Well folks, it's finally time to debut one of my long awaited stories. Hey everyone! After a big break from FanFiction, I'm finally back to put up the leading chapter to my 50th story, "RWBY: Omni Force"!

This is going to be my first adaptation in a while, so I'm excited to bring the RWBY characters to life in my stories alongside the Omni Force members. Now do note that after this first chapter, there won't be many following it for a while. The reason for that is because I wanna square away certain story elements such as a couple of new Omni Force members being here and other things. This chapter will summarize events that have happened in Volume 4 of the Rooster Teeth series with the Omni Force involved, so you have no need to worry about any kind of plot holes.

That said, I do not own Rooster Teeth, the RWBY characters, or any of the properties listed throughout this story. Also, I'm planning on starting things out a little differently before we go right into the story itself. This is sort of a test run to see how things will turn out for another story, so don't be alarmed.

Anyways, are all of you ready to get this fic started? I sure am! Let's get straight into "RWBY: Omni Force"!

RWBY: OMNI FORCE

A lot's happened between me leaving home with Jaune and the others for Mistral. Things that are crazy get even crazier, and I learned that thanks to whatever I did back at Beacon, I'm now the target of this Salem person and whoever she's sending after me. It's really, really weird, but I guess that's how the world works sometimes, right?

There are a lot of people I don't wanna lose. Jaune, Ren, Nora, Uncle Qrow, and my team of course. By now, you probably already my story of how we got to Mistral, but I did leave out a few things.

While we were on our journey, we ended up getting attacked by a guy named Tyrian, one of Salem's followers. My uncle came in and saved us along with Erza Scarlet, but he got poisoned by Tyrian before we managed to drive him off. That night, he told us everything he could about what was going on with the Four Maidens, the Relics, and Salem. It was a lot to take in all at once, and not everyone was totally convinced at first…

Aside from that though, Erza told me that she was watching out for us ever since what happened at Beacon. Apparently, Gaara made sure that me, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all had Universal Trackers attached to us so that the Omni Force could follow our movements. It hurt to get it off…

Erza said that the Omni Force wanted to keep a close eye on Remnant in case something like the Fall of Beacon happened again. But more importantly, I was invited to be a squadron leader of the Omni Force! Isn't that super exciting?!

Oh, um, sorry. Got carried away there… Heh, heh…

By the time we finally made it to Mistral after defeating that Nuckelavee Grimm and getting Uncle Qrow all better, Erza officially appointed me as the sixth squadron leader of the Omni Force! While we've been waiting for my uncle to recover, she's taking me out to recruit members for my team! Pretty soon, we could be unstoppable! I mean, recruiting new members has gotta be a piece of cake, right?

X

Jaune Arc paced nervously outside the door to his friend's room. It had been almost a week since Team RNJR had arrived in Mistral, and two days since Ruby Rose had left with Erza Scarlet to search for members for her squadron of the Omni Force. He was not worried about whether she would be safe, but rather when she would be back. With her uncle having recovered completely from the poison he acquired, the entire group in the house they were staying in was ready to go to Haven Academy and meet with its headmaster. After taking a moment to think, the blonde haired teen knocked on the door twice.

"Ruby, are you in there?" he asked, hoping he would receive an affirmative response.

"Nope, it's just me," another feminine voice replied from within the room, causing him to sigh in realization. Aside from the famous requip user joining their party to Mistral, a few of her team members had also come along with her, having assisted her and the others in defeating the Nuckelavee back in Kuroyuri. The one who had answered the huntsman-in-training's question was Starlight Glimmer, who was undressing as she had taken off her black vest and turquoise t-shirt, only in her black underwear and sports bra as she was readying a new set of clothes on top of her bed.

"Uh… are they gonna be back soon?" the one outside the room questioned out of concern.

"I dunno," the girl inside answered, lifting her bra off of her chest and over her head, "Maybe they're going after more than one member," she suggested, tossing the clothing onto the dirty pile upon the divan before placing her hands onto her underwear, "I mean… Erza got me on the team pretty quick," she pointed out, removing the last of her clothes.

"I know…" the tall teen began to respond, grasping the knob to the door and twisting it to make it open, "but it feels like it's been way too-" He stopped talking at the moment he realized he had walked in on the former unicorn as she was still changing, wearing nothing but her sparkling beanie upon her head.

"Hm?" she uttered, turning back to look at him as she blinked. In an instant with a loud yelp, Jaune went back outside the room, slamming the door shut as his face became a mad red.

"SORRY! SORRY! SORRY!" he repeated while shutting his eyes.

"Uh… what's wrong?" the female inside asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion, "Did you wanna talk in person… or…?" she started to question, scratching at her cheek in confusion before readying a new set of underwear she had prepared.

"W-Well…" the student stuttered, "I w-was gonna ask if… they'd be back soon…" he said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"Okay…" Starlight uttered, still perplexed by his reaction as she put on her pink sports bra and panties, "but why'd you leave the room?" she asked, getting a pair of ripped, black plants over her legs with a black belt and a light blue, kite-like design upon the right leg.

"B-B-Because… you were… uh…" the blonde haired teen stammered, continuing to blush as he put his right hand over his face.

"Scarlet called," a gruff, male voice chimed in, catching his attention as he immediately perked up to see a familiar figure trotting towards him, "She and the kid are gonna be back by tomorrow, new member or not," he explained, being Smoker as he loomed over the stuttering huntsman-in-training.

"Sm-Smoker!" he yelped, standing up straight, "Uh… that's great to hear!" he exclaimed happily with another stammer.

"Hmph," the former marine scoffed, "Not so great when you really think about it," he pointed out, causing him to blink in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Smoker, did you say only one member?" the counselor asked on from inside the room, having put on her new turquoise tank top that was cropped around the navel, "I thought Erza said she was gonna take Ruby to meet people who wanted to join…" she noted as he slipped on a pair of pink and light blue striped arm bands and black, fingerless gloves.

"Yeah, that was the idea…" the Devil Fruit user grumbled as he leaned against the wall, letting out a frustrated sigh, "But the first one they found ended up being a real piece of work…" he mentioned, folding his arms over his chest.

"Trust issues?" Jaune guessed.

"That couldn't be it," Starlight chimed in, exiting the room as she opened up the door, "All these people that Erza said they're visiting are guys that already know about the Omni Force," she told them, not noticing the blonde haired teen staring at her new outfit in wonder, "It doesn't make sense why one of them wouldn't be okay with joining…" she mentioned.

"Uh… I like your new look…" the male beside her complimented as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Thanks…?" she uttered in confusion, grinning a little at him as he blushed.

"It's not about knowing the Omni Force," Smoker chimed in while staring at the wall opposite the one he was leaning against, "It's more about whether or not the person wants a little girl in charge," he muttered, "And believe me, the one she's tryin' to recruit ain't one to take orders from anybody 'cept for a few," he added with another exasperated exhale. The two listening shared a worried glance with each other, wondering what challenges the aspiring huntress was facing in her quest to recruit new members.

"GUH!" Ruby Rose grunted as she tumbled across the floor of the ring as she dropped her Crescent Rose. She managed to regain her footing, sliding to a stop at the very edge of the arena, looking down below to see the numerous spikes surrounding it. "Eep!" she yelped, sweating madly as she looked back out at her opponent, Boa Hancock. A few days earlier, she and Erza Scarlet had arrived at the maiden island of Amazon Lily, hoping to recruit the infamous Snake Princess onto the Omni Force. Instead, they learned that while she would be more than willing to be a part of the team, she was not ready to submit herself to be under the command of a young adolescent like the girl.

Though the requip user vehemently made her voice very clear to the island's ruler, the newest squadron leader decided that she would have to earn the potential recruit's trust by showcasing her own skills in combat. However, she had not expected the woman herself to challenge her. The Kuja Pirate warriors all cheered from the stands around the stadium, eager to see their leader triumph over the girl.

"Hm…" Gloriosa hummed from atop the structure at the very peak of the staircase leading down to the arena. Alongside her were Boa Marigold, Boa Sandersonia, and the scarlet haired woman, as the latter of the three was evidently anxious about the outcome of the battle.

