake, sharp and blinding. Immediately he heard a warm applause at the bottom of the forest. Cowardly, he scanned the leaves of the trees, until he finally met the person who was watching him: Aera Blue.
KJ sighed and his arms returned to normal. He regretted seeing Aera in the eyes because that means that she was now his partner that day. He hated the idea of having her as a couple, clearly, he didn't need anyone. Much less a gun user. He did not want to discredit her, but he felt that this was the option chosen by cowards. One second thought, if he wouldn’t have such amazing qualities in both arms, he might as well be like Aera Blue.
―That was amazing. I bet you'll be an exceptional student.
―Thank you, Aera. Why didn't you attack the Grimm?
―Not for nothing, Flanders. But if we're going to work together today, I'd like to stay out of trouble. Do you understand me? Our goal is not to kill today. I just want to find the relics and get back to the safety of the Academy. ―KJ perceived the bossy tone of her voice, but he decided to ignore it.
How boring, KJ thought, but he smiled and accepted Aera's condition. He thought it was better that way because he wasn't sure he wanted to show the others everything he was capable of doing at first. He was tired of being looked at with fear, he didn't want to be as feared as he was in the past. But he only got those looks when people were aware of his power. Off the field, he seemed like an altogether different person, shedding the serious demeanor he used as a hunter and displaying a gentler side of his personality. He had hoped to graduate along with the other future hunters at his old school, but the headmaster of Beacon, known as Professor Ozpin, had apparently been watching a few select prodigies and allowing the most talented of those early entrance to this prestigious institute. Naturally, KJ was one of them, graduating from his previous institute one year early, when he was 16.
While he was grateful to enter Beacon at such an early stage, he couldn’t help but feel a little dejected leaving his old friends behind. Here he was alone, and so far, he had only managed to strike up a conversation with two of the students at the academy – after an eventful first day at Beacon.
KJ and Aera continued walking through the forest, meeting another couple of students along the way. Together they arrived at the middle of the forest, where KJ could see several familiar faces from the previous day, the day of their arrival. Such people would be the future team RWBY and team JNPR. It was initiation day, they had made it to the temple at the center of the wood, although KJ had been told not to get involved with the other pairs affairs if he could help it by his combat partner Aera. KJ was concerned about his new partner's behavior because he didn’t want anyone to dictate to him on the battlefield.
When KJ exchanged a glance with Ruby in that forest, his breath stopped for a moment. He immediately regretted not having played with her as a couple and noticed that she seemed a little uncomfortable with her partner, a girl named Weiss. On that first day, he had made his way from the airship exit, trailing behind several gaggling groups of older students while a blonde boy rushed past time and knocked him sideways as his hands clasped over his mouth, a look of sheer desperation on his face.
Poor guy KJ thought. He even heard a couple of girls call him the vomit boy earlier.
KJ had decided to take his time making his way to the entrance of the main building, taking a scenic route by strolling around the front gardens of the grounds. It was a warm, humid kind of day, early September - where the leaves seemed to hold onto tree branches for their life until they were ready to flutter to the ground.  He looked up at the blue sky momentarily, a slight breeze pushing his dark hair away from his forehead. All he could hear was the fading sounds of jeering students and the chirping of a few birds nearby as he closed his chestnut colored eyes. Peace.
But peace could only last for a moment. The birds scattered from the trees as a loud bang erupted from what could only be the main pathway to the school’s entrance. KJ’s eyes furrowed as he hastily made his way towards the sound of the sudden noise, curious to see if this was part of an early initiation ceremony, although he had heard that wasn’t until the following day.
What he found startled him even more than he imagined. A small girl dressed in black and red clothing lay alongside a huge weapon, her eyes closed, her eyebrows furrowed slightly in what could only be assigned as pain, fear, or anxiety. Or possibly all three. He crept up to her quietly, almost nervous that this was some kind of trap set to test his abilities. But she looked so young and defenseless, so KJ eventually decided to speak up.
―Are you okay? Should I call a nurse? NUR…
―NO PLEASE DON’T! ―
―Hmph?
The girl had almost instantaneously risen out of her lying position and jumped up to place her small hands over his mouth, not allowing him to complete his call for the school’s medical staff. He grunted in surprise as her expression changed from panic to pure embarrassment, her hands quickly retracting from his face as her pale cheeks began to flush as crimson as parts of her clothing.
