Azraq, Ruby, and Jaune are walking down the main road side by side. Ruby skips alongside Azraq's measured pace, while Jaune walks steadily and slightly nervously. Ruby suddenly slows down for a bit as a thought occurs to her.
As she does, she notices a purple metallic disk on Azraq's back. Upon noticing the segments that make up its form, her eyes light up as she rushes forward to ask him about it.
Ruby's eyes practically sparkle as she begins her barrage of questions, "Hey, Azraq, is that a shield on your back? Is it a mechashift weapon? What does it do? I noticed magnetic clamps on your vambraces. Can you throw it? What does it turn into? It looks like it has a string. Is that how you throw it? What is it made out of? Does it have dust compatibility?"
Azraq chuckles as he shrugs the shield onto his arm. The shield is a round, purple buckler-style shield with a deep central ridge and a reinforced plate embedded in the middle.
Its surface is covered with symmetrical, angular patterns and lined with rune-like inscriptions along the top and sides.
He then begins explaining its functions to Ruby, "This is Romulus, it's a mechashift shield that turns into a crossbow. It does have dust compatibility, but I haven't really done much with that aspect. I can throw it, but that generally tends to be a pretty bad idea, so I avoid it whenever possible."
Jaune leans over to look at it alongside Ruby, his eyes curious as he ponders how exactly the shield becomes a crossbow. "Whoa! That's awesome! A lot cooler than mine, all it does is turn into a scabbard."
Ruby immediately zeroes in on Crocea Mors, her attention drawn by the other weapon. Azraq glances at the sheath closer. Having failed to notice its transformation capabilities.
Jaune then questions Azraq with hope in his eyes, "So where'd you get this one, Azraq! I've never seen anything like it!"
Ruby suddenly cuts in, confused by the question. "Huh? What do you mean, Jaune? Students at Hunter academies build their own weapons. I built my Crescent Rose at Signal!"
Ruby suddenly reaches behind her back and pulls out a blocky red rifle. She pulls a switch on the handle, and the barrel suddenly expands into a massive scythe. Both Azraq and Jaune step back as they admire the grand weapon.
Jaune looks slightly shaky as he asks, "Y-you built this, Ruby?"
"Yep! Just me and my school workshop! I've been improving Crescent Rose since the first time I made her in my garage."
"Quite impressive, Ruby, but I'm afraid I lack the expertise to assemble a weapon like Romulus. I sent the specifications to a dedicated craftsman, and he made it." Azraq then cuts in to clarify, hand tracing grooves in the shield before he places it back on his back.
Jaune lets out a sigh of relief before responding to Ruby, "As for me, Crocea Mors is a hand-me-down; it's been in my family since forever, and it fought in the Great Wars."
Ruby looks on analytically at the weapon. She then goes to speak again, but stops as Azraq announces, "Looks like we made it, this is the auditorium. Let's hurry inside. I can hear everybody already there."
Jaune and Ruby look up at the door with a start as they just notice it. They both look at each with relief, realizing that neither had been paying attention where they were going.
Azraq and company push open the wide doors and walk into the auditorium, spotting the mob of students talking in their own groups as a blonde woman sets up on the stage at the end of the hall.
The auditorium is shaped like a glass hemisphere amphitheater with raised bleachers arranged in a circle around a circular stage that has a tall backdrop with blue lights. There is a large, open area in front of the stage where all the students are standing.
From out of the mob of noise, a shout singles out Ruby, as Yang pushes out from the crowd. She greets Azraq and Jaune before rushing off with Ruby, "Hey, Az, Vomit Boy, I'll be snatching my baby sis back! Smell ya later!"
Azraq looks over at Jaune to see him devastated. Azraq chuckles before the two walk off to find a spot to watch the stage. He then begins asking Jaune about his life before Beacon, "So what school did you go to, Jaune?"
Jaune suddenly jolts to a stop before shakily responding, "Uhh…Signal."
Azraq's eyebrow cocks at the weak lie, before asking another question, "Uh-huh, so how come Ruby didn't recognize you since you went to the same school?"
Jaune gulps air before nervously responding, "Um…I was very shy?"
"You didn't go to a combat school, did you?"
Jaune slumps against the wall with a defeated look as he admits it, "Yeah…I, uh, I faked my transcripts to get in. But I thought no one would notice! And I thought I could pick everything up here, right? I'd have to work hard, sure, but I'm used to that, so I could catch up and become a hunter. And my parents wouldn't train me or let me go to an academy, so this was my only choice!"
Azraq looks confused before hesitantly asking, "So did you get any training before coming here? Did you even get your aura unlocked?"
"My what now?"
Azraq face-palms as he realizes how much trouble his new friend is in, "Aura is the manifestation of your soul, it…"
An amplified voice cuts through all conversation as a silver-haired man clears his throat upon the stage.
Azraq quickly whispers to Jaune before grinning as he listens to one of Professor Ozpin's vaunted speeches, "Listen, I'll tell you later. We'll meet up tonight, and I'll get you to a point where you won't immediately die."
Azraq leans back against the nearby wall as he closes his eyes, wondering what Ozpin was planning with Jaune. Because there's no way that meticulous old man missed a student faking transcripts.