Chapter Text
A new school year at Haven Academy starts. Which means new Huntsmen and Huntresses to train. And new teams to form. Headmaster Lionheart stands with the new students on top of Crimson Peak. The mountain which sits on the outskirts of Crimson Woods where Haven’s initiation takes place.
Agatha Griseo, one of the new students at the academy, is standing in front of a hole in the ground which serves as a slide leading into the woods. She listens closely as the headmaster explains what the students are to do. “Once you land in the woods you are to make your way to Myst Lake. As you go, you'll have the opportunity to meet at least one classmate. Once you make eye contact with someone, you’ll be paired together for your entire stay at Haven. At Myst Lake, there’s a temple located in the center that holds relics you and your teammate must collect. The pair who retrieves matching relics will become an official team for the remainder of your time at the academy. Are there any questions?”
No one spoke up so Professor Lionheart raised his starting pistol. “On your marks. Get set.” Everyone braced themselves to jump down. Agatha placed her headphones over her ears. The pistol goes off and Agatha quickly hits play before jumping down into the slide.
There’s a point on the horizon
Where the mountains meet the sea
Just around the corner
Great possibilities
The tunnel was dark and long. But it was quickly over as Agatha soon spotted light and the next thing she knew she was freefalling into the forest. Agatha was quick to grab her tonfas and used the gravity dust in them to cushion her fall.
Where every tomorrow
All around the world
Is built on a promise
To every boy and girl
Agatha quickly got her bearings and looked around her. There was no Grimm yet. Nor was there any of her other classmates. She tapped into her clairvoyance to get a good view of her surroundings. It seemed like the lake was a couple of klicks north east, so she started heading in that direction, figuring she would run into her future partner along the way. She wasn’t really picky about who she ended up with, so she was in no hurry to try and find someone.
Now we’re getting warmer
Look here comes the future
Just around the corner
Just around the corner
Now we’re getting warmer
Look here comes the future
Just around the corner
Just around the corner
After a few minutes she ran into a pack of Ursa. Agatha quickly grabbed Yin and started shooting at one of the Ursa. With her left hand she created a Void Sphere and threw it at another Ursa which expanded to trap the monster. She quickly clenched her fist to shrink the orb and take the Grimm with it. The third Ursa managed to sneak up behind Agatha and swept it’s claws at her.
Agatha rolled across the ground before slamming into a tree. She quickly got her bearings and attempted to raise Yin back up to shoot at the creature when it suddenly became frozen as the creature raised it’s paw up. As Agatha tried to process what she was seeing, a long thin piece of metal pierced it’s chest. The creature fell over revealing the person who killed it.
He had tanned skin, purple eyes and white hair matching the arctic fox ears sitting on top his head. He wore a white dress shirt and brown pants tucked into matching boots. A brown cloak was draped over his shoulders. He pulled his fencing sword out of the Ursa and sheathed it.
Agatha beamed. “Thanks.” Her partner offered his hand and she took it, pulling herself back up. “I’m Agatha,” she introduced.
“Marik,” the faunus replied. “That’s an interesting semblance you have.”
“Oh, my Void Spheres? Yeah they’re pretty cool. Say, did you freeze that Ursa that had me pinned?” Agatha asked.
Marik nodded and walked around Agatha, making sure to step on her shadow. In that moment, Agatha found herself unable to move. “My semblance allows me to freeze an opponent once I step on their shadow.” He disables his power and Agatha relaxes.
“Bet you cheat at shadow tag,” she joked.
Marik laughed. “I can only do it to one opponent at a time,” he clarified.
Agatha nodded and got back on track. “I think the lake is in this direction.” She pointed northwest and the two started walking.
“So, um, I just want to make sure. You don’t have a problem teaming up with someone like me right?” Marik asked.
Agatha was confused. “Why would I have an issue?” Marik’s fox ears gave a quick twitch, drawing her attention to his faunus characteristic. “Oh. To be honest, I never understood the hatred against the Faunus, or any being for that matter. A person’s a person no matter what they look like.”
Marik smiled, a hint of relief in his expression. “Thanks, Agatha. It means a lot.” The two walked quietly for a moment, the forest around them alive with distant rustling and the soft glow of early afternoon filtering through the trees. They encountered a few more Grimm along the way and were able to kill them with little trouble. Their fighting chemistry was already in sync.
Finally, they were able to reach the lake, but they weren’t the only ones there. Two women were struggling with an Aracna (biiig Grimm spider). Agatha and Marik rushed to join them. “You two alright?” Agatha asked them.
“Been better,” the red-haired one said. She had pale skin, green eyes and kept her hair in a braid and wore a kimono dress. A large fan was in each of her hands.
The other woman also had light skin, but she wasn’t as pale as her friend and black hair in a bob cut with blue eyes. She wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans. In her hands was what looked like a microphone in the size of a staff.
The Aracna noticed the other two foes and lets out a loud screech that echo’s through the forest. Everyone covered their ears (Marik with some difficulty). When the screech died down, the group started to hear scuttling. Over a dozen tiny Aracna started to surround the students.
“This thing has kids?” The red-haired asked in disbelief.
“Not for long,” Agatha countered throwing out her Void Spheres and reducing their numbers. Marik wasted no time slicing through the little spiders. The woman with the microphone staff pulled out a pistol and started shooting at them. Seeing how well those three managed the ‘children’ as it were, the red-haired huntress returned her attention to the Mother Aracna.
Seeing her children get destroyed so quickly, the Mother Aracna let out another screech calling for more of her children. The black-haired huntress let out a cry of disbelief. “Seriously? How many are there in this forest.”