―OH MY GOD IM SO SORRY! I didn’t mean to jump on you like that, it’s just that… well I’ve just kind of blew up a girl’s crystals - and then she got mad and started yelling and THEN another girl came over and helped me out until the angry girl left - but then SHE left too so I just lay down on the ground for a bit and THEN you came over and started calling for medical aid and
―I could have unintentionally made your first day even more traumatizing?
Ruby ―Yeah, pretty much.
KJ chuckled quietly at the girl matter of fact response. She was interesting, that was for sure. Besides, KJ was a little surprised by the color of her eyes. That girl had the most amazing eyes he'd ever seen. They were totally silver, like the eye of a hurricane. And, despite being clear, they had something deep inside that made KJ pale. That's when he remembered ever reading that those eyes were what a Grimm feared the most.
―Sorry about that, hahaha.  I am KJ Flanders, by the way.
―Nice to meet you, KJ. I am Ruby. Ruby Rose
For some reason, he didn't feel awkward around her, despite only meeting her. She gave off an easy-going energy, prompting him to continue his conversation with her, silently willing her to fall in step with him towards the school building. She complied and they both strolled slowly down the cobbled pathway, quietly looking down at their boots until KJ decided to start the conversation again.
―So, you look a little young to be enrolled here at Beacon, how did that happen? ―KJ regretted asking that question, as he noticed Ruby blushing.
―Well… ―her voice trailed for a moment, as though she was finding it difficult to phrase her words. After a momentary pause, she shrugged and continued ―I may have coincidentally bumped into a huntress linked to Beacon while fighting a dust thief. This may have allegedly led to an early invitation to the academy.
―Allegedly?
―Allegedly. ―Ruby grinned and snickered quietly. They began to walk up to steps to the entrance doors. Honestly, for KJ those four walls represented his entire future, his responsibilities now as a future Hunter weighed him down more than he cared to admit. Sometimes his attention to detail was likely to slip in these uneventful days, so with the new challenges offered to him he was likely to advance at an even faster rate. With a little competition, he could become the best of the best and that was the plan. However, he was more curious about Ruby Rose than he had anticipated. She looked so innocent, so unable of causing harm to anyone, that it was almost frightening that she was even younger than he was. That she was deemed the biggest prodigy to enter these doors. What was that weapon, anyway?
―So…. Nice weapon you got there. ―He gestured towards the huge scythe Ruby had lugged over her shoulder. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized she hasn’t minimized her weapon yet but smiled fondly as she showcased it proudly to him.
―Ah, yeah this is Crimson Rose. She’s an original High-Calibre Sniper-scythe. Pretty cool, huh?
―A scythe user? That’s pretty rare and pretty difficult to use well.
―Yeah, my uncle Qrow whipped me into shape back at Signal though, Crimson Rose and I have been inseparable since.’ She beamed widely and KJ looked down at the ground, bewildered at the strangeness of everything already mentioned in this conversation. And it only got weirder with the introduction of the second and only other person he had managed to get to know on his first day at Beacon.
―WOAH, WHATS THAT? ―A blonde-haired boy gaped unapologetically at the scythe Ruby had still not put away, pointing at it in shocked adoration before remembering to compose himself and struggling into a delayed prideful stance.
―I mean, hey guys. The names Jaune Arc – short, sweet rolls of the tongue, ladies love it-
―Do they? ―KJ and Ruby replied instantaneously, sharing a quizzical yet amused glance, their eyebrows raised jokingly as they turned back to the student they had previously only known as the one who threw up on the ship.
―N-not yet, but they will! ―Jaune defended himself quickly as Ruby smiled wryly at his flustered yet kind expression. His nervousness was strangely endearing, and as they quickly struck up a conversation with him it became apparent that KJ and Ruby could be on another level from some of the other new students. Or maybe Jaune was feigning inexperience. Nevertheless, KJ enjoyed the afternoon they spent together before the opening speech and dinner that evening.
It had been only one relatively short conversation, and yet KJ had hoped to find Ruby once he landed in the forest during initiation day. He searched in vain and he ended up with Aera instead.
