I got a... surprising amount of follows and favorites after posting the last chapter. I can't tell if that means I'm doing something right.

Anyways, thanks to JcL107, DesertJet, Monokuma23, DrTheo, and Keestimmer0013 for the follows/favorites.

The Review Box:

DrTheo: Thank you.

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The orientation, as it turned out, was in a hall with a raised stage. And nothing else. Probably an assembly hall of some sort.

"Hey! Ruby, Blue! Saved ya a spot!" Yang called from a decently empty clearing in the crowd.

"See you later then!" Ruby said to Jaune, who started muttering about quirky girls or something.

I sidled past a redhead in light armor, a weedy guy with discs on his arms (?), and a guy with no energy with a very hyperactive chick buzzing around him on the way over to Yang, who was grinning widely at Ruby.

"See? Told you you didn't need me to make friends." She smirked, pointing at Jaune, who was apologizing to a tall guy he'd just run into.

"Yeah, but before that I nearly exploded and made someone angry and-"

"YOU!"

"Oh god it's happening againnnnnn…." And suddenly Ruby was in Yang's arms and Weiss Schnee was standing over my shoulder.

"What do you have to say for yourself?!" She started, obviously winding up for a long tirade. "You and your friend over there-"

"More like passing acquaintance." I snarked, grinning as I felt her focus on me.

"You two are menaces to society!"

"Much as I appreciate the sentiment." I said, keeping my voice as bored as possible. "You were the one swinging improperly sealed bottles of volatile elements around."

"Here." Did she even listen to me? "Read this." I turned around. A… fucking pamphlet was being shoved in my face.

"Seriously?" I was beginning to get really annoyed with her.

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field." She said, in an eerily robotic voice that sped up as it went.

"...You sure you're… Y'know, human?" I asked.

"Do you really want to make this up to me?" She asked flatly.

"...fine." I rolled my eyes, snatching the pamphlet and scanning it.

"Read that. Don't speak to me."

"Most likely not." I replied, finished reading, then immolated the damn thing in my fist.

I like having fire powers.

"Mmmmm." She grunted, then turned towards the stage and studiously ignored us.

"Well… you two are hitting it off." Yang commented, having put Ruby back down.

"It's a gift." I deadpanned.

Noise from the stage interrupted that little thing, drawing our attention to Ozpin and Goodwitch standing up on the stage.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin said, a rather concise speech. He then walked off, allowing Glynda to step up and speak.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation will begin. Be ready. Dismissed."

She walked away as the crowd began to mill about in the room.

There's a ballroom in this place?

"Is it just me, or did he sound like he wasn't even paying attention?" Yang asked, moving close to Ruby to avoid a small group passing by.

"He did not sound like that last night." I replied, staring after the headmaster.

"Yeah."

Night had fallen, and here we are, having a big-ass sleepover in the ballroom. Thankfully, Yang had loaned me some sleeping clothes, so I didn't have to sleep in my hoodie again. The caveat being they were a little…. showy.

"I swear, if another guy even says anything about 'joining him' I'm breaking necks." I muttered as I walked past a bunch of idiots to where I was sleeping, next to Ruby and Yang. However, a certain someone caught my eye.

"Not social much?" I asked as I sat down next to Blake, probably just outside her personal bubble. She glanced over at me as she read by candelabra.

"No." With the clipped word, she turned back to her book. I didn't press, and we sat there in silence that gradually turned more amicable. I entertained myself by playing around with a small fire wisp, occasionally catching Blake looking over at it in feigned non-interest.

"Hell~oooo!" And here comes Yang and Ruby.

"Hi." Blake looked as happy to see them as she was to initially see me.

"I hear you two know each other! A little birdie told me." Yang faux-whispered to Blake.

"Do we really have to do this, Sis? I can make friends on my own!" Ruby complained.

"Nonono, my dear sister. You may have made a friend by yourself, but I know you." Yang replied. "If I don't kick you off this cliff, you aren't going over it at all!"

"I would prefer not being kicked off a cliff, thanks."

"Hey! You four! Some of us are trying to sleep here and-" Weiss started, gearing up to another rant before stopping when she noticed who she was about to berate.

"NOT YOU AGAIN!" She and Yang shouted at the same time.

"So much for peace and quiet." I muttered, pointing at Blake's candelabra and absorbing the fire as the two began to argue rather loudly.

