Chapter 2: Slater to Beacon

Team RWBY lies on the ground, shocked at the news they just heard. The man they were fighting so hard against, the one they almost killed, was the very same person they were sent out to protect and retrieve. Ruby's heart holds the most shame. Her head is spinning round like she's on some messed up carnival ride that she can't get off of.

"My first mission..." She whines.

You push yourself onto your feet, using your sword as leverage.

"You know Ozpin," you say, sheathing your weapon. "This has to be... ow... the most interesting greeting I've ever gotten," you finish with a chuckle.

Ozpin shakes his head.

"It's not the one I had in mind. Truthfully I had a pleasant dinner planned, but now it seems that will be replaced with a trip to the infirmary for you."

"Oh come on!" You shout. "Can you at least tell me what the dinner was?"

Ozpin turns a bit towards you.

"It was steak imported from Vacuo. I heard that's your favourite," he smiles.

You throw your hands in the air and immediately regret the decision. Your body is pulsing with pain. You kneel down and hold your stomach, the source of the majority of the agony. Ozpin shakes his head, suppressing a minor laugh. Three girls lift their backs off the ground, looking up at the Professor. Ruby, however, keeps staring up at the spinning sky. She can't bear to look into Ozpin's eyes. She completely failed her mission, even went against it.

"But... I don't understand," Blake admits, utterly confused. "If you're the new student... why did you murder those Faunus?"

You stretch your neck a bit while you speak.

"Well... I mean aren't the White Fang the baddies around here? That's what I heard, anyway."

Blake goes completely stiff, her ears minorly twitching.

"The only one left was the leader," you continue. "But you defended him, so he got away."

Blake begins to mirror Ruby's expression at this point. Ever since the day at the docks she's been researching the White Fang incessantly, and she just let a high ranking member slip right through her fingers to fight an innocent man. Who knows what he could have known? He could have been the key to finding and stopping Torchwick for all she knew.

"But... why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, to be fair... " You stretch your back a bit. "... I tried. Twice, actually."

Blake diverts her eyes from you and sighs. She can't believe she let her emotions get in the way this much. You are on the verge of death because she couldn't wait for a second to listen. She charged in without a second thought. Her whole body tightens up at this fact. She won't make the same mistake again. She'll find the White Fang. She'll find Roman.

Weiss, Yang, and Blake finally get onto their feet, though Blake still refuses to look at you. There is a hint of regret and sadness in both Weiss and Yang's eyes. It's most difficult to notice these traits in Weiss, oddly enough. However the atmosphere is just tainted right now. Other than constant, throbbing pain, you can feel the tension emanating from the girls.

You are about to speak, but Ozpin cuts you off.

"How about we get to the Bullhead, hm? I think we've spent enough time here," he pleasantly says.

Ozpin starts walking away from the area. Weiss, Yang, and Blake follow suite. Yang diverts course to lift her sister up.

"I'm sure (Y/N) can handle that, Ms. Xiao Long. Let's keep moving."

Yang pauses at his words, unsure whether to follow his orders or not. She looks back at you, then to Ruby, staring at her with concerned eyes. You take a step towards Ruby, which gains the attention of Yang. You lazily throw your arm towards her, telling her to go on. This action, however, makes your body fill to the brim with pain. You cringe for a moment but quickly recover for appearance sake. Yang shakes her head and follows the rest of her team. You watch the four walk away for a few seconds before turning your attention to the young, red hooded girl. You limp towards her, making sure to take it somewhat easy. You kneel down over her, then lightly place your hand on her shoulder.

"Hey... are you coming? I mean, I could leave you here but..."

"I'm sorry," she mumbles.

You raise your brow.

"Sorry? For what?"

Ruby looks up at you with her silver eyes, a few tears forming around them. You recoil slightly at the sight of tears. You aren't good with people who have some sort of emotional problem or another. You always try to distance yourself from the situation whenever possible. This is not one of those moments.

"Hey... don't... cry," you coldly say, not wanting to deal with the sobs. "Look, we'll have time to talk it over later, I'm sure. Besides, I don't think I can walk all the way back to the ship without a little help," you end with a smile.

Ruby wipes away a tear and gazes at your smile.

"Why... are you smiling?"

"Well why aren't you? No time to cry Little Red," you nod, tapping her shoulder. "Besides, Grimm are attracted to those emotions, remember? And I'm really not in the mood to deal with a Beo-" You stop yourself for a moment. "An Ursa," you correct.

Ruby raises her brow at this. What's the big difference between Ursai and Beowolves? They are different Grimm, obviously, but they aren't too difficult unless you encounter an old, powerful one. Maybe you're afraid of Beowolves? Who knows? Ruby certainly doesn't. Ruby gets herself onto her feet and takes position beside you.

"So, do you mind if I just lean on you a bit?"

Ruby nods. She wraps one arm around your waist, so you, in turn, wrap your arm around her shoulders for support. You refrain from putting too much weight on the small girl, despite knowing she's a lot stronger than she looks. You and Ruby slowly follow the footsteps of Ozpin and the rest of team RWBY. Ruby can't help but look up at you. You're staring off into the distance, almost day dreaming about something that she can't guess. It just seems so odd to her. You seem way too happy for someone who almost got killed. Do you know something she doesn't? Did you have a plan to get out of that situation? These were questions that swarmed Ruby's mind, but she kept quiet for now. Though there was one that came to her mind.

"Hey... why aren't you healing yourself?"