"Who would've thought our sister would be the one to accept a challenge…" the youngest of the Gorgon sisters noted with a curious grin.

"It's not like her to be so driven to do so," her green haired sibling agreed as she nodded, having her arms folded over her chest.

"I think our beloved Snake Princess is at a crossroads with her future…" the elder concurred after a moment of deep thought, "Will this young girl help to shape it for her?" she wondered. In the meantime, the Fairy Tail wizard clenched her armored fists nervously.

'Ruby…' she uttered inwardly, keeping her eyes on the battlefield below.

"Huh…" the short haired girl breathed out as she stood up, glancing to see her scythe lying down upon the floor several yards away from her, sitting right at her opponent's feet, "All right then…" she grumbled, getting into a lunging stance.

"Hmph," Hancock scoffed, putting her right index finger up to her lips as she breathed deeply, "Slave Arrow!" she exclaimed, blowing a kiss to create a large heart out in front of her face. She then pulled the formation back with her right hand and popped it like a bubble, unleashing hundreds of projectiles with sharp, heart-shaped heading straight for her foe. However, she gritted her teeth and dashed forward in an instant, much to everyone's surprise as it looked as if she burst into rose petals, being a red blur that raced away from the oncoming arrows and grabbed the weapon lying before the infamous Pirate Empress.

"She's fast…!" Sandersonia hissed out of surprise. Ruby raised up her armament in both of her hands, preparing to slice past the person before her. She easily jumped up to avoid her though, coating both of her legs in black as she span down.

"Perfume Femur!" she bellowed, about to slam her right foot onto the squadron leader's head. She reacted quickly and pulled the trigger of her weapon, blasting herself back to narrowly evade the attack as it struck the ground, causing it to crack massively upon impact. Seeing the result made the huntress-in-training grimace in fright, sliding to a stop as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

'So she's got Haki like Sabo, huh?' she inwardly inquired in a rhetoric tone, taking a ready stance once more, 'I can't keep relying on my Semblance if it means I run low on Aura…' she told herself, cautiously stepping forward as her adversary stood upright, staring out at her as the black coating had left her legs.

"Quick on your feet, but not very bright I see," she pointed out, catching the girl's attention as she blinked in surprise, "For someone like you to end up as a leader of such a group as the Omni Force," she continued, leaning backwards, "it's repulsive when comparing you to my dear Luffy!" she declared as it seemed like she was looking upwards.

"And there she goes again…" Gloriosa muttered, while Erza tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't care what you think of me compared to others!" the short haired girl yelled as she clutched the handle of her Crescent Rose tightly, "I owe it to those people on the Omni Force who've helped me and my friends…" she recalled, remembering the instances during the Fall of Beacon where her comrades were all put in mortal danger, with some not making it, "The least I can do is become someone who can save worlds!" she roared, readying her weapon as she aimed the muzzle forward and pulled out a magazine from beneath her cloak.

"Don't make me laugh," the Love-Love user muttered as she blew another kiss, creating a smaller pink heart upon her index finger, aiming it towards her foe, "Pistol Kiss," she said, firing the formation like a bullet from a gun. Fortunately, Ruby deflected it by spinning her scythe, loading the new ammo into it as she cocked the shaft back. The requip user took notice of the lighting-like symbol upon the magazine, grinning in realization.

"So that's her plan…" she noted, causing the two Gorgon sisters and the elder to glance over at her in confusion. Dodging and deflecting more heart-shaped bullets blasted her way, the new squadron leader dashed around her opponent, moving even faster than before as she took a quick glance through the scope of her rifle.

'One shot should be all it takes to stop her in her tracks…' she began through thought, getting a clear target of her enemy's legs, 'and I know just where to aim!' she declared inwardly, resting her left index finger upon the trigger. Hancock took notice of her sliding to a stop, firing a shot that struck in massive explosion of dust and sparking electricity, causing the female-only audience to all gasp in surprise aside from Erza.

"No way…" Margaret uttered from afar, sitting beside Sweet Pea, Aphelandra, and Kikyo as their eyes were all widened. Aiming her armament behind her down towards the floor, Ruby shot herself up, spinning it around as it was aimed for the veil she created.

"This is how strong I am!" she shouted, swinging the blade into the cloud and slicing through it, revealing nothing there.

"Was she trying to cut her head off?!" Marigold questioned out of shock, sweating madly.

"The girl must realize that our Snake Princess can use Haki to defend herself…" Gloriosa said after a moment of thought, "but she missed," she added, getting the requip user's attention as she gasped in astonishment.

"How pitiful," the infamous Pirate Empress muttered, causing her foe to widen her eyes in disbelief, "You're compassionate, but blinded by your own overconfidence," she stated as she suddenly threw her left leg out from the cloud and kicked away the high caliber sniper scythe from her enemy's hands.

"Ah!" she yelped, about to go and get it until she was struck in her torso by her right foot, letting out a wad of saliva from her mouth.

"Ruby!" the Fairy Tail mage yelled out, seeing her go flying through the air before landing upon the floor hard and tumbling across it before coming to a stop on her right side.

"Ow…" she uttered out in pain, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"You're lucky I wasn't using my powers just now," Hancock noted as she brushed back her long hair, "Otherwise, you'd be crumbling away," she mentioned, starting to trot off.

"Ergh…" her former foe grunted as she sat up, hearing the cheering audience of Kuja warriors.

"Way to go, Snake Princess!" one yelled excitedly.

"That little girl had nothing on you!" another shouted.

"Ruby!" a voice cried out, catching the girl's attention away from the crowd as she saw the requip user flying down from the high viewing section, utilizing her silver repulsor gauntlets to carefully stabilize herself in midair before landing, "Are you all right?" she asked in concern, kneeling down on her right leg and placing her right hand onto the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm good…" she responded with a somewhat forced grin, taking notice of the Love-Love user walking by without even giving her a look, "Huh…" she sighed in defeat, giving off a somber expression. Seeing that made the scarlet haired woman growl angrily in frustration, standing up as she was prepared to go after the infamous Pirate Empress, but was stopped at the moment her left wrist was grabbed by the huntress-in-training's left hand.

"Ruby?" she uttered in surprise.

"Even if you beat her in a fair fight, she won't wanna listen to me…" she pointed out, letting go of her, "I have to be the one to earn her trust," she stated firmly as she stood up.

"Well that's easier said than done…" Erza admitted, seeing the three Gorgon sisters all heading off with Gloriosa.

"Yeah…" the short haired girl agreed, "But we can always try another time," she pointed out reassuringly with a giggle, making her comrade grin as well.

X

Later that evening, the Fairy Tail mage was dressed in a set of pink pajamas that had maroon crosses upon them, having her hair done into a ponytail as she approached Marigold and Sandersonia within the island palace.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said in gratitude with a bow to them, "I must imagine it wasn't easy to find us anywhere to stay," she pointed out to them.

"No, we were more than willing to house some of Luffy's friends!" the younger of the two sisters responded, holding her hands out in a placating manner.

"Especially since both of you are women," the latter mentioned, causing them to all chuckle in agreement for a moment.

"Your sister…" the requip user began, catching their attentions, "was she expecting someone like myself to be in command when she would join?" she inquired to them.

"Hmm…" the greenish haired of the two hummed, folding her arms over her chest, "Honestly, she was really excited about joining before meeting that little girl…" she confessed, glancing out at the veranda to see the girl dressed in her pajamas of a black tank top featuring a heart-shaped Beowolf design on the chest and long white pants decorated with pink roses. She stared out at the setting sun in the distance, leaning against the wooden railing.

"When she had heard word of Luffy's marriage and child, we would've thought she'd go on a rampage…" the Snake-Snake: Model King Cobra user mentioned as she looked on at the aspiring huntress as well, "Instead, she was so happy to hear that he was able to find a life away from being the Pirate King," she told Erza, who smiled.

"It's not like she'll need to follow Ruby's orders on a moment's notice…" she pointed out, tilting her head to the side, "If anything, she'll be allowed to do what she wants so long as she's not causing too much trouble for us…" she explained to the sisters.

