Chapter 2: A Mentor Once More

It's been two days since you returned to Beacon with the bodies of CFVY and the living team JNPR. It wasn't the first time you saw friends be buried in the cemetery, but it still wasn't easy. Some students cried, some were angry, others even yelled at you for not getting there in time. You didn't react. You didn't respond. You sat there and respected your fallen comrades who sacrificed themselves to save their students... something you couldn't even do.

JNPR was sent to the medical wing for small treatment and was asked to come in the next day. That day... is today. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren sit in front of Ozpin's desk. Glynda's there, standing beside the sitting headmaster. You're there, leaning against one of the pillars in the room as you hear their side of the story once more. Ozpin glances over at you every so often and you meet his gaze with no hesitation.

You know it too, don't you?

After some shaky words and bad memories, the room goes silent as each person is left to their own thoughts. Ozpin takes a deep breath before breaking the silence.

"I see. Well... we'll have Huntsmen look into this."

"You'll have me look into this," you cut in, attracting everyone's gaze.

"No. I have a different assignment for you."

"A different assignment?" You repeat, pushing off the pillar and walking forward. "This is the perfect assignment for me!"

"No, it's not. These four," he gestures to the sitting students. "Need a new mentor."

You stop in place and scowl at your headmaster. "You..."

"(Y/N) Gray, you are now responsible for team JNPR."

"But-"

"That's not debatable," Ozpin firmly speaks. "I'll hear no more arguments."

"Tsk," you look down at the men and women. "...fine..." You begrudgingly say. "But-"

"We'll discuss your involvement with this case another time," Ozpin smiles, his tone back to normal.

"I'll hold you to that. Come on," you flick your head towards the elevator. "If you're my team I need to make sure you're ready."

"Ready?" Jaune repeats, looking at his teammates.

The others shrug before getting out of their seats and following you into the elevator. You give Ozpin one last look before the elevator closes.

"Professor Ozpin... are you certain it's wise to let him work on this case?" Glynda inquires.

"I do," Ozpin nods. "There's no better person, in fact." Ozpin turns chair to face Glynda. "Could you summon Qrow for me? It would be much appreciated."

"Of course," Glynda bows her head before heading towards the elevator.

Ozpin waits for her to leave before sighing. "I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this," Ozpin steps out of his chair and walks to his window, taking in the view. "But it appears I have no choice... I have to make sure she's truly free."

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I have to make sure that was them. If I check the cave... their bodies would still be there, or at least their weapons. There'd be something letting me know.

"(Y/N)?" Pyrrha's voice breaks derails your train of thought.

"Yeah, what?" You shake your head before looking.

"Well... you brought us here," she gestures to the empty training arena.

"Right, yeah," you step back and stand in front of them all. "Grab your weapons from the locker room."

"Are we..?"

"You're going to fight me. Go get your weapons," you repeat. "No questions."

Pyrrha shuts her mouth, not wanting to disobey your order. The four slowly walk through the hallway to the locker room, leaving you to your thoughts. You huff, starting up at the ceiling.

"Let's see if they're even competent."

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"Attack whenever you feel like it," you state, standing in the middle of the four.

They look to each other, unsure whether to actually do it. Your arms are down, your stance is casual – you don't even have your weapon out.

"Hurry up... or do you want me to make the first move?" You eye Nora and Jaune, the two in front of you.

The four look between each other before all rushing at the same time. Nora jumps high to attack from above, Ren stays low to hit you from below while Jaune and Pyrrha go in for a slash and stab respectively. You roll your eyes.

How standard.

You grab your blade and slash towards Ren, the pure power behind the slash sends a sonic wave that knocks the boy back. You spin around and deflect Jaune's attack while also catching Nora's hammer with your left arm. She, Pyrrha, and Jaune are taken back at the fact you caught her full power swing like nothing. You throw her to the side while also spinning and kicking Jaune in the ribs. They both crash into the wall, the sound of impact is overshadowed by the clash of steel between you and Pyrrha. You hold her blade back with your knife. Her arms are shaking as she does her best to push you back, you stand calmly with your cold eyes. She almost falters right there. Never before has she felt this chill from a mere stare.

Pyrrha hops back and changes her weapon into the spear. She extends the spear once, you lean your head left, and again, you lean right. For the third time, you duck under it and extend your material around her ankle. You grip the bandage and throw her into Nora, who attempts to attack again. The two girls slam against the wall and fall to the ground.

"You're predictable. You're weak," you bluntly state. "You need to mix things up with your weapons. Nora," you turn to her. "You have the hardest hitting weapon. People expect you to come from above, to hit them with the assistance of gravity. On the other hand, Ren," you shift you see him. "You have the lightest weapon. You coming from below was plain as day. If I'm to suggest anything, it's to vary your fighting style. If you were fighting someone who intended to kill you, predictability is your greatest enemy. Always fight like they know who you are – inside and out."