You snap out of your day dreams and look down at her. As you look down you, both enter the forest. From her view, your face is blended with shadow and light from the trees. It looks a little funny, making Ruby smile a bit.

"A smile, huh? Good to see you aren't all glum and gloomy."

"Aren't... those the same thing?" She brings up.

"Yes. Yes they are." You sternly say, faking being hurt by her comment." Anyway, what was your question again? Why aren't I healing myself?"

Ruby nods.

"Well, I used a lot of my aura during the fight. It's not like you girls were pulling punches like I was, so I had to use quite a bit to keep myself decent," you explain.

"You were pulling punches? It didn't look like it," she comments.

"It didn't look like it," you mock in a childish voice. "Just trust me. I was. Though I don't think I would have won, anyway."

"Why?"

Before you could respond, Weiss walks out from behind a tree.

"Come on! We're all ready to go!" She pesters.

"Right. Sorry Weiss," Ruby answers.

Weiss crosses her arms as she waits for you and Ruby to catch up to her. The three of you walk towards another clearing close by. There are two Bullheads – one waiting for you and the other flying away. Weiss walks towards the one that's still on the ground. Blake and Yang have taken their seats already, while Ozpin is standing in the middle. You and Ruby haul your butts there as fast as you can to the ship.

Ruby takes a seat besides Weiss, who is beside Ozpin. On the other side is Blake and Yang, staring down at the floor. You lie in the middle of the floor, quite comfortably in fact. Within seconds of the takeoff you doze off. Your sheathed katana rests beside you within arm's reach. Ozpin watches you sleep for a moment before shaking his head.

"James wasn't kidding," he whispers to himself, quiet enough that the girls couldn't hear him.

"I can't believe we almost killed the new guy," Yang moans.

"And it's my fault," Blake admits, shaming herself.

"Well, at least we know he's capable," Weiss remarks.

"It was an honest mistake. Don't blame yourselves," Ozpin advises. "Besides, did you not hear him say he liked the greeting?"

"He said it was interesting, not that he liked it," Weiss points out.

"Trust me, Ms. Schnee, it means he liked it."

Yang fidgets in her seat as she listens to the conversation.

"Hey, Professor," she pipes up, grabbing Ozpin's attention. "How did you know to come help him?"

Weiss, Blake, and Ruby's mind begin to ponder this inquiry as well. They all turn to Ozpin, waiting for his explanation.

"I had a feeling something like this may happen. I had the pilot watch out for any fighting, and report to Beacon if it did. When I heard 'two people fighting in the air and a giant tree' I knew it had to be all of you. I left Beacon immediately, and, well, you know the rest. I'm glad I showed up before anyone got seriously injured."

The girls all stare at him questioningly, darting their eyes between him and you. Ozpin very lightly shakes his head.

"He'll be fine. He's been through worse."

"You know him?" Ruby inquires, finally contributing to the conversation.

"In a sense, yes. He was significantly younger the last time I saw him, and I've also heard of how he has grown from others. Yet, as a young adult, this is the first time I have met him."

The entire team is somewhat confused by their Headmaster's words but accept that it's probably the most they'll get. It's up to them to draw their own conclusions from his words, and through the battle they just fought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tingling. Soreness. Heat. These things and more start to fill your senses. You slowly open one eye only to be met by a blinding light. You yelp, covering your eyes.

"Gah... jeez..." You complain. "Who leaves a light in someone's eyes? I'm not dead yet!"

Still blinded, you wave your arm aimlessly in the air until you manage to push the light away. You carefully crack open one eye to make sure nothing else is ready to blind you. Since nothing makes you completely uncomfortable, it seems you're in the clear right now.

The first thing you see is a bland white ceiling with a few lights that, thankfully, don't blind you. You look to the left just to be met with another bland white wall with nothing noticeable on it. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a pillow. You lift your head up and look over your shoulder. A white pillow rests behind you, an imprint of your head still fresh on it.

"Am I..." You think about your situation for a moment. "He sent me to the medical bay..."

You stretch your arms out to see how much pain you still feel throughout your body. It was barely noticeable when you woke up, and it hasn't really increased now. You grab your left shoulder while you make circles with your arm.

"Seems I'm feeling better. Wonder how long I've been out?"

You lift the blankets off your body and hop off the bed. You look down at yourself and notice your usual outfit isn't on your body. You're wearing a medical gown, which explains why you're a bit colder than normal. You let out an exaggerated sigh at this turn of events.

"Who took my clothes? Where are my clothes?" You ask aloud, looking around the room for any signs of your attire.

The only thing other than the bed and the moveable light – that you now hate – is a small drawer on the other side of the bed. It's, to no surprise, white, with slim silver handles. You walk up to it, lean over, and open it up. You can't help but smile when you see your familiar clothes neatly folded in the drawer. You pull all your clothes out and lay them out on the bed. You slip out of your gown and into your pair of jeans, finishing it off with your belt. Socks and shoes came next, then your shirt and jacket. Last was your gloves, which you made sure were a tight and fitting as they could be. You pulled them all the way down, feeling the material push against the gaps between your fingers. You smile, knowing you're almost back in business.

The one thing that this room doesn't have is your blade. You take one last look around the room to see if you may have missed it. But no, you don't see your trusty sword anywhere. You roll your eyes at the hindrance but don't lose your cool by any means. All you need to do is make your way outside, and the blade will come to you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He's in the medical dorm?" Glynda sharply responds.