The next day, after breakfast, I hung around Ruby's locker with the girl herself and Yang while the cloaked one rifled through an astonishing amount of rifle magazines, loose bullets, and a change of clothes that looked just like what she was wearing now.

"You're gonna do fine!" Yang reassured her.

"Yeah, in combat. How am I going to do paired up with random strangers?" Ruby asked, closing the locker.

"Break out of your shell! Besides, you're already more chipper anyways!"

"Of course!" Ruby once again unfolded Crescent Rose, holding the shaft close like one would a precious item. "My sweetheart gets to do all the talking today!"

"Isn't that nice." I drawled.

"Remember, you aren't the only one in initiation. You have to meet new people and learn to work together to grow up." Yang said, finishing adjusting a golden bracelet on her arm.

"You two sound just like Dad!" Ruby slammed her hand into her locker. Which didn't produce a loud or intimidating noise at all. "What does meeting people have to do with fighting?! And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!"

"Milk doesn't develop teamwork and social skills." I deadpanned.

"You don't know that."

"Am I wrong though?" I asked semi-sarcastically. Absently out of the corner of my eye I noted Jaune making his way over to where Weiss was chatting up a redhead in armor, looking down at a paper in his hands every so often.

"Well…"

"Exactly. Hurry it up, would you? I want to get this over with."

"This initiation will be relatively simple. Your mission is to find a relic, located at a temple in this forest, retrieve it, and return here." Ozpin stated, taking a sip of his mug. All the students I'd seen the night before were lined up on white squares, which rather clashed with the otherwise natural cliff.

I was on the panel three to left of where Ozpin was standing, between Yang on my left and Ruby on my right.

Something was telling me that these squares weren't just for decoration.

"Now, if I were you, I would take this time to prepare your landing strategy." Ozpin took a sip of coffee as Glynda tapped something on her device. The initiate at the end of the line was launched from their square.

Called it.

A dude in large armor was launched off, then a guy with long hair and exotic clothing, a ginger girl with way too much enthusiasm, the redhead I saw with Weiss, the heiress herself, then Blake. Yang slid a pair of aviator shades on, flashing a smirk my way as she was sent flying, and then I felt force send me skyward.

Okay, now what?

I watched in the distance as everyone who was launched before me began implementing, uh, 'landing strategies'. I saw Weiss use glowing snowflake circles to slow herself down. Blake lashed her weapon's string to a tree, then disappeared. Yang just tanked right through the tree cover. So, now for me, then.

I spread my arms out, trying to slow my fall some. Then I channeled fire into a small jet below me momentarily, using short bursts to slow myself down. Then once the ground came into view, I let myself drop, my boots digging a trench into the earth until I stopped.

Guess that fixes that then. Now, to find that relic….

What's that noise?

I dove forwards as a claw swiped through where I was standing, rolling to my feet and drawing the Blank Blade, the crackling blade between me, and a black wolf thing.

"Sup, pal?" I said. The wolf growled back at me. "Sounds nice." The wolf roared at me, then charged, raising it's claw. I ducked it, flicking my sword up and right through it's flesh. The two halves of the wolf landed behind me, disappearing into black particles. Odd.

"Now, where was I?" I spun on my heel, picking a direction to walk in, and starting off.

I had to climb a tree to find the temple. Getting up was the easy part, not so much getting down. But I had my heading, and so I went. I had seen a giant black bird, somewhat like the black wolf I had chopped in half earlier, flying around, but I wasn't too worried about it.

I found out that I did have to worry about it.

As I reached the clearing where the temple was, I spotted Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Ruby, along with that other group, near the temple. Ruby was stuck, her cloak pinned in place by a giant feather. Weiss and Yang were running towards Ruby, who also had a giant scorpion bearing down on her.

"Shit." I took off, pulling my sword out as I ran for the three. In an instant I saw Weiss freeze the scorpion, while the bird began diving towards them. I was faster, however. The light of the Blank Blade dug deep into the bird's side, but not enough to kill it. It shrieked and flew up high again.

"Thanks for the save." Yang said behind me.

"No problem." I remarked, tracking the bird. It was just circling at the moment, but I was aware that wouldn't be lasting long.

"Come on! There's some ruins we can lose them in ahead. Don't forget to grab your relic." Yang pointed me at the temple. One single relic remained, a golden king piece. I guess Ozpin liked chess. I made sure to nab it and pocket it as we made for those ruins.