"So," Jaune gets to his feet and scratches his nose. "We have to learn... fighting styles?"

"Not you. You need a fighting style, to begin with. Pyrrha attacked me with precision and aim. You swung wildly. Did you even get any training?" You ask with a raised brow.

"Uh... heh... hehehe," Jaune rubs the back of his head.

"Right," you cross your arms. "It's actually surprising how you survived."

"Hey," Nora whines.

"Don't complain. You're my problem so that'll change. You won't die on my watch. That's a promise."

Somehow, despite your less than motivational attitude, they all believe that statement. Be it the tone of your voice or the look in your eye.

"Now, back to training. If you don't get stronger than I will leave you for dead.

And it's gone.

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"Ah," Jaune stretches on his bed. "I've never loved this bed so much."

"It was quite intense," Ren agrees. "But I believe exercise like this is beneficial."

"Exercise?" Nora shouts, huffing and puffing on her bed. "That was more torture!"

As the three continue to complain, Pyrrha silently sits on her bed. She thinks back to what you said, to the way you handled her entire team. She's almost mad at herself. She was always praised for her fighting prowess, her ability to overcome both human and Grimm opponents no matter what. Yet here you are, defeating her over and over without breaking a sweat and even saying her technique is lacking.

As disappointing as this is, it's also motivating. A fourth year as skilled as you teaching her team how to better themselves. Though, she does wonder why you weren't at the hall, to begin with. She saw you once and would recognize you when teams were being assigned.

Knock Knock

Pyrrha looks over at the door before stepping off her bed. "I'll get it." She opens the door and smiles. "Hello!"

You're as stone-faced as ever, holding a scroll in your hand. "You forgot this, Jaune," you say before tossing it to the blonde boy.

Jaune fumbles for a moment but grasps it with both hands. "I didn't even know I lost it? It was in my pocket!" He moans, quickly checking his pockets.

"That's all I wanted. I'll see you four tomorrow after class."

"More training?" Ren asks.

"Mhm," you slightly nod your head while you turn away. "I also put my contact information in your scroll, Jaune. If there's an emergency or you want some extra training then message me. That goes for all of you," you look down at your left arm and wince. "Right... have a good night. I'll be away from the school until morning, so..."

"Where are you going?" Pyrrha inquires, curious where anyone would be going so late.

"Places," you bluntly answer before walking away. "Get some sleep."

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You stand at the grave with your scroll out, typing with a hint of annoyance. You planned on visiting the cave, despite Ozpin's wishes. Unfortunately, the only person you know who could fly you under the radar is unavailable right now.

"Tsk, of course. Hm..." You stare at the names. "Are you really gone? There's no reason you'd attack Beacon, then... unless you're now against Beacon. Do you hate us now... do you hate me? I wouldn't blame you," you shake your head, slightly chuckling. "I hate myself too." You look down at your left hand. "Hm..." You think back on team JNPR. "I won't... let you die."

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You quietly write down all the notes in your booklet. The sound of your pencil dancing along the page as you write. Of course, they'd have you write a three-page assignment on the different techniques utilized for at least two different Grimm types. For assignments like these, you're usually meant to read all of them for new strategies or a refresher on techniques you already know. You'd rather actually put these into action but then you'd get scolded by your professors. They'd been very protective of you since your team passed, despite your clear annoyance on the matter.

You dot your last period and slide the pages away from you. You have nothing left to write about so you scan the class for a moment. You're at the back of the class in the corner. Nobody sits around you anymore so you can practically spot everyone. Your teacher quickly notices that you're no longer writing and decides to make her way towards you. She's an older woman around Port's age but she's extremely intimidating considering she's over six and a half feet tall with the muscle to match. She may have gray in her hair but she could rip a Beowolf's arm off.

"You're finished?" She asks before stopping behind you.

"Mhm."

She looks down at her scroll and huffs. "Very well, you may leave. There are only ten minutes left anyway."

"Mm... thanks," you grab the scroll on your desk and make your way out of the room.

You open the door and quietly shut it behind you. Once you look forward you stop in place.

"Mm... what're you doing here?" You remark, crossing your arms.

"Here looking for you," he replies, checking if there's anything left in his flask before putting it away. "You wanted to come with me, right?"

"I wanted to go on my own... but I guess that's not going to happen, is it?"

"Of course not. I thought you were supposed to be smart," Qrow taps his head. "Could be dangerous, even for a Huntsman like myself."

"So I'm not just a ball and chain?" You sarcastically remark.