"That's true," Marigold agreed, "but I think our sister has matured over time," she said as she glanced down at the floor for a moment, "She understands that not everything has a happy ending, even for someone like her," she explained with a somewhat somber expression.

"And she wants to be by Luffy's side, supporting him and his friends any way she can," Sandersonia added. Outside still as the stars were beginning to show up in the sky above, the young girl looked on with her head lying against her arms, letting out a deep breath.

"Have you already eaten?" a familiar voice asked, catching her attention as she looked to see Hancock approaching her, now dressed in a red blouse with an orange sash tied around her waist, while her legs were barren.

"Y-Yeah, I did…" the aspiring huntress stuttered, looking back up at the starry sky, "Just… taking in the sights…" she said as her eyes sparkled.

"Heh," the infamous Pirate Empress chuckled, "You really are a fool," she muttered, causing her to perk up and look over at her, "Here you are trying to have me join your group," she continued, "but you act like a little girl that can't hope to catch to someone like myself," she told her rather sternly, "If you're going to be a part of the same group that fought off the full force of the World Government, you need to be better," she stated in a firm tone.

"Yeah…" the short haired girl agreed, glancing down, "I've been telling myself that time and time again after what happened at Beacon…" she admitted, leaning her back against the railing and looking up at the stars, "When Erza first told me I'd be the next squadron leader of the Omni Force, I thought she was joking," she confessed with her right hand upon her cheek, "I guess Gaara recommended me or something… I don't really know…" she grumbled, "But…" she kept going, turning around and looking out at the city below them with Kuja warriors roaming about, "if there's one thing I really wanna do as a new squadron leader…" she started to say, "it's to protect all the beauty in the world like this," she stated, grinning a little, "Because to be honest," she continued as she lowered her head slightly, "the beauty in my world's kinda fading away," she said. Her words brought somewhat of a look of astonishment on the warlord's face, but she managed to let off another chuckle.

"You really are an interesting one…" she admitted, causing her to smile back at her, "But what makes you think I'd join your team above anyone else's?" she asked seriously as the wind rushed by, making her hair sway through it.

"I don't know," Ruby replied, gripping the railing, "Before anything, I have to win your trust to make you want to join me," she realized, "In order to do that, I need to be better than I am now," she declared firmly.

"…Very well then," Hancock responded after a moment, making her perk up in surprise, "You don't have my trust nor my help for the moment…" she started to say, "but I will be accepting a place on the Omni Force," she stated, causing the aspiring huntress' eyes to light up in excitement.

"R-Really?!" she stuttered in exclamation, "You're gonna be on my team?!" she asked gleefully.

"Eh…" the Snake Princess uttered as a drop of sweat rolled down her head, having to recompose herself by clearing her throat, "It's not like I have a choice in the matter," she pointed out, folding her arms underneath her chest, "I would've liked to have joined sooner, but it seems things weren't prepared for my arrival…" she grumbled as she turned her head away.

"Woohoo!" Ruby cheered, suddenly leaping out and embracing the woman happily, nuzzling her head against hers, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she repeated in gratitude as she smiled, "I promise I'll become someone you can really trust!" she declared, keeping a firm hold on her.

"Y-Yes…" the infamous Pirate Empress stammered, cringing all the while, "You can let go of me now…!" she demanded almost passively. In the meantime, both of her sisters and Erza watched on with smiles on their faces, glad that things were somewhat coming together.

RWBY: OMNI FORCE

The next day, the two squadron leaders had arrived back in Mistral with news of their recruitment. Though the warlord had rejected to join them in their quest, she was officially appointed as the fifty-second member of the multiversal team. In the meantime, the group in the city was prepared to head up to Haven Academy, walking through a stone brick tunnel illuminated by translucent lanterns.

"The city of Mistral..." Qrow Branwen uttered, leading the group of seven behind him down the path.

"Ugh!" Nora Valkyrie groaned loudly, "It's about time!" she shouted, sounding quite annoyed as they trekked along, "Whose idea was it to walk again?" she questioned.

"Well, we did face many obstacles," Lie Ren pointed out to her in response, "Broken airships, destroyed settlements…" he started to list off.

"Oh, and, you know," Jaune chimed in, "all those people and monsters that tried to murder us," he mentioned in an upset tone, causing Starlight to giggle a little.

"Pfft, we were fine," Ruby retorted with a wave of her right hand, now dressed in her regular clothes as she looked over at her uncle and smiled, "Only one of us almost died," she mentioned, causing him to perk up and smile back at her.

"Hey," he replied out of sarcastic offense, seeing her wide grin afterwards. In the meantime, the orange haired girl gave off a skeptical glance towards her crush with her hands at her hips.

"Hey," he said upon noticing, making her giggle.

"How much farther to the school, Branwen?" Smoker asked out of annoyance, interjecting on the conversation.

"Almost there," Qrow replied as he looked back, "But I figured I'd take you and the kids on the scenic route," he mentioned, causing the former marine to roll his eyes out of annoyance. They then approached a pair of large, wooden double doors, stopping for a moment. The leading adult of the group opened them, flooding the tunnel with sunlight. Blinded for a moment, the rest of the team shielded their eyes until they could see clearly.

"Whoa…" Starlight uttered as her pupils shrank in astonishment. Ruby ran out onto the massive platform before them, which appeared to double as an elevator, as she stopped at the railing to gaze out over the city before her in wide-eyed awe.

"Wow!" she exclaimed as everyone else her to take in the view of the buildings and stone stairways perched on mountains, "This… is… awesome!" she yelled happily.

"It's beautiful…" Erza, who was dressed in her Heart Kruez armor, added in agreement, causing the girl to perk up slightly as she remembered her talk with Hancock last night. Down below, they saw large crowds of people are going about their day, walking around, talking, and buying merchandise at the marketplace.

"It's certainly something," the Plume-Plume user noted as he viewed the sights.

"Oh my gosh, look at all the weapons!" the short haired girl exclaimed, noticing a kiosk selling some firearms and swords.

"Vendors here'll sell you just about anything…" her uncle mentioned, "whether they should or not," he added to the group.

"They really made the most out of these mountains," Jaune noted, seeing the buildings all around them.

"No kidding," the counselor concurred, amazed herself as she smiled giddily.

"Every inch," Qrow pointed out, "You should stay away from the lower levels," he advised to the others, getting their attentions, "The higher up you go, the nicer it gets," he told them.

"And we are going up!" Nora exclaimed, pointing upwards with her right index finger.

"Indeed we are…" the requip user responded as she grinned.

X

As you may know, since my time away from Beacon… a lot's happened with my family and I… I wanted people to know that it was important to me that my school needed support after what had happened. But instead, I screwed up… I made an embarrassment of myself in front of a crowd of people and almost hurt someone. If it wasn't for Law… I don't know what could've happened… aside from losing my heiress status to the Schnee family name.

While at my manor in Atlas, I ran into him and Danny Fenton. They agreed to help me escape and find my sister out in Mistral. It's going to be a long, difficult journey, but now that I've got the summoning ability mastered like Winter, we should all be fine.

Let's just hope the journey itself goes smoothly…

Soaring over a large lake, the Atlesian cargo airship carrying the stowaways sailed along smoothly with streaks in its wake.

"So… how much farther?" Weiss Schnee asked from end of the pilot's box of the ship, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Both of her Omni Force allies were there as well, standing at opposite ends and looking out the windows to see the setting sun on the horizon.

"We're in the home stretch now," the pilot responded with his hands at the wheel, "No more stops from here to Mistral," he told the trio, "Sorry for the long trip," he apologized, "Keeping us off the radar's been harder than I thought," he admitted to them, "Lots of air traffic around northern Anima," he added.

"Is there a chance we got spotted?" the half-ghost hero asked out of concern.

"No, we're good kid," the man replied, glancing over at him, "Hope you're not feelin' jittery either," he mentioned with a grin.

"It's fine," the ponytailed girl reassured for her friend, "I… just hope we haven't been a burden…" she confessed out of guilt. The pilot just chuckled at her words.

"You and your money are more than welcome on this ship, kid," he responded.

