"You don't have anything that tastes better?"
"Taste wasn't the main focus when I packed them." Yin said after swallowing a bit of his own ration bar. "You could always give it back if it doesn't meet your standards."
Weiss grimaced but ceased her complaints as she trudged her way through the bar in her hand. Ruby and Pyrrha didn't have a problem with them, already halfway done with theirs. He always carried enough to survive for at least a week whenever he went beyond the walls but split between four people, at best he had enough for two to three days. More than enough to keep them all fed during initiation.
With morning now upon them and the deadline for extraction tonight, they'd gathered around the center of their temporary shelter to fully detail the plan they'd outlined.
"I'll take yours if you don't want it, Weiss." Ruby said through a bite of her bar.
Weiss frown, a condescending look of disgust crossing her features. "Swallow before you talk." She chided Ruby. "And I said nothing about not wanting it."
"Ah, sorry." Face reddened, Ruby went silent, deciding to finish up eating rather than talk.
"Have you spent a lot of time beyond Vale's walls, Yin?" Pyrrha asked.
"A good bit." He admitted with a nod. "Its better to have and not need then to need and not have. Spend any amount of time beyond the kingdoms and you'll make a habit of carrying this stuff too."
Despite clear curiosity, Pyrrha didn't press for more information, letting that line of questioning die. As soon as the four of them were finished up with the bland breakfast, their planning, to no one's surprise, was kick started by Weiss.
"Certain blunders aside-" The glance Weiss threw Ruby's way was in no way subtle. "I'm certain our performance so far has already earned us our spot at Beacon but we should finish off our time here by hunting something stronger than the Grimm we've taken down so far. Something to set up apart from the other teams."
"Oo, I've got an idea." Ruby raised her hand, quickly swiping through her watch before showing it off to them. She'd focused her map near the western-north end of the forest where a bird like symbol was displayed along the mountain range. "I'm pretty sure Nevermores are one of the only Grimm that actually make a nest so if we find that we can get the drop on it and take it out quick."
"That could work." Weiss slowly agreed. Grimm were traditionally relentless creatures that needed no rest, forever prowling Remnant for prey. They might have only stopped to rest for a single night but that was more than enough time for the data they were provided to be anywhere from slightly off to completely outdated and useless.
"I'm not sure it's the best idea. That's the opposite side of the forest so the journey will take up most of our time and I don't believe mine or Yin's abilities are geared towards taking down a Nevermore. If it gets into the air, we'll be relying on the two of you to take it out or ground it." Pyrrha said. "I don't mean to downplay either of your individual abilities by saying this but I'm not sure your teamwork is something we should rely on. If it gets away, we'll have wasted a lot of time."
After all the arguing the two did yesterday and the lack of any cohesion between them in combat, there wasn't much one could do to argue against Pyrrha's point.
Weiss and Ruby exchanged looks. The latter actually seemed hopeful, not particularly intent on holding a grudge, but Weiss looked away with a shake of her head. "I suppose the risk isn't worth it." Weiss agreed, Ruby's shoulders falling. Ruby might be willing to try to work through their difference but it wouldn't mean much if it wasn't mutual.
While Weiss began to swipe through her own watch, Yin reached over and patted Ruby's shoulder.
He'd seen enough to know she was easily influenced by the words and actions of the people around her. If Weiss's blatant distrust and disdain were the last things put in her head, her combat ability would suffer.
Luckily the show of support had some effect, Ruby raising herself back up and giving him a nod before she brought her watch back up to look for another target.
Deathstalkers, Ursai and their stronger variants, and even other King Taijitu. They picked through several Grimm before settling on one particularly dangerous choice.
XOXO
BANG!
Deep within the heart of The Emerald Forest a gunshot rang out, a bullet whizzing past leaves and branches alike. It reached its intended target moments later, drilling deep into the skull like mask around its head and leaving behind a crack but stopping just short of penetrating the bone and falling away.
Angered, the Grimm zeroed in on the direction the bullet came from, beginning a heavy run that turned into a leap.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Its hand and feet tore bark apart as it leaped between the forest's trees, moving with speed that contradicted the thick layer of dark muscle making up the body below the bone armoring. Every bullet that followed only grazed or outright missed the creature entirely, its agility a step above most other Grimm.
Soon enough it caught sight of Ruby between the dense greenery, its crimson eyes almost glowing as it released a primal roar. It ripped out a good portion of bark and winded its arm back midjump.
Right below him.
Yin dropped from the branch he'd been waiting on, sinking the blade of his dual saber between the Grimm's natural armor and into its shoulder blade. They plummeted to the forest floor below, their crash knocking up a thick cloud of dust. Despite the wound and fall it was already attempting to rise up and make a grab for him.
Yin twisted his blade.
The yellow dust crystal along that end of the blade took on a glow, a wave of electricity sent through the Grimm. Its body instantly locked up while Yin ripped his blade away, already jumping back as a crackle filled the air. A frosty breeze sped past his ankles, the grass, dirt, and Grimm all coated in forming ice.
Bang!