"Of course you are. You think I'd want you to cover my back?" He sneers. "I just hope you don't get me killed."

"Tsk," you grind your teeth at the back of his head. "Whatever."

You follow Qrow out of the building and past some of the Beacon architecture. It's sad that your conversation has to be stale... or non-existent. It's not surprising to you, anymore. You're used to it. The Bullhead is warmed up and ready to go, waiting for you two. Without a word, you both take a seat in the Bullhead before it takes off towards the forest.

You look out the side, staring at the scenery to distract your mind. You can feel your leg bouncing from anxiety. Despite everything, despite all the bravado, you're nervous about going back. You're not sure what you're going to find considering your encounter the other day. If their bodies are there, then who were the imposters? If they're not... then what do you even do? You don't have that answer just yet. You don't even know what a good answer will be.

So, after a short flight, the Bullhead slows to a hover and lowers itself into the clearing before the cave. There's no Grimm around, thankfully, so you can investigate without having to clear the area out first. You and Qrow hop out of the Bullhead and approach the cave.

"Getting chills?"

"No, it's fairly warm," you reply with little emotion. "Have people been excavating already?" You point out, noticing the cave isn't filled to the brim with rocks.

"Oz has had people here, yeah. It's not completely done, though," the Huntsman explains as he walks ahead of you and into the cave.

You enter the shadow cast by the stone ceiling and walls, getting a knot in your stomach just from being here.

"So he's been doing all this behind my back?" You say with a hint of annoyance.

"You expect him to relay everything to you?" Qrow snickers. "How much self-worth do you have in that head of yours."

"Not much," you roll your eyes.

The long, stone hallway feels like it takes forever to traverse. Every second is hell for you since you remember everything. You remember sending them into this cave... you remember sending them to die. You're so lost in thought that you bump into a stationary Qrow, annoying the man a bit.

"Couldn't see me?"

"Lost in thought."

"Mm... well, there's only a bit left," he gestures to the stone wall.

"I can handle it, I think," you say, stepping past your elder.

You place a hand on the closest rock and let your bandages wrap around each individual rock. Using your Semblance to this extent takes a toll on your Aura, but that's what Qrow's here for. Once you have each rock wrapped up like a present, you crush them all in an instant. The crunch of the rocks echo through the cave. The dust settles and reveals a path into the large room that shattered everything.

"You were never here, right?"

You shake your head before walking forward, leaving Qrow behind. You remember reaching out to Neo as she pushed you back... yet there's nothing here. You kneel down at the entrance and look for any signs of blood stains, ripped clothes, bones, anything... but there's nothing. You stand up and jog into the room.

There's nothing here... at all. The walls are rough yet clean. The ground is dusty yet untouched. It's like there was nothing here before, like nothing ever happened. You look down at your hand.

"There had to be something here..." You think aloud.

"Your arm, it changed here, right?"

"Yeah..." You mumble.

"I'm starting to see why you're distressed," Qrow approaches the wall and drifts his hand down the stone. "This isn't what Oz said it would be. Things are missing," he looks around the room. "Lots of things."

"So... they're alive?"

"Maybe, kid... maybe... I hope not," Qrow slips out his scroll and sends a message to Ozpin. "We'll have to see what Ozpin says."

"So those were..." Your voice trembles. "I... it can't be... but where's that glow? What gave me..." You look at your left hand. "What exactly..." You clench your fist. "Damnit... I hate being in the dark like this."

"Ozpin says we come home."

"What?" You turn to Qrow. "But what about investigating? Figuring out-"

"That's someone else's job. We have a few problems back in Vale that need our attention."

"Vale? What's wrong?" Your tone shifts to a curious one.

"Flood of missing persons' reports, apparently. But that's nothing you have to worry about. You're going back to Beacon," he slips his scroll back in his pocket.

"You think I can just sit at Beacon knowing this?" You take a few steps towards him. "I can help!"

"Lots of people can help, kid," he turns away. "You've done enough."

You grind your teeth and watch as the caped Huntsman walks out the exit and down the hall. You have no retorts, nothing to argue with. You huff. "Missing people? Why wouldn't the police handle that?" You cross your arms and think. "The hell's going on around here?"

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Pyrrha slides across the grass, her blade cutting through the ground in an attempt to slow her down. The young huntress-in-training pants as she stares up at you. Your hands are on your hips, not a care in the world.

"You're still too straightforward and you don't use your Semblance enough in battle. I thought you were attempting to surprise attack me but... well," you shrug. "Nothing."

Pyrrha pushes off her knee and stands up. Okay... again."

"Why?" You tilt your head. "I ended training three hours ago. The rest of your team's already sleeping or studying. Why're you still here?"