The bird swooped overhead, landing atop the tower ahead of us. It screeched at us before swinging it's wings forward. The swing was apparently forceful enough to launch feathers at us, and considering Ruby had been pinned by one, they were likely sharp.

That ginger girl whipped out a grenade launcher, firing a volley of grenades right back at the bird. Everyone else ducked into cover behind pillars as the avian avoided the explosives.

"We appear to be caught between a rock and a hard place." The guy with the machine pistols said, nodding towards the brush where we'd come from. I guess that scorpion must have broken free when I wasn't looking.

"Alright, let's divide and conquer. Who all has a partner?" Everyone but me raised their hands to Ruby's question. "Okay, let's work with that. Everyone, stick with your partner. Yang, Blake, you're with me and Weiss. Jaune, uh…"

"Pyrrha." The redhead helpfully supplied.

"He's Ren. Aaaaaaaaand I'm Nora!" Nora cheered, sticking her grenade launcher around the pillar to take potshots at the bird.

"Right. You four stick together. And…" She came to me.

"I'll just do as needed?" I said, shrugging. She nodded. "Will do."

"Right. We'll take care of the Nevermore. You four get the Deathstalker!" Yang said, then bolted out of her cover. Blake shook her head, but followed.

"Hey! Wait up!" Ruby ran out after her sister.

"You dolt!" Weiss rushed after her. Ooooh, the absolute irony of it all.

"Guess I'll stay here then?" I said, to no one in particular, just as the scorpion- the Deathstalker, I presume- charged out of the foliage.

"With me!" Pyrrha ran right at it, shield raised and spear ready. Jaune gulped, but followed nonetheless. Nora fired some grenades at the scorpion, then her weapon transformed into a hammer, which she pointed… behind her?

Oh, recoil boost. I see, I see.

I stood back and watched as Pyrrha ducked a claw, Jaune barely pushed back the stinger, and Ren attempted to get through the armored hide. It all began to… flow, I guess? Absently, I changed my grip on the Blank Blade.

Then the thing's grip changed. The blade closed down, thinning and lengthening into a hammer. A hammer… like what Nora had.

What the fu-

I hastily jumped aside as Jaune was swatted my way, Pyrrha now desperately attempting to keep blocking the scorpion's attacks. Guess it's time for me to jump in, then.

I took off, letting the hammer fall somewhat in my loose one handed grip, then jumped, tightening and gripping the shaft with both hands as I brought the hammer down, a jet of flame appearing behind the head lending some extra speed. The hammer slammed into the armored front of the Deathstalker, not breaking through, but leaving a noticeable dent amid a cracked portion of the armor. When I landed, my weapon changed again, shortening down to match Pyrrha's spear, which I swept about, slicing off the scorpion's claw arms, before leaping back. Ren leaped above me, the blades on his machine pistols severing the stinger, which dropped onto the cracked armor.

"NORA! SMASH!" Nora's hammer came down on the stinger, driving it through the Deathstalker's head, dropping the thing to it's stomach, and it's death.

"Very nice." Pyrrha said. She turned to me, asking "How did your weapon change like that? It didn't even look like a mechanical transformation."

"I'm not sure." I replied, glancing down at what used to be the Blank Blade, now still a white version of the redhead's spear. "I just watched, and suddenly, it was like I knew how to use it like I'd been practicing my whole life."

"I think it's cool! What about you, Ren?" Nora asked, leaning her hammer on her shoulder.

"Certainly a useful ability." Ren said, moving his wrists and… his pistols are gone. Neat.

We all looked towards the ruins where Ruby and Yang had gone, to see the tower was now gone, and the four of them struggling somewhat.

"Say, Nora…" I said. "Think you can get enough force in that hammer to throw me over there?"

"Can I?" She smirked right back at me. Almost casually, she tossed me up in the air, to which I did not let out a yelp, and then swung for the fences.

Besides the pain in my spine, I will admit it worked well. Besides flipping end over end and smacking into the Nevermore at the speed of flight. And then falling. Good thing Yang helped me figure out that Aura thing, otherwise I'd be a lot worse off than a bruised back and ego.

"Are… you okay?" I heard Yang ask as I stood up.

