"Uh.. Cardin?" Dove Bronzewing, Cardin's partner called out, snapping his attention to the multiple people arriving behind them.
Aside from Yuzuha's team there was several more partners arriving. Jane looked to the left and saw Nora riding an Ursa until it collapsed while Ren caught up behind her. Then there was Jaune running after Pyrrha, who was aiming her rifle straight up.
"Ohhhh my GODS!!!" Jane looked up too, seeing Ruby and Weiss fall off a huge Nevermore.
Ruby, remembering she could escape the fall with her semblance, activated it and turned into a swarm of petals that flew right past Cardin's group.
"Aaaaah! Yang! Help! Weiss is-" Ruby yelled as she deactivated her Semblance and hit Yang's chest, face first.
"Mmmfgh!"
"Woah, Sis!" Yang relaxed and pulled Ruby out of her bust. "What happened?"
Ruby pointed up, to where Weiss was hanging on to the Nevermore's talon stubbornly. While the Nevermore carrying Weiss distracted most of them, Jane was watching Cardin grip his mace harder while staring at the chess pieces. When he made a move and started to raise his mace to attack Yang, she threw one of her porcelume blades at the back of his head.
*Swish~*
Cardin felt a strange breeze hit the top of his head, like something has passed over it. Stopping dead in his tracks, he saw a blade embedded in the ground two meters in front of him.
"Uh.... Cardin bro?" Sky Lark cleared his throat as the two others boys who comprised his team started laughing.
Cardin, feeling something was wrong, brought his hand up to his head. Then, he felt it. The prominent bald spot cut through his wild red hair. His eyes widened as he slowly looked over at Jane, seeing the little smug smirk on her face along with the surprised yet amused expressions of the teens behind her nearly set him off.
He wanted nothing more than to take his mace and beat her to a pulp but seeing as he already pissed off Yang and Blake, he figured it'd be unwise to have this many enemies before they were even officially enrolled as students.
"Grr... just grab a fucking piece..!" Cardin ordered, glaring at Jane as the teams converged on the pedestal containing the chess board and pieces.
After grabbing a rook, Cardin and the other boys quickly made their exit.
"Well~ That was anticlimactic. I thought he was going to start a fight." Jane muttered as she walked over to the pedestal, her tail flicking out and smacking the handle of her blade, which was embedded in the dirt, sending it flying up, where it was caught by her finger.
Spinning her blade around her finger lazily, she looked at Yang and Blake, who looked to be calming down.
"Ehe.. uh thanks, Jane! That hair thing with Cardin was funny. Can't believe they just started attacking though. Started spouting some bull..-" Yang cut herself off and covered Ruby's ears before proceeding, "-shit about female Huntresses only being good for two things. They were gonna try to bully other teams and block them from getting one of these. So Blake and I started kicking their asses."
Manato sneered in disgust after hearing Yang's explanation. Yuzuha and Alice had mixed reactions though. Alice's face reddened in indignant anger, her fists clenched. Yuzuha had an impassive expression, but Jane noted the way her knuckles whitened as she tightly gripped onto the handle of her umbrella.
"Um.."
"I could still catch them now. Drag them back for a deserved beating." Manato offered, all too eager to beat on Cardin and his team.
"Guys.."
"Hah! With how fast they ran off I doubt you'll catch them in time, Manato." Yuzuha joked.
"I think Weiss..."
Before they could continue the conversation, a loud yet distant scream was heard from above. Everyone looked up and saw Weiss free falling toward them, arms flailing as she yelled.
"SOMEONE! FOR THE LOVE OF DUST HELP ME!!"
Jane cleared her throat, "Miss Schnee! Deploy any gravity Dust you have and create glyphs below you to slow your fall!"
Weiss paused and quickly followed Jane's advice, switching Myrtenaster's chamber to gravity Dust and creating glyphs below her to slow her fall significantly. After the third glyph she passed through, she felt herself get scooped up in large, muscular arms.
"Ah.. I.. thank you." Weiss coughed and looked up at Manato, who had leapt up on Jane's behest and caught Weiss in his arms.
He nodded and set her down, a bit awkwardly. Weiss then locked onto Ruby and stormed over.
"You left me up there!"
"I told you to jump!"
"I NEVER agreed to that!"
"What other choice was there!?"
"FALLING TO OUR DEATHS is hardly an option."
Jane put her hands on Ruby and Weiss' shoulders, gently separating them before the argument could continue.
"Now now~ One should ensure your partner is one hundred percent with you regarding plans." Jane stated, looking at Ruby before continuing on. "But one should also know that panicking won't really help anyone, regardless of the situation. I'm sure you could have easily figured out how to land safely, Miss Schnee, if you hadn't been panicking."
Weiss and Ruby both looked away though gave her a nod as well.
"Now!" Jane clapped her hands, looking at the teams arriving at the pedestal.
Jaune and Pyrrha, Ren and Nora, Blake and Yang, Yuzuha and Alice. Manato, unfortunately was the only one without a partner. She hadn't seen Lucia nor Yidhari even back in the auditorium so she was confused. Would both show up? Or just one? Maybe even neither?
"There are three pieces left! One for each team. You may have been assigned a partner but Huntsmen work in teams of four. So congrats! There's enough for everyone here." Jane announced, seeing mixed reactions from everyone there.
Relief from everyone but Alice, Manato and Yuzuha and confusion from those three.
"Wait.. Melissa. I just noticed now but.. that girl called you Jane?" Alice pointed out.
Jane nodded with a small smile.
"Sorry for the little white lie~. I'm actually part of this little initiation. I've been eliminating those who ought to be eliminated. Actually sounds a bit dark when I put it that way.." Jane stated, finishing with a little giggle that made Jaune and Yang's weak in the knees simultaneously.
"So you're a Huntress then.. Ah sorry Manato! I guess we didn't find you a partner." Yuzuha apologized as Manato gave her a shrug.
"It's fine. Let's all just grab the last pieces and pass. We can worry about partners and stuff after." Manato replied, seeing everyone agree as they moved forward and picked up a piece for themselves.
"Yes! Now we just- Duck!" Ruby exclaimed as a dozen sharp feathers skewered the ground all around them.
Yang punched a few away, Manato blocked a few from hitting Yuzuha, Alice and Weiss and Pyrrha stood in front of Jaune and blocked three from hitting him while the rest quickly dodged out of the way.
"Guh.. get back here you flying menace!" Nora shouted as she got up and started firing grenades at the Nevermore above.
Though it was far out of range already, going further into the ruins near the massive waterfalls at the back of Beacon. Right where the closest exit to the Emerald forest was located.
The teams all got up, most looking ready to fight the giant bird. A few seemed unsure. Jane watched them all with a mysterious smile and decided to nudge them.
"So what will you do? Take the long way back? The forest is huge and it could take all day to get back to Beacon that way. Or.. go through the Ruins and face the Grimm as Huntsmen and Huntresses? One way leads to danger and the other is a long trek back. And as much as I'd like to help out, I'm not supposed to interfere in your test~" Jane looked at the crowd and saw the gleam in Ruby, Jaune and Yuzuha's eyes.
The three leaders stepped up and started giving orders. And all three teams made their way to the Ruins while Jane strolled from behind and watched.
"Spotlight's nice and all but I do enjoy propping up others like this~. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this world's chances.."