Another shot, closer yet quieter than Ruby's high powered sniper, came from above and a split second later Pyrrha's javelin rocketed straight down. Between the electricity locking up its movements, the ice ensuring it stayed in place, and the crack Ruby's opening shot had created in its armor, the weapon sunk through the Grimm like a hot knife to butter.
As the Grimm began to fade away, one by one the rest of the team joined him. Pyrrha dropped down from their shared spot among the trees, ripping her weapon free of the frozen ground. Weiss came from brush she'd hid in, frozen grass crunching beneath her heels. And Ruby, despite being the furthest from the fight, managed to close the distance from the clearing she'd taken aim from, rushing in as a blur of red
"See? I told you guys the plan would work." She cheered, hand raised towards him as she reformed. Yin did the same, completing the celebratory high-five.
"I suppose you make decent bait if nothing else." Weiss said.
"Come on, you can just say it ice queen. That was an awesome shot." Ruby insisted, the backhanded compliment, if it was a compliment at all, not really fazing her in the face of their accomplishment.
Among Grimm, Beringle's were considered some of the more dangerous ones, ranked alongside some of the bigger Grimm despite only being marginally bigger than a Beowolf. Its strength, agility, and durability made the gorilla like beast a formidable challenge. So much so that professional huntsmen were advised to steer clear of one on one engagements with it if possible.
Taking it down with virtually no loss in aura or injury would look good for a bunch of first years.
"It was an acceptable shot. And stop with the ridiculous names already." Rather hypocritical considering brat and child were how she addressed Ruby but Weiss didn't give that a single thought, gaze turned to him. "Just how much experience with Grimm do you have exactly? I quite frankly don't understand how you could tell that thing's tracks apart from any of the other creatures' in this place."
"As much as anyone else I'd guess." Yin said with a shrug. "I just read a lot. I happened to know what kind of trail it would leave thanks to that."
Weiss narrowed her eyes at him. "Reading about something and being able to do it are two completely separate things."
Yin opted to simply shrug beneath her stare. She wasn't quite glaring at him though it was clear he'd caught her interest and perhaps even respect to some degree. Whether or not that would prove beneficial would be revealed with time.
While her biggest issues might be with Ruby now, he was certain her ambitious pride would put her at odds with him once classes started.
"Should we continue hunting weaker Grimm while we head to the ruins?" Pyrrha questioned, successfully pulling Weiss's inquisitive stare away from him.
With a good few hours still on their side and none of them running low on aura, they unanimously agreed to do just that, heading north with their weapons at the ready.
XOXO
The roar of engines filled the clearing around the ruins as the airship they'd been waiting on carefully descended. Unlike the team they'd watch leave yesterday, there was no danger necessitating a swift exfiltration by rope, the pilot having no issue with touching land. The moment it did, the door slid open, a young woman waiting on them.
"Ooo, aren't I the lucky one. Didn't think I'd end up with such an interesting team." She said, voice raised over the still active engines. They looked between each other, unsure of what to make of the greeting. "Well, what are you waiting for? You want to get out of this forest or what?"
After a moment, the others stepped forward, Yin following behind them. He was the last to board the airship. Weiss wasted no time strapping into one of the seats near the back of the small passenger area while the rest of them grabbed onto the handlebars overhead.
"Alright! Take her up!" The woman shouted as she threw the door closed. Like them, she held onto to a handlebar, perfectly balanced even as the ship began to rise back into the air. "You guys put on quite the show down there." She complimented, lowering the shades that covered her eyes as she gave each one of them a once-over.
"Excuse me, but who exactly are you?" Pyrrha asked.
"Coco Adel, second year." She introduced herself with a smile that oozed confidence. Long dark brown hair with equally dark eyes, a cap on her head, and what would be considered a stylish outfit, she boasted a vibe not dissimilar to that of Yang's. She was the sort of person that knew everyone and had no issues meshing with all sorts of groups. "Just one of plenty of your upperclassmen put on standby incase anything too crazy went down."
The sensible thing to do if they were going to allow first years to run around near a Bringel's hunting ground. Death and huntsmen went hand in hand but Headmaster Ozpin wouldn't expose them to such danger without some form of a safety net.
"Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee were definitely going be on everyone's lips once this was over but you aren't slouches either." Coco said. "Taking out a Bringel before your first day is one way to make a statement. My lien is on you all making the top team this year."
"Naturally." Nose turned upwards, Weiss soaked in the praise with a smirk. "Anything less for a team I'm on would be unacceptable."
"Oo, I like the confidence, girl. Make sure-"
Muffled gunshots caused her to stop short, Coco shifting and pulling open the ship's doors.
Down below at the now distant ruins, another group had just arrived. Unlike their team, they were being pursued.
Above the trees, a screeching Nevermore launched a barrage of sharp feathers, forcing the group to scatter least they be ran through. That wasn't their only problem though, a quickly approaching deathstalker trampling over the field of feathers and attempting to swing its pincers at those lagging behind.
Even if an airship was already on route that group would be hard-pressed to leave unscathed.
"Yang!" Ruby shouted, focusing on the long head of blonde hair among the fleeing group. She was already pulling on her scythe when Pyrrha grabbed hold of her shoulder. "Come on! We have to go down there and help them!"