"Besides," the captain of the Heart Pirates chimed in, catching her attention, "our job's to help you out," he told her with a smirk.

"Exactly," Danny agreed, making her grin happily. Suddenly, they all caught the sound of static coming off of the ship's radio, which its pilot immediately picked up on as well.

"What the…?" he uttered in confusion, reaching over to adjust a slider on the device, evening out the wavelengths the appeared upon the screen.

"Is everything okay?" Weiss asked worriedly.

"I don't know…" the pilot responded honestly, "We're still over Lake Matsu. Shouldn't be picking up broadcasts this far from Mistral," he pointed out to her, "Someone must be close," he realized, keeping a firm grip on the wheel.

"Mayday, mayday!" a female voice shrieked in a panicked tone over the radio, causing both the half-ghost and the former heiress to perk up as they heard it, "We are a small passenger flight, and our Huntress is down!" she yelled, "We aren't equipped to deal with this!" she screamed desperately.

"Oh man," the man at the wheel uttered in realization.

"The Grimm hit us four hundred klicks north of the southern shoreline!" the woman explained loudly through the transmission, followed by the sound of an explosion that made the girl's eyes widen, hearing a gasp afterwards, "Get them off us! If anyone can hear this- Ah!" she begged desperately, crying out before the radio cut off abruptly. The pilot quickly turned it off of, turning the ship to the left. Both teenagers walked over to him and grasped onto the handle upon the ceiling at his right side.

"We're going to help them, right?" the female of the two inquired to him.

"What? No," he responded defiantly, "I'm trying to avoid them," he pointed out seriously.

"But… they'll die," Danny mentioned, developing a frustrated expression upon his face.

"Look, if we picked up their transmission," the pilot began, "I'm sure someone else did, too," he noted to them, "Besides, this is a cargo ship," he added bluntly, "She's not much good in a fight," he admitted as he held onto the steering wheel tightly, "I just wanna finish this job and get home," he stated firmly as Law looked on from afar, resting the sheath of his sword against his right shoulder, "Sorry, kids," he apologized, "My ship, my rules," he said in a blunt tone. Weiss closed her eyes for a moment before gazing out the windshield as the ship turns to the right, continuing to fly over the lake.

"Can't save everyone in the world," the Op-Op user pointed out, catching the attentions of his allies, "You gotta learn to live with that," he advised to the both of them.

"Huh…" the half-ghost hero sighed deeply, "Yeah," he concurred, while the ponytailed girl just nodded slightly.

X

Back in Mistral, Starlight was the first one to jog onto the campus grounds of Haven Academy, which seemed to mimic Japanese architecture with its buildings.

"Huh," she uttered with a grin, placing her hands at her hips and looking upwards at the structures as her squadron leader trotted up to her left, "Guess the Friendship School's got some design competition…" she commented, giggling afterwards. Moments later, the two of them led the entire group into a courtyard. Amidst the chirping of birds, Ruby came to a stop and wiped a tear from her left eye as she smiled. Jaune came over and placed his left hand onto her shoulder reassuringly as she eyed the main building ahead of them.

"Huh," she sighed happily, "We made it," she said, sounding proud as her uncle sauntered in from behind, glancing around to see no one else in sight.

"Well, wish we had all day to take in the sights," the counselor began to the others, getting their attentions, "but we've got someone to meet," she pointed out seriously, causing everyone to nod in agreement before they continued on their way. Smoker then noticed Qrow still looking around rather cautiously, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Something wrong?" he questioned.

"Huh…" the caped man sighed as he trotted past the former marine, "Not yet…" he muttered, causing him to blink in confusion while following after him. Moments later, the group was gathered inside the empty hallways together in search of the headmaster.

"Hello?" the short haired girl of the group called out in greeting, hoping for a response, but received none, "Hello?!" she cried out even louder, accidentally causing Starlight to flinch as she was right next to her.

"Maybe try louder?" Nora suggested.

"Yeah, really…" the former unicorn muttered as she rubbed her right ear in agony, causing the new squadron leader to sheepishly chuckle towards her sympathetically.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here," Ren noted as he glanced around.

"Well, I guess school isn't really in session right now," Jaune mentioned to get the group's attention, "Maybe that's it," he suggested as he looked to his left.

"I would have assumed a teacher would still be on the premises if a Relic is hidden here…" Erza noted, placing her hand upon her chin out of suspicion.

"Bet they're all on break this time of day," the Plume-Plume user chimed in as a potential answer.

"No, this isn't right…" Qrow suddenly responded, causing them to all perk up in surprise, "Come on," he beckoned.

"Hey!" Smoker yelled, chasing after him. The others followed suit, seeing the two men hurry ahead.

"Wait for us!" Ruby shouted as they all picked up the pace to catch up with them. Soon, all eight of them arrived at a pair of wooden double doors, with the bearded one of the group coming to a stop in front of them. He quickly drew his Harbinger from behind his cape, extending the blade out.

"Get ready," he advised to the others, enticing them to all draw their own weapons as his niece set hers in its sniper form, Nora set her Magnhild in its primary grenade launcher state, Ren prepared his StormFlower as the blades extended out, and Jaune readied his Crocea Mors by unsheathing the sword and activating the shield, "There could be trouble…" the man in front of them admitted, with the former marine grabbing the hilt of his jitte, Erza summoning forth a single sword in a flash of light within her right hand while aiming her left one forward as the repulsor at her palm buzzed, and Starlight activated her magic, gaining a light grayish heliotrope skin color with a pair of horse-like ears and a long ponytail that reached down to her ankles. A light turquoise aura enveloped her hands as she took a ready stance, prepared to face whatever was in front of them. Qrow then brought up his right foot and kicked the door open, revealing a middle-aged man with a mane of gray hair and a beard who appeared to be about to open it himself. He had a tanned complexion with brown eyebrows and dark brown eyes. He wore a brown great coat with a matching mantle, which had cross emblems on each side. Also, he donned a white dress shirt under the coat, a western neck tie and dark brown slacks with dress shoes.

"AH!" he screamed with widened eyes, throwing his hands up into the air.

"GAH!" the members of team RNJR minus the long haired one shrieked as well, somewhat astonished.

"What the…?" the counselor uttered, standing down as she developed a confused expression upon her face similar to the one of the mellow teen next to her. Standing on just a foot with his own eyes wide, the unkempt man of the group suddenly glanced down, losing his balance and falling over in a rather comical yelp. The man before them seemed to do the same, fainting briefly onto the floor.

"What the hell just happened?" Smoker asked as he put his armament back onto his back, while everyone else lowered their own weapons, giving off somewhat dumbfounded expressions towards who they had just met.

"Uh… Professor Lionheart?" Ruby guessed as her uncle sat up. The apparent headmaster suddenly gasped and sat up, having to catch his breath.

"Qrow!" he shouted rather angrily, "For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!" he yelled as he sat up slowly, placing his right hand over his chest. Starlight deactivated her magic as her heliotrope skin, pony ears, and ponytail all disappeared in a flash of light, while Erza had her sword vanish as she lowered her left hand. A growl was then heard from the younger of the men lying upon the ground as he stood up.

"Me?" he uttered in confusion, arching his left eyebrow slightly, "Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?" he asked him seriously.

"Huh?" he uttered in surprise as he blinked, pulling out a pocket watch from his coat to check the time, "Oh, right," he realized sheepishly as the little clock ticked in his hand, "Apologies," he apologized, "I guess time slipped away from me…" he admitted, shoving the object away into his coat.

"You're joking…" his friend bluntly responded as he slouched a little out of disbelief, which Smoker took notice of.

"Where is everybody?" Nora asked as she and her fellow classmates put their weapons away safely, seeing the headmaster stand back up.

"Ah, you must be the students Qrow mentioned," he noted to them.

"Yes, sir," Ruby responded with a small chuckle, "Ruby Rose," she introduced as she saluted loosely.

"Jaune Arc," the blonde haired teen to her left greeted.

"Nora Valkyrie," the chipper girl introduced while having her arms out stiffly at their respective sides.

"Lie Ren," her crush greeted politely, placing his hands behind his back.

