Initiation Start

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.

-Story Start-

-Third Person POV-

Ruby Rose was many things.

Aspiring Huntress extraordinaire.

Weapons Specialist.

A 15-year-old Beacon initiate, a source of both pride and isolation.

Oh, and socially awkward.

Can you blame her though? Everyone's her senior by two years here!

But above all, her deepest aspiration was to be a Hero.

Driven by instincts and the desire to protect others, she rushed towards the source of a large explosion instead of searching for her sister.

The safety of others always took precedence.

Before the crater, her eyes met a blonde boy - Who wasn't Jaune. A quick assessment revealed he was unharmed, bringing relief.

His straight-faced expression conveyed no emotion, or perhaps Ruby wasn't adept at reading microexpressions.

However, one thing Ruby excelled at was weapons.

A quirky and obsessive hobby, as some friends at Signal would jest.

A cute little pastime, according to her sister.

Yet, to Ruby, it was a passion.

After all, she crafted her glorious Crescent Rose herself.

She had seen an array of weapons—swords, rifles, spears, scythes, and their amalgamated combinations.

But as her gaze fell upon the weapon held by her new partner, she froze.

In all her years of weapon fascination, she had never seen one so...

So...

"Beautiful," she mumbled, unable to tear her eyes from the simple yet otherworldly radiant sword.

"Thanks. I try," her partner replied dryly, patting himself off any dust and dirt.

'I think I saw this girl on the Bullhead... I think.' Alex scratched his face as he tried to figure out whether he'd seen her before.

Alex has short-term memory akin to a goldfish.

But Ruby's attention remained captivated, ignoring Alex's halfhearted thanks.

She approached, eyes glued to the sword.

Observing Ruby's hypnotized approach, Alex couldn't help but think, 'I expected a reaction, but this is intense. Is she some sword addict?'

Allowing her to approach, Ruby reached beside Alex.

To Ruby, all weapons were awesome and cool.

But this one transcended those categories—royal and majestic, more suited for a museum than a Grimm-slaying tool.

The tranquil glow of the Sword only enhanced Ruby's desire to gaze at it for hours on end.

"W-Who made this?" she whispered in awe, her eyes still fixed on Excalibur.

Having forged weapons herself, Ruby doubted any known smith could've created this masterpiece.

"My Semblance," Alex replied instantly.

Finally breaking her gaze from the sword, Ruby met Alex's unreadable amber eyes with an excited gleam, "So cool! That's gotta be the coolest Semblance I've ever seen or heard of!"

Nodding, Alex replied evenly, "Thanks."

An awkward silence ensued, making Ruby uncomfortable, while Alex remained as still as a stone. A subtle frown creased Ruby's forehead as she tried to decipher the mysterious boy before her, her curiosity mixing with a hint of frustration at the lack of readable expression on his face.

Unable to bear it, Ruby introduced herself with an awkward smile, "So... I'm Ruby! Nice to meet you, partner!" She extended her hand for a handshake, saying the last bit with a hopeful tone.

Glancing at Ruby's extended hand momentarily, Alex nodded, extending his own to shake, "Alex. Nice to meet you."

A ping from the System momentarily grabbed his attention.

[PING!]

[Ruby Rose Relationship Unlocked!]

[Would you like to view your new Relationship?]

[YES] [NO]

Of course, he clicked "No" - Neither the time nor place.

And he wasn't interested.

Ruby gave a warm smile at the reciprocated introduction, easily pleased as she excitedly asked, "Does it have a name!?" pointing at Excalibur.

Fortunately, Alex came prepared.

He nodded, "Stick."

[OH YOU MOTHER FU-] The System seemed to have lost it at the blatant disrespect to Excalibur.

Ruby's face twisted in confusion, "Stick?" She repeated.

Alex nodded once again, "Stick." His tone serious.

Deadpanning at the questionable choice of the name, Ruby cleared her throat, redirecting the conversation, "Let's head north! We've got to pass the Initiation!" She gestured forward.

"True. I have no idea where north is, so lead on." Alex nodded sagely, allowing Ruby to take the lead without objection.

With that, Ruby broke into a jog, motioning for him to follow. He matched her pace without complaint.

It wasn't too long until the quiet jogging was disturbed.

'Something's watching us,' Alex noted nonchalantly.

"Say, how'd you come out of that explosion unsca—" Ruby began to ask abruptly, something to kill the silence, only to be interrupted by growls emanating from behind the bushes.

Alex halted beside Ruby, who narrowed her eyes and transformed her weapon from storage mode into Scythe mode.

With a roar, a Beowolf lunged toward Ruby.