Ozpin nods his head. He's staring out his window, overlooking Vale as he normally does.

"There was a misunderstanding between him and Blake. She assumed him to be an enemy, and team RWBY went along with it."

"That's childish," she scorns.

"What did you expect them to do?" Ozpin counters, turning around to face Glynda. "They saw their teammate in trouble, and they helped. Would you not be disappointed if they did not help?"

"I'm disappointed that they came to this conclusion so fast. But..." She sighs. "What's done is done. So, will you now tell me who he is?"

Ozpin closes his eyes and take a sip of his drink. He doesn't answer for a few seconds, building the tension and aggravating Glynda. He opens his eyes, staring directly into the teacher's.

"Go see for yourself."

Glynda bites her tongue so she doesn't make a disrespectful remark, which she desperately wants to make. Whoever this student is, he's here, at Beacon, and Ozpin still wants to play his little game. Glynda takes a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Very well. I'll see for myself."

With that, Glynda turns around and exits Ozpin's office, leaving the headmaster all by his lonesome. He cracks a smirk and shakes his head a bit.

"I wonder how she'll react when she sees your son." He says aloud, looking into the sky. "What do you think, Jet?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nobody seems to question you as you walk through the halls of this new environment. You assume you haven't left the medical wing since the halls are still a bright, monotonous white that makes you question whether you're actually getting anywhere or not. The steel numbers on the doors have changed, true, but it still feels like you're walking around in circles. You want to talk with the few people you've passed, but you feel like they'd end up shoving you back into the room from whence you came. Thus, you continue to keep to yourself and find some way out.

You reach the end of yet another hallway. You take a look to the left: more hallway. You take a look to the right. Could it be? You smile at the sight of a door that leads outside. The sun's rays beam through the glass door and leave small rectangles of light on the ground. You start walking then upgrade it to a light jog. Once you make it to the door you slow yourself down a tad, but still keep some momentum to push the door wide open.

A gust of light wind hits you, cooling down your body in an almost greeting manner. It's like the outdoors themselves are recognizing your presence and are welcoming you with open arms. You raise your head a bit and close your eyes, bathing in the beautiful outdoor weather. It was a bit humid within the medical wing, so you appreciate the cool down.

You lower your head back down and open your eyes. You look around the area to see what's what. There are a few students grouped together around the area. Small, straight ponds separating the stone path into multiple sections. Some people are even looking up at a statue that is surrounded by its own moat. You fiddle with your hair a bit as you decide what you should do.

Well... I think the first thing to do is find Ozpin. That is, if I can EVEN find him. Hm...

You look up at the tower which dominates Beacon's grounds.

And I'm guessing he's there. Well, first thing's first; I need my weapon.

You slowly raise your left arm, letting your hand droop down. You lower your head and close your eyes. A few people notice your odd stance, but they don't really think too much about it. If anything, they're just wondering who you are and why you're here. Once your arm is extended in the air you raise open your hand and flip your hand over so your palm is facing the sky.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A student at Beacon passes by some lockers. His shaggy blonde hair covering his face as he stares at the ground. He has a black hoodie that only barely goes down his arm, while red-orange sleeves cover the rest, leaving a small gap between the sweater and sleeves. On top of that hoodie are white plates that cover his chest and back, along with white shoulder pads. His loose blue jeans rest nicely on his black shoes. While normally clean, his clothes are covered in twigs, leaves, and mud.

"It's okay Jaune, nobody would have seen those roots... except maybe Pyrrha who tried to warn me... and Ren... and probably Nora..." He sighs at his attempt to make him feel better. "Well, it's not like anything else could happen to me today."

Suddenly, a locker a few feet ahead of Jaune starts shaking. This catches Jaune's attention, making him actually look at what's in front of him. He sees the locker swaying between the other two beside it. He can even hear a banging noise inside it.

"Hm? What's with that? Is someone else stuck in the locker?" He ask himself.

Jaune jogs up to the locker and stops in front of it.

"Um... hello?" He sheepishly starts, leaning closer to the door.

Nobody responds, but the banging continues.

"Hm... well I don't know the code to this one... but maybe I can get a teacher or-"

Before Jaune can finish his sentence the door to the locker flies open and knocks him right onto his back. He yelps whilst he falls, slightly sobbing at his misfortune.

"Ohhh, why?" He whines.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You flick your wrist again, wondering why your sword isn't coming to you.

"Huh... that's odd." You bring your hand down and look at the palm area of the glove. You poke it once, seeing if that'll do anything. "I thought Dior said this would last forever? Sheesh, how unreliable. Well... let's try one more time."

You mimic the stance you took previously and try again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jaune rubs his head as he lifts himself off the ground, moaning all the way.

"What was in there?"

Jaune lifts his head to look in the locker. Instead, something rushes out of the locker and clocks his forehead dead center. The object zooms past him and out of sight. Jaune remains on the ground, whining and almost crying.

"Oh... come... on..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You patiently remain idle for a few more moments. You suddenly hear a door burst open, and seconds later a firm object lands on your hand. You slowly wrap your fingers around the smooth black sheath, feeling a cool aura emanating from the material. You almost feel complete now that you have your weapon in your hands again. You move your katana in front of your eyes, taking in the details. The golden phoenix design glows beautifully as a result of the sun.

You give yourself a nod then return your arm to your left side, letting go of the sheath. Your sheath starts to fall to the ground, but somehow attracts itself to your belt, fitting perfectly in place. You rest your wrist on the pommel and let out a sigh. You really aren't sure where to go now. You think Ozpin is in the tallest tower, not that you know how to access that area. The first thing that comes to your mind is to look around a bit.