"Probably better off than that thing is…" I replied. I rolled my shoulders, then glanced around. I had gotten a glimpse of all four girl's fighting styles when I had been going ass over teakettle, but I needed a bit more to really get a grip on them. "On the subject, do me a solid and beat up on it some more?"

"Right…." The four of them just let the comment sit as they went back to work, firing at the oversized Poe reference.

Poe? Where the hell did that come from?

Gradually, the fight became a bit more physical, Ruby leaping at the Nevermore to try and slice it, Weiss attempting stabs and sweeps, Blake using her whip-sword-pistol thing, and Yang just shotgunning herself wherever.

"Alright…" I muttered, feeling the spear transform, this time into Blake's weapon. "Let's see how this works." I lashed it to a broken pillar, yanking hard enough to send my airborne, where again, my weapon morphed, attaching to my wrists to form Yang's shotgauntlets (and if she didn't refer to them as such, I'm revoking her pun privileges), which I fired at enough to get me in a path to intercept the giant bird. This landed me on it's wing, which I gripped with one hand and punched with the other.

The Nevermore pitched out of the sky, squawking as gravity pulled it towards a cliff. I kicked off, dropping to the ground as it hit the cliff… and stayed there?

I noticed the glyph as I turned to see Yang catch the string of Blake's weapon, Ruby jumping onto it, and Weiss pull it back with another glyph. The two bantered before Weiss thrust her rapier forward, sending Ruby slamming into the cliff, feet first, her scythe blade just below the bird's head. More glyphs formed up the cliff, and Ruby began running, literally dragging the Nevermore up with her, until she leaped off at the top, decapitating the bird and landing atop the cliff.

"Stylish." I commented as the bird's corpse began to dissolve in midair.

"Under her leadership, they shall be known as Team RWBY." I clapped along with the rest of the crowd as Ruby was hugged by her sister, though I saw Weiss cross her arms, for being named team leader. It was cool, though they were also the last team formed. I was still waiting.

In fact, I hadn't seen anybody else in that forest without a partner. And the king piece I had acquired was the last one left. I got the distinct feeling this wasn't a normal occurrence.

"And lastly, Pyro." The end of the sentence sounded rather odd, since Ozpin probably almost said a last name out of habit. Except I didn't have one. "She never found a partner, and acquired the sole king piece relic. As such, she is not a part of any team, but may choose one to become an unofficial member of, with which she will attend classes and go on missions." A wave of muttering swept through the hall, and I was just as confused as they were. So, what was the point of the relic if I was just going to be put on a team anyways?

I did spy Ruby bouncing up and down, looking directly at me. I could practically see her train of thought in bright neon above her head. I suppose it would make sense. Ruby and Yang had been really helpful in my first day here, so sticking with them was a good idea. I nodded at her, and made my way to them.

"And I see she has chosen Team RWBY." Ozpin noted. "Very well. You are released to find your dorms and prepare for tomorrow.

"Well, uh, this is odd."

"I'll say." All five of us were in our new room, the actual Team RWBY having chosen their beds for the first night, while I would take the couch in the room. I honestly didn't mind- while it would be an obvious downgrade compared to Ruby and Yang's guest room, a place to sleep was a place to sleep. It just left the obvious tension between Ruby and Weiss, Weiss and myself, Weiss and… well, everyone, really. But it was probably something we'd have to deal with in time.

And besides, I thought as I lay down, it's not like I have much better to do anyways.

What's this? Another chapter so soon after the last one?

Well, I was sitting on a chunk of this chapter for a bit, then wrote out the rest yesterday after posting the last chapter, then finished it today. I guess I got inspired.

Pyro's Semblance is the ability to duplicate any fighting style, and change her weapon to whatever style it is that she's using. Believe me when I say that there are drawbacks, but the Deathstalker and Nevermore fight was really entry level, so it'll be fleshed out later.

One of the things that had me mulling over this chapter was how I would incorporate Pyro into the 'team' structure of the Beacon Arc. Since I only introduced her, and not another three original characters, I couldn't just bullshit a team, so I was originally intending for her to just be a team on her own. However, that sort of goes against the idea of teams in the first place, so I figured 'fuck it' and stuck her with RWBY anyways. It may or may not be cliche, but I find myself with less fucks to give, so I'm not.

Now let's see if I can bang out another chapter sometime before the end of time. Time to hire more monkeys.