Swiftly sliding beneath it, her Scythe severed its leg with the momentum of their opposing movements.

Without hesitation, Alex swiftly engaged the unstable Beowolf. Gripping Excalibur, he exhibited remarkable speed, cracking the ground and cleanly decapitating the Grimm mid-air before it could land.

Dissipating upon death, it seemed over, but two more Grimm approached Alex and Ruby, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"We'll both take one!" Ruby commanded.

Alex nodded, and they separated to confront their respective opponents.

Charging with blinding speed, Alex slashed towards the Beowolf in front of him. The creature attempted to block with the hard bone on its head, but Excalibur's sharpness and Alex's aura-boosted strength easily sliced through, severing the Grimm's head.

Gunshots rang out from behind as Ruby, with Crescent Rose, shot holes into the limbs of another Grimm. She proceeded to effortlessly decapitate it.

A final Grimm, a Boarbatusk, charged toward Alex.

"Look out!" Ruby shifted her Scythe into a rifle, firing at the Boarbatusk to disorient it and create an opportunity for Alex to dodge.

'This might seem stupid, but I need to do a limit test,' Alex thought as he observed the charge of the Boarbatusk in slow motion.

Stabbing Excalibur into the ground, Alex exerted his Aura and muscles, moving forward.

Internally noting, 'As long as Excalibur is manifested, I still have my Aura. It's not strictly wielding it.'

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Ruby screeched in panic as the Boarbatusk closed in on Alex.

She was moments away from using her Semblance to tackle Alex from getting run over, only to stop once he shouted back, "I'll be fine! Let me try something!"

"Heh?" Was her reaction when Alex grabbed the creature by the tusks, almost instantly halting its charge.

He was dragged a few feet back by the force, ultimately halting it.

"Woah..." Ruby echoed, watching as Alex lifted the Boarbatusk by the tusks and slammed it into the ground with a noteworthy exertion of his might, resulting in a resounding explosion of dirt and dust.

The sound of crunching bones and limbs was vivid as it played a role in the explosive symphony

As the dust settled, a crater revealed the shattered remains of the Boarbatusk, barely alive.

Alex retook Excalibur and stabbed the unmoving Boarbatusk in the head, causing it to dissipate.

'Conclusion, I am even stronger than I initially thought.' Alex thought both impressed and concerned, as he squeezed his fist.

[No need to thank me!] The System chimed in.

As the quiet returned to the forest, Ruby approached and praised him enthusiastically, "That was awesome! You went woosh! and then WHACHA! and then together we did HAYA! And then you dropped your sword and lifted the Boarbatusk and BAAAAAM!" Each exaggerated sound effect was accompanied by dramatic and rapid hand gestures.

Alex couldn't help but notice the genuine excitement in her eyes, and a subtle smile tugged at the corners of his lips in response.

Emphasis on subtle - His straight-faced expression didn't seem to outwardly change one bit.

"Yes, I was there," Alex responded with his characteristic indifference, a twinge of amusement barely evident.

"You're super strong!" She beamed at him.

"Yes," Alex nodded, his amusement diminishing ever so slightly.

"We'll be an awesome team!" She added, her pure grin shining with enthusiasm.

"...Yes?" he replied, injecting a subtle note of hesitation and uncertainty into his response.

"WHY THE HESITATION?!" She shouted as she started walking towards the alleged north.

"I barely know you, lady," Alex deadpanned as he strolled alongside her.

"Urgh! Don't call me lady! I'm too young to be called a lady! I'm... 15. Just call me Ruby," Ruby said with a hint of disgust at the formality and the insinuation she was old, saying the last part with a hint of hesitation.

As she said that, she turned around to observe Alex's reaction, fearful of his judgment about her age and concerned that he might reject her as his partner.

Raising an eyebrow at Ruby's expectant and nervous gaze, Alex responded evenly, "Okay."

She stopped in her walk, causing Alex to stop as well as he simply looked at her with a confused expression.

Ruby was once again stumped by her silent, enigmatic, majestic Sword-wielding partner. "J-Just okay? You don't care that I'm 15? Think I'm too young and can't fight?"

'Ah, for real? Don't care.' Alex internally scoffed at Ruby's odd concern.

"Nope, don't care." He responded immediately without hesitation.

'She could be a toddler, and I'd be fine. I don't need a strong partner anyway. Nevertheless, she seems skilled enough,' Alex thought nonchalantly.

'Though I do wonder about the benefits of using such a long cape in combat - It just seems like it'd get caught up in a lot of stuff. Not very effective.' Alex nodded to himself, internally curious about that odd choice of clothing.