You roll your shoulders before heading out, your wrist still positioned on the pommel. You keep to yourself, not letting your eyes meet with anyone else. You can even sense the looks that people are giving you. You can only assume they're questioning who you are and why you're here. You don't look that much older than everyone else. You're seventeen like most of these people are. The only person you can think of that looks a different age – other than any instructors – is that one girl with the red hood. You can't really remember her name. The only name that comes to your mind is Weiss, which, to your knowledge, is the girl with the rapier. She was mostly in white, from what you remember. You'd definitely know her if you saw her – especially her eyes.

You approach the entrance to the main building's doors. You can make out the silhouette of another person, a woman. She opens the door shortly before you make it. Her dignified walk and precise posture makes you think she has to be a teacher, or a senior student. While looking at her, you see her eyes return your gaze. Your eyes hold hers for what feels like forever. You know nothing about her, and it just seems really odd. Her eyes just seem to draw your attention for a reason you can't wrap your head around.

Glynda can't help but stare at you. Your eyes, your nose, everything about your face is just familiar to her, but she can't figure it out. It's on the tip of her tongue, wanting to be recognized but she just can't grasp it. She squints her eyes a bit at you, making you, admittedly, a little nervous. You pick up the pace to get in the building and get away from her scowl. Glynda halts herself, still thinking of where she's seen you before. Being as smart as she is, your face is still pretty clear in her head. In her mind, your visage starts to shift, mold. It's like she's seen a version of your face before. All your features finally change to result in a face Glynda hasn't seen for over a decade.

She immediately turns herself around and marches back into the building, determined to find the student.

"I can't believe it," she whispers. "I can't believe a Slater is here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Team RWBY, and the majority of team JNPR, sits around their usual table in the cafeteria. Team RWBY isn't as cheery as it usually is, both spiritually and physically. Yang and Ruby, the two who are usually upbeat, remain silent and introverted. Weiss and Blake simply say little, chipping into the conversation every now and then. Blake is the one whose mind is still wrapped up in sorrow. Yang and Ruby are telling the story of what happened. Three of the four members of team JNPR attentively listen to their story, especially Nora. Pyrrha and Ren listen attentively to the story of their wayward mission.

Nora has short, orange hair with turquoise eyes that naturally have a chipper tone to them. She has a black collared vest that ends around her waist with a symbol of a hammer with a lightning bolt fitted on the back. Under that vest are two layers of red and light blue clothing. She also wears a sleeveless, white top that has a tiny heart shape cut between her collarbone and cleavage. She also has a white detached sleeve on each arm. She has pink fingerless gloves on both hands. For her lower body she dons a pink skirt, along with pink and white shoes. Lastly, she has a miniscule amount of armour.

Ren, the other member of team JNPR, has long black hair tied up into a pony tail that reaches midway down his back. His hair also has a magenta streak on the left side of his hair, which matches his eyes. He sports a dark green, long-sleeved tailcoat that's red on the inside, with black and gold trimmings. He finishes with white pants and black shoes.

"So, you fought the person you were supposed to recover?" Ren repeats, utterly surprised though nobody could tell since his tone is generally a calm one.

Ruby hesitantly nodded.

"He was sent straight to recovery when we got back. That was a few hours ago," the scythe wielder explains.

"I'm impressed that he was able to do battle with all four of you," Pyrrha comments. "I think watching him fight would be interesting."

"He was skilled," Weiss chimes in.

Ruby thinks back to when it was just you and her. Something you said still rolls around in her mind. "It's not like you girls were pulling punches like I was". From what little Ruby knows of you, you didn't seem like one to overestimate your abilities. You even admitted you would have lost instead of preaching your inevitable victory.

Ruby returns to her attention to the conversation, not too sure what she missed.

"Well, Ozpin didn't yell at us, so we're not in trouble," Weiss says.

"How could he not be mad, though?" Blake questions.

"Well," Ruby cuts in, slipping out of the table to her feet. "Why don't we go see him? It's not like he's on lockdown?"

Weiss, Blake, and Yang exchange looks, all agreeing that this seems like the right thing to do. Everyone, including team JNPR, look up at the young girl and nod.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You walk through the halls of Beacon, somewhat aggravated and utterly lost. You usually have a good sense of direction, but for some reason you can't gain your bearings in these halls. There doesn't seem to be many – if any – students in the halls, and you have yet to bump into any professors either. It's probably because it's a Sunday, so everyone likely has the day off.

Alright... they all probably aren't here... which wouldn't be a problem if I could FIND OZPIN!

You huff, getting a little frustrated at your predicament. This is probably one of the most frustrating, yet entertaining, introductions to a school you've ever experienced. It's better than when you went to Atlas' academy, and were bored to death by the headmaster. You were also seven, so the technicalities didn't interest you in the slightest. But Atlas did well for you, even in the short time you were there. You didn't like leaving your friends, but you were told you'd come back. You did... eight years later. There was a lot of moving in your life, but you begrudgingly got accustomed to it and its side effects.

You turn the corner and slam into somebody. You keep your balance easily, but the other falls on their back.

"Ow..." They whine.

You shake your head and look down at the other. You see another student with blonde hair and a mix of casual clothing and armour. He also seems to have two red marks on his face. You brush it off, assume it was simply from the collision. You cross your arms and lean over.