After making their way to the center of the Emerald forest, he and his partner joined the small group of students at the temple and began watching the havoc being wrecked before them upon their arrival. Aera scowled while her teal eyes narrowed as black feathers fluttered to the ground like rotting leaves. This was never supposed to happen, they were never supposed to be in this situation. The girl Ruby had partnered up with was clutching to the Nevermore for dear life as Ruby plummeted to the ground, landing in a tree alongside Jaune. Meanwhile, some other unfamiliar students had traveled to the temple on an Ursa – and another blonde girl was screaming at everyone to calm down amid everything that was going on.
KJ was so confused at that moment.
It was around noon by this point; the wind had picked up significantly in the past few moments and a few clouds swirled overhead like consistent bad omens. Ruby had made her way over to the blonde girl whose name was apparently ‘Yang’, - and the Ursa girl, whose name was apparently ‘Nora’. He wanted to go over and join her, but he could feel Aera’s eyes begging him to stay out of whatever mess they were about to get themselves into.
―We should collect the artifacts and head back through the forest as fast as we can.  ―She muttered quietly so that only he could hear.
―I don’t like to be controlled, Aera
―I’m not controlling you! ―She spoke loudly, clearly offended.  Then, He glanced over towards her and hesitantly nodded in agreement, giving the strange group of individuals’ one last glance before turning to walk away. It was weird because he was quite sure that Ruby looked at him. But before they could go further, they stopped in their tracks as two figures stood before them, both unflinching in their resistance. The first, more visually fearsome of the two was a brawny male with spiky vermillion hair, while the smaller one was a dainty looking blonde girl. KJ recognized them from the airship that took them to the academy the day before but hadn’t even spoken to them at the time. The girl beamed enthusiastically while the boy grunted in acknowledgment. The girl then piped up, her vocal tone displaying an almost musical quality – totally juxtaposing from the words that she quickly uttered:
―Unless your semblance is the speed that Death stalker will rip you to shreds. If you don’t work together with the rest of the students here, that is.’
Aera spluttered and her eyes filled with rage, ―W- What?! How dare you?
―Death Stalker?
KJ flitted around with a speed that could rival Ruby’s semblance and witnessed the creature of Grimm the girl had been referring to. A huge Death Stalker, a scorpion-like the monster was chasing Pyrrha Nikos straight towards the middle of the clearing, while the rest of the group were busy looking upwards watching Ruby’s partner and Jaune fall from the sky.
Why is everyone falling from the sky again? I thought we already finished that part, KJ thought, feeling a little annoyed. KJ didn't like the way things were going. He was a meticulous and perfectionist person, and any sign of disorder would put him in a bad mood. To top it off, he had to struggle with the urge to prove his worth and Ruby to see how strong he was, all because he didn't know how to deal completely with his new partner, Aera the bossy one.
It worried him that they weren’t paying attention to a potentially fatal danger. He had always used his knowledge of the enemy to his advantage, scrutinizing their every move in order to create a combat strategy, and he enjoyed the feeling of being in control. For once, he wasn’t in the driver’s seat, and it had him on edge. Having to watch out for his partner was going to cost him a lot of time and power, but he had to protect her. And he had to protect Ruby, his first friend here also.
He gazed over at the brutish antagonist, its huge crustacean-like claws pushing forward, and ready to attack as soon as it was within range. Pyrrha had managed to widen the gap between them, but it was only a matter of time. And that time was inevitably cut short by Ruby’s battle cry. She dashed towards the Grimm creature, scythe unfolding in hand, her black bangs swaying frantically and her thin arms heaving from the pressure used to lift her weapon above her small frame. She sprinted with unquivering resolve, with a determined expression on her face. A look that resounded with KJ all too well. The need to prove oneself, despite being chosen from proof of talent for this very purpose. The need to show everyone that choosing them to be there wasn’t a mistake, they deserved to train as future hunters and huntresses. It was the same expression KJ would make when he fight. That wasn’t enough to win through – the strategy was needed. Yet Ruby was fighting out of sheer recklessness.
She’ll get herself killed! KJ thought in desperation.
She lunged forward, but the Death stalker struck first, landing a deafening blow on Ruby’s petite body, sending her crashing back onto the hard ground. She got up slowly, yelling to her friends in the assurance that she was ‘fine’.
