Gasp! What is this? A chapter a day before it was supposed to come out? What could this mean? Does he want to speed up his posting schedule? Is this actually a secret coded message to another country that was urgent enough to warrant an unscheduled update? Could he have contracted a terminal disease and only have three months to live?
Nope. The real reason is, I got back from watching the Minions movie with my family and was exhausted and bored since I knew that nothing else today would top that movie. Trying to figure out what to do, I came to the decision "You know what? I'm going to update a day earlier!" And so I did. Nothing weird of supernatural about it. So you conspiracy theorists in the back row can shut up now. Yes you. I see you back there whispering among yourselves. No I am not a spy, and no I have no relation to the Russian Mafia. Plus I feel kind of bad for putting off the update of HOR for so long last week. Sorry 'bout that.
Also, for those of you who may not be as versed as others in your RWBY lore, Nevermores are the giant birdy things, Death Stalkers are the massive scorpions that God must've created on a bad day, and if you have no idea what the Ursa was from the last chapter, I really don't know what to say besides go rewatch Volume 1.
While Daniel pondered his conundrum, just over a springboard launch away, Professors Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stood consulting a tablet. The screen showed aerial video from several drones that were monitoring the student’s progress. All the students had videos available that the two readily watched, but there was one that was maximized to take up a good half of the screen.
“Curious,” Ozpin mused, stairing at a live feed of Daniel Grigio looking at the dead Grimm he had just slayed. “Unlike the others, Young Daniel has chosen to walk alone.”
“He’s must be very confident in his abilities, or prefer to work alone.” Glynda said. “Either way, he is a fool.”
“Don’t be too harsh on him,” Ozpin admonished. “He did just take down a fully grown Ursa.”
Glynda sniffed. “If he really is capable of becoming a Huntsman, we both know that fighting an Ursa is nothing.”
“Yes, but for now he is still learning. And for many, taking down any Grimm is an achievement by itself.”
Glynda Goodwitch nodded with grudging consent and returned to the scroll. Minimizing the window with Daniel in it, she enlarged the other windows to compensate. Each one showed pairs of students making their way through the forest. “It would appear, sir, that all of the pairs have been formed, save for Mr. Grigio.”
“Oh, and who is the other remaining single student?” Professor Ozpin asked.
Glynda scanned through the videos, but once again, each feed apart from Daniel’s showed pairs.
“I’m afraid that I am unable to locate the final student.”
“And that would be?” Ozpin asked, without even a hint of alarm in his voice as he took a sip of coffee.
Glynda scanned the names of the students once more before looking up. “A boy; Dakota.”
Dakota stood over the sparking hunk of metal that was, up until recently, the drone following him. He had sensed it following him a while back, and had finally located it only moment ago. Rewrapping his chain around his right arm, he reached to a pouch hanging from his belt and after checking the contents of the pouch, latched it shut. Dakota could understand why the Headmaster wanted to keep an eye on him and the other students, but Dakota had grown up where true privacy was extremely rare. Normally he tried to avoid combat unless it was absolutely necessary, but he valued his privacy over morals of not fighting. Being watched when you didn't want to be watched was a serious violation of his personal code.
And Dakota never wanted to be watched.
He was turning to continue on the thin path that followed a cliff that seemed to turn towards the temple, when a voice cried out behind him. He turned to see the sandal-clad hippie, and the cowboy jogging towards him.
“Dude!” the hippie called. “It’s like, so cool to see you man. It’s like the spirits are guiding us towards each other. It’s destiny man!”
“And, you are?” Dakota asked, having never seen the person before.
“My name is Lewis. Lewis Lemon. And this is my very good friend Nicholas Brown.”
“Ochre, actually,” Nicholas corrected. “But you can just call me Nick.”
“Now that we know our names, would you grace us with yours man?” Lewis asked.
“Dakota. Just Dakota.”
“Well, Just Dakota, how ‘bout commin’ with us ‘till you get your partner?” Nick asked.
Dakota weighed his options. He didn’t like the feel of getting involved with another group, but he figured safety in numbers was, for the time, his best bet. Besides, he'd be part of another before the day was out. Might as well get use to it.
Dakota was just beginning to nod, when a Death Stalker crashed through the forest in front of them. It screeched at them and scuttled in their direction.
Dakota slid his chain off his arm and reached into his pouch, but Nick and Lewis stepped in front of him, blocking his view.