"You okay, buddy?" You politely ask.

The man rubs his head as he looks up at you.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't see you."

"Well, I didn't see you either, so I guess I'm to blame too."

You extend your hand to help him up, keeping a smile on your face to appear friendly. He looks at your hand for a moment then grabs it. You pull him onto his feet then let go of his hand.

"Thanks. My name's Jaune Arc."

"Ooh, nice. Rolls off the tongue."

"You think so?" He asks, an excited smile on his face.

You nod.

"Yeah, definitely. Better than my name."

Jaune brushes himself off but still speaks.

"And your name is?"

You extend your hand towards him, motioning for a handshake. He doesn't see it until he finishes his cleaning. After noticing it he immediately grabs your hand and shakes it.

"(Y/N) Slater," you greet, shaking his hand with moderate strength, though to Jaune it feels like you're trying to crush his hand. "Just transferred here from... well, I guess I just transferred here."

Jaune brings his hand back, shaking it a little bit to try and rid himself of the unintentional pain you caused him.

"What does that mean? Wouldn't you have come from somewhere?"

You bob your head a bit, thinking.

"Well, I was just at Shade Academy in Vacuo, so I guess I came from there."

Jaune nods, though he doesn't completely understand what you're trying to get at.

"Oh... so do you like Beacon so far?"

You shrug.

"It's alright, I suppose. I don't really know where I'm going, though. Do you know your way around, by chance?"

Before Jaune can respond a voice pierces through your conversation.

"Mr. Arc!"

Both you and Jaune look to the source of the voice. A woman who looks like a teacher sternly stares you both down. You don't even think she's even looking or caring about Jaune. It feels like her eyes are completely focusing on you for some reason. Her austere stare sends shivers through spine. Her stern walk seems to erupt earthquakes with each step. You don't know why, but she rattles you to the core.

On the other hand, Glynda has no intention of acting intimidating to you. In fact, she's completely focused on your appearance. Unlike earlier, she has a clear view of what you look like. It's exactly how she imagined, no, even clearer. Everything she imagined gets clarified in her mind. There's no doubt in her mind regarding the resemblance to her old friend. She can't help but let out a smile, which she quickly masks with her usual steely look.

You and Jaune stay silent and extremely still, not wanting to move in case she scolds you for that too, though you have no idea what she's scolding you for to begin with. Your stance is that of a statue, while Jaune has more of a meek, feeble stance. You can already tell that Jaune is scared of whoever this woman is. Seems you're about to find out why he's so scared. You already have somewhat of a reason due to her look. But then again, you saw a small smile appear on her face for a few seconds before falling back into the unmoving face that seems to be her default.

"Mr. Arc, could you please leave. Mr. Slater and I have some things to discuss." She commands.

You raise your brow.

"We do?" You innocently ask.

She squints her eyes at you in a menacing manner.

"Yes. Yes we do."

You quickly recoil from any conflict that may come up. She doesn't appear to be someone you want to start arguing with. Jaune nods and starts to walk away.

"Yes Ms. Goodwitch. It was nice meeting you (Y/N)," he waves.

You reply with a quick, two finger wave as the blonde boy leaves. You quickly remember that with his passing, you're alone with Goodwitch. You slowly turn to face her, her eyes staring into your soul.

It's like she knows me or something... Hm... I've never let a teacher get the best of me before, and I'll be damned if I do now.

You adopt a smirk, which throws Glynda off.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Goodwitch. That is your name, no?" You ask, delicately grabbing her hand. "It's a pleasure to make your... acquaintance," you say, using your smooth talking tone, then plant a quick kiss on her hand.

Glynda stares at you for a moment. Normally she would smack the student away and give them a lecture on how inappropriate they're being, how she's a teacher, and how she's completely uninterested in anything they have to offer. But something seems odd about this. It's like... it's like she's seen this before...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Glynda looks around her new school. This is it. She's here to learn and become a huntress. No need for distractions. She keeps to herself, she ignores anyone trying to talk to her.

She walks through the halls, getting to her first class. Suddenly, someone runs around the corner, laughing and not paying much attention. Luckily he notices Glynda in front of him. He shoves his foot forward, slowing himself right now. He lowers himself to one knee and stops right in front of her. Glynda glares down at him, admittedly a little curious as to what he's about to do.

He has brown hair that's slicked back, along with blue eyes. He has a powerful look to his face, almost emanating leadership and experience. He has a long, white trench coat that's done up at the top with a red button, while the rest covers the majority of his body, excluding the one knee. There's a golden design of a phoenix that occupies the back of his coat. There is a red belt attached to the back of the coat that's meant to be wrapped around the wearer's torso, but he allows the two parts to loosely hang behind him. Underneath the jacket is a sleeveless red t-shirt. There also appears to be a black belt with golden coloured pouches. The most noticeable feature is a gold bracer that covers his entire right arm. There is actually no material under this bracer, as the whole sleeve appears to have been ripped off beforehand. He finishes it with white cargo pants and blood red boots.

"My apologies, Madame. I saw you earlier today. Ms. Goodwitch, no?" He delicately grabs her hand. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Name's Slater. Jet Slater," he introduces, lightly placing a kiss on her hand.

Glynda blushes. Her mouth hangs open, not knowing what to say. She's never been greeted like this, and has only seen this scenario in books she used to read. She looks back and forth, not knowing what to say.

"I'm... Glynda..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just like his father. It must be hereditary.