“The more we kill the more she’s just going to summon,” Marik said.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Agatha said.
The red-haired huntress was observing everything she could while dodging the Mother Aracna’s many legs that were trying to pierce her. She saw how Marik’s semblance was freezing the smaller Aracnas before he sliced them and formed a plan. She jumped backwards to avoid another of the Mother Aracna’s leg and landed beside Marik. “Think you can use your semblance to keep the Mother Aracna in place while I take out her head?”
“It’ll be tricky. Her shadow is behind her, so I need a way to get around,” Marik said. “Not only that, but she also keeps calling for more of her children.”
“Don’t worry about that. My semblance allows me to create a dome that can block all sound,” she explained.
“That’s useful,” Agatha remarked having overheard them.
The red-haired huntress nodded. “Can I count on you two to take care of the smaller once.”
“Shouldn’t be to hard once you shut their mom up,” the black-haired huntress said.
“Sounds like a plan boss,” Agatha said. The red-haired huntress was confused by the title, but Agatha continued before she could question it. “Problem is I’m running a little low on aura so I can’t keep my Void Spheres up for much longer.”
“Oh, I can help with that,” the black-haired huntress said. She quickly punched a series of numbers in her staff and some music started playing.
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to climb another mountain
Are you ready?
Once she started singing Agatha can feel her aura strengthening. It felt thicker on her skin, and she could feel some of her energy coming back. She let out a small laugh. “My kind of semblance.” She let out another Void Sphere with one hand and shot at the rest using Yang while her new friend kept shooting at them while still singing.
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to circle ‘cross the ocean
Are you ready?
Red-haired holster her fans and activated her semblance creating a large dome that surrounded the Mother Aracna. Once the dome covered them she grabbed her fans and used them to block the Aracna’s legs while Marik rushes underneath her to get to its shadow.
Be prepared to fill your plate
Be prepared don’t hesitate
Be prepared for a great big bust
While he ran underneath the giant spider, Marik took the opportunity to slash at the creature’s back legs to bring her down to their level. The Aracna squealed at the pain before firing acid shots at the red-haird who jumped and cartwheeled out of the way.
Be prepared to do what you must
Be prepared to take a hit
Be prepared to go for it
Marik reached the shadow and activated the semblance, freezing the monster in it’s tracks. At the same time, Agatha and the musician just finished up the last of the small ones and joined the other two.
Be prepared for a sneak attack
Be prepared just don’t look back
The Aracna had fallen on her rear and screamed out in agony that went unheard by the rest of the forest.
Are you ready?
The musician and Agatha shot off the rest of the Aracna’s legs with their weapons.
Are you ready?
The red-haired huntress jumped high into the sky and threw her fans down to the ground, slicing the Aracna’s head clan off.
Are you ready?
The song ended as the Aracna disappeared into ash and everyone regrouped and caught their breath. Marik had the biggest smile on his face. “That went well,” he remarked.
“It did,” the musician agreed. “I’m not sure what we would have done if you two haven’t showed up.”
“That plan the boss came up with was a great one,” Agatha said.
“Seriously though, boss?” Red-haired asked.
Agatha nodded. “You took charge out there and kept a level head. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were named the team leader. So, you would be the boss”
The red-hair huntress gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t know about that. Anyway, we hadn’t had the chance to introduce ourselves yet. I’m Samantha Waterfield.”
The musician gave a nod. “Cho Evergreen.”
Marik raised his hand. “Marik Pickerel.”
“And I’m Agatha Griseo.” Agatha introduced.
“Griseo?” Cho asked. Marik also looked surprise as Agatha hadn’t said her last name before. “Are you by any chance related Martha and Dave Griseo.” Agatha nodded and the two got excited. “I love your parents stories. My mother is also a big fan of your mother’s romance novels.”
“I’m also a big fan of your dad’s Detective Cobalt series. That one with the television studio is one of my favorites,” Marik admitted.
“A Safe Home is a favorite of mine. The way your mother wrote the climax where the woman was found by her abusive husband and she has to protect the children of the widow she starts dating,” Cho said. “I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.”
Agatha beamed at the praises to her parents before turning to Samantha. “If I recall, there’s a famous fashion company from Atlas known as Waterfield right?”
Samantha grimaced. “Yeah, my parents run that company. Not my thing.”
Going by the look on her face it seemed like she didn’t really want to talk about it, so Marik decided to change the subject. “You know, the four of us made a great team.”
“We did,” Samantha agreed. “And you know, we haven’t collected our relics yet.”
“We should find a matching pair, so we’ll be on the same team,” Cho suggested.
“I’m down,” Agatha said.
The four made their way down the path to the temple and found playing cards. “Not very relicy,” Marik said.
“I don’t think that’s a word,” Cho joked.
“Looks like they’re paired by colors and suits,” Agatha observed. She picked up the Ace of Hearts. “You guys wanna get the diamond one,” she offered Cho and Samantha.
“Sure,” Samantha shrugged and picked up the Ace of Diamonds.
A few hours later, Initiation was officially finished and Professor Lionheart was announcing the new teams in the auditorium. “Cho Evergreen, Agatha Griseo, Marik Pickerel, and Samantha Waterfield. The four of you retrieved the red aces. From this day forward you will be known as Team SCAM. Led by Samantha Waterfield.”
Samantha was taken aback by this. Cho and Marik, who were on either side of her, each gave her a clap on the back. Agatha did a fist pump. “I told you that you would be made team leader!” she cheered. Samantha took a deep breath and smiled at her friends, her new team mates, as they looked forward to their future together.