Ch 29: Leadership Quarrel (1)

Ray's first class of the day was Grimm Studies with Professor Port. Ray arrived 15 minutes early and hid some supplies that he thought he might need behind the teacher's desk. While Professor Port had informed him that his only assigned duty for this class would be to assist in any way he requested, Ray had a few ideas of his own on how to 'improve' the learning experience.

The room was set up like a standard college lecture hall with a large teacher's desk in front of a wall of whiteboards, showing various types of Grimm and their physical traits, facing several rows of four-person desks, each row placed higher than the one in front of it. After setting up his props for the upcoming class, Ray took his seat at a desk that had been placed facing the other students in the right corner of the room.

"Safe!" Yang shouted as she, the rest of Team RWBY, and Team JNPR ran into the classroom panting with less than a minute to spare. As they all walked down to take the only remaining seats in the lecture hall, front and center, Professor Port arrived and began his lecture.

"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!"

As the sound of crickets chirping greets Port's lame joke, Ray gets started on his self-assigned duties. Starting with flicking a steel ball bearing about the size of his pinky nail at his twin sister's nose, who, now crashing from her coffee and sugar high from earlier, was having trouble staying awake. Ruby jerks awake at the sting and glares at her brother, but he just smiles back. He used this same trick to keep her awake at Signal, only now he was a teaching assistant and had the authority to do it without having to hide it from the teacher. He had brought a whole bag of ammo. Ruby wasn't going to be getting any in-class naps, and neither was anyone else in the class, as long as he was here.

As for whether or not getting it by a ball of steel zipping through the air hurt, well, of course, it did. However, everyone here was a huntsman or huntress in training, and learning to keep your Aura up subconsciously at all times was a fundamental skill and something they should have already learned before coming to Beacon. If they hadn't yet, well, there was no better teacher than a little pain Ray always said.

*Ahem* "Now, as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world.

To review, the largest continent of Sanus, ruled by the kingdoms of Vale to the east and Vacuo to the south-west, can be found in the center of most maps and stretches down to the south-west corner. Anima lies to the east of Sanus and takes up the eastern center of the map. The kingdom of Mistral governs it. To the south of Anima, occupying the south-east corner is the island continent Menagerie, where the Faunus have been permitted to create an independent self-governed settlement. To the north of Sanus and Anima, we find the frigid continent of Solitas, ruled by the kingdom of Atlas and occupying the northern center of the map. Lastly, positioned in the north-west corner of the map, we find the dragon-shaped continent that bears no name and no ruling kingdom but is instead occupied entirely by Grimm.

And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..." Port shoots Yang a wink and clicks his tongue at her, making the blond bombshell chuckle uncomfortably before continuing. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

A student stands up excitedly with a loud "Ayyy-yep" before sitting back down sheepishly after a moment as everyone, Professor Port included, stares at him strangely.

Professor Port continues, "That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy...blah blah bla-bla blah."

Now that Professor Port has taken off on one of his rambling stories, Ray takes out the other items he had prepared. Large white signboards and bold black markers. As everyone begins to lose focus on the lecture, they notice Ray strutting comically like a toy soldier with stiff arms and legs behind Professor Port without the professor's knowledge holding a sign that reads, "Class Objective: STAY AWAKE!".

The sight makes them all laugh and focus back on the lecture. After that, every time Professor Port would mention something in his story that was actually important, Ray would write it down shorthand on a sign and walk a lap across the front of the lecture hall, holding the sign up high for all to read without Professor Port's knowledge. Whenever Professor Port would sense something going on behind him and turn to look, Ray would dash back to his seat and act like nothing had happened before Port could spot him. Of course, any time someone tried to take a snooze, they would soon find their nose getting a sharp sting from a small metal ball.

Much to Weiss's disappointment, however, Ray only sniped students who tried to fall asleep. He did nothing to stop her fearless leader from acting like a child.

Ruby drew doodles of a rotund 'Professor Poop' and blows a raspberry as she shows it to her teammates. Blake and Yang laugh at it, but Weiss is not amused.

"The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!"

Now, Ruby was balancing an apple on a book with a pencil using only one finger while making a funny face. Weiss is glaring at her now.

"A true Huntsman must be dependable!"