Glynda snaps her hang back and slaps your cheek with her riding crop, causing you recoil a bit and hold your cheek.

"Ow! Hey!"

"It's not proper for a student to address his teacher in such a manner," she coldly scolds. "Now stand up straight; perfect posture."

You immediately spring to your feet, standing as straight as you can with your hands at your sides. Your eyes stare up, past Ms. Goodwitch, at completely attention.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Glynda internally smiles.

"Now, Mr... Slater," she whispers your last name, which confuses you, but you don't act on it in fear of her wrath. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"Looking for Professor Ozpin's office, ma'am," you declare.

Glynda shakes her head, slightly amused at your attempt to be obedient.

"Well then, I'll take you to him now. Come. Follow me," she says, turning around and walking away.

You instantly follow her, keeping a decent distance away so as not to get too close.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both team RWBY and JNPR enter the medical wing. Almost instantly they're greeted by a nurse. She has warm brown eyes and matching brown hair that's tied into a bun. She's somewhat short, only being taller than the smaller members of the two teams. Her petit nose keeps up a pair of glasses. She's in a tight, white outfit that most nurses usually wear.

"Hello," she happily greets. "What can I do for you students?"

"We're here to see someone," Ruby answers.

"Alright. Who are you here for?"

Ruby raises her hand to answer, but no words come out. Her hands slowly lower and her face drops, still thinking of what your name was. Blake, Yang, and Weiss all stare at Ruby during the awkward silence.

"(Y/N) Slater," Blake says.

"Yeah! That!" Ruby shouts, then slowly curls into herself, mumbling some incoherent nonsense about knowing the name.

"Ah, the new student. Right this way," she responds.

"Thank you..." Yang leans in to the nurse. "Ms. Daniels."

Daniels smiles.

"No problem. Please, come."

Daniels begins walking down a hallway, leading the way for the two teams. Within a minute the group reaches your room. Daniels slowly opens the door and peeks inside. Suddenly she screams, freaking out both team RWBY and JNPR.

"Ahh! He's gone! Where did he go? How did no one notice him gone? Ahh!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Pyrrha questions, moving closer to the room.

"(Y/N) is gone! I need to call the Headmaster! Please, all of you, look for him!"

The seven students nod. They all pair up then run in different directions. Blake goes with Ren, Yang goes with Nora, Weiss goes with Pyyrha, and Ruby goes on her own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ozpin calmly sits at his chair, listening to the nurse apologize consistently.

"I'm so sorry Professor Ozpin! I didn't know that he would wake up so soon and-"

Ozpin's door starts to open. His eyes drift up to acknowledge who's entering his office. First he sees Glynda, which is unsurprising to him. Second is you, which is also unsurprising to him. The moment he heard that you were gone he assumed you'd be showing up sooner or later. And here you are, in his office just as he predicted.

"It's alright, Ms. Daniels. I'll be sure to find him. Goodbye," he finishes, ending the conversation.

He turns his attention to the two in front of him. Your serious face quickly loosens up. You casually wave at him and smile.

"Hey Ozpin! Nice chair you have th-"

Glynda, with no emotion, smacks your stomach with her riding crop. You puff your cheeks and hold your side. You look up at her only to meet her cold, death stare. You instantly stand up straight, mirroring the stance you took not too long ago.

"It's good to meet you sir, Headmaster Ozpin, sir!" You shout, giving a proper salute.

Ozpin smirks, which soon evolves into a chuckle.

"That's enough, Glynda. You can wait outside, but I would like to talk to you after Mr. Slater leaves."

Glynda moves her eyes to Ozpin. They both stare at each other, having a mental conversation that you were totally omitted from. Your eyes dart back and forth between the two professors, trying your best to infiltrate the invisible conversation. It's not going well by any means. You're completely lost, shoved to the side and left in the dark.

Glynda sighs, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Ozpin cracks a smirk.

"Fine. I'll be outside."

Glynda turns around, giving you one last threatening look before strolling out of the office. You remain tall and proper as she walks away. Even though you know she isn't looking at you, the aftermath of her gaze still lingers. The moment you hear the door close you let out a huge sigh, relaxing your shoulders and letting your head droop.

Ozpin chuckles.

"You don't have to be so professional around Glynda, you know."

"Speak for yourself! She hit me with her... stupid stick thing! It really hurts!" You complain, lightly rubbing your side. "I don't even know what I did! I was as polite as can be!"

"She has good intentions, but I think she just sees your father in you."

Your somewhat cheery nature completely dissipates to make way for a serious and sad tone. You cross your arms and look away.

"Well... that's not new."

The room goes eerily quiet. Ozpin watches your posture, facial features, and body language. He takes a sip of his coffee before changing the subject.

"So, how're you feeling? Still hurting?"

You look up at him, your face a little lighter than before.

"Oh, I'm feeling better," you say, stretching. "I gotta say, you have some impressive students. They're only first years though, right? Their fighting style is solid, but could use some work."

"You think yourself better than them?" Ozpin inquires.

You shake your head.

"No, not at all. In fact I could learn from a few of them. The blonde... um... I think you called her Xiao Long?"

"Yang Xiao Long, yes," Ozpin confirms.

"Yeah, her. She's a really tough fighter. Her hand-to-hand beats mine, no question. Plus the rapier girl, Weiss, I believe, had quite the elegant style. The black haired girl was good too. But that young one, the one with the scythe, she's extremely skilled considering she can use that weapon. I could learn a lot from all four of them, especially Little Red. My scythe skills are nothing compared to hers."