"We shouldn't jump in without a plan." Pyrrha said.
"We take the deathstalker, Ruby and Weiss handle the Nevermore?" Yin suggested, pulling his staff from his back.
"Oh, no. You three can't not seriously be suggesting we jump into another fight that has nothing to do with us. We already on our way out and you heard her. Let one of the upperclassmen handle that." Weiss said, firmly against the idea.
"That's my sister down there." Ruby insisted, outright glaring at Weiss.
"Sister?" Weiss repeated, her frown faltering.
"We're good on aura and supplies. We can handle one more fight." Yin said. "I'm sure that top spot will be guaranteed if we take those Grimm down."
Groaning, Weiss relented and undid the buckling of her seat, joining them at the door. "Fine but this better not backfire."
"Alright. Weiss, we can jump on those weird signs of yours right?" Ruby asked.
"They're called glyphs and yes, we can. I'll make a path to the Nevermore, just make sure you keep up."
Their plan made Ruby and Weiss leaped from the airship, landing on a pair of black glyphs that formed out of thin air. Weiss led the way, Ruby following behind and making use of her semblance to right any mistakes she made.
He and Pyrrha exchanged a nod before leaping out their selves, wind sending their hair flapping about as they plummeted towards the deathstalker. He took aim with his handgun while Pyrrha did the same with her rifle, their bullets pelting the Grimm's thick carapace. The barrage with ignored, the creature swinging pincers and stingers at the two in front of it.
One a redhead with hair that veered more on the orange side of the color spectrum with a large hammer in her hands. The other was an agile black haired youth that rolled and jumped over attacks, spraying bullets from the pair of green bladed weapons in his hands.
As they neared the fight, Yin put away his handgun, gripping his staff with both hands and twisting it. He shifted his weight forward, diving past Pyrrha as flames gathered around the ends of his weapon. Staff raised above his head, he slammed it into the ground between the deathstalker and their fellow students.
An explosion of flames burst outward, torching the ground, licking at the deathstalker's armor, and forcing it to recoil.
The giant creature was quick to recover, golden stinger shot through the diminishing wave of flames. Pyrrha landed in front of him, stinger slamming into shield. She kept her guard up, dirt dug up as her feet sunk into the burnt ground and the power behind the giant creature's blow forced her back.
"Alright!" The orange haired girl shot past them, swinging her hammer. It slammed into creature's armored face and for a moment seemed ineffective. A pull of a trigger and an explosion joined the blow, the creature skidding back. "Now that we've got some back-up, lets tear this thing apart!"
"Try not to do anything too reckless, Nora." The black haired boy said, far more reserved than his partner.
Anymore talk was made to wait, the deathstalker upon them once more.
Pyrrha handled the biggest blows from it, her fellow redhead also helping to disperse the blows. Yin and the other boy were focused on the offense, he using the dust crystal in his staff to dispense elemental powered strikes while the latter slipped under and ran across the surface of the deathstalker, staying one step ahead of it.
They'd take it down eventually but without some sort of decisive blow the battle was going to drag out.
Nora as the boy called her, slid to a stop beside Yin, having just blocked a swipe from the creature's pincers. "Hey, you." She said, grinning. "I'm going in. Hit me with as much of that electricity as you can."
Something to do with a semblance or her weapon. Whatever the case, with a grin like that in a situation like this, she was confident whatever was going through her head was going to work.
"Got it." Yin said, raising his staff above his head and spinning it with both hands. The yellow crystals were already lit up, arcs of electricity sparking out from his weapon and striking the ground with rising frequency.
"Alright. Get back you two!" The girl shouted as she sprinted forward. Rather than digging her feet in, Pyrrha allowed the blocked blow from the deathstalker to send her flying back while the dark haired guy leaped off the Grimm. "Here comes mama!"
Nora leaped into the hammer fully winded back with both hands.
The deathstalker's stinger coiled back.
Yin struck with his staff, a wave of dense electricity send forward, enveloping Nora then the deathstalker as its tail shot forward.
Muscles locked up by the rush of electricity, the stinger stopped just shy of Nora who swung despite the yellow sparks dancing across her body.
Cracks filled the air, splitters of bone sprayed about. In one powerful swing Nora had crushed stinger and head, the carapace blown apart beneath the force.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Nora cheered, hammer raised with a single hand and a victorious laugh leaving her.
A screech drew their attention away from her energetic celebration. Both wings severed, the Nevermore the others had been fighting crashing before the ruins, its evaporating corpse skidding across the ground. Yang and a girl with long black haired toped with a bow emerged from its feathered remains while Ruby and Weiss descended via more of the latter's glyphs.
"Yang!" Ruby called out, catching her sister in a tight hug.
"Hey, sis. Nice assist."
While the others gathered around the two, Yin put his weapon away, looking up. The same airship they'd jumped out of had turned around and was moving to land now that the battle was over.
"Good work." Pyrrha said, having stopped at his side. After a pause, she raised a hand towards him, forming a fist.
Just like Yang tended to do.
"You too." Yin said, bumping his fist against hers.