RWBY: Rise of the Beasts

Chapter 18: Let the Hunt Begin

Mountain Glenn was supposed to be an expansion of Vale. And for a time, everything seemed to be going well in the city's construction. But unlike Vale, the city didn't have any natural barriers to protect itself from the Grimm. As a result, the Grimm were able overwhelm the city's defenses, killing the fleeing civilians and construction workers until finally it was abandoned by Vale as a whole. Now, Mountain Glenn was nothing more than a ghost town of sorts. The buildings and streets were void of almost all life besides the creatures of Grimm and the few rodents and animals that chose to make their homes there.

The only sound that filled the empty streets was the wind blowing and the occasional Grimm roaring far off in the distance. But suddenly another sound filled the streets, echoing throughout the city. It was quiet at first, but slowly got louder and louder as the source approached Mountain Glenn. Soon the sound was recognizable, being the turbines of a Bullhead as it flew overhead, searching for a big enough spot to land and drop off its passengers.

After a few minutes of searching, the Bullhead started to descend towards the city streets, stopping in a small clearing near a building that looked like it was supposed to be some kind of diner. The Bullhead hovered about ten feet off the ground, letting team RWBY and Oobleck jump down onto the empty street below. The four girls all either had their weapons out and ready for combat or at least had their hands on their weapons. Oobleck, however, simply held his large green thermos casually, even taking a sip of its contents as the Bullhead above started to fly away, leaving the five all alone in the empty city as a few tumbleweeds rolled down the street in the distance.

"Ladies!" Oobleck began, getting the attention of team RWBY who all turned towards him. "You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as huntresses has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say!" Oobleck gestured at himself with his thermos, spilling coffee onto his shirt. Though, he didn't seem to care. "Do you understand?"

All four girls nodded in understanding. Suddenly, Oobleck jerked towards Ruby's direction.

"Ruby!" Oobleck exclaimed, startling the red reaper slightly. "I thought I told you to leave all of your bags at school."

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet," Ruby pointed out after a second to think while holding up a finger. "So I didn't."

"She's not wrong . . ." Oobleck muttered to himself with a hand on his chin in thought. "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return."

"But, I, well uh-" Ruby was struggling to find a good excuse to keep the backpack with her. But before she could think of anything, Oobleck spoke again.

"Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with . . ." Oobleck trailed off when the backpack somehow unzipped itself and Zwei's head popped out. Seeing this unexpected guest, everyone simply stared at the dog, who didn't seem to care about the looks whatsoever.

"Get back in the bag," Ruby whispered out of the side of her mouth. In response, Zwei just barked.

"We're here to investigate an urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought . . . a dog?" Oobleck asked, glaring at both Ruby and Zwei.

"I, uh . . ." Ruby trailed off, unsure how she could explain herself. But fortunately for the red reaper, Oobleck had an explanation already.

"Genius!" Oobleck exclaimed before backing away. The rest of team RWBY glared at the dog and Ruby, the latter giving a confused shrug before Oobleck zipped past her, grabbing Zwei out of Ruby's backpack and knocking the red reaper down as the teacher spun Zwei around in the air. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours!" Zwei happily barked as he was spun around.