"You can use scythes?"

"Mhm. Qrow showed me some moves a few years ago, but since I prefer my trusty blade here," you explain, looking down at your sheathe. "So I don't think he focused training on scythe use."

Ozpin takes another drink.

"Ah, Qrow. How long ago did you train with him?"

You cross your arms, lean on your hip, and look up a bit.

"Hm... Maybe... three years ago? I can't remember."

Ozpin nods his head, accepting your response.

"Well, enough about the past. We have things to discuss anyhow," Ozpin says, fiddling with something on his scroll. "Dorm placement, classes; the things you've missed. Come."

You keep your arms crossed as you saunter towards Ozpin's desk.

"Give me your scroll," he orders.

Once you reach Ozpin's desk you pull out your scroll from your back pocket and toss it across the table. Ozpin finishes with his device then turns his attention to yours. He punches in a few commands until he's satisfied. He slides the scroll across the desk, which your catch.

"Your room is programed into your scroll now. I'll have Glynda drop by to make sure you're settling in well, along with giving you your schedule."

Your eyes widen and your visage pales.

"Can like... anyone else come check on me?" You request, your voice a higher pitch in fear.

"You'll be fine; I'll tell her to go easy on you."

You sheepishly chuckle. You don't think she's going to be any nicer to you.

"Any questions?" He asks.

"Yeah, actually. How do I get there?"

Ozpin smirks.

"I'll have someone escort you there. Is there anything else?"

You shake your head.

"Very well. I'm sure we'll speak to each other soon. In the meantime, why not walk around Beacon, and even Vale. Familiarize yourself with your environment."

You toss your hands in your jean pockets and spin around.

"What's the point in that? I doubt I'll be here for more than a semester," you say as if it's fact. "But I suppose it's better than sitting in my room all day."

Ozpin picks out those words. "I doubt I'll be here for more than a semester". That statement is interesting to him, and something he certainly wants to revisit. However, now is the time for you to explore, not answer questions.

You push open the door and give a backwards wave.

"See you later, Oz-"

Your eyes drift to a figure standing beside the door. Those eyes are unmistakable to you. You quickly stand at attention as you spin around.

"Thank you for your time, sir, Headmaster Ozpin, sir! It will be my honour to speak with you again!"

You give a slight bow before slipping into the elevator. Glynda harshly stares at you until the elevator door closes. Once you're out of sight she walks into Ozpin's office, right away met with a grin.

"You don't have to be so intimidating to the boy. He's not Jet."

Glynda rolls her eyes and huffs.

"I realize that, but... he's just so much like him. Even the way he greeted me was nearly identical to what Jet did."

"Is that truly a bad thing? Jet was one of the strongest around, and a kind soul."

"Don't forget 'troublemaker'," she hisses.

Ozpin snickers.

"Yes, he was an adventurous one. But how about you judge (Y/N) on who he is, not what is father used to be?"

Glynda diverts her eyes from Ozpin, thinking. There's nothing but truth in what Ozpin said; you are your own person. Even if you were to grow up like Jet, he became much more serious in age. It's not even that Glynda hated Jet. It's the complete opposite. Jet was one of Glynda's closest friends. You just bring out those memories that she hasn't delved into for over a decade.

"I suppose that's fair, though he's well on his way to be. He has Jet's sword, after all."

"A memento, yes. Nothing wrong with that, of course," Ozpin replies, taking a sip from his mug. "Anyhow, there are other matters to attend to. If you could, please escort him to his dormitory, and then, later in the day, leave a class list in his dorm."

Glynda nods.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Glynda turns around and regally makes her exit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The elevator door opens and you fall right out of it, flat on your face. Your breaths are heavy, and your heart is pounding. You thought for sure that'd Ms. Goodwitch was going to beat you senseless with that damned stick thing she has. You didn't even give her a reason to hate you, so why are you getting picked on? It's your first day!

You sigh, your breath bouncing off the floor and back into your face, warming you up a bit. You push yourself off the floor and onto your feet. You relax your body a bit and make your way to the exit. You pull out your scroll and check the information Ozpin gave you, more specifically, your room number.

Wait... he said someone would escort me there, no? Then who would be doing that?

Your ears pick up something behind you: the elevator door. You turn around to see your favourite person at Beacon.

"Ah, good. You haven't gone anywhere. Follow me, please, and I'll bring you to your room," Glynda informs.

She's just bringing me there to kill me!

You gulp, scared at the possibilities. Glynda approaches you then snaps her fingers in front of your face.

"You can day dream when we get to your room. Now, please, I have other things to do today."

You slowly nod, watching for any sudden movements. Glynda leads you out of the building and to the dormitory wing. After a few minutes and some directions that made no sense to you, the two of you reach your dorm. It's at the very end of a hallway, and, unlike almost every other dorm, is not on the sides. Yours faces the end of the hallway. You sigh not liking this at all. You think it makes you look special or something, which is the exact opposite vibe you'd rather give.

You flash your scroll, giving you access to the room. To your surprise, and delight, your belongings are here. It's not much: a few books, posters of the environment, and some extra clothes that you probably won't wear. You like your outfit.

"Whoa... it's pretty big. This isn't a one person dorm, is it?" You realize who you're talking to and add a little extra. "Oh, uh, ma'am!"

Glynda shakes her head.

"No, it's a four person dorm. If there happens to be any other new students, they'll be placed with you. For now, however, it's all yours. Please refrain from taking advantage of this to bring other students here after hours. Especially ladies," she finishes with a threatening tone.

"What? Me? No! Ma'am! I won't!"

"I hope not. Well, let's finish one more thing right now: classes. I need to speak with Professor Ozpin before making your schedule. I will return here at nine o'clock with your classes. I expect you to be here."

You quickly nod your head, fearing what would happen if you weren't here.

"Good. Now please refrain from causing any trouble here or in Vale. And... no more kissing hands," she says in a lighter tone, almost like she's joking, but you can't be sure.

You sheepishly chuckle and rub the back of your head. Glynda rolls her eyes and begins to walk away.

"Welcome to Beacon, Mr. Slater."

With that, you close the door.

"Yeah... welcome to Beacon," you repeat.

You turn around and lean up against the wall. You almost hate yourself right now. You were so calm and collected when you first met Ms. Goodwitch, and now look at you. You're a scaredy cat, worried she'll smack you. You haven't let a single teacher push you around like this before, and that won't stop now. You take in a deep breath then exhale. No matter what happens, you're confident, cool, and aren't someone to be pushed around. But there's a difference between not being pushed around, and respecting your superiors. She is your superior, in status and likely in combat, so she deserves your respect. What you're doing now is not respect. It's fear.

You push yourself off the wall and begin to pace around your room, thinking of what to do next. After a moment of thought you decide to take Ozpin's advice. Wandering the halls and becoming familiar with the academy is a good idea.

"It's going to be my home for a few months. Might as well become acquainted," you say to yourself.

You leave your room and make sure it's locked. Knowing your room is secure, you make your way out of the dormitories. Thankfully, there is a door leading out at the end of the hallway. Your only hindrance being that the hallway is pretty long, but you'd take a minute or so walk straight rather than one filled with twists and turns. During your walk you hear people from the other dorms around you. Most of them are just talking. About what? You have no idea. You don't have super hearing as a semblance, though that would probably be really lame. You've seen much more interesting semblances than that.

It doesn't take too long for you to reach the doors and ultimately leave the building. You push open the doors and take a good wiff of the outside air. It's fortuitous that the dormitories aren't as humid as the medical wing, but nothing can beat fresh air from the great outdoors. It's even a beautiful day too. The sun is shining bright, the birds are chirping, and the sounds of water fill your senses. It's pleasant, to say the least.

You throw your hands in your pocket and casually walk the grounds of Beacon, whistling a merry tune as you do so. It's like you have no cares in the world right now, and you really don't. What is there to be worried about this second?

"Hey!" A woman's voice calls out. "It's you."

You stop. It's a familiar voice. You've heard it before. You turn around to see who's calling you.

Alright, this is gonna be a long authors note. I'll start with the main point I want to get across, then ramble afterwards. So if you just wanna get out of here, only read this next bit.

I want to thank all of you for enjoying my story. I had no idea that it would be so well received, especially since I'm exploring new territory, and reader x RWBY stories don't seem all to popular. But I hope I still make an excellent story for you all to enjoy! Also, I have decided to choose the pairing next chapter.

So, across all websites the tally is (including private messages)

Ruby: 15

Weiss: 16

Blake: 15

Yang: 11

Honestly, there is actually a ton of votes for Yang but I think it's the same person voting for her. I don't know who you are, but I commend your dedication. Unfortunately I'm only counting two of your votes. Sorry. Also, I just want to say that the tally wasn't mean to be the

"be all end all". I just wanted to see what you guys wanted and base my decision off that.

It's extremely difficult to choose, honestly. I see pros and cons in all characters. I'll let you in on what I'm thinking so, when I do decide, you will hopefully understand why I may not have chosen your person. You see, Blake and Weiss are the more interesting characters in team RWBY, no doubt. I can do a lot with those two. However... I've written romance like them before. If you don't know, I've written Frozen stories which have a romance with Elsa. Elsa, Blake, and Weiss are somewhat similar. It wouldn't be a challenge or something new for me to write about. However, like I said, I have a ton of ideas for both Weiss and Blake that I want to do. I'm not brushing them off, but that's just the cons for them.

Yang... well she was actually one of my top choices when I first started thinking about it. She seemed like a fun character to write about and very different from what I've done before. However it seems that a lot of people don't want a Yang story. I know that it's all just opinions, but this really weighs on me. So, Yang is probably the lowest on my list now, even if I like her.

Last is Ruby. She's almost the best of both worlds. She's new, not many people dislike her, and she's pretty cool. However, I know she is young. It doesn't seem too much of a problem to me since it's really only a two year gap, but I did read a review that mentioned that she's a little too young and immature for a legitimate relationship. I agree and disagree with this. So, she's up in the air too.

So I hope you all kind of get where I'm coming from. I'm really thinking hard about this, trust me. I just stare at a wall and wonder who would be the best, and what you guys would want. It's a tough job, really. But remember, I can only pick one character. It's very possible you might not get your pick, so be prepared for that. I hope you all don't abandon the story because you didn't get your pairing. I really do have a lot planned (I have nearly fifty pages of original ideas, characters, and content). Also the voting is over. It's all up to me now. If you REALLY want to make a case for your character, then go ahead. It may sway my decision. But now it's just thinking and planning for me.

Oh, and there was one person who asked what your semblance is. That will be revealed in time, don't worry. I have that all planned out too.

Anyway, that's all for me. I probably won't have a long authors note like this for a while. Thank you all for reading!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Requests? Send me a message! See ya!