Instead of trying to piece together why Alex was so indifferent to her being 15, she was simply glad that he didn't judge her as too young or as an inadequate partner.

And she tried so hard to prove herself in that little scuffle!

Flashing a bright and grateful smile, giving Alex a thumbs-up, "Thanks, Alex!"

"No problem." He nodded.

'What'd I do?' Alex couldn't help but ask himself, deciding it was better to accept her words rather than question them.

Gasping, Ruby then realized they'd wasted too much time, "We should hurry up! Let's get going!" She broke out into a run as she gestured for Alex to follow.

Alex easily kept up with her as she sped up, maintaining their pace effortlessly.

-Scene Change-

Back on Beacon Cliff, Glynda and Ozpin observed the emerging teams through the remote cameras strategically placed for Initiation. The cameras served the dual purpose of ensuring safety and providing a means of evaluation.

As Ozpin casually sipped his coffee, his gaze fell upon Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee, a duo that commanded attention. "Ah, Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee. A formidable duo," he remarked, his eyes flickering with a glint of recognition. A slight glare at his nearly empty cup hinted at the weight of his thoughts.

Glynda, ever practical, heaved a sigh of relief. "Miss Nikos seemed keen on partnering with Mister Arc. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way. Jaune, regardless of his transcripts, is unfit for Beacon, lacking the necessary skills. Miss Schnee is a far better alternative for Nikos."

Humming thoughtfully, Ozpin responded, "That may be so, but I wouldn't dismiss Jaune Arc so soon. His family has served Remnant well for well over a century. I believe in the boy's potential."

Sensing Glynda's unconvinced expression, Ozpin smoothly shifted the focus. "Nevertheless, I am more curious about young Miss Rose. Switch the camera for me, would you?"

With a nod, Glynda redirected the cameras to capture the image of Ruby Rose meeting with Alex Andrite. However, what seized their attention wasn't the meeting itself but a Golden Sword held by Alex.

Ozpin's cup hovered mid-air as his jaw threatened to meet the floor. The sight of the sword was nothing short of astonishing.

"What is that?" Ozpin narrowed his eyes at the camera, his steely gaze fixed on the Sword. The unassuming Alex hadn't arrived with something so attention-grabbing.

Both Ozpin and Glynda, in a moment of collective realization, concluded that this Weapon was summoned from Alex's Semblance.

Yet, their interpretations diverged.

Glynda speculated that Alex's Semblance might have transported the sword, considering it an heirloom within the boy's family - An artifact from a lineage of Huntsmen akin to the Arcs.

Glynda, internally decided to give the boy's files another read.

Ozpin, with the wisdom of ages, knew better.

Whatever this Sword was.

Ozpin had never encountered a blacksmith or craftsman skilled enough to craft such a masterpiece in all his lives.

His conclusion, therefore, was that the Sword was created purely from the boy's Semblance.

In awe, Ozpin's words resonated, the tranquil aura of the sword transcending the camera's confines, reaching both Ozpin and Glynda. "That is the most beautiful Semblance I have seen in the entirety of my existence."

Glynda's mirrored awe was only heightened by Ozpin's assertion that this Semblance was the most beautiful of all - A claim carrying weight considering it came from a man who had lived for well over a thousand years.

Yet, the lingering question persisted.

Despite its mesmerizing beauty.

"How effective is it?" Ozpin muttered, his curiosity and attention now firmly fixed on Alex Andrite, partner of Ruby Rose and the stoic wielder of the most beautiful Semblance he had ever witnessed.

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

Heyo! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Though next chapter will take a long time - I gotta get a chapter out for my Main fic and around 2-3 Chaps for the Gojo Fic, before I update this, so yeah.

You may have noticed a considerable amount of "Excalibur Glazing".

Well, there will be a lot of that initially, since they gotta get used to seeing it - So for now everyone's getting them Excalibur praises stuff lmao.

Hopefully, I ain't overdoing it on the Excalibur praise and whatnot but it'll be over soon once every person that is important has seen it at least once.

After that, they'll be used to it.

Until Alex Excaliblasts that is.

LOL

And also! Poor Jaune!

Since Ruby didn't run into Weiss, Weiss managed to reach Pyrrha before she met up with Jaune so here we are!

What'll happen with Jauney me boy? You'll see!

Anywho! Thanks for reading!

Also, feedback on how I wrote the Canon Characters thus far would also be much appreciated! Any other criticism, ideas and other feedback is also welcome! Team RWBY and JNPR Characters are extremely important so I hope I'm doing them justice, of course other Canon characters are important but for now they take center stage.

Feedback is the method to improve, people! Yeah!

Have a great day!

-Author Note End-