"Heh, heh," the professor chuckled, taking notice of the Omni Force members as well, "And you must be a part of the other group Qrow had mentioned, correct?" he inquired to them.

"Yeah," Starlight answered before her squadron leader could, "My name's Starlight Glimmer," she introduced with a simple bow.

"Erza Scarlet," the requip user greeted, "I'm one of the squadron leaders of the Omni Force," she mentioned to the man, who then glanced over at the former marine.

"Smoker," he merely said, causing him to arch an eyebrow in confusion, having expected to hear more, "Hey, that's all you're gettin' outta me," he stated firmly, crossing his arms as the bearded man chuckled again.

"A pleasure to meet you all," he responded to entire ensemble before him, "Leonardo Lionheart, at your service," he introduced politely, bowing slightly, "I'm afraid most of my staff is currently away until classes resume," he told them, causing his friend to tense up as his fists were clenched, "but-"

"What?" the legendary scythe wielder interjected, leaning in towards him to his shock, "Leo, you can't be serious," he pointed out somewhat angrily, "Who's guarding the Relic?" he questioned with narrowed, glaring eyes, stunning him greatly.

"Qrow, the children…!" the headmaster started to point out as he glanced over at the group of seven.

"Already know. I filled them in," he explained as an interruption to his retort, gesturing back towards them, "What do you mean your staff is away?" he asked as he pointed at him.

"You… filled them in…?" the professor questioned in response, letting the information sink in as he raised his left hand to his chin, glancing around somewhat nervously.

"So… is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?" Nora asked Ruby, who put her right hand onto her left arm and gave off a somewhat somber expression.

X

I guess my story starts from when I left Beacon after the attack. I wanted to keep my past away from my friends, but it ended up causing the worst possible thing to happen. People were killed, one of my friends lost an arm… all because of me... I was going back home… to Menagerie. But I never expected Sun to follow me, let alone Ben Tennyson, the guy in charge of the entire team Gaara and Yang are a part of.

When we got to Kuo Kuana, I finally saw my parents for the first time in what felt like ages… and then I learned that the White Fang was here as well. Corsac and Fennec Albain say that the splinter group of the Fang Adam's leading doesn't follow the way of the Faunus, but I can't believe them. At least, not after what they had Ilia do to my friend. If it wasn't for Sun and Ben getting my head straight, I don't know what I'd do after everything that's happened. But thanks to them, we're finally ready to make our move… and get the White Fang back to be what it was meant to be all along…

A calm air had settled around the topiaries of the Belladonna household as stars brimmed the night sky. Though it was peaceful for the moment, it soon dissipated as Ghira Belladonna burst the front door open, stomping in angrily with Sun Wukong.

"Unbelievable!" he shouted in frustration.

"Total garbage!" the monkey Faunus yelled in addition, walking around the front room as well, while Kali Belladonna watched on from the front porch, somewhat dumbfounded by the pair's intersecting behaviors. Her husband then let out a growl, and he and the student turned to each other.

"We can't let them get away with this!" they exclaimed simultaneously. In the background, the chieftain's wife let off a smile.

"Well, at least you two can finally agree on something," she noted, catching their attentions as they looked over at her, then back at each other. The shorter of the two let off an awkward chuckle as he sheepishly rubbed his head, while the bulkier one glared slightly and growled at him with clenched fists.

"Guys," the voice of Blake Belladonna chimed in, getting their attentions as they looked to see her approach from the front porch alongside Ben Tennyson, "Everything's gonna be okay," she reassured firmly with a clenched right fist.

"Damn straight, Kit-Kat," the man beside her agreed, causing her to blink in surprise before blushing slightly. Both of her parents chuckled at the remark, while Sun just arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, so when he gives her a compliment, he gets a laugh," he pointed out in offense, making the others look over at him, "but when I say something nice about her, I… uh…" he tried to say, seeing the menacing glare developing on Ghira's face, "Never mind…" he uttered with another nervous and sheepish chuckle. A little while later, the cat Faunus exited through the door of her father's study, stepping out onto the balcony where an armored guard was waiting.

"Good evening, miss," she greeted as an address while turning to face her, "Can I get you anything?" she offered to her.

"Just a little time to myself, if that's alright," she replied somewhat anxiously.

"Sure thing," the wolf-eared female agreed with a nod, "Just call, if you need me," she advised, heading back into the study and shutting the door behind her.

"Huh…" the student sighed deeply amidst the sounds of chirping crickets.

"You need better security," a familiar voice suddenly said, alarming the girl as she turned to her left to see a masked Ilia Amitola drop down onto the railing. Ensuring her safety, she reached for the door, about to alert the guards to the intruder's presence. "Please!" she pleaded quietly with her right hand raised in a placating manner, "I-I just need to talk," she stuttered out in admittance. Her former friend slowly took her hand away from the sliding door, narrowing her eyes.

"How could you take the fall for them, Ilia?" she asked her, seeing her stand upright.

"Blake…" she uttered, sounding hurt by her words.

"Corsac and Fennec blamed you," she pointed out in an upset tone, "We confronted them tonight, and they deny knowing anything and everything found on your Scroll," she explained, "Th-They talked about how disappointed they were to hear that you'd sided with Adam…" she added with a stutter out of disbelief, "But you and I both know they're guilty," she stated firmly.

"You can't prove anything," the chameleon Faunus argued, saddened and frustrated by her persistence.

"That Scroll might not have been enough to lock them up," she admitted after a moment of thought, "but it's enough to sway the Faunus here," she noted, "When we go public tomorrow, they're not going to stand for any of it," she told her confidently, "And neither should you," she advised to the ponytailed girl. She then reached her left hand up and removed her mask, revealing a solemn expression upon her face.

"Your plan isn't gonna work, Blake," she responded, looking over at her, "Please…" she started to beg, "just leave Menagerie before it's too late," she advised seriously. Staring at her in silence, the cat Faunus narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You're going to have to make me," she retorted in challenge. Ilia merely stared back solemnly, not saying a word for a moment.

"I know," she sadly realized, donning her mask once more and stepping backwards off of the balcony, dropping into the trees below. The student turned away angrily as her cat ears folded inward, gritting her teeth. After a moment though, her anger faded as she let out another sigh, taking on a saddened expression.

"Well, that was awkward," a familiar voice chimed in bluntly, causing her to instantly perk up as she saw Ben sitting on the couch behind her.

"DAH!" she yelped in surprise, clapping her right hand over her mouth, "Oh… you need to stop doing that…" she complained in a whisper as she moved her extremity down to her chest, making him chuckle, "Huh…" she sighed again, "How much did you hear?" she asked, turning to face him fully as he leaned forward a little.

"Enough," he answered, still grinning, "I get that she's an old friend…" he started to say to her, causing her to tense up slightly, "but as far as I can tell, she's an enemy," he pointed out.

"She's just… confused…" she argued, seemingly unconvinced by her own words, as was the Omni Force leader.

"We're gonna make this right, Kit-Kat," he promised, "And if we can get your friend to see the right side," he continued, making her perk up slightly, "well, you've got her back," he concluded with a smirk, "Just know that she's with the bad guys right now," he advised, "Don't go taking any chances with her," he added seriously.

"R-Right…" Blake stuttered in reply, grabbing at her right arm nervously.

"Huh…" the Biomnitrix bearer exhaled, "Everything's gonna be okay, right?" he inquired to her, causing her to instantly widen her eyes as she remembered saying the exact same words.

"Heh," she laughed, "Thank you, Ben," she said in gratitude with a smile, making him do the same. She then opened the door back into the study and went inside, leaving him alone on the balcony. He reached into the pocket of his cargo pants, pulling out his MPG and activating its center button by pressing his thumb against it. A holographic image appeared over it as he tapped a few icons, leading to him pressing one that said 'MESSAGES'. A hologram of his wife then appeared, holding their daughter in their arms.