“Don’t kill it, we can use it for a ride,” Nick ordered. Lewis nodded and unslung his guitar and after adjusting the whammy bar, began strumming. Nick reached into his coat and drew a revolver. The Death Stalker continued to charge, but was suddenly halted by a wall of green energy. The Grimm screeched and pounded on the shield, but was unable to get through.
Lewis smiled at this and cried “Rock and Roll man!” before readjusting the whammy bar and letting loose a series of intense guitar riffs. Waves of the same green energy burst out of the guitar and bashed into the Death Stalker. The creature reared back and snapped at the waves with his claws. It managed to catch one, only for the wave to expand with a simple adjustment of one of the knobs on Lewis' guitar, snapping the claw apart. Meanwhile, Nick was pulling a cartridge out of his revolver and replacing it with a pale blue one. He then turned the cylinder so his new bullet lay in front of the hammer, took aim, and fired. It struck the stinger and immediately, frost spread over the deadly appendage. Lewis charged the Death Stalker and hit a chord that gave him a boost into the air, enough to come face to face with the frozen stinger. He pulled his guitar off of his shoulder and slammed it into the stinger, shattering it into a thousand crystal shards.
“Dude, that’s got to be, like, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Lewis called out as he landed past the Death Stalker. “I knew listening to the spirits to come here was a good idea.”
Nick rolled his eyes and jogged up to the Death Stalker. The Grimm tried to attack him, but without any pincers or stingers, it was quite the difficult job. Ignoring the failed attacks, Nick jumped up onto the back of the Death Stalker and placed his hand on its back. The Grimm gave a roar of anguish before quieting down. Nick looked up at Dakota and Lewis and smiled. “Y’all can come over now,” he called out. “She’s quiet as can be.”
Lewis cheered and scrambled up onto the creature’s back, behind Nick. Dakota followed, albeit with a bit more caution.
“This here’s my semblance.” Nick explained to Dakota as he noticed his apprehension. “As long as I’m touchin’ the Grimm, they listen to me. So long as I’m on her, she ain’t gonna cause us no trouble.”
“Dudes!” Lewis called out. “I can feel it. This is, like, the start of a great friendship that will last us forever. I should make a song about it.”
He launched into a few chords and began singing a song about how the spirits had brought them together. Nick shook his head and patted the Death Stalker, who immediately took off towards the temple was. Dakota prayed that it wasn't that far. He wasn’t a fan of Lewis’ singing.
Daniel burst through the foliage and into a clearing, resting his eyes on the temple after what seemed like forever. It was a stone circle surrounded by a wall that for the most part, was intact. A doorway led into a chamber where Daniel could see multiple pedestals, some holding some sort of artifact. Grinning, he burst out of the foliage and charged into the ruin. He couldn’t believe his luck! He had made it all the way to the ruins without anyone’s help.
He was nearing the entrance when out of nowhere, he felt a searing pain in his arms and his feet left the ground. Looking up, he saw that he was in the grasp of a Nevermore. Desperately, he tried to wiggle free, but the Nevermore had a firm grip on his jacket and he couldn’t get free of it. The ground spiraled away and Daniel was beginning to despair that karma was getting him for all the fried chicken he had eaten throughout his short sixteen years when a loud BANG sounded from the forest and a figure launched itself into the sky and arced upwards to meet the Nevermore head on. It was the wolf faunus from before.
The Faunus latched onto the Nevermore’s face with his feet and reached into a pocket, bringing out a pair of knuckledusters. He pulled them on and depressed a switch, causing three claws per knuckleduster to telescope out. He began viciously clawing the Nevermore’s face, attacking anything in sight. The bird shrieked and let go of Daniel. Daniel, being high up and without any nearby vines to grab onto, screamed as well. Up above, the shrieking of the Nevermore abruptly stopped.
The ground was rushing towards him when a tune began playing and his downward momentum was slowed. Surprised, he looked up to see Lewis standing on a floating barge of green energy next to Daniel, strumming his guitar. “Dude, you nearly became a splatter painting.”
“Yeah, that’s really great. Can we get down now?” Daniel asked, slightly shriller than normal. “I think I’ve had enough falling for the day.”
“Whatever floats your spirit man.” Lewis replied. He adjusted a knob on the guitar and the barge slowly began to sink until it was a meter above the ground. Lewis pulled the whammy bar back and the barge dissipated. Daniel hit the ground and groaned, struggling to get up. A hand clad in a fingerless glove came into his vision and he took it gratefully. As he began to rise, a voice asked. “What the hell were you doing on your own?” Hearing this voice, Daniel desperately shut his eyes. Now way was he going to be partnered with him.