"Because you have more to teach me," she says with a smile. "I want to be the best... people expect the best from me. But you've shown me that there's still so much I have to learn. I have to keep improving... for them... and for myself."

You can see the determination in her eyes. She really believes she needs to get better, though...

"You shouldn't get stronger for others."

"What?"

"You say it like it's necessary. Like you have no choice but to be stronger because other people want you to. You should be stronger because you want to," you step over to your water bottles and grab them, then stroll towards Pyrrha. "Nothing is admirable about becoming stronger to protect people. We're training to put our lives on the line for that specific purpose. Everyone here wants to protect people," you stop in front of her and hand her the water bottle. "Become stronger because you want to. Public appearance doesn't matter."

Pyrrha takes a few swigs of water before responding. "You say that... but I know you don't care."

"Mm?"

"I asked about you... about your team." You become visibly distant at the mention of this. "You remain distant from everyone anyway. You wouldn't know what it's like to have the spotlight on you... for everyone to always be judging every action and-"

"Stop," you cover her mouth with your bandaged hand. "You're going to contradict yourself. Clearly, despite my efforts to remain solitary, people still judge my actions. I'm the man who lost three teams, the lone survivor, the failure, anything... People will always know me... people will never forget, no matter how hard I want them to." You take your hand off Pyrrha and turn around. "We're done for the day. Finish that water and get some rest."

Pyrrha watches as you walk away, trying to figure out what to say. In a spur of the moment decision she shouts. "You're not alone anymore! You have us!"

You stop and look over your shoulder, chuckling. "No, you have me. It's better that way. You won't die."

"Not if you're there."

You pause for a moment, hearing those words echo through your mind while flashes of CVFY come to mind. Their corpses, JNPR's scared faces... and you weren't there. You shake your head and keep walking.

"Even if I was..."

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Ozpin taps his hands along his cane as he stares at his desk. Everything is gone from the cave... it's not the first time those contents have been moved, but he hoped that after it collapsed you would be the last remnant of it. He can handle that. But knowing that it's gone, that things are still out there... He can't help but worry for the people of Vale... and even you. As much as he wants to keep you away from all this, you're the only one who's personally involved. He's not referring to your personal motivations either.

His elevator dings before opening for the elusive Huntsman. "Oz, what's the situation?" Qrow asks as he walks in.

"I..." Ozpin taps his cane for the last time. "I believe we have a serious situation on our hands, Qrow. I need you to do some reconnaissance for some time. We need to find where the orb went and who moved it."

"What about those people JNPR mentioned? Are they really..?"

"If they are... they're not who they used to be anymore," Ozpin truthfully answers. "I'm sorry, Qrow... we can't bring them back."

Qrow places a hand on his cross as he takes a deep breath. "I know... I know." He exhales and returns to a normal stance. "I'll let you know what I find, Ozpin."

"Thank you," Ozpin bows his head.

Yep, another chapter! I know, it's really easy when chapters are this short and I know what I'm doing. I mean... I always know what I'm doing but short stories are a little easier to go with. In all honesty, I'm still kinda making it up as I go. You all know that when I write a chapter I have a general idea of what I want accomplished. I just write until I feel I've achieved my goal. It's just a bit easier since short stories are, well, short. There's not as much to worry about. Plus there's no, "Man, I gotta hit at least six thousand words." Actually, I say that, but I more aim for five thousand with my main stories. I'm trying not to care as much anymore. You could call that me being lazy but I call it having a little more fun. This is a hobby, after all, I don't want to treat it like work.

Heck, even incorporating Pyrrha moments is weird. I'm not a romance writer, as some may have noticed. It's just not my forte. That's why I'm excited to write something like Love Live after this. That'll be pure fluff and romance, which will push me to improve. May make Crimson Shadow, Limitless, and future stories better. Or not, who knows. I'm more of a plot and action writer anyway. I do know some people dislike that. You read an "X Reader" to see the pairing, but for me, the pairing is a background thing – a subplot. It should be more prominent though... but, whatever, we'll see how I do it in the future. I guess it's more on my mind for this since I like developing the connection between characters more before actually starting the romance. Crimson Shadow took twenty chapters, Limitless will probably be more than that, and this... well, this story won't even be ten chapters. So the romance feels like it might be rushed. But that's where my self-taught writing skill has to come in! I haven't done this for four years just to suck now.

I hope you're enjoying it, though. I do really like this idea and hope you will too by the time it's done. Honestly, I almost scrapped this idea. It's thanks to thenameisntimportant and That Saiyan Joe that this is even being written. They liked the idea when I explained the base premise to them and encouraged me to write it. So you sorta have them to thank for this. Anyway, I've rambled long enough. I'll see you guys next chapter!

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