"Hey babe," she greeted through the transmission, "I know you're probably busy again and all… OW!" she yelped in agony, having her short hair pulled on by the giggling infant, "Raya sweetie, please stop that!" she pleaded, causing her husband to chuckle, "Ugh… I'd love it if she could drive you insane instead…" she grumbled as a solemn expression came across her face, "Just… come back as soon as you can, okay?" she recommended, "Our daughter could really use two good parents to look after her than just me…" she admitted. Seeing the laughing image of his child in her mother's arms made the Biomnitrix bearer smile as tears began forming in his eyes.

"Yeah…" he concurred after a moment, wiping his eyes with his left arm, "I'll be back soon…" he promised before the image vanished into thin air.

X

Back at Haven Academy, everyone had gathered in the headmaster's office, as he sat behind his desk, still contemplating the news he had recently received.

"I have to say, Qrow," he began to the famed huntsman before him, "this all seems very reckless," he pointed out, "even for you," he mentioned in a disgruntled tone.

"No," he responded bluntly, "reckless is leaving one of the Relics completely unguarded," he argued angrily with crossed arms, "It's not checking in with Oz for ages!" he pointed out as he waved his right hand.

"There was nothing to check in about before the fall of Beacon," Leo retorted in frustration, "but since that day, Mistral has been in chaos!" he bellowed, standing up from his chair with clenched fists, "Vale wasn't the only Kingdom to suffer that night," he noted to the others, "Everyone was watching," he said, "Every house in every Kingdom saw that poor girl ripped to pieces," he mentioned, causing Ruby to look away, upset as it seemed as if was about to cry from the very memory, "saw monsters crawling over the city, Atlesian Knights attacking citizens…" he listed off, making Jaune grimace, which Starlight took notice of as she saw him place his left hand upon the hilt of his sword, "and then nothing," he finished, "You could feel the dread in the air," he noted solemnly, "With all that negativity, you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us," he explained, walking over to a window behind his desk and looking outside, "Mistral's territory is the widest reaching in the world, you know," he pointed out to the group, "and that makes it infinitely harder to protect," he mentioned seriously, "We lost so many great Huntsmen," he noted sadly, "teachers from this very institution," he added, "And it's only gotten worse," he said with frustration apparent in his tone.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked as she stepped forward. The bearded man leaned on the windowsill, taking a deep breath.

"We may have dealt with the Grimm," he started to say, "but the Mistral council's still at odds with representatives from Atlas," he explained to them, "First, it was the Dust embargo, now it's the closing of borders," he listed off in frustration, turning around and looking right at the Branwen man, "I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale," he continued on, "but it seems to have only worsened some of his more… unfortunate tendencies," he noted with a deep sigh, "And, on top of everything," he kept going, "we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is," he finished with a wave of his hand.

"All the more reason we need the Huntsmen and Huntresses here!" Qrow argued, pointing at the headmaster's desk, enticing his niece to suddenly move closer to the two before a shouting match could start.

"Okay! Okay," she chimed in, holding her hands out in a placating manner, "Things are bad; they're bad," she realized, catching everyone's attention, "But we can figure this out," she reassured to everyone, "Why is the Spring Maiden so important?" she asked the professor. He looked over at her uncle skeptically.

"I thought you filled them in," he said to him.

"Mostly filled in," he corrected, "Look, there's a lot to cover, okay?" he pointed out in annoyance, "I quit teaching for a reason," he stated, removing his flask from beneath his shirt and taking a swig from it after getting the cap off. Leonardo sat back down in his chair, placing his right hand against his head.

"The four Maidens each have the power to perform feats of magic," he explained to the group, "and they are the only ones capable of reaching the Relics," he mentioned while sitting up straight.

"What?" Jaune uttered in confusion.

"The Relics are each locked inside a chamber that can only be opened by a specific Maiden," the unkempt man responded as an explanation, "Winter for the gift of Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice, and Spring for Knowledge," he listed off before taking another swig of his drink, "Spring is the problem," he stated.

"What happened to her?" Ren asked, sitting in between Smoker and Nora on a couch on the right side of the room. The huntsman glanced over at him in surprise before looking down somberly, enticing his old friend to speak up.

"She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers," he answered as Qrow put the cap back on his flask and tucked it away, "but the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child," he mentioned, "She… ran…" he confessed slowly, "Abandoned her training, everyone," he noted solemnly to the group's surprise, "That was over a decade ago," he mentioned, "There's no telling where she could be now," he admitted with a shake of his head.

"I… know," the alcoholic chimed in suddenly, causing him to perk up, "At least… I have a pretty good idea," he corrected, stuffing his left hand into his pocket.

"Are you serious?" the headmaster questioned, standing up instantly with widened eyes.

"Well, that's good!" Starlight noted as she smiled.

"It's not exactly good news, kid," Qrow pointed out to her, much to her confusion as she arched an eyebrow, seeing him glance away for a moment.

"What are you talking about?" Leonardo questioned rhetorically, walking around his desk to get to his old friend, "This is incredible news!" he exclaimed, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him excitedly, "Where?!" he asked loudly. The huntsman shoved him off as he trotted off to the side slightly.

"I did some digging around," he responded, placing his hands into his pockets, "Looks like, after Spring ran away, she was picked up by bandits," he explained with narrowed eyes, "specifically the Branwen tribe," he stated, causing the professor to tense up in realization.

"Raven," he uttered out, causing both Ruby and Erza to let out small gasps of surprise as they blinked rapidly.

"Yang's mom?" Jaune inquired, catching the caped man's attention.

"That's right," he replied with a nod, pulling out his Scroll as he walked over and shoved aside his old friend to place it upon his desk. The holographic monitor then activated, displaying the topographical map of Remnant.

"Whoa…" the former unicorn uttered in awe, while her squadron leader narrowed her eyes onto the zoomed-in section that was pulled up on the screen.

"That's about where they've set up their main camp," the alcoholic pointed out to the group as he crossed his arms, "It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions," he mentioned, "Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers since she returned to the tribe," he continued as he focused on the pinpointed location, "and I'm sure when the Spring Maiden showed up, it only made things easier…" he grumbled.

"Well, Qrow," the headmaster began as he walked over and patted him upon his back, "I've got to hand it to you," he complimented as he gestured towards the map, "With these coordinates, we can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks," he declared, causing the man to perk up in surprise as he unfolded his arms and clenched his fists, seeing him trot up to the computer.

"A few weeks?" he questioned, while the bearded man pulled up a holographic keyboard, tapping a few keys that made the text 'COPYING FILES' appear upon the interactive device, followed by 'DISCONNECTED' as the map disappeared. The requip user had taken notice, narrowing her eyes in suspicion towards the man as she folded her arms over her armored chest.

"That's right," he responded as he then walked back around behind his desk.

"Leo, maybe you didn't hear me," the huntsman began in a frustrated tone, "My sister has the Spring Maiden, and I know where she is," he pointed out seriously, placing his hands onto the desk just as the headmaster sat down in his chair, "We need to go as soon as possible!" he shouted, knocking a stack of books and papers off of the desk with his right arm.

"And perhaps you didn't hear me," Leonardo retorted angrily, "This Kingdom is in shambles," he said, "'As soon as possible' does not mean tomorrow," he pointed out to him, "It means, as soon as I can convince the council that I need Huntsmen more than they do," he told him defiantly, "Unfortunately, bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is just on the horizon," he noted with an angered roll of his eyes.

"Then damn the council," Qrow replied, "We'll do it ourselves," he declared as he gestured towards himself, "You and I are trained Huntsmen, and these kids aren't exactly pushovers," he noted to him, "Plus, we've got the extra firepower of Red and her friends," he added, gesticulating at Erza as she glanced over at him skeptically.

"Yeah!" Nora agreed as she jumped up onto, while Ruby pumped her fist.

"Ah, what the hell…" Smoker muttered with a chuckle as he stood up alongside Ren.

"Perhaps there's a more peaceful way to approach this?" he suggested to the entire group.

"From experience, I doubt that…" the Fairy Tail mage responded, much to the confusion of Starlight as she looked over at her.

"We need to get Spring as far away from here as possible," the younger huntsman told his ally, "And Raven isn't going to give up her most prized possession without a fight," he added, clenching his left fist.

"Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched," the headmaster noted, "And I'm not the fighter I used to be," he admitted as he looked at his left hand, "No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills," he told him honestly, "We need to be positive we can apprehend Spring, because if we fail Raven and her tribe will scatter," he explained to the group as the caped man backed away from the desk, folding his arms over his chest, "And we'll be lost," he mentioned, "We get one shot at this," he stated as he held up his left index finger, "And it needs to be perfect," he added seriously.

"Okay, hold up," the counselor of the group chimed in as she held out her hands in a placating manner, catching their attentions, "You're forgetting about me, Erza, and Smoker," she pointed out, "We can totally handle an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden, right?" she inquired to the others.

"I'm not so sure about that," the requip user admitted, putting her arms down, "From what I've seen… and heard for that matter…" she started to explain, "the Maidens themselves are on a whole other level above regular Huntsmen and Huntresses," she stated, "Honestly, I'm not scared," she confessed to the group, "but I do want to be cautious about this," she declared, causing the former unicorn and the newest squadron leader to both blink in surprise. A long moment of silence passed afterwards as everyone stared over at Leonardo and Qrow.

"Huh…" the latter of the two sighed deeply, "You know Oz wouldn't be happy with any of this if he were here," he noted to him.

"Perhaps you're right," he agreed, "But he's not, and I'm doing the very best I can," he pointed out seriously.

"There has to be something we can do," Ruby chimed in worriedly as she stepped forward.

"What about Cinder?" Jaune questioned, catching everyone's attention, "She came with Emerald and Mercury from Haven," he pointed out to the headmaster, "Do you have anything on them?" he asked him.

"We pulled their files after the Fall of Beacon," he responded immediately, "Nothing but lies and forgeries," he added with a slight shake of his head. The blonde haired teen tightened his fists and glared down at the floor angrily, which Starlight saw as she looked on at him worriedly.

"Well, I can't say this has been a warm reunion, Leo," the caped man of the group admitted after another brief moment of silence.

"I'm sorry," the professor apologized, "I know you've all traveled a long way," he pointed out with a wave of his left hand, "But I will do everything I can to help," he promised to him.

"Sure," his friend replied, "We'll stay in the city for the time being," he said, taking his scroll off of his desk, "Local comms are still up," he noted, waggling the device at him, "Keep in touch," he advised, turning away afterwards, "Come on, kids," he beckoned to the group of seven, enticing them to all file out of the office with him. At the rear, both Ruby and Erza stopped to turn around to face the headmaster again.

"It was nice meeting you, Professor," the former of the two told him with a light smile, while the latter glanced around, noticing the scuff marks on the floor beside the bookshelf.

"Likewise," he responded with a wave after taking a moment to do so, allowing the females to depart. Once the door shut, he hung his head in a rather stressed manner, placing his right hand upon it. A holographic W suddenly projected up from his desk, which he took notice of.

"Oh, Leo," the voice of Arthur Watts sighed through the transmission, "We have got to work on your improvisational skills," he pointed out in frustration, making the professor give off a solemn look.

The entire group that had left was walking back down the academy hallway, with Nora suddenly coming to a stop.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked the others, who all stopped with her.

"We could try to go take on the tribe on our own…" Starlight suggested, earning an elbowing from her squadron leader's left arm, "Ow!" she yelped, glaring at her with puffed cheeks.

"Huh…" Qrow sighed deeply as he turned around, "You all head back to the house," he told the group, pointing at them, "I need a drink…" he grumbled, walking off.

"And I need a smoke," Smoker added, heading after him. The six that were left behind looked at each other with concern and suspicion.

X

"Phoo…" the Plume-Plume user breathed as a puff of smoke left his lips from the cigar he was smoking.

"So does smoking help or hurt ya?" the caped man asked curiously, sitting beside him at the counter of a bar.

"Heh," he chuckled, putting the cigar out in an ashtray, rubbing it roughly, "Shouldn't you be askin' yourself why your damn friend doesn't wanna help us out?" he inquired to him.

"Ugh…" he groaned, looking down at his glass of beer that he had yet to take a sip from, "I doubt a demonstration would be enough to get Leo hyped to help us," he noted as he glanced away.

"Well, you haven't seen just what Scarlet can really do yet," the former marine mentioned, grabbing his own glass and chugging the drink down in one gulp, setting into the table as the ice that remained clacked against it.

"If Red's got more than those bikinis she calls armors, then there might be something…" the alcoholic joked in agreement, staring back at his drink.

"Excuse me…" a male, nasally voice chimed in, catching the two men's attentions as they looked to see a boy who was short in stature approaching them from behind. His skin was tanned, and he had a faint, perpetual blush and freckles on his cheeks. His hair was an unkempt umber with green undertones, and his eyes were hazel, with the main iris being forest green, and accents of burnt orange and yellow around the pupil.

He wore a dirty and scuffed white shirt that laced across the chest. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and there was a pocket on the left tricep. His olive pants were held up by orange suspenders, and were tucked into worn, brown boots. The pants themselves were patched over the knee, and a quilted cloth hung loosely out of his left pocket. His hands were covered by orange gloves, with green straps overlapping across the back of the hand in an X shape, and around the wrist. His neck was wrapped with a torn bandage, as his expression showed a hint of nervousness.

"You know, I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak," Qrow noted bluntly as he turned to face him. He looked at him for second before turning his head to the side.

"Shut up, I'm getting there," he muttered softly, much to the confusion of both men as their full attention was brought onto him. The alcoholic's eyes widened slightly and then narrowed, as suspicion was dawning onto him. "Umm… I'm supposed to tell you…" the farmhand began, "I'd like my cane back…" he requested, sounding unsure.

"…What?" Smoker uttered, completely perplexed. On the other hand, the man beside him blinked before closing his eyes for a brief moment, nodding with a slight smile. He then stood up from his barstool and faced the boy, causing him to take a couple of steps back. He lifted the collapsed cane off of his hip, staring at it for a moment.

"Hmm," he chuckled, still grinning, "It's good to see you again, Oz," he noted, tossing the object to Oscar, who caught it reflexively. The cane instantly extended itself out from the collapsed base upon touching his right hand, much to his surprise. He then put his left one onto the shaft to hold it, looking up at the caped man and blinking for a moment.

"Uh… what?" the former marine uttered again, evidently stunned by the sudden revelation.

X

Well, here I am. Losing my arm was one thing, but now that I let my sister go off on her own adventure is another. And I was home, lying around trying to forget all of the terrible things that had happened… when what I really needed was a wake-up call. My dad even tried to get my ex down here to cheer me up. Yeah, I broke up with Gaara after what happened with Beacon… Well… took a break is a better way to say it…

I think I needed to work through this myself, to see that I can move on and be stronger. I've got a new arm in place of the old one, too! But enough about that. Right now, I need to do what I have to…

A yellow sport motorcycle that appeared to be very aerodynamic was parked at a fuel station named 'Just Rite' upon the sign on the roof. Inside, a bartender was cleaning a glass with a cloth as he narrowed his eyes onto the patron before him at the counter.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" he inquired suspiciously as he arched an eyebrow. Standing there was Yang Xiao Long, who took off her aviator sunglasses with her left hand.

"A water," she requested with a grin, "It's hot out," she noted rather bluntly.

"Ohhh," the spectacled man uttered in realization as she set down her own specs, "Sure," he said, going below the counter to find a bottle. Laughter then emitted from an obviously plastered man sitting a few seats down from the blonde haired girl.

"Are you telling me you're too young to drink?!" he inquired as he glanced over at her, "You look like a regular Huntress," he pointed out in a somewhat complimentary tone as he span his stool to face her, "And a beauty at that…" he added, sounding as if he was infatuated with her.

"I'm good," she retorted as he stood up, "Thanks, pal," she grumbled, hearing him start to step towards her.

"Seriously," he affirmed, still approaching her undeterred, "Not too bulky. Not too lean," he noted, "You're…"

"Just right," Yang interjected with a roll of her eyes, "Yup," she muttered, "Like I said, I'm good," she reaffirmed, becoming somewhat frustrated with the mook. He put his left hand onto the countertop next to her with a soft moan, reaching out at her with his right.