Am I supposed to just stand here and watch her struggle? I want to help her! KJ was having an internal fight between what he really wanted to do and what he should do. He gritted his teeth in frustration, debating whether he should let her be or hurt her pride but potentially save her from a worse fate. At that moment, the blonde girl Yang had begun to rush forward in an attempt to help, but the Nevermore flying above them worked in league with the Death stalker, shooting large black feathers towards the ground; like missiles until Ruby’s cape became trapped underneath one.
― GET OUT OF THERE! ―Yang yelled at the desperate Ruby as she struggled with her cape, but it all looked to be in vain – nobody was coming to her rescue, nobody was going to be able to get there in time without a long-range technique.
It was an instinctive action, KJ glanced at it for only a fraction of a second before making the decision to awaken his Sharingan. He took a step forward, so his face would be concealed from the three students surrounding him and let his eyes take over, fiddling with the coin in his hand as he judged the beast’s movements.
Predictable, KJ thought. It was a fact that those creatures don’t have a soul. But now, predicting its movements thanks to the Sharingan, KJ was sure that they can’t have a brain either.
He raised his pale arm out in front of his body, holding the coin tightly between his thumb and index finger. At this point, Aera had noticed he had taken matters into his own hands and was about to step forward and pull him back, but his actions occurred almost instantaneously. He flipped the coin into the air with a flourish, it then flying high into the air before dropping at increased speed back down towards his hand. As soon as it contacted his skin again, a wave of high voltage electricity flowed from his body and careered towards the beast. 
The creature exploded from the sheer magnitude of energy making contact with it, the debris of its shell being flung in every direction as Ruby and Yang shielded themselves from the worst of the aftermath. To protect them from the heaviest debris, KJ released his blue flame and burned the largest pieces of shell which were flying towards the temple to ash. After a few moments, Ruby and Yang looked up, puzzled and they quickly tried to locate the instigator of the blast. KJ didn’t have time to change from his combat position before they noticed him but was able to deactivate his Sharingan at least. He wanted to keep that power to himself until he was placed in a team. This was only his initiation after all.
No need to pull out all the party tricks just yet.
― KJ Flanders? ―Ruby said slowly while rising to her feet, as if unsure if she was seeing things. KJ’s fierce expression quickly turned into a gentle smile as he withdrew himself from his fighting position, shaking his head as if in some sort of daze. He waved enthusiastically while Aera scowled.
― Hey, Ruby, sorry I jumped in a bit sudden there, just looked like things were getting a bit out of hand. ―He rubbed the back of his head apologetically and smiled sheepishly. Yang switched her gaze between the two of them in utter confusion while they both let out huge sighs of relief.
― Do you two know each other?’ she then gasped ―SIS HAVE YOU ACTUALLY MADE A FRIEND? I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!! ―She jumped on top of her sister and pinched her cheeks, ruffling her hair with a huge smile on her face. Ruby looked hugely embarrassed at her sisters coddling, swatting her away as quickly as she could.
― Yang, KJ helped me out yesterday, stop it! ― she muttered the latter part under her breath as though she didn’t want KJ to hear. Unluckily for her, KJ had an impressive hearing. In spite of his restraint, he snickered quietly at the exchange.
―Ok KJ, you had your fun, NOW LET’S GO! ―Aera pulled at his jacket in an annoyed manner, while the two other students standing beside them stood and watched with indifference. KJ momentarily ignored her to find out more about them – for all he knew they could end up being part of his team, knowing their names would be useful.
―I’m Emerald, my specialty is a brute strength. ―The petite blonde girl said slowly as if to start a conversation, looking eager to join forces with him now that she had witnessed his electrical abilities.
―KJ Flanders. And you are…? ―he gestured towards the redheaded man with confusion. Surely that guy was too old to be a student at Beacon.
Emerald noticed his confusion and continued with her introduction.
―Oh, this is my older brother Robin, he got held back three years after an incident back home.
―Hey ―Robin grunted unenthusiastically.
―Which is your specialty, Robin? ―KJ wanted to know, trying to make some conversation.
―My specialty is that is not your fucking problem
―Robin! Come on! KJ, please, excuse him. He is so volatile sometimes. His ability is quite good, he is capable of controlling minds. But he needs to practice a little more. Also, his specialty is his fist.
