Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Team ATAM
The four of them stood at the bottom of the giant cliff staring up as Ania sighed "Really we have to climb this to reach the top and pass the initiation challenge?". "Unfortunately it's the only way up for us" Alan said pulling his tonfa's out as he stabbed the bladed end into the rocks using it as a lever to hold him in place. "It shouldn't be too hard Ania" Tom said as white light surrounded the bottom of his boots as they almost stuck to the rocks allowing him to climb.
"Yeah well some of us can't manipulate dust or have blades to use a lever" she grumbled about to turn to Mitch to see what he was going to do but found he had already leapt up onto the rock surface and simply climbed up by himself with no support. "HEY WHAT ABOUT ME" she yelled up to him as he stopped and glanced down "I'd offer to carry you on my back but we aren't really that close for something like that" "Useless people making me do things myself" she grumbled.
"I kind of feel bad we left Ania back there" Alan said to Tom as they continued ascending up the cliff as Ania who was still standing on the ground slowly became tinier and tinier. "Logically there wasn't anything we could do to help her" was all Tom said as they watched Mitch climbing up below them leaping from rock to rock carelessly not even worried if he would slip there was a long plummet down below. "You act as if you've done rock climbing before?" Alan yelled across as Mitch stopped his leaping holding himself up against a particularly thick piece jutting out. "Huh oh yeah I always used to climb up various things when I was young, sort of was a sport to me and always the best way to get a view of your surroundings in a new area. Plus it made for good hiding spots way up high where no one could reach you."
Realising he had talked for the most amount of time since they had first met him Mitch looked back up to the top of the cliff "Enough chit chat we're almost at the top and complete this damn challenge so I can relax and have a drink".
Elsewhere down below Ania had been busy devising her own method for reaching the top which involved a thick tree log she had cut down a rock wedged in the middle of the log and another high above in the tree tops tied by a vine. "I'll show those idiots what happens for leaving me behind" touching the vine she yanked it forward causing the rock to fall down at a rapid accelerated pace slamming into the log which was tipped up. A loud creak could be heard as the log launched her straight up high into the air as she went flying past the boys on the rock like a blur.
"Eh did you just see Ania go flying past?" Alan said as they heard Ania's voice scream "Bye suckers" before a shadowy blur flew past them. "It couldn't have been her I mean how could she have managed to propel herself from the ground up and past us without having any necessary skills" "Way to make her sound useless" Mitch sarcastically said as Tom simply stared at him confused "I was simply stating a fact" "Yeah whatever let's just keep climbing."
Six hands clamped down at on the edge of the cliff as the three boys dragged themselves up collapsing onto the ground. "Phew that was quiet the climb" Mitch said leaping up stretching his arms as Ania was already sitting on a rock cross legged tapping her foot impatiently "What took you three so long". "But how, who, what?" Alan simply said confused as Tom for once was also confused "It's not logically possible!"
"Hey Mitch what took you lot so long to arrive" Yang's voice could be heard as Mitch looked across to see her standing with Ruby, Weiss and some other girl he had seen the girls talking to last night. She was the same height as the other girls with long black hair down that reached halfway down her back a black ribbon was tied a top of her head which was attached to a black headband. She wore a black buttoned vest with coattails and a white sleeveless undershirt that exposed part of her midriff with white shorts that were connected to her shirt, on her feet she had black low heeled boots and stockings that started off black at her hips but gradually faded to purple as they neared her shoes.
Black ribbons were on both of her arms while her weapon was sheathed to her back, she seemed shy or as Mitch guessed simply wasn't bothered making new friends as she was busy staring at the ground while the rest of her group were busy talking between each other.
"Well we got caught up fighting a Grimm then had to climb a cliff" Mitch said walking away from his group towards where the rest of the students were already sitting around as Professor Ozpin saw the last remaining group arrive and smiled. "Well better late than never and with that everyone has completed the initiation trail congratulations you're all students of the academy now. Now if you'll just follow me to the assembly hall we can start sorting all of you into your teams."
"I wonder how they sort and figure out the teams" Ruby said as Yang shrugged her shoulders "Who knows but hopefully we'll be together sis" "I swear if I'm stuck on the same team as you I'll go crazy" Weiss grumbled as Mitch walked alongside them in silence "Who the hell will I get stuck with" he thought to himself before Yang gave him a shove "Yo watcha thinking of?" "Huh just who I'll be stuck with, personally I'd just prefer being by myself" "Well doesn't work like that so guess you'll have to make friends with someone."
"Great" Mitch grumbled "What's so wrong with having to make friends" Yang said playfully punching his arm as Mitch took a sip from his flask "Just takes effort which I'm not bothered with".
Eventually everyone was seated inside the giant auditorium where Professor Ozpin stood up on the stage with a giant screen behind him as he spoke into the microphone. "Congratulations again to all our first year students who passed the initiation ceremony, we'll now begin grouping you all into teams and that'll be done based on what chess piece you all decided to pick up". "Wait that means..." Mitch said as he felt a hand get placed on his back "We're team mate's buddy" Alan whispered, "Alright I'm on a team with my friends" Tom thought to himself as he saw Alan give him the thumbs up "I wonder what that gesture means".