Now, Ruby is playing with her scroll under the desk, and Weiss is gritting her teeth to stop herself from lashing out.

"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"

Ruby is not-so-subtly picking her nose, and Weiss is literally shaking with anger at this point.

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Weiss thrust her hand into the air with more anger than enthusiasm, "I do, sir!"

"Well, then, let's find out!" Professor Port turns and signals Ray to bring in the cage from the back room, containing a live Grimm. That, at this point, is quite agitated by all the negativity that Weiss is giving off. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

Weiss left the classroom for a few minutes and returned in her combat outfit with Myrtenaster, and took up her stance in front of the class.

"Goooo, Weiss!" Yang pumped her fist to show her support.

"Fight well!" Blake was waving a small RWBY flag to cheer her teammate on.

"Yeah, represent Teeeeam RWBY!" Ruby threw both of her hands into the air as she shouted.

"Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" Weiss lowered her rapier to scold Ruby for disturbing her.

"Oh, um… Sorry…" Ruby apologized sheepishly as she realized she might have been a bit too loud.

Ray, who had taken up position in front of the students to prevent any mishaps from occurring, shook his head both at how sensitive Weiss was acting and how thoughtless his sister was behaving.

Seeing Weiss reposition herself, Professor Port raised his ax-blunderbuss above his head, "Allllright! Let the match… begin!" and swung it down, shattering the lock on the cage and releasing the Grimm within.

A Boarbatusk, a Grimm with boar characteristics, charged out of the cage at Weiss.

Weiss spun to the side out of the way, delivering a quick slash to its side as it passed. However, Boarbatusks are known for the thick armor on their backs, and her light rapier just bounced off.

Weiss rolled to gain more distance from the Grimm and came up facing it as the Boarbatusk ended its charge and turned to face her. The two study each other for a moment.

"Ha-ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port comments from the side.

"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby cheers from the sidelines.

Weiss and the Boarbatusk charge at each other. Weiss tries to pierce Myrtenaster through one of the Boarbatusk's four eyes, but the Boarbatusk turns its head at the last instance, trapping Myrtenaster between its large tusks.

With a jerk of its head, the Boarbatusk jerks Weiss off her feet and waves her around. However, Weiss is able to keep her hold on Myrtenaster and quickly regains her footing. The two combatants struggle and strain over the weapon.

"Bold, new approach. I like it!" Port's courtside commentary continues.

"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Weiss turns to glare at her leader's cheering, only for the Boarbatusk to take advantage of her momentary distraction and rip Myrtenaster out of her hands. Sending it flying to one end of the room and ramming her with its tusk towards the other end.

"Oh-ho! Now, what will you do without your weapon?"

Weiss half raises from the ground to see the Boarbatusk charging at her again. She makes a diving roll to the side and avoids it, leaving the Grimm to crash into the desk behind her. Taking advantage of the moment the Boarbatusk is dazed from ramming into the unyielding desk, Weiss runs across the room and slides to pick her weapon back up.

Ruby tries to help her teammate by yelling out advice, "Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath-"

But Weiss isn't very receptive to Ruby's advice. She turns to her team leader and shouts, "Stop telling me what to do!". Ruby lowers her head, hurt by Weiss's cruel words.

Meanwhile, the Boarbatusk has regained its footing and curls into a ball as it leaps into the air. Spinning rapidly in place, it builds up momentum before launching itself across the room at Weiss. Just before it hits her, Weiss activates a force glyph she had set up while the boar Grimm was building momentum in the air and blocks its roll, knocking the pig Grimm onto its back. With its defenseless belly now exposed, Weiss jumps into the air and creates another force glyph that she leaps off of, diving down to pierce Myrtenaster deep into her foe's stomach. With a final squeal, the Boarbatusk falls silent and disintegrates into ash as Weiss lets out a breath of relief.

"Bravo! Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training." Professor Port praises.

[Really? I can think of several other points that deserve mention. Starting with controlling one's temper and not rejecting good advice. But I guess that's where the in-training part comes in.] Ray raises an eyebrow at Professor Port's assessment but decides to remain quiet as the bell signaling the end of class rings.

"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and remember… stay vigilant! Class dismissed!" Professor Port dismisses the class.