―That’s sounds just mad. I mean, does he control a Grimm’s mind?
―That’s the dream, Aera. I am sure he could do it someday. Right, Robin? ―Robin nodded without any emotion. KJ thought how unuseful Robin was in a combat if he was incapable of controlling the principal enemy’s mind. He just hopes Robin’s fist is good enough in a fight.
While they were having this exchange, the other eight students that were currently also at the temple had made their way over to them with their chess pieces in hand.
―Well there’s no sense in dilly-dallying, your objective is right in front of you. ―Ruby’s partner Weiss stated with an aloof yet trustworthy look in her eyes. The four of them rushed to grab their pieces as they noticed the Nevermore quickly beginning to circle back towards them. They joined the other students, and everyone nodded as they realized the only way to get back through the forest was to move as quickly as possible.
―Run and live, that’s an idea I can get behind. ―Jaune piped up as they began to run away from the temple with their artifacts, the Nevermore caught sight of its moving prey as they began to make their way over rocky terrain. It crowed and seemed to signal to some other creature of Grimm as they soon heard clacking movements begin to approach them from behind.
KJ gritted his teeth and glanced up again at their aerial opponent. They had almost lost Ruby to a small Death Stalker, if it hadn’t been for his electrical semblance she could have been eradicated. Now the Nevermore was perched on a large stone wall, a perfect vantage point for easy pickings like newly recruited hunters and huntresses in training. How could he have missed this villain? How had this Nevermore evaded the fate of KJ’s combat impulsivity when it was in part responsible for all that danger? The only conclusion he could make was that he was afraid of failure, that he was indeed a coward hiding under the pretense of someone kind when he was truly a ruthless human with OP abilities. All this so that he could remain somewhat unnoticed until he deemed it the correct time to strike and then take down the creatures of Grimm and anyone who he considered to be tainted by the evil encompassed by Grimm.
They halted as the Nevermore released a blood-curdling screech as it stretched its raven wings in predatory wait, Aera then deciding to hide behind a boulder along with Jaune and a few others. KJ looked at them, realizing how good they look together, just hiding and evading action.
KJ ran up beside Weiss and Raven and pushed them forward, forcing them to move out of plain view.
―RUN. ―He demanded as he ran in the opposite direction, their legs moving as quickly as they could possibly allow. KJ, Nora and her partner whose name was Ren began distracting the Nevermore as best as they could. Ren used some form of a gun to fight, which was in this case ineffective in KJ’s opinion, but in this situation, they just needed to get out of there, so he kept his mouth shut and attempted to aid them without wasting his aura on another electrical charge. He removed his dual wielding swords from their sheath on his back and slashed them through the air to settle in front of him in an attacking position.
So, this was it. The first strike decides the battle. If the opponent with the first strike plans accurately, it could win the advantage along with the battle. But if they miss, it could cost them their lives. They had to be extremely careful about this if possible KJ wished to retain all his comrades alive.
His fellow students would engage in combat against the monster while he looked for its weakness, using his swords as protection until he was able to formulate a plan against this foe, they would use this formation to stall until it was defeated, and they were able to get back to Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch in one piece. They sprinted until they reached a stone bridge leading them to the outskirts of the forest, the Nevermore circling until the perfect opportunity to separate its prey arose. It smashed the bridge in half leaving himself, Pyrrha, Ren, and Raven trapped with an even larger Death stalker approaching from behind.
So, this is what had been following us. Gee, thanks for that, Nevermore. Really. KJ thought.
Nora and Jaune made the jump between the two-bridge sections by using the force of Nora’s hammer to propel them. Raven fell backward as she lost her balance but quickly used this to her advantage, using her weapon to hoist herself up onto the Nevermore and attack its flesh with a sword. Nora then got into an attacking position and prepared to lunge at the Death Stalker.
―STAY BACK, THIS ONE IS MINE ―Aera suddenly appeared from her concealment behind a large boulder and pushed Nora towards the broken bridges edge in a burst of fury, after finally revealing two large pistols from her belt. She pointed them toward Nora, gritting her teeth as everyone stared in disbelief.