"And your hair…" he started to say. All of a sudden, the fiery girl grabbed his wrist before he could touch her. She turned to face him, revealing her glowing red eyes to his shock. "Huh?" he uttered. He barely glanced in the correct direction before her metal fist slammed into the side of his face, knocking a tooth out from his mouth. Falling backward, the man hit the floor and continued to bounce around floor-to-ceiling toward the exit like a pinball before disappearing through the doors. As they closed behind him, the 'Open' sign upon the right flipped around to 'Closed'. Just then, the bartender got up from beneath the counter, setting the bottle of water onto it to catch her attention.

"This one's on the house," he offered in gratitude with a wink, "He's been driving me crazy…" he pointed out, evidently thankful for what she had done. She reached for the bottle with her left hand, but it suddenly started to tremble. She grabbed at her wrist with her metal hand, steadying it until it stopped.

"Huhhh…" she sighed shakily before picking up the bottle and flicking the cap off with her metal fingers.

"So, what brings you around these parts?" the worker asked as she guzzled her drink down, holding up a finger to entice him to wait until she was finished.

"Thanks," she said once she was done, setting the empty bottle down, "And I'm, uh, looking for someone," she stuttered in admittance, making him chuckle.

"Not too many people come out here," he pointed out to her, "Too far from the Kingdoms," he added, "Only person worth notin' around here is… well, Ra-"

"Raven Branwen," Yang interrupted, cutting him off. A brief silence passed by before she retrieved her sunglasses and started to head out, "Thanks again," she said in gratitude.

"N-now, missy!" the man stuttered desperately, "You don't want to go messin' with bandits!" he advised out of concern, "They're a world o' trouble!" he yelled.

"So I hear," Yang replied, going outside and putting on her spectacles. The shady man she had punched moments earlier was lying on the ground holding his face, while she straddled her bike and engaged it, letting the engine rev loudly as she adjusted the throttle.

"Hey, girlie!" he called out as he began to stand up, catching her attention.

"Seriously?" she muttered in annoyance, "This isn't over?" she inquired to the man, who stood up fully with a grunt.

"I heard you're… looking for someone…" he noted to her, "Heh," he chuckled, giving her a toothless grin. A figure watched on from the trees nearby, having her arms folded over her chest as a small grin showed upon her face, while her red and yellow hair swayed with the breeze that blew by.

X

"You've met Raven?" Jaune questioned out of disbelief sitting on one of two red couches in a living room of the household he and the others were staying in, being next to Starlight as Ren and Nora were on the other one. The four of them were listening to Erza as she tapped a few icons upon her interactive left repulsor arm, pulling up a holographic screen over it.

"It was by chance, but yes," she replied, "When I had run into Qrow as he was keeping watch over you, she spoke with him," she explained, looking at the words read upon the hologram she had brought before letting it fade away into thin air, "I was skeptical of her claims at first," she admitted with a deep sigh, "but it seems Qrow was right to assume that she had possession of the Spring Maiden," she noted.

"Well, we know where they are," the counselor chimed in, catching their attentions, "Why not just journey out there and get her back?" she asked her squadron leader.

"It's not that I'm scared of facing someone said to be as strong like Qrow or even more powerful," she began to respond, letting the armor over her upper body disappear in flash of golden light, revealing the white blouse underneath with a blue necktie, "but rather what it may incite," she pointed out, "We start a huge fight, there'll no doubt be negativity and dread in the air like Leonardo described," she told them, folding her arms over her chest.

"And then the Grimm will come…" the long, dark haired teen finished for her, receiving a nod.

"Well, why not call in the rest of our squad to help?" the former unicorn suggested, "We've got Kirito, Juvia, Meliodas, Ahsoka," she listed off, unfolding her left fingers one by one with each name.

"Having an army doesn't mean that retrieving the Maiden will be easy," the requip user stated firmly as she walked to the lone chair in the room, sitting down on it, "Besides, that'll only create more of a panic," she pointed out, causing her teammate to groan in frustration.

"Sorry…" she apologized, "I just wanna get this taken care as soon as possible so we can worry about how we'll take on Salem," she told the group.

"Glad to know that you're dedicated," Jaune mentioned, getting her attention as she looked over at him.

"Thanks," she replied, grinning. They then heard a trio of knocks at the door, causing them to all perk up in surprise.

"Is that Qrow?" Nora asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I doubt he'd be dumb enough to knock on his own door…" Erza responded bluntly. The Arc teen stood up from his seat cautiously to go and open it, while the rest of the group remained tense. He twisted the knob and opened it, revealing Oscar standing there, looking hesitant and uncomfortable as he held his hands together in front of himself. The one who opened the door looked back over his shoulder towards the others, getting a shrug of confusion from the perky girl.

"Can I… help you?" he asked the boy after another moment.

"Um... yeah," he slowly responded "Is there a Ruby Rose here?" he asked nervously. All four seated persons immediately stood up, tense and defensive.

"Why?" the Valkyrie girl questioned darkly, narrowing her eyes onto him. A brief moment of silence passed as the former farmhand shyly glanced away for a moment.

"Well…" he started to say, looking to his left as Qrow suddenly appeared, moving drunkenly as he grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I found him!" he exclaimed excitedly, snorting into his hand as continued laughing, stumbling into the house.

"I think her uncle could use some help…" the boy pointed out, sounding rather freaked out.

"You have got to be kidding me…" the requip user muttered, palming her face with her right hand in annoyance, while Starlight just stared ahead blankly.

"Whoa, oh," the alcoholic stammered as he stumbled towards the couch that was vacated, saving his loose balance by falling backward onto the cushions, "Ugh," he belched, settling onto his back and folding his left arm over his eyes, "I found him…" he noted, sounding as if he was out of breath.

"Uh… where's Smoker?" the counselor asked, rubbing the back of her head.

"Right here…" the former marine's voice muttered as he sauntered in with his hands in his pockets, "Once Branwen's all sober, he'll tell us everything," he promised to the group, much to their confusion.

"What is going out there?!" Ruby suddenly shouted from elsewhere in the house, stomping into the living room, "Can't a girl read her comics in peace?!" she questioned rhetorically to the others. She then heard her uncle burp and chuckle, causing her to sigh deeply as she put her left hand up to her forehead exasperatedly. "Qrow, did you get drunk again?" she asked bluntly.

"Maybe…" he answered as he raised his right hand, letting out another belch.

"Bleh…" Starlight uttered in disgust as she stuck out her tongue.

"Oh," Oscar uttered as he finally stepped into the living room, looking over at the girl with the red cloak as he had caught everyone's attention, "You… have silver eyes," he noted, somewhat awed by the appearance of them. The girl looked over at him, a touch surprised by his words. She turned to Ren and Nora, as the latter shrugged again before she looked back at the boy.

"Who… are you?" she asked, causing her relative to chuckle from the couch.

"Uh… Well…" the former farmhand began as everyone was looking at him skeptically aside from the Plume-Plume user, "My name is Oscar Pine," he introduced, having his hands together behind his back.

"Wait for it…" the drunk man muttered in anticipation.

"But you probably know me as… Professor Ozpin," the boy finished, causing everyone aside from the two men to gasp, as Jaune took a couple of steps back. As they all gave off confused expressions, the drunken man continued chuckling happily.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, punching his fists into the air before falling off of the couch onto the floor, startling the others nearby.

"Ooh!" Nora yelped in surprise.

"Oh brother…" Smoker muttered with a roll of his eyes.

END

And there's the debut of my 50th story! I'm really excited to get this going after the completions of several other stories beforehand, but of course, I'd figure that I'd give this little preview of the adaptation with my own little spin on it.

I also hope the point-of-view parts captured each member's character of Team RWBY and weren't too unexpected. I felt as if it was a good way to introduce them without having to do a full recap of their arcs in the last two volumes. Expect more news on this story to come in the future!

And make sure to check out my FanFiction forum, Tumblr, and Deviantart pages for the latest updates! The links to those will be in my profile page for those who'll be looking! I look forward to your thoughts on my first RWBY-related story!