“What are you doing now?” Dakota asked.
Ignoring him, Daniel swiveled around and opened his eyes. Nick and Lewis were going into the temple while a mutilated Death Stalker slowly decomposed outside. He took off towards the temple, but had barely taken a step before his feet were kicked out from under him and he fell face first onto the ground. He was spun around and had to close his eyes rapidly once more before Dakota’s face came into view.
“Enough Grigio,” Dakota commanded. “I don't like it any more than you do, but we’re a team now.”
“No, we’re not!” Daniel growled, struggling to get free. “I, never, made, eye contact, with you,” he said with every twist.
Dakota gave a mirthless laugh. “Do you actually think that matters anymore? I’ve seen all the other groups. You and I, we’re the last pair.”
“You good over there?” Another voice called out. Turning his head, Daniel opened his eyes to see the Faunus running over to them, his boots and belt smoking slightly.
“Nothing to see here Schatten,” Dakota called back, evidently having learned the faunus' name earlier. “Just trying to convince this idiot that we’re a team now.”
Taking Dakota’s moment of distraction, Daniel kneed him in the gut and shoved him off. Scrambling to his knees, Daniel continued towards the temple.
“Dammit Grigio, what was that for?” Dakota yelled after him.
“I’m not on your team, and I never will be,” Daniel called over his shoulder. “Going solo would be better than working with a gang member”
“That’s not how it works!” Dakota called out after him. Ignoring him once more, Daniel strode towards the temple entrance where Nick and Lewis were conversing about something. He had just reached the archway when half of the temple caved in and something from behind threw Daniel across the room and into the opposing wall. His head struck the stone, and he slid down, dazed and half blind from blood seeping out of a wound in his forehead. Blearily he saw that the wall he had been next to had caved in and partially covered a Boarbatusk that had steamrolled into the wall. Nick pulled out his pistol and with a flick of his wrist, it changed into a knife. Before the Grimm could stand back up, Nicholas yanked its head to the side and plunged the knife deep into the neck. The Grimm shuddered once, and was still. Nick withdrew the knife and after wiping it on the Grimm’s fur, flicked it back into gun form and stuck it into the folds of his duster. Lewis reached down and grabbed Daniel by the shoulder and placed him in an upright position. “Man, you hit your head pretty hard. But don’t worry man. Last time I hit my head I went on a spirit journey and came back to the world with the knowledge that I should come here to Beacon.”
Lewis then cocked his head as if listening to something. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tin. He reached in and sprinkled something on his cut. Immediately, the wound numbed, followed by a slight dizziness. “Dude, the spirits just told me to help you and that we would need your help very, very soon.”
“Oh God,” Daniel moaned as he realized what Lewis had just put on his cut. “Please don’t let me trip out.”
Lewis shushed him before tearing a strip off of his tie dye shirt and wrapping it around the cut and stop the bleeding. “Don’t worry man. The spirits don’t need you right now. They said maybe some other time.”
Despite being almost certain he had just been drugged, Daniel was surprised to find that the pain was almost gone and he was still in control of his senses. He was stumbling to his feet when a roar emanated from the woods as well over a dozen Grimm appeared out of the woods. The students still in the clearing frantically pulled out their weapons and took positions, ready to attack.
Lewis turned to Daniel, a wide grin on his face. “See, I told you we’d need your help. The spirits never lie man!”
Yep, out of the frying pan, through the fire, skip over the furnace, and dive headfirst into the lava. That's just how we roll.
Also, I felt I should mention something here today. In just a few weeks, I'm going to be leaving for my freshman year of College. This isn't meant to scare you, but I am unsure how updating To Be Human, and Heroes of Rune page will work. This isn't to say that I won't continue writing or updating, but it does mean that some changes will probably be coming around. I can almost guarantee that the day I update will be changed to whichever day is least insane for me. And if i miss an update week, don't sweat it. I probably just had a really hard week, or Finals are coming up. If that happens, I'll try my hardest to make it the next week or failing that, update the next time I was supposed to, but give you two chapters instead of one. But if that does happen, please don't go around to every University in the US just to find me, break into my dorm hall, break into my dorm, and break into my computer just to see what happens next. It'll come out soon enough.
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