Ruby's team was announced with her as the leader followed by Weiss, Blake and Yang forming team RWBY then there was JNPR, CRDL, SALT and PWND. "Now presenting our 6th team which collected the Black Knight" "And here we go" Mitch groaned as Tom, Alan, Ania and Mitch's name were all called up as they walked up onto the stage standing facing the crowd while their faces were on the giant screen behind them. "They'll be forming team ATAM which will be lead by Alan Lee" "Oh yay our great and glorious leader" Mitch grumbled to himself and rolled his eyes before receiving a nudge from Ania to keep quiet.
"Alright here comes our next team" Professor Ozpin's voice was heard as the newly formed team ATAM started walking back to their seats. "Heh looks like you'll be taking orders from me ey buddy" Alan said nudging Mitch who grit his teeth "I swear you keep this up we'll become team TAM with you being burned to a crisp" fire burned in his eyes as Alan simply chuckled slapping him on the back "Oh you crack me up team mate". "Yep I'm done" Mitch threw his hands up and walked the opposite way out the door "Hey the assembly isn't done" "It is for me I need to go work out and blow off some steam before our new 'leader' is burned to a crisp".
A face peered over the bench press as Mitch saw Yang staring down at him "Hey you here to do some training as well?" "Actually I was avoiding my team" "Aww is your team really that bad?" "Well my leader is all friendly and talkative" Mitch groaned "I was actually talking to him when the assembly was over he seems like a pretty nice guy" "Yeah there's the problem the stark opposite of me who wants to be quiet and left alone" "Well you picked the wrong people to hang around with at the academy then" Yang laughed as she walked over to the punching bag.
"So this is our dorm room" Tom said opening the door to find four beds side by side as Alan looked around "Err so we share the room with Ania then?" "I don't really see a problem with that" Tom simply said as Ania barged in the room dumping her suitcase on top of the bed in the far right hand corner "It's easily solved I'll throw a curtain up so no one pervs" "Wait why would anyone perv?" Tom said confused as both Ania and Alan sighed. "Do you care which bed you have?" Alan asked Tom who had already thrown his suitcase on one of the middle beds "Huh did you say something?" "Nope guess I'll take the bed at the other far end" Alan tossed his trunk on the bed and began unpacking all of his gear.
"Man that was one hell of a work out" Mitch said stretching as he walked in completely shirtless and glanced around the room "So this is where we're all staying, sheesh all in one room". Tossing his shirt onto the bed next to Ania he removed his shorts and hurled them down to as Alan sighed "Dude we have female company are you sure you should just blantantly undress?" "Huh oh Ania didn't see you there" "It's fine I've seen a lot worse" "See she's fine with it now I'm taking a shower" Mitch said walking into the bathroom "So this is the team I'm stuck leading..."
Walking out a few moments later with only a towel on Mitch saw everyone had finished unpacking designating their stuff to different parts of the room. "So how come you don't have any stuff to unpack?" Ania asked completely oblivious to the fact Mitch was only wearing a towel "Not really when you spend as much time travelling as I do carrying crap gets annoying". The only possessions he had was a backpack and Ashura while inside was a few pairs of clothes and two photo's "So who are the people in the two photo's?" Alan said staring down at the first photo which had an older man and woman with a young boy in between them.
The man looked similar to Mitch tall and muscular with straight blonde hair and piercing blue eyes but the mother was entirely different she was short petite and had long auburn coloured hair with green eyes. "Those are my parents and the little kid is me" Mitch said eyes sunken to the ground as Alan looked at the second photo which was much older Mitch arms linked around a gorgeous blonde haired girl. She was slightly shorter than Mitch with a curvaceous figure and stunning white skin while a pair of stunning cat like blue/green eyes stared at him full of love. "Is that your girlfriend wow you sure scored well with that" Alan said chuckling as Mitch slowly walked across snatching the photo from Alan "...don't ever ask me about her" "I'm sorry I was just curious" "WELL LEAVE IT BE!" he roared flames burning in his eyes.
After putting on some clothes Mitch stormed off down the hall despite the fact it was getting late in the night. As he slammed the door Tom looked up from the book he was reading "What did I miss?" was all he said as Alan sighed "Nothing just the enigma that is Mitch" "I say we just leave his past be some people hate talking about things that hurt" Ania said sliding underneath the covers as she pulled the curtain across her bed "I'll see you boys in the morning".
"I suppose I should leave it if it's to painful but how are we to work as a team if I don't know anything about my team members" Alan sat at the edge of his bed sighing, he had been trained by his family to be the best hunter and leader but never had he come across the unique individuals that were on his team. "Well I've never backed down from a challenge and I won't start now". Jumping under the covers he switched off the light "Don't stay up to late Tom we have a bright an early start for class" "Of course I just have a few more pages to read then it's to bed for me".
Elsewhere Mitch sat outside in the courtyard staring up at the bright full moon and sighed "Looks like it'll be another sleepless night for me" the necklace with a triangular pendant attached jingled in the wind as he looked down at it before gently touching it "Why'd he have to ask about that crap just when I had it deep and buried..."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone