A/N Esdeath is sixteen years old in this short series, just to let you know, and obviously her age will change per year that she is in.
Esdeath exited the airship and watched as many other students walked past her. Looking down at her blade she placed her hand on it, it reminded her of the empire... with a smile Esdeath began towards the front hall. Pushing past those who chose to walk slowly she eventually caught up with the crowd with a frown she felt the urge to cut her way through them but a hand pulled her from thought, looking over her shoulder she saw a tall woman with rabbit ears, gray hair, and orange eyes
"Do you really think killing all these people would get you through initiation quicker?" she asked her eyes seemed to cut through Esdeath
"It would get rid of the weak quicker." Esdeath answered as she brushed the womans' hand off her shoulder
"But none of them have weapons... so wont it just get rid of everyone?" she asked as she began to walk next to Esdeath
"Perhaps, but they are going to die regardless." Esdeath waved off as they slowly began to make their way towards the main hall
"So the people behind you are the strong?" she asked again trying to figure out what Esdeath was talking about
"The people behind me are the smart ones, are you smart?" Esdeath asked staring the girl dead in the eyes earning a giggle from her
"This is so nice! It's almost impossible for me to have a normal conversation! My semblance is mind reading... every single thought that goes through a persons head I can see, its like reading a book. But you, I cant tell what you'll do next." the girl happy said as she bounced around Esdeath
"You haven't answered my question." Esdeath commented causing the girl to freeze mid-air and and blink a few times
"Of course I'm smart." she answered as they entered the hall, looking around they were greeted a large open room where they all lined up and waited for instruction, standing at the front Esdeath recognized James Ironwood, he recently got promoted to a full on general, but she knew he had his sights set higher then that.
"Oh... so you know the headmaster?.. was he a family friend?-" the girl tried to ask but was quieted when ice froze her lips shut, Esdeath had made no movement so the girl was now very confused because it didn't feel like Esdeath did anything but it had to have been her
"Welcome, you all have proven that you have the will and strength to learn at this institution. Atlas academy is a school unlike any other. We are the most technologically advanced school on Remnant and the most well funded too. I have no need to sell this to you though, you all have already proven qualified for this school. So now we will assign you teams, as you most likely already know; all huntsman academies place their students in groups of four, while other schools leave this process up to chance, test scores, or... in Shades case dumb luck, we here at Atlas use combat scores, the more proficient fighters will be grouped in groups of two, then paired with two fighters with lower combat scores to ensure that you all grow stronger." Ironwood droned, it was clear that he didn't sleep last night... or the night before. Esdeath was rather angry to learn that she was going to be paired with dead weight but there wasn't much she could do, right now she wasn't even a specialist.
"Firstly I will call out leaders, those of you who have the highest scores. Esdeath Partas, William Shock, Maria White, Ben Shock, Fynn Frost, Nina Zelenyy, Kurt Oburt, Lea Strauss. Each of you are to line up front, then the specialist will go around to the rest and assign them accordingly." James finished as he walked off stage, Esdeath walked confidently to the front and stood in attention waiting for this process to finish, to be perfectly honest she found this whole situation to be very inefficient but again, she could do nothing
(o)
After an hour Esdeath was grouped with three others, one familiar the other two not, the talkative rabbit was named Anna, her along with Hermann and Raven, made the four team EARH(Earth), she really didn't know how she felt being named after dirt but that didn't matter
"You four are assigned to room 443 leave now." one specialist ordered after they were formed, Esdeath turned and began towards the hall that everyone else was walking through, she was quickly followed by her subordinates.
"So you're Esdeath right?" Anna asked as she caught up
"Yes, I assume you're Anna." Esdeath asked earning a raised eyebrow from her "You told me earlier your semblance is mind reading you can read your opponents moves before they make them and plan accordingly." Esdeath explained as she folded her hands behind her back
"Kinda... I prefer to use it for brief predictions instead, just a few seconds at most." Anna happily said earning a nod from Esdeath "What of the others, what are their semblances?" Esdeath asked much quieter this time
"Oh... Hermanns' semblance is... redirection, he can change the trajectory of attacks... but he has poor control over it. Raven... she can blink, teleport a few feet at a time, it drains her Aura quickly though." Anna answered as they began down the hallway towards their room
(o)
"So boss? What's the first order of business?" Raven asked, she was short and thin, very thin almost malnourished it seemed, she had long thick black hair, and bright blue eyes that seemed to almost glow
"First we get settled in, then wait and see of there will be an inspection. After confirming that fact we will plan accordingly." Esdeath answered without missing a beat
"Seems like you know everything." Hermann commented as he lied down on his bunk "I'm just glad that I got in here, so if you don't mind me I'll be catching up on some needed sleep."
"You will not be sleeping until everyone is unpacked and the room is clean." Esdeath ordered as she walked over to him, grabbed him by his hair then yanked him out of bed sending him to the floor, the boy stood to his full height standing almost two heads taller than Esdeath and twice as heavy, but Esdeath knew what she was capable of
"Is this an act of insubordination?" Esdeath asked her mouth spreading into a smile
"Don't fucking touch me." Hermann growled as Esdeaths' smiled became more sinister
"You are my subordinate for a reason, you will remain my subordinate, unless you think you can take my position from me." Esdeath added goading him on a bit
"Easily." He growled then swung at Esdeath who leaned back easily dodging his strike
"Shouldn't we be unpacking?" Raven asked watching as Esdeath avoided all the strikes Hermann threw at her
"Of course, you all have things you need to sort out, I'll join you once he has given up." Esdeath answered casually only serving to fuel Hermanns' rage
(o)
The first week had been rough, but it turned out that Hermann was quite studious and good to have in a fight, the main reason he had such poor combat scores was due to him being a defensive fighter... unless he was tired in which case he was very offensive. Anna had attached herself to Esdeath, where Esdeath went Anna went, she was a good fighter against everyone except Esdeath, and she had perfect grades when it came to classes, mainly because she had all the answers at her disposal. Raven was a form of middle ground, she wanted one thing, and that was money, everyday she tried to extort someone out of their money, and every weekend she would extort businesses of their hard earned money, Esdeath allowed it because it kept her in line
(4 weeks later)
"Well done." Esdeath said as she looked over the grades they had gotten in this quarters finals, she scored 100, Anna scored 100, Hermann scored 97, and Raven scored 92, "Raven, you need extra work though."
"Wha- I scored above a ninety!" Raven commented in surprise "That's what you asked for!"
"Yes, but you should have tried to exceed my expectations, I expected you to get a ninety, so you should have scored a ninety-five at least." Esdeath said "But don't worry, I'm sure Anna and Hermann would be happy to help you grow more proficient."
"Um... actually... Esdeath? Can we talk... there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." Anna said earning a raised eyebrow from Esdeath
"What do you need?" Esdeath asked turning her attention to her as Hermann and Raven left the room to go to the library to study
"Some nights I can't sleep... and they are the nights that you seem to have 'great' dreams." Anna said after the door shut "Dreams are different... I can... see them, the dreams I see from you are... frightening, how do you find such comfort from torture? I know it's only in dreams but I see a look in your eyes in combat class. Sometimes... it's like in your dreams. So please tell me... what you find so appealing about such acts?"