―Aera, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ―KJ lost his cool momentarily, fully exasperated at how at a time like this, his partner was willing to injure another student in order to stand out and potentially become the leader of a team. Ren ran towards Aera and Nora in uncharacteristic frustration, taking his weapon and pointing it towards Aera in a threatening manner. Nora looked between the pair in confusion and managed to slip away while Ren kept restraining Aera who appeared to have been driven to bloodlust out of overwhelming fear.
Meanwhile, KJ’s blades were meeting his opponent’s claws in a flurry of slashing motions. Clearly, the creature was sacrificing the health of its limbs in the process of defending its weakest areas from him. However, KJ’s ascended abilities using his Sharingan gave him the upper hand, and he eventually showcased his Rinnegan in both eyes, in order to use the Outer Path. He mustered up enough energy to create a chain made from his aura, binding the Grimm while gripping his swords so tightly in his fist that his knuckles turned white. He knew he couldn’t defeat the beast in his state of depleted energy unless he risked blacking out, and he couldn’t damage it enough without getting a serious backlash. All he could do was keep it under control until he could no longer fight. His temporary explosive power was too much for him because wounds began to form all over his body and he grew weak and lethargic in his attempts to restrain it.
He looked over his shoulder to Jaune and Pyrrha – who were rushing towards him and the opponent to castigate it into submission while Nora prepared to deal the final blow. She leaped forward and swung her hammer at the monster, knocking it off the bridge and releasing KJ’s chains in one swift movement.
Although KJ’s abilities and skill were a force to be reckoned with, as was his strategic and emotionless tendencies in a fight; in this battle, he could not reach his full potential for precisely that reason. He could not activate that cruel side of his personality while fighting alongside people he wanted to befriend. Until he was able to explain himself, he could not display the full extent of his power. Naturally, he was hesitant to hold back and look weak, this wasn’t how he normally fought. He had to grow close to them, find out their strengths and weaknesses so he could have the upper hand in future, and more importantly to be able to lead a team successfully. He gasped as he crouched into a kneeling position, clutching his side where an open wound had formed.
Damn, my aura won’t help until I heal this. KJ thought, starting to feel dizzy.
He looked up momentarily and saw Ruby staring at him, obviously watching the battle which had unfolded while she prepared to take down the Nevermore. She then faced her rival with the bridge crumbling below them as water from a nearby cliff dribbled down onto the pavement from the debris caused by the ongoing struggle.  Yang and Weiss began their attack on the demon, allowing Ruby to catapult towards it, torturing it with a gunshot, scythe suffocating combo. Dragging it up the cliff in front of them, she beheaded the Grimm without a labored scream, landing on top of the height with an air of heroism they could simply gape at.
Yang grinned beside Weiss as she watched her sister on top of the cliff while Raven merely sighed in relief. Ruby sighed in exhaustion, her entire mind was left numb, and she used these few second alone on the height to collect her thoughts. She gazed down at the Grimm’s falling corpse, then looked up at the overcast sky and smiled slightly with a faraway look.
―Let’s go.
The group left the forest, feeling exhausted but very satisfied with themselves. KJ wanted to reprimand Aera for her behavior, and he wanted to be as far away from her as possible. On the other hand, he was very uncomfortable when he noticed that Yang's partner Blake never took her eyes off him. KJ didn't know what to think about it, and wondered if that girl had noticed anything wrong with him.
That evening, Professor Ozpin had finally assigned the teams and leaders for the new students who had completed initiation successfully. KJ was very excited, but he was disappointed to see Ruby being named the leader of his team, a group of girls made up of Weiss, Yang, and Blake. He immediately knew, once he got on the platform where Professor Ozpin was and delivered the Queen Pieces, that he would be reassigned with Aera. His team was now the KAER team, where he was the leader, and Aera, Robin, and Emerald were his new teammates. KJ had unsurprisingly become a team leader, probably aided by the fact that his three fellow comrades used him as a shield for the entire first day. But apparently this news was not to Aera's liking, but KJ did not care, as he had not attended Beacon Academy to please anyone. On the other hand, Jaune was announced leader of JNPR. Those were the only groups he was remotely interested in at the time. After the eventful day they’d had, and despite the fact he wasn’t in the team he had wished for, being a leader was his goal. Now it was time to show anyone who would watch that he could really be a hunter in the making. Looks like things were shaping up to be an interesting year, and KJ Flanders wasn’t going to hold back anymore.
THE END