"Torture is honest. It is when a person is at their most vulnerable, and when they will tell you anything to get you to stop, I get no high from control as so many others do, it is my philosophy proven right; the weak die, and the strong live." Esdeath answered as she placed her hand on Anna shoulder
"I... I grew up in Mantle... when I was super little my mother and father died in a mining incident, I grew up on the streets after that... I had no one and the everyone treated me like a monster because of my semblance." Anna said finally opening up to someone in years
"And you survived, proving that you are strong. You lost your family, you lost your home, you lost hope, but you survived." Esdeath said confidently as she squeezed Annas' shoulder earning the girls full attention "Now though you have something, you are mine to use as I see fit, so long as you are mine you will always have a home with me, so are you going to submit?" Anna looked Esdeath dead in the eyes then placed her hand on the side of Esdeaths' head and closed her eyes, Esdeath could tell that she was beginning to search her memories searching for any reason to mistrust her, but Esdeath was confident that this situation would go exactly as she planned, after a few seconds Anna opened her eyes then wrapped her arms around Esdeath and dropped to her knees as she began to cry, Esdeath sat down next to her and began to pet her first true subordinate
(o)
Esdeaths' team had grown famous over then second semester, they were consistently the most powerful and most knowledgeable team in the first and second year teams, which surprised many teachers. Raven had been a trouble maker even with her team leader, but she had becomes completely complaisant with Esdeath after a week she and her team spent patrolling Mantle
(15 weeks later)
"I honestly hate this gig." Raven complained as she lazily caught up to Esdeath who stopped at a street corner
"I figured the slums would be your favorite place to be, plenty of people willing to give you money if you have the blade for it." Esdeath commented
"I don't rob people." Raven growled earning an eye roll from Esdeath
"So, when do you plan to fulfill those ludicrous bets that you have been making with everyone. Because from what me and Anna have learned you have no intention to pay them back." Esdeath snarked as she turned and continued on their patrol
"Hey just 'cause people give me money doesn't mean I'm robbing them."
"And what do you plan to do when Nina and her team beat you up again?" Esdeath asked as she placed her hand on her blades hilt as they walked
"I'll... run?" Raven answered after a few moments of trying to think of something that sounded less cowardly
"So you are a weakling." Esdeath commented as she looked at some children run across the street
"HEY! I AM NOT!" Raven shouted as she swung at Esdeath who caught the strike
"Are you not, you make up all these things just so you can get people to pay you money so you can survive another night, I'm no fool, you haven't eaten in three days, you're starving." Esdeath said as she lowered Ravens hand back to her side
"I... I've eaten." Raven denied clearly not telling the truth, Esdeath rolled her eyes as they walked past the diner again, it always had the pleasant smell of food around it, and it was clearly eating away at Raven, Esdeath chose this route for that specific reason
"Oh good, so we can head right back to the barracks after this patrol." Esdeath added happily as Raven continued to eye the dinner
"Okay fine you win... I haven't eaten... in almost four days." Raven finally admitted her voice was shaken
"Come then." Esdeath ordered as she turned and walked towards the dinner
"But-"
"We will talk after you eat." Esdeath cut off not caring to look back to her
(o)
Raven had eaten her fill, Esdeath didnt even tell her to stop like she was suspecting, they were now on their way back to the barracks to sleep while Anna and Hermann take their shift
"So... what do you want?" Raven asked carefully but she was looking rather fearful, she didn't realize that she had eaten over a hundred Lien worth of food
"Submission." Esdeath answered "Obey my words, and work hard, and you can do whatever you want. You can even continue your scams if you so choose." Esdeath spoke "Remember this is a choice, you can submit to me and get whatever you want with a few rules, or you can count this as a kindness from me, and rely on your own merits from now on."
"What would you want me to do... if I submit?" Raven asked carefully she was happy to not feel hunger pains anymore but she was still careful
"Follow my orders, and never betray me. And never be the reason you fail a task I give you." Esdeath answered as they stopped in front of the barracks
"So... is it boss, master, mistress, queen, or goddess?" Raven asked after a few seconds of thought
"Take your pick, I've been called two of those." Esdeath commented as she turned towards the door
"You got it, boss." Raven agreed as she walked next to her
"Three now." Esdeath commented as they entered the building, she had secured the loyalty of two of her subordinates, and she had three years for the last one so she had some time to spare to make this elaborate.
A/N This will be a quick series, just a little peak into Esdeaths' life before becoming a general, there is nothing else to really be said.
The number system for school semester is Florida so one school year is a total of 36 weeks, so the this chapter takes place across the first 20 weeks of Esdeaths' first year, just making that clear.
I hope this is somewhat enjoyable, I know its not much but it's not suppose to be a lot, remember this is average years at a combat school so don't expect too many adventures, Each of theses chapters are just covering the highlights of Esdeath's time becoming a specialist AKA her time at Atlas academy so there wont be any; relics Salem, maidens, or Ozpin, interference. So sleep easy.